Quince

 Leslie and Beth are finally back after, well, life: surgery for the fella, travel, lots of work and fun. Today's theme was National Parks: Knitting the National Parks by Nancy Bates       National Park Service. Visit your national parks! And if you're not happy with the care of the parks by the government, write your congressman!

Irish Hiking Scarf Ganja Green Soolla Studio Bag   Artist's Vest Our terrific hiking group. Photo by Aida Chappell

 Beth and Leslie wrangle over the meaning of community and how the sense of community survives. Community Blanket       Community Blanket by Natalie Selles Mary's Beautiful Baskets at Poppy's  

Things going on in Meadows of Dan: Support Team Dinner, new business, beautiful walks: A country walk And secret treasures: Masquerade by Kit Williams   Hometown Hustle, Season 2, Episode 7 Parkway Threads In the knitting world: Popular on Ravelry, The Elena Pullover by Claudia Quintanilla of EweKnit Toronto Super cool tool: Knitting Barber Cords So much beauty:       All photos by Beth Almond Ford.

Beth and Leslie have been AWOL for awhile so there's some catching up to do and some books to discuss. Then they tackle the main subject, the mysterious Mary Magdalene.   Smithosonian Magazine: Who Was Mary Magdalene?

Many food related activities happening in Meadows of Dan! Happy Cooking Hotpad Sweet memories of cooking, family, adventures and more!

Mountain weather; Spring is in the air Running cedar and Easter Lilies Mayberry Presbyterian Church Ash Wednesday Service Greater Good website for clothes River Dance Knitted Shawl by Lauren Rene Dan River in Meadows of Dan history  

Meadows of Dan News: Snow, the Super Bowl and Beth's beach vacation. Huntington Beach State Park Brookgreen Anna Hyatt Huntington A visit with the young folks of Holler Creek School at Mayberry Presbyterian Church Knitting Notions: EZ PZ Gauge Ruler by CrazyCatLazerDesigns Today's Topic: A Curious Encounter William Least Heat-Moon    

  Trees by Joyce Kilmer I think that I shall never see  A poem lovely as a tree.   A tree whose hungry mouth is prest  Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;  A tree that looks at God all day,  And lifts her leafy arms to pray;  A tree that may in Summer wear  A nest of robins in her hair;  Upon whose bosom snow has lain;  Who intimately lives with rain.  Poems are made by fools like me,  But only God can make a tree.  The poem is in the public domain. Author Talk Jessie Peterman Memorial Library in Floyd Two local poets Poet Eavan Boland  

United States Census will be available to the public on April 1, 2022, depending on COVID affects on the work. Old Christmas, 12th night, George and Martha Washington's anniversary.  Old Christmas Quince episode Smithsonian Crossroads Exhibit Meadows of Dan Website Cascade Blanket Knit-a-long Bill Withers, Grandma's Hands

 And after a long COVID virus hiatus, we're back, finally, with another episode. A Little Sweet... Leslie and a friend invested in an Addi King Express knitting machine.  A Little Tart... Blue Ridge Parkway by Beth Almond Ford   Cabins near Rock Castle by Beth Almond Ford Leslie has been taking part in a long term project featuring the history of the community where her grandmother grew up. A new project includes a documentary of the region that includes many of the local descendants of Rock Castle inhabitants. Not only is the area full of history, it's a beautiful location for hiking.

 Beth and Leslie talk about the changes they have seen in life on the mountain and beyond because of COVID-19 and other issues of the day. 

Learning to live with the new normal in rural Appalachia

We tried something new to try to upgrade our sound quality, so there are some things that are a bit rough here and there with the podcast. Bear with us; we'll figure it out! Our episode this time deals with isolation due to social distancing and the corona virus. Beth has several great quotes from Get Well Soon by Jennifer Wright, a book about plagues in history. Both Beth and Leslie pointed out ways they keep their sanity during quiet times, although both are used to isolation because of nature and habitat.    Annie's Crochet Club Simple Lines Shawl by Maanel  

Weedeater by Robert Gipe   Special guest Anita Puckett, Appalachian Studies professor at Virginia Tech, discusses the powerful and challenging book, Weedeater, An Illustrated Novel, by Robert Gipe, which centers on the problems with poverty and opioid addiction in the Appalachian region. Music Attributions:   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx

Our great friend J. C. tells all about house and pet sitting across the country and the world!   For more information check out:   House Sitters America Trusted House Sitters

Noodle rodeo, hot weather, swimming in the pond, annual chicken liver pie birthday celebration, delightful visitors.   Buffalo Mountain Zipline, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway   A Little Sweet...   Mary Locke's lovely bags at Poppy's   Lenny Mud Yarn Bowls at Poppy's Phoenix by Hooked on Sunshine A Little Tart...   Trees that are close to our heart. The Handy Tree, Patrick County, Virginia   Friends in High Places by Katie Letcher Lyle   The devastation of the chestnut blight   Blue Ridge Tree Climbing   A Little Unexpected...   Trees by Joyce Kilmer   Music Attributions:   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx

Things are busy in Meadows of Dan. Leslie is busy at her shop, Poppy's and Beth has been working at the Reynolds Homestead featuring the Bushels and Barrels Festival and the annual book sale. Leslie also demonstrated spinning at Solitude at Virginia Tech for the Crooked Road Homecoming celebration. Beth talks about her Wild Women gathering today.and a special funeral where a Red Hat group honored a friend.   A Little Sweet....   Butterfly - Papillion Shawl Leslie is still making socks.     Hopscotch Socks from Think Outside the Sox, pattern by Lisa Swanson Mix and Match Knitting Tools from katrinkles on etsy.   Amy's Ball of Ladders Shawl with Wolles Creation Yarn A Little Tart...   Songs that have meaning to us:   Perfect Time by Maire Brennan Autumn to May by Peter, Paul and Mary Angel from Montgomery by Bonnie Raitt Time Passages album by Al Stewart Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves Danger by JJ. Cale and Eric Clapton Some Walls by Sammy Shelor Be Thou My Vision Hymn of Promise by Natalie Sleethe Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens Follow Me by John Denver Here There Everywhere by the Beatles Anything by Haydn Questions by Reba Rambo   A Little Unexpected....   Lovely recent meals including lavender wonders using lavender from High Country Lavender.   Shirley Valentine.   Music Attributions:   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx

Poppy's in Meadows of Dan Catching up on all the news. Leslie's new shop, Poppy's, at 10 Concord Road in Meadows of Dan. Beth has been busy including a trip to West Virginia for a sister's birthday celebration. Hat making at the Reynold's Homestead for Mother's Day.    "Merry Widow" Hats Rhododendron and other beautiful spring flowers on the Blue Ridge Parkway.    A Little Sweet....   Lenny Mud yarn bowls at Poppy's.    Dreamin' of Tulips Sock in Lion Brand Sock-Ease Yarn A Little Tart...   Special guest Aida tells about her special name, how she found Meadows of Dan and about her interesting adventures on a motorcycle. Willville Motorcycle Camp in Meadows of Dan. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.   A Little Unexpected...   Quotes from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig.   “When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called a Religion.”    “The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.”   “You look at where you're going and where you are and it never makes sense, but then you look back at where you've been and a pattern seems to emerge.”   “Sometimes it's a little better to travel than to arrive”    “We’re in such a hurry most of the time we never get much chance to talk. The result is a kind of endless day-to-day shallowness, a monotony that leaves a person wondering years later where all the time went and sorry that it’s all gone. ”   “In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame. On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”   Music Attributions:   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx    

Catching up on Reynolds Homestead and other adventures.   A Little Sweet...     Jemima Duck Soft Toy Knitting Pattern     Duck Yarn Bowl by KidAnMePotteryAndArt   George Magazine   A Little Tart...   Duck postcards Spirit animals, especially ducks, and animals as signs, robins and killdeer as signs of spring.   Return of the Bird Tribes by Ken Carey   Red Dog, movie Beautiful Joe by Margaret Marshall Saunders Lad, A Dog by Albert Payson Terhune   A Little Unexpected...   Great article by local author in Blue Ridge Outdoors, Jack's Trail Review by Rebecca Adcock.   Music Attributions:

Welcome to Quince!   The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson   A Little Sweet...   Mary Maxim Head Hugger Vintage Pattern Faux Fur Pom Poms   Lost in Time Shawl   A Little Tart...   "The world isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn't that make life a story?" Yann Martel, Life of Pi.     Eunice Yeatts McAlexander   A Little Unexpected...   Reviews of food boxes   Dinnerly   HungryRoot   Everyplate   Our beautiful area, Lover's Leap near Meadows of Dan, Virginia      

After being AWOL for three months, the girls catch up with all that has been happening. Reynolds Homestead Victorian Christmas Lots of cancellations in the area because of snowstorms and ice storms. Kindle On Deck to the rescue after a long power outage. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Making memories for Thanksgiving and Christmas, an intervention for Beth to set up her lovely new TV from her son. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Beth is being dragged into the 21st Century with a new phone, Echo and other Smart stuff gifted by her son. Do all these things threaten our privacy? Dopesick by Beth Macy Hillbilly Drug Baby by Andrea Brunais Time for a lifestyle change for Leslie with the help of Noom A Little Sweet... The new KnitPicks catalog Spectra Bleeding Art Tissue for dyeing   Super Fine Sampler by Marken of the Hat & I Susie's Reading Mitts by Janelle Masters Yax Trax and snowshoes Farm to Feet Socks A Little Tart The Monday Night Book Club Code Girls by Liza Mundy The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd A Little Unexpected Antique Postcard and Collectibles Club Dinner Recipe   From Beth's Collection, a postcard with a corn pudding recipe Music Attributions: Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx  ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389

Meadows of Dan and Reynolds Homestead happenings. Shearing a rabbit, yard sales, gynecologists, hurricanes, flood memories and guardian angels.   The true story A Little Sweet...   Crocheted Blanket Pattern by TheHatandI Leather Wrist Ruler by Ilovehandles A Little Tart...   Inspired by the anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, the topic is "Laying Down Your Life."   1 John 3:16-20 New International Version (NIV) "16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."   The ways to serve friends and communities. Sacrifice the friendship when you have to let go because of destructive behaviors. Cut people slack. Be present for people. Motherhood. Reaching out to friends and others in trouble. "let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow." - Kahlil Gibran   A Little Unexpected... How to Can Water from Loaves and Dishes Music attributions   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx   ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389  

Catching up on the news. Beth's memoir classes. College for Older Adults at the Reynolds Homestead. Meadows of Dan Folk Fair and Story Space. Way too hot in Meadows of Dan this week. Guests Ruthie and Amy. Rainbows and skunks. Vintage Tony the Tiger doll that Beth bought for herself when she was very young.   A Little Sweet   Amy's beautiful yarn and Tony the Tiger Long color changes in yarns.   A Little Tart   Life on the farm with rabbits, chickens, goats, Knightley and Emma and their kitty Darcy. Beth and her kitty Clue have a skunk friend.   Leslie's little bandits Life with wild animals on the mountain.   A Little Unexpected   Contest! Contest! Contest!   Tell us a fun or unusual birthday meal request and win a prize! More info in the previous post.   Sure cures for bad muscle cramps in the legs.   "I Can Sing a Rainbow" song.   Empower Yourself to Live Well with Alpha-Gal   Dealing with ticks in the environment with tick tubes that attack the ticks in the nest.   A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles   The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy   Music attributions   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389

      Adventures for Beth at Chataqua Institution, whimsy and wisdom. Leslie's adventures in swimming.   A Little Sweet...   Black tri Australian Shepherd stitch markers   "I Like Big Balls"   AC/DC song     Inca Trail by Svenlana Gordon   A Little Tart...   A discussion of salesman samples inspired by Reynolds Homestead Tidbits of History. Many types, including book samples and caskets, that were available into the 1970s.    A Little Unexpected...   Grandma Flanagan's Taylor Cakes / Molasses Cookies   1 cup boiling water 2 tsp. baking soda 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup Crisco 1 cup molasses 5 cups sifted flour 2 Tablespoons cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 1 pinch of cloves 2 beaten eggs   Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Add brown sugar, Crisco, molasses, flour, cinnamon, salt and cloves to baking soda-water, and mix thoroughly. Add beaten eggs last and gently blend. Drop by spoonfuls (they do not spread) onto a greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes. Yield: several dozen little cakes, depending on spoon size.   Frosting: Mix browned butter, a little cream and vanilla to flavor with enough confectioners sugar to spread well. Frost cooled cakes. Do not stack cakes, frosted or unfrosted.   This is a recipe from the 1800s, and makes soft, delicious molasses cookies. Mary Lois Barnes Flanagan was a 1910 graduate of the Lucy Webb Hayes Deaconess School in Washington, D. C.   ******************   A Contest! A Contest! A Contest!   What's the most unusual meal anyone ever asked you to make for their birthday dinner? Send us an email, make a comment on our Facebook page or on this web site, or mail us a postcard (we love them) to the address in the right column of the web site, with a description of the most unusual meal or dessert that anyone ever asked your for as a birthday request. We'll put together an impartial panel and the best entry will win a prize of handmade, antique and scrumptious things from Meadows of Dan. It has to be a REAL request and we hope to have a lot of fun with this on the podcast. We WILL mention your names. Deadline August 31, 2018. 

Memorial Day and Amazon Echo's Alexa singing the National Anthem.   Meadows of Dan happenings: yard sales, new stores, nice customers.   Reynolds Homestead Book Sale and History Around Us talk on the Melungeons (June 6 at noon)   A Little Sweet...   Addi Flexi Flips at VanKlikStudios on etsy   Professor Meow Sweater by Claire Slade   A Little Tart...   The reason for relationships.  Types of relationships.   Quotes:   "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them; women are afraid that men will kill them." - Margaret Atwood “When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on the faces surrounding him." - Albert Camus “Stuart needs "space" and "time," as if this were physics and not a human relationship.”  - Kathryn Stockett   "You can be in love and you can be in a relationship but they're not always the same thing." From http://www.iwrotethisforyou.me/2009/06/rose-is-not-always-rose.html   “Relationships are like Rome -- difficult to start out, incredible during the prosperity of the 'golden age', and unbearable during the fall. Then, a new kingdom will come along and the whole process will repeat itself until you come across a kingdom like Egypt... that thrives, and continues to flourish. This kingdom will become your best friend, your soul mate, and your love.” - Helen Keller “A man fishes for two reasons: he’s either sport fishing or fishing to eat, which means he’s either going to try to catch the biggest fish he can, take a picture of it, admire it with his buddies and toss it back to sea, or he’s going to take that fish on home, scale it, fillet it, toss it in some cornmeal, fry it up, and put it on his plate. This, I think, is a great analogy for how men seek out women.” - Steve Harvey A Little Unexpected...   The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian   Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler   More Quotes:   “You have a very open relationship with your fans.""Yes. We have an open relationship. Obviously they can see other authors if they want, and I can see other readers.”― Neil Gaiman “When two people relate to each other authentically and humanly, God is the electricity that surges between them.” - Martin Buber “But many of us seek community solely to escape the fear of being alone. Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.” - Bell Hooks   Music attributions   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389

Spring scenes (Cows by Beth and apple tree by Leslie)   Baton twirling, elder care, problems with the Veteran's Administration, a long hard winter   A Little Sweet....       Betty's Beauty by Kathleen McGrew   Baby bracelets   A Little Tart...   Signed copy of Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon Taking a friend to a bluegrass show in Northern Virginia during the 1980s. Missing friends at Cowles Ford in Woodbridge, Virginia.   A Little Unexpected...       New in Meadows of Dan, Concord Corner Store in the former Toy Museum building.   Lovely lunches and new ciders at Chateau Morrisette.   Greenberry House will be opening in mid-May.   Music attributions   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389

Blue Ridge Story Space       Beth's beautiful photos from her "Emerging Artist" show at the Reynolds Homestead    A picture of mountain serenity by Beth   Dr. Kirk Treible   Kirk holding Beth with the pony   Family photo The photo that provided the missing clue     Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389

Special Guest Felix, Leslie and Beth Our special guest, Felix, talks about life as an expatriate college student and explains bitcoins, so frequently in recent news. He and Beth also talk about new trends in dating!

  Special guests Chris and Cliff talk about growing up in New England, their adventures as roving pet-sitter and musician and share some wisdom about life.

Great show featuring Beth's Aussie sisters and their wonderful revelations about growing up in Western Australia and the differences they see in health care and wages between America and Australia.

We enjoyed having K and Amy as our audience!   Reynolds Reunion at Reynolds Homestead   Leslie's dogs have a new kitten   A Little Sweet...       Lovely ponchos on Ravelry     Paula Reversible Shawl made by Leslie       Yarn Bowl Yarn Box on Ravelry by ideasinwood   Meadows of Dan Craft Show finds   A Little Tart....   What we learned from Nancy Drew, how she became part of the American culture, influencing many strong women.     That blue roadster A Little Unexpected....   Many quotes from the books   "Read, Read, Read....that's all I can say." - The Secret of the Old Clock   Music Attribution   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn.

Recent eclipse and happenings in Meadows of Dan.   A Little Sweet...   What the Fade? mystery knit-along   Mystery yarn boxes   A Little Tart...   Risky business   A Little Unexpected...   Our dark and risky secrets   Music Attribution Reverie (small theme)by _ghostfeaturing Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn.

A Little Sweet...   Crochet Stitch Markers   Teamoy Organizer Case for Circular Needles   Crochet Hook Set   Knitters Pride Interchangeable Cord Variety Pack       Summerleaf Shawl by Nim Teasdale   A Little Tart...   Mark Twain and his bed Authors found on antique postcards.   "For Auld lang syne" - Robert Burns   "The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, and all the sweet serenity of books." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow   "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will. - Charlotte Bronte   "Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs." - Charlotte Bronte   "When the Frost is on the Punkin" by James Whitcomb Riley   Louisa May Alcott "I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in." - Robert Louis Stevenson   "Wine is bottled poetry." Robert Louis Stevenson   "What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say." - Ralph Waldo Emerson   "I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me." - Ralph Waldo Emerson   Postcards given to Beth by authors "Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." - Nathaniel Hawthorne   "No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true." - Nathaniel Hawthorne   "Easy reading is damn hard writing." - Nathaniel Hawthorne   Bodice Ripper novels   A Little Unexpected...   La's Orchestra Saves the World   As Meat Loves Salt

Greater Roanoke Postcard Show   Olde Liberty Fibre Faire   Courthouse Tragedy Play   Easter weekend in Meadows of Dan   High school students get a visit to Virginia Tech   A Little Sweet...   Leslie's OLFF Loot Steampunk spinning wheels by Terry Clark   Beautiful bags by Twisted Yarn and Fiber   Uluru Queensland yarn   Beautiful yarn by Knitting Notions   Greenberry House opening soon!   Welcoming Samuel Ellis Shelor, son of Sammy Shelor and his lovely wife, Jordyn.   A Little Tart...   Words that annoy us (and others)   Suggestions by our Facebook friends   A Little Unexpected...   Netflix series to knit spin, and work on postcards by   Murdoch Mysteries

Virginia Association of Museums Conference Chasing the Powhatan Arrow by Michael Abraham Martinsville, Virginia   A Little Sweet...   Leslie made a baby blanket, modifying the pattern Cluster and Shell Baby Blanket by Sharon Frazier   A Little Tart...   Russia (The Old Regime) 1903 - 1919 "Personal Recollections" by Madame Olga de Smolianinoff Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, 1908 - L. C. Page & Company     Photo of Beth's mother in a very special frame   Beth's special and personal valuables   How to easily clean silver plate and sterling silver   A Little Unexpected...   Jalna series of books by Mazo de La Roche   Music Attribution Reverie (small theme)by _ghostfeaturing Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn.

Strange February weather Subject is Volunteers Great Volunteers in Meadows of Dan Reynolds Homestead's incredible Volunteers   A Little Sweet...   Volunteer knitting and crocheting   A Little Tart...   Lots of quotes on volunteering   A Little Unexpected...   Granny D: Walking Across America in My Ninetieth Year   In Pursuit of the Common Good   The Voluntourist: A Six-Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem   Music Attribution   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn. 

Ferrum College   Honoring Reynolds Homestead volunteers   Great Books and Great Conversations   Pearl Buck   A Little Sweet...       PussyHat Project by Kat Coyle         6-Day Kid Blanket by Betty McKnit   A Little Tart...   Living as caregivers to aging parents   "I believe that most caregivers find that they inherit a situation where they just kind of move into caregiving. it's not a conscious decision for most caregivers, and they are ultimately left with the responsibility of working while still trying to be the caregiver, the provider and the nurturer." - Sharon Law Tucker   "The best people are the good old wrinkled people with a sparkle in their eye, a wink when you walk by or a toothless smile saying you are doing just fine." - Robert Wesley Miller   "Never tease an old dog; he might have one bite left." - Robert A. Heinlein   "I've never stopped wanting to cross the equator, or touch an elk's  horns, or sing Tosca or screw James Dean in a field of wheat. To hell with wisdom. They're all wrong: I'll never be through with my life." - Rita Dove   "Even eighty-odd is sometimes vulnerable to vanity." - L. M. Montgomery   A Little Unexpected...   Books:    The Mindful Caregiver: Finding Ease in the Caregiving Journey by Nancy L Kriseman The Inspired Caregiver: Finding Joy While Caring for Those You Love by Peggi Speers and Tia Walker   "My caregiver mantra is to remember: the only control you have is over the changes you choose to make." - Nancy L. Kriseman   "Embracing a healing presence requires you to just be in the moment together." - Nancy L. Kriseman   Music Attribution   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn

Holiday happenings: friends, games, and Beth's loot!   A Little Sweet...     Grazzka's Andrea's Shawl Most favorited pattern on ravelry for the year. Andrea's Shawl by Kirsten Kapur.     Babaruda's Mandala Madness Mandala Madness by Helen Shrimpton   Leslie talks about knitting needles; varieties available and materials for aching and aging hands.   http://www.swallowknit.com/   http://www.glasspens.com/   A Little Tart...   Mountain Christmas past and present.    “You can always tell what kind of a person a man really thinks you are by the earrings he gives you.” - Audrey Hepburn A Little Unexpected...   "The Birth (Near Port William) by Wendell Berry   Music Attribution Breaking Up Christmas by Jump Steady Boys   Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn

Adopting pound dogs. Spay and neuter   Farm Dogs: A Comprehensive Breed Guide to 93 Guardians, Herders, Terriers and Other Canine Working Partners by Janet Vorwald Dohner   Reynolds Homestead Victorian Christmas   Mayberry Church Live Nativity, December 16 & 17, 2016   Singles Dinner and Bingo   A Little Sweet...   Cheerful Gift Guide for Knitters from Mason Dixon Knitting       Stacey's Bun Hat by Stacey Thorngren       A Little Unexpected by Elena Nodel   A Little Tart...   Different types of photographs:    Daguerreotype  Ambrotype          Tintype  Stereoviews Carte de Visite   Cabinet Cards      Backmarks   Leslie's photographs for sale at Scraps of American History       Real photo postcards   Beth's eBay ID: hemlockwv   Modern photography   Prom pictures   Christmas photos   A Little Unexpected...     Author Ibby Greer   Images of America Series   Flickr.com   Quotes:   "There are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes." - Abraham Lincoln   "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." - Henri Cartier-Bresson   Simon Ships Out: A Heroic Cat at Sea by Jacky Donovan   "Today everything exists to end in a photograph." - Susan Sontag

Reynolds Homestead activities.   Fort Caswell CoastalRetreat and Conference Center.      Print by Cindy Howe, RagtopDesigns Rustic Cabin Life onFacebook   Herrera Vineyards, Dobson, North Carolina    A Little Sweet...   Chicken Hot Pad   Slow TV from Norway for knitting along.      Frieze Shawl by Lisa Hannes      Yarn Sheep Brooch byDanielleVGreene    A Little Tart...     Great books that have been a huge influence on the hosts Taylor Caldwell Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery Science Fiction The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley The Merlin Series by Mary Stewart The Madness of a Seduced Woman by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer King James Bible and other versions Ralph Waldo Emerson Irving Stone Jayne Anne Phillips Roots by Alex Haley Jane Austen The Color Purple by Alice Walker Aphrodite by Isabel Allende Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey   A Little Unexpected...   The Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole   Music Attribution Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn

Pancake Days in Meadows of Dan Reynolds Homestead Activities A Little Sweet... Alpaca Spinners WPI GaugeGreat little handspinner's tool by GirlOntheRocks. Mermaid Tail BlanketPopular on Ravelry: Mermaid tail blankets for children and adults. Angora single plied with merino single handspun yarnNot much knitting for Leslie, but she has been spinning angora and plying it with merino. A Little Tart... Black Book Detective MagazineA discussion of pulp magazines from the early 1900s, including the writers and the wide range of subjects covered by the cheap and popular issues. About John C. Campbell and his influence on the development of science fiction and on young authors that became the giants of the genre. A disturbing and critically acclaimed short story that was published in Astonishing in 1954 and later found by Leslie as a teenager, "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin. Fate Magazine, 1952Fate magazine table of contentsChanges in the magazine industry leading to a different format and rising costs of production of the pulp magazines.  Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, September, 1958A great website about pulp magazines, The Pulp Magazine Project. A Little Unexpected... Leslie's favorite pulp magazine author, Arthur C. Clarke. Quotes: "Any path to knowledge is a path to God—or Reality, whichever word one prefers to use." - Arthur C. Clarke "One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion." - Arthur C. Clarke  "I sometimes think that the universe is a machine designed for the perpetual astonishment of astronomers," - Arthur C. Clarke Music Attribution Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn

Crooked Road Cafe 41st Annual Meadows of Dan Women's Club Craft Show Enchanting little bag by our friend Ruby Boyd Asbury, found at the craft showA Little Sweet... Millennium Falcon Knitting Needle Gauge by MythWorksUK  Dragon Scale Gauntlets by Stephanie Soikkeli It's all about dragons on Ravelry this week with the hot Dragon scale mitts patterns http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-tears-fingerless-gloves http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragonscale-gloves http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-scale-gauntlets-2 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-scale-gloves-2 A Little Tart... Achieving your bucket list Blue Highways Revisited  1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die by Peter BoxallQuotes:“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” - Michaelanglo “The question isn't who is going to let me; it's  who is going to stop me.” - Ayn Rand “If we are growing we are always going to be outside our comfort zone.” - John C. Maxwell "There are two ways to face the future. One way is with apprehension; the other is with anticipation - Jim Rohn A Little Unexpected... The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood Music Attribution Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn

About commemoration: 9/11 and more Chautauqua  Beth's Chautauqua postcardsBeth at ChautauquaChautauquaLeslie's Chautauqua Press books Reynolds Homestead Bus Trips A Little Sweet... Types of spindles and how handspinning came to be Pandamonium HatA Little Tart... Foyles, Charing Cross Road, London E. S. German Sunday School Book Store, Harrisburg, PA Collecting bookseller's labels http://www.sevenroads.org/Bookish.html http://www.booksellerlabels.com/ A Little Unexpected... The Hornet's Nest by Jimmy CarterBeth's Hillsborough, North Carolina poscardsVOTE! Music Attribution Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn

About confusion and clarity A little sweet... Leslie is still working on zick-zack Popular on Ravelry this week: Caramel by Isabell Kraemer  1861 projects Also on Ravelry in crochet: Jordan - sleeveless pineapple top by Vicky Chan 253 projectA clever knitting tool: Increase Decrease Knitting Stitch Marker - Size US 5 - Item No. 64 by HIDEandSHEEP on etsy. Montpelier, Orange, Virginia Marion duPont Scott Montpelier Fiber Festival Staunton, Virginia Meadows of Dan Folk Fair, August 20 Peach Festival in Stuart, Virginia A Little Tart...  Concerning working with Alzheimer's patients Awakenings by Oliver Sacks Beth's postcards for sale illustrating confusion  Leave a comment if you are interested in one of the postcards or the unique set! Metamorphic postcards A Little Unexpected...  Review of Murder and Moonshine by Carol Miller Sharyn McCrumb and her mystery series Martin Clark "I have nothing to offer to anybody except my own confusion." - Jack Karouac “Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That's why it's so hard." - David McCullough Music Attribution Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn

Elizabeth's Pizza in Patrick Springs, VirginiaBeautiful little dishes with vintage style insect prints from Mattie B's.Mattie B's Shop in Stuart, Virginia Home Comforts, also in Stuart Reynolds Homestead activities Floydfest A Little Sweet...Completed Reyna Shawl, made with Unplanned Peacock Peacock Sock yarn in colorway Gummi Shark Reyna shawl (picture) made with Unplanned Peacock Gummi Shark Binding offZick Zack Scarf by Christy Kamm made with Queensland Collection Uluru cotton blend yarnChinese Tile Fail Three loop knitting ring by ItsVera on etsy.  Silverleaf by Lisa Hannes  Most popular pattern on Ravelry this week and it is beautiful! A Little tart...  Discontinued post offices in the Meadows of Dan area and Hemlock, West Virginia. Discontiued post offices Virginia at Scraps of American history.  A Little Unexpected... "Why I live at the P. O." by Eudora Welty. Inspired by a photo she took of a woman ironing in back of the post office.  Photos by Welty. Quotes by Eudora Welty: "A great snapshot keeps a moment from running away." "We are the breakers of our own hearts." "It doesn't matter if it takes a long time getting there; the point is to have a destination." "The excursion is the same when you go looking for your sorrow and when you go looking for your joy." "Never think you've seen the last of anything." Genetics may influence why we are liberal or conservative in politics.

A Little Sweet... Old Shale Variations by Mary Spanos A lovely collection of the Old Shale lace stitch pattern and one of the stitches used in the hap shawl. The Delmar Sweater, a 1920s crochet pattern. Gauge 19 stitches = 2 inches, 4 rows = 1 inch. probably a light fingering weight yarn. Pattern originally published in Fleisher's Knitting and Crocheting Manual, 1922. Leslie's Leaves sweater, made with vintage yarn. Review of Spin-Off, Summer, 2016 A Little Tart... Calvin Coolidge, his presidency, marriage to Grace Goodhue, and life during the 1920s in postcards. Bucket presented to Henry Ford by Calvin Coolidge, with Thomas Edison and others Postcard President Coolidge at Plymouth, Vermont Postcard Plymouth, Vermont, birthplace of President Coolidge postcard President Coolidge Leaving Rutland, Aug. 3, '23 Postcard President and Mrs. Coolidge at Plymouth postcard Postcards are from Beth Almond Ford's collection and are for sale. Postcard shows Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries on Netflix "I sometimes wish that people would put a little more emphasis on the observance of the law than they do upon its enforcement: - Calvin Coolidge A Little Unexpected... Agatha Christie, a favorite mystery writer. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd “It is the brain, the little gray cells on which one must rely. One must seek the truth within--not without." - Agatha Christie “Poetry is not the most important thing in life... I'd much rather lie in a hot bath reading Agatha Christie and sucking sweets.” - Dylan Thomas Dr. Who episode with Agatha Christie: The Unicorn and the Wasp Your hosts wind things up and will be back in two weeks! Music Attribution Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0) Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone Don't Be Scared ft. Christine Autumn by Calling Sister Midnight (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/romancito/50155 Ft: Klaus Neumaier, Christine Autumn

Word of the Day - Fortitude Synonyms for fortitude West Virginia floods of 2016 A Little Sweet... Quill Shawl, finally completed by Leslie! New project for Leslie: Reyna Shawl Reyna Shawl, pattern by Noora Laivola. Yarn is Unplanned Peacock Studio's Peacock Sock in the colorway Gummi Shark, from the Tailfeathers Club. Leslie also has a lovely skein of yarn from Unplanned Peacock's Rainbow Unicorn of Love Yarn Fundraiser. Buy a skein of yarn and Natasha will donate 10 pairs of socks to a homeless shelter for teens.  Beth has been working with some interesting postcards, including a miniature postcard with a fascinating tiny British postage stamp. She also worked with Patrick County middle school aged kids with the Reynolds Homestead and the STEM camp.  A Little Tart... Fortitude by Hugh Walpole Fortitude TV Show: 9 Must-Read Books for Fortitude fans “A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful.” - Jacqueline Bisset “Strong people alone know how to organize their suffering so as to bear only the most necessary pain.” - Emile Dorian A Little Unexpected... Building a bunny house requires some fortitude Baby goats are fun. Beth enjoyed a visit with her cousin and visited the beautiful Rocky Knob picnic area. Holiday weekend, yard sales, working the shop and candy store. Your hosts wrap things up and will return in a couple of weeks with a new word. 

Word of the Day - Reading Definitions of reading. Lots and lots of talk about books, books and more books, fortune telling readings, inspirations for our reading lives, reading or not reading, literacy in America statistics. “Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.”― Lemony Snicket A Little Sweet... Reynolds Homestead Book Sale Bushels and Barrels Festival Nancy's wedding Crooked Road Mountains of Music Homecoming Hand dyed angora wool for spinning Leslie is still working on the Quill shawl, nearing the end of the fourth side of the last border, and spinning hand dyed angora from her rabbits. A Little Tart... Many more books that have influenced us. “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.” - J. D. Salinger Goodreads.com A Little Unexpected... Great book clubs in the community Lots of music festivals in the area Summertime fun Great family reunion at the Pondview Guest House Your hosts wrap things up and will be back with a new word in a couple of weeks. Music Attribution Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0)

Word of the Day - Color Our word of the day was suggested by Beth's sister, Ruthie, also our very special guest for this podcast episode. Ladybird Johnson's wildflower legacy A bit about color and dye workshops, dyeing techniques. The claim that ancient people did not see the color blue. “On and on they flew, over the countryside parceled out in patches of green and brown, over roads and rivers winding through the landscapes like strips of matte and glossy ribbon.” - J. K. Rowling Great movies about color What Dreams May Come Avatar  Woman in gold The changing attitudes about color and race and the words used for description. Martha and her babyColorful new baby goat! “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it." - Alice Walker “Isn't it strange that I know you'd risk your life to save mine, but I don't even know what your favorite color is?” - Suzanne Collins Adult coloring books. Spoon Mountain Farm coloring book by talented artist Sarah Reyburnh A Little Sweet... Leslie is spinning hand dyed angora wool from her German Angora rabbits and planning a rabbit house. Also a yard sale for Memorial Day weekend. She is on the third side of the final border of the Quill Shawl. Beth has been dealing with eye surgery and lots of projects at the Reynolds Homestead. She will be presenting the siblings book on June 5 to kickoff the annual book sale. Hand dyed, hand spun yarn, one of several new yarns at Greenberry HouseRuthie is winding down her teaching year but has been doing a series of studies of famous paintings and the Bible verses that inspired them.  A Little Tart... Much talk about numerous books with color in the titles and terrific songs with colors in the titles and lyrics. A Little Unexpected... Escaping dogs and the Music Jam in Meadows of Dan at the Toy Museum; 2 - 5 on Saturdays throughout the summer is planned. Visitors from Australia and other places.  “The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most.” - John Ruskin “Music gives color to the air of the moment.” - Karl Lagerfeld “You know those days when you get the means reds?’  ‘Same as the blues?’ ‘No,’ she said slowly. ‘No, the blues are because you’re getting fat or maybe it’s been raining too long. You’re sad that’s all. The mean reds are horrible. You’re afraid, and you sweat like hell, but you don’t know what you’re afraid of." - Truman Capote Your hosts wrap things up and will be back with a new word in a couple of weeks. Music Attribution Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0)

Word of the Day - Faith Definitions of faith, aspects of faith, faith in the future because of young people, faith in religion, faith beyond religion, personal ideas about faith, leaps of faith, Biblical quotes on faith.  “A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche A Little Sweet... New Yarns are selling well at Greenberry House and on the web site. Olde Liberty Fibre Faire Leslie is still working on the border of her hap shawl, Quill by Jared Flood from Brooklyn Tweed's Spring Thaw Collection, but life keeps getting in the way. Beth talks about book shows she has attended and a special early Florida postcard she has for sale. Leslie is well stocked at the shop on vintage books about religion. “Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.” - Max Lucado “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” ― Mahatma Gandhi “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson Book and Art Sale at the Reynolds Homestead, featuring Beth and her siblings book, beginning Sunday, June 5, and continuing through the following week. A Little Tart.... Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom "Faith is about doing. You are how you act, not just how you believe." - Mitch Albom Speaking of Faith by Krista Tippett Songs: "Great is Thy Faithfulness" "Keeping the Faith" "Faithfully" A Little Unexpected... Mabry Mill is open in Meadows of Dan Raps Orchard Gap is open and looking for help. Leslie is doing a dye workshop with the Reynolds Homestead Rug Hooking group. Leslie is also heading for Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival! Your hosts wrap things up and will be back with a new word in a couple of weeks. Music Attribution Reverie (small theme) by _ghost featuring Pitx ccmixter.org/files/_ghost/25389 CC Attribution (3.0)