Every small town has a story …
But not every town’s story is quite as
cozy
as this one:
The Red Flannel Story of Cedar Springs, Michigan.
Population 3,543 (give or take).
Rumor has it, the Cedar Springs red flannel saga began during the winter of 1936.
And, yes, it was “the worst winter in years.”
Big snow, temps well below—you get the idea.
Granted, the country was mired in the midst of the Great Depression, and winters then must have felt colder than ever.
It is said that a writer from the New York Sun newspaper set out on a quest to find a traditional flannel union suit to help him weather the weather. His search stretched from the Atlantic coast to Cleveland, but no flannel underthings could be found. (I slept in a cotton red flannel suit complete with drop-seat every night when I lived in a wall tent during the dead of winter while working for the Forest Service in the ’70s.)
Nancy Collins: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.collins.7140
“Here we are in the midst of an old-fashioned winter,” he groused, “and there are no red flannels in the USA to go with it.”
None?
We’ll see about that.
When the Clipper Girls read the reporter’s rant, their blood ran hot …
Today … I’m voting. When my kindergartner gets out of school today, I’m taking both of my daughters to the polls. We’ll probably have to park some distance from the fairgrounds, and it’s supposed to be raining, and then I have to find the map that shows my district and stand in line until it’s my turn. I can’t forget my identification and I always get nervous that I might mark something incorrectly. Taking a 3-year-old and 5-year-old to do all this with me certainly doesn’t make the task easier, but I want them to KNOW.
When the poll worker hands me three stickers, I will explain to my daughters, as I do every year, what it means to be an American and what it means to be a female American. Then, I will proudly walk through the rain hand-in-hand with my two daughters—wearing stickers on our lapels.
I did as I’ve been told. I found one person who wasn’t going to vote today and convinced her to vote. Have you found your guy or gal who needs a shot in the arm (kick in the butt)?
Fall festivals …
What fun.
I’m thinking …
candied apples,
pumpkin carving,
wooly sweaters,
and a flaming
GRUMP.
Huh?
I knew that would get your attention.
Strange as it sounds, I really did mean to say “grump.”
Curious?
Come with me …
It was inevitable. We have clothing made from recycled plastic bottles, why not thread? Leave it to thread maker Gütermann to come up with technology for a stronger, more environmentally friendly thread. I enjoyed breakfast with the woman, Phyllis Dobbs, who was “manning” the booth at the Houston Quilt Market last week where this idea was launched. I’m going to keep a close eye on my local fabric shops so I can start using it. One bottle produces 10 spools of thread.
Here’s a good way to start OR end your Sunday. This short video brought me to my knees, if you know what I mean. You’ll see.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
