Thursday, March 17, 2011

Stars And Eggs - Green!


May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.
~Irish Blessing

It's St. Patrick's Day!  Do you have on your green?  Do green eyes count?  If so, then I am covered.  If not, then get your pinches ready because I'm not wearing green - at least not where it shows!  Neither my DH nor I are Irish.  Our only bit of celebration is usually my making corned beef and cabbage - gag me with a spoon.  I dutifully make this each year as my DH likes LOVES it.  How can you like boiled meat?  The cabbage is passable and I do like the carrots and the new potatoes.  And who can stand that smell?  DH says it is the perfume of the Irish.  (Again - gag me).  This year will be a little different.  My sweet DH is taking me out to dinner (happy dance).  He can order his corned beef and cabbage and I can have whatever my little heart desires.  And, best of all, we can come to a house that doesn't reek of boiled meat!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Kissing the Blarney Stone

Five miles north west of the small city of Cork is the village of Blarney. Near the village, standing almost 90 feet in height is the castle of Blarney with its world-famous Blarney Stone. More than 300,000 people come to kiss the Blarney Stone each year, in the hopes of gaining more eloquent speech.  While the Blarney Castle that visitors see today was constructed in 1446, the history of the place goes back two centuries before that time. The story begins with a magical stone, its origins shrouded in mystery. One legend says it was the rock that Moses struck with his staff to produce water for the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. Another legend relates that it had once been Jacob’s Pillow and that the prophet Jeremiah had brought it to Ireland. According to this telling it became the Lia Fail, or ‘Fatal Stone’ and was used as an oracular throne of the Irish kings. 
It is known, however, when and how the word Blarney entered the English language and the dictionary. During the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Dermot McCarthy, the ruler of the castle, was required to surrender his fortress to the Queen as proof of his loyalty. He said he would be delighted to do so, but something always happened at the last moment to prevent his surrender. His excuses became so frequent and indeed so plausible that the official who had been demanding the castle in the name of the Queen became a joke at the Court. Once, when the eloquent excuses of McCarthy were repeated to the Queen, she said "Odds bodikins, more Blarney talk!" The term Blarney has thus come to mean 'the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without giving offense'.

 
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JUST ONE STAR

Moda staff and designers would like to invite you to join their newest challenge:  Just One Star can comfort a soldier.  The challenge is to piece, quilt and bind 100 quilts in 100 days using the Flag of Valor pattern by Minick and Simpson.  As the saying goes "many hands make light work".  They need 1800 star blocks to reach their goal.  You can be involved too!  You simply need to make a quilt block(s) to support moda and Semper Fi's efforts. 
Please take a few minutes to piece Just One Star block (click here for pattern) using a medium red or blue and a cream background.  Sign each block with your name and state.  Moda will coordinate the donation of the 100 quilts thru the Semper Fi Fund.  The deadline for blocks is May 1, 2011 so that moda can meet their quilt deadline by Flag Day, June 14, 2011.

Yesterday I made two of the stars.....
and my brown pigma pen arrived in the mail so I could sign the blocks with my name and state.  They are on the road to moda today!
Won't you help this very worthy cause?  Support our troops!  Let's help moda make more than 100 quilts!

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SPRING IS COMING

Today the gold finches arrived at my thistle feeder.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera nearby when there were over 15 of these precious little birds on the feeder.  They are such flighty birds that it is hard to catch them in a good shot.  This is a sure sign that spring is just around the corner.

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WOOL CANDLE MAT

Yesterday I prepped and cut the wool for the Chicks Candle mat that I want made before April.  It is a darling pattern by Bareroots.

Doesn't this remind you of a rotten broken egg with little chick embryos floating in it?  Gross - I know.  Don't ask me why my mind went there.  It just did.  I will be stitching the little chicks in the proper places over the weekend so next time you see them, they should look a whole lot better.

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ANOTHER START

Yesterday I also started working on my second Baltimore Album block.
Not much to see yet.  I found making inside curves much easier to make smooth than the outside curves.  The next four pieces have both inside and outside curves.
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TODAY'S GOAL
A while back I signed up for a hot pad swap.  I plan to start working on it today - at least get the pieces cut out.

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GIVEAWAYS

Such a Sew and Sew is having a giveaway.  Elizabeth is helping her friend, Wanda, get organized by is giving away 10 1/2 yards of Civil War Reproduction fabrics and a copy of the book, The Civil War Diary Quilt.  This giveaway ends on Friday, March 18, at 11:30 pm MST.

Amy's Creative Side is having a giveaway.  She is giving away a collection of 6 Indygo Junction Patterns.  This giveaway ends Monday, March 21st.

Bee In My Bonnet is having a fabric giveaway.  Lori is giving away 2 sets of 1930's repro fat quarters - 22 fat quarters in each set.  This giveaway ends Saturday, March 19.

Stitched In Color is having a batting giveaway!  Rachel is giving away a package of Warm & Natural batting, 90" X 96" (full size).  She will draw a random winner on Saturday, March 19.

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FINAL THOUGHT

There are so many charities and wonderful organizations out there, how do you know which one(s) to get involved with.  I say to pick by what feels closest to your heart.  I crochet afghans for Project Linus, an organization whose mission is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers".  I am also involved with the Golden West Chapter of the ALS Association.  This is a much more personal reason as I have the disease.  I give monthly to our local homeless shelter that provides meals to those who live on the street no matter what caused them to end up there.  There are other charities that I participate in yearly either by donations or attending walks.  With so many it is often hard to decide where to spend my time and money.  Do you get involved?  What charities and/or organizations to you participate in?

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
~Mark Twain

'Tis St. Patrick's Day! May the luck of the Irish be with ya!

19 comments:

Lynette said...

May you have:
A world of wishes at your command
God and his angels close at hand
Friends and family their love impart,
And Irish blessings in you heart.

Maria McCabe said...

Ha ha ha - love the corned beef part of your post. I am Italian and my hubbie is Irish - I always tease him about the boiled meat - but he loves it so my house will have the aroma today! Happy St Patricks day!
Maria

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Oh I can gag right along with you. Hate the smell of cooking cabbage and boiling meet - and the taste even more! Lovely info on the Just One Star - mine are sent.

Too funny - I was thinking the same with the photo of the chicks,lol...bad eggs in the skillet.

I donate where my heart follows. Strongest at donating to local charities as I feel if we all help those close to home, then we help them all.

And - congratulations on your FQ win at Material Girls Quilts.

Mary Lou Casada said...

"Gag me with a spoon!" LOLOLOLOL I haven't heard that in a hundred years (although it was THE hip word back in my day!!)! LOL Although Scots/Irish/English heritage is thick in this here neck of the woods, we've never did the whole St. Patty's Day thing. Sounds like I dodged a bullet growing up! LOL
My quilt club is very active with Project Linus, and as a family we give to church and missions and other worthy causes locally. Giving is ALWAYS good! :-)
Blessings and prayers go up for YOU with ALS...God has His hand on you, blessing so many with your blog and great spirit!
Love,
Mary Lou

Cheryl said...

Love that you are helping spread the word about the Just One Star project! I am working on donations to both QOV and Linus currently, as well as quilting a quilt to raise funds for breast cancer research.

Needled Mom said...

I have a corned beef recipe that you would love. My parents and in laws always liked that nasty rolled one, but I do a brisket. At the end I make a sauce to put on top of it and pop it in the oven for half an hour. It is delicious. I am not a cabbage fan so I pass on that!!!

Your stars are just wonderful. I have a few of them ready to go off too.

Enjoy your night out!!!

krisgray said...

LOL about the cabbage! I don't care for all that boiling either. THe last corned beef I got had baking directions. So, I baked the meat and fried the cabbage - yummy.

Scrappy quilter said...

I love your stars too. Hope they can get the 100 quilts made. Hugs

Bailey said...

I've challenged everyone in my local quilt group to make Just One Star! I hope they all will do it...maybe you should challenge everyone in Let's Bee Together?

Also, about this brown pigma pen - is it something you HAVE to order or can I find it in stores?

Staci said...

Okay, this is one day I didn't feel hungry after reading your post. The egg thing and the boiled meat--GAGGG!!!
I'm making my stars today! Yay!

the gathering girls said...

Your stars look great...just mailed mine today!

Deborah in Atlanta said...

I always think about Cork, Ireland this time of year, and I've actually kissed the blarney stone. And if you're used to seeing my comments, you know I definitely got the gift of blarney. Cuz I definitely tend to ramble. And do you know? I always thought the blarney stoney was a stone out in a field. I never knew (until I got to Ireland) that it was the wall of a crumbling castle. And yes, you do lay down and hold those metal rods and lean backwards and kiss the wall. . That rumor is so gross, and I'm wishing I knew about it beore I went and kissed it.

quiltzyx said...

Happy St. Paddy's Day to ye!

I know you said we would see it when it's finished, but I have to ask - will the chicks in your wool candle mat have eyes? I think that would take the 'rotten eggs' feel away from it! lol

I do like corned beef, but have only made it in the slow cooker. Without the cabbage (ICK!)

The wife of one of our techs brought in the whole magila today - corned beef, cabbage, carrots & potatoes - for us. I had a bit of the meat & taters. But the smell! OH MY! Glad it was out in the break room & not too near my office...

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

a traditional gaelic blessing

Joanna said...

Your stars look perfect. That's a wonderful charity project. Today I took out a book from the library on the Smithsonian Museum American Quilt Collection. One of the quilts is the Maryland Album Quilt that has some blocks akin to what you are making. I love that those block designs are still being made today by quilters like yourself. I enjoy seeing your progress on that project, too.

Linda said...

Thanks for your lovely post.

A.J. Dub. (Amy) said...

I pick charities that I have a personal connection to and then do what I can to help out.

That was so interesting reading about the Blarney stone etc! Thanks for sharing that.

I can't wait to see the chicks when they look more like chicks. :)

Sarah Craig said...

When we went to Ireland a few years back, I did not kiss the Blarney Stone - because I was afraid I wouldn't tip the attendant a sufficient amount to keep him from letting me drop!

I used to donate where my heart lead - then a little over a year ago, my daughter gave me a copy of "Quilting For Peace", where I read about Quilts For Kids. That got me started making quilts for them, then the ladies in my church got involved, and then the quilt ministry at our church came about - and it has now taken over all my time for most charity work. I love it, though - I've met so many wonderful and generous quilt bloggers because of it, and feel like I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing right now. What a great feeling!!

I did not realize you had ALS - we just made a quilt for a lady in our area with ALS.....

Nancy said...

I have a picture of my kissing the Blarney Stone! Smelled strangely of Lestoil which I guess is a good thing? After that, we went into the Faerie Glade and it was there I took a picture of a leprechaun! The leprechaun and the rainbow did not show up until I got the picture developed. Yes, it was 20 years ago so used film. Remember that?

Shannon said...

I want to make those stars as well. What a great cause. I have never found an embryos, I would just die if I did!

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