Thursday, March 29, 2012

One of my books for review next month

I just finished a very good book that I will do a review on for my newspaper column but just wanted to mention it here. 

You know that I believe in serendipity! (An apparent aptitude for making accidentally fortunate discoveries)  Or coincidences (  An accidental occurrence of related or identical events, ideas, etc. at the same time)   Actually I don't really think there are coincidences.  I think that is just our higher self guiding us to see things that will help make us more aware.   All that said, the book that I just finished is called: Those Who Save Us, by Jenna Blum. 
For some reason I have been drawn to read historical fiction this past year or so.  I like a good book with some sustenance to it that actually make me think.  I frequently find my self going to my Atlas to see just where the story setting is located, or to the Internet to learn more about a real person who was mentioned in the story.  This book goes back and forth from the mother in the late 30's and early 40's during WW 11.  And her daughter in a more modern time of the 90's.  The mother is a young 18 year old in Germany during the uprising of Hitler.  She falls in love with a Jewish veterinarian and ends up hiding him in her attic, till months later her father finds out and turns him to go to one of the "camps"  She runs away and finds refuge with a Jewish woman who is a baker and stays with her and delivers a baby girl.  Fast forward to the 90's and this girl is a professor of German history at a university and gets involved in a study of how the German population dealt with all that happened in Germany during these years.  Over the years her mother has very closed mouth about how she survived.  Toward the end of the book there is a quote with the title of : Those who saved us, (those who shamed us).
I found this to be a wonderful read, and recommend it to others of my age who were born just after this war and really don't have a very good understanding about what all that has happened.

Now for the serendipity part.  Just as I finished the book, I got an e-mail from a friend and it was a commentary (to long to post here) I did a copy/paste of the heading, so maybe you can google the article.

(ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ The following is a copy of an article written by Spanish writer Sebastian Vilar Rodriguez and published in a Spanish newspaper on Jan.15, 2008. It doesn't take much imagination to extrapolate the message to the rest of Europe - and possibly to the rest of the world.)

It is very good reading and compares what happened with the Jewish population and with all the political correctness now, the Muslim population is exploding in Europe and it compares the accomplishments of the 2 nationalities. 

So that's my story for today. I don't really intend this all to sound political, but just stuff to ponder. If you need some deep thoughts I offer these things to read.  Will copy this for my other blog too.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Think I am in the cattle market

My sister is making the dresses and I make the cows.  They are to sit on top of sewing machine.  They have sand in their butts, well in little baggies, so they don't leak.  Then the full skirt covers the machine.  Cute huh?  We think we will make a few and I will sell them at the craft fair next fall.  (Maybe)  If I am mooooooved to commit to this business.  More monkey business than any thing,  hmmmm  maybe we should do monkeys!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Rainy day weaving

This is my sampler that I have started at my weaving class at the college.  It is only about 6 inches wide.  Will make 5 to 6 inches of different patterns and colors.  It is fun to see what you can do.  I got my new loom home Sunday and sold my sofa the same day, so now I have more room!  Will post pictures later and tell the story about the loom.  I have to sell the big monster loom first.  Been working hard to weave the warp off that I have on it.  Did a big 75 inch denim rug this weekend and started another out of corduroy.  Good weather to weave.  We have over 5 1/2 inches of rain  so far as this morning and it has been raining all day!  Good for the farmers.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Baby Wolf Love

Going to look at a new loom tomorrow!  Wish me luck as I think it will be just what I need.  It is called a Baby Wolf.  Here is what one looks like from the catalog.
It belongs to a lady that used to take classes at the college in weaving.  I guess she has dementia now and her family is selling her stuff to close her home as she is in an assisted living facility now.  Rather sad as the other gals in the class have known her for a few years.  I didn't want to seem to eager to gain from her loss, so casually mentioned that I might be interested in the loom.  Another gal in the class has set up for us to go look at it and I get a warping board with it!!  Now I will have to try to sell the big monster that I have.  Will price it low and put it on Craigs List next week, I think.  I am so excited to be maybe getting something more user friendly and that I can sit to weave.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

The Velveteen Principles






I use a quote from the Velveteen Rabbit (children's book)  on my other blog as a header. I just love what it says.

"You 'BECOME' the horse said to the rabbit. 'It doesn't happen all at once. It takes a very long time. Generally by the time you are REAL most of your hair has been loved off and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But those things don't matter, because you are real, you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.' " >>> The Velvateen Rabbit

I had a customer come in the other day and asked if I had read the book for adults called The Velveteen Principles?  I said I had never heard of it, but was intrigued, so had to order the book.  It came yesterday so now I will read it and see what I think.  It is supposed to be how we can live our lives by following the simple principles that are in this child's book.  Sounds good to me.  Life has gotten so complicated and it is of our own doing.  I really feel sorry for children growing up now.  But maybe the older generation said the same about us when we were growing up.  Remember when Elvis came on the scene and the oldsters all said the younger generation was going to Hell for watching him?  Of course I was only a child then, but I do remember. 

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Gotta love Blonde jokes

A blonde walked into a library and said, " I will have a hamburger, fries, and a coke"
The Librarian said," You know this is a library?"
The blonde said, (whisper) "I will have a hamburger, fries, and a coke."

Friday, March 2, 2012

Time to change out the flag

Took down my winter cardinal flag today since we are just determined to have spring early.  So here is one of my summer flags for the store.  Think I will get some pansy's planted in the flower box that runs along the front of the store.  Have green stuff growing that actually stayed green all winter.
Hope everyone has a great weekend and stay out of the way of these bad storms that are raising heck across  the country.

Thought for the day:  Seat belts are not as confining as wheel chairs.