order generic viagra online canada

October 10th, 2011

The day started out cool but the temperatures quickly reached beyond 80 degrees on Saturday, October 8, 2011, as we headed north toward in Morrisville, Vermont to view a display of quilts mounted by members of the Common Threads Quilt Guild. We were not in the least bit disappointed! Here are a few of our favorite quilts displayed for the public to enjoy.

quilt by Carolyn Babcock
“American Album: 1840-2010″ by Carolyn Babcock. This quilt is hand pieced, hand appliqued and hand quilted. The blocks, made in the style of nineteenth century “Album” quilts, were inspired by the Sara Pool quilt (1840); blocks by Judy Martin; and the quilt features three original blocks by the quiltmaker. She also utilizes some traditional quilt blocks. This quilt was my personal favorite.

Variation of a bow tie quilt
Based on a traditional “Bow Tie” quilt pattern, this quilt is unique due to its changing orientation and carefully selected colors to form a new layout first introduced by Mary Ellen Hopkins. The quilter, Ellie Murphy, has succeeded in creating a visually pleasing quilt in a variety of hues!

cross stitch quilt
“In the Woods” was hand embroidered by Millie Piper and machine quilted by Flo Verge. Seeing an embroidered quilt of this kind was an unexpected treat.

Nolan's Big Bed Quilt
Mary Dick made this colorful quilt for her four year old grandson, thus its name: “Nolan’s Big Bed Quilt.” This quilt was one of Jim Cummings’ favorites in the show.


The sign that accompanies this quilt states that “Each large block has three smaller blocks in the same colors.” The name of the quilt is “3′s Company” and it was machine pieced by Sheila Cross and machine quilted by Anne Harmon.


Cormetia Sweetser skillfully assembled print fabrics and wildlife/bird panel images to create “Natures Image,” a quilt that was machine quilted by Barbara O’Toole. This peaceful-looking quilt has edges that hang nice and straight! It is a very appealing bed quilt!


Annie Morgan machine-pieced and hand quilted this four block quilt that she calls “Mariner’s Star.” She states that the hand quilting lines are inspired by Welsh quilting.


“Fancy Tulips” is the name given to this stylistically-rendered quilt made of wool. Martha Duffy used an “overcast” stitch to apply the wool pieces. The use of curvilinear lines has created a very pleasantly-aesthetic quilt. Lovely work!

mini-Redwork piece
Annie Morgan hand pieced and quilted this miniature Redwork quilt that she calls “Ladies Niceties.” Fun to see!

1840 repro
Last, but certainly not least, is a reproduction of a quilt that was originally made by Hannah Wallis of Pennsylvania. The staff of Countryside Fabrics participated in machine piecing this quilt and Flo Verge professionally quilted it by machine. I especially love the border fabric! This quilt is named “Patriots and Petticoats.” Beautiful!

Of course, there were many other special quilts in the show (aren’t they all special?). These were selected to provide an overview of techniques and styles currently being used by some Vermont quilters. For a relatively small show, this one was “worth the trip.” Stay tuned. In the next blog entry, I’ll be discussing a special exhibit at this same show!

Patricia Cummings

Posted in | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

October 7th, 2011

October is really the best month of the year! For us, it is vacation time! The children are back in school making shopping a more pleasant experience for us old folks who no longer have small children at home and have come to enjoy peace and quiet! The foliage in New Hampshire, while not at its peak in our area yet, is certainly lovely up north. A week ago, we headed out on an overcast but pleasant day, our destination: Stark, New Hampshire. Along the way, we took a lot of photos including the following two pleasant scenes:

foliage scene - Sept. 30, 2011
a pleasant view of Fall in New Hampshire

horses at the Bell Farm
a scene in northern New Hampshire

Customarily, Jim always schedules his vacation for October. Last year at this time, he spent the three week time period taking photos for my soon-to-be-released book: order generic viagra online canada (Schiffer Publlishing Ltd., 2011). This year, he is creating a new “room” from an area that previous occupants of this house used as a “potting shed” and/or “mud room.” So far, he has installed electrical outlets, added insulation, taken up the old wide floor boards that were beyond “saving.” He has shored up the supports in the cellar, adding new joists, and has added pine boards for walls that will have a natural finish.

The area was previously unheated. We hope to add an electric fireplace. They are supposed to be adequate for 400 square feet and this cozy soon-to-be reading den has only 150 square feet. After the ceiling is painted and the new floor is added, we will think about the interior design. I am already considering various choices for furniture, a rug, and other textiles and wall decor. This is a fun project that, again, combines both of our talents and interests. I am forever amazed at the versatile skills of Jim Cummings and often wonder how I became so “lucky” as to be married to him!

We will take a day trip whenever we feel the urge to do something different but being home bodies, we are quite happy reading a book, writing, quilting, taking a walk, or baking a cake. It is true: there is no place like home. For us, travel with all of its stress, is overrated. Give me a nice homemade bowl of soup and some corn bread any day. To enjoy nature, all I have to do is to open the (new) windows at the end of our house that Jim just installed and listen to the babbling (former mill) stream. It’s all good! Call us fuddy-duddies. We won’t mind. Life is good!

Patricia Cummings

Posted in , , | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

October 2nd, 2011

“Comfort Food” Casserole

an original recipe by Patricia Cummings

Step 1
Peel and cut 6 large carrots into slices.
Cover pan and boil carrots until they are tender.

Step 2
In a large skillet, brown 1 pound of ground chuck hamburger and cook until the meat is well done. Drain in a colander.

Step 3
Slice one large onion. Add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil to a hot skillet and cook onions until they are transparent.

Step 4
In a bowl, mix together the cooked meat, the onions, and 1 small can of mushrooms. Temporarily, set the bowl in the refrigerator.

Step 5
Peel 6 large potatoes and cut them into chunks. Cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and cook potatoes until tender. Drain in a colander. Return potatoes to cooking pot and add 1 Tablespoon butter and about 1/4 cup of milk, Mash potatoes and then cover them and set them aside for now.

Step 6
Make a cheesy white sauce, as follows:

Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a skillet.
Make a “roux” by stirring in 2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
Slowly pour in 1 1/2 cups of milk, stirring as you do so.
Continue stirring until the sauce is thickened.
Add two “shakes” of black pepper.
Turn heat to “low,” add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, stirring until almost melted. Remove from heat source.

Step 7 – Assembly
Spray the bottom of a large (9 x 13) casserole dish with cooking spray.
Add enough sauce to cover bottom.
Place cooked carrots over the sauce.
Add hamburger mixture on top of the carrots.
Pour the rest of the cheesy sauce over the assembled ingredients.
Add the final layer of mashed potatoes, distributing them evenly and to the edges of the dish.

Bake at 350°, covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking for
10 additional minutes or until the casserole “bubbles” around the edges. Smoked Paprika and a little bit of salt
will enhance the flavor. Serve with a tossed salad.
Bon apetit!

Posted in | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

October 1st, 2011

This morning I created a new yahoo list to discuss embroidery and its history. The list provides an opportunity for members to post photos of their own work or collected vintage or antique embroidery pieces, ask questions and share information. The emphasis of the list is embroidery done by hand. Examples of many different types of embroidery will be shared, including piece of international origin. All are encouraged to join, if you have an interest in “embroidery studies.”

Cheers!

Patricia Cummings, list moderator

Tags: ,
Posted in |

order generic viagra online canada

September 29th, 2011

When one studies history, it is very easy to see repeating trends and to begin to understand the similarities of people, even when centuries divide them. What always readily comes to mind when trying to reach any overall conclusion about recorded history is the willingness of humans to persecute and damage others because of differing political and/or religious beliefs. Lately, I have been nothing short of disgusted, and moreover disheartened, by the escalating social tensions and lack of forthcoming remedies to the problems that face America today.

It is becoming more and more clear to me that everyone enjoys their own version of being insane. I am tiring of the world, in general, the “news,” in particular; and the agendas of other people, in specific. I am weary of the cronyism, the cliquishness, the cultivation of alliances only insofar as a connection can get someone “ahead.” I am fed up with the “users” and I don’t have to look far at all to see them and to read through their motives. Additionally, I am appalled by the “no-nothings” being pushed ahead based solely on whatever alliances they have made. Again, it doesn’t matter what you know, only WHO you know! This is, you must understand, not a new situation at all, just one of which I have become more aware as the years go by.

Personally, I am being to feel used up. It seems like the more one gives to “the world,” the more it demands. Rarely is there a thank you forthcoming.

People love to sit in judgment of others. They like to think they are wiser, or more skilled, or in some way, just infinitely superior to anyone else. Yet, if we stripped away the facades, what we would all find in each other would be scared little kids who, no matter how old they get, are still not adjusted to life. We are all insecure, no matter how much money we may have, what we have been able to achieve, or how much influence we believe we have. Why is that? The reason is simple! Any of us could lose all that we think we own in an instant, or at the very least, a part of our life that we have heretofore taken for granted including our health, a loved one, a lucrative position, a beloved pet, or material possessions. At any given moment, we are all teetering on the edge of a cliff with one foot on a pretty shaky rock that is about to let loose taking us cascading downward.

The only thing we can try to control is our own minds. I struggle daily to try to keep a positive outlook and to check-in with myself to make sure that I am still on the right track, still being true to my own self and what I believe. The fact of the matter is that to maintain cheerfulness, IN SPITE of the world conditions today, is a major feat. Despondency and a sense of defeat could easily creep into our thought patterns, if we allow those feelings to overwhelm us.

Perhaps the only way to “overcome” the world is to make it more narrow: to purposefully turn off the news and retreat to our “own little world” of creativity. It is only in the arts and in humanitarian endeavors that we can sense that we are still all okay, we have not yet “gone crazy” (whatever that term order generic viagra online canada means), and that we can continue to be productive for at least another day. Luckily, we only have to live one day at a time. Life, taken in small increments, is do-able. While I enjoy still being “here” on most days, it is increasingly clear to me why man’s lifetime is so limited time-wise compared to the length of time humans have inhabited earth. We are part of a master plan and while we try to control our own destinies by our own efforts, intelligence and work, that goal is never 100% possible. We are, after all is said and done, the puppets of a Greater Being who holds the strings, and to some extent, we are all pawns in the game of life.

Raise a toast to life! Be happy! Rise above the fray to be all that you order generic viagra online canada be!

Patricia Cummings

Posted in | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

September 28th, 2011

The much-awaited film documentary, “Prohibition,” by award-winning New Hampshire filmmaker Ken Burns will be offered on amazon.com in early October via the purchase of a DVD or Blu-Ray version. The same series will be aired on various PBS stations around the country. In whatever manner you view this slice of American history, I am sure you won’t want to miss this coverage!

“T” quilts may or may not have been made in the nineteenth century (1800s) to protest drinking. Likewise, two-color quilts in the pattern that is sometimes called “Drunkard’s Path,” made during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, have traditionally been assigned to that “motive” as well. That could be the case but the truth of the matter is that the intent has gone to the grave and cannot be verified 100% unless perhaps someone decides to hold a seance (not recommended). So, without documentation, we are left with record speculation. The geometric curvilinear configuration of “Drunkard’s Path,” often rendered in red and white or blue and white fabrics, has many other published names!

To read a cogent summary of one discussion, read Kim Wulfert’s blog entry at:

To see a beautiful example of an offered this week on eBay, visit listing # 310331854634 by French72.

Google the term “Drunkard’s Path quilt” to find other references and files online.

For the love of quilts,

Patricia Cummings

Tags: , ,
Posted in , , | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

September 26th, 2011

An Attitude of Gratitude:

Thanks to all the folks who “tune in” to my posts here, on my website, on Facebook, on Twitter and who look forward to all of my articles and books. I am happy to “know” you.

Thanks to the dozens of people who have written to me from Australia and New Zealand to straighten me out on my mis-identification of an emu on a quilt block. Now, I KNOW it is a kiwi bird!

Thanks to the postman. He brings me news of the world via magazines, letters, and greeting cards. I am grateful for the service and that mail no longer has to be delivered via Pony Express!

Thanks to the fine minds who are always searching for answers to better serve humanity: the founder of Facebook, medical researchers, politicians who care, philanthropists, and all who work for the common good.

Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me, all of my life. A kind word can go very far in helping anyone to fulfill a dream!

Thanks to those who wait on customers in restaurants. Even though they may be exhausted and their feet may hurt, they manage to keep smiling.

Thanks to those who still remember my birthday (even when I would like to overlook the fact that I am one year older!).

Thanks to past employers. They gave me a chance and ultimately shaped in some manner the person I have become.

Thanks to people who disagree with me or have been very negative, at times. Through you, I’ve learned tolerance and forgiveness and your thoughts have given me a chance to revise my own.

Thanks to those who help the impoverished, the very ill, and those who are actively dying. There is a special place in heaven for those who care.

Look around you. I am sure that you can think of many people who have made a difference in your own life. Even if you don’t thank them personally, perhaps you can do something nice for someone else, in memory of a kindness done to you. Today, write a note, make a phone call, send a small gift to someone you love. Your spirits will soar in anticipation of the happiness your action may bring. Enjoy! Savor the richness of life. It is very true: “Life is not a dress rehearsal.” Let’s try to get it right!

Patricia Cummings

Posted in | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

September 24th, 2011

When I was a little girl, our (former) across-the-street neighbor was an elementary school teacher. She gave her fifth grade class an assignment to look through magazines and cut out pictures of healthy foods from advertisements. Then, the students were to assemble the images into the different food groups. Her class did not do well with the project. She asked me to do this, too, even though I was much younger than her students and then she invited me to her classroom to show off the final results. In those days, (the 1950s), food choices used to be more simple or so it seemed!

Personally, I try to eat a variety of foods and avoid unhealthy ones. I am going to share a list of foods and what I have learned from doctors, the Internet, and my own reading.

Apples: source of vitamins and fiber but apple peels may cause an allergic reaction in some individuals

Bacon: a pork product usually full of fat and grease. Should be avoided. Pork products are forbidden in a couple of religions. The reason may be that pigs can carry a disease called Trichinosis, not as commonly seen today as in Biblical times.

(Smoked meats in general/ smoked cheeses: current verdict= not healthy). Red meat intake in general takes much longer to clear the system and may cause bloating.

To avoid an excess of uric acid that leads to gout, avoid eating peas and red meat.

Iced Tea is known to bring on kidney stones.

Do not drink Lemonade along with red meat as it will cancel out any good effects of Iron in the meat.

Broccoli: one of the cruciferous vegetables supposedly helpful because it adds fiber to the diet. For those with hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), this vegetable is to be avoided as is cabbage, (including cole slaw), cauliflower and any other vegetable in that family.

Butter: much maligned, it is a superior product to margarine, has better taste, is more natural and not just a collection of chemicals. Many margarines now contain soy, not good for those who are allergic to it.

Carrots: too many can turn one’s skin yellow and bring on a condition known as beta-carotene poisoning. Lay off the carrot juice!

Cranberry Juice: touted to have medicinal properties which may be the case. A cranberry pill – one per day – will have the same effect without the calories.

Grapefruit Juice: Can kill a person deader than a door nail if taken with Allegra or other anti-congestant, antihistamine type drugs.

Eggs: Take care in handling them. They often carry Salmonella bacteria that can cause severe GI symptoms.

Orange Juice: If you want to drink fresh orange juice, squeeze it yourself. Grocery store varieties are made from pulp that can sit in big vats for up to a year and additives make it taste and look like the product you are purchasing. One doctor said that it can be a causative agent for acid reflux disease, as can anything with tomatoes.

Peanuts, Tomatoes and Strawberries: may cause an allergic reaction.

French Fries: one of the worst things anyone could eat. Potatoes (and Tomatoes) are both in the Nightshade Family, known for aggravating arthritis and causing flare-ups of joint swelling known as gout.

Tofu: a soy product. Derivatives of soy are being added to everything under the sun. Even chocolate bars contain “soy lecithin.” Anything with soy can cause a severe allergic reaction to those who are sensitive (in particular, the “runs.”)

Chocolate: Dark chocolate is an antioxidant and as such, may help in the prevention of cancer. Real blueberries are equally as good. Don’t fall for the fake blueberries in most pastries and some breakfast cereals; they have never seen a blueberry bush but instead are hard nodules of chemicals colored just to look like the real McCoy.

Salt/ Sodium: is the cheap and leading flavorant of soups and canned goods. Most of us do not need to add any “extra” salt to our food, especially if we eat prepared foods or even frozen dinners.

Sugar: Known to be a causative effect in bringing on Diabetes. By one person’s estimate, an 8 oz. glass of soda has the equivalent of 16 teaspoons of sugar. I suffer to think of the 20 ounce bottles that are sold in many shops and restaurants.

Turkey: one of the healthier meats one could choose, unless it is smoked. Does not cause drowsiness, as once thought. Feeling sleepy can be a sign of overindulgence as so often happens at a holiday meal.

Yogurt is marketed as being very healthy because of the presence of acidophilus bacteria. That is true, but yogurt often contains a LOT of sugar. Consider taking a Probiotic pill instead: less calories/ more benefit.

I used to make great pies. Now, I don’t make them at all except for Pumpkin Pie with a pressed-in pie crust made of a minimal amount of flour, a healthy oil, and water. Transfats, such as those found in solid fats, make great pie crust. They also have the potential to clog arteries and that can be fatal!

In America, we see more overweight people than thin ones. We have been taught that more is better and to clean our plates. At fast food chains, the employees ask if you want an extra “pie” for just one cent when one is ordered for $.99 cents, or if you want to “supersize” the order or have additional foods added. Restaurants, in general, provide servings that are way too large, in an attempt to match their competitors. Open restaurant buffets are often unhealthy for a variety of reasons I do not have to mention.

This is a little of the knowledge I have gleaned about food. Making good food choices while traveling or “on the run” is difficult. It helps to plan ahead and also to do more home growing and preparation of food. At least, then, it is possible to know all the ingredients you are ingesting and have some control over their quality. Pay more attention to what you eat and you may just feel better, avoid ailments, and even live longer!


A product I love! In fact, I’ve worn mine out after all these years and need to buy another!

Patricia Cummings

Posted in | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

September 22nd, 2011

This afternoon, we received the following photo taken by Charlotte Croft, maker of the quilt below. While she says it is not the most beautiful quilt she has ever made, I’d have to disagree. It was made with such warmth and kindness for a victim of Hurricane Irene, it simply glows with the love that went into it.

Charlotte is always stepping up to the plate whether it is to help finish the quilt of someone who has passed on and didn’t have a chance to complete the work; or making quilts for family or friends; or to exhibit annually at the Billings Farm and Museum quilt exhibit. For this quilt, she gathered orphan blocks and put them altogether. It is a scrap lover’s paradise.

I predict that this one-of-a-kind quilt, if it survives will be much in demand in future years. The current collector’s trend is toward “wonky” quilts with character and this seems to fit the bill. Charlotte, with your eye for color, you make beautiful quilts without even trying! I love it!

quilt for victim of
Quilt to be sent to comfort a victim of Hurricane Irene, a Charlotte Croft creation!

Patricia Cummings

Posted in | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

September 22nd, 2011

toile fabric
order generic viagra online canada (pronounced “twahl”) fabric used to make cushions for a “Queen Juliana chair.”

A reader from the Netherlands sent the photo seen here along with the question of where she might be able to find the exact same order generic viagra online canada fabric. She would like to make replacement cushions for the chair she recently purchased.

I explained that order generic viagra online canada has been made for centuries as well as reproductions of the fabric. The photo did not jog my memory of any like it that was recently made. I am sharing this image with other readers who might have some of this yardage they can share or know where some might be available. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

Patricia Cummings

Tags: ,
Posted in | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

September 22nd, 2011

Press Release

image header for American Folk Art Museum letter

September 22, 2011

AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR MUSEUM’S FUTURE

Trustees Elect Laura Parsons as Board Chairman and
Edward V. (Monty) Blanchard Jr. as Museum President

Collaborations with Cultural Institutions Will Increase Exposure of Museum Collections and Broaden Folk Art Programming across New York City

New York, NY – The Board of Trustees of the American Folk Art Museum today voted unanimously to continue the Museum’ s programs and operations at its Two Lincoln Square home and keep its collection intact under its stewardship as an independent entity. The plan includes the election of Chairman Laura Parsons and President Edward V. (Monty) Blanchard Jr., a new financial strategy that ensures the Museum’s fiscal viability, and a dynamic future while continuing its exhibitions, research, and educational programs at Two Lincoln Square.

“As president of the American Folk Art Museum for the past six years I have been privileged to work with a committed group of trustees and staff who have never lost sight of the purpose of a museum: to be stewards of art for the benefit of the public,” said American Folk Art Museum Chairman Laura Parsons. “I am proud to be associated with this Museum and I can say without hesitation that we are working with the motto ‘When one door closes another one is opened.’ I want to especially thank the Ford Foundation and the Department of Cultural Affairs of New York City for the faith they have shown in us and in the importance of our mission.”

Under the leadership of Chairman Laura Parsons, the board voted unanimously to elect Monty Blanchard as the Museum’s new president. Mr. Blanchard is a passionate collector of contemporary and outsider art, and with his late wife Anne donated 75 works from their collection to the Museum in 1998. He has served on the Museum’s Board since 2003 and has acted as Treasurer and a member of the Executive Committee. Mr. Blanchard is a former investment banker and is currently an investor in distressed hotel properties. He is a graduate of Harvard College and has an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“I am honored and excited to be leading the Board as we enter our second 50 years,” said Mr. Blanchard. “We have such an outstanding collection, both traditional and contemporary, a great home at Lincoln Square and a base of loyal supporters, all of which position us well for an exciting future.”

The Board has received significant pledges from Trustees and other donors, including a major gift from the Ford Foundation, toward its operating budget.

“The American Folk Art Museum is an essential facet of New York City’s cultural heritage,” said Darren Walker, Vice President for Education, Creativity and Free Expression at the Ford Foundation. “Its unparalleled collection of folk art, drawn from diverse and self-taught artists, is a powerful showcase of the American spirit and an important public treasure for the people of our city. We are pleased to support the Museum’s development of a new, highly collaborative strategy to ensure that this irreplaceable art reaches as many people as possible.”

In addition to developing a financial plan, the Trustees are also creating a strategy that will increase the visibility of the Museum’s renowned collections and extend the American Folk Art Museum brand. The Museum will seek to establish a revitalized and expanded program of loans to collaborating New York City institutions, as well as packaging traveling exhibitions around the U.S., as ways of sharing folk art with wider audiences. The Brooklyn Museum, the New-York Historical Society, and the Museum of Arts and Design have expressed interest in working with the American Folk Art Museum to identify potential exhibitions where the museums respective collections inform and excite one another. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will display approximately 15 major works of art from the collection in honor of the opening of the American Wing and The Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art.

“We are delighted to learn this news and look forward to continued collaboration with our distinguished sister institution,” said Thomas Campbell, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“The Brooklyn Museum is fully in support of the exceptional collections of the American Folk Art Museum being as accessible as possible to the people of the City of New York,” said Brooklyn Museum Director Arnold Lehman. “We would be pleased to collaborate with other colleague museums in our city to make this happen.”

“We look forward to working with the Folk Art Museum on possible future exhibitions,” said New-York Historical Society President Louise Mirrer. “Their wonderful collection complements our own holdings and we would welcome the opportunity to help build a larger audience for this exciting work.”

Museum trustees, President Blanchard, and the Museum curator and staff will continue to work together to refine the Museum’s strategy and identify opportunities for special exhibitions and educational programs.

Founded in 1961, the American Folk Art Museum is the premier institution devoted to the aesthetic appreciation of traditional folk art and creative expressions of contemporary self-taught artists from the United States and abroad. The museum preserves, conserves, and interprets a comprehensive collection of the highest quality, with objects dating from the eighteenth century to the present.

###

Contact:

Linda Dunne, Acting Director, (212) 265-1040

This press release if offered, courtesy of

Posted in | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

September 19th, 2011

On September 19, 1961, fifty years ago, Betty and Barney Hills, newlyweds, were returning from Niagara Falls and were passing through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. They later reported that they had been abducted by aliens just south of the Old Man of the Mountains location. Reportedly taken aboard a space craft, they were stripped and examined medically. This story was controversial at the time and had its share of non-believers. However, even when undergoing hypnosis, both individuals recounted extended details of their ordeal. Subsequently, a book was written about their experience and a movie was also produced on the subject.

When I heard a 1/2 hour television segment tonight on WMUR-TV, I recalled a quilt block made by Betty H. Emery in her 1975 quilt that I have researched and documented. The polyester quilt with embroidered quilt blocks was made in 1975 and I found it draped over a rack in an antiques shop. The quilt is a one-of-a-kind object that recalls important landmark events and interests in Betty Emery’s life. I traced the identity of the quiltmaker based on the “clues” on the surface of the quilt and with the assistance of an online friend. It was indeed a fascinating task to uncover who made the quilt. One of the blocks is simply called “UFOs” and it brought to mind the Hill incident.

See photos of each quilt block and view the research details I uncovered for a fascinating look at how one woman created a piece of folk art to record her own life experiences:

Patricia Cummings

Tags: ,
Posted in , | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

September 18th, 2011

Anyone who understands psychology knows that it is much easier for anyone to answer a question that has just two possible choice answers. In other words, do not ask your child or spouse “What do you want for breakfast?” Instead, say something like this: “Would you like cold cereal with blueberries or a bagel with cream cheese?” By limiting choices available, it streamlines the answer and zeroes in on a target.

In relating this premise to the greater world of quilting, it seems that today, particularly with all of the Internet patterns, fabrics and publications available, one can get bogged down when trying to make decisions. Often I am asked for advice in sorting out which quilt book is the best for a beginner, which pattern book is most helpful in identifying traditional block names, and which magazine is the one best to choose if one has only the financial means to buy one or two subscriptions.

The truth of the matter is an overload of everything today in the quilting world. Choosing just one blog to follow, one fabric line to purchase, or one time period of quilting from which to reproduce selected patterns is like being a kid in a penny candy shop asked to select just one piece of candy when he’d like to bring home the whole shop! Don’t get me wrong! It is wonderful to have such a wide variety of options but the choices can be mindboggling!

Never before has quilting taken a place so prominent worldwide nor been such a lucrative pursuit for so many individuals and corporations.

Traditionally, quilts have been created for fundraisers. Many organizations today solicit quilts for raffles and many quilt guilds rely on funds raised by group-made quilts to finance their monthly programs. One thing is clear. None of us can support every “good cause” among a sea of good efforts.

In my own personal life as a quilter, I find that I have collected fabrics, books, magazines and patterns for close to 30 years now. If I had ten more lifetimes, I would not complete all of the possible projects I already have lined up. And then, of course, as I progressed in skill levels from a beginner to an advanced level quilter, instead of relying on established patterns, I wanted to design my own. Sometimes, it is difficult to think about making a quilt at all due to increasing arthritis and intermittent hand numbness. The golden years would be so, if physical ailments did not color one’s day with constant pain. Yet, I try to continue to be as creative as time permits and as physical abilities allow but with limitations that make quilting difficult, choosing a worthy project becomes even more of a daunting task.

These days, I like to think “small” and make quilts that I know I’ll have an opportunity to finish. Struggling with making large bed quilts from start to finish is not even on my radar at the moment. In the meantime, my plan is to poke away and try to finish some of the needlework and quilt projects I have already started. I wonder how many people who have been quilting for awhile now are in the same “boat.”

Patricia Cummings

Posted in | Comments Off

order generic viagra online canada

September 17th, 2011

This short essay centers on personal observations from the last week. Let me begin by saying that people always enjoy being thanked for their efforts. It is only human nature to appreciate recognition for one’s good intent or exceptional work. Lately, there seems to be a growing disregard for human courtesy and that is worrisome.

A case in point were the online reactions a few days ago to the announcement made by Governor Lynch of New Hampshire that he will not seek another term of office. The gist of the messages posted to a local New Hampshire television’s Facebook list were appalling. The tone of them consisted of “about time,” “we need a change” and “good riddance.” The governor has served New Hampshire well. At the very least, he was not a crook, a womanizer (or worse), but rather, governed with grace and guidance. Where is the attitude of gratitude? Why is civility being thrown out the window in the name of a “better” America?

My second set of thoughts is again about partisan politics. According to what I read, now some rally attendees tote along guns “in case (they) have to use them against a ‘Dem’.” Again, this idea was posted on social media. I have seen language from both sides of the “aisle” that is aggressive, mean-spirited and downright nasty. Instead of sending used tea bags to people they don’t like, why don’t the Republicans “have a cup of tea” with someone they think they don’t like and calmly review what we can all do to make America a better place?

Where has the notion gone of working together for the common good? Are people order generic viagra online canada now subscribing to the acronym “WINFM” (What’s in it For Me?). Does everyone have to have some internal motive intended to move themselves ahead before they will do anything for anyone else? What happened to helping one’s fellow man, or being concerned about the welfare of others just because it is the right thing to do?

Inoculations for young people to prevent them from getting cervical cancer was another hot topic of the news this week. Why not tell young people they will be “at risk,” should they choose certain patterns of behavior? Why is the government meddling in this situation? Doctors vouch for the efficacy of the program but is it truly the role of government to dictate preventative health treatments? One reason for the establishment of the policy of these shots seems pretty apparent. It was revealed that Merck, a pharmaceutical company, contributed funds (for the benefit) of the Governor of the state (Texas), the first state of the Union to implement this inoculation plan. To be fair-minded, there order generic viagra online canada no direct connection between donation and policy but the situation does sound pretty fishy!

The trouble is that people with agendas often want others to believe that they are wholly-committed to the public good. Secretly, they can be promoting their own interests and lining their own pockets. We have seen this kind of situation before and it seems to be a growing trait of American politicians. After all, those who seek the highest office of the land will require about a billion dollars to reach the Oval Office.

When will Americans stop being duped? When will they wake up and stop believing all the excuses, smoke and mirrors? When will people begin to question every thing that is shared on the major media outlets and when will they think for themselves? Will humankind will ever change for the better or are is it doomed to keep playing the same old 45 RPMs that should have been tossed out decades ago?

That, my friend, is my arm chair summary of the “week that was.”

Patricia Cummings

For some reason,

Tags: ,
Posted in , |

order generic viagra online canada

September 15th, 2011

In my youth, I was privileged to have lived in a city as well as a small town. The differences were stunning, when I look back. The city was less personal and less friendly. In the country, if a person were standing outside when a car passed by, the automatic response was a hand raised in the air in a friendly greeting, whether one knew the person driving or not. The feeling was that we were all companions on the road of life. Likewise, neighbors always stood ready to give a helping hand.

Most farmers end up with a surplus of vegetable produce. I can’t count the number of times that neighbors shared the bounty of God’s goodness, the products that were the result, in part, of their hard work of planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting. My mother was particularly appreciative of the kindness of neighbors who brought fresh vegetables and berries to her of which she otherwise would not have had ready access. This was particularly true when as a widow, living alone, she did not have a driver’s license. These same generous souls would include her in their own family shopping trips or pick up a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk. In return, she’d try to reciprocate by offering them home baked goods or tasty soups or casseroles.

Today, we seem to hear only about what is wrong with America. I like to remember the times when there was more right than wrong: fresh country air, the smell of new-mowed hay, the leisurely rides on horseback, the meetings in town where folks gathered to work together for the common good. There were visits to my adopted “aunt” and “uncle,” friends of my parents who were childless themselves. Every kid needs grandparents or their surrogates in their lives. My “auntie” taught me all about houseplants, their names and how to propagate them, invaluable life lessons that, once learned, stay with a person for a lifetime.

I long for the innocence of the America I knew in my youth, in that sheltered environment of a hometown full of people who cared about each other. Today’s world can seem far different. Are the experiences of my youth viewed now through the rose-colored glasses we tend to put on to glorify the past? To some extent, perhaps. I do remember the conflicts of the 1960s but they were always happening somewhere else. The scenes on television were for me a total disconnect of which I had no direct points of reference.

I’d give anything to be a time traveler and go back in time for even one day. It is only in rural America that life makes sense any more. Prosperity from the bounty of nature, camaraderie with friends, and a sense of purpose, as well as co-dependent living, order generic viagra online canada still be found in such locations, particularly in the old-timers who live there. Small towns, as I remember them in New Hampshire, with their important core values, could serve as role models. They remain, perhaps, the last best hope for America.

Patricia Cummings

Tags: ,
Posted in | Comments Off