Raw Milk Uproar

Another unbelievable move by the Federal government:  A sting operation to crack down on Amish farmers selling raw milk.  A stink operation?!?  It is the Amish!  This is, yet again, another example of government overreaching and waste.  What did our ancestors do before pasteurization??  From what I am finding, pasteurization did not begin in the US until 1947.  Not that long ago.  

From this report, the customers are very pleased with their product and are up in arms with this government intrusion.

Our children were raised on raw milk.  They all now lead productive, healthy adult lives.  (I like to think that raw milk is not the only reason.)  Once you've tasted fresh, raw milk the other stuff tastes like there has been water added to it. 

With everything else going on in this country, why does the government feel the need to "control" raw milk to such an extreme?  Big Food?  Big Milk?

It is Ready for Ada...finally

Ada is now over a year old. 

Since my only daughter was expecting her first child, I wanted to make a special quilt.  Emily loves the reproduction 30s and 40s fabrics.  So I chose some of those.  Em also likes "random".  This means that, unlike her mother, she prefers the abstract.  She does not like the standard quilt block designs.  Being someone who needs a pattern for any project no matter the difficulty, this presented some problems for me.  The first was working outside my comfort zone for most of the piecing of this project.  Triangles are easy, right??  RIGHT??  Well, not for me, it seems.

It wasn't long into my quilting career that I discovered that my piecing abilities were shabby at best.  But give me a piece of plain muslin marked with a beautiful design, and I'm in my element.

This project was begun not long after we heard about the upcoming blessed event.   Once I came up with a pattern, I was able to get the thing pieced.  I really thought it would be easy enough.  So much went wrong and I nearly threw the thing away twice.  Then came summer and garden and outside chores.  It is rather uncomfortable to quilt in the summer...so warm with all that fabric in your lap.  Hence, the delay.

It was my hope to have it done by Christmas, but that didn't quite happen.  But, today it is done!!

Here are some pictures of my progress:

Since this is just a small quilt, I like to do it in a big hoop.  The pins are basting pins that hold the whole thing together while it is being quilted.  Here I'm working on the outside border, which is a Celtic braid.  Emily and her husband had been to Ireland, so I thought the border would be appropriate.

Here is a view of the "random" triangles and leaf design down the center panels.  The hoop needed to be moved to work on another area.

This is the binding that is being pinned on to the edges.

 Sewing the binding to the edge.

Now the binding is turned to the back side to be sewn by hand.  (The corner really is quilted.  It just didn't show up on the picture.)

Done!

I hope that Ada enjoys her quilt.  It was certainly a joy to stitch for her.  One blessing about quilting is that it is easy to pray for the person receiving the quilt.  My stitches were made with prayers that Ada will come to know Christ at an early age.  

Emily's next baby is on the way, so I need to get to work.  The next quilt will not have this much quilting.  At least I don't think so.  It doesn't look like it will be done before the big arrival in July.  I have started marking it, though.  At least that is a start. 

Let those that are united to me in tender ties

   be precious in thy sight and devoted to thy glory.

Let not those of my family who are amiable, moral, attractive,

   fall short of heaven at last;

Grant that the promising appearances of a tender conscience,

   soft heart, the alarms and delights of thy Word,

   be not finally blotted out,

   but bring forth judgment unto victory in all whom I love.

--an excerpt from The Family in The Valley of Vision

Signs of Spring

It seems spring is slow in arriving this year...or is it just me feeling a bit elderly?

On a walk around the garden lately, I did see some signs of spring...

 
Yep!  That is rhubarb making it's appearance.  Not real impressive, I know, but still ya have to take what you can get.  Can't wait for rhubarb crisp!!

Some of my bulbs are up and the croci have bloomed adding some much desired color.

 There is our little bit of color. 

It is obvious that this winter has left quite a bit of tree shrapnel in the yard.  There are pine cones, branches and bark all over the yard.  Going to be quite a bit of work this spring cleaning up.

Blessed Creator,
Thou hast promised thy beloved sleep;
Give me restoring rest needful for tomorrow's toil.
If dreams be mine, let them not be tinged with evil.
Let thy Spirit make my time of repose a blessed temple of his holy presence.

Help me when I helpless lie,
   when my conscience accuses me of sin,
   when my mind is harassed by foreboding thoughts,
   when my eyes are held awake by personal anxieties.

Show thyself to me as the God of all grace, love and power;
   thou hast a balm for every wound,
     a solace for all anguish,
     a remedy for every pain,
     a peace for all disquietude.
Permit me to commit myself to thee awake or asleep.

~ an excerpt from "Sleep" from The Valley of Vision