Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Lisa See is an amazing writer. I felt as if I were living the story. Two sisters live in Shanghai in 1937 - just at the time the Japanese begin to invade Shanghai. This is their story, written from the point of view of the older sister, and how they came to America. They settled in China Town in Los Angeles, married to two brothers. It is the story of their life - a very hard life - until 1957.

I thought the writing was great, but my lasting impression was "what a depressing book." While I was reading there were enough hopeful moments in the book that I kept reading, sure that things would almost always work out for the best. They never did. It was fascinating to read of their lives, which were indicative of life in China Town at that time, because I always love to learn about those things, but when I finished the book I just had a heavy feeling.

Bottom line, I can't fully endorse the book without the warning that it is a depressing story. And I didn't feel the ending salvaged that at all. In fact, it reinforced it.

I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See a couple of years ago, and thought it was excellent. Life was hard in that book also, but somehow I don't remember it feeling dark. I must have read it before I started my blog, because I looked for a review on it, and there isn't one. I wholly recommend Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Quilt

Another quilt finished just in the nick of time. I finished this on Christmas Eve - the day before Madeleine's birthday. I gave her the quilt and book for her birthday. I love Eric Carle's art and stories. It was fun to make this quilt and the Brown Bear quilt as well.

Date finished: December 24, 2009
Size: 44 inches by 62 inches
Pattern: The Very Hungry Caterpillar in Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting Magazine, May/June 2008, p. 36
Fabric: The Very Hungry Caterpillar collection by Eric Carle under license to Andover Fabrics.

Happy Birthday Madeleine!

Our Christmas baby turned two this year. I am so glad they live close by so we see her often. We did Christmas in the morning, and birthday presents around dinner time. I gave her the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and a quilt to go with it. She loved the book! I think she'll get to love the quilt also, especially when she realizes that it goes with the book.

Madeleine reminds me of Debra so much - the way she acts and walks around, and that white blond hair. It is so fun for me to watch her and Debra together. They really are buddies. It brings back good memories for me.

Madeleine with her book and quilt.

Waiting for the birthday cupcake

Make a wish Madeleine!

Merry Christmas!

What a great day. Family, fun, and food. We had a very relaxing day - I woke up before any of the grandchildren and kept wondering when they were going to get up. Then I dozed off, woke up, and thought it all over again. This happened about 6 times before everyone finally got up. It turns out Audrey was awake too. We could have had our own little party.

We had our traditional hashbrown/sausage/egg casserole and caramel pull-aparts for breakfast. A couple of Ray's friends who did not go home over the break joined us Christmas Eve and Christmas. It was great to have them. After gift opening, we lounged about playing games, and generally having a wonderful time. Traditional prime rib, mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner.
For dessert - birthday cupcakes for Madeleine (the next post). More games, then bedtime. After all, I was up early - it was Christmas, after all.

Here are just a few pictures:

Madeleine with her headlamp.

Matthew with his headlamp, and Elizabeth

Austin with his headlamp. (Can you guess what Ray gave the kids?)

Austin emptying his stocking

Elizabeth enjoying everyone's gifts.

Rachel, on the Sunday we celebrated with their family

(they abandoned us on Christmas day for their Kirkland family)

All the kids in their new Christmas pajamas.

l to r: Rachel, Elizabeth, Matthew, Austin, Madeleine

Las Vegas and the BYU game

I am a die-hard BYU fan. When we landed here in Utah one of the first things we did was get season tickets to the football and volleyball (men's) games. This year when BYU made it to the Vegas Bowl, I told Ray, "We're going. We finally have a December with no baby being born, so let's go while we can." We drove down on Monday, came home today.

We took our time going south, and stopped in Washington, UT to see our dear friends the Manwarings. We had some delicious soup and breadsticks and three delightful hours of conversation with them. Then we tore ourselves away and drove the rest of the way to Vegas.

We haven't been to Las Vegas in 12 or 13 years. We used to go to Comdex every November (do they even have Comdex anymore??). We became pretty familiar with the strip. When we drove in on Monday night I felt like I'd never been there before. I didn't think it was possible to fit any more structures on the strip than were already there. I was wrong. New hotels. New stores. New restaurants. Sensory overload. Crowds, crowds, crowds.

We arrived at our hotel - the New York, New York. We've never stayed there before. It was as nice as any other place we've stayed in the past. We unloaded our bags, and took off walking down to the Forum Shops connected to Caesar's Palace. Ray couldn't wait to get a sandwich at Stage Deli. No Stage Deli. It closed down about four months ago, we were told. We didn't even recognize the Forum Shops. Everything's different. We ended up eating at the Cheesecake Factory - we got in immediately and had a light meal. It was very good. Their nachos are great - homemade chips. After dinner we walked the mile and a half back to our hotel. It felt good after riding in a car for six hours. We stopped along the way to watch the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel.

Tuesday morning we slept in. It felt so great! When we were up and around Ray asked if I wanted to do the NY, NY roller coaster. We could see the roller coaster from our window on the 19th floor. It was taller than our room. I love roller coasters! Ray does not. He said if we were going to go we had to do it before we ate anything. He was so good to go with me. There was no line, and we got right on. Then the car started to climb. I looked up. It was tall. Oh, so tall. Taller than 19 floors of a tall hotel. Then I remembered my strong aversion, perhaps you could even call it terror, of heights. What was I thinking?? But it was too late.

So, I did what any sane person with a terror of heights would do. I closed my eyes, and cried and screamed the entire ride. It was so fun! Ray told me we went upside down, and did a barrel roll. He still doesn't get how I can do it. It may be the only area in my life where I am truly adventurous.

Afterward they have a wall of pictures they took while you were on the ride. My head was bowed with my eyes closed. We didn't bother to buy one.

Tuesday night was the big game. IT WAS SO COLD I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE. The wind was screaming through the stadium. The backup net for one of the field goals became entangled in the goal posts. A huge banner on top of a building blew off. We were all bundled up, and frozen solid. Hot chocolate helped for about five minutes. It was all worth it. BYU won handily.

A very cool thing happened before the game. If I could do anything more than take a snapshot with my digital camera, it would be a miracle. I should have taken a video of this, but didn't have time to call one of my children to tell me how. Before the game began, soldiers from Nellis AF Base brought out a flag. Not just any flag. This flag was 50 yards tall, and 100 yards wide. The size of a football field. It was an amazing thing to watch. I tried to capture it in pictures. They walked the flag on the field all rolled up. Here they are getting ready to unfurl it:

It was opened all the way across the field:

Notice how hard it was to hold onto. It would be hard anytime, but with that wind, they were really working. They held it there through God Bless America, and The Star-Spangled Banner. Everyone holding the flag had served in Iraq or Afghanistan. If you think I could watch that dry-eyed, then think again. It was a wonderful sight to behold.

This morning we got up, had breakfast, and came home. Two days is about all I can take of Vegas. It is good to be home!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?

I see a finished birthday quilt looking at me.

I saw this darling fabric and quilt in a Fons and Porter Love of Quilting Magazine last spring. I know Matthew loves this book, so I decided to get the quilt kit and make it for his birthday. His birthday is today. I finished it late yesterday afternoon. Whew!

Matthew looking at his new quilt.

Some detail from the quilt

Finished: December 19, 2009

Size: 64 inches by 62 inches

Pattern: Brown Bear by Gail Kessler in Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting March/April 2009 issue, p. 14

Fabric: Brown Bear, Brown Bear collection by Eric Carle under license to Andover Fabrics.

Happy Birthday Matthew!

Matthew turned three today. Although he is sometimes quite willful, he is also my most snuggly grandchild. He loves to sit on my lap while I sew, and he will still let me rock him in the rocking chair. It's as soothing for me as it is for him. Maybe more so.

I love hearing his high voice (for Linfords: picture Matthias' mouse voice) calling for me. Here are a few pictures to remember the day. Someday I will learn how to take pictures without distracting objects in the background.

No, this is not Junior Birdman. It is Matthew. He wears these goggles all the time. I don't know how he can stand it, but he does. It is a kick to see.


Here he is with the quilt I made him for his birthday. Finished just in the nick of time! (More on it in another post).

Lastly, here his is with his mini birthday cupcake. These are the perfect birthday treat for children. They are easily eaten in a bite or two - less mess, and they feel like they are getting a lot of treats when they have a few of them instead of only getting one big one.

Happy Birthday Matthew!

Race the Wild Wind by Amelia Elizabeth Walden

My mom introduced me to Amelia Elizabeth Walden. We were at the library and she pulled out a copy of To Catch a Spy and said, "I think you'll like this book." I loved it. I read every book of Walden's that I could lay my hands on. Over and over. Race the Wild Wind was one of my favorites. I picked it up the other day and read it in a couple of hours (juvenile/young adult fiction). It was so satisfying - re-reading a favorite book is so much better than watching a well loved movie - it usually takes so much more time that I don't do it as often as I'd like to. Like an old movie, an old book can seem dated compared to current stuff. I still love them, but I wonder what a young reader these days would think.

Other books by Walden that I love: To Catch a Spy, My Sister Mike, A Girl Called Hank, Queen of the Courts, etc. etc. Hmm, I feel a Walden marathon coming...

Sorry, there is no picture available. I think all of Walden's books are out of print, unfortunately. The library doesn't have her books anymore either. I found several in the used book section of Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com.

Happy Birthday Beth!

Isn't she adorable? My baby girl has a birthday today. I keep wondering - when did she grow up? Now she's married and has a darling baby that was nice enough to be born on my birthday last year.

My girlie with her girlie

One advantage the youngest child has is the last couple of years at home, being the only child. Beth was my boon companion. If not for her, I don't know if I would have been able to work my television remote. I remember watching Trading Spaces and What Not to Wear with her. She was my fashion mentor. After I went shopping I would try on my new clothes and she would decide if they were keepers or not. I remember one shirt she nixed, saying, "It makes you look like a grandma." I reminded her that I was a grandma. "Yes, but not that kind," she replied.

Beth is the only one of my children that I did not teach in early morning seminary. I quit the year she began. I did substitute in her class a few times, but that was it. (I taught her husband a couple of years before that, so that maybe counts a little.) I guess instead of a mom who was her seminary teacher, I was a mom that was a little more awake during the day and at night for those years.

I love you Beth!

Happy Birthday Ray!

I love this boy. He is so good to me! He plays Scrabble with me, does crossword puzzles with me, shares books with me. What more can a mom ask for?

Last Friday Ray had some surgery. We spent several hours (some delays were involved) at the hospital together. Ray is easy to be with - he's willing to talk with me, but is also happy with "quiet time." The best part of the day was post-surgery, while Ray was in the recovery area. He kind of drifted in and out and kept a very witty conversation going. I was afraid I was going to get shushed for giggling so much, and I wanted to remember the things he said so I could tell the rest of the family about them. Unfortunately I don't remember much of the funny stuff, but I do remember clearly a couple of tender moments. He reached out, took my hand, and said, "Mom, thank you for coming with me. I don't know what I would do without you here. You are such a comfort to me." Sweet words straight to my heart. I will treasure them always.

Happy Birthday to my boy!

Gingerbread houses

One thing I have never done at Christmas time is make Gingerbread houses. I love looking at them, but do not like to make them. They require too much patience and fine motor skill ability.

My book group in Kirkland had a fun December tradition that we did for many years. We all rode the Metro bus to downtown Seattle together. Then we walked to the Sheraton Hotel and looked at the Gingerbread Village. (Click here to see this year's village.) The creations are always magnificent. After we gazed in wonder at the Gingerbread Village, we had a little something to eat in the hotel restaurant, followed by their all-you-can-eat dessert bar. Then we'd ride the bus back home. It was so much fun! We did that until they stopped serving the dessert bar during the week. I don't know if they even still do the dessert bar on the weekends anymore. Seattle was always so beautiful - all lit up with Christmas decorations. FAO Schwartz was right across the street from the Sheraton, and it always had great displays that time of year.

I haven't done anything like that for a few years now. Imagine how fun it was to come home this afternoon and find a Gingerbread Village right here at home! Audrey, Joseph and the boys made gingerbread houses while Ray and I were out running errands. Here's a little tour of the Hanks Gingerbread Village. You may vote for your favorite, if you'd like to.

Matthew (age 3)

Austin (age 4 1/2)

Joseph (note the candy cane ax on the wood block, and the woodpile under the left eave of the chalet

Audrey (note the roll of toilet paper to the left of the Marshmallow Man)

This is my personal favorite. For some reason it strikes a chord. Hmmm...

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

This is the true account of Jan and Antonina Zabinski. They ran the Warsaw zoo at the outbreak of World War II. Through their efforts they were able to help save over 300 Jews during the war. Jan worked with the Polish underground, and they housed many refugees in their home, and on the zoo grounds.

I liked this book. My reading time the last few weeks has been quite disjointed, and most of my reading time has been late at night when I was tired. The book didn't grab me enough to keep me fascinated, but I found it very interesting. It reads almost like a novel. It does have quite a bit of natural history thrown in there too. I thought because of the title that it would be mostly about Antonina, but it was about Jan too, and a lot of others who worked together to save as many Jews as possible. At the end of the book there is a great chapter with follow-up on the people in the book.

I am always curious about the people who risked their lives and their families to save the Jews. What made them do it? They seem like ordinary people, but most people barely managed to survive themselves. Their love for humanity makes them extra-ordinary. This is the kind of person I hope I would have been, and hope I will be if ever put in the same situation.

O Christmas Tree!

When I was growing up, trimming the Christmas tree was a family affair. My sister's birthday is December 11, and we usually waited until after her birthday to get and decorate our tree. We all went to choose the tree, and when we got it home my dad was in charge of putting on the lights. We had all kinds of lights-- some were clocks, some were round balls that looked like snowballs. Some lights were large and some were small. After the lights were on we all decorated the tree together. As we got older we were allowed to hang the more fragile ornaments. The finishing touch was putting on the tinsel. By then we were usually ready to be done, and we tossed on the tinsel in clumps. I remember my mom going around the tree and rehanging the tinsel in single strands.

With my own family we did much the same thing. Then as the children got older and left home it all gradually fell on my shoulders. I became the one to put on the lights and now I pretty much do it on my own. This year I was lucky enough to have some little helpers.

Matthew and Madeleine hanging ornaments

The children are done decorating, and highly pleased with the results

During nap time I rearranged the red balls, and added the gold. This is one of the bows that Audrey made. They really adds to the tree.

Matthew by the finished product

This year we've had so much going on that I have kept my Christmas decorations to a bare minimum. Peaceful surroundings help to keep my mind peaceful as well. One thing I love to put up is a nativity that my sister-in-law Orva made for my many years ago. It is made out of corduroy, and it is exquisite. The details are amazing, and so carefully done. The pieces have velcro on them and can be placed on the background. Here it is with all the pieces in order:

The children love this. Every time I walk past it, the pieces are arranged differently, in many creative ways. The other morning I came out and saw this:

I did not see the pieces anywhere. Usually they are scattered on the floor in front of the nativity while everything is being rearranged. I glanced at the tree, and found many new treasures hanging in its branches. Here are just a couple that I saw:

A Wise Man

Mary and baby Jesus

Maybe there was no room at the inn, or the stable. But there was plenty of room in the tree!

Caught in the act

Recently we had an overnight guest who slept in the library. This is what happened before I got the mattress and everything put away:

Party at G'ma's!

Austin, Madeleine, and Matthew

Movie request

Austin and Matthew approached Audrey: can we watch the movie with snow and silly dancing?

She said to ask G'ma.

Then they approached me: can we watch the Christmas Whites?

A new generation that loves White Christmas!

Done and done

A little over a year ago I wrote about my to-do list obsession here. Yesterday I finished the last of several items on a long-term to-do list, and walked around self-satisfied all afternoon. (How many hyphenated words can you put in one sentence without the hyphen police arresting you?)

1. I delegated to Ray (younger) to take care of some doctor/upcoming surgery stuff, and he did it. I get to count this because it was on my list to do. And it is not always easy to get him to do these things. But these he did quickly and cheerfully.

2. I finished the two quilts mentioned in my last post.

3. I have all the Christmas cards addressed. I bought the cards last year on sale, thinking if I just hand address 10 or so a month, all of them would be hand addressed and ready to go by now. I don't think my computer addressed labels will fool anyone. Let's just say one can only procrastinate so long, then one has to modify some ideas of how things could be done.

4. I have all the Christmas pictures printed.

5. I bought the stamps for the Christmas cards.

6. I have my house decorated for Christmas. This is the bonus that comes when your husband volunteers your home for part of the ward Christmas dinner party, which is tonight.

7. My tree looks lovely because Audrey made lots and lots and lots of bows for it. Lots. I'm counting this because I wanted it done. I folded her laundry and watched Elizabeth while she made all those bows. I got the easy jobs. Did I say there were lots of bows?

8. I ordered family pictures from Charles (the pictures were taken in July).

9. Last, and the most satisfying: I cleaned out our home and business office files, and they are stored and put away, or shredded. This has been on my list for two years, and I have sworn I would do it every time I tried to cram another piece of paper into those drawers. Yesterday I finished doing that - it took about an hour and a half all together. Once again I ask myself--what takes me so long to do these things???

Oh, but it feels so good to have them done!

Two Christmas quilts for the season

Last Spring Trish and I did the Quilt Shop Hop put on by local quilt stores (from Springville up to Logan - we stayed between Orem and Salt Lake). We went to about a dozen stores exercising great self-restraint - just looking, gathering ideas, not buying. When we hit our last store all that self control went out the window. I don't know how it happened, but we lost our presence of mind. Completely and thoroughly. First of all, they had a sale. 20% off everything in the store. Here in Utah that never happens (it happens a lot more in the Seattle area). I think when we saw there was a sale every logic cell in our brains took a vacation. We bought fabric for two projects: a Christmas card holder, and a Christmas quilt. Now bear in mind that neither of us likes to do appliqué, and that we have both repeatedly sworn that we have more than enough Christmas quilts. Ha! Like I said about the logic cells... both projects were appliqué as well as Christmas.

We rationalized our actions by saying that we would work together on the quilt - neither of us working on it unless it was our quilting day (most Thursdays). We started in June, and finished last week. There were a few diversions along the way, but we worked pretty steadily. All I can say is that it's a good thing we did it together or I would have given up a long time ago.

Here's the Christmas card holder (given to my brother and his family for Christmas this year):

And here is the quilt. Done at last.

Christmas Card holder:

Finished: November 21, 2009

Size: 16 inches by 62 inches

Pattern: Merry Christmas Card Holder in I Believe designs by Nancy Halvorsen, p. 14

Fabric: I Believe by Nancy Halvorsen for Benartex

I Believe Quilt:

Finished: November 28, 2009

Size: 59 inches by 62 inches

Pattern: I Believe Quilt in I Believe designs by Nancy Halvorsen, p. 3

Fabric: I Believe by Nancy Halvorsen for Benartex