Quilting, Gee's Bend, Friends & Fiber, and Me

The quilt pictured above is from a group of women down in Gee's Bend, AL who have created what the New York Times has called “some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced.” Before these women were 'discovered' they were working on a plantation, raising their children, and trying to keep warm by making quilts from scraps of material and worn clothing -- living the simple life. The local tradition of quilting was taught to young girls who then would pass it on to their daughters, through four generations. The practice of quilt making in the area has begun to slow down and there are no longer any quilt makers working on a regular basis. What a shame but also, what a legacy they left us!

My Aunt Lil is a quilter and made my mother a gorgeous quilt before she passed away. The quilt will always be a memory to me of the love between sisters. I made CeCe's 'double love' quilt for her all important 'two-digit' birthday and I hope that she treasures it as I do the sister-love one that Aunt Lil made. I'm in the process of making another quilt and it too will have stories (and cat hair) attached to it . . . stories of where I found the fabric, the friends I met along the way and the new 'me' that's emerging out of this forced sabbatical I've been on.

Mensie Lee Pettway, one of the Gee's Bend quilters said: 'A lot of people make quilts just for your bed for to keep you warm. But a quilt is more. It represents safekeeping, it represents beauty, and you could say it represents family history.' So true!

Tonight I met a group of wonderful women at the library for our first meeting of 'Friends & Fiber'. Realize that 'fiber' can mean anything from cross stitching to crocheting to knitting to quilting; of the 15 women present, two of us are quilters (as I now consider myself). Many of the women brought their projects along with them and quietly knitted while we discussed our joy of working with 'fiber.' They commented how therapeutic it is; one woman told of how knitting and crocheting helped her regain her health and stamina; another told of a project where they are teaching incarcerated men to knit baby booties for the relaxation and sense of giving back to the community. I also learned of a movement called 'Knitting for Peace' where knitters across the country concentrate on peace while clicking their needles. At church we have a group that is cleverly called 'KNITWITS' which is an acronym for 'Knit with Intention to Serve'; this group makes combines prayer and fiber to create blankets that are gifted to newly baptized babies and prayer shawls for those in need. I gave a prayer shawl to my friend, Deb, who is battling cancer and she feels that it has some magic calming effect for her. I tried knitting and crocheting in high school and it just didn't grab me; my sister is an awesome crocheter so I'll let her carry that craft throughout our genes. I'm going to quilt.

At the meeting I met a wonderful woman, Julia, who has made quilts for her sons out of old blue jeans that she's saved throughout the years. She asked what type of quilting I'm interested in and I told her the story of CeCe's double-love quilt; she was delighted that I'm a folk art quilter too. I am? Yes, I guess so. I don't have a fancy sewing machine, just the one that I bought with the first tax return I received when I was 16. I don't have a fancy cutter; I use a 4x4 square that my Uncle Harold made me and a pair of scissors. Yes, my squares aren't perfect but neither is life. But like life, it's the color that is sewn into the quilt that matters.

Visit to Green Gables

Saturday morning I picked up Uncle David and headed over to 'Green Gables' in Whitewater for a 'Wild Ones' guest tour of Richard Ehrenberg's gorgeous (8/10 of an acre) garden. Ehrenberg's abode is within the city limits but is disguised by a landscape designed with nature in mind. Natural landscaping leaves room for surprises; Ehrenberg commented to us how each trip along the path is met with something he hadn't seen on his previous trip. This type of gardening leaves room for volunteer plantings and allows itself to mature and reinvent itself year after year. The front of his yard is planted in a deciduous forest to provide a vegetative screen between the house and the city street.

The above picture is of a 'prairie rose'. The size of the rose is eight feet tall by eithteen feet wide. Its hundreds of blooms with single pink petals and yellow centers are at their peak on July 4th; quite appropriate for a Midwestern native. I've put this one on my Christmas list (hint, hint).

This type of landscaping feels like, evolves like, and smells like nature. It's alive with the seasonal changes and the activity of its wild creatures.

The back yard is a prairie-plant community of species adapted to well-drained, fertile soil. He mentioned that in the beginning he fought the invasive plants that ventured in but once the natives took hold they out ranked the invasives.

The gardens provide nectar for honeybees, hummingbirds and butterflies.

Ehrenberg put ALOT of planning and thought into his landscape. He designed multiple activity zones for viewing and experiencing nature, visiting with family and friends by the lake, bird and bat houses, a tree swing, a vegetable / flower garden, fruit trees, and multiple inter-locking paths. He made sure that both humans and nature could co-exist in this space.

Think Gregg will go for this? Sure, Richard has 29 years of professional landscaping in his credentials but I've got at least 29 more years to enhance my garden . . . it's doable :-)

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

This month's book club selection was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle; the group had mixed emotions about the book but the majority of readers gave it a 5 (I gave it a 2). Following are the questions that I used that created quite a lively discussion:

1. The author had a way of putting you into the characters’ skin; how did you feel about that?

2. Which character’s skin did you feel most comfortable in? Edgar, Gar, Trudy, Claude, Page, Glen, Henry, the dogs?

3. While you were in your character’s skin, how did you feel when Gar died?

4. Do you think it was necessary for the author to make Edgar mute? How did this add to the storyline?

5. Edgar was considered ‘less than perfect’ but his mother didn’t coddle or expect anything less of him. She mentioned that we all have those flaws, just like everyone else, but they aren’t in important places . . . do you think Edgar’s flaw could have been considered a gift?

6. What did you think about the hauntings? Were they necessary to the storyline? For example: the vision of Edgar’s father and the old farmer in the barn? What other types of hauntings did the characters endure?

7. What about the other strange characters like Ida Paine and the woman who mysteriously arrived to teach Trudy to sign?

8. What did you think the problem was between Claude and Gar?

9. Do you think it was Claude in the Prologue?

10. Was it clear to you right away that Claude killed Gar?

11. What did you think of the quick courtship between Trudy and Claude?

12. What was significant about the letters between Edgar’s grandfather and Alvin Brooks? What do you think the grandfather’s experiment was? Complex choices?

13. What lessons did Edgar learn while on the run?

14. The ending was drawn out and then ran out of pages; what do you think happened after Essay sent all the dogs to Forte?

15. What did you think of Wroblewski’s imagery; was he able to transport you to Mellen and the areas near Ashland?

16. What did you learn from reading the book?

17. The book is said to be a retelling of Hamlet – do you agree?

18. Rate the book on a scale of 1 to 5.

19. Would you read another book by this author?

20. Did the book merit the praise that Oprah reaped on it?

Ministry Partnership - The Church has left the building!

On Saturday our Ministry Partnership Program participated in the Upsilon M Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc's 12th Annual Family Fun Day at Albright United Methodist Church in Milwaukee. We (Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church, Menomonee Falls) set up an arts and crafts table and offered computer workshops throughout the day.

Alpha Kappa Alpha is a 120-year-old national sorority that empowers communities through exemplary service initiatives and progressive programs. The fair hosted vendors from the community, the US Army, the public library, Milwaukee Sheriff's and Fire Departments for the sorority alumni and surrounding community. I'd say that at any given time there must have been well over 100 people in attendance.

I'm working with the TechConnect branch of this partnership program . . . our mission is to share the gifts of education and technology literacy with others. We began this program about a year ago and have since taught technology-related workshops in basic computer skills, setting up an email account, basic word processing, Ebay, and online game playing to members of Albright and the community. We've seen great successes in the students who have returned week after week to learn technology skills to impress their friends and family with.

We were invited to present job-related workshops such as how to answer an online application and build an effective resume. We also offered to assist with setting up an email account and asked each participant to answer a couple of questions in the form of an online survey. After no one came to our first (and second) workshop we decided to bring the workshops to the public. We set up a table outside (in the shade), connected to the WIFI and started to get some traffic . . . from the kids. We then decided to hand out our business cards to trigger some interest and WALA -- we were able to connect with a quite a few people who are interested in enhancing their computer skills. Aha -- TAKE THE MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE -- isn't that what God wants us to do everyday? How often do we miss an opportunity because we're caught up in the traditional way of doing stuff?

So, stop on by or tell a friend about our Fall Classes (held at Albright Church):

Call (414) 442-8540 to register

Class 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Open Computer lab 7:30 p.m.

September 9th - Email Basics
September 16 - Surfing the Net

September 23 - Word Processing Skills

IndependenceFirst

Today I gathered up a bunch old computers from church and dropped them off at IndependenceFirst; they'll clean them up and find new owners (with disabilities) for them. Individuals receiving computers are offered basic computer training as well as instruction on accessing and using the Internet. I'm feeling real, real good about this.

IndependenceFirst's is a non-profit 501(c)3 Independent Living Center (ILC) directed and controlled by persons with disabilities, primarily serving the four county metropolitan Milwaukee area. Their mission is to effectively facilitate empowerment of individuals with disabilities through:

• Education
• Advocacy
• Independent Living Services
• Coalition Building

I am immensely impressed with their facilities, their program, and their vision. Check them out for yourself: http://www.independencefirst.org/home/

What can we do for them? Volunteer!! If you're a reader of my blogs you may have recognized that I'm a bit tapped out right now but think about it -- you could be just what they need to continue or enhance their programs!

Volunteering is a healthy habit because it:

Brings satisfaction in helping others
Stimulates the mind and moves the heart
Promotes camaraderie
Imparts knowledge
Is self-rewarding
Encourages teamwork
Helps the community
Allows one to serve others
Develops new friendships
Broadens experience
Utilizes skills and talents
Creates a sense of well-being
Is stress relieving
Keeps one active and involved
Brings joy to others
Gives one purpose
Keeps you young
Gets you out and in the thick of life
And so very much more!
Celebrate by volunteering! It's easy and fun

From the IndependenceFirst's website.

Dr. Barwig's Three Rules to Success

1. What is your greatest fear?

2. Where is your greatest joy?

3. How much time to you want to put forth?

These are the three rules to success that my doctor has followed to bring her immense joy and happiness in her career. Dr. Barwig is the most compassionate, emphathetic, knowledgeable doctor and leader that I know. She told me that before she decided to become a doctor she was in a very bad point in her life and knew that she needed to make some drastic changes in order to provide for her daughters the education and future they deserved. I'm not sure of the middle part of the story but she did go to France to study medicine and is now an esteemed professional in her field of gynecology (yes, there's more that goes on during a yearly visit than the obvious).

She cited a examples of friends of hers that have followed THE THREE and have become very successful and happy. That's the main point -- you need to answer and follow all three of them otherwise you won't find true happiness.

OK, so here it goes:
1. What is my greatest fear? Being broke and lonely.
2. What is my greatest joy? Seeing the eyes of someone after I've enlightened their life.
3. How much time? Oh, tough one . . . while I've been off I've had the grand opportunity to expand my horizons ten-fold . . . I've met the most wonderful people on my journey and have been involved in projects that I could never do otherwise . . . do I want to give this up? . . . can I still continue on this adventure while working? . . . Perhaps that's the key -- can I work at a job that fulfills me and continue my exploration into the unknown??

So my friends, stay tuned -- the adventure continues . . .

Academy Awards -- Here we come!!

On Friday night and Saturday afternoon our CeCe (first one on the left, in red) performed on stage before a packed audience. The production, 'Alice in Wonderland', with the Missoula Childrens' Theatre was an uber awesome performance, and not just because CeCe was in it, but because it was professionally directed, choreographed, and written. And it was cute! CeCe played a rapping daisy who Alice meets along the way. She played the keyboard, sang a cute little song, and danced her way through the set.

Of course, Carrie cried with pride throughout the show and when the lights went up she had frog eyes and no more makeup. I'm thinking that Ben got a little choked up too as they watched their little girl up there. They both beamed with such pride and rightfully so, they're raising a strong, gifted child in a world that's a mess. She has such a bright future ahead of her and I promise to see to it that she has all the opportunities to use her gifts. Who knows how far she might go? Community Theatre, Hollywood, New York, Chicago, or just stay right here with her Gee?? Regardless, Hooray for CeCe!!

The photographer from AARP came today . . . evidentally I'm going to be the ON THE FRONT PAGE of the AARP Foundation magazine!! I'm not sure how this one differs from the regular AARP one but will soon find out. Here's the address:

http://aarp1.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?em_id=4701.0&dlv_id=9361

He took a couple of shots but due to the rain he felt it would be best to come back tomorrow. Sure, just when I had a good hair day! Stay tuned . . .

AARP -- Health Care Reform

I recently finished up an interview with AARP regarding how their awesome program 'Prepare to Care' assisted me when I was tasked with taking care of my mother once my father was once again placed in the nursing home. I thought it was just going to be a true / false answer-thing but when I received the list of questions I realized that I'd signed onto a much larger mission; one that I couldn't easily slip out of. Soon I found out that they're sending over a PHOTOGRAPHER! I promise to sign copies for all my fans (LOL).

So, now that I'm in the AARP loop I'm privy to other kinds of stuff that I want to share with my fan base such as where they (we?) fall in supporting the health care reform issues. I received this email that helps debunk many of the myths that are flying around:

FACT #1: Medicare will not be ended, and no benefits or services will be cut.

Your services will not be ended, nor will your benefits be cut. AARP's position on this could not be clearer. And we have sent this message loud and clear to Congress. While the current proposals include savings in Medicare by cutting out fraud, abuse, waste, and inefficiency, we're standing up and making sure benefits for Medicare recipients are not only fully protected, but are improved.1

FACT #2: No legislation currently in Congress would mandate the rationing of care. Period.

Our staff has read all of the legislation circulating in Congress and there are no provisions in these bills that would ration care for our members. None. If any ever did, we would vigorously fight to stop that legislation.2

FACT #3: There is no provision of any piece of legislation that would promote euthanasia of any kind.

The rumors out there are flat out lies. Right now Medicare does not cover counseling for end-of-life care. The portion of the bill in question would simply provide coverage for optional end-of-life consultations with doctors, so that the patient can be aware of all of the treatment options on the table. It is not mandatory and it has nothing to do with euthanasia.3

FACT #4: We have not endorsed President Obama's plan.

In fact, we haven't endorsed any plan. We are supporting reform of our health care system, something that AARP has pushed for many years. We're working closely with Republican and Democratic members of Congress to lower health care costs and to ensure quality affordable coverage for older Americans – and we want reform legislation passed and signed by the president this year.4

So what is AARP fighting for in health reform?

* Stopping insurance companies from charging older Americans unaffordable premiums because of their age.
* Ending the practice of excluding people from insurance because of pre-existing conditions.
* Holding down health costs and making insurance coverage more affordable for all Americans.
* Making prescription drugs more affordable by narrowing the Medicare doughnut hole, bringing generics to market faster, and allowing Medicare to negotiate better drug prices.

Aren't these great objectives? I completely support AARP and hope you do too. You can find out more and take action at HealthActionNow.org.

CeCe in Wonderland -- with Alice

Today I took Manny & CeCe to the Schauer Arts and Activities Center in Hartford (WI) to audition for a role in the Missoula Children's Theatre production of Alice in Wonderland. There were one of 99 kids auditioning!! They ranged in grades 1st through 12th and competed for roles of Alice (at three sizes), the Cheshire Cat, flowers, lobsters, the Queen, etc. I had never been to an audition and was immensely impressed with the courage all of these kids mustered up to do this! The selection process was really difficult as each of the kids were quite talented and I'm not just bragging about my grandchildren, although I have been known to do that from time to time.

One of the lines that CeCe's age group had to recite was 'Ladies and Gentlemen . . . The Queen' as though she were underwater! Manny's age group had to say 'What are you looking at, girl?' with conviction and drama. Then they sang a couple of choruses of 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat.' The younger kids just had to be cute. From this the two 'veteran' actors from MCT chose each role quite carefully -- what a task for them!

CeCe was awarded the role as a flower!! Wow, was she excited! She held it back pretty well (although she was just about jumping out of her skin), as there weren't that many roles in Manny's age group and he wasn't selected. He handled it remarkably well and I am so proud of both of them!!

You can catch CeCe's performance this Friday night at 7:00 and Saturday at 2:00. The address is 147 Rural Street; it's right off of highway 60 in Hartford. You can get your tickets at the door or buy them online at schauercenter.org.

Hope to see you there!