Unresolved

 I finally noticed that I am the person who always gets booted, so that someone else can have the table, seat, etc. I don’t mind giving up my spot for medical reasons or disability reasons, but it should not be a forgone conclusion that I am the one moving when someone else returns from getting coffee expecting that the books they left splattered on the table have reserved their seat. Up until today it was always my assumption that if your butt wasn’t in the seat it wasn’t your seat. I have arranged everything about a visit around holding my spot, and if I had to get tea or whatever I hurried because my seat was at risk. If someone took my seat while I was gone I gathered my things, and gave up my time to work.

Today, for the first time, I sat at a book-splattered table and was about to settle in and work. Two souls returned from getting coffee, and when I asserted the laws of the table  jungle, they just pushed back and I gave them the table. I left feeling perhaps they were right until I was around the corner and thought of all the times I’d returned from the cafe or shelves and given up my seat for lost. I am being taken advantage of. I’m tempted to go back and explain to them that just because I’m a nice little old lady doesn’t mean they loll around getting snacks and such and expect the table to sit empty when it could be useful. The thing is I think about how much I value the atmosphere at B&N. What if my frustration is a tipping point? I did give them a stern reminder to get their snacks first.

I don’t know what my behavior will be in the future. I dislike making trouble, but I hate it when things are unfair and inefficient. I know I will be thinking about what is fair to me more than I have in the past.

Arrows

A door opened

A loan was offered

A curd showed the whey

All points to me

Redeeming Time with Sarah, the Stitchin’ Mommy

 Flosstube was the second circle of Youtube that drew me in and met needs. I watch lots of Flosstube channels. Stitchin’ Mommy stands out because of Sarah’s emphasis on order, her goal orientation and the wide variety of kinds of cross stitch work. She’s very professional laying out how much time will go to which projects, but she’s not shy about starting new things. Her skill set is the widest I’ve seen taking us from basic cross stitches to a sampler that requires several new stitches for each letter of the alphabet. She does beading and often finishes her own pieces.

Some Flosstube channels focus on a single type of cross stitch work such as samplers or full-coverage. Sarah does a little bit of everything including creating her own designs, and she frequently mixes things up. If I did a Flosstube channel everyone would die of boredom because I’m project monogamous and I take forever to make progress. Sarah’s got lots of interesting work, and her work ethic puts her close to a finish most updates.

Sarah was the first Flosstuber I saw using a calendar to plan when her next stitch would be. Since then there have been a few specialized cross stitch calendars, but as I saw it Sarah was the first. She is still one of few that plan when they will stitch next instead of what stitching has been done. I will never have such a life, but I admire it greatly.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvF4EjBW6Hp3E_9YG3ezEGw

https://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchinMommy

More Rigid

 

Why don’t we limit plastic formulas to four or five designs until the Global Warming Crisis is over and we are used to recycling? We would allow for a medical exception of course, but all other plastic packaging should be confined to a reasonable pallet of easily recycled plastic formulations. No, this won’t be popular, but in a time of crisis difficult measures become necessary. All of those plastic tubs of this and that could go right back to use once their initial purpose was fulfilled. It may put a temporary strain on the imaginations of packaging designers, but it will take a great strain off our consciences.

Beautifully Ugly

Women were meant to be beautiful or sexy in the films I was raised on. Even if a girl was unattractive to start; fate, a girlfriend or a guy wanting to win a bet would step in and fix her up. I found my introduction to the beauty in the ugly at the National Gallery of Art with their still lives featuring decaying fruits and flowers. Things didn’t have to be pretty to be beautiful. 

Two films have brought me back to this idea, Everything, Everywhere, All-at-once and Lou. The first is an absurdist film that scrambles reality. It’s message about the beauty of ordinary life emerges from the experience of all the other options. I find myself returning to the feeling I had when the mother and daughter reconcile. It is a very naughty film because it samples everything, so if that is going to bother you don’t watch it. If you can hang with naughtiness, you will be well rewarded with a new perspective on your life. It’s an ugly movie, kind of the antithesis to Life is Beautiful, but it gets to the same point. I love it.

Lou is a Netflix film, and Lou is never going to be beautiful or sexy. She’s a strong, masculinized woman who never really needed the girl thing. She was a mother because it had been useful. She knew her skill set and she puts it to use. Lou does all the things that Clint Eastwood would do with no apology for her gender. She saves the day because she is so tough. You forgive her for not knowing what to do with her son until fate leaves her only one option. Her love is rugged and no less real for that.

These are ugly, beautiful, women’s movies. 

 

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

 Every year I try to bake something for my neighbors. Sometimes they are a huge success; sometimes they are an epic fail—I’m looking at you mini bundt cakes. This year’s offering is kind of middling. The original idea was to do a lot of different kinds of cookies that were easier to bake, but I find keeping all those recipes straight strenuous. I was giving up, so I went to JoAnn’s. JoAnn’s often has some little thing that will inspire me. I was in the right place. 

I collect Comfort Grip Cookie Cutters. They haven’t been putting out new ones very frequently lately. I always check at all the stores, but not much output. I was in line at JoAnn’s when someone exclaimed “That’s what I was looking for.” I looked over and there in the front of the store with all the seasonal on sale were what looked to be four new Comfort Grip Cookie Cutters. They are actually from a company called “Stir.” They look the same. They cut the same. They got me thinking. Rolled and cut cookies are a little tedious, but I have a very flexible sugar cookie recipe. I could make dough after dough without changing measurements and only minor changes in ingredients. I bought the Stir Cookie Cutters and headed home.

It was tiring, but I did the doughs one night and the baking the next. I changed up the flavors by adding lemon zest, crushed candy cane, crushed Werthers, crushed Red Hots, dutch processed cocoa, and then I used Marcia Adam’s Gingerbread Dough. (I could have made ginger flavored sugar cookies, but I love the Marcia Adams recipe.) They were delicious and can be manipulated into sort of a scene if you leave out the enormous penguin. :)

It’s fun to push for a gratuitous project each year. We have great neighbors.

The Forbidding Forest

I try to tell the truth.

The truth ain’t poplar.

Men frighten me.

Jesus is an exception.

He knows about trees.

We visit once a week.

A pine planted himself between me and Jesus

“Men aren’t scary,” he growled.

I looked up to Jesus.

He stretched out his arms and we sighed.

John Kanell: Preppy Kitchen

I enjoy baking. I don’t do it nearly enough because life has a way of crushing your “there will be home baked cookies every day after school” dreams. I watch lots of baking shows. They’re almost all fun, but certain ones raise to the level of being personal. John Kanell’s “Preppy Kitchen” is one of those. Since his channel is non-narrative you mostly watch what you’re interested in which takes you through John’s journey as a host. You watch him fight his quirks and then embrace them which is a good thing because those quirks are what makes the show personal. The recipes are also clear and comprehensible for the average baker. The skills run from batter construction, to icing species, to making it look good. 

John is brave letting us in on his ordinary life, even some of the extraordinary moments. Give him a chance. If you’re not into Youtube, he does have a book.

 https://preppykitchen.com/meet-john/

Beauty Shot

I decided to get an attractive picture of my books for Hook Medieval. Right after this I put a post it label on each text and stowed the books in their own project bag. It isn’t a beautiful system, but I like the protection it offers the books and the thrill of emptying the books back on the shelf one by one. The contents of this medieval section has me so excited. I have always loved the ambience of the medieval and this time I’m expanding the role of world literature which is a new adventure for me. It was hard cutting old friends like The Song of Roland, but hopefully The Orphan Zhao will be worth the switch.

I’ll let you know.
 

Bibliotherapy

 

I have a mental bookshelf, my real bookshelves are too crammed at the moment, where I keep useful children’s books. Books on the shelf include Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Charlotte’s Web and Harriet the Spy. I am always scouting new ones because a book can be a very kind and gentle helper to a child who is struggling. The Christmas Pig will live on my shelf forever. Dealing with the tricky business of irretrievably lost things, it had me crying. J.K. Rowling attempts numerous things, including devising a positive feeling about recycling, and she succeeds at most of them. CP is such a complex character. I defy anyone to read this book and not long to bring him home. It’s simply beautiful. I love it when authors create such high quality products for children. This is a good book to read year round.

drug

meant to steal the immortal ache

never knew it was catching

Crack in my heart

Stacey Alexander, in case of emergency

 911stitcher is the informal news magazine of flosstube, the place where cross stitch groupies enable each other and show off their work. Stacey Alexander stitches a little bit of everything, and she stays well informed. Want to know about free patterns? She’s got them. Want to know who has the best tutorial for making berries? She knows. Need a guide to how to find and enjoy a retreat? Look no further, she’s got all that and so much more. I make an effort to watch all her episodes even when they cover subjects I’m not super excited about, because she has a way of surprising you with just the right info to get you into something new. If you could only watch one flosstube this would be my pick.

https://youtube.com/@911stitcher7

Cong Done

 

The ocean is one of my happy places. It started with Jacques Cousteau when I was very small, and it grows with each in-person visit. Cross stitch is also an old favorite of mine, and I’m working my way back into the habit. This is the third piece I’ve completed in this revival, the others being a beach scene and a panda bear. I am a monogamous stitcher, so whatever I’m working on, I’m working on. It takes how long it takes. This was nearly a year, but it was a fun year and I’m happy with it. I made some mistakes, some more blatant than others, and for the most part I left them. 

The artist who created the pattern is Emma Congdon and she has produced three beautiful books full of mottos like “A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor” Cross Stitch for the Soul, Cross Stitch for the Earth and Cross Stitch for the Heart. I will do more in the future. You should definitely give them a look if you like cross stitch or fancy mottos. They are all easy to find on Amazon or Etsy. Here is her personal web page — http://www.emmacongdon.com/

Light

 I was in a dark place and really struggling when someone gave me a tiny little pamphlet, two half sheets folded and stapled together. It told the story of Mother Teresa’s darkness. I read it over and over praying for light. Mother Teresa never failed me. As a tribute to that and to satisfy my curiosity I purchased the book of her writings about her struggles in the dark. It sat serenely on the shelf for many years held in reserve in case my own dark should return. I recently decided that it was time to read it, and it may seem a strange thing to say about a book about darkness, but I enjoyed it. I learned so much.

In case you are not familiar with Mother Teresa’s struggle with the dark, she served God and His poor for fifty years while not feeling any of the joy of God’s presence, approval, and/or love. Unlike St. Theresa of Avila whom her nuns had to hold her down to keep her from levitating during mass, Mother Teresa was always dredging up “a big smile” for God when she felt nothing. What a relief from the guilty times when I feel nothing. I’m certainly not experiencing what Mother Teresa felt, and I certainly do not handle it with any of the grace she found, but the fact that she felt dryness too means I’m not off and alone. She wanted the documents in this book destroyed. I am so glad they weren’t.

There is mostly helpful guide text that strings together the documents and places them in time. I appreciated this, but next time I may just read Mother Teresa’s texts by themselves. They are so different from the teachings of other saints. I love their plain spoken honesty. I highly recommend this book, particularly to those of us who find ourselves in the dark from time to time.

Why you should purchase Plochman’s Mustard

 Because it’s better. It’s that simple. French’s made a deal to be bundled with Heinz Ketchup and that was the death of mustard variety. French’s is bland, boring, and basic when compared with Plochman’s which is how Plochman’s has survived. It’s a true yellow mustard but with a certain tang that is addicting. I will put French’s on my hot dog if there isn’t anything else, but Plochman’s I’ll eat straight.

You’ll Want to See More of David Seymour

 

Sometimes you don’t want the experience of doing something enough to actually do it. We’re all busy, and how we use our time can significantly improve our happiness. Sometimes though you just need to know how the 100 hour chocolate cake turns out in real life, or how much closer are we to Shake Shack with the viral recipes. David Seymour has you covered. His channel is devoted to recreating internet recipes for the busy and the lazy. His shows range from serious efforts, anything Claire Saffitz, to corny, the hot dog Lincoln log house. All are eminently watchable due to Seymour’s sincerity and “aw shucks” humility. I would like to see him throwing some heavy hitters like Martha Stewart into the mix occasionally, but I am generally very happy to spend twenty minutes or mour, lots mour, watching David as he cooks.

 https://youtube.com/@DavidSeymourofficial

 

Against Such There is No Law

 

We lost. I never expected we’d win. Things that are as hard and cruel and widely accepted as abortion arise from despair and despair is nearly undefeatable. Despair develops when there is little to no hope of being seen or understood as a human being, and women have 5,000 years of history to sure up any holes in our despair. It’s ironic that the political movement against abortion spends so much time insisting on the value of every human being and yet they sputter out and shut down at the humanity of the woman.

In the beginning, God gave men a little power boost, for whatever reason. What they’ve done with it is create a world where women despair. Where a sexual assault or a misstep is fatal to a woman’s future, not figuratively, literally. Any hope of being more than a butt-wiper can be gone with the stroke of a thin blue line. And women are profoundly designed as more than butt-wipers. We are all given gifts with which we are supposed to bless the world, but for millennia that fact has been meaningless. To limit the competition and to neatly manage the butt-wiping work, men have used their little tiny power to keep women out of the way and exhausted. 

To be human is to express one’s gifts and to be paid for it. Every woman will rate for herself how much her painting, lawyering, teaching, politicking etc. she will balance against her half of the butt-wiping, but every woman should be doubling their talents not burying them in the ground. Poverty should not be the predictable, enshrined story of an early pregnancy. We don’t need to outlaw killing babies. We need to create a world in which they and their mommies can joyfully co-exist. If we could magically remove Prop 3 belatedly it would be of little virtue because the problem isn’t the law, it’s despair.

Captain Hook Ancients: The Epic of Gilgamesh

 

Captain Hook is for the younger set (4-6 grades). Instead of using the actual text we work our way through children’s versions as much as we can find them.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean is one of the strongest books in the whole curriculum. She does her best to stick to the ancient structure of twelve books, and the ancient spirit of struggle and grief. David Parkins’ illustrations are also inspired by ancient life. The picture on the cover makes it clear that Gilgamesh is no Superman. It helps us think about the differences between then and now. 

There is a matter we must address about one of the most important characters, Hatti (Shamhat). She is a temple prostitute. Temple prostitutes were respected member of the Mesopotamian Society. They even had protected inheritance rights. This doesn’t make prostitution right, but it does explain why it is included in such a matter-of-fact way. The Bible has a few prostitutes, and they get taught in Sunday School. Give Hatti a chance before you skip over her. She plays a crucial role in the story.

READER’S GUIDE

This week’s reading is heavy. To read the whole book in four days as we normally do means three chapters a day. I offer lighter versions, but you will miss important things. Consider reading on the weekends, or for breakfast, snack and bedtime. If everyone is agreeable you could take a second week. In any case, happy reading!

MONDAY ch. 1-3 or ch. 1&3 or ch. 3

TUESDAY ch. 4-6 or ch. 4&5 or ch. 5

WEDNESDAY ch. 7-9 or ch. 8&9 or ch. 8

THURSDAY ch. 10-12 or ch 10&11 or ch 10

Teaching Notes

Ask students about their reading. Let them bubble it all out. Ask if they found the Noah story and what was his Mesopotamian name. Have them express how it was the same and yet different. Ask them what their favorite parts were, and ask what the worst parts were. Would they want a friendship like Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s?

Then get ready for SLIDES.

SLIDES

You will need a stack of 3x5 cards and a Sharpie. On an 8 1/2x 11 piece of paper write “The Epic of Gilgamesh”. Place it in the middle of the floor. Have the students line up. Ask the first four to tell you an incident in the story. Write each one on a 3x5 card. Have them put the cards on the floor, one on each corner. The next round have the students connect the incidents to other books we have read, such as, “Hammurabi was a king like Gilgamesh.” “He goes on a journey like Sinuhe.” Alternate between Epic of Gilgamesh traits and our past reading going round and round until the subject is exhausted. Students may work collaboratively. 

Crowhook Ancients: The Epic of Gilgamesh

Crowhook is aimed at 6-12 grade. We aren’t looking to master the texts. We are just saying “Hello.” Each students participation and the quality of their participation will vary. It’s all ok.

Introduction: The Epic of Gilgamesh

Present a brief overview of TEOG’s main characters and plot, then divide the group into pairs. Assign each pair a fairy tale—“The Three Bears,” “Red Riding Hood,” “Cinderella” etc. Instruct them to rewrite the story based in one of four cultures—Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Israelite or a space alien culture from the future. Give them twenty minutes to work on it.

When time is up have them briefly share their new versions of the story and let everyone comment on the differences from the original. Explain that this happened to the story of Gilgamesh and all the different versions got mixed up with each other across time and distance. Further explain that David Ferry’s version (which they will be reading) does its best to make all the parts work together. Hold up Stephanie Dallry’s version and explain that she translated the text word by word from the tablets. Explain that both approaches have merit.

READER’S GUIDE

The Epic of Gilgamesh rendered by David Ferry

MONDAY read p. 3-20  Enkidu is a wild man. How important is love and friendship in teaching him to be human?

TUESDAY read p. 21-43 Being partners enables Gilgamesh and Enkidu to stand up to gods and monsters. Can you think of a time a friend helped you feel brave?

WEDNESDAY p. 44-64 Grief and fear send Gilgamesh on an epic journey. Where would you go to find comfort and answers?

THURSDAY p. 65-82 Compare the two Noah stories. Also, do you think Utnapishtim was fair to Gilgamesh? What do you think would have happened if Gilgamesh had gotten the weed home?

Teaching The Epic of Gilgamesh

Pass out paper and markers. Read Utnapishtim’s speech on p. 64. Ask the students what they think he means. Discuss death, loss, and grief. Invite them to draw a picture of someone they have lost as you continue the discussion. Introduce the idea that they will die and people will miss them. Ask them what kind of person they hope to be.

Alexandra Gater

 https://youtube.com/c/AlexandraGater

Anemoia, a nostalgia for something that never happened. I was too young to live off campus according to the rules of my conservative Christian university, then I was too broke to live alone after I graduated and then I was too much in love. All of it adds up to what feels like a missed opportunity. I never lived alone. I never had no one to answer to but myself. I like to imagine what it might have been like.

If I ever did live alone, I’d ask Alexandra Gater what to do with my space. Her savvy and ephemeral approach seems like it is perfect for the gilded girl. I too love pink, though my shade might be a little different. The new dark and moody episodes are so charming. Almost everything she does with books I am there for, and if I was living alone there would be books. Renter friendly also means easy to change, and I like the freedom of that.

Thank you, Alexandra for feeding my daydreams such beauty and class on a budget.

war and piece

sharpening mistakes

wasting for you

going to the bawl

getting what’s coming to you

Undue 

Simply Hooked Ancients: The Epic of Gilgamesh

 

As I developed “Crowhook” for sixth through twelfth graders, I ran into problems with reader readiness and teacher preparedness. Some students weren’t ready for the full view of ancient times, so for them I developed “Captain Hook” targeted to fourth and fifth grade, but good for anyone who finds Crowhook overwhelming. The other problem was how much the success of the curriculum depended on the willingness of the teacher to do the reading in order to present the lessons with some knowledge. I was really fortunate with my fellow teachers that they had been ready and eager to dig in, but what could I do for the intimidated and/or fearful? I developed Simply Hooked as an adult version of the curriculum for those who were preparing to teach Crowhook and those who simply liked the idea of reading through time and culture in a casual way at a casual pace.

My first lesson posted here will be Simply Hooked Ancients: The Epic of Gilgamesh. I will shorten it a bit, but it will be enough to get the idea across. Enjoy!

The Epic of Gilgamesh

One of the greatest works of ancient literature Gilgamesh takes us on a journey through life and grief. It is as healing today as it must have been when Gilgamesh was a beloved character and even worshipped as a god. His story was co-opted and adapted not only by Sumerian communities but by all the surrounding communities. There is no one simple narrative that everyone agreed on. Everyone had their favorite version like every cook in New Orleans has their favorite gumbo.

I’m going to recommend two editions of TEOG. First Stephanie Dalley’s Myths from Mesopotamia which is a true translation from the actual tablets. The other version is David Ferry’s which is a compilation of the different versions that creates a coherent story. You can pick one according to your inclinations, but I recommend reading both. Stephanie Dalley’s work is authentic. David Ferry’s is beautiful.

Reader’s Guide

1. Start with Stephanie Dalley’s excellent introduction to The Epic of Gilgamesh, p. 39-49. It is rich in information. You should not miss it.

2. Next read David Ferry’s rendering. Allow yourself to be swept away by the adventure piled on top of adventure. Weep with Gilgamesh over the loss of Enkidu.

3. Return to Stephanie Dalley’s version and compare the difference between a translation and a rendering. Consider the value of each.

PROMPTS—Suggestions for responding to your reading. Choose one and complete your experience.

1. Think of a partner you have lost as Gilgamesh lost Enkidu. Allow yourself to express that grief creatively through painting, writing or song.

2. Imagine a grief journey like Gilgamesh’s. Where would you go? What would you hope to accomplish? His journey was epic, stepping out of reality. Yours can be too, escape the boundaries of space and time, or be strictly bound by the rules, let them quirk your path.

3. Make a list of all the people who have contributed to your life. Who are your Enkidus, Shamhats and Utnapishtims?

Useful “Lifestyle” Apps

I love my Bujo. It makes magic and moves me forward. I also love my iPad and it is always with me in ways my Bujo can’t manage, therefore I also rely on apps. Here are some of my favorites.

 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/planmore-schedule-planner/id1613129298

Planmore is my general goto because it is so much like my Bujo. You make lists and fill calendars and you reward yourself with a crossed off list and what fails to get done can be rescheduled. The interface is intuitive. Do give it a try.

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

My Fitness Pal is my goto for all fitness records. I track my eating and my exercise. The app has always been good, and they keep making it better.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reminders/id1108187841

Reminders is something I use for special projects like Christmas or my curriculum writing efforts. You make the list and then you can check it as often as you like. Very handy for goals that require more than a few steps or days.

https://www.goodreads.com/

This is the newest in the bunch, and I must say it is as fun as it is functional. My massive TBR list is organized and pretty, and I like seeing all my have reads so neatly lined up. Very good for inspiring reading and for harnessing all the benefits of reading. It’s kind of a My Fitness Pal for the mind.

These are my favorites that I use regularly. Am I missing something? All recommendations are welcome in the comments.

Watch This Space

 I am working on a Homeschool Co-op/After School Club curriculum studying history through literature. When I was a child I wanted to read books by people who really lived in ancient/medieval times. In my curriculum that’s exactly what we do, and what fun I have had planning out the why and hows of it all. I have selected texts that are either world classics or they are rich in information about the period. Reading it all proved a daunting task, but as I moved each post-it from a text cover to the door frame I could feel things taking shape. The twenty five texts I chose for the Ancient’s section are…

The Myth of Isis and Osiris

The Tale of Sinuhe

The Egyptian Book of the Dead

Exodus

Temple Poems by Enheduanna

Code of Hammurabi

The Enuma Elish

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

The Art of War Sun Tzu

The Iliad by Homer

The Odyssey by Homer

Histories by Herodotus

Antigone by Sophocles

Death of Socrates by Plato

Poetics by Aristotle

Daniel

The Analects of Confucius

Bhagavad Gita

Pali Canon 

The Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar

The Aeneid by Virgil

Mark

Plutarch’s Lives

Confessions by Augustine

Keep you eyes peeled. I am planning to post sample lessons from each level of my program. If you are interested I’d love some feedback.

Katie Carson, Duchess of Suds @ Royalty Soaps

 On You Tube you meet so many interesting people. If I was forced to choose a single word to describe Katie Carson it would be “fun”! I don’t remember how I first became mesmerized by soap making videos. I watched everything and enjoyed it, but after a while there were a few stand outs. Katie is certainly one of them. She is so warm and open-hearted that I believe I would watch her doing something as banal as doing the laundry, because she would make it fun. Katie pulls you along with her in the well-trodden dance of mixing lye and oils. She uses a lot of glitter, but it’s her heart that’s glowing. Katie uses themes to keep things fresh and she goes way beyond the seasons, creating such themes as the Secret Soap Series and Lord of the Rings. I bought her soap for my mother, and my mother loved it. 

Katie’s business is a family business and it shows. Some of my favorite videos are of her making things with Lily her little daughter.

The best thing about Katie’s videos comes at the end when she reminds her viewers to do something fun for themselves and offers up suggestions of things to do. Everybody needs permission to be good to themselves sometimes.

Right back at you Katie. Do something fun for yourself today, like building a blanket fort with Lily and William or sitting in the sun just because. You certainly do love people by making soap. 

https://youtu.be/GLAMEGAkBvw

Green Means Go!

 I am one text away from finishing my Crowhook/Simply Hooked Ancients project. In my Bullet Journal I mark those texts in red both on the day I read them to putting them on  the bookshelf when I finish them. I also read other serious literature and some fun books. Organizing my reading has led to my reading books that were always for “some day.” My “some day” books included A Brief History of Time, the only book you will see marked in green on my charts and shelf. I have wanted to read Stephen Hawking's tour de force for decades, but early prohibitions had gotten in the way. When I finally decided that I can choose my own reading the book gradually left the frozen zone until B&N offered an illustrated version bundled with The Universe in a Nutshell at a very nice price that I wanted enough to pledge my reading time to. 

I have not been disappointed. The illustrations, examples and most of all the humor kept me riding along in a world I don’t know well. It lived up to my expectations which were high for a book so long black-listed. There is nothing revolutionary in there. It’s just our best guess of how things work. What was everyone so worried about? I don’t know, but it’s a great book and lots of fun, well worth breaking my primary colors only plan for.

girl in a sandwich board

 Yes, I am afraid of you.

Yes, I think you’re an asshole.

No, I don’t want to have sex with you.

Yes, you can blame your gender.

Granddad

I had the best grandfathers. They both were so proud of me as is, and they opened doors to new skills and confidence in myself. My dad’s dad always quizzed me on geography. I made sure I knew all the continents and oceans just for him. One time I was visiting for a week, and something didn’t seem right to me. I’ve always felt it is was better to say something about a problem because then you might have a chance of fixing it. It’s my persistent habit. My grandfather listened for a while and then said, “Oy vey, kaboobalavitch.” At least that’s what I thought he said. It became a personal swear word though I didn’t know what it meant. Sometime after my grandfather’s death I met someone who spoke Yiddish. My grandfather was apprenticed to a Jewish family in his teen years. When we kids were around he would swear in Yiddish. I asked my new acquaintance if he could translate what my granddad had said. He thought for a moment then laughed. “Oy vey, can my bubele kvetch,” which means, “Boy can my sweetheart complain.”

It’s so true. If I think something is bad, my first step is to complain. I like to think it is only my first step, and that I will keep going until the problem is solved, but I do complain. It’s just how I work.
 

Shelby Sherritt

 A couple of years ago I fell in love with You Tube. I don’t know why it took me so long, but here I am anyway. I love my You Tubers, and appreciate the way they share pieces of their lives so freely. The people are almost more interesting than the subject matter. I’m even thinking of creating my own You Tube channel as an outlet for my curriculum projects. I’m almost finished with one and another just needs a lick and a promise as my grandmother used to say. 

https://youtu.be/V4HUYtWjdrY

I’ve decided to feature my You Tube favorites occasionally and Shelby Sherritt just had to be first. She is based in Australia, and has her own ceramics studio. She bought more than a hundred old plaster molds off of something called “gumtree”. It’s always a surprise as to what is going to come out of the mold after she pours out the slip. The diversity keeps you watching. Then she bisque fires them in preparation for painting. You never know how she is going to decorate them which is another layer of surprise. Then they are glazed and fired and we either “ooh” and “ahhh” or wince. Even the less successful still have a certain charm, and off we go to the next one. Shelby is a pleasure to watch and listen to. You feel like you’re propped up on a stool painting away with her. It’s all very relaxing. Look her up.

On the Bright Side

 Have I mentioned that I hate feeling cold? Cold is inescapable. You must take it into account or slowly turn into an ice cube. It is also a thief. It steals my office because my office is over the garage and not heated. We have bought space heaters, and they give the illusion of heat until you’ve been working for a couple of hours and you start to shiver. Adjusting to the wonder of having my own office took a while, but we’d gotten into a swing. I’m finishing up and hitting the meat of a few projects and to be beaten back to working on my bed or taking over the dining room table is discouraging. 

Cold means socks, shoes, gloves, bulky sweaters, hyper-engineered coats. I like keeping my articles of clothing to a minimum. As soon as the weather was deemed warm enough I had a deal with my parents that I could run bare foot as long as I didn’t complain. I didn’t complain. I reveled, if bare feet were good enough for Laura Ingalls they were good enough for me. We are officially past the jackets and sweatshirt time in Michigan’s fall and into coat season. I have two hyper-engineered coats. I like them both, but one is for skinny me and the other for the other me. I’ve lost some weight, so I’m hoping I can wear my yellow coat this season. Yellow, for me, is a warning color, an in-case-of-emergency color. I like to think I’m good in an emergency. I stay calm, figure out what needs done, and get it done. When the crisis is over I’m no good for a day or two after, but in the moment I’m steady. When I wear my yellow coat I like to think I’m advertising a source of help. It’s the reason I haven’t given it away.

There is no help for winter. There is hunkering down and enduring. It is so boring. I don’t think I’d miss the change of seasons, but I am not sure I am ready to trade them for alligators.

Men’s Masque

 When I am brilliant 

       You are jealous.

When I speak the truth

       You scold.

When I work for the good

       You are suspicious.

But

When I stand like Colossus

       You offer bonehomie.

Why not love all of me?

The Flip Side or Appalachian Love

 

The sad tale of the enmity between the Hatfields and McCoys stains the strong bonds forged in Appalachian families and between families. I was the fourth living generation of my family and I was carefully trained to choose my friends wisely because you weren’t only committing yourself to a friendship, you were committing the whole family. When I think about that and the way they let me go and make friends and live that out with all its hits and misses I am amazed. I also wish I could give that experience to my children. I can give them the freedom to go find their own friends, but I can’t give them the umbrella of safety of my friendships nor the ratifying comfort of adopting their friends. Life is different here in the midwest. I can see how the looser bonds have the advantage of not pulling people into terrible feuds, but I think the loss of community to our communities might not be worth it. 

Obelisks

 to see without permission

to reach the summit

to be annoyed

So very human being

Wish Book

I grew up on the Sears and J.C.Penney Christmas Wish Books. Every year they would arrive in the mail, and my sister and I would get out different color ink pens and mark what we wanted. The toy section was the only thing interesting at first, but after wearing those pages out it was intriguing to see what adults might want Santa to bring. ToysRUs had a version my kids enjoyed, but recently there has been a void in the catalog tradition. Amazon has brought forth a new version with a new vision.

The beautiful stickers caught my attention on the first flip through. It pointed me back to the happy, little Christmas story about two friends that ties this highly interactive catalog together. Sprinkled throughout the lively pictures of potential presents are games and activities. I don’t have any little ones to share this with, so I’ll be toting around for those moments usually wasted on waiting. If you have one of these in your mail, don’t throw it out. Get it to a kid to enjoy this Christmas.
 

Entrance

I accepted climate change as a reality a long time ago, even as a child it seemed prudent to prepare for the day we run out of fossil fuels. I’m also the sort who doesn’t mind thinking about preparing for when the sun goes black even though it’s a looooong way off. A climate disaster isn’t a long way off if we don’t work together and this is the point of Bill Gates’ book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. This is a big picture book, and by that I don’t mean it is colorfully illustrated and written for the young. I mean that you are guided through the problems and possible solutions by someone who can understand globe-spanning phenomenon and not get lost in any one part. The book is hopeful, fact-filled and compassionate. 

We all need a little sunshine when facing up to the consequences of questionable choices. This book fits the Bill. Carefully laying out what we have and what we need, it focuses on meeting the goal more than surviving the disasters. It is a strategic choice and well done. 

You will learn so much from this book, but not in the brain-crunching, strange vocabulary overwhelmingness way that books can have when they become too technical. Clear and memorable the useful lists and moderate use of details turn you into an informed consumer and advocate for the planet.

Perhaps my favorite of this book’s virtues is his advocacy for developing nations, and his recognition of how unfair it would be to ask them to stop reaching for humane life with the cheapest solution close at hand. It is so easy forget the many burdens of the poor. It was good to find them remembered here.
 

A Good Thing

 This is what happens when I discover something that is very useful and then discover that it is hard to acquire and/or might be disappearing all together. My normal parameters about storage space and budget concerns become secondary and at times forgotten. In this case I discovered 8 1/2 x11 composition books at Office Max. (I love to shop their store. It is my Zen temple.) They are my preferred size of paper to write on, and I do write by hand. I had given up on spiral bound notebooks because they aren’t as hardy and they fall apart. The pages of this large composition book are sewn in and my work is more secure. 

The panic struck when I went to Office Max and found only a handful of the large composition books and on clearance. I had adopted the LCB as standard practice, and was having great success. I bought what they had, and then went on a search for other vendors. I can be very particular about wanting the same thing over and over, but with procurement uncertain I had to relax my guidelines. Whenever I found a new vendor, I bought at least three, and as this search was carried on casually I did not keep track of inventory. 

Today I started organizing some piles and discovered a mountain of LCB. I can quit worrying and keep working. It is nice to have a good supply of a good product at hand, but I prefer to let Office Max carry my inventory. 

Socks Day

 

Every year around April I’d pick a day when homeschooling was dragging and declare it “Sandals Day!” We’d hit Payless Shoe Source for all it was worth and get everyone new sandals. It was enormously fun and the kind of planned spontaneity that makes for good, productive memories.

The poor unfortunate counterpart was “Socks Day. If U replace the vowel you’ll understand my true feelings about Socks Day. The freedom, the ease, hint that things were going to be freer and fresher was snuffed out with socks and sneakers. Suddenly there was more laundry that magically disappeared. All the little piggy toes said goodbye until next year when new sizes would proclaim they were leaving me.

They are mostly gone now, so I am observing Socks Day alone. My comfortable loafers have sat frozen for the summer, and the drawer is overflowing with socks. I wish I had someone to make sock puppets with. Perhaps I should give some to Dobby. 

The Laborer

 Willow looked at the tiny lens on her phone. All she had to do was press record and she was one step closer to saving the world for Jesus. She patted the pile of quilts on the table next to her and remembered when all she wanted was to get those quilts right. But then Mildred started harping on leading people to Jesus. She wanted them to speak to at least three people a week about how much they needed Jesus.

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

If Willow spoke to more people than Ron, Talitha and Timothy it was a miracle. Even at Bible study she never even answered a question or offered an opinion.

All of that considered, people needing Jesus mattered. 

So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

Willow had to do something, but everything she tried was a bust. She didn’t like bothering people. If only there was a way that people could come to her. She always watched Sister Rachel on the Church Channel, and one day Sister Rachel shared how many letters she got from people needing Jesus. Willow thought through the impact Sister Rachel had and how she did it while sitting in a basically empty room talking to a camera. 

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

She never pestered people; they came on their own. If Willow could get on TV maybe then she could share Jesus. Her first thought was to start a Bible study channel on You Tube, but she didn’t like studying and felt inadequate to sharing some deep truth. She just wanted people to know that God loved them. She was watching Morning Star Quilting Company on You Tube trying to pick up tips for her next quilt when she was struck by inspiration. 

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

What if it wasn’t morning star quilt company? What if it was the MORNING STAR Quilt Company. What if it was quilting for Jesus? She could talk about quilts. Didn’t Ron tell her every day to shut up about quilts? 

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

She could help people learn how to quilt while reminding them that Jesus loves them. She just had to sit in an empty room and speak to a camera. She could do that.

She didn’t tell anyone about what she was doing. 

let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

She decided to call her channel Sonshine Quilts. It worried her that people were going to think she couldn’t spell, but they would all live in Seattle or some such place, so it didn’t matter. Her first video she decided would be a review of all the quilts she’d made so that the people would know she wasn’t wasting their time and she knew what she was talking about.

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

She had thought about asking Ron to be her cameraman, but he was always so tired coming home from the job. She would have to get the view set up right and hope it stayed that way as she went through her quilts. The kids were at school. She had made a nice breakfast out of whole grain toast and chia/blueberry jam, and she had done her devotions. For once she was tempted to vacuum, but it was time to film. She said one last prayer and then dived in.

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

“Welcome to Sonshine Quilts. I do know how to spell, but I hope you’ll see this as a tribute to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I want to give Him all the glory for these quilts you are about to see, though some of them aren’t that good, but it all falls under His grace. He loves my quilts just the same way He loves me—nothing perfect.

With all that said let’s start with my very first quilt, a nine-patch I made with my granny.”

She went on from there through the thirty quilts she had made and kept. She had almost asked her family and friends to lend her back the quilts she had given away, but that would have meant explaining what she was doing. Thirty quilts would have to do.

When the last quilt had been unfurled and tossed on the floor, she looked in the camera lens and thanked them for watching. Taking a deep breath she said “Remember Jesus loves you.” 

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

She quickly turned off the camera and found herself crying. Somehow reminding the world that Jesus loved them, had reminded her and she sat and cried for awhile.

Quickly she rewatched the video. It wasn’t the worst thing she’d seen on You Tube. Before she could talk herself out of it she posted it. She had done her best to raise Jesus up. It was up to Him now. 

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf;

She folded up the quilts and redistributed them around the house. She used the nervous energy to fly through her daily chores. The timer rang to remind her to pick up her kids from Victory Christian Academy. She took a little bag of cross stitch to pass the time waiting in the car.

She was feeling unusually virtuous when the assistant principal spied her car. Meryl was the true principal of the school. She got things done and always put the children first. If she were male she’d have had the job ten times over, but God did not ordain women to take leadership. 

Women[f] should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.

Dean Stubbins sat in his fancy leather chair and made you feel twelve years old, especially if you were a woman. “Ask me how I know,” she imagined saying to the camera.

Meryl came round to the driver’s side and Willow rolled down the window on her car. 

“Are you all right? How has your day been?” Meryl said. 

“It’s been a good day. Have my kids been misbehaving? I told Timmy to write a poem if he liked a girl instead of punching her.”

Meryl laughed, “Your kids are great. I heard a rumor that you make quilts, and I wanted to ask you to make one for the silent auction. Any style or size will do. It would be nice if you could do school colors, but you’re the artist. Can I add your quilt to the list? It means you get free tickets to the silent auction dinner.”

“Of course, put me down for a twin. If I can I’ll try for a queen.” Willow relished this small moment of feeling important.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

“Thank you so much. I’m sure it’s going to be the hit of the auction.” Meryl patted the side of the car and went back to wrangling kids.

Talitha did a double-take when she piled herself and all her stuff in the car. “Mommy, you’ve been crying, and you’re wearing makeup. Are you ok, Mommy?”

Willow pulled open the mirror on the sun visor. Sure enough there were black streaks running down her face. 

like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

They were going to have to stop by Walmart on the way home. It was time to buy the good mascara. The kind that didn’t run. Meryl gave her a little wave as she pulled out of the parking lot with the kids. Willow hated to guess what she must be thinking. “I’m fine. I just got happy about Jesus and I cried a little.”

“I do that too.” Timothy volunteered. “But don’t tell Dad.”

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Homework and dinner filled up the time until just before bed. Ron had had to fire a tiler, so he was in a bad mood. She’d looked for a chance to tell him about her new ministry, but he went out to the garage and worked on Talitha’s hope chest.

After the last dish had been put away and all the homework finished, she took a minute to look up her stats on You Tube. An astonishing twenty-three viewers had seen her quilts and heard her message. Even more surprising three of them had opinions. 

“Praise Jesus! It is so good to hear from the godly on this Earth. Your courage to stand up for Jesus just opened my heart. I praise God for you. Blessings on your channel.”

Willow almost started crying again.

Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

She opened the next comment expecting more good news. “It’s about quilting, not Jesus. Stop confuddling the two. I don’t come to You Tube for church.” Willow wondered what she could ever say. Maybe she should take down her video before more people got angry.

She opened the last comment fearfully. “Your quilts are so beautiful, may I say inspired. ;) Can’t wait to hear your tips for making my own quilts. Keep going.”

Reassured she prepared for bed. Twenty-three people had heard the good news. Two of them thought she should keep going. It had been a good day.

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much:

Plutarch

When I was a child I wanted to read real ancient literature written by real ancient people, but I was directed to The Once and Future King and The Lord of the Rings. It was frustrating. Like everything we couldn’t have when we were

children I wanted to give my kids authentic literature from whatever time period tickled their fancy. To that end I’ve been writing a history through literature curriculum for eight years now. It requires i.e. gives me permission, to read all that literature I was kept from, most of it multiple times. Generally I really enjoy myself, but this read through of ancient lit has simply sat on my last feminist nerve, and I am begging it to get off. This is why reading Plutarch has become such a chore.

The spine of Plutarch Vol. 1 and 2 is about three inches thick, and while it isn’t polemical so far, the entitlement of ancient males and their disinterest in most things female as long as women are being properly dominated wears me out. I used to imagine what a great experience it would be to travel back in time and live in the ancient period. Now I get the hebejebees just reading about ancient times. Most of the books I picked are rich enough in other material that I can get through them, but Plutarch sets out to define good leadership through biographies of great men. He goes into the nitty gritty of their ideas and governments and general lifestyle. He lays it all bare for us to admire, but with my modern eyes I am often appalled. I could manage this more easily if there were less of it, but three inches, phew. 

The Sun’s Lament

 Promise in the shadows

That’s all I’ve ever been

If you want to see me

Bring the light

I only know the dark

The dark is where you leave me.