The Social Porcupine

silk tatted lace edging for my wedding dress If you asked me as a young girl what I wanted to do when I grew up, I wouldn't have had some answer that suggested I wanted to labor away for some corporation eight hours every weekday. I had no visions of being a Redcross nurse and patching up soldiers (unless it was for the other side), or of being some schoolteacher (I'd have encouraged all the students to play hooky), or of being the secretary to the President of the United States (nor of being the president).    No, I'd have told you that I would much prefer to make leather shoes and spin yarn for sweaters for my babies... and tat lace. Even now, I can't imagine a better aspiration than to sit in a rocker of luxurious wood on embroidered cushions and tat yards of silk lace with my silver shuttle. We all have a grandmother, or a friend who has a grandmother, who made lace. Depending on their heritage and background, they may have done tape lace, bobbin lace, ...

I haven't worked on my quilt a whole lot this last year. Last year  I'd nearly finished the quilt top. I finished it not long after sitting in a cozy cabin as men and women worshipped God all about me. What joy! Having it all as one piece at last was a great feeling.  But then I didn't work on it for a few months. A house fire, a busy summer of work, personal writings, barefoot wanderings... a busy summer, too full to for my quilt.  A lovely woman gave me a quilting rack. And one free summer day I asked my brothers to help me repair it and set it up across my couches.  I ironed the top, they brought over some extra bits of wood and their drills, and we had a party. Montana Wool Barn  began their operation a few years ago. We used to attend church together, so when she heard I was searching for a wool batting... she gave me one!  It was in many pieces. I whipstitched it together and made it fit over my white muslin, then p...

The Indian Mummy Mystery I really like Troy Nesbit's mystery books. My dad gave me one when I was little, and I've loved them ever since. Just recently I found two more at an antique store! They are very old-fashioned, simple, and full of adventure. 15-year old Joe knows when Fibber, his grandfather, is just telling a tall tale, and this sure isn't one of those times. He and his two younger friends, Huff and Denny are determined to solve the mystery of the lost mummy and earth pots.  But is it even possible when the stuff was stolen over 60 years ago, and everybody else that was involved, but Fibber, is dead? Helping out at Joe's grandfather's Rocking O' Ranch, excavating at a burned down ghost store, and searching in Mesa Verde, the boys track down, clue by clue, the mystery of The Indian Mummy. Likes: Very simple, no-brain read. Though the boys may be silly and immature, and the plot unrealistic, it is still an enjoyable adventure. For me...