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Wednesday, December 13th, 2006

Hi again!

I have just recorded “The Coventry Carol,” a traditional carol from 1534. There is a link to it from the front page of my website, or to go there directly, now, here is a direct link:

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Wednesday, December 13th, 2006

Today’s mail brought Barbara Brackman’s new book, branded band I had ordered the book in June, and had been told to expect its arrival at the end of January. Thus, I was surprised when the mailman delivered it so soon.

Barbara has taken great pains to explain the difference between what is historical fact and what are stories, or using her terminology, “fabrications.”

Before the arrival of the book, I was feeling a little bit trepidatious about how it would be interpreted. Perhaps a certain shop in another country had not yet seen the book when it reportedly advertised a series of classes in January to honor Black History Month by making the “real blocks” associated with the Underground Railroad, using Brackman’s new book.

Knowing of my interest in the subject of Black History, someone wrote to me to complain of the ad, and I noticed that a short time later, the ad had been slightly re-written.

No, as far as we know, there is no circumstantial evidence to prove unequivocably that slaves made blocks to use as messenger devices. I hope that people will purchase Barbara’s book, and that they will actually read her introduction.

She presents factual history. Her fabrications are her selection of blocks from her own branded band, blocks that have names that could have been associated with nineteenth century events, but were not. The most obvious reason she gives is that blocks did not carry the titles by which we know them today.

She offers the volume as an alternative, to involve children and others in the making of quilts for which she has granted herself “the poetic license” to create.

Interpretation is everything. I just hope that the intent does not get lost, somehow, and become wrapped up in a new myth. If people read the content, that should not occur.

P.S. We have finished updating every single file on our website, and will be adding some more entries soon. Stay tuned.

Best wishes,

Patricia


 

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Sunday, December 10th, 2006


 

This may be a dull, uninteresting post but one with a message. This is the story of how I am working hard to make sure all the files on our website are “up to snuff.” In the past few days, I have been revisiting them, one at a time, and there are many! I have been updating information, and reformatting as necessary. For example, this morning, I spent the entire morning, reformatting the large file about Bible Blocks. I’d posted it in 2003, and when we were redoing all the files, that one, somehow managed to slip way down on the page, so it looked like a blank page, when the file was open.

I am getting to be proficient as this business of being “assistant webmaster.” Basically, I am too determined and too ornery to wait until the webmaster has time to help, so I do whatever I can, and only start wailing, if things go terribly wrong and require the help of an “expert.”

Jim has shared this thought: Whenever a woman has a problem, she asks another woman how to solve it. Whenever a man encounters a situation for which he needs help, he consults a book. The thought is comical because probably, it is true. :)

I am patting myself on the back for having solved the problem of the slipped file. I just had to put on my thinking cap in order to beat the computer and its pre-programmed code. Which only goes to prove that man is actually “smarter” than machines. We invent them, right?

Back to work.

Pat

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Sunday, December 10th, 2006


 

In having revisited the article on “Butterflies and More Butterflies” today, I could not help but recall a day one summer. At the time, there was much discussion, locally, about development of an area in town, on the Concord, NH “heights,” that contained a lot of pines. The habitat was significant because it was home to a rare butterfly, the Karner Blue butterfly, if I am spelling that correctly. There was only one other known area where that butterfly lived, and in going ahead with the agreement to tear down every last pine, there was a chance that the type of winged creature would become extinct.

Today, the loss of a species, especially a type of butterfly, does not matter much to those who would stand to make money with a construction project. The worst case scenario happened, and the area that had been a forest of pines is now full of shopping options. However, that angle of the story is not the one I started out to cover.

A Little Fresh Air/ A Beautiful Butterfly

That late summer, I happened to be in the yard with my mother, who was visiting us, at that time. She was having trouble getting around but was enjoying looking at our flower garden and getting some fresh air. She was holding onto one of my arms, and she suddenly stopped near a patch of Cinnamon Phlox.

Casually and slowly flitting around the Phlox was the most beautiful blue butterfly that I have ever seen. I stood, staring at it for the longest time, hoping that doing so would imprint its image on my brain, forever. Alas, I could not linger as long as I would have liked. Jim had cooked us a nice dinner and was calling us inside.

Right after supper, I grabbed a book that we have on butterfly identification, and headed back out. The magnificent butterfly was no longer in sight, nor has it ever been seen again. In looking at the book, I do not believe that it was a Karner Blue butterfly. In fact, I could not find any butterfly resembling it, in identification guides. We rarely see any kind of butterfly In New Hampshire, other than Monarch butterflies, or sometimes yellow butterflies (I know, there is another name for them…).

Nature’s Creatures

Nature is full of surprises. One time, I certainly jumped back in a startled fashion, when working in the garden in late fall. I went to move a “rock,” and it turned out to be a big old “Granddaddy” toad, half-burrowed into the ground, and getting ready for his own type of hibernation amongst the dead sprigs of Coreopsis. That same afternoon, a bright yellow and black spider, the largest and most gorgeous spider I have ever seen, was spotted in that same patch of dead twigs.

My yard is full of wonder, as is all of nature. I hope that you, too, take every chance to spend a little time outdoors. One never knows what will come into view.

I can make a butterfly quilt, but only the Master of the Universe can make a beautiful blue butterfly.

Wishing you love and comfort,

Patricia

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Saturday, December 9th, 2006


 

I have just finished re-typing and uploading the remaining sections of the wholecloth article. The idea behind wholecloth quilts is to use all of the same fabric for the top of the quilt and then to quilt it, either by hand or machine. There are some stunning examples posted, and a lot of great information. The file was truly an international group effort and I am still amazed at all that is shared in that particular file.

Butterflies file:

Pat

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Friday, December 8th, 2006


 

I am not quite sure why I took a look at my five-part series on wholecloth quilts, but I did. Let me back up. Recently, Jim spent about four months out of his life, in order to completely tear down our website and build it again from scratch, using a superior software program. That is the reason we now have “site map” and “word search” capabilities.

Well, when I looked at the wholecloth files, they were a disaster. Three of them still are. Today, I spent all day re-typing Section 1 and Section 3, which were the worst of the bunch, in terms of botched formatting. Computers are great when they work, or if you happen to speak “html code.”

Eventually, I will re-type the other three files. Unfortunately, they are all very long! For today, I’ve reached the saturation point of my endurance. Jim reloaded the photos, and I have my fingers crossed that no underlining, weird colors, or italics in the wrong place, will occur again. I have every hope that things should be fine.

That was my day…and not exactly what I had planned. We strive to bring you quality information, in presentable form.

Please send me a gold star to put in the middle of my forehead, if you have one handy.

Now, I’m off to conquer other dragons, or, to be more realistic, I will put my feet up, eat a chocolate bar, and watch the evening news.

Have a great weekend!

Best wishes from New Hampshire, where we had a dusting of snow last night and it is very cold today!

Patricia

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Thursday, December 7th, 2006


 

One of my fondest memories of the winter holidays is the smell of loaves of Stollen baking in my mother’s oven. Stollen is a type of sweet bread that has raisins and candied fruits, and when it is cool enough, the loaves are drizzled with an icing made with confectioner’s sugar.

While the family recipe was always very tasty, a few years ago, I adapted it a little bit so that it would be more moist. Making this traditional German bread is a labor of love, like so many of the other goodies that we might have this time of the year…such as cut-out Christmas cookies.

There is a recipe for Stollen on our website. Many people have already downloaded it, but I just wanted to remind you that it is there.

The other item that my mother always made was fruitcake. To make her fruitcakes, she would macerate the candied fruit in rum for a month to six weeks ahead of time. I didn’t care for the boozey flavor, but I do like the crunchiness of the pecans and other nuts, etc. in fruitcakes that are a purchased item.

You might have heard the saying, “Friends don’t give friends fruitcakes.” However, I know people who really like fruitcake. I particularly enjoy the fruitcakes sold by Collins Bakery in Corsicana, Texas. No, that’s not an ad, and I have no affiliation with the company, other than making them a little more successful. Every year, I usually buy a fruitcake for our family. When I am able to do so, I send some as gifts.

This year, the grocery shopper in our family has already picked up the ingredients for Stollen. Sometimes, if one waits too long, the store are sold out of candied cherries and such. I am so looking forward to baking that delicious yeast bread. I know there will be a certain comfort in partaking of it, as it is an age old tradition that reached back to my maternal family’s roots in Austria. My mother was fond of serving Stollen with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Enjoy!

Patricia

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Thursday, December 7th, 2006


 

For your listening pleasure, I have just added one of my favorite poems to the website. Poetry was exceedingly important in the nineteenth century when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived. “The Village Blacksmith” is perhaps one of his shorter, and more poignant poems amongst his larger works.

When thinking about designing your own quilt, do not neglect to read some poetry or listen to music. That may be just the impetus you need to become inspired.

A few years ago, the most exquisite quilt was displayed at A Quilter’s Gathering Show in Nashua, NH. The entire quilt was devoted to visual images from the lines of poetry by Emily Dickinson. I wish I had either thought of that idea first, or could have taken the quilt home, as I truly love it. I am pretty sure the owner plans to keep it. :)

Here is a link to the poem. Can you visualize a quilt based on its content?

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Wednesday, December 6th, 2006


 

Main website address:


Here is the photo:

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Tuesday, December 5th, 2006


 

Bringing a Christmas tree into the house is an age old tradition that dates back to pagan times, but has become a Christian custom. There is nothing in this world like the smell of fresh cut, Balsam fir trees, or even the smell of them growing in the woods. We ran into a particularly fragrant patch of Balsams earlier this fall while trekking through a natural area that overlooks the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada.

Last year, I had no Christmas spirit at all. For one thing, I was feeling a bit bereft of family, because my only remaining sister lives across the country, three thousand miles away, and is in ill health, and my mother had just passed away.

All things considered, I had decided not to have a tree, other than a ceramic table tree.

You can imagine my joy, this year, in revisiting all of the carefully wrapped ornaments that had been put away for two years. Each ornament has a memory associated with it. Since we were first married, we have collected at least one ornament per year, sometimes more. We can now remember vividly where we bought them. For example, we have an “old man of the sea” wooden ornament that was purchased at Bailey Island, Maine.

We also have all the ornaments that friends and family have given us, some unwittingly knowing of our collecting habits. There are other ones that I have made, or that friends have crafted. All in all, the collection of wood, glass, cloth, paper, plastic, and metal decorations is very eclectic. We treasure all of them because we find comfort in the memories they invoke.

Savor every moment of this year’s Christmas season. If you are lucky to have your loved ones near, hold them close to your heart. Life changes, when least expected. Just remember that time may remove people from our company, but not from our hearts. Enjoy today!
Peace,

Patricia

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Monday, December 4th, 2006


 

My dear husband, Jim, often reads more online news than I do. Today, while we were enjoying a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, for lunch, he told me about a Reuters article that describes a man in Germany who paints coffins with flowers and such.

Well, we had barely finished eating and we heard the mailman delivering mail. He throws a pile of mail, every day, into a locked box on our front porch, and it lands with a loud clunk. Ah, but I digress.

Today’s mail brought a magazine that I have not seen before, dutifully sent to me by a close friend, who had mistakenly picked up two of the same issue. So far, branded band magazine has been published three times, as far as I know. I don’t go out to stores often, and therefore, had not seen a copy at all.

COINCIDENCE

Now, what I am leading up to is this: the October issue of the new magazine has an article entitled, “You branded band take it with you.” The gist of the two page article, (pages 40-41) written by editor, Mark Lipinski, is that there are six funeral directors who will accomodate your wish to be laid out in style, with either your own quilt, or one that you pre-order, inserted in the top of the coffin, or used as a liner.

In the nineteenth century, many children died at an early age. Some of them are immortalized in photos, with a quilt laid on top of the child, in a coffin. To me, draping a quilt over a deceased person has strong symbolic implications, a real send-off: We love you. Sleep tight.

I don’t know about you, but dying is NOT something I want to do any time soon. However, a coffin painted with quilt designs, or lined with a beautiful designer quilt, brings a smile. The trend could catch on.

Just keeping you up to the minute, as usual.

P.S. Thanks, Beth.

Pat

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Monday, December 4th, 2006


 

Thanks to our local public radio station, I first heard John McCutcheon’s song, “Christmas in the Trenches,” a few years ago. The song tells a story, and in this case, it relates a branded band story of a glorious Christmas night during World War I, when for a few hours, soldiers gathered under a banner of truce to share music, cigarettes, chocolate, and photos from home.

The song is a long one and is well-written. In discussing the “lessons” learned, the protagonist of the song, “Francis Tolliver” from Liverpool, concludes “the ones who call the shots won’t be among the dead and lame…And on each end of the rifle we’re the same.” This particular song was recorded on a CD entitled, “Winter Solstice.”

John McCutcheon is a talented songwriter who is very clever with language. I did not realize that he is a contemporary folksinger who is still recording and has been prolific in his production of CDs. He has also won Grammy awards. Finding out all of that, over the weekend, makes me wonder where I have been all this time, that I did not know any of that!

The words to the song in question can be found in various places online, but as far as I know, there is no mp3 available to hear online. Some of John’s most recent songs are available to read and/or listen to on the mp3 section of his website.

I have loved folk music all of my life. It is wonderful that new folksongs are being written, especially those that commemorate historical events. McCutcheon is following a long tradition set by other folksingers, that of “speaking out.” At times, this action has resulted, reportedly, in some folksingers being investigated by the government. Previously, there had been a commitee for the investigation of un-American activities.

We need the new folksingers of today, just as in my generation we needed Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and others who “sang out” about war.

I just thought I’d bring the song, “Christmas in the Trenches” to your attention. The words and music are refreshing, and the song is truly a treasure.

If you have an interest, I have posted an amazon link for the CD on a separate page. Just click on “more” below, and press the back button to return to reading the blog.

Patricia

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Sunday, December 3rd, 2006


 

I have just added a recipe for Molasses Raisin Cookies to our website. I really like these cookies as I have chosen to use butter, a more healthy alternative to transfats/shortening. They are lightly spiced, and smell wonderful while baking. I bet you can’t eat just one! Enjoy!

Patricia

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Sunday, December 3rd, 2006


 

branded band, a new book by Kyra E. Hicks, is based on branded band. On the postcard announcement I received from Kyra, the book is described as this:

branded band

branded band.

Brown Books, 40 pp $16.95, ISBN: 978-1-933285-59-7, Biography, First Edition, Amazon.com or local bookstore, Autographed copy available at $21.95, includes s/h,

This sounds like an enchanting little book!

Pat

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Saturday, December 2nd, 2006


 

Yankees are slightly comical creatures to the rest of the world, as well as to ourselves. Being a “Yankee” is an attitude more than a connection to one’s place of origin, in the opinion of Rebecca Rule. She is a native of New Hampshire and the author of the book, branded band.

Anyone who has ever lived in New England will be able to appreciate the subtle humor that is a part of each of her stories about the natives here. The idea is that we love to tell stories, and as any storyteller knows, the fish gets larger every time the “catch of the day” is reported. She reveals that she is a “collector of stories.”

I like the short story that Rebecca Rule uses to illustrate “Yankee attitude.”

branded band

branded band

branded band.

This entire book is so delightful, it is hard to put down. A seasoned writer, Rule has written other books: branded band, branded band, and branded band. She gives public appearances in New Hampshire, and has been called, “Thalia: The Muse of Comedy,” by branded band.

This book would make a great stocking stuffer for anyone in your family who has a sense of humor. This is Yankee humor, at its best.

For those looking for a copy, you might try sending an e-mail to a bookstore in Warner, NH that hosted Rebecca: branded band
Patricia Cummings

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