Chargers - What Color Are They?

I love them!  I have been reading blogs for a couple of years now.  Blogs that feature tablescapes are some of my favorites.  My daughter knows I would use new dishes every time I serve a meal, if I could afford it.

So here comes Mother's Day and guess what my present is!  That's right!  She gives me six wonderful chargers.  Except for Christmas red ones, until now I did not have any chargers.

They are beautiful.  But for the life of me, I don't know what color they are.  Several tones come to mind - oatmeal, tan, light yellow or ochre, maybe.  Well, whatever color they are, they go with all my dishes.  How did she know that?

So I lined up all my dishes except the Christmas ones and the Golden Wheat ones, which are too little for the chargers.  That should tell me something about how our national food portions, and our collective waistlines, are getting bigger in the decades since the 1950's.

I set out the plates to see which ones I liked best with the chargers.  I also thought it would help me answer the question, what color are they?

Autumn Colored Plate Rimmed with Silver

Booth Real Old Willow with Golden Trim

White Octagon Ironstone About 40 Years Old 



Solid Green Dishes from Pottery Barn

Garden Bloom with Golden Colored Tasbleware

Grapevine Patterned Plates Found at a Yard Sale

Wheat, Honey, Beige - What Color are They?

Six Different Place Settings.  Note Mother's Day Cards on the China Cabinet

All the Pairings Look Good To Me

Bring on the Meal!

Seems I like them all.  I think they all pair very well with the new chargers no matter what color they are.  Thanks to my daughter and son-in-law, I am one step closer to being able to have a different table with each meal I serve.  All I have to do is add clear glasses and napkins and the table is set.

And to help me serve delicious meals, she also gave me a Paula Deen calendar which has recipes on each page.  Another favorite of mine, fabulous recipes.  Thanks, dear daughter and son-in-law.

Grocery Bags Turn Into Mats for Haiti

I have just finished a missions project along with approximately 50 other people from my church and surrounding area churches.  We decided to crochet sleeping mats for some children in Haiti.  Our Children's Ministry/Education Director was going to Haiti to assist with the forming of an orphanage there.  She said the mats would be perfect for the children as many had nothing but a dirt floor to sleep on.

So we grouped together, prayed that God would bless this project,  taught each other to crochet, named ourselves the Hand Maidens and started collecting plastic bags.  We had a working morning at the church where men, women and teenagers created several assembly lines.  Grocery bags were folded flat.  Several people cut the bags into strips.  Others tied the strips together and rolled them into balls.  The strips are called plarn, from PLastic and yARN.  Then others crocheted the mats.

In only a few weeks we made 15 plarn mats!  I still can't believe it.  Our leader estimated that approximately 10,500 plastic bags were used.

I did a little of everything.  I folded bags, cut them into strips, tied them together and crocheted them into a mat.  I used a large crochet hook.

Finished Rug was 44" by 24"

All the mats were different.  Due to the colors of the grocery bags, we could make patterns, use different types of stitches or make different sizes of mats.  I used WalMart bags for the blue and white pattern in the main part of the rug.  I trimmed the edges with brown Kroger bags.

Another View of the Mat

A Ball of the Plarn

 I worked single crochet for the body of the mat, working in the back loop only and used double crochet for the borders.  If I was making another one, I would probably do all double crochet as that produced a flatter, smoother mat which might be more comfortable for resting on.  By working the single crochet in the back loop, the mat took on a pattern that created a ridge along the mat surface.  It is pretty with the ridge and I like it.  The double crochet works fast and makes a larger row, so would be faster to get a mat produced.  I only had a few days to finish my mat so larger stitches would have helped.

Strips That I Did Not Use and the Plastic Crochet Hook

We got either five or six strips out of each bag depending on bag size, person cutting the bags and the hook size.  The size I used was Q, 19mm.  Others used different sizes which made each mat a unique creation.

Finished Mat with Roll-up Tie and Tag

When the mat was complete, I crocheted a large string that I used to tie the mat into an easy to pack roll.  I used the contrasting brown for the tie.  If I was making another mat, I would try attaching the tie to the mat in two pieces so the tie would not get lost from the mat.  It was too late to change my design since I finished the mat on the late evening before I was to turn the project in the next day.  My hands were hurting from the exertion that I had to use.  The pain is almost like carpal tunnel pain.  It will be a long time before I begin any other project.  I will need to let my hands rest and recover first.

I Was Proud of My Mat and the Hand Maiden Group

Many people were working on the mats that week, too.  These people were dedicated to the project and helped each other with encouraging words and many prayers.  My husband asked me if I thought about the children in Haiti as I worked on the mat.  I told him I thought of that child with every stitch I made.  Plarn is hard to work with.  The strip does not "give" like regular yarn would.  It has to be pulled through the loops with force sometimes.  The knots where the strips are joined are sometimes not in an easy spot to work into the stitch.  When I tired of the work, I reminded myself that some little person would sleep better with the mat and that he/she was depending on me to finish it.

A Tag Was Added to Each Mat

Walter donated some tags left over from a project he had completed.  Our church Ministry Assistant added a sticker that said, "Parkway Baptist Church Jezi renmen ou!"  This is Haitian Creole for Jesus Loves You.  Now every time the mat is used, the message can be read by the child and reinforced that they are loved.

Some of the Fifteen Finished Mats

Every mat produced is an original work of art and love.  The above picture shows some of the beautiful work that was created.  Each has a different color scheme, size and stitch type.  The common thing is all were created to serve a mission purpose. 

For me, the beauty of age ranges of people jointly working on a church mission project was the winning component.  Not all the mats were perfect.  Mine was certainly not.  Seasoned crafters and those who had never crafted worked together.  The bag folder and the crocheter were equal to each other in this project.  We had a great leader and a person with vision who suggested the project.  Susie and Elaine - to each of you a Thank You Shout-Out!  A job well done!

Birchwood School Closed

My mother was born at home.  The home was on the corner of what became the school's property. 
She grew up in Birchwood and attended all twelve grades there.  My sister Jean and I also were schooled in the twelve grade school.   When I graduated there were approximately 500 students in the twelve grades.  I was one of 36 seniors.

Some time after we graduated, the school was changed to a kindergarten through sixth grade school.  The population in the area had shifted and the upper grade students were moved to larger consolidated schools in the surrounding areas.

So after the school year is over this year, the school will close.  This is after 98 years of service to the community.  A closing celebration was held May 4, 2013.  All past students were invited to visit the school for one last time.

Below are some of the pictures Walter took to help me document our visit.

The Rain Came Down for the Entire Day

We Waited Daily for the School Bus to Take Us Home on These Steps

Grade 1 Mrs. Ruth Murray - Now a Resource Room

Grade 2 Mrs. Betty Baker - I Was a Student Helper to Second Graders

Grade 3 Miss Marie - We Read "Little Black Sambo" & Created a Mural of the Story

Grade 4 Mrs. Ruby - All Rooms Had These Massive Closets

Grade 5 - Mr. Pendergrass Taught A Math Version That I Liked

Grade 6 - Mrs. Cross Readied Us for Junior High

While I was in sixth grade, the Beatles were sweeping the country and we all loved them.  I was becoming a social being as I had my first boyfriend.  We even stayed into the relationship until the first few weeks of seventh grade were over.

Our Old High School Lockers Are Now Repainted in Colorful Designs

Behind These Lockers I Received My First Kiss

A Library Display - I Used to Make Posters for the Library

 

Jean, Me, Rounder Ford & His Daughter

The picture of Rounder Ford is special to my sister and me.  He is the neighbor to my mother who repaired her car for years.  Later on as she slipped away from us with the Alzheimer's disease, he disabled her car so she would not pose a danger to herself or others.  He is a true and loyal friend to our family.  I was glad I had a chance to see him again.

A Rather Plain Gym Bathroom

Me in Front of the Pull Down Bleachers

Gym Floor & Stage - Also Used for Assemblies

When the Gym was Added to the School These Curtains Were Hung - Over Forty Years Ago

Walter and I Enjoyed the Day

I liked going into each of the rooms where so many memories were stirred up.  I did not expect to get emotional but I did.  Of the 36 students I graduated with, I think seven are already gone to their reward.

 

Things I remember were working in the cafeteria with my mother each morning prior to the start of classes, making posters and shelving books in the library for Mrs. Bower, making good grades and being a cheerleader my senior year.  Our principal was Mr. McCall who also taught algebra.  He and my father were good friends.  Many times they spent time together in our basement.  Our school was so small that we did not have any language offered, although we did have a typing class.  I think that class is now called keyboarding.

 

The school was started in 1915 and will last through the 2013 class.   Both Walter and I thought it would be nice if the closing was in 2015 so it would be open 100 years.  Instead it will be open for 98 years.  The Hamilton County administration has not finalized the use of the building.  It already has a Department of Health Clinic in part of the building now which will continue.  I hope the building continues in use for the community.  It is a great building which should be used.

After the celebration which included self-guided tours, lunch, school history and a musical performance by the Birchwood elementary students, Jean and Edd went home and we went to Olive Garden for dinner, then drove the two hours back home. 

God is good!

Early Morning Wedding

Walter and I were invited to a wedding.  Most everyone we know can attest that we love weddings.  We had no idea we were in for such a treat.  This wedding was different from any others we have attended.  First it was held @ 8:30 am.  And if that wasn't odd enough, it was held at a local school cafeteria.

The happy couple was also young - in fact they were six years old!  Say what?  Yes, they were young.  The bride was the letter "U" and the groom was the letter "Q".  We did know the groom as he was our grandson Kash.

The Principal Conducted the "Wedding" of Q & U

I thought it must be a social studies lesson.  I was close.  It was a spelling lesson.  You see the letters Q & U always go together.  The ingenuous teacher, along with a few volunteer parents, had staged a mock wedding of the two letters. This will be a lesson that none of the participants or guests will soon forget.

The Boys were QUarterbacks and the Girls were QUeens

Kash and the bride were randomly selected to play the Bride and Groom roles.  The funny thing was that these two have been close friends for a long time, so the pairing was easy for everyone.

Linking Arms Leaving the Ceremony

Kash got to wear his suit and the other boys dressed as Quarterbacks.  The girls all wore either brides outfits or Queen/Princess garb.  The kindergartners left the ceremony in pairs and led the guests into their classroom.  A reception had been prepared for those in attendance.  A table just for the Bride and Groom was also prepared.



I Watch the Happy Couple at Their Reception

Several parents and grandparents were invited to the wedding.  Since being retired, we now have the valuable gift of time to be part of these kinds of events.  I wish more parents could have the flexibility to be part of their child's school activities.


The Reception Table

This kindergarten room looks like it is designed for learning in a fun way.  On the board were many words that were started with the QU letter combination, such as Quarterbacks, Queens, Quit, Quiver, Quart, etc.

A Real Wedding Cake Adds Fun to the Mock Wedding

The Cake is Cut by the Bride and Groom Under Mrs. Flowers Guidance

The classmates were all so polite and kind to each other.  The teacher had all of the boys and girls pose for a group shot.  Every parent wanted a memory of this gala.

Mrs. Flowers Kindergarten Class Poses for the Parents

The Couple were Happy to Greet Their Guests

Kash and his friend were real troupers that morning.  They posed for many pictures and received all their guests in the most gracious of ways.

One Last Picture of Q & U Who Pledged to Always Stay Together



Great Smiles Between the Couple At the Days End

Walter and I had a blast at the kindergarten this day.  We even laughed that maybe we should show some of these pictures years from now at his REAL wedding day.  Kash was so grown up and we were so proud of him.  We were also proud of his mother, Brandy, who had also worked with the teacher to pull off this fine event. 

All the attendees of this mock wedding will remember this lesson, probably for the rest of their lives.  It was so unique a way to teach the QU connection.