A week ago today, a dear family friend of ours passed away.  Her funeral was today and I wasn’t able to attend, but nevertheless I do not want her to go unnoticed.  While my dad assures me that she didn’t, it is often nice to be able to write something (privately or publicly) just to say, I noticed you.  And so I share with you all tonight.

I didn’t know Edith on a personal level, especially not like my dad did, but I did know enough about her to believe she was a woman with great strength.  I’m pretty sure that great strength came with a strong dose of stubbornness, but I’m willing to accept her that way.  I know a limited number of years of Edith’s life (basically my years).  She would have turned 96 this April, so there are a fair number of years I’m leaving out.  I don’t know when she started raising sheep, but its all I ever knew of her doing.  Her husband died in 1976 and she continued to raise her sheep alone for nearly 30 more years.  She finally let someone help with the farm when she turned 90, but she still lived alone on the farm with her sheep and dog until she was 95.

A year and a half ago, Mark and I came home to a sheep on our stairs (a separate story).  It wasn’t just any sheep though.  Edith gave the sheep to me (or maybe Matt – I can never be 100% certain until a parent confirms) when I was very young and I have treasured it all along.  It served as the donkey one year as Matt & I presented a Christmas pageant at home (our handmade cabbage patch dolls were Mary & Joseph).  And now the sheep lives in Will’s room waiting for him to get old enough to play with it lovingly.

One last story of Edith.  Edith will be known for many years and to many people as a woman of great strength.  One evening, Edith was out in the barn feeding and tending to the sheep for the evening and got knocked down breaking a leg (Dad correct me if I get any details wrong here).  It was a beautiful 60F day that day and she likely didn’t need a coat even, but it wouldn’t stay that way long.  Edith had no way of calling for help, no one was coming out to check on her soon.  Edith drug herself to the dog house and stayed there, waiting.  The next morning it was just 40F.   3 days later someone finally found her and got her the help she needed.  One can only imagine that she drank water sparingly from the dog bowl and ate what she could find.  Did I mention this was when she lived alone – when she was in her 70s (at least)?  I’m glad someone noticed her then.  Edith didn’t go unnoticed.

I will still notice her missing for many years to come.  I have posted frequently about our family tradition of Christmas caroling in the Quad Cities.  The tradition included visiting Edith’s house last before heading back to Grandma’s.  We had to visit Edith at a different location this last year, but we still made it (and she met little William).  We touched the lives of so many that night as we sang for Edith.  Will sat on his Grandpa’s shoulders, thumping his foot along to the music.  I will miss singing for Edith each year and I’ll remember her strength and courage each time I think of her.  I noticed Edith and I will for many years to come.

You can read her full obit at the Quad City Times.

Thanks to Twitter and some great friends, I’ve been getting back into sewing lately and loving every minute of it!  My first project for the year comes from a free pattern from Amy Butler that includes a small portfolio.  I initially thought it would be great to go with my new messenger bag patter, but its also a great pattern to get started back in sewing after a bit of a hiatus.

My other idea is that I can use this to carry an iPad (which will now be referred to as Susie – marketing morons).  Since Mark seems obsessed with Susie, I could easily make one for him as well by using some more masculine fabric.  A few adjustments to the measurements of the pattern and violà – a Susie carrying case!

Not use to modifying your patterns?  Its pretty simple.  First off, the pattern has the normal finished size pretty wrong.  If you start with a fabric height of 7″ and then sew 1/2 inch on each end…you end up with 6″.  So, lesson learned – account for your seam allowance!

So if you want a finished height of 10″, start with fabric height of 11″ (this pattern uses 1/2″ seam allowances around).  Then you get to choose your total width and the distance you want in the middle between the pockets.  If you want to carry thin items, you don’t need a large distance.  Thicker items (such as Susie) may require a larger distance though.  So an example would be 7″ total width with 5 1/2″ pockets.  So your larger fabric piece will be 7″ x 2 plus 1″ for seam allowances making 15″.  At this point we know we have a finished product that is 10″ x 7″.  Our large fabric is 11″ x 15″.  How about that pocket fabric?  We know it has to be 11″ tall.  Then our finished pocket width is 5 1/2″.  Add our seam allowances on and we get 6 1/2″.  We end up with a pocket fabric size of 11″ x 6 1/2″.  I didn’t change the length of the ribbon, but that is always an option.  You could also try using two sets of ribbon.

Note: these numbers were made up as I wrote this.  These are not the numbers I used to make it the size to carry Susie.  I’ll also post pictures as soon as the computer is done processing a year’s worth of video.

Its great to be back sewing and I hope to share more projects on here throughout the year.  My next project(s) are top secret for now!

I took a look back at my 2009 New Year’s Resolutions.  They were easy – well not necessarily easy to do, but mildly easy to complete, if that makes any sense.  Will had to come out somehow!  And really it makes sense, at 6 months pregnant all I could think about was getting the baby out and doing a good job after that.  I suppose I would have to say that I have completed my 2009 goals, although the “be a good mom” goal is subjective.

With that in mind I set some 2010 goals:

• Go on a date with Mark once every month
• Spend lots of time with Will
• Use mindful based stress reduction to relax and enjoy life a bit more
• Exercise 30 minutes twice a week (at a minimum!), this is of course above and beyond the constant exercising of lifting a 23lbs baby.
• Read more often than watch SG-1 on Hulu
• Take a couple of days off to help on the farm
• Read the book my dad is recommending to me about making a living farm a small acreage
• Complete 1 home improvement project
• Complete 1 sewing project

I have danced at churches for many years now and I’m in a position to pass my knowledge on to a young dancer. There are obvious things to teach her – like my approach to liturgical choreography. But, like web programming, there is much more to dancing at church than just doing the dance itself.

I know this post will be useful to a limited number of people (and not my usual readers), but I hope that someone out there finds it helpful.  Liturgical dance is an exciting dance form, but it is also the easiest dance form to overlook the logistics.  If a dancer can get a handle on these logistics in addition to the grace and beauty of dance, the churches will be coming back for more.  And while some people will find this hard to believe, a dancer that can master these can make a living at it.  Churches have dance troupes and there are church conferences that bring guest teachers in as well.

In terms of logistics, dancers often think of what to wear when dancing at church. The key is to keep it modest and build yourself a collection of colors to work with (church colors that is). A long sleeve leotard, tights, a full length flowing skirt, and a tunic work great. Its easiest to start with different colored tunics, then build your collection of skirts. I sew my own, but you can purchase these as well.

There are lots of other logistics that get glossed over though. First, who gets to select the piece? I recommend hearing music at least once before committing to doing choreography and dancing. I also recommend setting deadlines. Such as ensuring you get the music 3 or 4 weeks before the day of the service. How many weeks is really up to the individual, but know your limits. Also make sure this includes an audio copy. It should not be up to the dancer to play the song on a piano (or other instrument) when they are suppose to be dancing.

Next, communicate about rehearsing. Its easy to say yes you can dance on a given Sunday, but then forget that you need to rehearse with your accompanist (or choir, etc) in the sanctuary. There are a few key pieces here. First is timing. Make sure everyone needed is available. Second is having the rehearsals with enough time to make adjustments for tempo and other changes in the music. Rehearsing the day before the service is not recommended when you are first starting out.  I have received an audio copy that was a one temp and then gone to a rehearsal to hear a completely different tempo.  I had to re-choreograph most of the piece.  Last is having enough time for adjustments to physical space. Remember sanctuaries are not theatres. You have candleabras, baptism fountains, alters, stairs, and other various physical limitations.  It is also important to know what space is available to you.  There may be other musicians using some of the space and you need to communicate up front what space you have to use.  I’ve done an entire piece with just an aisle.

The logistics are done up front mostly for your sanity.  Remember that liturgical dance is about letting God shine through you.

I learned a lot today.  I’m thankful for a lot too, but I sure learned a lot today.

1. A cat will pee where a cat has peed before no matter how much you clean it.  I’m doing my best to salvage an infant car seat now.  Wish me luck.
2. Will is determined to walk…immediately.  He practically ran to his Grandpa earlier today (he was holding someone’s hands).  We’re lucky that he can’t stand on his own yet or pull himself up, but even those are a matter of time.  The baby gate is ready to trap him and the cabinets that need to be are safety protected!  We’re as ready as parents can be (I hope).
3. As tired as it made me the first time, I will entertain the idea of going to a mall at midnight on Thanksgiving purely to be with family.  I’m 99.9% sure I’m not going, but time with my sisters’ is precious and that 0.1% of me really wants to hang out with them.  I just keep reminding myself that Will wakes up tomorrow at 7AM regardless of how late I stay up and I will see my sisters tomorrow too.
4. You can toss together two different families, keep a few special traditions from both, and have one heck of a Thanksgiving.  So much good food!  Lots of laughter too.
5. Once babies discover a new skill, such as standing up to play with things on their changing table, they do not want to go to bed.  They don’t even want their milk to go to bed.  BUT if you toss them in the crib and turn out the lights, they suddenly realize you mean business, drink their milk, and go to bed.
6. I gave birth to a large baby.  I forget this because he’s my baby and therefore he was just the right size.  Then I tell people and they gasp and I remember – he was big.

You can probably tell that in just this one day, Will has changed a lot.  There was a time period where it seemed like he was just sitting back and watching everything go by.  It appears that time is past and he is now ready to take what he learned and put it into action.  I’m a little scared, but also very excited.  My baby boy is growing up!