Let 'Er Rip!

Today's the day.

And remember...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Art of Waiting - 1 More Day

The Art of Waiting - 2 More Days

The Art of Waiting - 3 More Days

The Art of Waiting - 4 More Days

The Art of Waiting - 5 More Days

The Art of Waiting - 6 More Days

The Art of Waiting - 7 More Days

The Art of Waiting - 8 More Days

The Art of Waiting - 9 More Days

The Art of Waiting - 10 More Days

The Art of Waiting - 11 More Days

When recently accused of collecting pretty much everything a person can collect,

it was difficult to mount a defense against the charge.

May we present "Do Not Open 'til Christmas" package labels?

Filling Time Filling Stockings

If you find yourself all caught up and with a little time left for making stocking-stuffers or hostess gifts or those gifts you should have in the stash in case  you realize someone was left off the list...try these. 

From Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.

That's More Like It

We went seeking relief from our bleak, brown very un-winter-like landscape and found, not a white Christmas scene, but a dazzling poinsettia-hued one at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. 

This year's holiday flower show features poinsettia cultivars Sparkling Punch, Tikal Red, Monet Early, and Premiere Red set among waves of Coral Sunrise Coleus with beautiful, fragrant green rosemary plants tucked between.

             

   Not only did we enjoy a warm and colorful interlude on a chill winter weekend, but we overcame our PTS from having our car broken into 18 years ago at the very same site (hadn't returned since), traveled there and back on dry roads, and arrived safely home hours before our first nice, white snowfall arrived.

  

  

  

Washing MOP

If you need to clean your mother of  pearl buttons...don't use soap, it will make them cloudy.

If you decide to try to photograph buttons underwater because they look so lovely down there...

it would be good to have a better camera and/or photography skills than we do.

If you need a Plan B, try the wet look.

Performance Review

Go ahead, write your own caption.

All we know is that the quality control department has got some splainin' to do.

High Art on the High Plains

On a recent trip down memory lane in the town where we lived for three years, 27 years ago, we needed to check up on one of the city's most famous personalities. 

There he was, in a slightly different location and position, but still gloriously, unashamedly bare nekkid.

One of two full-size bronze castings of Michelangelo's David stands in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The statue was given to the city  in 1971 by Thomas Fawick, a Sioux Falls native who made his fortune as an inventor and automobile manufacturer. 

"When first erected in Fawick Park, the statue was quite controversial in the city. Many felt a nude body displayed in public was not only in bad taste, but would have a bad effect on the moral values of the citizens. The statue was placed facing southeast, away from traffic, and trees were planted to screen it from the street.

Later, when the park required some work, the statue was moved and now faces north." (Tree-free, and as far as we can tell he hasn't caused any accidents by rubberneckers yet - NDL) - wikimapia

Sioux Falls is a prosperous plains town that has undergone some remarkable sprucing up of its river banks and falls area to become a lovely recreation destination for people from miles around. It is also the biggest center of shopping and services for several surrounding states, and so, draws many out-of-towners on weekends and weekdays too.

27 years ago, the bits and pieces of paths and bike trails did not connect as continuously as they do now (20 miles around town, the locals boast), but even back then if you knew how to wind around obstacles you could get in a pretty good hike that started at Fawick Park and ended at the falls of the Big Sioux. 

One day while waiting for a friend and her dog to arrive for a walk date we observed two middle-aged women who appeared to be from a more rural locale intently regarding the infamous statue. 

We weren't really listening to their conversation until we caught one asking the other, 

"Well, whaddya think?". 

"Oh, I'd say about 8 pounds", the other replied with a snigger. 

It was then that we followed their gaze to the area where city leaders had once suggested 

a grape leaf be strategically placed. 

Considering that the statue is made of bronze, the gals may have underestimated young David's manhood, but we're thinkin' they were close. 

And we will never look at him in quite the same way again.

Pinettes

Finally! People are seeing the light. 

Button appreciation is catching on and collecting them is not just the eccentric hobby 

of the odd lady next door anymore.

Recently we were asked to speak to a group of women about button collecting. They were an engaged bunch and had many questions about the cards of buttons being passed around 

as we gave brief descriptions (and tried to avoid fanatical evangelizing about the virtues) 

of the many varieties in our collection.

These bright and cheery "housedress buttons" usually made in Germany or Western Germany from the 1940s to 60s, while not so old or rare, are among our favorites .

The women in the group, being of an age that they might actually have worn some of this kind of  buttons, could possibly answer a question that had occurred to us. In an era of wringer washing machines how did one launder clothes adorned with these fragile beauties without breaking some every time?  The ladies confirmed our hunch that those garments were either hand wrung after gentle washing or the buttons were removed before washing and then sewn on again. What a lot of work!

Shortly after that very successful talk, while sorting through a box of assorted vintage sewing items picked up at an estate sale, we discovered Pinettes. The ladies hadn't mentioned this clever button saving-device, but probably would have remembered with a little jog to their collective memories. 

We'll add this little prop to our next button gig (oh yes, at least three Lutheran women's circles and homemaker clubs have inquired about dates) and see if that leads to other button stories that add to our knowledge of the wonderful world of buttons past and present.

Rosie's Roses

Another bit of mother daughter teamwork.

Lovely vintage rose and quality woven gingham squares cut by mom long ago 

were recently re-cut and pieced for a small quilt top by NDL.

Machine quilting by J. Bauer.