Cover of Marguerite Patten’s book, Feeding the Nation: includes cover 1940s photograph of a young boy watching a woman mix a recipe in a bowl.
#FridayReads Feeding the Nation by Marguerite Patten. I love reading about the ingenuity of home cooks during World War II.
LOL…it’s like being in a candy store. It all looks good! I’ll probably start with something small - several of the designs have parts that can be done as a separate small design.
Cover of Emma Congdon’s Merry Stitchmas book with Christmas themed cross stitch examples.
I like nature…and color! This came in the mail today… #stitchsky #crossstitch
It is addictive! So many cool patterns and not enough stitchy time….
Partially completed cross stitch of Max Pigeon’s pattern, Boreal Bounty. Lots and lots of green trees!
Boreal Bounty by Max Pigeon. Progress as of February 22, 2026. This was maybe a tad ambitious for someone who had only completed a handful of small ornaments! #crossstitch #stitchsky #wip
Wow. The number varied throughout the session but topped out at 76 attendees in this morning's online plagiarism workshop. Not bad for a less-than-exciting subject on a beautiful Starkville morning! #mississippistateuniversity #msstate
It is my favorite meal and always brings back memories of my mom. Collards show up in several cuisines…you could try a Portuguese Caldo Verde or a Haitian version, Callaloo. It’s a versatile vegetable!
Plate of boiled collards, chopped fatback (yes, really), boiled potato, and chopped onion.
I am trying to post fewer collard pictures…but a plate of a collard dinner is such a thing of beauty! #Collards #ComfortFood
I don’t post about my work with AI on BS - just my fiber arts and other hobbies. But I do engage with my fellow academic librarians- some of whom are very anti-AI. We cannot ignore AI when it is an important element of digital literacy and research methods.
Astrophilately is a fascinating theme! There are a lot of resources to get started here: thedigitalphilatelist.com/thematic-ast...
Reasons of State was an assigned reading in one of my freshman classes and my introduction to Latin American literature - followed quickly by 100 Years of Solitude by Garcia Marquez. After that…I was hooked!
Lovely! Instead of “oopsed” try: added a creative element.
Progress on cross stitch project Boreal Bounty by Max Pigeon. About 40% complete.
Boreal Bounty - progress as of February 8, 2026. #CrossStitch
Picture of the spines of two old Scott specialty albums for the two volume set of South America.
Picture of a page from the Argentina section of the Scott specialty stamp album for South America.
Well, my Friday just got a whole lot better! A colleague came by and asked if I wanted this great old set of stamp albums. Two volumes of the Scott specialty series for South America. There are some stamps but these are great old albums even without the stamps. ❤️ #philately
Stack of six cotton crocheted dishcloths.
January 2026 Crochet finishes: six dishcloths. (I do still need to weave in some ends.) #Crochet
One of my favorite reads from college.
I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Stay free
I’ve started a play list of resistance/protest songs on YouTube. Some are really good. I would love to have other recommendations about similar songs! youtube.com/playlist?lis...
I have become more self conscious about some of my writing habits that are also found in AI. I LOVE an em dash, even if copy editors hate it. But lately I’ve found myself hesitant to use it.
Partial cross stitch of Max Pigeon’s Boreal Bounty, along with a partial screenshot of the cover of his book, Cross-Stitch in the Forest.
Progress as of Jan. 27, 2026 - Boreal Bounty by Max Pigeon. This is my largest project to date. I’m not fast, but that’s ok. Some of the world’s most beautiful tapestries were created one stitch at a time. Just like change - small steps matter. #CrossStitch #CrossStitchLifeLessons
🔥 Tennessee’s own sheryl crow bringing it
Cover of Carl Honore’s book, In Praise of Slowness. Cover image is a dark background with a feather floating down.
I’m a day late with #FridayReads because of storm prep. This week: In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed by Carl Honore. Thanks to my library’s ILL for the access!
Picture of my latest cross stitch project - very early progress on Max Pigeon’s pattern Boreal Bounty. The 14 count Aida is a light fiddler’s cloth.
Boreal Bounty by Max Pigeon. Progress as of January 19, 2026. #crossstitch (I love these colors!)
Circular campaign button featuring a black-and-white portrait of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., bordered in blue, with the text “Poor People’s Campaign for Poor Power” and the quote “I have a dream…”
This #MLKDay, we're bringing scholarly context to one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s most studied speeches with @jstordaily.bsky.social’s annotation of “I Have a Dream.” 💭
Explore: https://bit.ly/3LIjKJk
Image: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Poor People’s Campaign for Poor Power, Schomburg Center.
I love it! It will take me forever to work through all the designs…but I still plan to pick up his new book when it comes out in September.
Picture of a cross stitch pattern by Max Pigeon. The pattern is called Boreal Bounty and is from his book, called Cross-Stitch in the Forest.
I’m not a fast stitcher but I’ve made good progress on my patriotic project from Shannon Christine. It’s a great design but, w/ the last couple of weeks, I’m just not feeling it. I decided to switch to something that more closely reflects my mood & this pattern by Max Pigeon is perfect. #crossstitch
Cover of Lawrence Block’s book: Generally Speaking -All 33 columns, plus a few philatelic words from Keller. The cover has a nice picture of a magnifying glass and a selection of United States stamps.
One of my 2026 goals is to tackle my large TBR pile. Next up: Generally Speaking by Lawrence Block. #reading #philately
Image of the 1962 Christmas stamp, issued by the United States. It depicts a wreath, two candles, and the text Christmas 1962, along with the postal rate of four cents.
To all who celebrate, Merry Christmas!
I post this image most years - it is one of my favorites. It is the first dedicated Christmas themed stamp issued by the United States in 1962.
