The Dangers of Photo Sharing Programs

Each and every day that we blog or post online, we know that a few or many hundreds, or for some bloggers, thousands, even millions, may be visiting our sites. And as AOL warns us, everything we post online can be seen...forever. It can also be stolen, altered, misused or even used against us.

We think we know about spies, trackers, cookies and robots. What we forget, sometimes, is that everything we put online is available, and alterable, by anyone with the right, the copyright, or the appropriate technology to do so. Unfortunately, this includes any photos or other images that we post, or even store online in photo hosting programs.

Photo hosting is one of those things that we all love. Whether you use Picasa (as I do) or AOL (as I do) or Webshots or Snapfish (as I have)...or a million other programs...most of those programs own the rights to your photos and have the right to use them without your permission.

That right was brought home to a 16 year old teenager in Australia recently who unexpectedly saw her photo up on a billboard for Virgin Mobile. She had never given her permission to have it used for advertising and had no idea of how it had gotten up there. It turned out that a friend of Alison Chang had posted the photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons license. Under that licensed agreement, Flickr owned the right to use any photos posted for any commercial purposes and had it picked up by Virgin Mobile.

Creative Commons licenses to some, or to all of your work. The rights granted vary, so if you ever design to assign one, know what you're agreeing to. It was meant to be a 'free' tool that would allow authors, scientists, artists, and educators to easily mark their creative work with assigned freedoms to change copyright terms from "All Rights Reserved" to "Some Rights Reserved." As such, it defines the spectrum of possibilities that lies in between a fully restricted copyright to the public domain of no copyright at all.

Creative Commons licensing allows us to share,to remix, and to reuse...legally. On the plus side, it allows the proliferation of images, poetry, works of art, books etc. to spread like wildfire across the Internet... giving desired publicity, and publication, to its creators. On the downside, it becomes open to misuse, alteration, or misinterpretation.

Reading about this, and thinking about my recent posts on Copyright laws on the Internet, made me think about the images that I store and/or publish. A quick check into contracts of Photo Hosting services and a backup computer listing service tells me this:

Flickr: You retain the rights to all photos you post on Flickr. However, you grant Yahoo a license to use the photos posted in public areas. Yahoo does not pay royalties for any photos it uses and it can use your photos to promote Flickr. Yahoo may also modify or adapt any of your publicly posted photos.

AOL Pictures: You own the photos you post and store, but like Flickr, AOL is granted the rights to use them if publicly posted. AOL and its associates also have the right to modify them and to use them in any medium it chooses. Unlike Flickr, AOL does not give you the option of applying a Creative Commons license. AOL does include a link, however, to remind visitors that they need your permission to repost your photos.

Kodak Gallery: Kodak does not claim ownership of your photographs. However, you do give them the right to use and distribute your images. This is for the purpose of making prints etc. Photos are not available publicly.

Picasa Web Albums: You retain the copyright to images you post to Google's Picasa. However, Google is licensed to use your photos. Google claims a perpetual, irrevocable license. The license is also royalty free worldwide and they can also modify or alter your photos and can make them available to companies for syndicated purposes. Picasa does not offer Creative Commons licenses.

Remember: Just because your name is on the blog, the post, the photo album or the online store sales site, you don't 'own' it. Know your rights and remember that when it comes to the Internet, only the people are invisible, everything else is seen by someone.

Check out my post on blog copyright info:
What is a Copyright and Is Blog Material Copyrighted?


Linking to another's blog, or post, or idea, or technique is never a violation, it simply sharing a link to source. For additional information on the General Copyright laws, go to: http://www.loc.gov/copyright/faq.html#q45

For additonal info on Quilting and copyrights, see:

Copyrights and Quilting
Dangers of Photo Sharing Programs


INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 
What is IP via US Patent and Trademark Office
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ahrpa/opa/museum/1intell.htm

COPYRIGHT
“Who Owns What?” via Stanford University
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter0/0-c.html 

http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/stopping-internet-plagiarism/your-copyrights-online/3-copyright-myths/ 

FAIR USE:
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/index.html

 
WHAT EACH CC LICENSE MEANS:
http://weblogs.about.com/od/bloggingethics/p/CreativeCommons.htm
http://search.creativecommons.org/
http://www.flickr.com/commons/usage/ 

Tools for Artists:
 
http://www.tineye.com/ | reverse image look up
http://scottwyden.com/importance-of-watermarking/ | The importance of watermarkinghttp://www.rightsforartists.com/ 

LEGAL GUIDE FOR BLOGGERS: Intellectual Property 
https://www.eff.org/issues/bloggers/legal/liability/IP  

TOOLS FOR BLOGGERS:
http://disclosurepolicy.org/
http://myfreecopyright.com/
http://creativecommons.org/ 

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR BLOG CONTENT IS SCRAPED (COPIED): 
http://bringingupbronwyn.com/copyright/ 

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR WORK IS USED WITHOUT PERMISSION:
http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/stopping-internet-plagiarism/
http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/stopping-internet-plagiarism/your-copyrights-online/1-what-is-a-copyright/
http://www.rightsforartists.com/

Helio Castroneves and Ali Vasquez

Shown here, a photo of Ali Vasquez, Helio Castroneve's fiancee of one year who reportedly ended their engagement several weeks ago under the pressures of separation from Helio as he participated in "Dancing With the Stars".

At first, Helio denied rumors of 'trouble in paradise' but when he was informed by reporters that fiancee, Ali Vasquez had already spoken of their break-up, he admitted it. "She's a great girl." He said and "I liked her a lot." He then just shook his head and didn't say anymore.

Ali, short for Aliette, is a fashion and jewelry designer in Miami Beach, Florida and had been seen on friendly terms with Julianne Hough, who at 19...is almost 15 years Helio's junior...but 'just a good friend' according to Helio on 'Good Morning America.'

Dancing With the Stars contestants acknowledge that Ali never attended any of the Dance of the Stars performances, nor was ever seen backstage. Helio's only explanation? "It might bring bad luck, he said. " Well, I think bad luck, or perhaps not!, found its way into the relationship, anyway!

Ah, the ups and down of celebrity romance! Well, Helio, voted one of People Magazine's "Sexiet Men of the Year" is now single and available again!

Helio and Julianne are "Doing the Happy Dance!"

The Dancing with the Stars season finale ended up with Helio Catroneves and his partner, Julianne Hough, getting the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy in front of 25 million viewers. Helio, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner from Brazil said “This is an incredible moment!”

Castroneves and Hough came into the finals in second place, one point behind Brown and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Brown was described as “the most versatile dancer” of the 12 celebrities by one of the show’s judges, Len Goodman. And overall, she showed herself to be the more polished and professional performer.

But it was Helio's personality and enthusiasm and a phenomenal 'quick step' in my favorite yellow suit, that won the hearts of the viewers and proved him to be the final winner. Judge Bruno Tonioli said Castroneves is “like the sunny side of life.”

A Short Cut Through Time: Daisy Kingdom

Thirty five years ago, a creative designer named Patti Read, opened an innovative fabric store in Portland, Oregon, that became known as Daisy Kingdom. Patty promoted sales of fabric by designing and drawing patterns (by hand) on newspaper and brown paper bags for her customers. Her sources of inspiration were drawn from childhood memories of her own family life, as well as anything light and whimsical.

In 1996, Patty Reed sold Daisy Kingdom to Springs Industries, Inc, a South Carolina based textile giant. She continue to work for them for a number of years as VP of Design but eventually opened her own design studio (Patty Reed Designs) in Portland, Oregon. The original Daisy Kingdom store in Portland closed in December of 2004, but Daisy Kingdom fabrics, especially the pre-printed panels, must live forever in in sewing rooms across America.

Since November is officially "Tie One On" month (aprons, that is) I barely had enough time, to get one made before my time ran out! Thank goodness, for occasional moments of sanity. Every once in a while, when I need a gift in a hurry, I go into stash and pull out a cheater panel of some kind (that I have been given or found at a garage sale) and I get some sewing and even a bit of quilting, done in a hurry!

Shown at top, a quick 'cheater' panel apron with three sewn down lap pockets in front and an additional potholder, thrown in for fun. Made from an older Daisy Kingdom panel (buried in my stash from many years ago) I quilted it to thin fleece batting, added a colorful lining and binding and finished it up with overall meandering quilting. Got it done in just a bit over a day, and if I hadn't 'meandered' so much, I would have been done even faster!

Have you tied one on this month?

Helio and Julianne Are Dancing With the Stars

Tonight is the last night that you can vote on Dancing With the Stars. We're down to the final three, and it's time to get serious about committing to your favorite and making sure the final vote reflects not only popularity, but dancing ability!

Now, I think Mel B. is a naturally gifted, phenomenal dancer, and she is probably the best dancer precision-wise. But she's a Spice Girl and she dances for a living (with some singing thrown in), and let's face it, I just love Marie...getting out there with such courage and doing a great job...however, Marie Osmond has been performing since age 3! So, Helio is my man. He's a race car driver, and he never had dance lessons like the other two, and he is fantastic! It's ok if I have to share him with Nellie and dot and a few others. I don't mind. I just get him on his yellow suit days.

If we don't vote tonight for our favorite, then most phone-ins will win. Fan vote overcedes judges' vote...so it's time to get down to business and hit those phone lines! Each caller is allowed the same number of phone calls per line as contestants currently in the line up. So, expect me on speed dial...three votes for Helio.

O.K. now, 1 land line, 2 cells....hmm, I wonder if my new neighbors would like to meet me and let me borrow their telephone, for well...just three phone calls...

;)

Easy Leftover Turkey Recipes

Brown Rice Turkey Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 cup diced sweet red pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
3 (14.5 ounce) cans reduced sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup white wine or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
1 cup instant brown rice
1/4 cup sliced green onions

DIRECTIONS
In a Dutch oven, saute the red pepper, onion, celery and garlic in butter for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the broth, wine or additional broth, thyme and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in turkey and rice. Bring to a boil; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Garnish with green onions.

Easy Turkey Curry

INGREDIENTS
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (6 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 cups cooked turkey meat, chopped or shredded

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, Saute the onion until translucent, not browned. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and stir in the mushroom soup, drained mushrooms, and milk. Heat while stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth. Add the sour cream, curry powder, and turkey meat, stirring while it all heats through. Cover and allow to low simmer 20 to 25 minutes. Ladle the curry mixture evenly over rice for each individual.

Turnaround Turkey and Rice
4 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup cooked turkey, cut in cubes
1 1/2 cups water
1 (.87 ounce) package Turkey Gravy Mix
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add cooked turkey.

Blend water, Gravy Mix, milk, flour and Season-All; pour over turkey mixture. Stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Southwestern Turkey Casserole
6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, drained
1 cup sour cream
16 (6 inch) corn tortillas, cut into strips
10 ounces cooked turkey, diced
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken soup, mushroom soup, chile peppers and sour cream.
Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with corn tortillas. Follow with a layer of turkey. Pour soup mixture over turkey, sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat layers and top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly.

Turkey Enchiladas
6 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 cups shredded Cheddar and/or Monterey cheese
1 onion, chopped
1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives
24 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 (19 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
4 cups cooked turkey, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine the cheese, onion, and black olives.

In a small skillet, heat enough oil to lightly coat one tortilla, and cook until soft. Remove and dip in enchilada sauce to coat.

Add turkey and cheese mixture to center of tortilla, roll and place in the prepared dish. Repeat until bottom layer of pan is covered with enchiladas. Spread enough sauce over bottom layer to cover.

Repeat process with a second layer; spread remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted.

Easy Turkey Tetrazzini

INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package cooked egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 (6 ounce) can sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chopped cooked turkey
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet. Saute mushrooms for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in turkey, condensed soup, and sour cream.

Place cooked noodles in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling.

Turkey Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS
1 pound cooked turkey meat, shredded
1 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can green beans, drained
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
8 ounces cubed Cheddar cheese
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
4 cups prepared mashed potatoes

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place turkey in an even layer on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with a layer of onion and a layer of green beans so that the turkey is no longer visible. Pour the condensed soup over the onion layer, then sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Stir together the cubed cheese and mashed potatoes; spoon over the top of the casserole, and spread to cover.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until heated through.

Frosty Full Moon Near Peliades

Around sunset last night, it was an almost full moon that appeared low in the eastern sky. The November full moon officially fell today at 8:30 a.m. Central Time (2:30 p.m. Universal Time). So if you’re in the U.S., last night’s moon and today's night’s moon look about equally full.

By the time full darkness falls, the Pleiades star cluster is visible to the lower left of the moon. The cluster is also called the Seven Sisters, but most people can only spot six Pleiades stars. To counter tonight’s moonlit glare, use binoculars to see the Pleiades, a very small starlit dipper.

The Pleiades star cluster follows the moon across the sky all night tonight. The moon and the Pleiades climb upward this evening, and soar almost overhead at midnight. By morning dawn on Saturday, the moon and Pleiades sit low in the west. The gap between the moon and the Pleiades closes throughout the night, as the moon moves continually in its eastward orbit around Earth. At far northern latitudes, the moon actually occults (passes in front of) the Pleiades.

Since the completed full moon comes Saturday morning, the moon you’ll see ascending at dusk this Saturday night is actually past full, though it might not look like it. It’s what astronomers call a waning gibbous moon. “Waning” means the lit portion of the moon is shrinking. “Gibbous” means that more than 50% but less than 100% of the moon’s disk is illuminated by sunshine.

Saturday night’s moon will be beaming brightly, with moonlight flooding across your sky and landscape. Despite the moonlit glare, you should be able to make out the tiny misty dipper of the Pleiades star cluster and the star Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull, both near the moon tonight.

Aldebaran, the Bull’s fiery eye, draws your attention to the V-shape group of stars that portrays the Bull’s face. This starlit V, except for Aldebaran, features a true cluster of stars, known as the Hyades. The stars of this cluster were born from a single cloud of gas and dust, and drift through space together. Aldebaran is somewhere around 65 light-years distant, while the Hyades cluster lies more than twice that far, at about 150 light-years away.

November Full Moon Names:
Colonial American name: beaver moon
Chinese: white moon
Cherokee: trading moon
Choctaw: sassafras moon
Dakotah Sioux: moon when horns are broken off
Celtic: dark moon
English Medieval: snow or frosty moon
Neo pagan: tree moon

Black Friday

In the United States, the term Black Friday refers to the day after Thanksgiving. Since Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, Black Friday may be as early as the 23rd and as late as the 29th day of November. 

 Although Black Friday, as the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, has served as the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season at least since the start of the modern "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" in 1924, the term and derivation of Black Friday has been traced back only to the 1970s. 

The day was originally so named because of the heavy traffic on that day, when all one could see was massive amounts of shoppers in stores, and cars on highways.

Most contemporary uses of the term refer instead to it as the beginning of the period in which retailers are "in the black "(i.e., turning a profit) as opposed to "in the red", when they are not. 

The earliest meaning of the term Black Friday was also meant to be an implicit comparison to the extremely stressful and chaotic experience of Black Tuesday, the 1929 stock-market crash, or other chaotic days. The earliest known references to Black Friday (in this sense) are from two newspaper articles from November 29, 1975, that explicitly refer to the day's hectic nature and heavy traffic. 

 Cyber Monday The term Cyber Monday, is a neologism ( a term created to apply to a new concept not previously recognized by the dictionary as an actual word) invented by the National Retail Federation's Shop.org division. It refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday, which unofficially marks the beginning of the Christmas online shopping season. 

 In recent years, Cyber Monday has become a busy day for online retailers, with some sites offering low prices and other promotions on that day. Like Black Friday, Cyber Monday is often said to be the busiest shopping day of the year for online shoppers, although in reality several days later in the holiday shopping season are busier. 

 Buy Nothing Day Buy Nothing Day was originally organized by Adbusters magazine, intentionally as a counter-action to Black Friday. Originally organized in September of 1992, the date was formally moved in 1997, to the Friday, following one week after Thanksgiving. 

Outside of North America, Buy Nothing Day is celebrated on the following Saturday. It is considered a day of passive, non-materialistic, non-consumerism. Occasional discussion has pointed out that, because of the anti-action of the event, it is very easy for people who are avoiding shopping on this day to "observe" the protest. shown above: "Fill the Bag (for others)": my answer to Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Do Nothing Day Fill a bag with canned and boxed foods and donate it to a food bank near you.

Outside of North America, Buy Nothing Day is celebrated on the following Saturday. It is considered a day of passive, non-materialistic, non-consumerism. Occasional discussion has pointed out that, because of the anti-action of the event, it is very easy for people who are avoiding shopping on this day to "observe" the protest.

Hope I can remember "Buy Nothing Day" among all of my overwhelmingly exhausting doing nothing days!

"Do Nothing Day".

A "Martha Stewart Doesn't Live Here" Thanksgiving

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've made a few small changes:

Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I've gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork.

Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas. Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me that it is a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.

As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like.

In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door.

Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private"meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me.

Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat. I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that "passing the rolls" is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your sister in the head with warm tasty bread.

Oh, and one reminder for the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of young diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by its lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance. Cheese Sauce stains.

Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice; take it or leave it.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won't come next year either. I am thankful.

Note:
The author,most definitely NOT Martha Stewart (and for that, I am sure, she is thankful) for
"Martha Stewart Doesn't Live Here" was written by B.A. Tyler. She has previously written many humorous articles for Family Circle Magazine. Thanks 'Mac' for the info! And thank your friend for a wonderful essay that's traveled the globe via the Internet!

Welcome Home for Thanksgiving

A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and says,"I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough."

"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams. "We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the father says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like heck they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this!"

She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay," he says, "they're coming for Thanksgiving and they're paying their own way."

Pilgrim's Thanksgiving: Fact or Fiction?

The reason that we have so many myths associated with Thanksgiving is that it is an invented tradition. It doesn't originate in any one event. It is based on the New England puritan Thanksgiving, which is a religious Thanksgiving, and the traditional harvest celebrations of England and New England and maybe other ideas like commemorating the pilgrims. All of these have been gathered together and transformed into something different from the original parts. - James W. Baker, Senior Historian at Plimoth Plantation

What historians truly know about the holiday we know as "Thanksgiving" is is based on passages written by early colonists. One was a letter to a friend, dated December 1621, by Edward Winslow, who wrote about the harvest being gotten in their being a rejoicing over it and the eating of a meal which included 4 deer and some fowl.

In the culture of the Wampanoag Indians, who inhabited the area around Cape Cod, "thanksgiving" was an everyday activity. Linda Coombs, associate director of the Wampanoag program at Plimouth Plantation states:
"We as native people [traditionally] have thanksgivings as a daily, ongoing thing. Every time anybody went hunting or fishing or picked a plant, they would offer a prayer or acknowledgment."

While the 52 pilgrim colonists, who had experienced a year of disease, hunger, and diminishing hopes, a bountiful harvest was, indeed, cause for a special celebration to give thanks. However, as Ms. Coombs adds:
"Neither the English people nor the native people in 1621 knew they were having the first Thanksgiving. No one knew that the details would interest coming generations. We're not sure why Massasoit and the 90 men ended up coming to Plimoth. There's an assumption that they were invited, but nowhere in the passage does it say they were. And the idea that they sat down and lived happily ever after is, well, untrue. The relationship between the English and the Wampanoag was very complex."

Since they did not speak the same language, the extent to which the colonists and Indians intermingled remains a mystery. But only a few details of that first Thanksgiving are certain, says Kathleen Curtin, food historian at the Plimoth Plantation.

First, wild turkey was never mentioned in Winslow's account, it is probable that the large amounts of "fowl" brought back by four hunters were seasonal waterfowl such as duck or geese. And if cranberries were served, they would have been used for their tartness or color, not the sweet sauce or relish so common today. In fact, it would be 50 more years before berries were boiled with sugar and used as an accompaniment to meat.

Potatoes weren't part of the feast, either. Neither the sweet potato nor the white potato was yet available to colonists. The presence of pumpkin pie appears to be a myth, too. The group may have eaten pumpkins and other squashes native to New England, but it is unlikely that they had the ingredients for pie crust, butter and wheat flour. Even if they had possessed butter and flour, the colonists hadn't yet built an oven for baking.

A couple of guesses can be made from other passages in Winslow's correspondence about the general diet at the time: lobsters, mussels, "sallet herbs," white and red grapes, black and red plums, and flint corn.

But the 19th century, Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of the popular Godey's Lady's Book, stumbled upon Winslow's passage and refused to let the historic day fade from the traditions of Americans. She filled her magazine with recipes and editorials about Thanksgiving.

In her magazine Hale wrote appealing articles about roasted turkeys, savory stuffing, and pumpkin pies, all the foods that today's holiday meals are likely to contain. In the process, she created holiday "traditions" that share few similarities with the original feast in 1621.

In 1858, Hale petitioned the president of the United States to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. Five years later, Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."

And so, over the centuries, that first Thanksgiving took on a shape of mythological proportions. But how Americans celebrate today has little to do with the convergence of two different populations across an enormous cultural divide.

Martha: Pumpkin Pecan Praline Pie

If you saw the Pumpkin Praline Pie on the Martha Stewart TV Show last week...the one with the fabulous tear drop rolled edge...you wished you'd written down the recipe, too! Well, I found the recipe and here it is:

Pumpkin Praline Pie
Ingredients to make one 9" inch pie:
All-purpose flour, to sprinkle on work surface
Flaky Pie Dough
Praline Topping
4 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Muscovado light or dark-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 lb. pumpkin puree
1 c. heavy cream

Directions:
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out half of the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 1-inch tear-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 50 tear-shaped pieces of dough. Starting with the pointed end, roll each piece of dough three-quarters of the way toward the fat end of the tear, forming a curl. Transfer curls to a baking sheet; refrigerate 30 minutes.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out remaining dough into an 11-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, brush off any excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate, pressing it into the edges. Trim to a 1-inch overhang all around. Fold under overhang so it extends slightly beyond the edge of the pie plate.
2. Prick bottom of dough all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper, leaving at least a 1-inch overhang. Top with a 9-inch metal pie tin. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Remove parchment paper and weights; let cool.
3. Beat 1 egg in a small bowl. Brush the edge of the pie crust with egg. Starting with 1 dough curl, place the flat bottom on the egg-washed rim, with the curl perpendicular to the edge of the pie plate. Working in the same direction, continue placing curls next to one another until the rim of the pie shell is completely covered with curls. Transfer pie shell to refrigerator; let chill 1 hour. Brush curls with remaining beaten egg.
4. In a large bowl, mix together both sugars, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add pumpkin puree and stir well to combine. Whisk in remaining 3 eggs and cream.
5. Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared pie shell. Transfer to a 375 degree oven and bake until filling is just set, about 40 minutes. Let pie cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle pie with praline topping just before serving

Flaky Pie Dough
Ingredients makes enough for 1 pumpkin pecan-praline pie
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup ice water
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 tablespoons cold leaf lard, cut into piece
Mix together salt and water in a small bowl until salt has dissolved; set aside

Pecan Praline Topping:
Makes enough topping for two 9-inch pies
Vegetable oil, for baking sheet
1 cup sugar
1 cup whole pecans, lightly toasted

Directions

1. Lightly coat a baking sheet with vegetable oil; set aside.
2. Mix together sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
3. Cover and cook, without stirring, until an amber-colored syrup has formed, about 8 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add pecans. Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet; let cool completely.
5. When praline has cooled, coarsely chop praline. Praline should be kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe created by Chef Paul Bergeron, featured on Martha Stewart Show and MarthaSteward.com/

Comfort Quilts For Charitable Causes

For a week now, I have been sorting, organizing and sewing together colorful strings of fabric from one of my many scrap bags. I wanted to create a quilt that would still honor the Veteran's Day weekend, yet could be given to a Veteran in a hospice setting.

I focused my awareness on the energies of these past two weeks. The power of a new moon, the energies of pride and honor for the holiday, and the synchronicity of Veteran's Day being on 11:11, creates an open doorway to change and possibilities.

Thus, the energies would be good and strong and could be used with positive intent, for creating a healing quilt. I did an alternative form of hospice work for many years, using my therapeutic touch, Reiki and other healing gifts for people facing catastrophic illness. While extremely challenging in many senses, it was extraordinarily rewarding, in others.

The idea of creating 'comfort quilts' seemed like the perfect way to blend that aspect of myself with my love of sewing and quilting. It is a very different opportunity for being a loving part of someone's final experiences in this lifetime and yet still surrounding them with healing love from my heart and by my hands. Only now, I did not have to be present at either their home, or their hospital bed...my quilt would carry that love, instead.

All quilts give comfort, so in that sense all are 'comfort quilts'. But the term is usually used to refer to quilts which are given to hospitals, hospice or those with terminal illnesses as a means of keeping them warm, showing care and caring, and creating a symbolic bridge between their present lifetime and the next, as well as then being passed on from the dying person to their loved ones.

Customarily, the quilt is given from the heart and hands of the quilter to the heart and into the hands of the recipient and finally, after their passing, into the heart and hands of the family who receives it as part of their last legacy of loving memories. Instead of being totally somber and tragic, it actually can alter the energies in a loving and healing way to something quite beautiful and meaning filled.

Similar to prayer quilts, which are given as comfort for those who are ill or undergoing chemotherapy or other forms of care, a comfort quilt can be hand tied or quilted. When we quilt, whether by machine or by hand, we are symbolically bonding three things together. When we tie, the act of tying and the knots we form, can be also be bonded and we can still use both love and prayer to go through all of the layers of what we can see and what lies in between that we cannot. Tying the layers together takes on a whole new meaning.

Quilts, whether small (lap sized) or comfort (bed sized) have been used throughout time as a part of "passing on". They, themselves comfort during the passing, and they are then passed onto the family members as a comfort for them.

Comfort quilts needn't be complex or involve a lot of work from the quilter. The demand for them is so great, that it important to make them with love, but also be able to put them together quickly. So string quilting is a perfect way to create comfort quilts.

Quilts have always been made with their aesthetic value as a consideration, even when makers were creating objects for practical use. Any and all quilts are a form of artistic/creative expression. What perhaps distinguishes the art of the home-based quilt maker from that of the studio-based quilt artist are context and intent.

The works of quilt makers such as the quilters of Gee's Bend, Alabama have shown us that what distinguishes a so-called 'art quilt' from an everyday 'bed quilt' may reside less in the minds of the makers, than in the eyes and the hearts of the beholder.

The purpose of an 'art quilt' has been to evoke emotion in the viewer. In that deepest sense, there can be no greater emotion that those faced by a family gathered around the sick bed of a loved one. And there can be no greater gift that one made by our hands, through the gifts of our own hearts, and passed on with love for those passing on, in all ways...from one lifetime to another.

shown above:
My string pieced quilt, 67" x 59", made with strings from my scrapbag.
I used patriotic heartstrings (in honor of Veteran's Day)
and meander quilting.

Free Patriotic Quilting Patterns
String Quilting
Free Quilt Patterns

I am Meandrously Quilting Today

me·an·der

1. To follow a winding and turning course
2. To move aimlessly and idly without fixed direction
3. Circuitous windings or sinuosities, as of a stream or path.
4. A circuitous journey or excursion; ramble. Often used in the plural.
5. An ornamental pattern of winding or intertwining lines, used in art and architecture.
6. An intricate variety of fret or fretwork

synonyms: wander, wind, twist, snake, or coil
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Origin: 1570-80;
From Latin maeander, circuitous windings
From Greek maiandros, after Maiandros, after the winding Maeander River in Phrygia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
meander (s) v.
meander v. with object
meandering v.
me·ander·er n.
me·ander·ing·ly adv.
me·androus (-drs) adj.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shown above:
On the last of my meandrous stitching today; then the binding; then I'm done with all of the sinuousities of the project that I thought I'd have finished last Monday ;)

Lighten Up and Dance With the Stars

I'm a firm believer in "lightening up" therapy. And I must say, Helio Castroneves in his bright yellow suit and black and white spats dancing with partner Julianne Hough for a perfect 30 for their quick step this week on "Dancing With the Stars", had me totally de-lighted!

I've just thought he was such fun from the very beginning and I can't help but want to root for him as he gets back on track and heads for the finish line of the Semi-Finals competition.

I did a little research on Helio (whose name in Greek means 'sun') and discovered that he was only two hours away from a big Indy 500 race, when a casual conversation with Apolo Anton Ohno steered him onto a totally different course.

Apparently, as they congratulated each other on their respective 'wins', Helio asked Anton if he'd had fun on Dancing. 'Oh, man, it was a lot of hard work, but it was great.' And then he said, "Why don't you do it?"

This was at 8:30 in the morning on May 28. The race was set to start at noon. Castroneves turned to Ohno and said, "Can I talk to you later? I'm about to race 500 miles."

As it turned out, Castroneves did not repeat his 2001 and 2002 wins. But he did follow through on his conversation with Ohno and immediately said "yes" when the Dancing producers came calling.

It was simply the luck of the draw that he ended up with Julianne as his partner, however. But when Castroneves first saw her, he says, he thought, "Whoa, I got the champion!" And then he thought, "Hold on, that's a lot of pressure. If I don't win, it won't be her fault."

Well, you know I love Marie and her incredible spunk, 48 years old, 8 children, in a divorce, and then the death of her father, last week. So, I was glad she's still in the race. She may not be the best dancer, by any means, but she sure is a great entertainer!

I'm no longer a closet Dancing With the Stars devotee. I just love it that my 90 year old mother-in-law and I have something in common that we love to talk about and besides, high energy and fun dancing music is great to sew by.

Hmm, I'm looking for that perfect piece of race car yellow, and hey...maybe I'll take a look at Marie's fabric line, as well ;)

Newspapers May Be Printed Matter But They Can't be Mailed Media Rate

As defined by the United States Post Office, a copy of a newspaper, when placed in a manila envelope, cannot be mailed 'media' rate. Or at least, so I was told as my parcel was rejected as not qualifying as 'media mail' in Salem this morning.

When I asked "Why not?" I was told "It is not media." A newspaper is not printed matter?" I asked, incredulously. "It's not MEDIA?"

"It's not media rate," she says, "it's first class."

I mailed it Parcel Post, absolutely refusing to mail it at twice my estimated cost for First Class, instead of Media. But not before containing a very big huff and trying very hard not to exhale a somewhat heated puff, as I left the building.

As defined by Wikipedia, media as when referring to communication is:

• Recording media, devices used to store information
• Print media, communications delivered via paper or canvas
• Electronic media, communications delivered via electronic or electromechanical energy
• Multimedia, communications that incorporate multiple forms of information content and processing
• Hypermedia, media with hyperlinks
• Digital media, electronic media used to store, transmit, and receive digitized information
• Published media, any media made available to the public
• Mass media, all means of mass communication
• Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass electronic communication networks
• News media, mass media focused on communicating news
• News media (United States), the news media of the United States of America

According to the USPS web site, Media Mail™ is defined as:

Small and large packages and thick envelopes can be sent using Media Mail. Contents are limited to books, manuscripts, sound recordings, recorded videotapes, and computer-readable media (not blank). Informally called "Book Rate," Media Mail cannot contain advertising, except eligible books may contain incidental announcements of books.

I'm sorry, but I thought printed materials delivered in a news format, printed on paper, was news media. And it was only a section of an old newspaper, too. I guess I forgot to cut out any advertising that might have been present. Next time, I shall cut up my newspaper, like the remnants of an old ransom note, stomp it flat so it's not identifiable as a newspaper and claim that it's a manuscript. Because by then, I will have written an entire book about my unhappiness with the U.S. Mail!

Between this and their refusal to accept my 14 ounce letter with Gee's Bend stamps, claiming it was 1 ounce over the regulated weight for letters that can be self stamped and then dropped in a mailbox (only letters 13 oz. or less are not security risks and can be self stamped and dropped in a mailbox) Having my mailman return that package to me, and making me hand deliver it to the Post Office where they machine stamped the exact same postage on top of my own stamps and then declared it 'official' and simply through in their pile, was amazing to me! But this is, well, ridiculous.

Well, let's just say that I'm going back to using my debit card so I don't have to pay bills using stamps. After all, both are made of paper, made of printed materials, and since no news is good news. I'm not mailed any news any more. Well, except for ransom notes and manuscripts.

Expect my photo on a post office wall near you. Right after I'm searched by the drug sniffing dogs and put through the X-ray machine.

shown:
huffy puffy meandering therapy
I expect to be doing a lot of it today.

The Revolutionary War Pension Files: Remember Me

In honor of Veterans Day (observed), the fragile remnants from one of six needlework samplers made by young girls two hundred years ago. The six samplers were found among the records in the National Archives' Revolutionary War pension files.

The Revolutionary War Pension Files, numbering around 80,000, consist of applications received by the federal government in response to pension legislation enacted in various laws between 1818 and 1878. These works of linen and silk, created as family treasures, became federal documents when pension claimants submitted them as proof of relationship to a Revolutionary War veteran. The pension's amount depended on the serviceman's military rank and length of service.

Widows of men who provided service received the right to apply for pensions beginning in 1836. If the veteran had not received a pension, the widow had to prove her late husband had served in the war. In order to be eligible for benefits, widows or surviving adult children also had to provide proof of their relationship to the former serviceman.

This was difficult in some cases because the recording of vital statistics information was not uniform. The record of a marriage was often in the custody of the clergyman who performed the ceremony rather than with a colony or state office. Even in instances where a marriage may have been recorded, the record may have been subsequently destroyed.

Because of the difficulty in producing official records, the federal government allowed the sworn testimony of one or two witnesses to the marriage. Even this, however, could be a problem when none of the witnesses were living at the time the widow or other family member applied for a pension. In addition, many people did not hold on to military discharge papers and other records that did not seem to serve any purpose past their original use.

As a result, widows occasionally would produce "unofficial" family records documenting the marriage and, sometimes, the birth of children from the marriage. These submissions took the form of manuscript and printed family registers (or "family records" as they were called), manuscript and printed birth and baptismal certificates of the Pennsylvania Germans, and to a lesser degree, embroidered needlework samplers.

The National Archives discovered the one shown above, while microfilming the Revolutionary War pension files in the 1970s. As one of six, all six samplers may be divided into two groups: three that record birth information for the samplers' makers and three that provide birth information for their entire families.

For additional information:
"Remember Me"
Details about Samplers Found in the Revolutionary War Pension Files

11:11

Today's date, November 11, or 11:11 brings to our attention a synchronistic anomaly known as the 11:11 phenomenon. Long known or experienced by many people, it is also something not always talked about.

The 11:11 digital time code phenomenon is the term generally used to describe the experience of noticing, seemingly by chance, the digits 11:11 on digital time pieces, time and temperature signs, and so on. Some people report having had this experience so often that it begins to feel like it "means something". A number of ideas have emerged purporting to explain what it means to have this experience.

Wikipedia states:
Numerologists believe that events linked to the time 11:11 appear more often than chance or coincidence. This belief is related to the concept of synchronicity. Other authors believe it is an auspicious sign, and others that it signals a spirit presence.

There are many who believe that just like a computer, whose entire programing is based on just two digits "0" and "1", and increasingly complex variations of their patternings, that our own perceived reality made is also ordered by mathematical probabilities of numeric codes.

There are, in fact people who believe that human DNA, our genetic memory, is encoded to be triggered by digital codes at specific times and frequencies. And that these codes awaken the mind to the change and evolution of consciousness. And so, to many, 11:11 is one of those codes, meaning activation of our DNA. So, what does it mean if you were born on 11/11 or at 11:11? Obviously, there is a strong symbolic meaning and referencing in your lifetime, not only to these numbers and their occurrences but to the deep and symbolic. Be open and aware to all synchronicities in your life.

In mathematics, 11 is a double digit. It is therefore considered a Master or Power Number. In Numerology, 11 represents impractical idealism, being visionary, having to do with intuition, revelation, and artistic and inventive genius. Eleven is considered the higher octave of the number two (1 + 1). It carries psychic vibrations and has an equal balance of masculine and feminine properties. Because eleven contains many gifts such as psychic awareness and a keen sense of sensitivity, it also has negative effects such as treachery and betrayal from secret enemies.

For those who are superstitious, many associate 11:11 with a wake-up code or an alarm as they see it on digit clocks and watches. It can also be seen as a key to unlock the subconscious mind, our genetic encoded memories, 11:11 or derivatives of these numbers, 111 and 11, are digits that repeat in time and thus are symbolic and a metaphor for reality as patterns that repeat in time for us to experience. This can refer to the rise and fall of civilizations, our personal experiences and lessons, loops in time.

For as long as I can remember, members of my families, both in Juneau and in Salem, have glanced casually at clocks and found it to be 11:11 over and over...sometimes multiple days in a row, with ironic precision. My children grew up with the superstition...I don't know who started it or how we knew it...that you made a wish every time you realized that it was 11:11. It was right along with blowing on dandelion fluff and making a wish on them, as well.

You will note that seeing 11:11 frequently creates synchronicity in your own life. so, if for no other reason than this, see if anything with the 11:11 pattern shows up in your life. For starters, today is Veteran's Day, November 11th. You'll have to admit that it is a strange co-incidence that major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. Just a numerical coincidence? Maybe.

And that Mayan calendar that reportedly ends on December 21 in the year 2012. You guess it, it ends at 11:11. Another odd, centuries old, numerical coincidence? Maybe.

And also, that Dec.21, 2012, will be the 100th anniversary of the Sinking of the Titanic. Another coincidence? Maybe.

Now, if you want to know if I mean a.m. or p.m.....well, who's counting?
It's all just a coincidence. Isn't it?
Well, maybe ;)

Transcendence and the New Moon

Friday, November 9th was graced with the glow of a new moon...one of the most powerful new moons ever experienced on our planet. As the new moon in Scorpio, it catalyzed an opportunity to open up and acknowledge all of the ways that we question ourselves and all that we question in others. We doubt, we feel insecure; yet we still have an innate desire to be free from the things that we dislike and a longing need to transform and to transcend to that place of greatness we feel within.

The sun/moon conjunction in Scorpio shows us our most egotistical needs and our emotional desire for maintaining control at all costs, even to others. Thus, it is a powerful time, a weekend of infinite possibilities involving the stripping away of the masks we were and who we think we need to portray ourselves as being in this world.

Friday was only the beginning of this catalyst. But it is a potent one. I could feel the energies beginning to shift and to change. I knew that many would begin to express their fears head on. I knew that blogs would begin to change, new headings, new formats, new topics, new ways of looking at why or how we blog and that I would be changing right along with the rest of you! I knew that some would feel the need to shut others out from their blogs, while others yet again, would want to open and include new readers.

Because the New Moon in Scorpio is sometimes referred to as the Lunar Samhain, we continue the place where the veil is very thin between this world, and all others. The same thinning of the veil that has existed through Hallowe'en, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and Day of the Dead.

It is a time to open up our minds completely and allow transcendent understandings to flow in. It is the perfect time to face all of our fears head on and to make a commitment to letting go of that which is unhealthy and to bring in all that is healthy for both emotional and spiritual growth. And those, of course, go hand in hand with working on the unhealthy physical aspects of our lives.

Thus, I have shared posts about the meaning and value in old wisdom (Nostradamus: Images and Quatrains), a post about living healthier Dr. Oz + Green Drink a celebrity family losing their father yet joyously celebrating his and their lives Osmonds On Oprah . I posted about how we are making friends online and sharing not only quilts, and quilting, but books and projects They Named Me Marjorie, as well. And I love to celebrate holidays and traditions Mystery, Magic, Mayhem and Mysticism following a Full Hunter's Moon.

I am so very blessed to have met so many amazing and powerful hearts and spirits through my blogging. Each of you is a part of my whole. Yet, as each part is part of the universal whole as well. And all parts are connected. And as the saying goes: The Whole is Greater than the Sum of It's Parts.

And to me, by any definition, that is transcendence ;)

Veteran's Day:

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
3071

Whereas it has long been our customs to commemorate November 11, the anniversary of the ending of World War I, by paying tribute to the heroes of that tragic struggle and by rededicating ourselves to the cause of peace; and Whereas in the intervening years, the United States has been involved in two other great military conflicts, which have added millions of veterans living and dead to the honor rolls of this Nation; and

Whereas the Congress passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926 (44 Stat. 1982), calling for the observance of November 11 with appropriate ceremonies, and later provided in an act approved May 13, 1938 (52 Stat. 351) , that the eleventh of November should be a legal holiday and should be known as Armistice Day; and

Whereas, in order to expand the significance of that commemoration and in order that a grateful Nation might pay appropriate homage to the veterans of all its wars who have contributed so much to the preservation of this Nation, the Congress, by an act approved June 1, 1954 (68 Stat. 168), changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day:

Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America , do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954 , as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.

I also direct the appropriate officials of the Government to arrange for the display of the flag of the United States on all public buildings on Veterans Day.

In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose.

Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and cause the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this eighth day of October in the Year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-ninth.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

signed in 1954

Veterans Day is an American holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal and a state holiday, it is celebrated on the same day as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.

Veterans Day is largely intended to thank veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to United States national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served, and not only those who died, have all sacrificed.

shown above:

Joseph Ambrose,

an 86-year-old World War I veteran,

attends the dedication day parade for the

Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982.

He is holding the flag that covered the casket

of his son who had been killed in the Korean War.

100 Members of the Osmond Family + Oprah

Over 100 members of the Osmond family will be appearing today, on Oprah! George Virl Osmond, the patriarch of the large family, died on Tuesday, Nov. 6th, but the family decided to honor not only their pre-scheduled appearance on Oprah's show, but their father by preparing a tribute in his honor.

When the news of their father's death reached Donny and Marie in LA where Marie was appearing on Dancing With The Stars they immediately boarded a private jet for a flight back to Provo, Utah in order to join with other family members and plan for their father's funeral.

As a family, they decided to honor their previously scheduled commitment to appear on Oprah's show. As Donny is quoted as having said: “I called my brothers to see if we should even do the show in light of the loss of our dad but then we immediately realized that this is a celebration of his life.” He added that a good portion of the show will honor his father, George Osmond.

Marie is quoted as saying: “To have something like Oprah right now is really special to our family because there was nothing my parents loved more than their posterity and to see everyone all together is really unique." George and Olive Osmond have nine children, 55 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren. Olive died in 2004.

The show is expected to showcase clips from George Osmond's 1970's appearance on the Dinah Shore show as well as other clips from the family's show business career.

Donny says, “Donny and Marie will sing a medley of our hits. The Osmond brothers will sing a medley of hits. And then if we can get through it, we will close the show with the song that always ended Donny and Marie: ‘Make Tomorrow A Perfect Day.’

Whether you like the Osmonds or not, and whether you agree or disagree with their decision, it takes an amazingly strong family to even do something like this...especially so soon after their father's death and right before his funeral. But it truly is an amazing opportunity to also show their love, support and remembrance of their father (and mother!) and all that they shared in this lifetime.

For reference, the names of the 9 Osmond children are:
Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, and Jimmy
Virl and Tom were born severely hearing impaired, the others are all or have been, performers

Holy Cow!

In the news this week, a bovine with apparent falling cow disease, ran over the edge of a cliff and fell 200 feet onto the hood of a traveling minivan. The 600 lb. cow, name "Michelle" certainly surprised the minivan's occupants, a Michigan couple traveling through Washington State, near Manson, as they celebrated their wedding anniversary.

Their van was heavily damaged, but the couple were so shocked that they just kept driving...for more than a mile and a half after impact. Mr. Everson, the driver of the minivan apparently just kept repeating: "I don't believe this. I don't believe this." He said he must have repeated this 20 or 30 times. Later he admitted, he thought he had hit a deer, but as he as he kept looking at it, he yelled at his wife "It's a cow!"

Poor Michelle, a rodeo cow who had been missing for days, was critically injured and had to be euthanized at the scene. As the Chelan County deputy sheriff noted: Michelle was a Professional Bull Rider registerd cow that had escaped her ranch about a month ago. "It was bred for rodeo." he said. "It was not your normal cow in a field."

I guess not. I mean, this story actually makes me sad. Maybe it's just her name, or maybe it's knowing that she was destined for better things and should have ended up this way. But then again...what's on your table for dinner, tonight?

There's no way, I'm having beef. Chicken? Maybe.

What Are You Doing With Your Scrapbag Today?

Finn asks, "What are you doing with your scrapbag today?"

Well, Finn...the scraps and I are meditating.

Most spiritual traditions recognize that the path to Enlightenment as entailing three types of training: 1)virtue 2)meditation and 3)wisdom. Thus, meditative prowess alone is not sufficient; it is but one part of the path.

The scraps and I are practicing cultivation of possibilities, finding the underlying order of development in their and my nature, and practicing wise understanding. We are seeking to learn what is necessary for the attainment of the highest goal on our path to enlightenment.

Ok, now I made this big mess for the picture, I might as well figure out what I can do with them and have some fun ;)

Riding the Rails of the Orphan Train...

 

I'm Riding the rails of the Orphan Train this week and apparently having my Final Reckoning. I've not only been Sleepless in Salem but having one Day of the Dead after another. I've not only felt like an orphan myself, and forgotten my own name and thought that They Named Me Marjorie, but decided that "Marjorie" needed a train case to bring on her journey.

In a week filled with Mystery, Magic, Mayhem and Mysticism following a Full Hunter's Moon, I should have known better. I've been in The Lost World of Nostradamus, with a head filled to the brim with Strange and Unusual Facts. It was hard enough being a Hunter's Widow and spending too much time on Simple Pleasures and not enough time on Quilting.

So, out came what few "orphans" were still left after my Orphan Train Quilt and some quick piecing to make a book carry bag. What you don't see here, is just how many placements the straps had. And when I say had, I mean totally sewn in and top-stitched, then moved again. So, now I'm looking at it, and it's like, shoot...too close together! But yesterday, it was too far apart. And by the time, I put in the book and carried it all lopsided with a limp, it actually worked pretty well.

Frankly (as in frankly, my dear) when you're running on coffee and leftover Halloween sugar, and not Dr. Oz and Oprah's Glass of Green "Fresh" Recipe, like I should have been, and then top that off with all of my my ongoing syndromes....heck, I was lucky to be able to sew straight and keep one foot on the pedal at all times!

According to Google's search engine, on one blogger's search yesterday:
With Heart and Hands, A Quilting Journey: Dr. Oz's Green Drink Recipe 4 stalks celery 1 apple 1 cucumber 1 bunch spinach ..... reflected the journey across water to obtain the magic apple. ...with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/ - 172k - Similar pages

I mean, just how in the world do search engines come up and with and combine this stuff? My blog is now about the journey across the water to obtain a magic apple? I sure hope that if any of you went ahead and made the drink that you enjoyed it. And did you or did not put in the skin of the fruit/veggies, strain it or not strain it? And if it didn't turn out, apparently, that's because I still have the 'magic apple'. I hope it's a golden one and I get to have lots more magic and lots more journeys.

And hey, while I'm visioning and attracting, why not more and more opportunities to meet new people and talk about more unusual things! I had some fun interaction yesterday from a celebrity. "Anonymous" kept asking me questions (all day long) that I couldn't answer. How in the world does he ever find enough time to get all of those poems published when he's hounding me for answers to incomplete recipes?

By today, I'm sure Oprah's website has gotten smart and actually posted the recipe. But for a while there, due to my having a the video tape of her Anti-Aging Part 2 show, and watching and re-watching it and then writing the recipe down, I was the only site on the Internet to have an actual recipe! I got a lot of hits in a hurry before I was copied and repeated, which was a good dose of my own medicine, as in What is a Copyright and Is Blog Material Copyrighted? It was never my recipe, but it sure was interesting getting over 500 hits for a while there, and watching my version of the recipe spread across time and space to the The End of the Internet (Leather Whips, and Other Surprises).

So, if I'm having Identity Crisises and Other Misadventures , at least I was happy to introduce new readers to the wonderful world of a barely quilting-quilting blog. One of the readers went on to read as many as 35 of my pages. I assume that person was probably from a foreign country and trying desperately to translate my babbling. Honey, I feel for you. I can barely read my blog. And lots of days, I search and search trying to find meaning in the midst of all of it...not to mention any signs of real quilting!

And speaking of babbling and searches, trains and orphans...today I am posting photos of my misplaced handles on my 'Orphan Train' bag. But then when I think about, orphans are misplaced by nature, and its hard for them to get a handle on anything...so when it all comes full circle, I make perfect sense.

AOL warns us:
Anything you post online, any one can see. Forever. Think Before You Post.

Now, that's a scary thought to leave you all with today!
signed,
Finn ;)

Marie Osmond's Father Reported as Having Died

You all know by now, that I love Dancing With The Stars. So, it was heartbreaking to just find out from Internet sources that it is being reported that Marie Osmond's father, George Virl Osmond, has died.

Both George and his wife, Olive, Marie's parents, had show business backgrounds. So, it's not surprisingly that the majority of their 9 children... Chris, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Jimmy, and Marie, went into show business, as well.

Marie Osmond's father, George was born on Oct. 13, 1917, which would make him 90 years old. Marie's mother, Olive, passed away in 2004 and by then, between them, they had 55 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren

My heart is indeed sad for that lovely family and for the continued heartbreak those stars seem to be facing this season! First, Jane Seymour lost her mother, and now Marie is reported to have lost her father, today.

It is being reported that Donny Osmond was in the Entertainment Tonight studio, taping a segment, when he first heard the news. Marie, of course, danced Monday night on Dancing With the Stars, and would have appeared on the 'Results' show, Tuesday night.

I have added in a photo of George Osmond with his son, Donny. ET online reports that near the end of his life, Donny said his father could only say "I love you" to his family members. I thought to myself...it doesn't get any more meaning filled than that. If those are the only words you still hold, that you can still say...well, you've said a worldful!

I just know that I am lighting a candle, here in Salem, Oregon, for the whole Osmond family, and for all who have lost loved ones, and I am praying for that family, and all families who have suffered such losses!

The Oprah! show was to showcase "100 Osmonds" on the Friday, Nov.9th show and promos are indicating that the Osmond family will present a tribute to their father on that day. I, for one, plan on watching!

Just looking at his dear face, in this photo I've added in, reminds me of my father, your father, all fathers. And that, you see, is the true beauty of love and of family and of connections of the heart and the spirit that goes far beyond any physical death in this lifetime.

my other links:
100 Members of the Osmond Family + Oprah
Marie Osmond is "Dancing With the Stars" And Has A Quilting Fabric Line