Me and Smokey

I have not posted since arriving in Alaska and likely will not be able to again for a couple of weeks until I get home. I am at my daughter's house and their Internet has limits on downloads, which means I should not post photos unless I want to run her bill up. I may put in a few words, but I know this is boring. So if I do, I do, if not, well then it will be when I am home again before posting. Then I will tell of the tales of Alaska.
In this picture I am posing with the grandchildren and Smokey the Bear at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks. It was Fairbanks Days there at the theme park. This park has log cabins and old homes and business from the turn of the century brought in from the area and set up on one street. So of course this piqued my interest. I took lots of photos. Some of these were set up as they had been in the old days, some had been made into little business selling local art and souvenirs.
There is an old ferry set up there with tours, a train that runs around the park giving folks rides, a carousel, mining exhibit, cultural art building, and more.
I am keeping this short. My sleep is messed up because of the midnight sun...it never gets dark here! SO I am off to get to shut eye! Please check in a few days or a couple of weeks.

Queen of the Ranch fabric

This is the fabric I found today at the Quilting Bee Store. It is one in a line of fabrics by Moda called, "Queen of the Ranch." Some of them had cowgirls on them, or were bandana prints in pretty colors, some roses. But I thought this one would be good for my kitchen curtains. They did not have this color, however. So now I must search to find it elsewhere. The photo shows a packet of several of the fabrics in the line. But there was none of this one on the bolt. The blue one in the store was very pretty also. My friend Karen found a green in this packet that she liked. I think it is very old fashioned, pretty, yet simple and cozy. Something my great -great grandmother, Permellia might have picked out of the small mercantile in a nearby township from her farm.

Cunningham Family Quilt

This is my grandmother, Verla Pearl Ogden Cunningham with her Cunningham family quilt. This project was one that I put together about 20 years ago. I wanted a family quilt and decided it would be fun for my aunts and cousins to have each have one as well. So I ask each female in the family to make a quilt block for everyone else. We brought them together at one of our annual family Thanksgiving dinners and traded them. Each person got to choose ahead of time what color scheme they wanted used for their blocks. I choose Americana red and blue for mine. This photo is of the quilt my grandmother made using the blocks we all made. My block is the fan design in the center. My mother's is the blue one to the right of mine, where the black cross is in the bottom corner.
Would you believe I have still not put mine together? This is because some of the blocks were not quite squared and needed to be remade or some people did not use the red and blue theme for me and theirs did not at all fit into my colors. So tried as they might, some people are not quilt makers. You can also see that the nine patch was a favorite amongst family members, I guess this is because my grandmother used this pattern alot and it was familiar to them.
I am the fortunate one to have gotten this quilt handed down to me when my grandmother passed away. I did request it as well as any other quilts she had made that I could get my hands on, which was only a small portion of them. But I treasure these few and take very good care of them.
Wish had that bucket hanging on the line that grandma used for clothes pins. After she had been moved to a nursing home her house had to be closed up for a time with her belongings distributed. Some of my aunts and cousins were there to go through stuff, but I do not think any of them had my tastes for old junk and it probably got thrown out.
My grandmother made many quilts over the years for missionaries all over the world. Her legacy lives on in places unknown. But I know these missionaries must have been kept warm under my grandmother's quilts.
Did you see that she has her slippers on her feet? She pointed this out, but I did not care if she had them on in the photos. I took a photo of each of the quilts she still had in her possession at this time. So glad I did this when I did.

Treasures from the Grave...

Sounds kinda spooky, huh? These things came in the mail today, sent by my sweet sister-in-law, Martha. These items were in my father's belongings and they are believed to have been my grandmother's. Her name was O'Delphia and she passed away several years ago. I am sure she crocheted the table runner as she did alot of table cloths like this. I did not get one of them, but now I have this table runner to enjoy. The little box has some jewelry pieces in it and I do remember her wearing these. The journal has nothing written in it, but it is a neat old one. The fan has flowers on it, with some really soft tassles hanging off of the end.
I am always so thrilled to get 'pieces of the past' especially if they had belonged to my ancestors.

Dressed for the Photographer

My, oh, my is this ever a handsome book. Joan Severa has done an amazing job of using photographs and details on fashion to make this time in history come alive. I am amazed at her knowledge of every little detail on the clothing.
This book will be a great resource for me on trying to date some of the old photos in my collection.
I do feel sorry for the women in our history...they had to endure some pretty uncomfortable fittings to be in the height of fashion. I'll take my loose fitting clothes anyday!

Mennonite Women

Just got this lovely book from Amazon. It has some great photos in it as well as some history on each one. I am so intrigued by the simple ways these women live by. I enjoy learning about fashion has been in our history. This photos show both the Victorian dress and the simple clothing of the Mennonite ways. The Victorian styles actually almost look extravagant in comparision to the simple Mennonite dress. They would surely need an apron while making applesauce in the way they are doing it on the front cover. I love how they are all working together to make an overwhelming chore suddenly one of pleasure as they exchange conversation. It looks like the man in the group has the easiest job, using the apple corer/peeler.
I have one of these old peelers as well as some newer ones that I use. They sure came in handy when I lived on my little farmette in California and had lots of apple trees. Thank goodness we had all of that apple sauce, it was so needed to live on throughout the winter months. Sadly, I never got a picture of the pantry where all of these jars where stored.
I used to take the apple peeler/corer to school and use it with the kids for fall celebrations. They loved the long 'peels' we would make. It is a fond memory.

Organic Farm Queen

Here is MaryJane signing her newest book, "MaryJanes Stitching Room" for a customer. She is so very elegant...and to be a farm girl no less! She gave credit to her sidekick and twenty year friend, Carol, for her contribution to the book. She said it should have Carol's name on it too!

MaryJane Butters Speaker

Well, you can add public speaking to the list of MaryJane Butters talents. She was in Auntie's Book Store in Spokane, WA. tonight to give a talk and sign books. She was warm, down to earth, and interesting. She fielded questions from the audience and gave advice to those who asked her for it. She spoke about an hour. Boy, did that fly by...I could have sat there for another one at least.
She was so kind to mention me by name as someone she knew in the audience...I was so pleased with this. Don't we all like to be made to feel special? Well, she did! Thanks MaryJane.
She looked lovely, put together, professional...and wore great boots. My friend, Karen, loved her handbag.
It was a fun evening and we were both glad we went !

Pamela at Auntie's

Here I am in front of Auntie's Book Store after the MaryJane appearance tonight. Dorky photo of me! We closed the store with MaryJane and Carol!
See post n MaryJane for more.