Congratulations to my Daughter!

Fair warning -- I'm going to brag about my child in this post. :)

My daughter just finished her freshman year of college. She's an English major with an European History minor (I know...I've heard it many times from family and friends...waste of time, waste of money, waste of a good mind, etc.). Her concentration is Writing and Literacy, the most practical of all the concentrations.

This semester her writing professor personally escorted her to the campus Writing Center to recommend her as a candidate for a Writing Fellowship. This graduate-level seminar trains students to become writing tutors. Upon successful completion of the program, she will be certified as a writing tutor and begin working at the Writing Center.

They take a maximum of 12 students for the school year. Two professor recommendations were required, along with her writing portfolio and an interview. As I said, this is a graduate-level program and she was told, at the start of the process, that they rarely accept a freshman student.

She was notified this week that she had been accepted for the fellowship. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly congratulate her efforts. Well done, sweetheart! I'm so excited for you and I know you will do well. The faculty that interviewed her described her cover letter as "amazing". I wonder what they'd have said if they knew she'd written it in 15-20 minutes. :) And while I know I'm biased, it really was *that* good.

Thank you, readers, for indulging me. :)

A Red-Letter Week

Since I made a commitment that I was going to post at least once a week, here I am. It has not been a good week, so this isn't a happy, inspiring post, but here we go. Since I last posted on the 22nd...

I've been diagnosed with gallstones. I see a surgeon Thursday and that appointment can't get here soon enough as far as I'm concerned. I am having some minor attacks, which are very unpleasant, but nothing as bad as the first big attack that, at the time, makes you wish you were dead.

My aunt fell and broke her hip. The day after her surgery, she suffered a heart attack and was admitted to ICU. She is now out of ICU, thankfully.

My uncle, her husband, passed away the day after her heart attack. He had been hospitalized, in a different hospital, and his death came more quickly than the doctors predicted. My aunt has some dementia and she has not yet been told that my uncle is no longer with us. I expect she will be told tomorrow. They wanted to give her some recovery time before breaking the news. The funeral is Friday. They had been married 60 years. It breaks my heart that they didn't get the opportunity to talk one last time and I'm not sure if she'll be able to attend his funeral. So very sad.

My husband was laid-off from his job. This totally blind-sided us. Normally, you hear rumors that lay-offs are coming which gives a person some preparation, but this time -- nothing. So far, no luck in finding another position. Not even any good prospects.

I am coming down to a deadline on submitting my application for a fall craft show; a really, really, good show -- it took me three years just to get an application. My camera's broken, so I borrowed my daughter's and took lots of pictures, none of which turned out. The second time went more smoothly, but the quality isn't up to standard. I'd keep trying, but I'm not feeling well. Thought I'd enclose a note with my application explaining about the camera and offering to re-submit pictures.

I got the pictures downloaded to my computer and was ready to print them. But I couldn't, because when I turned on the printer, it died. Sigh.

Here's a picture of a couple of bags I managed to make this week.

For Literature Fans

Just a heads-up for those of you who enjoy classic literature, CraftLit, courtesy of Heather, has just started Little Women. I mention CraftLit in this post, for those who aren't familiar with it.
Episode #90 are chapters 1 and 2, and Episode #91 posted last Friday. I hope to keep current with this read. Over the years, I have started Little Women a number of times, but I've never finished it. I get bogged down once Beth dies.

LW was the first hardcover book I ever owned. An aunt sent it to me when I was about 11. I have no idea what happened to that copy, but I loved the cover -- a white background with purple lettering and a small watercolor vignette of the four March sisters. Isn't it funny, the things we remember?

I'll close this post with a quote from the author:
I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. ~ Louisa May Alcott

Bleeding Hearts

A sure sign that Spring has truly arrived, my bleeding hearts blossomed this weekend. I eagerly await this "event" each spring. I will admit that I have a brown thumb and that this lovely, old-fashioned flower is the only flower I have grown successfully. And it blooms, literally, overnight. I was outside on Friday and saw my plant's green leaves swaying gently in the breeze. As I was coming out on Saturday, the vivid pink "lockets" caught my eye immediately. And I did what I always do -- stare at it in amazement as though I've never seen it bloom before. I have no idea if this overnight blooming is typical of bleeding hearts. I only know that *my* bleeding heart does and for a moment I'm like a young child seeing it for the first time. If anyone is home, I have to run in the house and announce that it has bloomed. Every. single. year. :-)

This excitement, in part, I'm sure, has to do with the fact that the blooming is proof-positive that I haven't killed the plant after all, even though by summer you'd swear by the looks of it that it will never again blossom. Unfortunately, it flowers for a very short period of time -- generally, at most, a month. Perhaps this is the norm for bleeding hearts. I really need to look this up on the internet. Anyway...I'm so glad I had access to a decent camera (thanks to my dd) so I could capture the image, share it, and enjoy my hearts long after the blooms have gone.

Hope springs eternal...

Nifty Sewing Notion

While browsing earlier today, I came across Ruth's blog and her Pretty Pattern Weights. They're gorgeous. So pretty *and* practical. I clicked through to her Etsy shop to take a look at the different sets offered and this is my hands-down favorite. They are, as one of my daughter's friends would say, so much that awesome! If I had any money, I'd buy them.

By the way, NAYY. Just wanted to share with other sewers.

Yes, I'm still here

Not that anyone in cyberspace probably cares. LOL I doubt that anyone even checks my blog to see if I've posted. :-) I have resolved to begin posting at least once a week. I don't lead an "exciting" life, nor do I have a gaggle of young children (wish I did) to provide fodder for my posts; though I do have a college-age daughter who makes life interesting. :-)

I am so inspired by some of the blogs I visit on a regular basis. I'll never be as eloquent a wordsmith as they; but I will "take the risk to blossom" just the same.

Those who know me well know that I don't like to cook. I do cook, but not for fun. I have a friend who cooks "for fun". She enjoys making meals pretty, etc. God bless her, but I cannot emphasize enough just how far down cooking is on my "fun-things-to-do" list. I do, however, like to eat -- especially chocolate (it's my favorite food group). And I crave chocolate on a regular basis. So...I'm sharing a recipe I make when I need a serious chocolate fix. I love this stuff!!

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

7 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, divided

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups hot water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, flour, 3 Tbsp. cocoa, baking powder and salt. Blend in milk, melted butter and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour batter in an 8"x8" pan.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and the remaining 4 Tbsp. of cocoa. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the cake batter. Slowly pour the hot water over the top; do not stir (this is what makes the pudding underneath the cake). Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

~~Isaiah 9:6

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
~~Luke 2:8-14