'O' is for Organ . . .

 "And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

'O' is for organ . . . Western Yearly Meeting is blessed to have an amazing pipe organ in the Meetingroom along with several talented/gifted Friends who play it during Yearly Meeting sessions and other times throughout the year.

As I sat in Yearly Meeting sessions, last July, looking at the organ and listening to Friends play it I decided that I would have to share it with you. The following is the organ's history taken from the posting next to the organ:

"The organ was built in 1899 by August Prante & Sons. It was first installed in the Assumption Roman Catholic Church on Blaine Avenue in southwest Indianapolis and served there until that church closed around 1990. The building was then taken over by St. Athanasius Church, a Byzantine rite congregation which does not use musical instruments. The bellows leather deteriorated and by 1996 the organ was unplayable. Because of a leaking window behind the instrument, the floor under the organ required repair and the instrument was put on the market. The organ celebrated its centennial with a move to its present location & a complete restoration in 1999.

The Prante family were organbuilders for at least three generations. The father, Joseph Charles Prante, emigrated with his family from the Westphalia district of Prussia in 1852. By 1856 the family was in Louisville, Kentucky. Prante built several instruments from a small organ shop at St. Meinrad, Indiana before returning to Kentucky and southern Indiana. By 1896 his four sons were also identified with the business. August died in 1900 and the sons continued the business into the 1920's. There are only four Prante instruments still in existence, all from August Prante's workshop. A twin to the Plainfield organ, also from 1899, is located in St. Phillip Neri Church in Louisville.

The moving and restoration of the organ was carried out by Goulding and Wood, Organbuilders, of Indianapolis. They remarked about the solid construction and good workmanship of the instrument. It consists of 896 pipes in 16 ranks or sets, five of which are of wood and the remaining 11 of zinc and pipe metal, an alloy of tin and lead. Two of the stops are for the pedal keyboard and seven each are for the manual keyboards. Two of the stops are reeds, the Oboe and the Trumpet. The swellbox is elevated at the back of the organ, allowing better projection of the sound. The action of the organ is entirely mechanical, called "tracker action" and the original hand pump projects from the left rear of the organ so that it can be played without any electricity being available. A modern Swiss electric blower is now attached. The colors of the exposed pipes and the stenciling designs, reminiscent of those used at the time the organ was built were selected and applied by Marilyn  Wittmer-Etchison. This Victorian era design and the oak paneling on the case sides allow the instrument to blend into the atmosphere of our 157 year old Meetinghouse."

This year I am not attending/participating in Western Yearly Meeting sessions as I am across the Pond traveling around England (see the blogs I'm publishing about that journey). Instead . . . I'll be attending/participating in YMG 2017 with over 1,300 British Friends and guests! So whilst I'll be missing hearing this beautiful organ being played this weekend . . . I'm enjoying visiting 1652 Territory/The Lake District and the beginning of my visit to YMG and seeing old Friends and meeting so many new Friends.

Western Yearly Meeting is truly blessed!

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'O' is for "Old Maid's Puzzle" block . . . A fairly simple block, often taught to beginning quilters. This block only contains squares and half-square triangles. The colors you choose and how you arrange the blocks will have an impact on your finished quilt.

This block also appears to look a lot like the 'Fox and Geese' block. Perhaps this is yet another one of those blocks that has multiple names.

Making several of these blocks and rotating them in different ways can give the illusion of a new block. Adding sashing or placing the blocks on point achieves even more variations.

I don't have a photo of my "Old Maid's Puzzle" block with me, so I'll have to post a photo when I get home.

 

'M' is for Mission Statement . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 

‘M’ is for Mission Statement . . . I had been working on three totally different ideas for my “M” post when a fourth idea came to me during Meeting for Worship while visiting another Meeting recently when a member of that Meeting got up and spoke. This Friend talked about the need of having a Mission Statement. I got a scrap of paper out of my pocket and made a couple of quick notes for later as it hit me that this might be a better option for my “M” blog post. So here goes . . .

 

Most, if not all, businesses and organizations have a mission or purpose statement. That is a statement that lets others (the public) know who they are and what their purpose is in a nutshell, or brief statement, if you will. The mission/purpose statement will appear on printed materials, websites and the like. A mission or purpose statement can, and should be used, by a business or organization to keep themselves in check – something that they can refer to, as needed, to make sure they ARE doing what they say they will.

 

As the Clerk of Friends Committee on Scouting I’ve been asked several times over the years what our mission statement is. During our Annual Meeting in March of 2012 we reviewed and updated our committees’ Bylaws and while doing so renamed it Operations and Procedures. This included updating our Purpose Statement, which now reads:

 

Friends Committee on Scouting serves to encourage and promote the faith, history, and testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) through religious education programs for Quaker Scouts/Guides and other similar youth organizations. It does this through the development and promotion of:

 

·     Quaker Religious Awards for young Friends involved with Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts USA, Camp Fire USA, and other applicable American youth organizations, as the Committee may determine.

 

·     The Quaker Religion in Life Award for young Friends involved with Girl Guides of Canada and Scouts Canada.

 

·     Quaker resource material for faith-related badges for youth members of other Scout and Guide organizations throughout the world.

  

FCS also seeks to:

 

·     Inform Friends about Quaker Scouting/Guiding.
 

·     Represent the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) to the various national and international Scout/Guide organizations throughout the world.
 

·    Serve as a networking opportunity for Friends involved in Quaker Scouting/Guiding Recognize adult volunteers with the various national Scout/Guide organizations throughout the world with the “Friends Emblem”.

 



A little closer look . . .

There are three more Quaker Mission/Purpose Statements that are part of my Quaker faith that I will also share here:

First from my Meeting, Mooresville Friends Mission Statement, as found on our monthly newsletter:

 

“Our Mission:  As members of the Religious Society of Friends, we believe that Jesus Christ can speak to the conditions of all people.  Mooresville Friends Church seeks to become a place of renewal, healing, comfort, and love in the community.   We exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, by reaching out and sharing the love of Christ with the wider community, equipping Christians to minister as members of God’s Kingdom, and encouraging Christians to live a victorious, spirit-filled life.”

 

Second from my Yearly Meeting, Western Yearly Meeting of the Friends Church Purpose Statement:

 

“Seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Western Yearly Meeting equips Friends Meetings in the Gospel of Jesus Christ by exercising mutual care and extending cooperative ministries. Through various expressions of our Christian faith, we strive to inspire ministry and the release of gifts of leadership.”

 

And Third from Western Yearly Meeting Outreach Board, of which I am a member, I found the following mission/purposes listed in the 2016 Resource & Minute Book:

 

“This Board has two main duties. The first is to promote outreach projects throughout the yearly meeting. The second is to be good stewards of the assets we receive from our trust fund distributions.”

 

The Friend who spoke in Meeting for Worship went further than having a Mission/Purpose Statement for the corporate group and talked about having a Personal Mission Statement. An interesting thought to ponder.

 

We all have a mission in our lives, a purpose if you will, but I’m wondering how many of us, Friends or not, have ever sat down and really thought about what our mission or purpose in life is. How many of us have sat down, like a business or organization and put that mission or purpose down in writing? Sad to say that I’ve not done that . . . something to consider doing.

 

A Squirrel!

This last Wednesday when we returned to the Meeting House after lunch to continue sewing and quilting I looked up and saw something on the top of the Meeting House. What was it? We had recently had the roof replace, could the high winds have knocked some shingles loose? Looking a bit longer I realized that it was a squirrel! OK, not uncommon for squirrels to be up on the roof, but this one didn't appear to be moving. Was he/she stuck? Scarred? I had plenty of time to go into the Friendship House across the parking lot to grab my camera and take quite a few pictures. An hour or so later when I looked out the window this little squirrel was gone. But as I got ready to publish this post I was looking for pictures, and these came to my mind as they seemed to fit. As I said above, we all have a mission in our lives . . . so did/does this squirrel! If nothing more than to make us pause for a bit Wednesday to wonder 'What is that up there?' and then to wonder 'Is he/she stuck/scared?'

 

Think about it. What is your mission or purpose in life? Is it to make others pause for a bit and wonder 'What's up?' OR 'Am I stuck/scared?'  God knows what it is, but do you?

 

Writing this has reminded me of a song that we taught the students in Weekday Religious Education classes (third and fourth graders) “God Has a Plan”:

 

“God has a plan for you and me:

Only He knows what we can be

Follow His teachings and learn to trust

God has a plan for us.”



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2012 'Monkey

Wench' block

‘M’ is for Monkey Wrench . . . same name – different look. Monkey Wrench is another one of those quilt blocks that isn’t just one block – that is our quilting group at Mooresville Friends Meeting has made Monkey Wrench quilt blocks twice but they have totally different looks to them.



2016 'Monkey
Wrench' block

Monkey Wrench is one of the quilt blocks that is said to have been used in quilts used along the Underground Railroad here in the United States. Either alone or in a quilt with blocks of many patterns, it was a sign to the slaves to gather the tools they would need for their journey to freedom. Tools that could be used to build shelters, help determine direction, used as weapons to defend themselves (such as a Monkey Wrench), etc.


Who would have thought that I could talk about squirrels and monkeys in the same blog post and have it make some sense????



 

 

 

 

Friendly Greetings From Around the World/Saludos de amistad de todo el mundo . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him 

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter." 

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 

(Ver la traducción española de abajo.) 

 

Friendly Greetings From Around the World . . . the quilt blocks made and displayed during the recent FWCC World Plenary in Pisac, Peru.

 

In my previous post, "Quilt Block Project" I shared about the two quilt blocks that I made for this project. In this post I will share the information that we were given about the project and photos I took of many of the quilt blocks that were made by other Friends.
 

In November we were invited to 'bring creative greetings' from our home Meeting - that is to bring greetings on a piece fabric, which would be displayed during the Plenary, and we'd be able to take a greeting home with us from another Friend.

 

Simple instructions were provided for making our greeting:

Step 1: find a piece of plain cloth (material) 30cm by 30cm (OR 12-inches by 12-inches);

Step 2: write on the fabric and decorate it however you like;

Step 3: you can sew pictures on or glue pictures on to the fabric;

Step 4: keep it simple or make it very fancy if you like;

Step 5: ask Friends from your meeting or church to help you;

Step 6: add tabs to each corner;

Step 7: put it in your suitcase when you come to Peru.

A photo example was included of a very simple greeting on a piece of cotton fabric with the greeting written with a permanent marker and pictures/pieces of printed fabric and tabs glued on.

 

The quilt blocks at the Plenary were as different as each Friend in attendance. Not all Friends made quilt blocks but quite a few did. Some blocks were very simple - keeping with the Quaker Testimony of Simplicity maybe??? Others much more complex. Many were 30cm by 30cm (12-inches by 12-inches) as per the instructions given . . . while some were smaller and others quite a bit larger. Others were written on pieces of paper.
 

Choosing which quilt blocks I would bring home with me was quite challenging . . . and I'll not disclose here which quilt blocks I chose to bring home as I have a special project or two in the works which will include those quilt blocks along with the duplicates of the quilt blocks I made and took to the Plenary.

 

I'm not quite sure yet whether all four quilt blocks will be put together into one piece OR if I'll make two pieces - one with the greeting I made from Mooresville Friends Church and the greeting I chose in exchange for that one and a second piece with the greeting I made from Friends Committee on Scouting and the greeting I chose in exchange for that one. Either way, I plan to have that all done before Western Yearly Meeting sessions in mid-July 2016 and to display it/them during Yearly Meeting. Which means I've got a bit of work to do!

 

I've not included photos of ALL the quilt blocks that were made, as that would have taken up a lot more room - I may share others in future posts.

 

"And Ruth la moabita dijo a Noemi, 

déjame ir al campo y recoger mazorcas

de maíz después de él en cuyos

ojos voy hallar gracia.

Y ella le dijo, vaya, mi hija."

Rut 2:2 KJV

 

Saludos amistosos de todo el mundo. . . los bloques de acolchado hacen y se muestran durante el reciente Mundial del CMCA Plenaria en Pisac, Perú.

En mi post anterior, "Proyecto del bloque del edredón" Me compartió acerca de los dos bloques de edredón que he realizado para este proyecto. En este post voy a compartir la información que nos dieron sobre el proyecto y las fotos que tomé de muchos de los bloques de acolchado que fueron realizados por otros amigos.

En noviembre fuimos invitados a 'llevar las felicitaciones creativas' de nuestra reunión en casa - que es para llevar las felicitaciones en una tela pieza, que se muestra durante la Plenaria, y nos gustaría ser capaz de tomar un hogar de felicitación con nosotros de otro amigo .
 
se dieron instrucciones simples para hacer que nuestro saludo:
Paso 1: encontrar un pedazo de tela de 30 cm sin formato (material) por 30 cm (o 12 pulgadas por 12 pulgadas);
Paso 2: escribir sobre la tela y decorar como quieras;
Paso 3: se puede coser o pegar imágenes en cuadros en la tela;
Paso 4: que sea sencillo o lo hacen muy elegante si lo desea;
Paso 5: pedir a los amigos de su reunión o iglesia para ayudarle;
Paso 6: añadir pestañas para cada esquina;
Paso 7: ponerlo en su maleta cuando se llega a Perú.
Una foto de ejemplo se incluye de una manera muy simple saludo en un pedazo de tela de algodón con el saludo escrito con un marcador permanente y fotos / piezas de tela impresa y pestañas pegadas sucesivamente.
 
Los bloques de edredón en el Pleno eran tan diferentes como cada amigo en la asistencia. No todos los amigos hechos bloques del edredón, pero muy pocos lo han hecho. Algunos bloques eran muy simples - consonancia con el testimonio del Quaker de la simplicidad tal vez ??? Otros mucho más complejos. Muchos eran de 30 cm por 30 cm (12 pulgadas por 12 pulgadas) conforme a las instrucciones dadas. . . mientras que algunos eran más pequeños y otros un poco más grande. Otros fueron escritos en pedazos de papel.

La elección de las cuadras colcha Me gustaría llevar a casa conmigo fue todo un reto. . . y yo no voy a revelar aquí que bloquea edredón he elegido para llevar a casa ya que tengo un proyecto especial o dos en las obras que incluirá los bloques de acolchado junto con los duplicados de los bloques de acolchado que hice y se llevó a la Plenaria.
 
No estoy muy seguro todavía si los cuatro bloques de edredón se ponen juntos en una sola pieza o si voy a hacer dos piezas - uno con el saludo que hice de amigos Iglesia Mooresville y el saludo elegí a cambio de que uno y una segunda pieza con el saludo que hice de Comité de Amigos sobre el Movimiento Scout y el saludo elegí a cambio de que uno. De cualquier manera, planeo tener todo hecho de que antes de las sesiones de la Junta Anual occidentales a mediados de julio de 2016 y para mostrar / ellos durante la Reunión Anual. Lo que significa que tengo un poco de trabajo que hacer!

No he incluido fotos de todos los bloques de acolchado que se hicieron, ya que hubiera tomado las mucho más espacio - me permite compartir otros en el futuro puestos.