Broken World and Modern Broken Dish

In the most recent published letter from Helmut Müller he implies that something big had happened either on August 21, 1946 or in recent days. Perhaps he was simply referring the atrocious conditions of Germany in general... buildings bombed and destroyed, living conditions were poor, not to mention the lack of food and work/income.  

The men that have written all seem grateful for the jobs that they had.  Ernst Ruehr found work in a nursery, while his brother worked for a farmer in Bavaria and Alert Baldauf obtained a position with the American Military Government.

As I researched for events of interest that Mr. Müller could have been referring to, I checked the daily journal of Eleanor Roosevelt and learned that in the previous week H.G. Wells had died as well as a nephew, Henry Parish Roosevelt who had suffered a serious bone infection as a boy and endured numerous surgeries and much pain.  While not of great significance, especially to the citizens of Germany, her final statement is rather poignant and still true:

"A strange world we live in. We never know what may happen the very next minute, and the plans of mice and men often go astray. Perhaps this should remind us that mice and men, in the eyes of the Almighty, have much in common and should make us live more carefully each precious hour that we hold in our grasp as "the present.""

As I continued my search for headlines of world events I found that Pueblo, CO, located 80 miles north of our town, was dealing with a polio outbreak and children under the age of 18 were to be excluded from public gatherings and activities.



Other headlines indicate an investigation into some campaigns, someone resigning from said investigation committee, acknowledgement of a shooting at a US plane and more.

Larger newspaper headlines mentioned preparations for the trials of war crimes that occurred during WWII.

It is a little surreal to realize that the headlines really aren't much different than they were 74 years ago.  Strikes were taking place, school regulations being discussed, as well as some celebrity and dignitary news reported.



Hmmm... the more things change, the more they stay the same!  And perhaps there wasn't any major new news... the author was probably tired of focusing on the poor conditions and wanted to leave all of that broken world behind him.






As I pondered current events, past events and the block from the December 30, 1936 Kansas City Star, The Modern Broken Dish it occurred to me... the world seems to be broken...  

So I retreated to my second favorite place to seek solace... my kitchen.

The temps on Tuesday were a bit cooler than they had been for a week and I needed to replenish some of my supply of freezer meals as well as some goodies.

I have two different kinds of cookies, some muffins, two casserole meals and two crockpot freezer meals on hand and ready to go.  Oh, and a flourless chocolate cake for the birthday boy who celebrates today.




It has been a while since I've shared a No Guilt::Go Quilt recipe... so here you go!  I don't recall where I found the original recipe, but here is my modified version to comply with my anti-inflammatory dietary restrictions. 



Alfredo Soup

2 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 chicken breast (you can cube or you can place a whole breast and shred before adding the pasta for the last 30 minutes)
4 ounces baby carrots cut in 1/2 moons
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Not needed until day of cooking:

8 ounces dairy free cream cheese
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups parmesan cheese
1 small package of tortellini 

Make a roux with 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup Einkorn flour.  Stir in the broth and add remaining ingredients.  Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours. 

Thirty minutes prior to serving add in 2 cups Parmesan cheese and small package of cheese tortellini. (I use Conchiglie because I have yet to find a df/gf tortellini.)

So, when all my baking was done and the soup was simmering away I wandered to my studio to try out an idea that I had for a miniature Modern Broken Dish project using just 1/4 of the block.


This mini-pinnie was an impromptu project and not exactly the 1/2 sized scale that I had intended, but it I think it turned out aDORable!

After getting the center 9-patch together I realized I didn't do the math correctly... I cut the squares at 1-1/8" (1/2 of the original pattern, 2-1/4" rather than the 1-3/8" - if you are curious about how to do quilt math let me know - I'd be happy to email you about it)... I threw caution to the wind and I moved on... guessing at the dimensions of the remaining pieces of the block.

It took me about an hour to complete and I am completely in LOVE with it.  It features fabric from my Grandmother's collection.  It is so cheerful and "chipper".

And with the completion of this little cutie I realized that my spirit was calmer and I had joy in my heart again.  I believe I have said this before, but when I am working with any of the patterns or fabric from Katie, I feel as though I have crawled up into her lap and am wrapped in her arms.  A big ol' hug from Grandma can make everything better, right?

Or at the very least, one could take the advice from the chorus of a song by John Denver...

Blow up your TV, throw away your paper
Go to the country, build you a home
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches
Try and find Jesus on your own


Perhaps, just a thought, but perhaps the advancement of technology and having information at our fingertips 24/7 has not been the "be all to end all" that we were told it would be.  Cases of depression and mental illnesses have increased dramatically over the years, people are working harder than ever, constantly and with little to show for it... failed relationships and broken families... 

Haven't we already learned from our quarantine time that reconnecting with the loved ones we live with was refreshing?  Or at the very least, eye opening?  How well do we really know those we love?  How well do we know our family heritage and history?

Turn off the TV, set aside the paper and share stories of your parents and grand-parents. Sit down with the document "Priceless Conversations" and record your stories.  Sit with your parents or Aunts and Uncles and ask them the same questions... 

With the development of technology comes the ability to search family records on-line, but these documents such as dates of birth and death, where buried, etc., as well as census records offer data that we may not have had... but they don't know the personal stories... like how did Grandpa and Grandma make it through the Dust Bowl, or the Great Depression.  They don't tell what some of the favorite family recipes were and how they managed throughout WWII and the rations and victory gardens.

Make it personal!  Make it so that future generations know about the dash on the headstone in the cemetery. Let them know more than the date of birth and the date of death.

I have gifted so many quilts over the years... and we STILL have so many!  What I would like for my family to do at a celebration of life service is have everyone in attendance bring a quilt that they have received from me... and if they don't have one... Dave and the girls will have the ones we still have and they can pick one out... and share their story of receiving the quilt.  While I would love to be remembered as a quilter... I would love even more if others remembered me for my love of God, life and family and my desire to leave the world a better place.  

How about you?  

What do you want to be remembered for?  

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you!

Leave a piece of you,
Melva

Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Pieces From The Past Sew Along

that features vintage Kansas City Star quilt blocks!

PS - If you have completed your Modern Broken Dish block be sure to tag me on instagram and use hashtag #Piecesfromthepastsewalong or facebook.  I'd love to see your block 💓


Linking with:

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