It's The Third Monday in January

I was 13 years old when Martin Luther King and thousands of brave people marched on Washington D.C.  I heard him tell me of his dream and it became my own dream.  I have used this speech, probably his best-known, in my public speaking class hundreds of times, having them listen to the words of vision, the grace of language.  I use it for many reasons.  First, I want the students to recognize that language means something, that how we talk about things creates an environment.  I also want them to be moved by a speaker, bringing to them something they think they know but most have never heard all 18 minutes.  And part of my goal in presenting an audio recording rather than a visual recording of this speech is that I want them to notice King's speech isn't perfectly presented, that he makes a couple of vocal hesitations, and to realize that if he can make speaking mistakes, so can they.  

It never ceases to thrill me to listen to King speak.  I always find something new in this speech I have heard thousands of times.  It always brings me peace and yet a sense of urgency to make my home right, my nation right, the world.  

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma-to-Montgomery, perhaps King's most successful march, I am once again reminded of the importance of following our path towards our dreams.  In his speech at the end of this march, King said of a nation we could become, a “society of justice where none would prey upon the weakness of others; a society of plenty where greed and poverty would be done away; a society of brotherhood where every man would respect the dignity and worth of human personality.” 

I still have the dream to work toward King's vision.  On this third Monday in January, as on every Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I rededicate my life to helping others, to helping bring peace to our lives, to helping grown a stronger nation. 

"On this day, let us celebrate Dr. King's life. But more importantly, let us recommit ourselves to making his dream a reality." -- Morris Dees, founder of Southern Poverty Law

Dory, Winnie the Pooh, and Me

 “My brain tends to take the scenic route. Things come to the forefront of my mind sooner or later, it just takes time.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich

 

Ever wonder how things happen?  I mean, things happen but ever sit and wonder how they happened to you?  I have always had a great memory.  My partner thinks I only retain the things he doesn't and I make up the rest, but I have always had a sharp memory.  But lately I scare myself a little.  Like driving to a meeting one morning.  I get to a "T" in the road and my blinker is going indicating I am turning left.  And I wonder why I am turning left...why I am in this "T" intersection in the first place?  So I turn left because I think maybe I will know where I am once I turn left.  And then I remember I is how I drive when I am going to this meeting and move on.  But there was a few seconds there that I was totally lost.  And other times driving to someplace I have driven to many times and I can't remember how to get there.  So I make a mental image of the city, figure out a route, and head out.  Halfway there I realize the shorter, more common route is somewhere else.  I call this "new adventures in old known places."

I have been driving or flying down to southern California every three weeks since I came home (after a 2.5 month stay down in Mom's area) in August.  Driving is fine but I don't drive over the mountains in the winter, so I have been flying lately.  I bought my January tickets around Christmas time.  I was set to fly out January 22nd, to return home on the 27th.  While south, I will be attending with friends the Road to California quilt show in Ontario.  I received an email from Alaska Air asking if I needed anything for my trip on January 23rd.  HUH?  Sure enough, my tickets were for January 23rd through the 28th.  Who made these reservations?

Fortunately I don't have to remember much when I am sewing.  I have completed three quilts since I have returned from California.  I had finished the tops before I left at Christmas time but had not sandwiched and quilted them until now.  I hate UFOs hanging over me, but life happens and things wait.  All I have had energy for since I have returned is putting together jigsaw puzzles and visiting my son, who was hospitalized with an emergency--a cyst on his spleen burst.  Such a rare occurrence they could not diagnose it for hours and hours.  He is now at his home on modified bedrest until his body recovers enough to have surgery to remove his spleen.  We have been putting together puzzles last week.  He can sit up for longer periods of time without nausea now so video games are his entertainment, so I have more time to myself.

So the quilts are finished.  My cousin's daughter just had a baby.  They live in Seattle and love the Seahawks.  They named their little one "Hawke."  Of course this quilt is for this little fella! It is backed with Seahawks fleece for a specially cuddly quilt.  Unfortunately it won't arrive in time for today's playoff game against the Packers, but hopefully he can wear it during the Superbowl game!

These two quilts were made for donation to the Adopt-a-Family project 2015 at my college.  Both are patterns from this month's Easy Quilts magazine.  The first one is showcasing monster fabric.  They are all there!  Wolfman, Dracula, Frankenstein.  It is backed with the monster fabric.  It is lap-size, which is large enough for a 10 year old.  We don't get that many specifically boy quilts and this one fits the bill.  I call it Monster Mash.

The second quilt is one I started for my mother for Christmas.  I actually got the top all finished and then remembered she really doesn't like to use quilts for sleeping.  So I made her a hanging for the door to her room instead.  This one then became a donation for a teen.  We don't get as many larger quilts (this is approximately twin-size) for older kids, so this one--gender neutral--fits the bill.  I named it Not My Momma's Quilt.  LOL  So creative in my names, eh?

Now on to my next project.  My nephew and his girlfriend are expecting their first baby in February.  They are LA Dodger fans and asked for a Dodger-themed baby quilt.  Do you know how difficult it is to find LA Dodger fabric this time of year?   I decided to make the top out of Dodger colors and back it with Dodger fabric.  I didn't want fleece backing and I finally found some flannel I could buy by the yard.  It's is polyester :( and spendy, but it's my nephew :)  It will work.  The pattern is a simple 9-patch of multiple colors.  I will need to buy a few fabrics (only dark blue, light blue, white, with a splash of red and some grey) but mostly it will be out of stash and scraps.

Game starts in just half an hour...off to root for the Seahawks (if I can remember where the television is located...)!
peace~~~

The Silent Language of Grief

We can alleviate physical pain, but mental pain - grief, despair, depression, dementia - is less accessible to treatment. It's connected to who we are - our personality, our character, our soul, if you like.

Richard Eyre

 I stopped by to visit my old friend at the hospital where she is living.  Wednesday they are removing her ventilator.  And as I walked up the steps at my house, my heart heavy from this loss--today and forever--I realized my neighbors have no idea what I am going through.  My face is pleasant.  My walk is normal.  No one looking at me would begin to understand the depth of my grief and heart-ache.  Nor do I know or understand what my neighbors are experiencing.

Grief can't be shared. Everyone carries it alone. His own burden in his own way.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

 We can hold onto and care about those around us, but none of us can understand the others true experience.  We can have empathy.  We can have sympathy.  We can be there for the other.  We can share the tears and the talks.  But in many ways, we travel this part of our journey alone.

My friend and I have a long history.  We were across-the-street neighbors for the first 20 years of our children's lives, who are in their 40s now.  We worked at the corner store together.  We camped together, had street picnics together, shared pets as my pup's mom was an off-spring of her pup, and worked together to clean up the neighborhood.  I will miss her.

Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life's search for love and wisdom.

Rumi

peace~~~

The Things We Do Instead

I had all day to sew.  I had nothing to stop me from sewing.  After Weight Watcher's meeting and a visit with the Chiroguy, there was nothing I wanted more than to sandwich and quilt those tops.  Yes siree.  Just sewing and listening to CDs.

I didn't do that.  Instead I put together a jigsaw puzzle. 

I've never much liked puzzles.  I get frustrated about half way through and look forward to finishing the job.  But this Christmas I was given two boxes of puzzles, one having nine puzzles in it that ranged from 500 pieces to 1000.  I guess people thought I needed new things with which to fill my days.  You know, because I am really only sitting around all day, eating bon-bons and watching TV.


Ohhh yeah.  Bon-bons sound good.  But I digress...

So I started on the one from my son.  Route 66, my favorite drive.  I thought if I finished it, I could glue it together and hang it in my somedaywithinayear quilting room.  I worked on it diligently, stopping to make dinner.  Then I returned to it after my fella left for Drum Circle.  The cats wanted me to stop and feed them at one point.  Kittles kept sitting on the puzzle and tickling my face.  The pup wanted me to stop and feed the cats because the cats wanted it and whatever the cats want, the pup wants.  Jeopardy (Saturday re-runs) came and went.  Time came and went.  TV never came on.  Then Doug returned home and still I was sticking pieces together.  

Finished!

And just as suddenly, TADA!  I was finished.  One piece missing.  That's what I get for starting with the Dollar Store puzzle :)  Either I will make a substitute piece for the space or leave it as it is.  But I finished it all by myself (except the cats bugging me for pets and dinner and the pup reminding me how unfair it is for her when the cats get food but she can't steal it from them).  

The REAL Mr. D'z--stopped for a burger on my first trip along the route

Standing up when finished was hell.  I had been bending over this puzzle for many hours--something like eight with time off for good behavior--and my back thought I was an old-time scribe/monk writing out the world in calligraphy.

Now today...should I sandwich those tops?  Or shall I begin another puzzle?

peace~~~

It's Been an Interesting Year

Me and my fella Christmas day

On Christmas night I flew south to visit my mom.  She had spent the day with my sister--Mom's first outing in an accessible taxi--and was on such good behavior.

Mom and Zoë

  Sister said no crazy talk, no tantrums, simply a quiet pleasant few hours.  My sister and I took Mom out to lunch in the dining hall the day after Christmas.  Unfortunately she was becoming ill and was not as responsive as usual.  She ate well and our cousin stopped by our table and ate dessert with us.  I requested they take an x-ray to check for pneumonia; turned out to be bronchitis.  She was recovering well by the time I left.  I took an early flight home on new years eve and spend a delightful night with my fella.

Sister and her husband and elder daughter

Looking over this year, it has been interesting.  For the first half, I continued to teach one class online rather than  cold-turkey retire.  Mom's stroke in June took the remainder of the year.  I stayed down with her and my sister for almost three months, taking time out to fly to Washington DC for my father-in-law's inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery.  During the first month, my sister and I coordinated a family reunion for Mom's side of our family.  It was good for Mom to be visited by her entire family that month.  Then driving the 1000 miles every three weeks until November, when I started flying.

My aunt, who turned 94 in December

 In between visits south, spending time with my friend who was very sick in the hospital.  I also was able to visit friends and family along the drive.   

It was also a grand year for quilting.  I made 20 quilts, mostly to give away to people I love who needed a hug or two as well as children.  We gave 63 quilts to children in the Adopt-a-Family.  I sewed four outfits for my grandgirl.  I made some interesting quilted things for Christmas gifts.

Who says retirement means you sit at home and watch TV?  :)

So now, I am working on some new quilts. I have three quilt tops ready for sandwiching and now that the Christmas decorations are put away for the year, I can quilt them :)  I am searching for LA Dodgers fabric for a quilt for my nephew's baby due in February.  Found tons of fleece but not much cotton.  I did order two yards of flannel from eBay.

Zoë

New year goals:  walk the dog at least around the block every day unless the weather is too frightful.  Learn how to savor a bite rather than quickly put another in my mouth so I can continue to taste the first bite.  Understand what "comfortably full" means rather than "full to stuffed."  World peace. 

Happy new year!
peace~~~