Typhoon Haiyan

I've been hearing bits and pieces of the news of the huge storm that hit the Philippines a few days ago but this morning, I sat down and read the NBC news article on the situation here: 

 http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/11/21399516-silence-worries-aid-workers-in-wake-of-typhoon-haiyan-56k-homes-wrecked-on-one-island?lite

This article says it's estimated that 10,000 people have died but "Nearly 620,000 people were displaced and 9.5 million "affected" across the Philippines," according to the UN. How many more will die due to exposure and disease as they have to go without basic necessities such as clean water?

They are saying this storm is as devastating as the tsunami that destroyed so much of the countries along the Indian Ocean  in 2004! The storm was as big as the country of Germany when it hit the Philippines, for crying out loud! Maybe you already know these things but I'm just finding out this morning, so I'm horrified!

I worked with a Filipina over the past couple of years, helping her become a citizen and getting the benefits she's entitled to, and she has children and grandchildren still in the Philippines.  I called her today and she said they are okay but their house has been washed away. This is the second time her kids have lost their house in a huge storm in the past few years.  Of course, I will send some money to them, via their mother, to help them out.  I would encourage anyone who reads this to send a generous donation to the relief agencies which are trying to cope with this disaster.

As I read the above article, it occurred to me that Mother Nature has a way of solving her problems.  Several years ago, I learned that one of the signs of climate change or global warming, is an increase in severe weather episodes. It seems to me that it's happening these days.  But, when huge and disastrous events occur--such as record-breaking cold in Europe in 2011 which killed many people, storms like Sandy which hit the east coast of the US, and this most recent disaster--thousands of people end up dying.  Is this Mother Nature's way of coping with the human influence on climate change?  The fewer people there are on this planet, the less of a carbon footprint?  Is this nature's way of bringing climate back into balance?

It seems to me that we humans can assist in bring the climate back into balance without having to suffer these extreme weather events.  I'm glad I traded my car for a Prius. It's a very small thing, but it's what I can do to lessen my personal carbon footprint.

The First Ever Quilt Show

Yesterday was the first ever quilt show for my guild.  Last summer we were invited to participate in a "quilt tour" fundraiser for the local domestic abuse program and I was tasked with following up on the email. I actually moved myself into the position of coordinator of our part of the tour--something I've had no experience with at all!  Without going into the details, 5 of the 6 ladies who were on the team were real troopers and went full speed ahead and got everything done that they had to do--it was amazing to see it all come together. The 6th lady we'll not say much about other than even though she didn't attend the planning meetings and had no idea of our plans, she arrived on Friday night when we were setting up, and proceeded to tell everyone what they were supposed to do. That kind of thing really burns my butt!  Fortunately, the other ladies know her pretty well and for the most part, ignored her and went ahead with the plans we'd already made.

The tour was held yesterday and Yea, there was no snow, always a risk in November in NW Wisconsin. The turn out was overwhelming!  The thing was set up that 5 guilds or quilting groups set up quilt shows in 4 area churches. We were in one of the larger churches and shared the space with another guild which worked out very well.  People bought a "passport" and were allowed into all the churches on the one passport.  The domestic abuse program also had a raffle in conjunction with the tour and they had some wonderful items in the raffle. Each guild donated a lap size quilt and area businesses donated wonderful things.  I didn't win anything, but that's okay.

We had a store set up where guests could buy items made by members of the guild. We were given 1/2 yard pieces of fabric that the guild bought, and made items using the fabric--mostly table runners, pot holders and other small items. Almost everything sold and we shared the proceeds of the store with the domestic abuse program.

We also had a cafe where we had coffee, cider, punch and cookies for the guests. We set out a good will offering basket and again, shared the proceeds with the program.

I was busy all day on the floor of the show, mixing with guests, answering questions, and so forth. I was a "white glove lady!"  The last time I wore white gloves was when I still lived at home with my mother and we had to dress up for Sunday church--and that's a very long time ago! I heard so many compliments over how we'd set up our quilt racks and how beautiful the quilts were. We had a section of antique quilts that was a big hit. I displayed my husband's great-grandmother's quilt which looked so beautiful now that it's all quilted up.

When it was over and the raffle winners drawn, I helped take it all down and load everything in cars and trucks and came home with a very good feeling in my heart.  My hips and knees, however, had a very bad feeling in them from all the standing and walking as well as heavy lifting so I spent the evening in a comfy chair with my feet on a footstool.  Today, I'm back in the routine and hope to be spending some time working on quilts instead of looking at them and talking about them.

I think the quilt tour was a big success and I know our part of this show was a big success! I would definitely do this again, if we're invited next year.

Julia arrives

Look who came to live at my house last month!  It's a Sears Kenmore Model 1400 that I found at the local Goodwill store for 8 bucks!  I was so excited that I didn't even try it out before I bought it--at $8 I can't go wrong, can I?  I immediately took her to the world's area's best sewing machine guy--Jim Jerabek--and he worked his magic on her.  I brought her home but she's had to sit for a few weeks until I had time to play around with her, and that was today.

This machine, according to Jim, is a real, solid little work horse that will last a lifetime. Well, that's not that long considering my age!  She's a pale seafoam green and reminds me of a bride's maid's dress from the 90s. She's a little worse for wear--her electrical cord is wrapped with black tape and there are dings and wear spots on her from all the sewing that was done with her in her 40+ years.  Can you imagine how many pairs of pajamas and nightgowns that were lovingly made with this machine? How many back-to-school skirts and dresses sewn and how many knees of jeans were patched.  Probably a few Christmas, Easter, First Communion and Confirmation dresses as well.  Maybe even a prom dress or bridal gown.  I think this little lady has been there and seen it all, don't you?

According to the Sears website, the Model 1400 was only made from 1969 through 1973. So that makes her between 40 and 44 years old.  Not that old, I guess.  Today, since it is raining and windy and not a good day to finish my outdoor work, I took an hour or two and simply played with her and all her fancy stitches (There are about 10 of them!  My, how sewing machines have changed in 40 years!) When I put the pedal to the metal, she purred as though she had been waiting to be taken out on a good run.  She is completely sopping with oil--I think Jim wanted to make sure there was enough oil to soak into all the gears and joints--and smells very oily. I washed her exterior parts with a lavender scented cleaner so I hope she smells better next time I take her out.

I have to figure out how to mark a 1/4" line so I can do quilt piecing on her and I have to figure out what to call her.  I don't call my other machine anything but she came with the name "Lily 454" and I think I have to come up with something more suitable for this machine than "Model 1400."  I'm leaning toward "Julia."  I think Julia Roberts has played a few bridesmaid roles over the years but I'm not sure if she ever wore a seafoam green dress. Also, I loved Julia Child when she was cooking on PBS during the 70's and 80's so I think Julia is as good a name as any for this machine.

Another finish

I made a Halloween pillow for my Etsy store, but I like it so much that I think I'll have to make another one to keep.   I embroidered the center and used crayon to color the Jack O'Lantern, spider and the lettering.  I also embellished the orange rick rack and I like that effect very much.  So here's the pillow along with Mr. Vampire and a soon-to-be Jack O'Lantern.

And here's a closeup of the center panel. I think he's a little creepy looking but not so much that he'll scare the pants off little kids.

If you want to check out my Etsy store, here's a link:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/JollyRuby?ref=ss_profile

Don and I spent the weekend with our good friends in Lake Mills and had a wonderful time. He played golf with his old golfing buddies on Friday and Saturday. He really enjoyed being with his buddies again and playing on the course where he truly learned to be a golfer.  I spent the weekend with my friend-who's-like-a-sister visiting and on Saturday we went to a little bistro in Milton for a really tasty lunch. (No pix, sorry) We had shrimp and corn bisque and Elaine had a roast beef and Muenster sandwich on olive and rosemary bread (Amazing flavors!) and I ordered a ham and I forgot the kind of cheese sandwich on almond and apricot bread (More amazing flavors!)  Where I live in NW Wisconsin, we can't get unique combinations like that unless we go the Minneapolis/St Paul, an hour or more drive, so I have to take advantage of these opportunities when they come along.

Elaine and I had to stop at a little quilt shop I'd heard about in Milton and I added to my collection of red and neutrals for the Talkin' Turkey quilt that I plan to make--soon!  Elaine, who doesn't quilt but is an excellent seamstress, found the perfect quilt for her bedroom and came home with the kit.  She and I will collaborate on it by phone when she's ready to begin.  I'm absolutely thrilled that she's decided to take the plunge!

On the way home, I knitted while Don drove and got most of one sock completed.  I love my hand knitted socks but they do take quite a bit of time to complete, but, oh well.

Today I'm off work and will be getting the jalepenos in the dehydrator and making salsa and marinara sauce out of the last of the tomatoes.  

Ghosties and Goblins

I've made a Halloween table quilt.  Worked on it at last weekend's quilting retreat and finished sewing the binding today.  Just as I was putting in the last stitches, the sun broke through so I was able to take pix outdoors with the mums and the Jack-o-Lantern that Lily carved last weekend while I was gone.

 I found this Halloween fabric somewhere along the way and bought it on impulse.  The other fabrics I found in my stash and I think it all worked out ok. It's cute and not too scary. I love the cats in their pink masks with spiders hanging on their tails!

In the green squares, I quilted pumpkins in orange thread and in the hourglass blocks, I stitched spiderwebs in black.

I have enough green fabric left over to make a set of place mats but I doubt that I'll have them ready in time for Halloween this year. I have to finish an embroidered Halloween pillow and then both items will go up for sale at my Etsy store, Jolly Ruby, which is here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/JollyRuby?ref=shop_name_search_sugg.  

Happy Halloween, everyone. Don't eat all the trick or treat candy before the big day! ;o)

Hammerschlagen 2013

I survived Flachtoberfest, 2013!  We had a wonderful time at niece Wendy's house. Even though it was rainy and drizzly most of the day, we still held the outdoor games. Like Hammerschlagen.  If you don't know what that is, look here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHW5rYQ3PyU.  

This is us playing Hammerschlagen at Flachtoberfest and, as usual, I didn't win anything. I had either had too much beer before playing or not enough beer. It's a delicate balance.  We play the women's division, men's division and this year, we added the kids division. You can see, the kids are intensely studying the women's technique and style so they can do better than us when it's their turn--doesn't take much to do better than us!--and they were better when they played the game.

I'm wearing my 2010 Flachtoberfest T-shirt which designates me as the "Mudderflacher"  and I'm so proud of that title (not!)

Nephew George brought a couple of Grandpa Flach's guns which he had restored and later in the day, a group went into Wendy's woods to do some target shooting.  Daughter Tessa had tried making rye bread and the loaves never rose so she brought them with to use a targets.  As they were leaving the house to walk into the woods, my husband commented that at his family reunions, we play softball but at my family reunions, we go shooting!  Well, the loaves of rye bread survived the target shooting and ended up being gobbled up by the 3 large dogs who also attended the party. And no one got hurt in the shooting except for a few bruised shoulders (and egos) when the shotgun kicked too hard and knocked shooter onto her butt!

All in all, I had a wonderful time!  Family members that I've not seen for years showed up and friends of family were there as honorary Flachs and some of them were just amazed and flabbergasted at the goings on. Lots of laughter and camaraderie, amazing food, and of course, great beer.

It's time for Flachtoberfest!

Tomorrow is the family celebration we call "Flachtoberfest."  My maiden name is Flach (pronounced flock) and Flachtoberfest seemed the right thing to do in this family of German heritage. It's basically a family reunion that we have every couple of years around the first of October at my niece's home. We have a variety of beers in kegs to choose from, a variety of German foods to munch on, some German-origin games like  Hammerschlagen and Schmear, and niece Wendy always finds the most unique prizes.  One year I won the Hammerschlagen contest (women's division) and my prize was a pair of racing Grannies.

Here they are, speeding across the dining table!

I'm the oldest one in the family now that my 97 year old Aunt Clara died a couple of years ago, so I'm designated the "Mother Flacher."  I love it!

This year I'm bringing Rouladen with gravy and Wendy's getting the spaetzle from the caterer. She'll also get smoked pork chops, various wursts, and other things from the caterer. If you don't know what Rouladen is, here's a picture of it before I covered it and put it in the oven. 

It's thinly sliced beef (I used top round and asked the butcher to cut it 1/4 inch thin and that saved me a lot of work and a lot of pounding ) that's spread with a thin layer of horseradish mustard. On it, you layer a slice of bacon, a quarter spear of dill pickle, some thinly sliced onions and some S&P. You roll that up like a burrito and skewer with a couple of toothpicks. Then they're browned and layered in the baking dish. The sauce is about half red wine and half beef broth with some bay leaves. The recipe calls for braising it on the stove top for 1 1/2 hours but I know my burners are too hot for braising and I have too many little bundles to fit in one pot, so into the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Then I'll make the gravy and it'll be ready to take to Wendy's tomorrow.

I also have to make up some Currywurst for apps.  When I was in Germany last fall, we saw currywurst advertised at the wurst (hotdog) stands. I didn't try it but I like curry and I like wursts so I think this will be good.   

I stole borrowed this picture from the internet since I haven't made my curry wurst yet. It's sliced knockwurst in a tomato curry sauce. Since I'm traveling with this dish, I'll be putting it in the crock pot and that should be good.

Just get a call that we have a house showing tomorrow while we're at Flachtoberfest. Keep your fingers crossed that the folks like the house, okay? Better finish my cleaning and get ready for it.