Alaska/Nebraska, and other things too................

Alaska/Nebraska

Alaska/Nebraska
 

Bottom of Alaska/Nebraska
 

I am making slow progress with this quilt, but it is coming together.  I now have the outside blocks finished and have started the center.  I do not have all the "borders" on the outside blocks as yet, so it may look like it is not "quite right."  Hopefully by the end of the month, the top will be done.  The picture to the right is the top of the quilt.  I could not get the whole quilt on the same design wall.  I am not tall enough.  Also, on this picture you can see I am  auditioning fabric.

The picture to the left is the bottom of the quilt on the second design wall. 





        
Sitting Bull
In 1984, my Aunt passed away.  The state of Arizona had made me first her guardian, then conservator and the executrix of her will.  I sold most of her things but there were a few things that did not sell and so thus I kept them.  These items are amongst my "treasures."  One of these treasures is a small dish.   I have looked at this dish for years wondering why there was an Indian decal on a dish made in Germany.  On the back of the dish it says Royal Saxe E S Germany.  The other day, I decided I was going to look this up to see if I could find anything.  I have made I think a pretty good guess.



Sitting Bull
 

On the front of the dish is the decal of an Indian and in very fine print it says Sitting Bull.  In about 1885 Sitting Bull was in jail.  He was released and went with the Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show to Europe.  This dish must be a souvenir of that show.  Sitting Bull had quite a history.  He was born in 1831. He became a Chief of the Sioux Indians, and was at the battle of Custer's Last Stand in 1876.   He killed his first buffalo at the age of 10. It makes me wonder what must have went through his mind about his life before he died.  He died when he was shot by Indian Police in 1890.  

How did my aunt get this dish?   In her things were many old things.  My guess is that they may have belonged to her grandmother.  Or I had a great grandfather and a grandfather from Denmark.  Back during that time, Denmark was sometimes part of Germany.  That is a part of my history that is lost forever.  Me, being a genealogist, I could kick myself a thousand ways for not being more inquisitive about things.  I grew up during the period of time when children were seen and not heard.  That went with me into my adult life.  So, a word of wisdom, if you have something old and you do not know the history, ask someone.  Once they are gone, that information is gone. And, be sure to document it somewhere.  If nowhere else, put it in your Bible. 

A bird came to visit...........
My office has wonderful windows and outside these windows are large bushes cut like trees.  The birds love them.

In the last few days, I have had visitors.  They will show up for a day or so and then they are gone.  This little birdie, one of many, I managed to get his picture.  I need to look in my bird book to see what he is.  He has interesting markings.  At the tip of his tail it is bright yellow for about a quarter of an inch.  His breast is pale yellow and he has interesting eye markings.  I think they are gone now, but they will come back, maybe in the fall when the birds fly south. 

Hope you all have a wonderful day..............