RECIPE FOR THE YEAR

Here is a recipe for the New Year

Take twelve fine, full grown months.  See that these are thoroughly free from all old memories of bitterness, rancor, hate and jealousy; cleanse them completely from every clinging spite.

Pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are free from all the past negative habits.  Keep them as fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of time.

This batch will  keep for just ONE YEAR.  Do not attempt to make a whole batch at once, but prepare one day at a time as follows:

24 parts of faith
23 parts of patience
20 of courage
18 of work
8 of prayer
6 of meditation
1 well-thought out resolution

If you have no conscientious scruples, add these four parts (highly recommended):
A dash of fun
A pinch of folly
A sprinkling of play
A heaping cupful of good humor

May you make a good year.

I found that among old papers and clippings.  This one is from a newspaper article in the 1960's.  

* * * * *

The Monday night sewing/quilting ladies have been together now for about eleven years. We have solved many world issues (no one else listens to us) and have had a great deal of fun together. We have cried together over family deaths, laughed over funny antics, changed jobs, traveled together, retired, moved our homes, seen grandbabies born, prayed together, shared deep hurts as well as profound happiness .... and have created LOTS OF FABRIC SCRAPS in the process of sewing quilts.  Wonderfully Kind is very practical.  She wanted us to use up our scraps making some new quilts.  First we shared squares and made friendship quilts which we kept and treasure as memories of each other and the various creations we put together.  Now Wonderfully Kind has been cutting (for a year or so!!!!) scraps into six inch long strips of one to two inch widths which we put together in patterns.  
Here are a few examples:

And.......

A local quilt shop had contacts in Tennessee, and they arranged for a truckload (maybe more) to transport handmade quilts to the people who lost homes and possessions in the Appalachian Fires.  Guess what? We were able to send four of our quilts on the truck. Even better .... we have four more in the works.  We will begin a new pattern for our scraps soon and send more to people who NEED to be kept warm and to know they are cared for and loved.  

We feel that is a good way to start 2017.

I wish you blessings, love and much happiness in the coming year .... and a warm cup of tea too!

Janet