quiltersmuse.com Blog

Today, I received a very welcome letter, in English, from a man whose native language is Spanish. In part, he wrote:

Sometimes, I think that life is escaping from my hands, that I am unable to take it, to live it as I should, as I must. That life is passing through me, but I am not passing through it.

As always, whether we communicate in English or Spanish, he speaks with much wisdom. It’s funny, I had just been having thoughts along the same line. I do not feel fully engaged in life. I am a virtual shut-in, partially by choice, and partially by circumstances.

Yes, I have my work, and then, I have my “housework.” “Work” could be my middle name. I feel that life is passing me by. Rarely do I see another human being any more, other than my husband, of course, and it’s a rare treat to leave the house. Partially, what I am feeling is “cabin fever.”

This afternoon, while passing the mirror, I caught a glimpse of the gray hair on my head and thought, “I don’t remember a time when I felt this old.” Of course, being sick with the flu does not help my mental energy or the happiness of my thoughts. Customarily, I try to stay on the positive side of things.

As I sit here, thousands of miles away from my friend in Peru, I wonder how our thoughts can be channeled in the same way, at the same time, on this very same day.

Life is many things, including what you make of it. I know I’ll be able to feel better about it when this everlasting winter is over, when my husband’s health and my own have returned to a disease-free state, and when spring flowers begin blooming.

In the meantime, I’ll give heavy thought to what I can do about my friend’s idea that has become so poignantly clear to me. I don’t want life to pass me by, rather, I’d like to return to being “fully engaged.”

Patricia Cummings

One time when we were hiking in the White Mountains near a stream, a “city slicker,” (apparently), was calling his children to come drink out of the pure mountain stream. I thought to myself, “Oh, boy, giardia!” Giardia, you say? Yes, giardia: a microscopic organism that lives in fresh water and causes severe abdominal cramps and “the runs,” to put it nicely.

Well, today was a first. We received a phone call from someone who told us that their family dogs have giardia. Yes, they were drinking water from a lake. Giardia aren’t picky. They will live anywhere.

So, let this serve as a warning for you, your children, and your pets. If you must drink water when you are outside, bring it with you! The water in streams and lakes, at least in New England, is not safe to drink.

I like to pass along tips and new points of information, as I learn of them. That is one tip for the day. The other tip is to never leave your pet unattended, whether that be in a car, running around the neighborhood, or anywhere out of your sight.

All kinds of bad things can happen. Even a mild-mannered dog will bite in self-defense, when provoked by mean children. Dogs and cats are attracted to spills of radiator fluid and that can be fatal. Some people feed loose animals food with cut up glass or laced with poison.

All in all, it is not a good idea to let your precious pets wander alone. Even in the sewing room they can get into trouble. Cats eat thread and that can result in injury and death. So, if you love your pet, be sure you ensure the safety of your animal. And remember this: don’t let them drink the water outside!

Patricia Cummings

For those of us who knew Dee Stark and admired her dedication to teaching and writing about Crazy Quilts, news of her unexpected death on February 18, 2008 saddens our hearts. The obituary you can read online is one thing: (http://www.cgazette.com/common/news/deaths/deaths.html). There you will find the names of the survivors and when and where the service for her will be conducted.

In the sisterhood/brotherhood that is the quilting world, we are a dedicated group of people who spend our time studying old quilts, making new quilts, writing, and teaching. We are also there for each other in times of need. I remember very well when Kris and John Driessen were burnt out of their home a few years ago. Dee was right there, as a first responder, making sure every person was alright, and then helping to rescue quilts, soaked by fire hoses.

When she told me that she’d just written, A Spiderweb for Luck: Symbols & Motifs used in Crazy Quilting, I was one of the first to order a copy, and applauded her efforts.

When she was invited to go to France to teach, she spent some time brushing up on her skills in French, only to tell me afterwards that it really didn’t matter as she found other ways to communicate.

Delia (Dee) Elaine Stark, 43 years old, of Clifton Springs, NY: too young to “go.” In her lifetime, she loved music as well as needlework and was “an accomplished pianist” and a singer. Those who knew her personally shall miss her the most. For those who did not have the chance to meet her, we will miss her spirit, her creativity, and her kindness. Another bright candle has gone out, leaving us not to curse the darkness, but to celebrate a life that brought joy to us by her works.

To read more about Dee Stark – in her own words …

Patricia Cummings, http://www.quiltersmuse.com

I am happy that someone can make a joke about body jewelry. Recently, a comedienne mentioned that she saw a young person with a safety pin through an eyebrow, and she hadn’t even realized that eyebrows could possibly fall off. LOL

Nursing homes workers who have visible body piercings, with metal parts, must cover them with Bandaids. They are too disturbing for residents to see. Days like this, I think I must be old, too. They disturb me, not only visually, but because I worry about fatal infections for those who engage in such practices.

The biggest turn off is to see a food server with jutting metal parts. How can any of this be “cute” or attract the opposite gender? I sit in wonderment at the trend. More often, I stand in fascination and revulsion, especially for … lip jewelry.

The fact that young people think that this idea is just the ultimate of things to do to themselves is beyond my comprehension. I suppose it is a variation of the “ring through the nose” practice of earlier cultures. In terms of civilization, things like this seem to represent “one step forward, two steps back.” Nothing truly ever changes. Teenagers only think they are inventing something new, to be “different.”

If I had a family member who did this kind of thing, I would consider locking him or her in a closet until he or she came to his or her senses. I’d be mortified, disgusted, and feel a sense of betrayal. The idea of metal facial jewelry is an insult to God himself and is disgustingly ugly, as well as dangerous.

Yet restaurants keep hiring teenagers who “adorn” themselves in this manner. Why?

Perhaps the workers will get a brain infection and die. In this manner, at least, they will not procreate more individuals of the same ilk. In the meantime, they could be considered “handicapped,” based on their ability to “handicap” business by turning off customers.

Some people have so many piercings, they would need their entire head wrapped in gauze to hide them all. Though alarming, I suppose that amount of wrapping might engender sympathy; maybe even get some extra tips, as people envision that the party might have been severely injured in the war, or has just undergone brain surgery.

Usually, I say “live and let live.” In this case, I say, “If you are going to mutilate yourself, don’t expect me to look at you and admire the “work.” I don’t know who started the trend, probably someone with extra metal on hand. No doubt, it is, like everything else, all about someone putting money in the bank for a “service.” Only, in this case, the “service” is to disfigure someone … or worse.

And people wonder why older folks long for the “good ole days”????

Patricia Cummings

A few weeks ago, we were in the Vermont Country Store when, picking up an item, I exclaimed, “Ah, ha! Just what I wanted!” Jim wasn’t quite sure what it was, so I said, “This is a duster made of Ostrich feathers!”

As I ran my hand over the soft surface of the feathers, enjoying the tactile sensation, he asked, “Does this mean you are going to take up dusting?”

I said, “Yes, my QUILTS!”

Men can be so silly sometimes.

Patricia Cummings