On Memorial Day, Thoughts on Patriotism

My heart is hurting this Memorial Day. I am outraged at what has happened to this nation - so outraged that I am unable to express my thoughts rationally.

Others have written about dissent and liberty much more eloquently than I ever could. Here are their words:

"Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us. William O. Douglas

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it." Edward R. Murrow

"The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naive and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair." H. L. Mencken

"Dissent, rebellion and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots."Barbara Ehrenreich

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." Theodore Roosevelt

Family Members Who've Served This Nation

Uncle Ed Erb during WWII - one of three of my Mother's brothers who served.

Memorial Day

Today we honor the military dead who have served this nation. I was going to post the pictures of departed members of my husband's and my families who have done so, but there are too many. Instead, I honor them by placing their names here:
Three of my Mother's brothers: Ed, Bob and Jack Erb; my father-in-law, Connally Guerrant; my brother-in-law, Bruce Taylor, and my husband's uncle, Wiley Crouse.

Those veterans still with us include: my husband Bill, my brother-in-law Tom Guerrant, my nephew Tom Arnett, my former brother-in-law Dan Cramer, uncle Ralph, twin cousins Chuck and Ralph Mains, cousin Ronnie Erb and my daughter-in-law's baby brother Robbie Stalter, who returned safely Friday after serving 16 months in Afghanistan.

Lastly, my father Kermit vonOhlen, who wanted to serve but was not allowed to do so. His job as a farmer growing food for the nation was considered critical to the war effort during World War II. But he found a way to contribute by also growing hemp, from which they made rope, for the Navy. When my sisters and I learned of this in the '60's, we thought it was ultra cool.

North Carolina Quilt Symposium

"Bee in the Mountains" - the North Carolina Quilt Symposium 2007 was fabulous! Hosted by the energetic and talented members of the Western North Carolina Quilters' Guild, the four-day gathering went off without a hitch. Teacher co-chairs Sarah Wallace and Peggy McCaffrey, along with Peggy's sister Patricia, did an awesome job taking extra special care of us on the faculty.

My personal assistant Honeybee, Dee Dalton, was incredible! She got me and my humongous amount of STUFF settled in, then managed to change into a beautiful dress and help me sell my patterns and hand-dyes at the opening teacher reception that evening. AND, she checked with me several times each day to see if she could help further. Thank you, Dee!

To everyone in the host guild, I send a great big THANK YOU!

I really lucked out on having the very best students in my classes. Thanks for making my job such a joy. You guys rule! Pictures of your projects are posted below. More complete IDs from the Confetti class will be added as soon as I unpack and find my student lists! Love ya!

Remember to click on photos for a larger view.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Mars Hill College has a lovely, pastoral setting.

There is even a log cabin right in the middle of campus!

Uh Oh Confetti Ohs

We had such fun in my Friday class! Uh Oh Confetti Ohs was developed as a method for putting a new twist on an old favorite - the log cabin block. Students stitched four wacky log cabin blocks and then altered them to create small artful pieces. See samples of their work below.

A photo of a class inspiration piece is also shown.

Orange Slice, one of my Confetti Log Cabin quilts, was created for a teaching gig for The Quilter's Workshop in Tampa FL. It is one of my class samples.

Barbara Hutton's graphic composition in blue and orange batiks is striking.

Check out Maria Hobbs' outfit which coordinated perfectly with her chosen fabrics. She's a girl after my own heart, as she sews barefoot as I do. You go girl!

Ann Lawson's composition of great looking batiks includes a half-inch red 'cut-through.'

Susie Jacobs finished her beautiful confetti quilt - complete with borders!