A Heat Wave Means Staying Inside & Working

Second Post of the Day

Will this really happen?

Or will there be a bust like we had a few weeks ago when the tornado threat was so unusually high and it all went south of us?

Due to lots of recent rains, the humidity in Indiana  is very high 

and we've had some early morning fog.

The entire area is under an Extreme Heat Warning

with heat indexes up to 109 expected. 

A heat wave is a good time to stay inside and work in air conditioned comfort on the quiet book. And so, after some consulting with Gimme (Elsie Mae's grandmama and my daughter, Sarah),

Dorothy the Dinosaur is finally completed. Well, except for the text. 

As soon as that's done, then I will fold the panel into its four pages, and stitch and pink the edges.

This was an earlier layout of the Dorothy page but there was no room for text and it's (more than) a bit over the top.

The Caps for Sale page came out well.

I was so glad that I remembered at the last minute (I was literally ready to stitch) that I had some green velcro in my sewing stash - it looks much better than the plain white I had already cut out and was ready to stitch down in the tree.

This is actually from a teacher kit for flannel board stories. People of a certain age (like me) grew up with teachers sharing stories on flannel boards. As a teacher myself, I never used them, but they can still be found and repurposed for other things. Like quiet books. 

Seee the big white space? This page is missing its text, too. And that's because I have been putting that off. Repeatedly. I am very aware that my handwriting no longer looks as good as it used to, and I don't want to mess up the page at the last minute with poorly done text.

I've been practicing over and over and over. 

But now, procrastinating the text writing is no longer an option. I HAVE to do it today. Elsie Mae and her entourage devoted helpers family arrive Thursday. 

Not only do I need to do the text on the Dorothy and Caps pages, but I need to stitch two panels into eight pages and pink their edges, then assemble three panels/pages together into book form, create a cover, and if there's still time, make Elsie Mae a pillow out of the leftover cover fabric. (Because I always do that and it's part of the family quiet book tradition.)

I'll get it done, I'll get it done, I'll get it done, I'll get it done, I'll get it done, I'll get it done, I'll get it done, I'll get it done, I'll get it done, I'll get it done...

Stay 'tooned!

Hey, Mom! Did you try this for Dorothy's hat??

"What Once was Lost is Found"

First Post of the Day

We lost another frisbee at the park yesterday. Only this time it wasn't Craig or me throwing it onto the roof of the pavilion, into the lake, or the creek, or the bushes surrounding them.

Pepper lost her frisbee herself.

I threw it to her, she caught it and began to circle back, when I realized Tammo was out of sight.

I turned around and spotted him waaaaay far away doing his business in a BIG TIME manner, if you know what I mean.

I was offroading with my walker, but I was able to roll ALL THAT WAY OVER and clean it up. Meanwhile, Pepper had headed off past the lake and was checking out who had been along the creek during the night.

I called her and she trotted over to me. As she approached, I noticed that she was no longer carrying her frisbee. 

Pepper NEVER drops her frisbee. She'd carry it all day if we let her. When we leave for the park, she grabs it from my walker's bag, and only gives it back when I am going to throw it for her. (Although, even then sometimes she will hang onto it and tussle for possession.)

"Go find your frisbee," I called to her, words that always make her look around and then go and pounce on it. She looked, she looked some more, but she did not see it herself. Where was it?

I began rolling my walker back and forth across the park, retracing my steps, retracing Pepper's, walking along the banks of the lake and the creek. I got out my bird watching binoculars and scanned the area. Climbed a rise and again scanned the area, with and without my binoculars. I even left my walker behind and carefully clambered down to the water's edge, peering out into the lake to see if that frisbee had gone under the water somehow.

Nothing. I looked for twenty minutes alongside Pepper and came up empty.

I did find some fishing line stretched across the grass that had been left behind by someone who'd been fishing. I wound it up and put it in my walker seat to take home and throw away. (What, doesn't everybody have a Great Lakes Congress sticker on the seat of their walker?)

But no frisbee.

Finally, resigned that Pepper's frisbee was well and truly lost, I headed with Tammo back toward the pavilion, calling Pepper to come so that we could go home. Already I was framing a lost frisbee notice in my head to post on our neighborhood Facebook page and planning to make an order on Amazon for a replacement.

Pepper was still down by the lake and obediently came trotting toward me.

As she approached, I could barely make out a flash of red against her black coat.

She happily trotted up to me with her frisbee in her jaws - she'd found it! Somehow, somewhere, that girl had found her frisbee! Good girl, Pepper!

So, where was it? I honestly have no clue. I'd SCOURED that park, beaten every proverbial bush, and not seen it. But now and thanks to Pepper, "what once was lost is found." And I am glad.

Due to the heat and the extended period of time Pepper and I were out in it, walking around in the hot sun and looking for that missing frisbee, we all came home tired and drained. A nap was in order.

Except that one of us didn't get much sleep

while the other one stretched out, got herself comfy,

and snoozed away.

Silly girl.

 

The Performing Mitchells - Part 2

Second Post of the Day

Just as their mother did when she was young, Cambria and Titan enjoy performing. They are fortunate that they live where there is a very active recording and performing arts industry. Opportunities for them to perform, train their voices, act, and dance are everywhere.

This past April the family filmed a Christmas movie, Salt and Honey, directed by Robert Redford's daughter, Amy Redford.

Cambria recently in the recording studio for another project whose name escapes me at the moment. Both kids sing for composer Angie Killian when she is releasing a new song. This may have been for that.

But even for Utah, the opportunity they had this summer was a biggie.

Heading out to California and performing at Disneyland with Stand Out Studios Performing Arts.

After months of rehearsals,

the family caravanned out to Anaheim with the other families of the kids who would be performing.

Cambria had several solos

as did Titan.

What an opportunity for all the kids involved! A memory to last a lifetime, for sure.

Congratulations, Titan and Cambria! I love that you and your family get to do something together that you all love and brings you so much happiness. I can't wait to hear about your next project. 

Love, Grammy xo

Two Years Have Passed

First Post of the Day

 It was two years ago today that I wrote this:

With a broken heart, I want to let you know that my sweet Abby was killed this morning by a lightning strike. Sadly, Two Socks was with her and also died. Sultanna is away being bred, but Hokey was present when it happened. He shows no physical injuries but he is very shaken and spooked and does not want to leave the old barn. 

I am devastated at Abby's passing as is Tim at the loss of sweet and oh, so young Two Socks.

I will write more when I am able to. 

Lynn

Her loss is still devastating, and I miss my girl every single day. 

I will always grieve for her, but enough time has passed that I can also focus more on the good times that we had together than the way that she died. So, so many good times.

Rest easy, Abby. I love and miss you, but I will see you again.

The Performing Mitchells - Part 1

Second Post of the Day 

Since she was young, Mountain Mama Jessica has been performing in musicals and operas.

In 1995 at 16 she performed in her first opera with me, singing the lead role of the daughter of the Innkeeper and his wife, while I sang the role of Mary. 

The role and its music were challenging, but she nailed it.

Playing Ado Annie in the Champaign, Illinois Civic Theater's production of Oklahoma. 

She was 17, playing the loose woman, and doing a lot of kissing of men who were in their 30s. Not gonna lie, I held my breath every time I watched those men kiss her! Watch it, boys! Mama Bear is in the house!

She has shared that love of the theater with her family, and performing in musicals together is their hobby.

As Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Shrek the Musical, 2025

Playing the younger (and evil) Miss Trunchbull, in Matilda, 2024

This summer they are performing together in the musical, The Prince of Egypt. And Cambria and Andrew have lead roles.

Andrew plays Aaron and Cambria is Leah. (Their director put all the leads' faces on their individual tee shirts. What a treasure!)

For Shrek the Musical, Cambria had to go blonde for her role as Goldilocks,

and for this role she has had her hair colored again so it is very dark. 

Directors and leads wearing their new tees. (Andrew is under the sun and Cambria is seated in the front wearing green shoes.)

Jessica and Titan are also in the show in various supporting roles and choruses. Currently they are all in the throes of daily rehearsals, costume fittings, and practicing, practicing, practicing.

But that isn't their only summer project. Another one required traveling to California.

Stay 'tooned!

Jenny Joins the Family's Traditional Needle Arts

First Post of the Day

First, auction mystery solved thanks to reader Carrie who reminded me that one of the Saturday and Sunday raffle models are included in the BreyerFest auction. Now the Math works! Thanks, Carrie!

I come from a family strong in the needle arts, a tradition that goes back generations on both my mother's and my father's side. My sister Leslie sews and does beautiful hand embroidery work. I sew near daily and embroider both by hand and by machine. 

Then there was our mother, she who did all that plus knitting, something none of us ever learned. (Although I tried. FAIL!)

Our mother designing and sketching a new page for a quiet book in 2010.

The finished design - she also did all the coloring. (I NEVER would have thought to add yellow to the palm tree's trunk!)

She knitted this scarf for another page. 

With Lisa and Jessica, all of them wearing clothing that she had made for a living history event in Kankakee, Illinois.

When our mother passed away in 2016, most of her sewing things went to Leslie and me since we'd always had the interest. Jenny has never had any interest in sewing, embroidering, knitting, or any other needle or fiber arts. None. (She's not horsey, either. Can she REALLY be my sister??? Haha!)

But somehow, Jenny ended up with some embroidering kits that were our mother's, and when she retired last December, she opened up one of those and dove right into embroidery. Just like that.

She did NOT start with a beginner's project - she jumped right in with a tablecloth that is long enough to fit my fully opened dining room table. Thousands and thousands and thousands of stitches!

And by golly, it's the end of June and she's almost done. Just in time for the annual 4th of July family bocce tournament held at her own home.

A week ago she texted Leslie and me with one word ("Nooooooo!!") and this picture.

"I was cutting the thread and my scissors slipped. I accidentally cut the fabric of the tablecloth!"

I could not blame her for being upset - a first time embroiderer who'd tackled a massive project and worked for hours and hours, was finally at the very end, and then that happens? I agree - noooooo!

Leslie and I were both very sympathetic but honestly, I could not see the cut in the photo and told her that.

She pointed it out so I could see it better. It was very small, at most just a half inch clip into the fabric. And that was good news.

I knew then that I could fix it, and told Jenny that, if she could get the tablecloth to me soon, I would repair it, send it back to her, and she'd have time to do the final embroidery work before the 4th of July.

Her relief was palpable.

When the tablecloth arrived, I could not find the hole. I looked and looked, comparing each embroidered part to the photo. It took me a half an hour before I found it. (More good news; it was that small.)

I cut a one inch square from the cotton I use to make 18th century chemises, ironed the cut area that needed repairing, and then put some double faced bonding fabric between the cotton square and the back of the tablecloth. Several passes with the iron, and the square was securely bonded to the tablecloth and holding the edges of the cut shut.

Jenny will be able to embroider those five last stitches without problem, and then, if she wishes, she can gently peel back the cotton square and trim it close to the embroidery work. Easy peasy.

I've already sent the tablecloth back to her and she is anxious to get back to work and have it ready for the 4th of July.

I can't wait to see her first finished embroidery project when it is out on the buffet table for lunch. It's going to be beautiful in all its 4th of July glory. Well done, Jenny! I am so proud of you!

Stay 'tooned!