Sawtooth Star

At eleven o'clock in the morning on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 an armistice was signed between Germany and the Allies of World War I at Compiègne, France, signaling the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I. The armistice was essentially three-month cease-fire; the war didn’t actually come to an end until the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. In Great Britain Armistice Day is celebrated with poppies to commemorate the lives lost in World War I and subsequent wars. Tiny artificial poppies start showing up on lapels the last Friday in October and disappear after sunset November 11. In the US November 11 is called Veteran’s Day, a day to honor the service of veterans both living and dead. We reserve Memorial Day – Decoration Day – to remember those killed in action.

Four Winds Times Four

At 7:15 the morning of October 28, New Zealand fisherman Gus Hutt was on the beach checking his lines. He saw what looked like a large doll with a porcelain face floating in the surf, and he reached out and grabbed its arm. When the “doll” let out a little squeak, Gus nearly lost his grip. Eighteen-month-old Malachi Reeve had been staying with his family at a campground on Matata Beach. While his parents slept in, Malachi unzipped the tent and headed straight for the water. He’d floated about 50 feet before he was fished out. “If I hadn’t been there or if I’d just been a minute later I wouldn’t have seen him,” said Gus. Little Malachi was taken to a nearby hospital to be checked out, then his parents brought him to visit his rescuer. “He was wriggling, trying to get down to have a look at everything. He was just a lovely, cheeky little fella.”

Feed Sack Log Cabin

Autumn began – in the northern hemisphere at least – Saturday, September 22. It ends Friday, December 21. That puts today about as close as you can get to the middle of the season. Have you done half the things you meant to do before winter sets in? Have you gone apple picking or tasted real apple cider? (Apple juice does NOT count.) Did you share a scary movie or a corn maze with family and friends? Did you carve a pumpkin and roast the seeds? Have you gone on a hayride or a fall foliage road trip? Have you baked an apple pie or a loaf of pumpkin bread? Did you plant a few daffodils or crocuses or hyacinths or tulips for next spring? Have you bottled a batch of applesauce or stewed tomatoes or grape jelly or pear jam? If there’s a lot left on your autumn bucket list, get moving. Winter will be here before you know it.

Four Winds

This month the Quilt Etc. Block-of-the-month class discussed Corrie Ten Boom’s book The Hiding Place. I read this well over a decade ago for a neighborhood book club, but it’s well worth re-reading. Here are a few of my favorite Corrie Ten Boom quotes:

Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.

Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill that love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.

Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.

Twirligigs

“The Savior is our Good Samaritan, sent to heal the brokenhearted. He comes to us when others pass us by. With compassion, He places His healing balm on our wounds and binds them up. He carries us. He cares for us. He bids us, ‘Come unto me.’ Jesus suffered pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind that he might take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish;

Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.

Here bring your wounded hearts; here tell your anguish.

Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.

At a time of enormous suffering, the Lord told the Prophet Joseph, ‘All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.’ How can painful wounds be for our good? In the crucible of earthly trials, patiently move forward, and the Savior’s healing power will bring you light, understanding, peace, and hope.” – Elder Neil L. Andersen

Court House Steps

Last week we were browsing through Sur la Table at Fashion Place Mall, trying to console ourselves over the absence of our favorite Vietnamese fusion spot, Lua-O. (We’ve heard rumors it will reopen downtown sometime next year, but that doesn’t help NOW.) John offered to buy me a jar of lemon curd, but I declined. It was sweet of him, but homemade is so cheap and easy, and tastes SO much better.

Fresh Lemon Curd

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel

1 cup lemon juice (5 large lemons)

3 tablespoons firm butter

3 large eggs, slightly beaten

In saucepan mix sugar, peel and juice with wire whisk. Stir in butter and eggs. Cook over medium heat about 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon (do not boil). Immediately pour into clean half-pint containers. Store covered in refrigerator up to 2 months.

Four Steps to Glory

October Books has been a fixture in Southampton (a port city on England’s southern coast) for four decades. The not-for-profit collective has a loyal clientele but struggled to keep up with rent increases. They asked for and received donations and loans to help them buy an empty bank building about 100 yards away. But then they were faced with the daunting task of moving all their merchandise. They were hoping to see 75 volunteers to help lug boxes of books from one stockroom to the other. But well over 200 showed up; enough to form a human chain in front of 54 businesses along High Street. Thousands of books were passed along to their new home in just a few hours. Curious passersby even got in on the act. And after all the books had been sorted, several volunteers stayed to help paint the new shelves. October Books is scheduled to reopen tomorrow.