Open Thread – The Present
30 10 2009It was a regular day at work, and I was sitting at my desk doing work stuff. Phone rings. I keep typing, and wedge the phone between my ear and shoulder. “Yeah.” “There’s someone here to see you.” I sigh. I think, from experience that this is probably some kind of salesperson. “I’m kind of in the middle of something,” I say. I hear shuffling noises like you do when someone moves the phone around. “She says she has a present for you. Her name is Erin.” A present?
Hmm. “Is it ticking?” I am tempted to say. I go over and peek out the window. There is a very petite woman with curly hair and a very large box. She seems fairly unthreatening. And she looks eerily familiar. I think I’ve seen her at rallies…yes, I’m sure I have. I go downstairs and open the door. I realize that I know exactly who this is! It’s Erin, one of our wonderful forum administrators who lives here in Anchorage, and whom I’ve never actually met. I rarely get to hug forum moderators or admins because they are flung across the globe, but all of them deserve one, so I gave this admin standing right in front of me a particularly big hug for the entire forum crew.
She smiled, and then looked around, and said under her breath, “Is there somewhere else we can go?” So, I whisked her into a back room and she set down the box. She looked quite like someone who was in the act of dispatching an awesome responsibility. What on earth was in that box? She opened it carefully, and said that she was the one who had been chosen to bring the box. There was a two-page letter from Mudflatter Quince, she said, that would explain everything. By now, my curiosity was absolutely burning. She opened the flaps of the box, took out the two-page letter that rested on top, and handed it to me. Then the tissue paper was removed. “It’s a quilt,” she said.
Let me stop right here and say that for all of you who have made a quilt, or tried to make a quilt, or watched others make a quilt, you will know that what she was saying was, “This is a box full of lots of time, tremendous care, patience, love, creativity, and a couple four-letter words.” Making a quilt is no small task. I know this because I was once involved in a rudimentary way with creating a quilt. All I did was cut up little squares of fabric and pin them in patterns on a bigger piece of fabric. And that was enough to know that I had fun that one time, but that the extent I was willing to go with a quilt would have meant that all my creations would have remained full of pins. Not particularly comfortable. Sewing and I do not get along. So, all this flashed through my mind, like things do sometimes, in a split second right after she said, “It’s a quilt.”
Then the unfolding began. Row after row after row of squares, each one containing a pair of… boots! Mudflats boots! Yellow ones, blue ones, fringy ones,… “There were so many people involved. They all made pieces of it. And each one has all sorts of different symbols and meanings…” I’m sure she said a lot more about how this amazing creation came to be, but frankly I just stood there stunned. I was speechless. Twenty squares. And the thought that all these people whom I have never met, took this time, this care, to create something for me… well, I was very overcome. I kept looking at the gift-bearer and saying, “This is incredible!” and she kept saying, “I KNOW!” and we just looked at each other and the quilt. She started pointing little things out to me. “Look, they signed it too!” and all the little signatures scattered over the fabric became evident. “And this one’s from Juneau and this one’s from Arizona and this one’s…” I got lost again in the beads and the fabrics, each with its own symbology.
Finally, after a good twenty minutes of ooing and ahhing, my gift-bearer said she needed to go. She asked if she could take a picture. She did, and I walked her out and waved good bye after another hug, and another exchange of “Wasn’t that just incredible?” and “I know!”
I went back up to my office with my treasure tucked under my arm, and spent another half hour making all sorts of other discoveries. I called a couple blogger buddies and made them listen to me describe each square. I got home and made spouse look at each little thing. “That’s incredible,” he said. “I KNOW!” I said.
Above is the picture Erin took. But you can’t really appreciate the whole thing from that distance, so I’m going to take you on a virtual trip around this incredible quilt…four squares at a time!
Here are the squares in the upper left corner. First is the Hope sqare. It’s got images of DC, and stars and stripes, and it reminds me of the whole election season, but mostly election night and what a happy hopeful night it was. And “Hope” will also forever remind me of the “Hope Truck” and its wonderful drivers that drove from Kenai to Eagle Alaska, bringing supplies donated by Mudflatters and a brand new pressure washer to help the flood victims start to rebuild after the Yukon burst its banks and caused so much destruction. There have been many times this community has come together and really helped people.
Next is the dog square, featuring a pretty close representation of Buf the Mudflats dog, surrounded by a host of other “Mudpuppies.” And on close inspection, the dog in the center even has a little white heart stitched on her forehead! And those boots have a couple bites taken out of them!
Next are the classic yellow boots with an “I Heart AKM” from Lori in Los Angeles! There’s a nice muddy looking background and some Alaskan-y mountains and trees. Timeless. And what would politics (especially Alaskan politics) be without Popcorn!!
And finally, the Shakespeare square with tasseled boots. Veteran Mudflatters will know that not only do I have a deep and abiding love for the Bard, but that our very own ex-Attorney General Talis Colberg does as well. He wrote an introduction to the annual report from the Alaska Department of Law that compared that department under Palin’s guidance to Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt. It still makes me chuckle every time I think about it. I really believe it’s the hardest I’ve ever laughed in my life. Yes, the square made me laugh out loud too. It is appropriately bordered in velvet.
To all of you out there who had a hand in this devilishly secret project, thank you. This is one of those times when those words don’t seem quite adequate. I am so very touched and delighted and humbled by this incredible gift that I hardly know what to say. You all outdid yourselves. I will proudly hang this by my desk, as soon as I figure out how to do it!
I’d love it if those involved would comment and either claim your square, or your part in the project, or share with me any little details I may have missed. I feel like every time I look at it I see something new.
I’ll be back soon with four more squares! I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite…. but I think someone else can.
OK, what she’s really thinking is, “For the love of God, will you please stop flashing that thing in my face while I’m trying to sleep!” But I’m sure it will be her favorite after she has a good night’s sleep.
October 30th, 2009 at 2:27 PM
Getting back to that gorgeous quilt, I am wondering if AKM might consider bringing it along and showing it off at the upcoming Anchorage/Valley Mudstock? I want to see what the back looks like, too! Did you notice the link somewhere on page 1 I think with the quilt hanger/shelf site that would look gorgeous with your new quilt? Beautiful!
October 30th, 2009 at 2:27 PM
GG2C, the JacquieLawson site is so great! Thanks for the link. And congrats- no more 2B!
October 30th, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Thanks Boo! JL is so clever and has lots for every holiday.
October 30th, 2009 at 3:09 PM
“Tune In Tomorrow” , says Palin via FB!
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=163531118434&ref=mf
**** Mark my words – tomorrow is the game changer! Tune in to hear common sense solutions that bury the false accusations that conscientious members of Congress have no solutions to meet America’s health care challenges. ****
Mark her words, she said!
( isn’t that what Beck says every day or so ?? )
October 30th, 2009 at 3:16 PM
From Wonkette:
“[People] are fed up — frustrated and fed up and angry about the way in which our government does not work, about the way in which we come down here and get into a lot of political games and seem to — partisan tugs of war and forget why we’re here, which is to serve the American people. And I think the filibuster has become not only in reality an obstacle to accomplishment here, but it also a symbol of a lot that ails Washington today.” That’s… Joe Lieberman! From 1994, when he tried to pass legislation watering down the filibuster. We’d like to think Joe will get grilled with these quotes when he appears on the CBS show Sunday morning…”
Maybe WE should contact Sunday morning and DEMAND Traitor Joe be grilled on just that?:
CBS News Sunday Morning E-MAIL: sundays@cbsnews.com
October 30th, 2009 at 3:21 PM
Lieberman’s wife does PR work for Glaxo-Smith-Kline, so I hope they will ask him about THAT too!
October 30th, 2009 at 3:33 PM
104 BuffaloGal Says: “Tune In Tomorrow” , says Palin via FB!
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=163531118434&ref=mf
**** Mark my words – tomorrow is the game changer! Tune in to hear common sense solutions that bury the false accusations that conscientious members of Congress have no solutions to meet America’s health care challenges. ****
Yeah, and if Boner says “we’ll let insurance companies cross state lines to seek new customers”, I’ll say, 1) why didn’t you just allow that already. like, years ago?; and 2) that doesn’t solve the problem if insurance companies still have complete control over what they charge and how much and how often they can increase rates, and we the people have no other options.
Hey Boner, got any answer to insurance companies not allowing people who want to sign up (i.e., give them money), but not allowing them to because of, oh, say, a pre-existing condition, however they choose to define that?
How about those of us who work but don’t get health insurance from our employees because we are classified as “temporary”, or “part-time” or … whatever?
What you got in mind for us, Boner? Please explain what the reform is. I’m all ears.
October 30th, 2009 at 3:35 PM
I just received this from NOW not that I’m a member but I had to sign up to complain to them about their stance on Palin vs Letterman.
Will these type of things ever end!!!!!!
NOW Offers Condolences to Richard Schroeder’s Family
Statement of NOW President Terry O’Neill
October 30, 2009
NOW offers condolences to the family of Richard Schroeder, who died Thursday night. The death is being investigated as very suspicious, according to local police.
A retired U.S. marshal, Schroeder had provided protection to Dr. George Tiller, a heroic abortion provider who was murdered outside of his church in May.
Schroeder risked his own life to protect Dr. Tiller, and in doing so he ensured that women could exercise their fundamental right to safe and legal abortion. NOW honors and appreciates his legacy, and we will closely monitor the developments of this case.
October 30th, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Watching Lawrance Odonnel on msnbc…He is ripping Liz Cheney a new one….
How she can condem ur Prsident for going to Dover Air Force Base ..She is truly as evil as her evil father…ll he ever did was stay in his underground bunker…I am so sick of these people…Sorry for rant..
October 30th, 2009 at 4:07 PM
If my memory serves me right, she was for it before she was against it. Anyone else see a pattern here?
The action taken by the governor in unilaterally hiring an attorney, to gather evidence on this matter does not constitute a truly independent investigation and ignores the clear procedures set out in the Ethics Act for allegations of this kind…Having a lawyer hired by the governor attempt to investigate…is not only not an ‘independent’ investigation; it presents impossible conflicts of interest in the investigation itself…Because [the attorney] was hired by the Governor, he owes him a duty of loyalty and confidentiality. The current investigation by [the Governor’s attorney] ignores this law and is not truly independent. Alaska deserves better.”
–Sarah Palin, December 10th, 2004
October 30th, 2009 at 4:09 PM
@Shadow’s Heart, here’s what I just found online about Mr. Schroeder’s sad death. The initial autopsy results show he died of “natural causes.”
NEWTON —Retired U.S. marshal Richard Schroeder died of natural causes outside his Newton home, authorities said this afternoon.
Newton police initially labeled Schroeder’s death suspicious, but they said the initial results of an autopsy have allowed them to rule out the possibility of foul play.
Read more: http://www.kansas.com/934/story/1034187.html?storylink=omni_popular#ixzz…
October 30th, 2009 at 4:20 PM
BuffGal@104: “Mark my words – tomorrow is the game changer! Tune in to hear common sense solutions that bury the false accusations that conscientious members of Congress have no solutions to meet America’s health care challenges. ”
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Tune in? Tune in where? What frequency? What radio dial? What in the name of heaven are you talking about? Speak plainly, woman! WHERE CAN I LISTEN TO/READ BOENER”S SPEECH TOMORROW AND AT WHAT TIME?
Oh, not passing along that information? Guess the message is less important than people coming to your site for the traffic, $$$.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Wow…I’m feeling a bit misty looking at that amazingly gorgeous quilt! And just a tiny (okay, not so tiny!) bit jealous of the talented (and lovingly sneaky) mudpups who created it. A well-deserved gift to someone who puts her heart and soul into this blog.
AKM – a suggestion: Since it’s such a beautiful reminder of the gifted and caring community brought together by the gifted and caring YOU, maybe you could post a single square somewhere on the home page every day, in a rotation, so that we can be continually reminded of how special these ‘flats’ have become!
October 30th, 2009 at 4:28 PM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/30/dog-spends-62-while-owner_n_339998.html
Hey, AKM & other mudpups with pups! Hide your credit card & remote controls!
Dog Spends $62 While Owners Sleep (VIDEO)
A chewed remote control, a dog, and $62.50 less in the bank account. For Greg Stroke, this could only mean one thing: his dog had purchased 5,000 Xbox points — worth $62 — while he and his girlfriend were asleep. Stroke saved his credit card information on his remote control to make it easier to buy video games using Microsoft Xbox points — so easy, in fact, that a dog could do it. When the dog chewed the remote, the points were bought. “i just wish they’d make it a little harder to purchase points,” Stroke lamented.
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As for the quilt – gorgeous! Can I cyber-borrow it? Down & out (3rd day) with a nasty sinus infection/cough…not aches, so not the flu.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:31 PM
112 terpsichore Says: October 30th, 2009 at 4:20 PM
BuffGal@104: “Mark my words – tomorrow is the game changer! Tune in to hear common sense solutions that bury the false accusations that conscientious members of Congress have no solutions to meet America’s health care challenges. ”
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Tune in? Tune in where? What frequency?
Can’t help channeling Dan Rather/REM “What’s the frequency, Kenneth?” much ado from 1990’s….
October 30th, 2009 at 4:35 PM
#83 terpsichore -
I, the California-born American, spent two years of my college career studying abroad (one in York, England, and one in Glasgow, Scotland), and learned that lots of words didn’t mean the same over there as they do here.
~~~~~~~~~~
I experienced the same thing in six years of annual trips to Ireland back in the ’90s. I used to bring groups of kids over there each year and was rather startled the first time one of the locals enthusiastically informed me that we were going to have “some good crack” that night! Fortunately, one of my Irish friends explained that it meant ‘fun’, not the kind of crack I would have a hard time explaining to parents when I brought their kiddies back home again!
Ain’t it amazing that we technically speak the same language but it comes out all sorts of different when there’s an ocean in between!
October 30th, 2009 at 4:59 PM
That quilt is just amazing. There are some very creative and thoughtful members of this community. Great job to all of you who were a part! I don’t sew but I do know that quilting is a labor of love and true art.
On another subject, Liz Cheney is in the cross-hairs tonight with Rachel and Lawrence and deservedly so. I’m so tired of how the right wing spins everything so negatively.
October 30th, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Gasp! Fox poll blames…Bush???
http://washingtonindependent.com/65841/fox-news-poll-most-blame-bush-for-economy
Hmmm…
PS: Snoskred/AKM/moderators – I made a boo-boo with my e-mail addy, so 2 posts are in moderation on this thread (4:28p and 4:31p). I’m blaming it too much NightQuil and too much cough syrup…that’s my story, and I;m sticking to it!
October 30th, 2009 at 5:39 PM
INCREDIBLE!!!! AMAZING!!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!!. Truly uplifting how a group of the mudflatters so artfully conveyed that gratefulness and joy of this community.
AKM, congratulations on a well deserved recognition.
&
Thank you.
October 30th, 2009 at 6:10 PM
seems that sp’s fb works just fine. still stoopid. Read Boner’s address for tomorrow….the ‘game changer’. What he demands is exactly what the bill in the house now includes. He’s going to try to make it look like his effort. Like we don’t have records of whats been going on and the intelligence to remember the GOP ‘effort’
http://gopleader.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=152439
Extremely fine effort by the quilters.
October 30th, 2009 at 6:24 PM
Your quilt is amazing. As a quilter for the past 30+ years I can tell you a quilter never ceases to be entralled by the work of other quilters. For anyone not familiar with the quilting community please let me enlighten you to the generousity of these artisans. Quilters congregate in guilds, churches and informal sewing groups. They make quilts for every philanthropic group you can think of–children with cancer, abused women and children, wounded vets, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, for victims of natural disasters, for those who have lost their homes to fire, homeless people, seniors in convalescent facilities, and so many more I couldn’t list them all here. We love our craft and are only too happy to share that love with others in the form of something to give warmth and comfort. I hope you wrap your quilt around yourself on your cold winter days. I visit my son in Anchorage every year and can only say I love your city, even the fascinating political scene!
October 30th, 2009 at 6:29 PM
I think we will never have to refer to that wonderful creation as anything other than, “THAT QUILT”.
As someone with no artistic talent, but a great appreciation in the gift others were given, all I can say is, WOW! OMG!
AKM you are one lucky puppy.
October 30th, 2009 at 6:45 PM
What a beautiful quilt.I have made a few ,years ago saving pieces from old cloths from family members.It took quite awhile to finish but I did it and used it as a throw on my couch.After that I only made ones for babies.Takes a lot of time and effort to make a full one so AKM the mudpups have shown how much you mean to all of us..To all who worked on the quilt Good Job.
October 30th, 2009 at 7:17 PM
Several of the other sites are talking of Levi going to court over visitation with his son and many are worked up Palin being in the courtroom and having too much influence, etc. I posted the following statement over at IM. I expect Levi’s attorney will try to work things out privately.
Before anyone rushes into court, there are other steps that are normally taken. The first is negotiations that take place between Levi’s attorney and Bristol’s attorney. There could be quite a bit of back and forth until an agreement is ironed out as to frequency, location, duration, etc. of the visits, including holidays; plus alimony and/or child support.
Once an agreement between the two parties is reached (providing they do finally agree) then the document is filed with the court system. It becomes part of legal public record in some states.
If there is no equitable agreement arrived at, then the next option could be going to court. Most cases of this nature are held in the Family Court and are normally restricted to the people immediately involved.
If there is an agreement reached and that document recorded with the Court, there would be no need for an actual hearing in front of any judge………..unless, or until, one or the other broke the agreement. For example, if Bristol chose to disallow Levi to take the child on assigned date(s), or if Levi failed to make the agreed upon payments, or if Levi failed to take the child when it was his visitation time, or if Levi or Bristol felt the child was in some sort of emotional or physical danger with the other parent. The list goes on and on of possible scenarios under which they could eventually end up in court, but I don’t see them going to court anytime soon without going through the normal preliminary steps of negotiating an agreement.
October 30th, 2009 at 7:20 PM
GreatGranny2C I have been reading a book by Frank Schaeffer,crazy for God.He talks about his preacher mom and dad and how they took in hippies, gay people ect and were very accepting of them back then and Pat Roberson is mentioned as visiting their place many times and staying for long periods of time,so what in the world is he complaining about.
As for the palin thing in Milwaukee,if someone had commented it is already down and if I did not already have breathing problems I would be out there with them.Maybe they are just trying to get people to come by saying that.sounds like a begathon because they don’t have enough people.Southeaster WI is not really a good area for this kind of thing.Maybe middle WI. might be
October 30th, 2009 at 7:26 PM
the quilt is heartwarming!
So is this analysis over at 538 on $P’s chances for 2012
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/10/palin-will-not-run-for-president-in-12.html
October 30th, 2009 at 7:43 PM
Ya know I guess I had hopes that Bristol would see the light and get out from under,but I guess not.I would think the most would be child support but even if a father does not pay you cannot legally stop them from seeing their child just because of that.At least not in my state.Since they were never married alimony is a moot point and if Bristol is making just as much as Levi they take that into consideration.One thing it would do is stop her from moving out of state on a whim or her mothers say so.I feel sorry for the young man having to put up with not only the palins but the heaths also.I think if left alone Bristol would let him see the child .I think her mother is pushing her.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:05 PM
jojobo1 @122 –
I’ve started reading Schaeffer’s book also. It is amazing how people change so radically over a period of time. As you mentioned of his parents accepting and trying to work with others, it seemed to be the thing to do for some religious groups in the 60s and 70s, then suddenly they reversed direction and one wonder’s why – is it the inate weakness in some that they simply follow the crowd?
It’s funny that the Wisconsin group has already taken their site down – maybe they didn’t realize they were actually ENCOURAGING people to show up in opposition.
As for Bristol being under her mother’s thumb, we see that far too often when the parent is a strong and intimidating person. If Bristol was to try to make it on her own, she probably wouldn’t have the comfortable lifestyle she currently has. As to income for either Levi or Bristol, one would hope they are banking some of the money and setting up some sort of fund for their son. So many of those new to celebrity and money p-ss it away as fast as it comes in and they have nothing for a rainy day.
Bristol is still young and possibly a bit immature. Age and motherhood has nothing to do with emotional development and she seems to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
That is certainly one disfunctional family! Sarah is such a selfish person, she hasn’t a clue the damage she is doing to her entire family.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:07 PM
Wow. I’m a quilter and I had no idea a project like this was in the works.
Well, I probably would have violated the rules anyway. I always seem to find a way to stretch the guidelines to the breaking point.
Really great quilt.
I can’t wait for the future installments of closeups of the other blocks and for the participants to reveal themselves. The stories behind the quilt blocks are part of the special magic of quilt projects like this.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:09 PM
AKM, here’s a good way to hang a quilt: Buy a set of those little metal clips designed to hang curtains from a rod. One end is a clip and the other end is a circle. Just clip 5 or 6 of them to the top of the quilt, spacing them evenly across the top. Then pound a set of small nails in the wall, spaced at the same intervals. Drop the circles over the nails and voila! Looks really nice and costs next to nothing.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:09 PM
Thank you to all the Mud Puppies who contributed to that fantastic quilt. AKM…..you are loved by all of us! ;0) BooBooBear
October 30th, 2009 at 10:38 PM
wow, listen to this……..between Tank and Fagan. Fagan, I think is fleeced by how outrageous the possibility could be. I’m not.
http://www.thealaskastandard.com/sites/default/files/media/Tank%20on%20Levi.mp3
October 31st, 2009 at 4:52 AM
Absolutely gorgeous quilt! What makes it so special is all the details on it! Cant wait to see more squares!
You guys are so talented!
October 31st, 2009 at 5:58 AM
I am so excited to see the photo of the final product. I did play a small part in it, in that I signed a couple of squares, and mailed mine back to Quince at the VERY last minute. She was so gracious and forgiving of my lateness, in addition to being enormously talented and patient.
I’m not sure of all the details, but I do know Quince actually was the one who made many of the squares, in addition to conceiving the whole project, organizing it, and then putting the whole gorgeous thing together.
QUINCE IS AMAZING!!!!
And so are you, AKM – so glad you love the quilt!