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Claiming My Heritage

It’s National Tartan Day. I’m proud to say I have the bloodline to wear a few different Scottish tartans. My father was a Carmichael, his grandmother was a McIntyre and they could prove lineage back through the Royal Stewarts. In the old days, I’m talking 1700 and 1800’s, a tartan was a visible sign of where one lived, and who that person was loyal to. Wearing a tartan you didn’t have the bloodline to claim was a punishable offense.

I lived in England from September 1974 – April 1977. My Aunt Ruth Carmichael came to visit the summer of 1976. I was talking with her about wanting to get a coat made with the McIntyre Tartan. She asked, “Why not the Royal Stewart?” then explained that it was acceptable to wear the tartan of the highest ranking family you could prove. I was elated, the Royal Stewart Tartan is bright and attractive. I got that coat, and wore it until the butt was thread bare. I even got stopped on the street one day in Thetford, Norfolk, England, and asked if I had the bloodline to wear it. How fun it was to say yes and know what I was talking about.

. Royal Stewart Tartan

If you study tartans, you will learn that there are two or three plaids that “belong” to each family. One is worn for everyday and another for dress-up occasions. They were woven in cotton for summer wear and in wool for the winter.

Of course when I see a tartan, my mind jumps to bagpipes. I always wanted to learn to play them. I’ve been told I have enough hot air to do so. Anyway, on our recent visit to New Orleans, weren’t we surprised when one of the musicians that had been playing all of the woodwind instruments, and the harmonica, turned from the crowd, and turned back around playing a jazz harmony on the bagpipes. Everyone’s mouth dropped open. I wouldn’t have believed it was possible had I not seen, and heard, it myself. What a treat.

These days anybody can wear a tartan plaid, but if you are in Great Britain, don’t be surprised if you get questioned.

04/06/2017 0

A Rainbow’s Meaning

There are people that see rainbows as an artistic masterpiece in the sky, to others it is a sign of hope and to many a sign of promise.
It can be all three; beauty, hope and promise. (Jill Magnus)

A rainbow is actually nothing more than a phenomenon of nature created when a spectrum of light in the form of a multicolored arc, appears in the sky, caused by both reflection and refraction of light in water droplets. Rainbows always appear directly opposite of the sun. The light is refracted (bent) when it enters a droplet of water, then is reflected inside on the back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it, thus a masterpiece of color is seen in the sky. Or, you can create one with a prism wherever you would like to, if you have a prism handy.

A rainbow is mentioned six times in the King James version of the Bible, in some places as a sign of hope, and other places as a seal on a promise from God that a flood will not destroy mankind. It is also used in the Torah to mean the same thing. So a person may think of a rainbow as a religious symbol.

The fantasy that there are no troubles on the other side of the rainbow comes from the songwriter, Cole Porter. In the Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland sings the lyrics he wrote that has told us that “truth” since 1939. That song is still being sung in Jazz clubs, school auditoriums and over the airwaves all these years later, and we still believe every word.

The rainbow is now being used as an identifying symbol by the gay community and that’s all right with me too, if my opinion matters.

Personally I use the rainbow color card when I am quilting, to understand the relationship of colors. It’s a valuable tool that I consider a friend. Since I have learned to use it, the colors in my quilts are more vibrant and at the same time more pleasing to the eye.

I’m not sure how easy it would be to go find a rainbow at will, but the peaceful feeling I associate with it can be something I hold close, live by, and demonstrate every day toward other humans just because I want to. I challenge you to do the same.

04/03/2017 0

What Happened to Manners

It’s National Common Courtesy Day. I am old school and still think using the words please, thank you and you’re welcome, out loud, are a necessity. My husband and I have been together sixteen years and use these words on a daily basis. It helps to not take each other for granted. Note: “No problem”, is not acceptable. We happen to hate that terminology, and if you break down the meaning of the words, it is actually inaccurate most of the time.

When I was a kid there was chivalry between the male and females of the human race, then women’s rights came along and destroyed it. My husband still opens my car door for me. It makes me feel important and more like a lady. People give him odd looks, like maybe he is crazy. I appreciate his kind of crazy. When he does it for a friend, or a workmate going to a meeting with him, they don’t even know how to act. It’s sad that it has come to that.

We gave a family member a very large cash present recently. She didn’t look in the envelope in front of us, but we never got a text that said, “Wow”, “Thank you” or a card after the fact. Yes, we gave it because we wanted to, but with no acknowledgement of any kind, it’s likely not to happen again. The plain old common courtesy of saying thank you, even in a text, would have insured a repeat. Are we being mean? I don’t think so. You might disagree.

I have read that the last cookie or piece of pie tends to get left because no one wants to be accused of eating it. I say, if you want it, courteously offer it to anyone around, then when everyone says no, offer to eat it so it doesn’t go to waste. You get what you want, and you are being courteous at the same time. Works for me.

To mark this day of common courtesy, let someone into traffic, take care of someone’s cart at the grocery store, don’t sit too long at your table at lunch time if there is a line waiting, find a way to do some little thing to acknowledge the importance of your fellow human. I promise, it will make you feel good inside.

03/21/2017 0

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

It’s National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day. And, it’s St. Patrick’s Day, the one day of the year everyone is Irish. As a non-Catholic, I assumed corned beef and cabbage was an Irish dish. Wrong. According to the National Day of Calendar it is an American dish. The Irish used a bacon/pork meat that got changed to beef in America in the mid-1800’s when they immigrated. I’m not too concerned about who decided the meat and vegetable went together, I’m just glad they did. I also like to swap out the cabbage for sauerkraut. We have already had it for dinner twice this week. I take advantage of corned beef being on sale and put a couple in the freezer for later in the year.

My father died on St. Patrick’s Day in 1992. Seems like yesterday and I still want to call him when I have news to share. I really didn’t know my father all that well. He was one of those silent types and he worked the evening shift at a local manufacturing plant. When I was a youngster, one didn’t talk about the fact their father was an alcoholic. My sisters and I are all over 60 now and we are talking more about our growing-up years. One sister just told me that Dad was very active in AA and sometimes when he went to work, the boss would come to him and send him to help another employee with a drinking problem, on the clock. When Dad died, we got a very nice note from a man who I went to school with. It said he too was an alcoholic and he always went to the AA meetings my father went to in order to hear him speak. I wish I had known that side of my father. It is a comfort to know he helped other people. In his later years, he had an antique shop. The kitchen table was often surrounded by people with coffee cups in hand, and the topic was how to keep from drinking that day.

I generally write this blog in my pajamas. Today when I get dressed, I will put on my green, maybe even call my old boss and take her out for corned beef and cabbage, but I’ll be thinking of my father, pictured above. The “stuff” hanging on the kitchen cupboards are antique kitchen implements. You couldn’t sneak in one of those cupboards for any reason. The name of his shop was the Mousetrap Antiques.

03/17/2017 1

Family Craft Time

It’s National Children’s Craft Day. Once again, I am perplexed by the choice of picture for this day. I guess if you let that little person sit on your lap while you are crafting, you create interest that hopefully remains. I would have picked an older child that could actually create something on their own. You know, with popsicle sticks, glue, glitter, colored paper and crayons. Maybe a little help with the scissors would be needed.

As a mother, some of my most cherished heirlooms are things my children made in school or scouts when they were little; as in ages five to ten. Christmas tree ornaments are a prime example. It doesn’t matter how well they were made, or if you even know that brown blob is a camel from the manger scene, it matters that my child made it and when they brought it to me, the expression of excitement and accomplishment on their face is embedded in my memory forever.

That’s the cool thing about crafting. Any age person can do it (according to the type of craft of course), learn about art, learn construction, and have a sense of accomplishment. My grandson, at the age of nine, asked to make a quilt with me, so he could learn the process. I did the cutting with a rotary cutter and ruler, and the pinning. He learned to lay out the color design, sew straight seams and iron by setting the seams first, then pressing to the dark fabric. We had a grand time and his quilt is on his bed. I wish he wanted to do more, but once he learned how the process worked, he was satisfied.

There are so many different types of crafting I can’t begin to even name them all. May I suggest, sit down with your little ones, or borrow some if need be, and make something with your hands. Sharing time with your crafter is almost as rewarding as making something is. Make it a family affair.

03/14/2017 0

Helping Equals Happiness

It’s National Good Samaritan Day. In my home-town area we have seen a lot of examples of good Samaritans over the past few days. The Rochester, NY, area suffered a wind storm last Wednesday. A lot of the damage is cleaned-up and most of the power is back on, but there are still large trees lying on top of garages and in people’s lawns. The fact remains, neighbors helped neighbors. Young adults went door to door in their neighborhoods to check on senior citizens. We loaned out our generator and electric crews came from a few hundred miles away to help our local company. “Warming Stations” were set up so people without power had someplace safe, warm, and welcoming to go. These centers were supplied with snacks and food by good Samaritans. People also took the work crews snacks and hot drinks. The community worked together to help each other out.

Way back when I was a single mom with two little ones, I couldn’t find a babysitter so I could work on Easter. One of my male co-workers agreed to fill the position if I cooked him dinner. My kids thought it was a special occasion. Another time, I left my lights on while I was at work. A good Samaritan had the cables and jumped my battery for me. If you think about it, I’m sure you can remember quite a few times someone has come to your rescue. And, I bet it made them feel good to help.

These days of not knowing who lives next door and not feeling safe helping out a stranger, I fill my desire to help while I am driving around doing errands. I let other drivers out into traffic, regardless of what the guy behind me thinks. I make room at intersections so the city bus or a semi has room enough to get around the corner without holding up traffic. It makes me happy to do these little things, and it’s effortless.

Next time you have the opportunity, make it a point to be a good Samaritan even it’s only to give someone a free smile and let them into traffic.

03/13/2017 0

Sue Spitulnik

Writing, Sewing, Travel, and Thoughts

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