Birthday Celebration

When we were pulling into our driveway at 1:30 in the morning Monday night/Tuesday morning, there were two men talking on the radio.  They said something that made my husband and I laughandlaughandlaugh.  They said that it was the anniversary of John Belushi’s death, and then they said that it was also the birthday of the oreo cookie.

“Speaking of oreos, can someone please explain to me the whole ‘resealable package’ thing?  I never reseal.  I open and I inhale.”

We couldn’t stop laughing, mostly because it was 1:30 in the morning.
Last night I attended a DIFFERENT kind of birthday celebration. Every year, the LDS Relief Society celebrates the birthday of Relief Society. This year, we gathered all three wards together. I love it when we do that. I was raised on the “other” side of town, and I miss seeing many of the ladies from my old home ward. Why is it that they only live two miles away but I never see them? We’ll meet by chance in the city and laugh at how it seems like we have to leave Joseph City to actually see people who live on the other side of town.
In any case, we were able to eat dinner together.
The tables were decorated adorably -red gingham squares over white tablecloths. A basket full of bread (a combination of fry and corn) and an oil lamp served as the centerpiece. Our dinner was stew served from a crock pot, we ate out of tall pie tins and drank from mason jars.
It was like country heaven.

Before dinner, we were able to check out a display. I added a few items to the display, and I feel really dumb about it now. In hindsight, I can see they needed HAND MADE items. My hot pad and washcloth were handmade, but the aprons I set up? Machine y handmade. I don’t think anyone really cared.
As I started looking at all of the displays, I realized there was some FAMILY HISTORY involved, and I kicked myself for not bringing my camera. I did the next best thing and pulled my phone out.
These white shirts belonged to my great-great grandmother. How TINY!

I think this dress was my great-grandmothers, but I could be completely wrong. I’m often completely wrong.

After I took pictures of family history worthy things, I found I couldn’t stop… there was endless inspiration! My favorite piece was this quilt:

The bright colors! I want something like this for my living room. I was planning on making a colorful granny square quilt, but after seeing that quilt I thought I might try it. I’m awful at quilting, by the way.

This blanket is one I could TOTALLY make. It was made from old suits. I’ve always held powder blue suits in high esteem, but the idea of chopping one up and using it for a quilt makes me dizzy with excitement. If I can’t get away with WEARING one, I’ll sleep with one instead! Oh, forgive me. That sounded sinful.

There was a giant quilt made by my great-grandfather’s sister when she was in her 90’s.

And it looks like:

After looking at the amazing displays, we were able to sit and view a slide show depicting past Relief Society Presidents in Joseph City. Again: I took a couple of pictures.
This is a photograph of my great-grandmother’s grandmother. My great-great-great? Follow? Incidentally, my great-grandmother was best of friends with my husband’s great-grandmother. They died and we got married. I like to think they had something to do with our meeting.
Anyway:

She served as the Relief Society President for 17 years! Couldn’t you just die? 17 years!
This is a different great-grandmother.

She held the calling twice, and isn’t she just GORGEOUS?! I love her! She’s the great-grandmother I am named after.
After the slideshow (and dessert -Texas Sheet Cake!) I helped take things down from the wall. As my hands caressed the beautiful creations, I couldn’t help but pull my phone out AGAIN.
One piece in particular held me captivated for longer than I’d like to admit. Because it’s a flour sack.

There’s something different about flour sack towels from decades ago. They seem more… I don’t know, sturdy? Mine are great, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t think they’re going to last through the ages. The embroidery on the towel made me want to sit on my couch in a clean living room (ha, if I’m sitting around, the living room WON’T be clean) on a nice sunny day and embroider.
So, this summer, I think I will.
Embroidery is “in” right now, you know. Have you perused Anthropologie lately? Well, me neither. But I have seen their embroidered flour sack towels advertised in Country Living Magazine.

photo via HERE

I also spotted some flannel sweaters for infants. They were handmade AND embroidered.

Aren’t they to DIE for?! Can you imagine how much they would sell for? When I was a little girl, I took dance lessons (they did me NO good, by the way. I’m absolutely hopeless) and as I was looking at the little sweaters, my old dance teacher walked by and said, “Aren’t these adorable? They’re just so fun to make when you’re in that fun nesting phase of pregnancy.”
Oh how right she is. It is so much FUN to sit and make something and think about the baby that you’re making it for! Thank goodness we don’t have to be pregnant to do it! There are pregnant women EVERYWHERE! We can make them some of those sweaters! In any case, just looking at those little sweaters and the beautiful flour sack towel, I longed for 1949. I often do.

Don’t you ever want to take it back to then? Don’t you ever want to plug your cell phone in and leave it on the wall so it can’t pester you when you’re outside doing yardwork? Granted you can CHOOSE to do that, but more often than not, I keep my phone with me constantly per habit and for safety.
I should say: for safety and per habit. Safety is more important than habit.

I miss the simplicity of the days before we knew about triglycerides and the internet. I miss the days of actual books instead of ebooks. I miss the styles, the class, the social skills… and I miss the divorce rate.
As it is, the present isn’t total hell.
But I do think I’ll forfeit my internet for a few weeks this summer in exchange for an embroidery hoop.