No to Empire

One of the joys of our thirty years are Holy Cross is seeing some of the young people grow up from toddlers to young marrieds, and watching/listening to their struggles and choices along the way.

One fellow has just finished his MDiv at Harvard Divinity School and been ordained deacon this month on his way to priesthood. For years Matthew drove an old, old car (had been his grandmother's) with a bumper sticker that said "NO TO EMPIRE". We thought this was a good way to react to our national posturings. How we humans do fall into thinking our way is the only and/or best way. Being "baptized into the death of Jesus Christ" means we can live in an alternative kingdom where might does NOT mean right. We need to fight off our longing for Empire.

Now Matthew is driving a shiney newer car, but on the back is a new, shiney bumpersticker saying "NO TO EMPIRE". Having seen the bumpersticker again, I had to laugh and get out my camera last week when I drove past a new office strip and saw this company name: I don't have a clue what this company is selling, but they are sure that we Americans just can't give up the idea of being The world Empire!

Sara

Blue-eyed grass

This week at the farmers' market I bought three plants called "Blue-eyed grass", really a form of iris. They are about six inches high. I'm hoping that they will grow into clumps, ot one big clump.

I've never seen these growinig anywhere, so I'm know nothing about their habit. I just was attracted to the NAME.

However, there seems to be an active MOLE in the area. No plants lost so far, but the ground sinks often when I am stepping around in the garden.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Local strawberries in the farmers' market

"Young at Heart" movie

Comcast connection fixed with new modem

Two lap quilts

I finished the binding on the second lap/baby quilt made from Carolina Crossroads left-overs. The tan paisley fabric made a nice border, back and binding.

For the moment it is hanging over the back of one of the livingroom loveseats--so it is bent in the middle in the photo.
While that was in with a load of wash, I got the binding on the top I made from mostly pink and pastel scraps. The borders, back and binding on this one are a pink/lavender/& blue batik.

When I pulled it out of the wash, I could see that my machine applique on the hearts was not adequate to the tumbling of the wash cycle.

I used the "invisible" thread, and I think the problem is that the stitch WIDTH was too small. You can see on the close-up of the green heart that a part is fraying and unattached.

Now I will have to find a thread that will match the backing so when I re-sew it on the front (and what color thread there?), the sewing will not stand out too much on the back.

Out in the garden the three rose bushes called "The Fairy" are blooming with their tiny flowers in multiples. These were moved last fall and so are not quite as big and bushy as we are expecting from other years.

Nevertheless, nice to see!

Sara

Vegetarian Lasagna finished

Finished the fourth quilt for the Pine Ridge reservation today--quilted the borders, put on the binding and labels, washed and dried. Ready to go.

Twin sized charity quilts

Once I was in an exchange of nine-patches and they have languished in a box with other orphans. I put it together a month ago and now it is back from the long-armer, ready to go to Pine Ridge reservation to help keep someone warm this winter. I got the scrap binding on this afternoon.

And here is the back, made of fabrics I was ready to toss.

There is another one I hope to finish the binding tonight. I got the binding made during the end of "La Boheme" on NPR. Charlie is making dinner (Saturday night regular event) so I can go and work some more right now.

________________________Later

Got it done and took this photo on the deck stairs after dinner. Based on Bonnie's Scrappy Bargello, but more strips to make it bigger to make it twin/bunk size. The border is Railroad tracks fabric

(ALL of yesterday's rhubard crisp was et at the potluck. None to bring home. But I had made a tiny one as well and we just had it as a late snack tonight.)

Sara

Last of the rhubarb

We are going to a potluck for supper tonight--a wedding shower--and we have so enjoyed the rhubarb crisp, I thought I would make another, a LARGE one. When I went to the farmers' market they said this is the last batch. No more this year.

I'm not completely happy with the recipe I have in the old Betty Crocker Cookbook, so I have combined part of the recipe for Apple Crisp--it has oatmeal in it and nutmeg.

Rhubarb Crisp

4 cups cut-up fresh rhubarb (about 12 stalks)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
("some" grated nutmeg - my addition)
1/3 cup softened butter

Heat oven to 350 F.
Place rhubarb in an UNgreased 10"x 6" baking dish.
Sprinkle with salt.
Measure sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg into mixing bowl,
add butter and mix together until evenly crumbly.
Sprinkle this mix over the rhubarb.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until topping is brown and firm.

Serve with something creamy (heavy cream, whipped cream, ice cream).

Six servings at this recipe's size. What you see below is a doubled recipe!

Here is the result, just now cooling on the stove top. I'd better call Charlie and tell him to pick up some whipping cream on the way home.

Now back to putting the binding on the placemats!

Sara

Placemats and napkins

Here is a Log Cabin block that I thought I was making into a placemat. In fact, I am making two of them for a wedding shower. But, you see, a Log Cabin block is SQUARE, and placemats are rectangles. So I thought that adding an extras LOG on each side would make it "about" the right size. Still have to add one more dark log on the left. But when I laid a regular, store-bought placemat on top of it----hmmm not really the same dimensions. I will have to slice some amount off.

I went out to a funeral, and stopped at Joann's to see if there was a nice plaid to put on the back, that would make it also reversible, and use for binding. There WAS a nice green homespun, and I remembered that homespun can make napkins simply by fringing the edges.

Therefore I made two napkins ( to go with the as yet unfinished placemats) and found two brass napkin holders in a drawer, so the present is really shaping up. IS shaped up. This is enough. Just want to prompt these two persons to be a little "green", as in, you don't have to use paper napkins for every day. We ourselves use cloth napkins. They are certainly easy enough to wash, and the ones I buy require no ironing.

Tomorrow I better get the placemats finished, since the party is that day for supper.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Air conditioning at the church

Asparagus and shrimp for dinner

Matthew and Collette

Vegetable lasagna

I am rushing to quilt a "Lasagna" quilt on my home machine, because the people from our church are going out to Pine Ridge reservation early, early this summer; next week! Somehow I missed the change and am not prepared with the number of quilts that have usually been sent.

This lasagna is vegetarian--with some fruit thrown in. Several years ago I was in a "food" fabric swap of Fat Eighths. These has sat and aged, as I added a few more each year. The time finally arrived to use them up.

Sara

Queen Alexander poppy

This is my brand new poppy. just planted last week. SHE is named "Queen Alexander". Doesn't that look like an error? Seems to me it should be "Queen Alexandria". Well, who am I to argue with an official plant marker? So Queen Alexander it is!

A few years ago I had a couple of the regular orange poppies on the hillside, but they have disappeared into the grasses there. Not strong enough for the competition. So these are in a realy flower bed with mulch.

I like this so much that I bought another one, as well as a white one called "Royal Wedding". Such noble names.

And here is the view from my kitchen sink looking toward the herb garden and then the circle drive. Lots of purple from the May Night salvia and the chives at the moment. Can you find the poppies?

I took four quilt tops to the LA quilter, and now I realize that I don't have a photo of one of them. So must take pix on their return.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Made some progress on the second blue knitted sock today

Comcast is back in working order

Great music at Mary's funeral (her grandneice a voice graduate from UofM)