A Tip Worth Its Salt

I'm still baking bread, I've been doing it since the shutdown using sourdough starter which, over these last few months, has become quite rich and robust. I've likely created a monster. Anyway, yesterday was baking day and I baked two loaves: one regular sourdough and a loaf of cinnamon swirl. The cinnamon swirl filling oozed up and over the edge of the loaf pan and created one very respectable puddle of brown sugar and cinnamon goop on the oven floor where it baked itself in-- yuck. And, naturally, the oven was otherwise clean. Groan. I knew I should've put a cookie sheet beneath the pans but I forgot. By then it was dinnertime and, except for the burned on smell that kept reminding me, I tried to put the mess out of my mind. Before bed last night I remembered a tip that my mother-in-law told me decades ago, one that she swore by. I got out the salt shaker and covered the burned-on mess (in the now cool oven*) with table salt. I folded a piece of paper towel so that it was four thicknesses and slowly poured boiling water onto the paper towel until it was just saturated. I closed the door and went to bed. This morning I opened the over door and effortlessly wiped out the mess and threw it away! 

Voila! 

This photo reminds me that the racks need cleaning now. I'll use the ammonia-in-the-black-trash-bag method for that, a tip from my own mother. I'll put the racks in the bag with 1/2 C of ammonia and set the bag (tied and sealed) out in the sun for the afternoon, then hose them off outdoors- sparkling clean!

Life is Good!

* make sure that oven is completely cooled before using this cleaning method. 

Everything I Need To Know...

This is a completely unsolicited book review: Everything I Need To Know I Learned From A Little Golden Book; I received it for my birthday from my Mom a couple of months ago.  It is a New York Times best seller by Diane Muldrow. 
Between the covers of this sweet and simple book, illustrated in a most familiar fashion, lies a lot of comfort as well as humorous and practical advice for getting the most out of our adult lives. If you have cherished these gold-spined volumes as a child (like I did), or spent countless hours reading Little Golden Books to your own children (did that, too!) you will appreciate this happy trip back in time and value the straight-forward encouragement offered here. My Mom even wrote my name inside the front cover where it says: "This Little Golden Book belongs to: ---------", just like she used to do when I was very young. 💗   Who couldn't use a little bit of Golden wisdom today?

Life is Good!

On this, the 15th of November, I am thankful for my mother

who still knows exactly the right thing to give me for my birthday!

Why We Quilt... And Yet, One More (But Not The Last) Reason

If you've been following along with the last few posts you'll find the theme of "why we quilt" a continuing one.  Today I would like to touch upon those who have gone before us and how inspiration has played a big part in why we quilt, and continue to, to this day.  As a new quilter back in the mid 1980's I recall being inspired, and nurtured, by the established quilting community within my own local Guild. These ladies were all highly competent, gifted quiltmakers in their own right who, seemingly, had all the time in the world to guide a wide-eyed, ready to learn young woman in the proper quilting direction. I quite literally sat at the feet of some of these quilting masters soaking up every tidbit they had to share! Here is one, Vera Bell, these photos were taken at a Guild show back in 1992, she was 77 years old. I am particularly interested in both of these photographs because I just so happen to be piecing both a sixty degree diamond quilt and a tumbler right now. As you can see, Vera was an accomplished, and stylish(!), quilt artist; a lovely lady both inside and out. She was no stranger to winning ribbons and the colorwash beauty, hand-quilted of course, on the right won her the Best of Show that year. I recall falling in love with a most stunning Carpenter's Wheel quilt that she made for her son's home. He lived in a converted barn and she leaned heavily on a silver-gray color palette  incorporating a few, choice, bright accent colors to complement the rustic two-story barnboard wall where he planned to hang it. I can't see a Carpenter's Wheel quilt today without remembering Vera.  Does this lovely lady inspire me still? Yes, she does!  Looking at these photos reminds me that I can always go that extra mile, do a little bit more, challenge myself. That sixty degree diamond quilt as well as the tumbler that I am currently piecing I had planned to trim up straight and square along the edge. Now I am thinking about appliqueeing them to a border, capitalizing on the shapes and not destroying the integrity of the pattern, that's exactly what Vera did. We quilt because we love it; we're nudged to be our best by those who have gone before and encouraged us along the way, those who recognized that spark and had the good sense to breathe life on our fledgling attempts, thus igniting the flame and passing the torch!  I will always be grateful for that inspiration that has fueled me and drives me still... it's why we quilt.

ef

Vera E Bell 1915 - 2005 was a member of the Bell family. Vera was born on April 24, 1915. Vera died on February 17, 2005 at 89 years old. Vera E Bell's last known residence is at Winston Salem, Forsyth County, NC 27103.

ef

Life is Good!

Mom vs. Nana

When I was Mom I chased behind my children with a can of furniture polish in one hand and a dust cloth in the other, removing fingermarks and handprints while they were still warm.

Now that I am Nana those fingermarks and handprints have become treasured souvenirs of happy times spent together.

With age comes a new wisdom...
and a lot less polish used!

Life is Good!

Use It Or Lose It

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." -Erma Bombeck

I'm trying, as hard as I can...
Life is Good!

Wise Words

Wisdom is all around us, all we have to do is be aware. Some of the funniest, quotable, words might just show up on a cocktail napkin.

Cheers~

Life is Good!

His Royal Highness Hannes?

"I hope if dogs ever take over the world and they choose a king, they don't just go by size, because I bet there are little dogs with some good ideas."
-Marc-Christophe

Life is Good!

Learn From The Turtle*

We continue to receive the newsletter from our former congregation, Grace Lutheran Church, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. "Amazing Grace" is always full of interesting articles and bits of wit and wisdom, we just received the latest edition which contained this, a list of "20 Things To Remember", it's too good not to post here. I'll be printing this one out for future reference, no author is credited.

1. Faith is the ability not to panic.
2. If you worry you didn't pray, if you prayed, don't worry.
3. As a child of God, prayer is kinda like calling home every day.
4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. Gods wants us to be still so that He can untangle the knot.
6. Do the math. Count your blessings.
7. God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts.
8. Dear God: I have a problem, it's me.
9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
10. Laugh every day-- it's like inner jogging.
11. The most important things in your home are the people.
12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.
13. There is no key to happiness, the door is always open. Come on in.
14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.
16. We do not remember days but moments. Life moves too fast so enjoy your precious moments.
17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it; otherwise it's just hearsay.
18. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you're done.
19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. *Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.
20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting. Leave gentle fingerprints on the soul of another for the angels to read. I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.

Life is Good!

They Came, They Saw...

Yes, they came and visited my sewing space; the Home Extension Club of a neighboring county. They were completely delightful... so interested in, and complimentary of, my quilts-- it was enough to make one blush! Let me tell you about one of these ladies, she was remarkable! She's in the front row, holding her purse; 95 years young! She sat on the sofa with the sweetest smile on her face the entire time. The others in her group asked questions and talked about their own quilts and their quilting ancestors. They told historical tales about the settling of their community and all the while she sat, smiling and nodding. When it was time for the group to depart they left one by one, but she held back. She took my arm and whispered to me that she was blind and deaf, both of these ailments brought on by advancing age, but that she'd had a wonderful time. She loved getting out and she was so very thankful that she'd been able to attend. She hoped to come back again! I was amazed. Imagine this... blind and deaf, every reason in the world NOT to go out anymore. Staying home has to be easier... but no, she gets up every day, gets dressed, and gets on with the business of living; she is celebrating life! I'm so glad she came last week, and I do hope that she does come back!

I need to thank her,
thank her for reminding me...

Life is Good!