Swaddling Blankets - rectangular, receiving blankets do not work (in my opinion), we make great big square ones as baby shower gifts.

"Swaddling is an age-old practice of wrapping infants in blankets or similar cloth so that movement of the limbs is tightly restricted."

Here is a video on how to swaddle, if it is a new topic to you. I suspect most of you, like me, could swaddle with your eyes closed, in the dark, in the middle of the night, still to this day. . .

I swaddle like the midwife demonstrates (personally), not like male doctor.  Middle is a very good swaddler. She practiced on a life size baby doll with a video (when a friend was having a baby). 

We use 100% cotton flannel. 

Do not EVER pay full price for anything at a fabric store or craft store, they run coupons (40-50% off) all the time. They often accept competitor's coupons. They run sales all the time.

We have the store cut the fabric so it will be a perfect square when we have cut off the selvage edge. Different bolts of fabric are different widths, even from the same manufacturer (often). We have our clerk check each bolt by measuring the fabric, selvage to selvage and looking at the width of each selvage strip. 

We cut off the selvage, turn the edges under twice (so the raw edge is captured) and sew with a small, straight stitch, all the way around four sides of the blanket. A small zigzag stitch could be used too. But the 100% cotton flannel will not be stretchy, so zigzag is not required.

After all the cutting, sewing is done, we wash twice, using hypo allergenic liquid Tide. We dry twice too, using the scent free Bounce. 

Here are the blankets we made for middle's friend:

(They are doing very well, baby arrived in May.)

Middle did NOT paint these, we found them, already painted at a craft store and they were very inexpensive. 

My books - Tender is the Night (1934) by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Wiki notes:

Tender Is the Night is a novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was his fourth and final completed novel, and was first published in Scribner's Magazine between January–April, 1934 in four issues. The title is taken from the poem "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats.

In 1932, Fitzgerald's wife Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald was hospitalized for schizophrenia in Baltimore, Maryland. The author rented the "la Paix" estate in the suburb of Towson to work on this book, the story of the rise and fall of Dick Diver, a promising young psychoanalyst and his wife, Nicole, who is also one of his patients. It was Fitzgerald's first novel in nine years, and the last that he would complete. While working on the book he several times ran out of cash and had to borrow from his editor and agent, and write short stories for commercial magazines. The early 1930s, when Fitzgerald was conceiving and working on the book, were certainly the darkest years of his life, and accordingly, the novel has its bleak elements.

Two versions of this novel are in print. The first version, published in 1934, uses flashbacks while the second revised version, prepared by Fitzgerald's friend and noted critic Malcolm Cowley on the basis of notes for a revision left by Fitzgerald, is ordered chronologically; this version was first published posthumously in 1951. Critics have suggested that Cowley's revision was undertaken due to negative reviews of the temporal  structure of the book on its first release.

In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Tender Is the Night 28th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

The version I used was a download from Audible. When I read the above information from Wiki, I sent a note to Audible's customer service, asking which version I (actually) had.

My version is narrated by Peter Marinker.
And the cover looks like this -

Audible responded -
Based on your email, I understand you want to know the version of the book you have in your account. I'll be happy to assist. I have done some research and found  the book you currently have is the original  and the other book on the website is the version his friend Crowley released.

The other book on the website, has a cover looking like this -

If by any chance you have listened to both versions. Or if you believe Audible customer service gave me the wrong information, I would appreciate an update in comments.





I read The Great Gatsby (1925) in 2012 
(it was actually a reread, I am pretty sure I read it long ago also).

I read This Side of Paradise (1920) earlier this year 
(2013).


The Great Gatsby was okay. I understood it easily, I finished it. I read it over a year ago, I remember it clearly (still today). No, I did not see the movie.

I did not care for This Side of Paradise, but I finished it. To be honest, as I sit here, a few months after reading it, I can't remember one thing about it.

I had positive expectations for Tender is the Night, because it is the later of the three books. I looked at the publish dates and thought - he got better as he went along (in his writing career) and I just didn't like the earliest book. I thought - I bet I will like Tender is the Night, I bet it will be okay . . . So, I did not go in with a negative attitude. I also did not go in with unrealistically high expectations.

It is rare I do not finish a book.

But to be honest, I listened to a couple hours of Tender is the Night, read the whole SparkNotes summary section for all the book's chapters TWICE, and then walked away from this book.

I had no interest, I wasn't sure what was going on because no part of it held my attention, I have other book deadlines. Tender is the Night was not an assigned book. It was on my To Read list of books my long standing group read before I joined.

I am clearly not a F. Scott Fitzgerald girl.

Shorts under skirts. (Middle's bloomers)

In grade school, both my girls, and all the other girls, wore shorts under their uniform jumpers (K-4) and uniform skirts (4-8). So both my girls are very used to that feel.

Youngest is very much a dress and skirt girl. But since she is so short (5') most skirts and dresses are a good length on her (now).  She still wears volleyball shorts under somethings, but not always. She wears tights on occasion and leggings. The rest of this post is about middle, because youngest's under skirt needs are good to go.




This whole thing started because middle bought a new dress while I was on the east coast. It was one we had seen, she was out shopping while I was gone, and found it on clearance, called me, I told her to go ahead and get it. The dress is on the shorter side. And is a very light color. So she needed a pair of beige/nude shorts (or something) to wear under it.

Middle also has shorter, what I would call, flirty skirts where she really needs to wear something under them.

We are not talking about butt cheek showing short dresses and skirts, we are just talking about short for our house dresses and skirts.

Volleyball shorts work a great deal of the time, but not under everything, and certainly not under light colored things.

At Macy's, Chicago loop, we found a very good solution.

These work extremely well for her.

One pair is nude/beige and the other is black.

They are just the right length on 5'4" middle.

There was another option with slightly longer 'legs' that were too long on middle. They would have hanging/hung out below dresses and skirts. They would probably work perfectly on taller women.

These are exactly enough coverage without falling below her skirt or dress hem line. And if they do show a little, in certain positions, it will be obvious to people they are not looking at her underwear. In other words, people will be relieved to see them.

And I think she wears these as shorts (under dresses and skirts) with a pair of underwear on under them. For coverage and so they do not need washed after each wearing.






She also wears tights or capris or leggings under fall/winter skirts.

I found fleece leggings last winter she loved.

She wore heavier skirts, with fleece leggins, on campus, all winter.

She has been asked if she is Mennonite, just a couple times. The people asking were not Mennonite, if they were, they would know she is not by the brightness of her skirts and the fact she cuts her hair. She has also been asked if she is Muslim. Which also cracks her up because she does not wear a head scarf. We realize not all Muslim's do. But in this area, they do. And middle looks hippy dippy trippy in many of her outfits. Her style is distinct.

She is very much a skirt or dress girl.

So, am I.

The story of my iPad, suddenly - c-h-a-r-g-i-n-g - v-e-r-y - s-l-o-w-l-y . . .

In the weeks leading up to my three weeks of travel/vacation, I had noticed my iPad was taking longer and longer to charge each time.

You might already know what I am about to say, but I did not know. And oldest didn't think to ask me the right question when I mentioned the slow charge either.

In my travels, oldest and I happened on an Apple store.

And after the clerk looked at my iPad, and did not see anything wrong with it, she led me over to a gadgets wall and pointed to a specific charger and asked if that was the one I was using.

No, it was not.

When we investigated further, I was using a phone charger and maybe an old iPod charger. I was using the right cord. But the part that plugs in the wall socket, was not the right one for an iPad.

I HAD gotten the right one with my iPad, but at some point, with all the plugs in the house, I had switched.

A iPad charger can charge a phone (if I understood correctly), but a phone charger is not strong enough to charge an iPad. A iPod charger is not strong enough for an iPad either.

Oldest said the clerk was very smart to think of this so quickly into our conversation. My guess is I am not the first 50 something to come in asking about a slow iPad charge.

The two chargers I was (incorrectly) using are on the left. The actual iPad charger is on the right. My cord works in all three.


I LOVE MY iPad. 

I have said this before - to me it is a geriatric iPod. 

Bigger screen, bigger buttons. 

And I 100% understand an iPad is not a mini lap top.

My expectation for it are realistic. 

I have learned how to work around some of the limitations. 

I use it for things it IS built TO DO.

My books - Things Fall Apart (1958) by Chinua Achebe

NOTE: One of my book group facilitators sent me this link:
NPR Best of the Summer: 6 Books the Critics Adore.







 Wiki notes:

Things Fall Apart is an English-language novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe published in 1958. It is seen as the archetypal modern African novel in English, and one of the first African novels written in English to receive global critical acclaim. It is a staple book in schools throughout Africa and widely read and studied in English-speaking countries around the world. The title of the novel comes from William Butler Yeats' poem "The Second Coming".

The novel depicts the life of Okonkwo, a leader and local wrestling champion in Umuofia—one of a fictional group of nine villages in Nigeria, inhabited by the Igbo people (in the novel, "Ibo"). It describes his family and personal history, the customs and society of the Igbo, and the influence of British colonialism and Christian missionaries on the Igbo community during the late nineteenth century.

I have certainly not read as much African literature as someone who majored in that area in school. But it does seem to be assigned pretty regularly by my three book groups.

This was a totally new book for me. I had never even heard the title.

To be honest, it was assigned with Heart of Darkness. The two books were paired as one month's reading. My husband picked up this (Heart of Darkness) CD from the library, brought it home and said he didn't think I should listen to it. I did read it long ago (maybe for lit class). So, I decided to just read the new one, Things Fall Apart, and let the other go.

Yes, this is an African book. It is not a starving children, African book (just so you know).

"Things Fall Apart is set in the 1890s and portrays the clash between Nigeria’s white colonial government and the traditional culture of the indigenous Igbo people."

The entire book is NOT about the 'clash'. Instead the majority of the book sets up the culture. And it is very interesting. It is the last part of the book which addresses the clash.

As I read the SparkNotes context section, where I got that quote (above), I could understand why my book facilitator assigned Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart together. The SparkNotes section talks about both of these books. Things Fall Apart was written as a response to Heart of Darkness.

I thought this book was most excellent. I really enjoyed it. If you remember, I loved Cry, The Beloved Country. I would put this on that same level.

It took me a little bit to get used to the African names. But the author does a good job of putting context with the name, most of the time (his third wife, his good friend, his uncle).

I listened to this whole book, straight through on a major driving day. In fact the driving was so massive, I finished The Red Pony before this book, listened to the whole of this book, and then started next week's book, all on the same day.

Things Fall Apart (very much) held my interest once I got used to the rhythm of it, early in the book.

The version I listened to was narrated by Peter Francis James. He was most excellent for this book (in my opinion). Bless his heart for getting all the African names (assumedly) correct.

More Mehndi Pictures

I apologize in advance if there are any repeat mehndi pictures. I looked and I think these are all new (to posting).  Although at least one was taken 6 months ago - the one with the Seek name tag must be from January (that is when she went).

I have no idea about the ones with all the dirty laundry as I do not recognize the floor. It is not from our house. It is not her college dorm. If it is at one of middle's friend's houses, the mom is just better off not knowing her laundry room was immortalized.

If you are interested in more mehndi, clicking on the link at the bottom of this post will take you to past posts.

No, it is not your eyes. The carpet is nicely in focus, the foot is actually out of focus. That is the one drawback of automatic focus.

The henna that middle uses comes in a tube/cone. We buy it at a middle eastern grocery store. Either the owner has a good memory for faces or middle is one of the few Caucasian shoppers, because as soon as she walks in the door, he points to the henna.

It is possible to mix henna also. Middle just is use to his supply.

(Can't say this loudly enough - NEVER use black henna nor let anyone put it on you.)

All of the above pictures are what it looks like when she first applies it. That is the best time to get a pic as the henna is very dark, in its paste form. Then that layer brushes/scrapes off and these last two pictures are what remains.

Middle went to stay with a family while youngest and I were on the east coast. She went with two full tubes. Half way through the week, they had to make an emergency run for more.

We saw an African American (very dark pigment) with white mehndi, done in sort of African looking style, this week.

My books - The Red Pony (1937) by John Steinbeck

Wiki notes:

The Red Pony is an episodic novella written by American writer John Steinbeck in 1933. The first three chapters were published in magazines from 1933–1936, and the full book was published in 1937 by Covici Friede. The stories in the book are tales of a boy named Jody Tiflin. The book has four different stories about Jody and his life on his father's California ranch. Other main characters include Carl Tiflin - Jody's father; Billy Buck - an expert in horses and a working hand on the ranch; Mrs. Tiflin - Jody's mother; and Jody's grandfather - Mrs. Tiflin's father, who has a history of crossing the Oregon Trail, and enjoys telling stories about his experiences; Gitano - an old man who comes to die at the Tiflin ranch. Along with these stories, there is a short story (taken from one of Steinbeck's earlier works, The Pastures of Heaven) at the end of the book titled "Junius Maltby." However, this last story is omitted in the edition published by Penguin Books.

In case you have read this book and are now wondering if your addition had that last story, here is a reminder:
Chapter 1 - The Gift
Chapter 2 - The Great Mountains
Chapter 3 - The Promise
Chapter 4 - The Leader of the People
Junius Maltby

Youngest just read The Red Pony and her version did not have the last story.

I found a 20+ page copy on line for her.  (Because it will bother her to have missed the last one.)

The version I listed to from Audible.com did not have the last story (Junius Maltby) either. I queried on the words "Junius Maltby" and did not find an audible version on Audible nor anywhere else on line nor at my library. I sent a note to Audible asking if they knew of a copy somewhere. However, my library did have one print version of The Red Pony which included this story.





What did youngest say about this book? She said she did not cry when one would expect. She bawled when one would not expect.

She is a crier. She cries at books, movies, plays. It does not bother her to cry. It is sort of her process. My husband cries at all those same things, plus Hallmark commercials . . .

Yes, there were very sad parts.

It is an animal story, it must be required.

Youngest does not mind if she cries, so it did not actually bother her.  It is sort of her sad meter for the book (which sometimes means to her that it was so good). But it does not impact her sleep nor her life.





It was youngest's first Steinbeck.

If you remember Steinbeck is oldest's favorite. And East of Eden is his all time favorite. So youngest was eager to add a Steinbeck to her book list.

She was a little worried about me reading it because it is animal stories.

I said I made it through Grapes of Wrath and of Mice and Men and those were people stories. So, I thought I would be fine. And I was just going to try/start out, and see how I did.

And I was fine. This book is set in the west, on a ranch, so as I said, real life happens.

If you have a good memory, you will understand my sensitivity came from being exposed to too much real life, on a farm.  

Youngest has that impression (of me) because her whole life I have not been able to handle certain kinds of stories, and now I mostly can. Not all, but much more than in the past.  Two recent things I have chosen not to subject myself to (at my husband's firm suggestion) were Unbroken and Heart of Darkness. A previous choice (not to read) was Sophie's Choice.  I have never read Unbroken, not going to read. The other two, I read long ago and made the choice not to reread.

The Red Pony - I listened to this on the road. It was a shorter stint of driving, this story (really a collection of short stories with the same characters) fit perfectly that day. Yes, real life, on a ranch can be sad. But again, like other books recently, it did not sink me (at all), it is simply what happened.

I do love Steinbeck. I love the simple language. The story he paints. Very much, he captures an era. He is never hard to understand. There are always good, universal messages in what he writes.

I thought it was most excellent.

Recommended age for this book? - I guess old enough that they are not traumatized by what happens on a ranch. And from the title, you might have guessed - what happens to horses and ponies on a ranch (which for some kids, would make a big difference.) And it is not just an age thing, but a sensitivity make up also.

More painted letters and a bonus project - the clothes pins

Here is the original post (with more pictures and information like wrapping with waxed paper only).

Hints for this post:
1. middle painted darker color first, then dry brushed lighter color on many of these.

2. She uses blue painters tape for stripes.

3. Random, often requires planning. Dots/circle designs are between lines on full names. Colors alternate every other too.

4. I usually pick colors for her. I usually suggest design. My quilting design eyes apply to many forms of art, even though I can't execute like she does.


Today's pictures are high school graduation gifts for friends (of middle). As you can see, these are more special friends than last year. Or maybe it helped that there were only a few this year instead of the masses from last year.

All of these sets are meant to hang on dorm room walls.

The J's go to one girl, the B's to another, but all drying on the same board, made a great picture.

These are regular, wooden, household clothes pins, painted, with a good quality magnet glued on the back with a hot glue gun.  

Middle's dorm (this up coming year) does not allow anything to be taped on doors. But each door has a metal frame/trim around the outside and magnets are allowed. 

She glued magnets on the back of all her door names tags too. 

Youngest had a friend visiting for part of a weekend. And they painted sets of clothes pin magnets, to use in their school lockers, too. 

And here is a multi year teaser for you. Youngest thought of a technique she can use to make painted letters for her friends in two years. She will be able to do it (she is not artistic). It will look great. She just finished her freshman year. We will do her letters the summer after junior year so they are ready for the end of an (always) busy senior year. It will probably be shocking how quickly that topic comes around to post. Time (absolutely) flies with growing kids.