quiltersmuse.com Blog

The UPS truck pulled up in front of the house, and I merrily opened the door, thinking that perhaps my new sneakers had arrived, although I would have been surprised at 2nd day delivery. Instead, the truck driver handed me a heavy package from Bob Jones University Press.

Hurriedly, but carefully, I opened the package, only to find that it contained a copy of The American Republic, Third Edition, that features a photo of the Harriet Wilson statue in our home state of New Hampshire. (See page 259). This 606 page textbook is a remarkable compilation of facts and photos about American History that have been gathered together by Rachel C. Larson, Ph.D.

On days like this, I so proud of Jim and all of his photography work, especially as they complement my writings, on the web, and in print, making them come alive! His photos have been featured in a number of other books, but the thrill does not go away.

The other book published this summer that utilized one of Jim’s photos is called, Dolls Remembered, by Madonna Dries Christensen, for which I contributed a story. (Proceeds from that book go to a program for Down’s Syndrome disabled youngsters, in Virginia.)

This most recently published photo depicts a statue that is a tribute to a poor indentured slave whose book, Our Nig, is considered to be the first African-American novel written by a woman. The book contains scenes that are believed to represent true experiences of the author, a mulatto woman. A Boston sculptor created the statue, based on Harriet Wilson’s descriptions of herself. No photos of her are known to exist.

I think that I am in love with this new History textbook, dated 2010! It is wonderful!

Jim’s photo honors the struggle of one of our Black sisters who served as an indentured servant and underwent many abuses in the household in which she found herself. Read more about Harriet Wilson on our main website.

Patricia Cummings

Wars are necessary, or at least, it would appear that humans think so. It all starts with someone taking away your toy, when you are young. You want it back, so you learn to be combative. You also learn to slam the toy over the other kid’s head, so he won’t think of taking your precious item, ever again. Yes, we all have that slamming tendency, especially when we come up against people whom we can’t control.

We have been attempting to control the Taliban in Afghanistan ever since we went in there. As someone carefully explained in a media report awhile ago, there are no big towns in Afghanistan, save Kabul and a few others. Mostly, you have residents who live in a collection of small homes, in the middle of nowhere, so to speak. There are farmers who grow their opium and market it at a high price. For a while, they were raising wheat because wheat grew well, too, but opium rules. These natives are wishy-washy as to their allegiances. They can be real chummy with Americans, but when the Taliban shows up, fear gets them back in line.

It is rather doubtful that we can erase every last Taliban operative … ever. It’s a breed of fanatic that we don’t understand, who are pervasive and persistent. As much as we abhor the idea, there is no way to control those misguided souls, except temporarily. You see, their religious principles of wanting to subjugate the world, to their version of Islam, is very strong. If you will pardon me for saying this, their self-righteous fervor is not unlike the rigid fanaticism of the Catholic Church in Spain in the 15th century when they drove Muslims out, and burned the Jews who continued to practice their religion, during the Spanish Inquisition.

Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said yesterday that she believes the American people are tired of the war in Afghanistan and that they will not support another huge deployment of armed forces.

I hope that is true. I hope that we are all sick to our stomachs at the carnage of our troops. I don’t know the number of war dead on “our” side. I know that for one death, many mourn. Personally, I know of only one person who has undergone such a loss, as a parent. I can only guess that tears continue to come, at the least expected moment, as they will, until she herself dies.

We have many broken lives and broken dreams in this country because of the war. I speak for myself when I say that I am worn thin hearing about it. I can’t even envision how great a loss our fellow Americans have experienced, in all, since that fateful day of September 11, 2001. With major problems facing this country, we are spread too thin, trying to “save the world” by armed intervention. I am not sure when we appointed ourselves as Big Brother/Peacekeepers.

The ideological divide is far too great. We could stay “there” for a thousand years. We will never “win.” It’s time to count our dead and to say “enough is enough.”

With many thanks to those who have served this Great Nation, and to their families,

Respectfully,

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Today, I was very pleased to receive the Renee Award from Gayle Pritchard, artist, book author, and curator, from Ohio. I am honored at this attention.

Be sure to read Gayle’s blog, “Uncommon Threads,” at: http://gaylepritchard.blogspot.com/ and visit her website:
http://www.gaylepritchardart.com

Gayle is currently working on a book about the gifted fiber artist, Susan Shie.

I am pleased that Gayle is a regular reader of the offerings on this blog, as well as our website. Thank you, Gayle.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

This year has been dubbed “The Year of the Kitchen.” Historic New England, Inc. has planned many program events centered around this topic, including some programs in New Hampshire.

Oddly-shaped apron from the Lewis Collection from South Sutton, NH.

Kitchens have been the center of the home, with guests often entertained there. In the past, aprons were important commodities. Joyce Cheney who wrote Aprons: Icons of the American Home recently donated 200 of her aprons to the American Textile History Museum, a generous donation, indeed. I guess that my article about the Lewis Collection aprons, in a recent issue of The Quilter magazine was quite timely.

Kitchen utensils are many and varied, although that was not always true. There are two favorite historic spots in New England that feature hearths and ironware, and sometimes, cooking demonstrations. Those are found at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, and the President Franklin Pierce Homestead in Hillsborough, New Hampshire.

The Remick Museum in Tamworth features “live” cooking programs that are participatory: workshops on baking sourdough bread, and other foods; and a special Thanksgiving Dinner, as well as a special “tea” party. Virginia Taylor is their food interpreter, and she has been compiling a cookbook of old time recipes, that was promised to be ready “soon,” a while ago. We’ll have to check on that!

The Wright Museum in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire has a wonderful display of how a kitchen would have looked during World War II, as well as how a parlor might have been set up. I am sure there are similar historic set-ups that show how people lived and worked. I would love to hear of any other local, New England locations. Write to: pat@quiltersmuse.com Thanks!

See the latest article posted today about our antique home!

Happy Home and Hearth to You!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Look closely and you will see the American flag on the left of the photo, and much devastation on the right side. Photo taken from the Northwood, NH side of the lake.

This report of a “funnel cloud,” i.e. “tornado” will not come as news to those of us who live in New Hampshire as it happened a few days ago. Today, we drove to Deerfield because it is the town where I grew up and I wanted to see if I could view any tornado damage from the road. Side roads where most of the damage occurred were being manned by Deerfield and Northwood police and only local traffic was allowed through.

Backwater of Northwood Lake shows trees blown over, on the edge.
On North Road in Deerfield, we could see trees devoid of their branches and many of them pushed right over, heavy roots upended. The most sickening site of all is the one seen below. I believe that this must have been the former, two story, Log home of Brenda and Harley Stevens. When the storm hit, unexpectedly, the structure collapsed, killing Brenda and injuring her husband and grandson. She was the only fatality of the violent storm that tore through four communities in a short time.

Machinery is already at work, removing the rubble of what once was (presumably) the home of Harley and Brenda Stevens of Deerfield, NH.

A final view across the water, from the roadside in Northwood. More damage from the tornado.

Hearing about this tragedy makes me ever-mindful of the fragility of life. One does not expect to be living one moment and have one’s life snuffed out the next minute. This past weekend, parishioners were attending a church service in Tennessee, listening to children sing in a rehearsed performance. Suddenly, a gunman burst in and shot a man dead. Three men (heroes) jumped the assailant and pinned him down until the police could arrive. They were kind enough not to take the gun and shoot the madman in the head, while they had a chance.

Tragedies happen, whether man-made or as a result of the whims of nature, and they should make us all stop and ponder the “what-ifs.” I will leave those thoughts to your imagination. It was sobering to see my old town torn up in this manner. There is a lesson to be learned from everything in life and some lessons are just too hard, especially when they involve loss of life.

Patricia Cummings