Freedom . . . sort of . . .!

Tuesday is our day off from daily Mass. I have a devout altar boy son who gets up six days of the week to serve Mass and he really needs that one morning to sleep in and vegetate a bit. It also gives me that one day of the week to really get some housecleaning done so I will not feel guilty when I sit down to my sewing machine.

I cut out a definite pattern type project for quilting yesterday. I guess I'm not a stay-in-the lines sort of person. I used enough fabric to see how one pieced square would look and I didn't like it. I put it aside and with the same, chosen fabrics, I went my usual route and made it up as I went along. I finished the piecing today and when I arranged my quilt squares, it was nice to see that in the midst of my abstract ways, there was an interesting pattern midst the odd choices.

It is always interesting to see how a piece of fabric that doesn't look like it will really fit into the overall pattern turns out to be the turning point of the whole patten. It happens often so I never restrain my instincts. Sort of reminds me of the self-centered world of today where unwanted babies are thought to not 'fit in' and are disposed of without a qualm. It makes me kind of wonder how their life might have been a turning point in the whole pattern of life.

Intellectual Interlude for today . . .

"The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything - or nothing. "
-- Nancy Astor

"We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us."
-- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

"Today you can go to a gas station and find the cash register open and the toilets locked. They must think toilet paper is worth more than money."
-- Joey Bishop

"I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians."
-- Charles De Gaulle

Enough said . . .

"If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much."
-- Donald H. Rumsfeld

A must read find from the Internet . . . YOU have been warned!

And so it came to pass in the Age of Insanity that the people of the land called America, having lost their morals, their initiative, and their will to defend their liberties, chose as their Supreme Leader that person known as "The One." He emerged from the vapors with a message that had no meaning; but He hypnotized the people telling them, "I am sent to save you. My lack of experience, my questionable ethics, my monstrous ego, and my association with evil doers are of no consequence. I shall save you with hope and Change. Go, therefore, and proclaim throughout the land that he who proceeded me is evil, that he has defiled the nation, and that all he has built must be destroyed." And the people rejoiced, for even though they knew not what The One would do, he had promised that it was good; and they believed. And The One said "We live in the greatest country in the world. Help me change everything about it!" And the people said, "Hallelujah! Change is good!" Then He said, "We are going to tax the rich fat-cats." And the people said, "Sock it to them!" "And redistribute their wealth." And the people said, "Show us the money!" And then he said, "redistribution of wealth is good for everybody." And Joe the plumber asked, "Are you kidding me? You're going to steal my money and give it to the deadbeats?" And The One ridiculed and taunted him, and Joe's personal records were hacked and publicized. One lone reporter asked, "Isn't that Marxist policy?" And she was banished from the kingdom! Then a citizen asked, "With no foreign relations experience and having zero military experience or knowledge, how will you deal with radical terrorists?" And "The One" said, "Simple. I shall sit with them and talk with them and show them how nice we really are; and they will forget that they ever wanted to kill us all!" And the people said, "Hallelujah!! We are safe at last, and we can beat our weapons into free cars for the people!" Then The One said, "I shall give 95% of you lower taxes." And one, lone voice said, "But 40% of us don't pay ANY taxes." So The One said, "Then I shall give you some of the taxes the fat-cats pay!" And the people said, "Hallelujah! Show us the money!" Then The One said, "I shall tax your Capital Gains when you sell your homes!" And the people yawned, and the slumping housing market collapsed. And He said, "I shall mandate employer-funded health care for every worker and raise the minimum wage. And I shall give every person unlimited healthcare and medicine and transportation to the clinics!" And the people said, "Give me some of that!" Then he said, "I shall penalize employers who ship jobs overseas." And the people said, "Where's my rebate check?" Then The One said, "I shall bankrupt the coal industry and electricity rates will skyrocket!" And the people said, "Coal is dirty, coal is evil, no more coal! But we don't care for that part about higher electric rates." So The One said, "Not to worry. If your rebate isn't enough to cover your expenses, we shall bail you out. Just sign up with ACORN and your troubles are over!" Then He said, "Illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted. Let's grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free lunches, free medical care, bilingual signs and guaranteed housing..." And the people said, "Hallelujah!" and they made him king! And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs and ever-higher taxes, raised their prices and laid off workers. Others simply gave up and went out of business, and the economy sank like unto a rock dropped from a cliff. The banking industry was destroyed. Manufacturing slowed to a crawl. And more of the people were without a means of support. Then The One said, "I am the 'the One'--The Messiah--and I'm here to save you! We shall just print more money so everyone will have enough!" But foreign trading partners said unto Him, "Hold on. Your dollar is not worth a pile of camel dung! You will have to pay more." And others in the world agreed and said, "Neither are all these idiotic programs you have embraced. Lo, you have become a Socialist state and a second-rate power. Now you shall play by our rules!" And the people cried out, "Alas, alas!! What have we done?" But yea verily, it was too late. The people set upon The One and spat upon him and stoned him, and his name was dung. And the once mighty nation was no more; and the once-proud people were without sustenance or shelter or hope. And the change The One had given them was as like unto a poison that had destroyed them and like a whirlwind that consumed all that they had built. And the people beat their chests in despair and cried out in anguish, "Give us back our nation and our pride and our hope!!" But it was too late, and their homeland was no more. You may think this a fairy tale, but it's not. It's happening RIGHT NOW.

Addiction covered . . .!

After a long flight home from seeing his family on the East Coast, my husband's idea of a restful next day was to treat me to a trip to my favorite fabric warehouse. I haven't cut a single quilt square for a month and am looking forward to doing so as soon as possible!

Although I can find designer fabrics in the reduced price section of the warehouse, I kind of yearn to be so wealthy that I can go for the six and eight dollar a yard stuff at the front of the store. How come their colors always seem brighter? It is not like I'm not getting fabric by the same designers in the reduced section.

My favorite part of shopping for fabric is the 'stack' section where they have flat fold fabric piled about five-feet high. You spend enough time going through the fabric and you can often find something for $1.98 that is the same as the stuff on the bolts going for more. My husband initially laughed when I said I can find my favorite designers by 'feel'. He has seen me do it too often now to doubt me anymore. Cheap fabric feels cheap.

I did my husband a usual kindness. His only request when we go to the fabric warehouse is that it all fits in my cupboards. Fortunately, I used a lot of my current stash on Christmas gift quilts and easily replenished the shelves and managing to get the doors shut, too.

Our self-centered world . . .

On the news, they were showing a driving simulation test with the express purpose of revealing the extent cell phone use effects your driving ability. The news woman trying out the test was amazed to find out that every time she answered a cell phone, the car swerved noticeably. Granted, most times a swerve is easily corrected but what about another car along side that is forced to move because of your sudden change of direction?

Made me think about how many people, here in California, still regularly use their cell phones even though it is against the law. No matter what anyone says, cell phones are a distraction and your driving is not one hundred percent. It is the ego centered world of today where everyone thinks they are an exception.

New Year thoughts for the day . . .

"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted."
-- Martin Luther King Jr.

"You don't have to suffer to be a poet; adolescence is enough suffering for anyone."
-- John Ciardi

"If God had really intended men to fly, he'd make it easier to get to the airport."
-- George Winters

"Things are only impossible until they're not."
-- Jean-Luc Picard