Festival of Frugality

Every week, this fun grouping of articles moves around to various blogs...I don't mention it much, but it's worth visiting regularly. You'll find all sorts of topics, from food to fun. Check out this past weeks' version here.

Vacation: Who Needs It?

Well, apparently I did -- because when I got here, the 'ol bod just let down.

I've been sleeping much more, and not having any problem just sitting for periods. Teetering on the edge of flu -- but so far, I feel myself getting stronger, not weaker.

Mom definitely needed me to come. Life has been really difficult for her lately -- after all, live with and love someone for 48-plus years, and when they go, it's going to be tough for her.

I'm proud of her gutsy attempts to keep going. I really am. But I'm also happy I can be of help by showing up once in a while.

Here's an interesting post on never washing your hair again. Thought I might try it -- at least once in a while.

And the QUILTS OF THE GOLDEN WEST books are here! Want one? Leave a comment, and we'll contact you!

Michigan, Here I Come

...headed there tomorrow. Chicago first -- then the train to Grand Rapids at night.

Class much more subdued today. Lots of talk about how to restore Crazy quilts -- a process much fraught with weird possibilities. It went well.

Have a good weekend yerself.

Telling It Like It Is

--about fabric.

Today was the Fabric Dating Class: stuffing two quilt tops, a baby quilt, umpteen blocks and fabrics (plus whatever the class brings in), then trying to cover everything done in the textile world from 1850 (and before) to 1950 (and after). In three hours.

I got the basics down, but had to skip the juicy subjects, like politicals, cheater prints, current events, world fairs, wars and such. But I think the students understood the basic drift -- especially how to tell the difference as fabrics worked from the 1920s (more muted grayed solids and prints) to the 1930s (warm butter yellow, Nile green, bazooka pink, etc.) to the 1940s (larger scale prints, brighter yellow into gold, red becomes more orangey in tone, and often accompanies burgundy/wine) to the 1950s! (into turquoise, lime and mint green, soft yellow)

Love this stuff.

On to the International Quilt Study Center, and their exhibits tomorrow.

Progress Report

The little dears at home tell me it's been snowing...

but nothing's sticking.

It's coolish here in Omaha, but you still don't need a coat. That's the beauty about this town -- it's so humid that 'cold' doesn't feel much like it.

Some great posts you should check out:

Things Learned from Immigrant Parents (from Wisebread)

A Thrift Shop Angel (from Guideposts' Mysterious Ways newsletter)

How Doing Less Can Be Better (from Zen Habits)

Enjoy...

Snug in Omaha

...and had a great time talking about quilt restoration, looking at potential pieces (damaged, but with lots of potential), and THINKING. Having all these ideas, techniques, possibilities thrown about is like a blast of fresh, cool air through my mind.

That's the wonderful thing about a national conference or workshop -- you get all sorts of people from all over (our group ranged from Omaha to South Carolina, Texas and even Australia). As a result, you also get all sorts of ideas and concepts that can range from t-shirt quilts to Martha's Flower Garden to All the Wonderful Things You Can Do With Pee. (Yours truly's shamefaced contribution to the discussion...I'm working on an article about it.)

I feel better already.

Tomorrow is dating fabric (I teach this one), then the afternoon is storage, cleaning and a general roundup. Goody goody goody.

It seems as if the Quilt Restoration Workshops are going to go on, after Nancy Kirk retires this year... you should consider attending. They're great fun, and you learn SO much. Even if you're one of the teachers!

Treasures Lost... Treasures Found

I just couldn't resist passing on these insanely cool true stories...

Six people who stumbled across a fortune

and

Six treasures worth looking for!

A Birthday Request You Can Help!

Beth Catlin, of Mechanicsburg, MD, loves to send birthday cards. She mails nearly four thousand a year...

from the list in her mind.

Beth has trouble meeting everyday challenges -- she does it best by keeping to a schedule, including her work at the S. Wilson Pollock Center for Industrial Training. For more than four decades, this woman has mailed homemade birthday cards to friends, family and people whose addresses she's gathered. She keeps their names, birth dates and addresses by memory only.

Beth's birthday is Sept. 22. Won't you return the favor, and send her a birthday card this week? Mail it to:

Beth Catlin
c/o S. Wilson Pollock Center for Industrial Training
262 Silver Spring Road
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

I have a special tie with Beth, even though we've never met. We are birthday sisters: same day, month and year.

Read more about Beth in this profile -- or check a recent issue of Reader's Digest. (I think she was profiled July 2009.) P.S. She likes stamps, too.

What Would You Eat If It Was Your Last?

I am not sure how I wander onto these contributions to the Department of Weird, but here's the latest:

A website that tracks final meal requests of Death Row prisoners from 1982 on.
(Looks like they're all from Texas)

I am amazed at how often certain items reoccur:
fried chicken
chicken-fried steak
Cokes (sometimes vanilla, sometimes regular -- Dr. Peppers are big, too)
cheeseburgers
bacon something -- often sandwiches, esp. BLTs
chocolate cake

But items requested range from a bag of Jolly Ranchers, a cup of tea (made with teabags) and 6 chocolate chip cookies, to mercy, justice and world peace. One prisoner requested that his last meal be given to a homeless person.

The only female Death Row prisoner request? fruit and a salad.

Respectfully Speaking...

One Frugal Girl topped off a few weeks of restful vacation with a stunning argument with her in-laws. She felt disregarded and disrespected. The one comfort: she had the backing of her husband in this fracas.

Poor girl.

It hurts to have someone you're related to...not love and respect you.

I have been very lucky; it's only happened a few times. Fortunately, there were other family members who expressed enough encouragement to counteract the rough stuff.

Have you ever gone through this? What did you do (or say...or feel) to get through it?

For me...it was Husband and his brothers, who made it clear that they loved and encouraged me, no matter what. Plus the strong sense that I knew who I was, and what I was capable of. I knew I had failings...I also knew that God and those I loved most dearly were well aware of those failings. In spite of all that, they still accepted me.

It's not just family, either -- I have this same sense of 'open season' every time I publish a new book or article. There she is...with a big target right on her chest! Ready, aim, fire...

Thick skins are a must. So is the ability to listen and analyze...but not let it destroy you. I'm not perfect -- so I don't expect to be treated as such. It's silly, then, to hate myself when I'm not. Only God is perfect.

Thankfully.

Beware Facebook Scams!

Here's one person's experience, along with a slide show of other sneaky Internet scams.

This hit closer to home for me when some of the quilting teachers listed as Libby Lehman's friends were hit up, supposedly by Libby who was stranded at a conference and needed funds to get home. (She wasn't, and she didn't.) To make things even more interesting, the scam hit a second level when a girl from New Zealand claimed she'd sent money, and now was dunning to try to get the funds reimbursed! (Also not proven.)

The moral of the story: Do NOT believe e-mails from anyone claiming this. If you know them well enough to want to send money, call them directly first. No matter what.

More Weird Stuff

More stuff from the "Department of Weird:"

*The president of Zambia banned monkeys from the State House after one peed on him during a news conference. ("At least they got relocated instead of executed," somebody commented.)

*Silt, CO has a new statue, which takes the whole 'bottoms up' thing wayyyy past weird. The town's newest sculpture shows a rock climber working his way up a chimney route. Sounds fine, doesn't it? Oh...forgot to mention. Said rock climber has no attire! (A real climber, though they keep clothing to a minimum because of movement and stress, would at least protect the Jewels -- they wouldn't feel so good scraped up.)

From the article:
"Seven miles down the road to the west, the city of Rifle last summer unveiled its new sculptured rendition of a cattle drive in the middle of its two new roundabouts between I-70 and Airport Road.The sculptures include anatomically correct cattle with bull testicles and cow teats.'We haven't had any complaints — not a word,' Mayor Keith Lambert joked. 'I guess we're just an easier, happy-go-lucky crowd.' As far as Silt's sculpture, in which the rock climber's backside faces Rifle, there are other theories.

“The word on the street is that Silt is mooning Rifle,' Lambert said with a laugh. 'So you can only guess what they're doing to Glenwood [Springs].' "

And finally, a very cool way to make a wallet from a cereal box. (Wonder if this would work with heavy fabric, or tablecloth plastic?)

Hey, only the highest-class info on this website. Enjoy!

6 Things That Are Worth The Extra Money

Before I forget (yet again), happy belated 40th birthday to friend Stephanie! Girl, you are gorgeous...and I have loved having you in my life. (Not to mention singing next to you!) Take a look at Stephanie's blog, Life on Prescott Avenue.

And here's a very nice lunch bag pattern , if you've thought about making one. (Thanks, Almost Frugal, for pointing me in the right direction.)

In all the haste to ride the Frugal hamster wheel, it's easy to forget that some things are worth spending extra for. Here, for equality's sake, are six I can think of:

*Aerosol whipped cream. The tubs of whipped topping are cheaper -- but they taste 'like dung,' as Crocodile Dundee would say. And we never seem to finish them up before they spoil. I'll take a squirt of spray whipped cream any day. It lasts for months in the refrigerator...you can use as little or much as you want...and it tastes great. (Now if I could only get Daughter #2 to quit squirting it directly into her mouth...)

*Appliances, vehicles, furniture, etc. you're going to use practically daily. This is a lesson the Brick has finally taught me, over years of trying. Pay a little more for a good brand...or workmanship...or quality. A cheapo Walmart grill will last a season; a Weber or Jenn-Air grill, a decade or so. A leather couch that's well made will take any amount of kid-jumping-on, and still look good when they're teenagers. Buy quality-made stuff secondhand, if you can't afford it new. In the long run, you still come out way ahead.

*Good jewelry. Instead of five pairs of costume jewelry, buy one classic pair of gold hoops. They look better and last longer. I remind myself of this every time I look at my gold wedding band, which has lasted 28 years, and is still going strong.

*Good quilts. Instead of five 'sort of good' quilt tops on sale, spend the extra for one Really Good quilt. Its value will hold far longer than the sale stuff you've just grabbed. (Yes, I've learned this the hard way.) The $400 quilt -- at a time when that amount represented far more than it sounds -- has octupled in value, while the $25 stained quilt top is still worth...well, $25.

*Thrift shop clothes -- within certain limits. I would much rather spend a little more at the thrift shop on a classic wool sweater, than spend less on that season's quickie version at a department store. Why? Because when winter ends, the classic piece is ready to store for next season -- while the quickie is shapeless and pilling. Look for good labels (L.L. Bean, for example), good workmanship, good condition. If it's worn well for them (the donor), it will keep doing it for you.

*Museum admission, a last-minute tour...when you're at the destination you've always dreamed of visiting. Don't talk yourself out of stopping at that little cafe, or taking even a quickie visit to the local museum or cathedral or WHATEVER, on the grounds it's extra money, or time, or effort. Do it. You may never go there again...and the extra you spend will be nothing in the overall scheme of things.
I will never regret the long, hot walk we took for a brief look at one of the ceremonial wells at Chichen Itza. Our schedule was limited, it would have been more fun to drink lemonade at the restaurant, and at the time, I wanted to do anything but trudge down yet another dusty trail. I'd read about maidens being sacrificed to the greenish depths back in elementary school...looking at that spooky place was like becoming a child again.

Now it's your turn. What things do you believe are worth extra?

Want to Learn How to Date and Restore Quilts?

This may be your final chance to attend a Quilt Restoration workshop taught by Nancy Kirk, one of the greats in the quilt restoration field...and getting ready to retire. Yours truly will be co-teaching.

The workshops are in Omaha, NE:
Beginning quilt restoration Sept. 23-24
Advanced quilt restoration Sept. 26-27

with a field trip to the International Quilt Study Center (always worth a visit!) Sept. 25.

Fees are extremely reasonable, and you'll come away from this with a remarkable set of skills for repairing and restoring not only your own quilts -- but with a start toward doing it as a business -- something that's desperately needed in many areas. Promise.

Two half-scholarships are mentioned on the website as still available, too...

Find out more at the Quilt Restoration site. Or ask if you've got a question.

* * * *

I spent much of today out and about with an appraisal client, so didn't get much done at home. This week, I have several irons in the fire that must be drawn out...but I'll be around.