Fred's Dad

Now I come to write of Fred's Dad's passing a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday.

Here are a few words to sum up the man as I knew him.

May Rudy Rest in peace.

Dad was a Dreamer, Inventor, Farmer, War Hero and Traveler.
Lover of sailing and the sea.
At home with his suitcase, he never failed to be ready for an adventure.
Story teller, Philosopher, a Simple Complicated Man.
Husband, Father, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather.
He lived through the depression and Wars. Good times and bad.
For those fortunate to know him, you know the sparkle in his eye and his dry wit, his stories that would catch you at the end and make you coming back for more.
We loved him dearly and
Pray he is at peace now and
By the side of
His Soul mate, his Friend, his Partner, his Confidant, and
Mother to his children,
And telling her stories of his mortal times.
And remembering the places he had been,
Things he had done, people he had met and family he raised
With a tear and a smile as he had remembered her always.
Love, Fred and Mary

Donna's Mom

Hazel and Dad,
Thanks to my Dear alte freunde Donna,
And her telling me of her Ma’s passing.
Like a Mom and Dad they were to me, Hazel and her husband,“Dad”. My frozen brain cannot recall his first name although it may come to me spontaneously later. Don?
Hazel and Dad bought the house where My Mom’s OB doctor was murdered while I (and certainly Donna) were in utero. My uncle thought of buying this discounted lovely home and yard and Dad and Hazel bought it and raised their family.
So early on, Donna and I have been connected and her Mom and I were equally a part. Her nurturing stay at home Mom attitude. Not June Cleaver mind you. She took no cr*p. She was always quite plain and to the point. Straight as an arrow.
My constant memories of her sitting on the kitchen stool smoking in long contemplative waves and taking it all in.
Just when you thought she had drifted off, she came back with a shot to set you straight. Even in silence, powerful often reserved woman.
Dad has been gone awhile but I loved them both like my parents. It kind of hit me that I have neglected visiting her on home visits but it has been harder for me to connect with others anyway and this is my tribute to Donna’s parents to me a great pair of humans and foundation for children and ancestors with great values.
One word about Dad.
When he had a heart attack Donna and I went to see him.
I was fascinated by the hospital and the technology although crude at the time.
Children under 16 used to be banned from visiting. So when we got old enough to visit it was a sudden shock. Dad looked so old and feeble all of the sudden. Now I know it was a big one. He started to cry. This man who was always larger than life. Sometimes I think that made me want to be a nurse. To comfort the man who is struck down by disease. Powerful one minute and weakling the next, ashamed because of culture. Donna and I held his hand I think. I hope we did. It was a hard moment.
But he recovered and had some good life and I loved his sharp southern language and brilliant curse word combos. I still think about how he worked for Ford and drove those big cars and would have something to say about their current woes.
So let me raise a glass to Donna’s parents and wish their entire family peace and am grateful for Mom having had such a long and graceful run.
Mary

Crazy Quilts

I promised the crazy quilt pictures.

I only had the patience to put the front pics on. Dial up plus cold weather makes for slow connections in the north country.

Happy New year to readers of my blog and non readers and non believers.

Keep warm wherever you are on the planet Earth or off...

I made 3 lap quilts this fall out of old scraps from 20 years of quilting. This is Crazy quilt # 3 and is for a friend who made us a large quilt last year.

flying geese patttern

Crazy quilt # 1 is for Hunter's babysitter/great neighbor and

#1. Windmill pattern

# 2 is for Hunter with roads for future play with matchbox cars. 2.5 solar years from now (by current US safety standards-matchbox cars now being made in Malaysia-they might actually be lying about the safety anyway-I will have time to look for American made cars).

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.

Thanksgiving Wishes

Thanksgiving Wishes
I wish you all the best
Even those who are green
And those who are pests
Those that are blue,
Yes, and you too,
And may you see
All that will be
And all that has been
And that we are all me
That if you hurt
Or are hungry or sad,
So am I.

Winter's Doorstep

Mom, This is for you.
Mary


Winter's Doorstep,
Cold and Damp.
Stuff rags in the house cracks,
Put wood in the stove.
Remember days left behind in their warmth,
Smell the soft flowers there in your mind,
Recall all the projects you meant to complete,
Nod off while the cats curl up at your feet.
When you dream, make it warm, green fragrant fields,
And summer's blue skies,
And the way cool streams feel.
When you wake up again,
Toss your sleepy warm thoughts,
Then go fetch the wood,
To keep you warm tonight.

Carrots are in

Carrots are in,
And we canned 14 quarts of beautiful sweet carrots.
It took us all day and was worth it to have carrots harvested after a cold period.
All the nutrients settle into the root and the sugars change with cold.
Delightful orange red color. Stains your hands and smells slightly like mild horseradish.
We also cooked up the last of the beets pulled in mid November. As long as the slugs don't do damage, we have our best roots now.
Have had a bit of indian summer and even mild 40's. Mostly Rain not snow (1-3 inches doesn't count for us) like our upper midwesterners got.
Lately we have been roasting carrots with a little sugar free maple syrup drizzled.Yum! Of course you can use the real maple syrup too.
Wish you and yours the best

Stick Season

All Saints Herald Stick Season

No, I don't mean hockey season but if the skate fits...

I mean after fall and before the snow. Fall being the falling of leaves, the conclusion to summer, not the date that appears on the calender as the first day of fall.

So for awhile we ponder the bare sticks and wonder how just a few weeks ago, they appeared to be so full of life. The picture here is of a large birch tree clump up on Lincoln Mountain. Those leaves are now all on the ground.

While my niece romps about ??upside down in South America readying for or reveling in Spring. What a wonderful planet. I wish her great travels and stories that will last a lifetime.

We still have carrots to can but keep saying not this weekend.

This weekend sealing cracks in the house to face the soon howling winds.

And tearing down abandoned cobwebs and with it dust.

I started sewing scraps onto a larger scrap piece. Crazy quilt is the pattern. Weird how when you bind together such seemingly opposite fabrics, the stitching is a thread running through the two different fabrics and magically bind them together.

Let's all hope whoever wins Tuesday, they are able to find the right needle and thread to keep us all from holding onto our differences and bind us together in a crazy beautiful quilt.

Mary