A Family Story From Greensburg

This evening I had an email from Stan Lewis of Marion, Indiana. He was hunting for information about family that was in the Greensburg, Kansas, tornado and found my blog.

I asked his permission to share his email here and he graciously agreed and even sent along a photo. I think it makes the story personal, and gives a different perspective than what traditional media is providing.

Stan says, The photo is of me and my wife, Carolyn, Dad and his wife, Forrest Lee. We were celebrating dad's 99th birthday the weekend of Feburary 25, 2007 in the Best Western J Hawk motel in Greensburg which is rubble now. Forrest Lee is a classy lady and few people think dad looks to be in his 100th year.
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Hi Patsy, I came across your blog when I was searching for my dad and step mom who were in the Carriage House in Greensburg. Please forgive me that this is so long, but I thought there might be some interest. I and/or my family have a lot of history in Greensburg, Mullinville, Minneola, and Hutchinson.

I was born July 19, 1939 in Mullinville. My parents were Quakers, so I was a birth rite Quaker. When a year old my family moved to Minneola. There was no Friends church so we attended the Methodist church. My dad was a farmer and we fed steers during the winter.  I attended Southwestern College for a year after I graduated from Minneola H.S. in 1957, 50 years ago May 17. I went to Asbury College for the rest of my college years and to Asbury Seminary both in Wilmore, KY. I married a Hoosier, who attended Taylor University.

We felt God wanted us to be missionaries, but after I got my seminary degree we moved to Hutchinson, Kansas to have pastoral experience. I graduated from seminary, was ordained, and married all within eleven days in late May and early June 1964.

I was assigned to the Hadley Memorial Methodist Church in the south part of Hutchinson. It was literally a church across the tracks. We were there two years. The church closed a few years later. It is on F street as I recall. I usually go by when I go through Hutchinson which isn't very often.

I loved Hutchinson, the friendly people, the kind people. Elmo and Alma Pierson were in our church. He's been gone a long time. We stopped to see her on our last visit. They were always kind to us. I was interested in Christian literature so worked for the Wesleyan Publishing House here in Marion, Indiana until the end of 1968.

We than went to Burundi, Africa as missionaries in August 1968 with World Gospel Mission, headquartered here in Marion, Indiana. We served in Africa for 13 years and for 24 years I worked in the home office of the mission here in Marion. In January 2005 I retired from World Gospel Mission.

Just two years ago, 5-05-05 (May 5, 2005) I was asked to return to the mission and work part time. It was what I had done my last two years before retirement. I work about 20 hours a week. I love it, can set my own schedule and the missionaries appreciate what I do. It was October 1981 we returned to the states to live. 

My mother got a brain tumor and was in Wesley Hospital in Wichita. The doctors told dad they opened her up but the tumor was too big and too far inside, they just sewed her up. A few days later I rode with mom in the back of the ambulance to Dodge City which was just 20 miles from Minneola where Dad lived. She couldn't communicate. She died in September 1983 several weeks later, just a month shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. Instead of celebrating 50 wedded years in her new dress she'd bought she was buried in it to celebrate forever in heaven with Jesus Himself.

Dad knew Forrest Lee Einsel and got to know her better. She lived in a big farm house just southwest of the town of Greensburg. It is separated from the town maybe by one half mile or so.

In July 1985, I was honored when I married my dad to Forrest Lee (she goes by both names) in that big house.

Regarding Forrest Lee, was married to Charlie Einsel before she married dad. Charlie was 63 and she was 23 when they married. That's like getting married to your granddaughter. After being married for 30 years he was up on a roof and fell off as I recall and died. What was a 93 year old doing up there? Several years later she met and married dad. He's 15 years older and they have been married almost 22 years. She really does like older men. :)

A year or so after Dad and Forrest Lee married, Dad had a farm sale in Minneola. I have two brothers and we all helped him with it. Dad always loved the farm and wide open spaces. He loved Greensburg and was active in the Methodist church in Greensburg and some community efforts until his health prevented it and his age. Eventually Forrest Lee moved to the Carriage House in Greensburg. She wanted Dad to go too. But he couldn't live in a small room. He liked the wide open spaces.

Greensburg is almost like a second home to me. For longer than I can remember we had family reunions at the world’s largest hand dug well. And I’ve had different relatives who have lived there during the last 50 or more years. It was  very  interesting  to me when my dad moved to Greensburg with his new bride in July 1985. His sister and her family had lived in Greensburg, my aunt had lived there and my grandma and great grandma.

As you wrote about in your blog. Greensburg is now multiple piles of rubble.  I was glued to the TV all day Saturday with unbelief in seeing what I was seeing.

The end of February my two brothers and some of their families and my wife and I were in Greensburg at the motel that was on the west side and north side of Greensburg, across from the John Deere place as I recall. We were celebrating Dad's 99th birthday.

Two weeks ago dad  finally moved to the Carriage House nursing home in Greensburg . Last Friday night as the tornado did its damage in just a few minutes hardly anyone in the nursing home knew anything had happened.

Dad and another man did not go to the basement. They stayed on the main floor in their rooms I guess. Dad is hard of hearing, never knew what happened when it did. Forrest Lee was in the basement, the people there didn't hear either.

The Carriage House is only one of a few places that  still stands after the storm with only a missing roof and some broken windows.   As you know, the schools, the churches, the city hall, the bank, the John Deere dealer, the motels, they  are gone. But still all of the residents needed to be evacuated to a safer place.  

Originally dad and Forrest Lee were going to Mullinville to stay with her niece. But when she came to get them the authorities wouldn't let her in to get them (Isn't this interesting, they were being evacuated but she couldn't get them maybe she didn't look official enough).  

Searching the internet and making calls, finally last evening (Saturday) I found that dad and mom had been moved to Augusta, Kansas  to the Lake Point Carriage House. Five others from Greensburg are also there. They don't have phones in their rooms, but the workers go find them so we can talk. Isn't this great? So early this afternoon I talked to Dad and  we  had a friend from Wichita who went out to visit them this morning. They had left Greensburg with the minimum of things needed. He was able to get some things for them.

Physically they appear great, Praise the Lord. Emotionally it has been a traumatic event.  It's interesting they only have a bed in their rooms, not even a chair. They each have a room. Forrest Lee didn't even have a change of clothes. My friend went and got her two sets of clothes. He is a great friend and is going to see them again tomorrow and plans to go to Greensburg to get their clothes and personal things if he can get permission. 

They have no idea what the future holds, but as we’ve often heard or said, we know who holds the future. I know they would appreciate your prayers on their behalf. It is not easy for a 99 year old and an 84 year old couple whose lives have been so turned upside down in just moments of time and they are moved into a new community where they know almost no one.

I am so glad we can share our burdens as well as our joys with a great family of fellow believers.

Tornado in Hutchinson Kansas

I am now officially tried of blog posts that include the word "tornado" in the title. But, today was our turn. We had a tornado touch down today in Hutchinson, Kansas, where I live.You know it's not good news when the weather channel has a note up about "Reno County Kansas" and it's where you live.

Let me start by saying that I am fine - and everyone I know is fine - and our houses are all fine. The tornado touched down at Centennial and Fourth Street, which is on the extreme western side of town.

We've had weather coverage on most of the day because there have been tons of storms all around the area. This afternoon we were watching the TV when the sirens started going off. Now, sirens generally mean you should take cover. But we were watching TV and they were telling us that the tornado was to the west of Hutchinson.

I looked over and realized how absurd the scene was - Mark was enjoying a cup of tea and we were chatting normally, while the tornado sirens went off in the background. Let me say, for the record, that I do take these things seriously, but as we all know, forecasters are a bit overzealous on a regular basis.

I now call it the Katrina Effect - if you tell people repeatedly that this is going to be the "storm of the century" but the last 87 times they left their homes nothing happened except they had everything stolen, they start to ignore you.

It's why the weather service has now come up with a "Tornado Emergency" designation, which is what they issued the other night when the Greensburg tornado happened. Today was a prime example - the sirens were going off although there was not a tornado. People become desensitized. I'm not even a Kansan and I've become desensitized in the years I've lived here. All of my neighbors were out on their porches, just like we were.

This is what Kansans do until they have some inkling that it's serious...



I keep bottled water and a few basic supplies in the basement, as well as some tennis shoes, and a radio/flashlight you can crank for power, but that's about it. However, when there is a threat of bad weather, I make a pile by the basement door to take downstairs with me if it becomes necessary - my purse with phone and car keys, the laptop and external hard drive.



Of course there are other things that are precious to me, but you can't haul your whole life to the basement. I've lived in Kansas for 22 years and I've gone to the basement less than a half dozen times. Statistically, there's a far greater chance to being hurt driving a car than in a tornado. Of course, situations like Greensburg are horrific, and they do happen, but they are rare.

Today, with sirens going, we went outside to see if anything was visible. It was just a stormy sky to the west, where the tornado eventually did touch down.



Just a few minutes later it looked like this...



You could see the swirling in the clouds - not from rotation as you find in a tornado, but just because they were moving quickly.



Shortly afterward came the rain... lots of rain...



In only a few minutes - maybe 10 minutes - there was street flooding and the rain was over.



It's raining again now, and we've had a little bit of hail, but Hutchinson has fared better than many towns today. There is serious flooding in many areas of the state.

Mia headed back to Joplin and Mark headed back to Kansas City. Hopefully neither of them have run in to too much bad weather on their way home.

I called my friend, Leah, tonight, because she has family in Osborne, Kansas, where a tornado hit yesterday. I wanted to make sure everyone was OK and she told me a story about her 81 year old grandmother that summed up the average Kansan attitude.

This is the basic conversation between Leah's mom, Jennifer, and Leah's grandmother:

Jennifer: Are you OK?

Gran: Oh yeah... I just took my cheesecake downstairs and sat on the steps and ate it while the sirens were going off.

Jennifer: What else did you take besides the pan of cheesecake?

Gran: Nothing.

Jennifer: Mom, didn't you want to take pictures of your children or grandchildren?

Gran: Oh no, I've already seen them. I just made that cheesecake yesterday.

Hutchinson Tornado

Hutchinson, Kansas, where I live, (Reno County) had a tornado today. I appreciate the phone calls from people wanting to know if I'm OK - I am, and so is everyone I know. It was minor. I will post more info but wanted to let everyone know I'm fine, my house is fine, everyone I know is fine. I will post more later.

Greensburg Kansas Tornado Part 5

Requests for information on the Greensburg Kansas tornado have slowed down, but are continuing. I will share what else I've learned since my last post. I am just trying to summarize what I'm learning from media outlets.

The tornado that hit Greensburg last night was more than a mile wide at times. It covered 26 miles, from south of Greensburg to Holyrood. (That's pronounced "holly-rude" - like the Christmas plant and people who are not nice.) Nine are confirmed dead and dozens injured. Most injuries reported by the Pratt hospital where the majority of the injured were taken were mostly lacerations, bruises and things of that nature - ranging from mild to severe.

Search and rescue was called off for the night late this afternoon. Officials have made multiple searches to look for people, but simply have to rest. Many of the people there arrived in the wee hours of the morning when the tornado hit and have been onsite for many hours. News reporters are saying there are still rescue vehicles with search lights heading into Greensburg, so obviously some work is continuing, although search will officially resume at 8 a.m.

Greensburg was evacuated last night and one of the problems has been that many people are staying with family or friends and there's no record of where they are. Officials are trying to account for everyone. Some residents have written "OK" on the side of their houses to let people know they're safe.

Power is still off and will remain off for the near future. The water tower is down, so in order to live there again some serious changes will have to be made. Town officials are concerned about the future of the town, given the extent of the damage. But historically, towns rebuild after such things. It's just a bit overwhelming initially.

I've heard estimates as high as 95% but the National Guard is saying 90% of the town is gone. Still standing are a grain elevator and the courthouse. The building near The Big Well, Greensburg's tourist attraction, was destroyed. Because the well itself is mostly underground I'm assuming it is fine.

There is a curfew of 8-8 in effect. Officials are worried about looting and will arrest anyone in Greensburg when the curfew is in effect. The media was given an opportunity to tour the damage late this afternoon and were told that would be their last chance for the day.

Many survivors are at the Red Cross Shelter in Haviland, about 10 miles away from Greensburg. One survivor there said in an interview, "Our souls are broke, but we are still here, we're alive, and I thank God for that."

Shelters include:
Barclay College
Mullinville High School
Haviland High School

Lakewood Senior Center in Wichita has 22 beds available for people who have been displaced by the Greensburg tornado. Call 316-722-6916 for more information on that.

Greensburg was the most severely hit, but there was other damage last night including two houses destroyed in Macksville and some trees down in Ellinwood.

President Bush has declared Kiowa county (where Greensburg is) a disaster area. FEMA is scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning. Governor Sebelius will tour the area tomorrow. Rep. Moran, Sen. Tiahart and Sen. Roberts were all there today.

The Greensburg tornado is being compared to the May 25, 1955 tornado that hit Udall, Kansas and killed 87 while destroying the town, much as this one destroyed Greensburg. The death toll in Udall amounted to about 20% of the population - about half the families lost one or more members. Fortunately, Greensburg had 30 minutes to prepare whereas Udall had no warning. That warning makes all the difference in the death toll. The Udall tornado inspired some changes in how people are warned of impending weather.

I've heard conflicting reports all day long of the population in Greensburg. So, I looked up the census data. In 2000, the population was 1,574, with 887 housing units. Of course, that doesn't tell us the current population, but I've heard everything from 1400 to 1800.

Today 11 counties in Kansas have had tornadoes, including some of the same areas that were affected last night. Storms are continuing as I write this.

Greensburg Kansas Tornado Part 4

One of the buildings lost in the Greensburg Kansas tornado was Hunter Drug, which included an old fashioned soda fountain. My friend, Greg Holmes, visited there a few months ago and took some wonderful photos of the soda fountain. He has allowed me to share them here. This one was his last look as he left on that February day.



For more photos, check http://www.thelope.com. He will be adding photos to his post Remembering Greensburg. He is an exceptional photographer and I can guarantee you it will be an amazing look at what once was - just 24 hours ago.

Greensburg Kansas Tornado Part 3

I've had more emails from people who found this blog and are wanting more information about the Greensburg Kansas tornado. I will continue to provide updates here for those who are having a hard time getting information from other sources. I'm not sure why the media outlets are not offering info online but I will try to summarize what I'm learning from local/state media for those of you who don't have access to that information. These posts are being written very stream of consciousness as I learn information so forgive any typos and poor grammar.

News outlets are reporting that 95% of Greensburg, Kansas has been destroyed. However, injury and death reports have not risen significantly today. Officials are searching the city grid by grid again, looking for anyone who might be trapped. They have done it twice already, but are doing it again, just to make sure. As you might imagine, the amount of debris is significant and they do not want to miss anyone. Once they complete this, they are pulling back to rest because more storms are on the horizon.

Nine deaths are now confirmed from this tornado, and one more has been reported in Hopewell but that has not been confirmed - the report is that a man was killed while taking shelter with his wife. His wife was injured.

The storms that are currently happening - right now - have NOT produced any tornadoes as of yet. The threat is there, but frankly the threat is often present in Kansas this time of year. It appears the current storm is going to miss Greensburg, although it will come close. There is hail, but nothing more serious than that yet.

Five patients from Greensburg have been taken to Wichita hospitals, others are in Pratt. The people who were in the Greensburg hospital last night were all evacuated and none were injured in the tornado.

I've had questions about the World's Largest Hand Dug well and am just now seeing the first video of it. The water tower there, as well as the shed covering it that you go down has been destroyed. Of course the well is not harmed.

A little girl - I'd guess about 5 - in Greensburg - is being interviewed now saying, "our house is in little pieces." She's part of a family that was interviewed. She said, "My mommy pulled me out of the clouds."

Death Tolls:
1 in Stafford County
8 in Kiowa County (where Greensburg is located)
1 possible in Hopewell

There is a curfew in Greensburg - 8 to 8.

If you're trying to reach family, understand there is no power of any sort. Electricity has been shut down because if you turn it back on you generally have fires to deal with. Officials are keeping it off. ATT is working to get landlines working at the command center, but there are no landlines and no cell towers left. I posted a phone number in the post below you can call about loved ones. Media are saying most people have left Greensburg now.

Also, check the comments section in the following post to find maps Walt created that show the direction and give perspective.

I will provide more updates as I have more.

Greensburg Tornado Continued - Number to call for Loved Ones

Today local news is reporting about 90 percent of the small Kansas town of Greensburg of 1800 people is gone. For those of us who are familiar with it, this is very sad. It is a little piece of Americana and much of what made it distinctive is now in rubble. There was an old fashioned drug store, a small cafe, and a small-town tourist attraction - the world's largest hand dug well - that has been welcoming visitors since the thirties. The well is on the west side of town, so we're assuming it has suffered some damage to the building above ground, but I haven't heard yet.

Seven are reported dead and more than 50 injured thus far, but I anticipate that number may grow. There are lots of even smaller towns around this small town and we don't have reports from all of them yet.

I'm about 80 miles away and the old reporter in me wants to jump in the car and go down there. But, I won't. The last thing rescue workers need is people wandering around the scene. In fact, you probably can't wander around the scene - generally towns are secured at their borders when a tornado hits.

Years ago when the Hesston Tornado hit I was doing news and was there just hours after it hit. The aftermath of a tornado is a horrific thing to see. It's mind-boggling the power of nature, but heart-breaking when you consider how that affects real humans and their lives.

The weather forecast for today is calling for a strong potential for developing storms over a large part of the state, including the area that was hard hit last night. They reported thunderstorms are developing now from Dodge City north to Norton - if you are in that area, please pay attention to the weather.

I have some comments and emails from people saying they found this blog through CNN today, so I thought I'd share with you that if you're looking for local coverage, you can find it at www.kwch.com, www.kake.com and www.ksn.com. I will continue to put occasional updates here as well.

If you're trying to reach family, realize that there is no power, gas, etc.- and very little cell phone signal - in Greensburg and other areas that were hit. The injured were mostly taken to Pratt Hospital about 50 miles away, including the 19 people who were in the Greensburg hospital last night.

If you had loved ones at the Carriage House Nursing Home in Greensburg, there were no injuries reported there but residents were evacuated to Augusta, Rose Hill, and Wichita

If you are hunting for family, register at disastersafe.redcross.org. If you want to call about loved ones, try 620-672-3651.

Tornado in Kansas

Greensburg, Kansas has been hit very hard tonight by a tornado. Greensburg is about 80 miles from where I live and famous for the world's largest hand dug well, 109 feet deep and 32 feet in diameter, that served as the city's water supply until 1932. You can walk 105 steps down to the bottom and it's worth the trip.

What we hear at this point is that large parts of the town are simply gone, including everything on the west side of the main street. This includes a nice old drug store.

Houses, the hospital, the school, the grocery store, the Coastal Mart, the Pizza Hut - everything is gone. Patients are being taken to Pratt, where they have only 69 beds. They just reported they now have 50 patients from Greensburg - ranging in condition from good to critical.

Greg, Mia and I have watched storm coverage since about 9 p.m. and it's almost 3 a.m. now, but we're only getting to see photos and videos in the last few minutes. I'm sure there will be much more to show. It's fascinating to watch as an observer, but you can't stop thinking about how people's lives have been dramatically changed in the blink of an eye.

In Hutchinson, where I live, we've just been having wind. It has been nice to have fresh air going through the house, but you hate the reason for it.

I took this photo in my downstairs sunporch of the curtain blowing in the breeze.


Unfortunately, they say conditions are right for more severe weather tomorrow, including a possible tornado.

Tea in Augusta Kansas

Today I got to have tea at the Historical Society's  C.N. James Trading Post in Augusta, Kansas.

The trading post was used as a general store and post office, and upstairs two different churches met and school was held. It was truly a community building.

It was built in 1868 and is wonderfully preserved by the Historical Society of Augusta, Kansas.

The tea is a fundraiser for them and it's worth every penny. In fact, it was a tremendous bargain.

Greg, Mia and I went. She is out for the Hutchinson Art Fair tomorrow.

I have to say that Greg is quite the sport when it comes to such things. He was the only man having tea. There were some other guys there helping out with the tea, but Greg was very pleasant about the whole thing.

A few years ago I was in Savannah with another friend of mine, Jim, and we decided we wanted to go get a little something to drink. I said, "Well, there's a tea room near here but I'm sure you don't want to go there." He said, "Why not?" I said, "Well, it's kind of a girl thing." He said, "So, why would I not want to be surrounded by women?"

We went to tea. The ladies who ran the shop fawned over him constantly since he was the only man there who was there willingly. We got a fabulous seat by the window. They kept bringing him more goodies and more tea. I was somewhat invisible to them as far as I could tell. But, hey, I can play the game. I just had Jim ask for whatever I wanted. It was a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours on a May afternoon in Savannah.

This afternoon in Augusta, we shared the room with a number of other tea goers. They seat about 40 at a time and it's a wonderful, cozy, intimate setting.





One of the great things about this space is there lots of windows. We were seated right by one, which gave us great light on our table and centerpiece.



That's a 1943 recipe for Dill Pickles, in case you're wondering. I love the fact that it was written on a piece of paper that had a postmark - waste not, want not.



If you'd like to make this recipe, you can click here for a larger version so you can read it.

One of the cool things about going to tea is meeting other tea-goers. Today was no exception - we met Carol Bates, who was perfectly lovely. There were two other places set at our table but those folks didn't show up. They really missed out.

Carol was delightful. We really enjoyed getting to meet her. She was teasing us, just like we were teasing each other.

She was infatuated with yet another recipe that was part of the centerpiece. It was rather interesting that no matter where you were seated, you had a pretty view of something. Greg and I were opposite each other and both taking photos so we got some different views. I didn't even realize until I looked at the pictures tonight that the pot in the centerpiece had a decoration on it from Greg's viewpoint.





Mia and I had wonderful seats, right by the window.



And outside the window was a lovely view, too.



They ask your name when you make reservations and have wonderful little name tags at each place so your seat is assigned. I couldn't have been happier with my spot. The tags are held in perfect little teapot shaped place card holdesr and done by hand by the director, Diana.



These little dolls hold a teabag and are fitted with a magnet so you can put them on your fridge as a little reminder of the day.



Greg, of course, could not resist having some fun with the little doll...



He was amusing his girlfriend, Mia...



and Carol...



I was busy taking photos, of course.

After tea, I couldn't resist snapping this photo of Greg's shirt pocket with the favors we got to take away poking up out of his pocket.

This is a lovely, lovely place for a tea. It's rustic and charming and cozy and intimate.

If you happen to live anywhere nearby, mark your calendars for next year. It's held the first Friday and Saturday in May each year, two seatings each day. They do a great job and I assure you you will not go away hungry.

They do a buffet style, which, as you know, is not my favorite way to do tea. However, because there are fewer people at each seating than at any other tea I've been to, the line moves quickly.

I always prefer tea to be served in one fashion or another, but this is a minor inconvenience. And, on the plus side, there was far more than you would want to eat. My usual pattern is "one of everything" and that was a heaping plate today and I could not possibly eat it all. They then brought around trays with extra goodies on them so I got to have three cucumber sandwiches. And I enjoyed each one, let me tell you!



Kudos to Diana, the director, and the volunteers who helped make this possible. It was fabulous.



You'll have some time before and after tea to look around the museum and there are some fun things there, too.

One last photo of the day - I loved this portrait of Greg in one of his "normal" poses. He often holds his camera this way and I loved capturing this moment. You gotta love a guy who happily goes to tea.

Wally Schirra

Wally Schirra died today at age 84. He was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts - those with the "right stuff." Schirra died in California.

"With the passing of Wally Schirra, we at NASA note with sorrow the loss of yet another of the pioneers of human space flight," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin in a statement. "We who have inherited the space program will always be in his debt."

Schirra was the only astronaut to fly on Mercury, Gemini and Apollo flights. He orbited Earth six times in an October 1962 Mercury flight, making him the third man in space.

Schirra never got to the moon, but his command of the Apollo 7 mission in October 1968 paved the way for the subsequent moon missions.

Astronauts are something of a "dime a dozen" where I live. The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson attracts them to the area on a regular basis. But I've always had a soft spot for Wally Schirra.

Many years ago when I was a young TV reporter in Lexington, Kentucky I got to interview him - ever so briefly. His flight had been delayed and he was late for a speech, but he took a few minutes to speak with us in a parking lot and was pleasant, charming and witty. I was too young and foolish to fully appreciate the greatness of the man in front of me, but even I knew it was a moment I would savor in retrospect. And I have - many times.

Schirra once wrote, "We shared a common dream to test the limits of man's imagination and daring. Those early pioneering flights of Mercury, the performances of Gemini and the trips to the moon established us once and for all as what I like to call a spacefaring nation. Like England, Spain and Portugal crossing the seas in search of their nations' greatness, so we reached for the skies and ennobled our nation."

Condolences to his friends and family.

Kitchen News

While I was away, my flower bed went crazy with growth. My dianthus, affectionately known as "pinks" where I'm from, are just beautiful. Last year when they were down to a quarter a bunch at the end of the season I bought a couple more plants and stuck them in. Both of them have really taken off.

Of course, as you know, I am infatuated with having flowers in the house. I bring greenery in when I don't have blooms. And all my little vases I've been buying are now filled with sprigs on the shelf in the kitchen.



Part of me wants to be one of those people who does things in a minimal way, but I'm just not. I guess you can tell from the dozen plus vases, multiple teapots, French candy mold and Avebury, England postcard crowded together on the two foot long shelf. I like the look of greenery and little pink flowers on vases and knick knacks that remind me of special moments and the little jar to hold rings that belonged to my mother. I am a person driven by the things that trigger memories and I doubt that's going to change.

In other kitchen news... Greg brought me a wonderful surprise tonight. Sixty-four pieces of Taylor, Smith and Taylor Boutonniere dishes in the Ever Yours Shape. OK, truth be told, I really don't have a clue what all that means - I just looked at the bottom of the plate and then looked it up online. I just know it's pretty. I've been watching it for awhile and told Greg when it went half price to just buy it and I'd repay him. He's such a dedicated shopper when someone is on the hunt for something. Ya gotta love that about him.

This set has been at the local goodwill for more than a month. We've been speculating that it would go down in price. Finally, today, it did - right at closing time - and Greg was there to check on it and bought it for me. It was a great deal. It was a good deal before but it was a great deal today.

I will need to add some more pieces to it to complete the set, but there are a lot of dinner plates, saucers and cups. There are also some of the unusual pieces, including the salt and pepper shakers. I will put a photo on soon, but it's in the dishwasher at the moment.

Yeah, I know all about the evil ways of dishwashers. But I want to use this and I won't if I can't put it in the dishwasher. Besides, it's called "ovenware" - surely it can handle the light cycle in the dishwasher.

The creamer, shown here, wouldn't fit in the dishwasher so I snapped a photo of it. I love the fact that the inside is that beautiful robin's egg blue. It's almost enough to make me want to paint my kitchen that blue. But, hey, lets not go crazy.

Although I'm tired of this story, I still cannot talk. I'm sure there is a lesson in this for me. I am hoping I feel and sound better tomorrow.

Rainy Days and Tuesdays

The rain started here tonight and is supposed to continue for awhile. I don't really mind. We've had a lot of rain lately - my flowers are looking great in the front of th e  house.

The rain has made mowing difficult. While I was in Kentucky, someone mowed my yard for me. My guess is it was my next door neighbors, Bob and Ruth. They are fabulous neighbors. I haven't gone over to ask them because I can still barely talk, and if this is contagious I don't want to give it to them either.

I feel much better today and my voice is better, but it's still a struggle to speak for any amount of time. I don't know where I got this from, but I will be glad to be done with it. No one even recognizes me when I answer the phone. I'm about halfway between a whisper and "low talking" today - I could not manage a long distance phone call now with anything less than perfect signal. I have a list of calls I've been waiting to make because I can't talk loud enough for people to hear me on the phone without lots of repeating, which just wears me out - taking all the breath I do have.

Not being able to talk is really weirding me out, but there's nothing I can do about it. I have a meeting in the morning at 7. It's a good thing I'm not supposed to speak at it.

Thank goodness I don't feel as bad as I sound.

Best of Show in AQS 2007 Quilt Show in Paducah Kentucky

Sharon Schamber of Payson, Arizona, won Best of Show at the 2007 AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, Kentucky. There were 729 quilts entered, and 411 chosen for display.

Her quilt is called "Flower of Life."She won $20,000 from Hancock's Fabrics of Paducah and gave the quilt to the Museum of the American Quilter's Society (MAQS) in Paducah. It will join her entry from last year, which also won Best of Show.

I was lucky enough to get to interview Sharon, and her husband, Gene, on Saturday, April 28, the last day of the 2007 show.

If you'd like to see a larger photo, click here.

It was just as beautiful from the back.

If you'd like to see a larger photo, click here.


Sharon has 1000 hours in the quilting alone. And the quilting is where she starts the design process. She said she sketches out the quilting in complete detail first, and works back from that point. It's all drawn out, then she makes the other things fit the design she wants on the quilting. As she summed it up, "the quilting cannot be manipulated," so it has to be decided first and everything else works from there.



When I first noticed this pattern above the flowers here it struck me that it looked like stained glass windows in a cathedral. Just as I was thinking that, I heard Sharon answer a question someone had asked by saying, "This quilt is more of a spirit thing.. It's a cathedral." She told us that this piece was really from her heart.

Asked where she gets her ideas, Sharon answered in a way I've heard from many creative people, "Ideas really appear. They come from other sources," she said. She concluded by saying, "Creativity is a flow." She says she doesn't look at quilts at shows because she doesn't want to use other people's ideas unwittingly.

She had many, many questions about the unusual binding on this quilt. It is sewn on the bias, with cording, then knotted and attached. Her husband told me she will be putting information on this binding at her website, www.sharonschamber.com. She spent 45 hours making the binding alone.





If you are noticing the subtle gradations in color, and thinking it would be impossible to find that in your local store, it was impossible for her, too. That's why all the fabric in this piece is hand-dyed by Sharon, herself.

You may wonder how Sharon has the time to devote to such pursuits and still maintain a household. Well, she "does nothing domestic," she says. That falls to her husband, Gene, who does all the cooking, cleaning and other household chores while she focuses on quilting. He was a real charmer and is obviously devoted to his wife and her art.



It is obvious that Sharon was born to be a teacher, and she had no shortage of students this afternoon. People were firing one question after another at her and she was graciously answering all of them. She is a celebrity in the quilt world.



 I was not the only one snapping photos either.



One of the questions she had was about basting. She says one of the keys is to baste the old fashioned way. She is not a believer in the safety pin method because she thinks it makes the fabric crawl. Her rule on old fashioned basting stitches is about three fingers wide.



She started quilting in 1998, but lest you think she only picked up a needle then and has already progressed to this stage, don't despair. Prior to that her husband tells me she was operating a factory and selling clothes she designed for weddings and pageants, including for some Miss America contestants.

She has been sewing since before she was six. She joked, "I had a baby bottle in one hand and a needle in the other." It wasn't quite that early, but somewhere between the baby bottle and age six she was well on her way.



The quilters in attendance had all kinds of questions including how she ships her quilts. Just in case you have need of this knowledge because you, too, have been asked to exhibit your quilt, here's what Sharon suggests. She rolls hers on the bias to avoid wrinkles. She uses wool batting, which also cuts down on wrinkles.



Sharon had another quilt in the show, too. She won second place in the bed quilts, mixed techniques category. This quilt also uses hand-dyed fabrics.

If you'd like to see a larger photo, click here.

She used a variety of quilting techniques on it.



This quilt was hanging just a few feet away from the best of show winner, so Sharon was getting the occasional question about it as well. But the focus was on her "Flower of Life" quilt and how she did particular things. She was very patient - the consumate teacher.



Sharon spent about two years working on her best of show winning quilt. She said she doesn't know how many hours she has in the applique because she worked on it at various times.

She has seven quilts going at any one time and has about 35 completed quilts. By the way, she said some take longer than this one.

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Check http://www.patsyterrell.com/2008/04/aqs-quilt-show-in-paducah-kentucky-in.html for more about the show, including hundreds of photos of quilts and vendors from the AQS 2007 Show

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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more.

Coming Home or Leaving Home

I am back in Kansas. I guess I should say, "I'm Home," but having just been to Kentucky, which is what I think of as "home," I'm not sure what to call Kansas, which is where I make my home.

Confused? Yeah, me, too. Of course, it's a somewhat natural state for me and one I'm used to. It may be disconcerting for others.

I'm also sick. I cannot talk above a whisper. Thank goodness I don't feel as bad as I sound. I am rarely sick, and this is  twice I've had need of antibiotics in about three weeks. I think I've been trying to be too many places doing too many things for too long. I am going to rest - mainly because I can't do much of anything else - and because if I don't really kick this this time I'll just be doing this again in a week or two. And none of us want that. I am not a good patient. I'm whiney and annoying and can barely even stand myself. Of course, it's impossible for me to talk, much less whine, at the moment.

Kudos to Greg who went and got me cough syrup in the middle of the night and then picked up my prescription. Driving long distances when one isn't feeling well just isn't fun.

It's amazing how when you're not feeling normal you suddenly can think of a thousand things you'd be doing if only you felt better. Then, of course, when you do feel better none of those seem all that important any more, and you fill your life with the usual stuff and never get around to those "big projects" that were so appealing when you didn't feel like doing them.

One thing about it, humans are infinitely interesting creatures. Our minds play these little tricks on us all the time.

All that said, I do hope I can speak at a normal volume tomorrow - or at least above a whisper. I could not even talk on the phone today. Me... not talking... for those who know me in person that will seem either very odd or very nirvana like. Or perhaps both.

Oh... and since it's after midnight... Happy May Day.

I simply adore Lily of the Valley and it's a flower exchanged among friends in France on this day so I always associate it with May 1. Of course, even if I had one right now I couldn't smell it so maybe it's just as well it come a little later this year.

Victoria Magazine

"Victoria" was my favorite magazine until its demise in 2003. I subscribed from day one and still have every issue.

You can imagine my delight to learn it will reappear on news stands in October of this year. I hope, hope, hope it's the same wonderful publication we loved for so long.

Mediaweek has the following story at the link below:

Hearst, Hoffman to Relaunch Victoria

Lucia Moses
APRIL 26, 2007 -

Hearst Magazines is partnering with Hoffman Media, publisher of the 655,980-circulation Cooking with Paula Dean, to reintroduce Victoria, the women’s home and lifestyle magazine Hearst folded in 2003.

Under a joint venture formed by the two companies, Birmingham, Ala.-based Hoffman will handle all editorial, production, distribution and advertising for the magazine, while Hearst will contribute the Victoria trademark, copyright, URL, subscription database, and access to historical editorial and art content.

Victoria will launch with a November/December issue and a heavy newsstand and online presence. It will publish bimonthly and carry a $4.99 cover price. The goal is to reach a distribution of 250,000 paid copies after two issues.

Launched in 1987, Victoria folded with the June 2003 issue, Hearst citing its "economic uncertainty." Ad pages through April of that year had declined 10.8 percent to 106, according to the Mediaweek Monitor. Paid circulation had been flat at 969,180 in the second half of the year prior, per the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/print/article_display.jsp?
vnu_content_id=1003577030