Category Archives: Thoughts

Layers of Lace

13 Monday Feb 2012

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I wondered to what extent people remained the same
as they’d been when very young;
if one peeled back the layers of living
one would come to the know the child.
[Dick Francis]

My thoughts have rambled this morning as I tidied up from my weekend activities. One of those activities was teaching a lace knitting workshop. I carried the samples spread out on a circular board so they wouldn’t muss. It got me to thinking about the metaphor of layers.

I follow a blog by a gentleman named, Tom Basson. Today’s post fit in with my musings, A Better Story. Here is what grabbed me:

Stories are universal – crossing boundaries of language, culture and age. We can all relate to stories, and it is in the context of narrative that the human heart truly responds. In fact, people have been telling and responding to stories since the beginning of time. It’s how most cultures pass on information from generation to generation.

Interestingly, recent evidence from neurology and psychology is confirming that humans think in narrative structures. Concepts conveyed in story form – more than ideas explained with logic and analysis – imprint themselves naturally into human minds.

It’s why we can remember a book or a film from years back, but can’t remember the PowerPoint we saw 10 minutes ago.

A good story has many layers just like my stack of lace. Even my lace has a story. A hundred years ago (for real), Mama first knit lace because string was free. She saved it from packages wrapped at the general store. Fifty years ago, I first knit lace because a ball of string cost less than a dollar, could entertain me for a hundred hours, and produced a more spectacular gift than I could afford to buy. It also became a way to meditate. The hours I spent knitting lace were relaxed and focused on something complex but beautiful. Now, my daughter knits lace.

So, is there a book in those few sentences? Should I call it, The Lace Knitters and make it one of those epics that move from generation to generation with layers of challenges and characters?

FOOTNOTE: Mama and I were eating a holiday meal at her retirement home when I commented upon how grumpy some of the people were. She told me, “The older you get, the more you will realize that people might acquire more layers, but underneath if they are a grumpy old person, you can bet that they were a grumpy child. If someone is a sweet-natured oldster, they were a sweet-natured child.”

Gift of Friendship

10 Friday Feb 2012

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Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love,
the things you are, the things you never want to lose.
[Kevin Arnold]

My knitting friend, Gloria Johnson, died yesterday with her cat, Mai Tai, and her husband, Allen, keeping vigil at her side. I met her many years ago at Meg Swansen’s Schoolhouse Press’ Knitting Camp in Wisconsin. She was with a group of knitters from Dayton, Ohio where she lived. Over time, I joined the Dayton Knitting Guild and made such good friends. Gloria edited the DKG newsletter, The Call of the Wool. In the course of time, she and her friend, Patsy McCoy, organized a knitting retreat in New Harmony, Indiana. I’ve attended, been refreshed, and returned home enriched and inspired ever since. We lost Patsy five years ago and Gloria soldiered on with the help of her husband, Allen, ever since in spite of the fact that she has been gravely ill.

We have lost so many knitting friends in the past few years: Joyce, Eunice, Teresa, Patsy, Gloria, and Barb S. among others including Elizabeth and Mama. My idea of heaven is clouds of yarn and the folks I love knitting lace and colorful patterns for the snow and the rainbows.

Now, about the photo. It is a Cocoon and the pattern came from Gloria. Patsy knit one as a sample for New Harmony the last year she was there. I came home, altered the pattern for finer yarn and knit the jacket in the photo. I am sitting here with it on as I write. My two friends gave me the gift of their knowledge, and inspiration. I want to remember them by passing it on to any knitters who might want yet another project. SELECT THIS LINK to download the printable PDF Cocoon pattern.

eBook Production

20 Friday Jan 2012

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Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.
[Mahatma Gandhi]

I’ve been following various news blurbs and discussions about the iBooks Author software release. The main dissenting voices have discussed the Apple license stipulation that the books produced in iBooks Author are only to be sold in the iBook store (or something to that effect). These discussions display varying degrees of alarm. Other that that, I’ve read little else against Apple’s new, free software. Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. I was delighted when I could trade my bottle of rubber cement for a waxing machine back when I pasted up art boards for print production. When I saw how clean a Linotronic printed out a ruled line, I never again used a ruling pen. So I’m certainly going to give iBooks Author a try. My publishing production output is too small to use Adobe© Digital Publishing Suite in order to get a book prepared for the iBook store in the form I imagined.

My one self-imposed rule has always been, only move to a new technology if it meets or improves upon the industry standards. If I can produce a nicely designed, bug-free, multimedia, interactive eBook to sell in the iBook store with iBooks Author without having to stand on my head and hold my mouth right, then I’ll do it. Then I’ll lay out the book in other ways to sell in other places which takes me to my next point…

2. Books used to be produced only in hard cover. Then they went into two versions, hard cover and paperback. Now books are often published in multiple versions—hard cover, paperback, PDF format, ePub, Kindle format, etc. I just assume I’ll be producing books in multiple formats. This often requires specialized layouts, and tweaking electronic files differently depending upon where the book will be sold. I bend one way to fix an eBook to sell on Amazon, and another way to sell on Barnes & Noble. For images, print requires a higher resolution than other publishing routes. I try to do whatever sells a good quality book.

3. InDesign will continue to be my layout application of choice I am sure (I used to say that about Quark XPress). However, I can already see how I can use the assets (photos, text, illustrations, etc.) that I use in an InDesign layout to assemble an iBook Author book.

The bottom line? I’ll keep my eye on my goal and stay flexible in considering solutions to production issues.

iBooks Author

20 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by in Favorite Things, Review, Thoughts, Writing

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Without the playing with fantasy
no creative work has ever yet come to birth.
The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable.
[Carl Jung]

I’ve been waiting for this since 1961. Back then I had a summer job through an Indiana University research grant. In the study, one group of children sat in a traditional classroom to learn reading skills. The members of the other group received individual instruction using a mechanical device. The device used scrolled paper to lead the student through practice cycles. I was a machine facilitator. On the bus ride home after each session, I dreamed of a science-fiction device that would replace the clunky machine.

I was a nursing instructor in the early 70s when I took a course about developing self-instructional packages. I even wrote a package that focused upon learning how to compose and evaluate a plan in a variety of settings. Since it was non-linear, I realized I needed to have control over the book design process so I went back to school. I studied graphic design and have focused upon publication design ever since.

When I bought my first personal computer in 1982 (4k and no hard drive or software), I taught myself basic programming so I could compose small learning packages. I recall that my first program had something to do with multiplication tables. When it worked, I thought about the twenty years of baby steps I’d taken toward the kind of learning tool I dreamed about in 1961.

Having spent hours formatting eBooks in the past couple of years, and searching for ways to create interactive, enhanced books without having to learn programming, I told myself that we are getting close. Then I read the news on my iPad last night and saw an article about iBooks Author. I fell asleep and dreamed of the science-fiction device I used to think about riding the bus. In the middle of the night, I awoke and knew I’d not go back to sleep until I fired up my computer and installed iBooks Author.

When I opened this software, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I am familiar with the interface because it is similar to other Apple applications so I only have to learn some details. Then I’ll kick start my imagination, and I am on my way to doing what I dreamed about 50 years ago.

5 Thoughts for 2012

12 Thursday Jan 2012

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There is a fountain of youth:
it is your mind, your talents,
the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love.
When you learn to tap this source,
you will truly have defeated age.
[Sophia Loren]

By this time next year, I will have passed my 70th birthday. Seven decades of observing life in this world has influenced my opinions. I’m not saying that my opinions are wise or even accurate, but they do reflect what I have experienced since 1942, and will likely influence the course of my seventh decade. Here are five (in no particular order):

1. … about work and retirement: I love my work. By work, I mean, the way I earn my living. I illustrate, design publications of many sorts (print, electronic, etc.), design needle art patterns, and teach the skills I’ve learned over the years. Except for the decade I worked as a nurse, I’ve been self-employed most of my adulthood. Every job I finished left me out of work until I found another project to do. Fortunately most of my jobs overlapped so I have kept a roof over my head and food on my table. I have also had fun, been motivated to keep learning, and have been enriched by the creative people who are my clients. Why would I want to retire?

2. … about politics and governing: Winston Churchill said a couple of things I keep in mind, especially during an election year:

Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

I am thankful that the governments of the USA (state and national) try to function as democracies. Even so, it is messy. It brings out the best in a few people and the worst in most people. I’ve learned over the years that it isn’t bad to see the worst in some people—some folks’ worst isn’t all that bad. The trouble is, many people express poorly researched or totally ignorant opinions. Even worse, some of those people are candidates. That is why I love to study history. It puts current events into a tolerable perspective. History is replete with examples of arrogance, folly, and small-mindedness. At least our era is maintaining some sort of tradition. Will Roger’s words are timeless:

This country has gotten where it is in spite of politics, not by the aid of it. That we have carried as much political bunk as we have and still survived shows we are a super nation.

3. … about civility: I think that civility starts at home so I am constantly having to be a gatekeeper for my thoughts and words. Lack of civility seems to grow out of being irrationally judgmental and self-serving. Unfortunately, I observe the lack of civility every time I go out into the world, even if it is just through my TV. I agree with Emmylou Harris’ words:

As citizens we have to be more thoughtful and more educated and more informed. I turn on the TV and I see these grown people screaming at each other, and I think, well, if we don’t get our civility back, we’re in trouble.

I often eat at a local cafe and overhear other conversations. My reaction to the lack of civility is downright uncivil. That brings me back to where I started with this. The only thing I can do about the lack of civility in our society is to strive to be civil myself. I imagine civility is related somehow to grace and forgiveness.

4. … about creativity: I believe everyone is creative. Some people haven’t nurtured the creative part of their human nature, but I believe it is still there. For me, one idea crowds out another in such rapid succession that I feel like I need to shift my mind into low gear to capture even one. It is a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing in that it is a positive, soaring experience that puts the frosting on the cake of life. It is a curse in that it is hard to sort the better ideas from the rest, and it takes so long to bring even one idea into a tangible state. If I were boiled down to my essence, I pray that essence would be love and gratitude wrapped in creativity.

5. … about maturing: I’ve never been afraid of aging, but I’ve often been afraid I’d never truly mature. I have a friend who says, “Some folks live forty years, and other folks live one year forty times.” My perspective has certainly changed over the years so I haven’t lived the same year over and over. I’ve learned from most of my mistakes. My seventh decade was the best of all (so far) so I look at tomorrow with anticipation rather than dread. Also, I’ve finally learned to fill the present moment with my best effort.

Another Christmas Story

24 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by in History, Thoughts, Writing

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The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:
the presence of a happy family
all wrapped up in each other.
[Burton Hillis]

In the late 1940s, my Aunt Esther was working on a masters degree in children’s book illustration when she composed and illustrated a book that told the story of my grandmother’s childhood in Kansas—Little Sister Sunflower. One episode in the book tells about the doll in the pink dress in this photo that I snapped this morning.

Gertrude Chamberlain, age 6

My grandmother, Gertrude Chamberlain nee Black (the Sunflower), was born in 1877. This Christmas story took place on Christmas Eve when she was six.

It was just the kind of weather for Christmas. It looked like the Currier and Ives print hanging in the front parlor. Snow covered this Kansas world, and the clouds were so low they looked like they were resting their elbows on the tree tops.

The Sunflower was leaning on the windowsill, blowing her breath on the windowpane. “Night will never come. It will just never come,” the little girl murmured.

Tonight was the district Christmas tree at Peebler school house. Ma had worked in the front parlor with the door closed most of the afternoon. Pa and the boys had the chores done. The sleigh stood at the back gate.

It was finally supper time, but the Sunflower was too excited to eat. Everything was so wonderful at Christmas time. The house smelled good with cedar and cookies and molasses taffy and good nature.

The Sunflower, as I remember her

Ma put on the Sunflower’s best dress of dark wool over her small hoop. Then she bundled the squirming child into the red velvet cloak and hood. Myrtle wrapped hot bricks in paper for foot warmers, and pa carried the box of gifts out to the sleigh. At last, they were finally in the sleigh. Francis and John William rode along side on horses.

The Sunflower closed her eyes. She had waited all day for this moment. The team dashed through the lot gate to the music of the sleigh bells on their harness. It was a merry trip with laughter and greetings to neighbors along the way.

The school house was packed. Each family in the district had brought their gifts to put under the community tree. The sunflower’s eyes were wide with wonder and amazement as she gazed at the tree with its hundreds of gleaming candles. Each time someone opened the school house door, the candle flames would bend and dance.

Almost at the top of the tree, tied to a big limb, was a beautiful doll. Her china head with painted hair glistened in the candle light. The Sunflower was sure the doll’s blue eyes were looking directly at her.

Santa Claus came in with a flurry of snow and sleigh bells. He laughed and began to hand out the gifts, but the Sunflower didn’t even hear what Santa was saying. She was carrying on an imaginary conversation with the beautiful doll.  Wonder who would get her? The Snarr girls? They never took care of their playthings. Maybe it was little Florence or Mattie Belle Deweese.

Jack Keck, who was helping Santa give out the presents, reached up and took down the lovely doll. He looked at the name tag and read out loud, “Miss Gertrude Chamberlain!”

The Sunflower couldn’t breathe, but she held out her six-year-old arms to receive the precious gift. The doll was almost as tall as the little girl. It had tiny china hands, and feet with painted shoes. It wore a dress like the Sunflower’s and had three starched petticoats.

The child held the doll close, kissing the cool china head over and over again. She saw no more of the Christmas party.

—Esther F. Clark, Little Sister Sunflower, 1948

Lincoln Star Quilt—Finished

22 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting, Quilting, Thoughts

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I keep my end tables full of
knitting and quilting
so I don’t have to dust them.

I’ve dressed up my bedroom for the holidays. My new quilt (Lincoln Star) is finished so I paired it with new, navy blue flannel sheets. The pillow slips were sewn by Darlene, one of my knitting students. I love the touch of red she added to the cuffs. The small pillows are samples from one of the fall knitting classes that I taught at Sarah Jane’s. They are variations of the heirloom counterpane pattern. The bargello quilt wall hanging above the bed was made by my daughter, Ellen, the lamp was turned from wild cherry wood by my father, and the bedstead was handmade from walnut wood by a gentleman here in Indiana. I cleared my knitting off of the end table to take the photo.

Winter days are very short in northern Indiana so, when it gets dark, my little dog and I curl up in this cozy warmth. He naps while I knit and read. How can I be anything less than happy?

Advent Calendar

15 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Review, Thoughts

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If we have no peace,
it is because we have forgotten
that we belong to each other.
[Mother Teresa]

Jacquie Lawson, an artist in the United Kingdom, offers the most charming eCards and eNotes that I’ve encountered. Her drawings are delightful. The image above is a screen shot of one of the Advent calendars she offers. She also offers a version that can be viewed on an iPad. Every day, a new number is highlighted. When it is selected, a charming animation plays along with a seasonal tune. I am enchanted, especially when I look at it at night, and the sky is darkened with the lights sparkling.

My friend, Jane Roberts, sent this to me as a gift and I’ve shared it with other folks. My biggest curiosity is about the technology behind these fascinating presentations. How does she do that?

Today’s The Day

11 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by in History, Nursing, Thoughts

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In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.
[Jose Narosky]

November 11 is the day I thank the powers that be for the opportunities I’ve had in life. I served from 1963 to 1969 so that makes me a Navy veteran, but I’m not a veteran in the sense that most people think of when they say veteran. I’ve never manned a gun in a ball turret, nor have I crouched in a fox hole next to a wounded buddy. I’ve never stormed a beach, driven a tank along a mined road, nor waded through a rice paddy with an M-16 in my hands. I wasn’t the 17-year old in bed #9 with a missing leg, and thousand-yard stare.

The Navy paid for my last two years of college, and I simply spent the next four years doing the same work I’d have done if I’d been a civilian, but getting better pay. The Navy launched me into my adulthood and shaped the direction of my life. I learned to grieve. I learned to serve. I learned to say, “No excuse, Sir.” I learned to truly care. I learned to hate the war, but love the warriors. I grew up.

First Things First

10 Thursday Nov 2011

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The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
[Clement C. Moore]

Knitters usually get a jump on the winter holiday season. That’s because it takes awhile to finish knitted projects. This year, I set priorities. The newest child gets a Christmas stocking designed and knit by Grandma, brass tag and jingle bells included. I finished it today. This stocking goes to Malcolm Dean Smith who was born in June. Two years ago I posted photos of two other Christmas stockings at these links: Cole’s stocking (Malcolm’s big brother) and Owain’s stocking (Malcolm’s cousin).

I don’t always meet my self-imposed deadlines. I’m sure it is a joke in my family (the members of which are too kind to mention it to my face) that I’ve often given gifts wrapped with the needles still in live stitches. I did offer to finish it for them although some might tell you that they never saw it again. Now I can check my gift list to see who is next.