I have not been able to do any sewing or much of anything since the middle of March when I finished Illegitium. Although it isn't very big, apparently it is enough to completely wreck my right arm. I am right handed, do practically everything right handed, but my arm is so painful from shoulder to fingertips that all I do right now is read. I went to my primary care doctor who thinks it is a rotator cuff issue but since I really cannot tolerate surgery again, my only recourse is rest and at some point in the future a steroid injection.

So as a cautionary tale I warn everyone not to take using your arm as a given or overworking your arm as a sign of dedication. This sucks!

Trump sucks, too, but at least some of his chickens are flying in to roost. Good that most of the action right now is in NYC--they know him best.

 Yes, we did feel and hear the earthquake yesterday here. Unfortunately, at least for our little family, it was also a very bad day because we had to have one of our cats put down. Our boy, Tom, 20 years old mostly Siamese cat, suffered from kidney issues for about two years, getting Ringers lactate infusion once a week. He stayed pretty happy and active for most of that time but went dramatically downhill this week. There just aren't any other options and pets cannot live forever. Still we are bereft and weepy right now.

Tom was sitting on my lap at 10:23 which was when the first earthquake happened. There was not a whole lot of ground shaking or anything but there was a fair amount of noise in the creaky old house built of stone. No discernible damage though. We felt the 4.8 at 10:23 but did not feel the milder earthquake later in the day.

I have been forcing myself to wait to start a new project because finishing the small Illegitimi quilt did a number on my right arm. Sometimes when I get near the end of the project I get a little carried away with finishing and don't pay as much attention to the mechanics as I should at my advanced age. So I have been suffering from tendinitis and tendinopathy for  a couple of weeks. Once I am more or less repaired I will make my husband a quilt featuring his favorite dog, our old border collie who has been in dog heaven for several years. 

My arm problems weren't helped by my long competitive swimming career but what really brought the issue to the fore was having polished black granite in my old house in Utah. Keeping those counters polished led to most of the recurring issues although doing my own plastering and sanding, in addition to the hand sewing, was also a contributing factor. So take heed because this is not a whole lot of fun. Since I cannot sew right now, I have been reading a lot of books in addition to the literary journals and other periodicals I get. I used to be timed at reading more than 500 words a minute so having a good public library nearby is a wonderful resource for me. When the weather is nice we even walk there as it is only a little over a mile away. The weather hasn't been that nice so far this year but we did get one library walk in last week.

 

 If anyone was wondering what Jared Kushner was doing with the $2billion dollars MBS and the other Saudis gave him, wonder no more. Good old Jared proposed that Gaza be turned into beachfront resorts and property. If anyone thinks that is a good idea, consider that Jared proposed this just over a month ago when fighting in Gaza had already killed more than 20,000 people, about 50% of whom were children. Must be nothing quite so thrilling as swimming and lazing around in the blood of innocents, regardless of religion or ethnicity. Jared went on to say that the situation was unfortunate, an understatement of enormous proportions. I can't wait to see the advertising. 

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2024/03/20/jared-kushner-gaza-waterfront-property-valuable-trump-israel-sot-vpx.cnn

 Thank you, Anne. This is one project that I know has never been made or copied before so it is unique from the jump. I often adapt other quilters' designs to suit my own choices but this was hand drawn by me. Of course I don't care if someone now copies it.

 Here is a photo of the completed project. For me this is a flag for all seasons and a motto to live by.

 Seems as though Trump might be more exposed in the near future. It is currently reported that he cannot make his bond in the NY fraud case. He approached thirty insurance brokers to secure the bond for the $400+ million dollar fine, telling them they could use his real estate as collateral but that would mean they would be responsible for the properties. That is not a deal anyone wants to touch.

Where will he go next? Inquiring minds want to know.

Chortling ensues.

 Trump keeps bringing up January 6th as if that were an event that deserves praise and recognition. He has already promised to free what he calls the "hostages" of January 6th. The insanity of that notion resonates with his supporters as if it were the Boston Tea Party or some other noteworthy historical event. It was noteworthy but not for any admirable ideas or actions.

One of the hallmarks of our nation as a democratic republic is that power transfers seamlessly. Or at least that's what happened until Trump lost the election. The man is so deranged and so narcissistic that he could not take the loss as a gentleman but had to deny the loss as a monster. Unfortunately his Trumpettes are swayed by what they think is fighting for the country rather than fighting against the country. 

My Twelfth Night entry on this blog was written contemporaneously with the violent incursion. My own deep love of the country and our history informed my observation of crazed thugs destroying what has always been a revered moment when the people's voices are recognized officially.

So it should not be a surprise that those who continue to deny what is truly great about this country--that we can individually and as a group choose by ballot to shift the government to a different path--follow their deranged hero into destroying that which makes us great.

In 1956 I was living in Heidelberg, Germany, with my family. The Russians invaded Hungary. The US went on high alert as they expected confrontation. That meant that my family, along with thousands of other families, were evacuated from Europe. While war was expected, it did not happen. The US decided to let Hungary wither under communist control for decades.

Now Trump is hobnobbing with Victor Orban, the leader of Hungary who has convinced Trump that a strong leader has ultimate control and ultimate power.

Do you Trumpettes agree with that? If you do, you need to go back and read your junior high history books. Our democratic republic may be messy and disorderly but we don't need dictators to tell us what is good or right. Each of us has a responsibility and the freedom to prevent that. 

 When the Emperor had no clothes the people were astonished.  At least that's what happened in the old children's story that was supposed to be a lesson in disguise. So what do folks think about Trump finding himself unable to cover his nakedness. He not only doesn't have $400M in cash as Alina Habba claimed, he doesn't even have a quarter of that amount. I would say, "Liar, liar, pants on fire!" except too many think he is just being cautious with his cash.

To that I ask, since when has Trump ever been cautious about anything? Another "time was" sort of commentary simply shows how far we have fallen from the ethical and moral and how close we are to utter chaos. It would be nice if I thought that it doesn't make any difference but it makes all the difference in the world. We support murderous thugs so what's another reprobate or two?

My "Illegitimi non carborundum" is quite small so the quilting is moving along swiftly. I am already thinking about my next project which will be a departure from my norm in some ways.

Here is a picture of my new ongoing project. I just layered and basted it and have done a very small amount of quilting--on the feathered heart. It definitely isn't as elaborate as true illuminated texts but most of the appliqued elements are from those ancient manuscripts.

"Illegitimi non carborundum" is an old dog Latin phrase that colloquially means, "Don't let the bastards grind you down."  

Many might suppose that I am chortling over the verdict and judgment in Trump's civil fraud trial but my overwhelming emotion is sorrow. Now the real falsehoods will begin multiplying with dizzying rapidity like a virus in a petri dish. Unless and until better people stand up to run for office we will continue to have Trump, Santos, Menendez and their ilk not only in charge of the grand idea that is the United States but the hearts, minds, and pocketbooks of its citizens. It is unfortunate that Pinocchio is just a fairy tale. At least if noses grew at the utterance of a lie, we would be forewarned, not that we weren't aware of the issues surrounding and encompassing at least two of the three on my list. 

I have finished the main applique of my new project, but there are embroidered elements and some very small "dots" to add before the next phase which is going to be lettering.

 Unknown (in this case it is Anne Kirby) is using the same logic as Trump. 2% is the target number not the required number and all contribute, a fact that even Anne recognizes in her comment: "Non-US allies will AIM to meet the goal." There are no warning letters from creditors and NATO does not kick countries out for non-payment as landlords do. That would defeat the entire purpose of NATO. 

The primary point of my post was to point out that keeping the peace is a better way to prosperity, something that was blindingly obvious after WWI let alone WWII. That, after all, was the thrust of Eisenhower's warning about the military industrial complex (1961). Trump went further than that in his condemnation of those countries he considers deadbeats (a concept with which he is familiar). He clearly said he would invite invasion and destruction, outcomes that are hardly admirable. Trump fails. 

This is directly from the NATO site and describes the indirect and direct funding. I include this as there seems to be some confusion about who is responsible for what:  https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_67655.htm

 If you have memories of particularly bad flights, you might not be able to claim , "Worst flight ever," unless this happened as well:

https://airlive.net/news/2024/02/14/delta-flight-dl133-returned-to-schiphol-because-maggots-were-falling-on-passengers-from-overhead/

 Can feuding US citizens agree that at the very least we need some sort of functional governance? The various voting debacles that happened yesterday demonstrate fully that the Republican House cannot even follow through on their own plans and schemes let alone meet in comity with each other, and forget about any other political persuasion. Senator Lankford (R) of Oklahoma is reliably conservative. He worked diligently to produce legislation that, if followed, would certainly slow the flood of desperation at the southern border to provide stability and predictability. A reasonable person would have supposed that the House would have been eager to support this effort after so many years of complaints, but no--that simple step was beyond them.

Surveys typically show that Americans like their own representatives even when they hate yours. How do they feel now? My guess is the MAGA crowd thinks the situation is just swell as they always claim that DC is dysfunctional.  It sure is now with the chief MAGgot holding them with his tiny brain and smaller hands. If they do not do anything we the people should be able to withhold their paychecks.

The best way to fire them is to vote them out.

 Another frabjous day with loads of schadenfreude. Trump found not immune from criminal prosecution.

 While it is difficult for me to fathom why anyone still supports Trump, seeing women do so is downright astonishing and more than a little repulsive. Men are feckless creatures. It's in their biology and in their culture and upbringing and it doesn't matter much what culture it is. But women are naturally more contemplative. 

When Roberta Kaplan, the Harvard educated lawyer who represented E. Jean Carroll, described some of her meetings with Trump this week, I wasn't surprised that he behaved badly to the point of throwing things, but I was at first a little puzzled about some of the verbal exchanges. I am somewhat embarrassed to say that "See you next Tuesday," did not resonate with me initially. I admit that the word this phrase represents is not one that is normally in my vocabulary, but it clearly is in Trump's.

I am a feminist. I am not a shrinking violet and I have been known to use salty language even in inappropriate situations, but I have never in my life called a woman a "cunt", "pussy", or "chick", or any of the other crude or rude and demeaning words that predominate in some men's discourse, nor did I allow any of my three sons to do so. That a candidate for the highest elected office in the country does so says far more about him than his imagination can grasp.

It also says a great deal about the people, male and female, who cheer him on for uttering language that demeans, abuses, and insults all women everywhere. I had to listen to The Deadly Nightshade to rid my head of Trump's abuse.

 My latest quilt project is ongoing but will take some time. I am calling it Illuminatio right now because I have adapted some old illuminated manuscript designs to applique. I am not making it as dense with design as those handwritten  and hand painted treasures but it will have some fairly elaborate applique. I was intrigued by the work of the Irish monks who produced the Book of Kells which my husband and I saw in Dublin. Zena Thorpe has made a few very wonderful illuminated quilts but her tolerance for lots and lots of small pieces and lots and lots of detail is far greater than mine. Then there is her skill which exceeds mine as well. Her work is far more true to the classic but mine will include some of those classic elements. My colors are very bright and vibrant (surprise, surprise) as were the inks and paints the monks used but my background fabric is very bright where the monks' works were on parchment, sort of off white. I was fascinated to see that the ancient designs included what our family has always known as the family crest. My husband asked how the design made it from Japan to Ireland, or vice versa but I don't know that it did. Seems more likely that disparate people in many places simply had the same idea. I don't know of any trips between the two parts of the world in the time frame of the Book of Kells or even any other of the well-known manuscripts which were produced in the fairly long time frame before the printing press ended the need for that handwork. There is a very good book about some of the more famous works by Christopher de Hamel if you have any interest in finding out more or seeing the amazing and delightful drawings, not to mention the great calligraphy.

 Dear Unknown Who Stands With Texas,

It is so refreshing to have comments from someone who doesn't care about looking foolish. That is the whole point of freedom of speech.

Thank you for reading,

p

 New broom same as the old broom. Looks as though Speaker Johnson is hearing his master's voice in his head. After fussing and fighting and pointing fingers at each other over the southern border, Johnson says the border deal being worked out in the Senate will not pass the House. The reason is that Trump doesn't want any deal that gives any advantage to Biden. So the border deal is no longer a high priority at all. The hypocrisy and chicanery that this represents is stunning.

https://www.politico.com/matt-wuerker-cartoons-january-2024?slide=0

 What with all of the side trips to make quilted clothing, it took me longer than expected to finish this project, one that ended very far from where it began. I made the quilted bomber jacket for son #3 and then I made a lined, appliqued kimono jacket for his wife. She must not like it because I asked her to send a picture of her wearing the jacket but that was two weeks ago and I haven't gotten anything in response. Oh well, can't make everyone happy.

This quilt was going to be a four block but then life happened and it ended up one block on point with extensive quilting. The other issue besides the DIL was that despite being prewashed one of the red berry fabrics bled like a champ. I don't know what the chemical explanation is for red fabric turning against the sewer years after pre-wash. Just another, "Oh well," moment. Since this all happened in the middle of another bout of low grade nausea this simple block turned into a chore. This started as a Kim Diehl quilt but as usual I didn't like all of the original elements so I eliminated some and added others.

This is called Persephone because it made me think of the myth related to her and pomegranates.

 Between my age and my mood my work is not as precise as I would like. Another "Oh well" or perhaps there should be a change in spelling.

 Trump is on a tear through Iowa, making bizarre remarks and ridiculous promises. He told a group of frightened parents concerned about the Iowa school shooting that killed a sixth grader to "get over it". He said that the US Civil War could have been "negotiated" to reach a settlement that did not involve hundreds of thousand of lost lives without giving any hints or clues how one might negotiate with slave owners. He promised that if elected he would get rid of the ACA (Obamacare) without revealing any plans at all as to how he would make health insurance better, more affordable, more accessible. Of course at this point even Trumpettes whose reasoning skills need honing might know that those ACA promises are empty as a pocket since the same promises came from those same lips more than seven years ago with nothing at all behind them. Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, told interviewers that Trump would easily succeed in his challenges to the Supreme Court because Brett Kavanaugh owed Trump everything in his life, a statement that should shock the conscience of all but clearly did not.

Basta!