Candy Canes or Just red and White Stripes

Candy Canes?
Search the news for Charlotte Central School Vermont and candy cane like stripes done by a 4th grader and her dad. I did the following piece in time to need an inspiration for our darkest season.
Merry Christmas or holiday of your traditions.

Yes Virginia
By Mary E. Gerdt 2008
On the unfortunate opposition to red and white stripes on Charlotte Central School pillars
Allegedly a symbol of something someone found offensive.
Yes Virginia
There are atheists
And ACLU lawyers
And people who will try to destroy
Your dreams
Yes Virginia
There are those who say they hate you
Or what you believe in
And how is that so different
After all.
Yes Virginia
You can pray for people who don’t believe in what you do
Because
They probably need it
At the end of the day when no one else would pray for them
Yes Virginia
People will say what you do represents religious or other beliefs
And it might make you sad or cry
Do they mean to hurt you?
I don’t know
Yes Virginia
When you do the nice thing
And someone says, “who cares” or “Why” or “You can’t”
Just tell them you are who you are
And they are who they are
And this is a free country so that really works both ways
In fact always.
Yes Virginia
Your youthful optimism and blind love only a fourth grader could muster
Is fragile and might be squished like a bug
Or you may hold on to it if you try very hard and believe twice as hard
That people might change or start to believe
Or at least feel comfortable enough to accept that you have a right believe enough to try to brighten someone’s day
Unsuspecting that behind the pillars stood one man who said Bah Humbug
Who tried to negate your good deed
That brought so many joy and a smile.
Yes Virginia
That is the miracle of the season no matter what you call it, no matter what your beliefs, there is no question that the days get shorter and shorter
until the light returns to shine on us all
Believers and non believers alike.
Yes Virginia
Don’t let that sinking feeling persist in the pit of your stomach
when you thought
You created trouble or
got in trouble for trying to brighten someone’s day.
You are the shining light we all seek
Believe it or not.

Winter Mix

Winter Mix

We have had a winter mix of sleet rain and snow.

This picture from past years but looks the same today with near zero temperatures, crisp polar air and blue blue skies we see so rarely in the months of gray.

I stumbled onto some polar fleece at fleece4sale.com

10 pounds of random scraps arrived yesterday afternoon. I stitched up 3 hats this afternoon and now know what the blankets on Star Trek were made from. It is truly futuristic fabric available today. Undoubtedly inspired by some alien influenced dream to take recycled plastic and create warm soft and light fabric that doesn't ravel or have many bad habits. It doesn't like heat.

Neither do I.

The days are shorter and shorter yet,

The air is colder and crisper and bright.

We stay in sewing the hats for warmth

And look out at the bright sunlight

That warms the air for a few short hours

Before going to bed for the cold long night.

When you wear fleece, take a close look at how thin yet how warm soft and durable it is.

Fleece Navidad

Dime Novels

Dime Novels
for free.
A few years ago I looked for a dime novel for Fred for Xmas. They were then up to approximately 50 bucks for an OK copy/reproduction of a dime novels.
You see these in westerns. The young cow poke settles down on the cattle drive and reads the wild tale of brave and daring heroes. The comic book of the old west when it was "new" to the settlers.
Here is a link to free dime novels courtesy of
Stanford.
Hope you find a book about your hero that you can read over and over again and still get that thrill the cowboy got in his or her moment of escape to greener pastures.
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/dp/pennies/home.html

Shortest Days

The crazy quilts are coming along and Hunter's quilt is evolving into something interesting. Hope to have pics in a few weeks.
The days are shorter and shorter, the sun rays longer and they start to skim the surface.
We have to get through the next few weeks until miraculously on schedule the sun will "return" (or we will wobble) seemingly in increments of inches.
What is a billion to you?
When the CEO's want food stamps from the common folk like myself. It's just icky the way all the money is flowing like a river to the ocean. Irretrievable, untraceable, inconceivable, and without rain, the river beds dry and turn to dust and blow away.
Enjoy the dark days or light days on the other side of the planet or if you are the CEO of a large failing firm, your secret untold bonus, plane ride and secret untold victory party if you are successful at whining and dining the legislative moguls with the money the less able will pay for.