Dr Pepper Peanut Brittle and a Free Online Dr Pepper Cookbook

Broken Sugar Bowl Quilt Block

In honor of Dr Pepper drinking Mary Dell, member Kathy sent us a recipe for Dr Pepper Peanut Brittle that she adapted from the recipe found on the Homesick Texan blog.

Dr Pepper Peanut Brittle
1-1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Dr Pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups roasted and salted peanuts, shelled
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.  In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter, Dr Pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, and peanuts.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
3.  When temperature reaches 290 degrees on a candy thermometer, remove from heat and stir in baking soda.  Mixture will foam up and double in size.
4.  Using a silicone spatula, thinly spread mixture on parchment-covered baking sheet.
5.  Allow to cool and harden.  Break into pieces.

Did you know that Dr Pepper does not have a period after Dr?  If you want more Dr Pepper recipes, there is a free, online cookbook called Cooking with Dr Pepper and 7Up.

Will you be joining us in September to read The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs?  Inquiring minds want to know!    

Nonsense Quilt Block and the Fatal Flaw

Nonsense Quilt Block

This is our last Quilters' Book Club discussion for Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick.  If you'd like to join us in September, get The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs at your library or local bookstore.  It costs nothing to join, and we'd love to have you if you enjoy both quilting and reading!    

We have loved having author Marie Bostwick interact with us and answer our questions.  Marie was recently interviewed here. She responded to this question: 

 
You encourage reciprocity with your readers. What is the importance of this relationship – and how has social networking/technology influenced communication?

"How social networking and technology have influenced communication as a whole is a question way above my pay grade. But, just from my experience, I can tell you that readers today really do want to have a connection to their favorite authors. They are genuinely curious about the process of writing. Sometimes I wonder why; trust me, there is NOTHING as dull as watching a writer write. We just sit there and type all day!

"But, from my end, I enjoy interacting with readers – perhaps because I do spend so much time alone. It is nice to know that people enjoy your work. It can also be helpful to know what parts of the story didn’t work as effectively as they could have or what they’d like to see more of. At the end of the day, I’m always going to write about what makes the most sense to me, but I do take their suggestions under advisement. And it’s a really good feeling to know that people are so engaged with the books that take time to sit down and write me a letter, email, or Facebook post."

And here's our final question, just for fun!  Aunt Velvet makes much of the Tudmore family’s “Fatal Flaw,” a tendency for the women of the line to lose their normally solid good sense in the presence of a certain sort of man.  For good or bad, Mary Dell and Lydia Dale fell hard for handsome cowboys.  Just for fun: What kind of man makes you go weak in the knees?  A cowboy?  A fireman?  A man in uniform?  A man who knows how to fix your car?  Your computer? Your dinner?

Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you are entering your name in a giveaway of a fabulous prize pack containing Wedding Ring, Endless Chain, Lover’s Knot (first three books of the Shenandoah Album Series) and Mountain Away, all by Emilie Richards - courtesy of Harlequin!  Winner will be announced September 1. 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.



Wedding Bouquet Quilt Block, Wedding Mints, and Wedding Bells

Wedding Bouquet Quilt Block

In the free, online Quilters' Book Club, we've been reading Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick in August.  We're wrapping up our discussion in these final days of the month.  Enjoy some mints as we talk about the weddings that happen in the book!

Wedding Cream Cheese Mints
2 pounds powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Assorted food coloring
Assorted flavorings

1.  Combine powdered sugar and cream cheese in a mixer bowl and beat well.

2.  Divide the mixture into four balls.  Work with just one ball at a time and put the remaining balls into individual plastic bags so they don’t dry out.
3.  Add food coloring and flavoring, one drop at a time.  Knead by hand until you get the color you want.  Remember, you can always add, but you can never take away!
3.  Roll into little balls.  Dip into sugar and press into rubber candy molds.
4.  Unmold onto cookie sheet that has been covered with wax paper.  Allow to dry and harden.

Can be made ahead of time and frozen until the wedding.  I usually make four different colors and flavors of mints – white or yellow with lemon flavoring, pink with peppermint, green with wintergreen, etc.

 
As the story opens, Mary Dell is only minutes away from walking down the aisle to marry Donny, but she is having second thoughts.  Why was she so hesitant to go through with the wedding?  Were her concerns legitimate, or was this just a normal case of wedding jitters?  Have you been or known a bride who had second thoughts in the days or hours before a wedding ceremony?

Lydia Dale and Graydon were in love once and planned to marry. However, circumstances and miscommunication got in the way of their plans.  Now that circumstances have thrown them back together again, Lydia Dale and Graydon are very different people than they were previously.  What has changed about them?  Are those changes for the better or the worse? 

Inquiring minds want to know your thoughts on these questions!  By commenting on either or both questions, you are entering your name in a giveaway of a fabulous prize pack containing Wedding Ring, Endless Chain, Lover’s Knot (first three books of the Shenandoah Album Series) and Mountain Away, all by Emilie Richards - courtesy of Harlequin!

Our September book is The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs.  Order it now from your library or local book store, so you can join us in our discussion next month!  You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here. 

Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce Recipe and Wouldn't You Like to Be a Pepper, Too?

Member Mary Ann's Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce Recipe
1/2 onion, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups Dr Pepper
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 pinch salt

1.  Mince onions and add them to a medium-sized pot with oil over medium heat.  Cook until onions are soft.
2.  Add Dr Pepper and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
3.  Add other ingredients and stir.
4.  Simmer BBQ sauce, stirring frequently until sauce reaches desired consistency.  Depending on your taste, that could be 60-90 minutes.  I like mine a bit on the thicker side.
5.  Be sure to taste it near the end and season with salt or adjust any other flavors that you want more of (vinegar, for example).

A big Texas thank you to Mary Ann for this recipe!

The most popular snack foods in Texas are Frito pie (a bag of Fritos mixed with chili, onions, and cheese eaten straight from the bag), peanuts in Dr Pepper, beef jerky, jalapenos, and corn dogs?  Have you ever eaten any of these snack foods?  What is your favorite snack food?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you are entering your name in a giveaway of a fabulous prize pack containing Wedding Ring, Endless Chain, Lover’s Knot (first three books of the Shenandoah Album Series) and Mountain Away, all by Emilie Richards - courtesy of Harlequin!

Our September book is The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs.  Order it now from your library or local book store, so you can join us in our discussion next month!  You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.

Gold Nuggets Quilt Block and Walking Wednesdays

Gold Nuggets Quilt Block

 

My husband and I went on a 5 Kilometer (3.1 mile) Volksmarch in Breckenridge, Colorado.  Volksmarch is a German word which means "people march."  Volksmarches happen in every state.  The trails take you through a scenic or historic route, and clear directions and maps are provided.  Check it out at http://www2.ava.org/.

Breckenridge was first established as a mining town when gold was discovered along the Blue River in 1859.  It now thrives on tourism and the ski industry.

 

 

 The walk first took us on the Blue River Rec Path

 

 

beside the beautiful Blue River.

 

 

This statue is dedicated to the 10th Mountain Division.  After being trained in the Colorado Rockies, these soldiers helped win victories in the European mountains during World War II.  On their return home, they helped the growth of Colorado's recreational ski industry. 

 

 

We then traveled through downtown Breckenridge, with lots of beautiful flowers!

 

 

  

 Isn't this Story Time sculpture wonderful?

 

 

Next, we walked to the Rotary Snow Plow Park.

 

 

 

 

Long ago, this snowplow at the front of the train enabled the train to clear the tracks so it could reach Breckenridge and other mountain towns during the winters.

 

 

 

 Finally, we saw the Father Dyer Church.

 

 

John Lewis Dyer began as a miner and farmer in Wisconsin and Minnesota.  In 1859, he traveled to Colorado because he wanted to see Pikes Peak.  He walked most of the way.  He was appointed as an itinerate Methodist preacher and circuit rider to the mining camps.  He bought the land and built this chapel at his own expense.  On August 22, 1880, he conducted the very first service held in a church on the western slope of Colorado.  He was 68 years old.  Father Dyer, as he is lovingly known, is considered one of the sixteen founders of the state of Colorado.

 

 

Father Dyer is called the Snow-Ski Preacher.  In winters, he traveled from mining camp to mining camp on his twelve-foot-long skis so he could preach. 

 

 

Although it has been added to and changed over the years, the Father Dyer Church is still an active Methodist church.  People were cleaning and getting ready for Sunday services while we were there.

 

Thank you for joining me on this Walking Wednesday!  You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here. 

Reading Together Appliqued Quilt Block and What's on Your Nightstand?

I'm participating in the monthly feature, What's on Your Nightstand?  Participants post what they've been reading the past month as well as what they're planning to read in the future.
 
Baby Board Book:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. with illustrations by Eric Carle.  A classic book perfect for a baby with its bouncy rhythm, quick read, and colorful illustrations.  Such fun to get to read it to my three month old grandson!

My husband reading to our grandson

Picture Books:
Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball by John Coy, illustrated by Joe Morse 
     The true story of how James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 at a school in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Interesting illustrations and not very much print.  The end pages feature the first draft of the basketball rules which are interesting to compare to today's rules.

Ox, House, Stick: The History of Our Alphabet by Don Robb, illustrated by Anne Smith
     An interesting history of each letter of our alphabet.  Has quite a lot of writing for a picture book.  I reread it after reading Paperboy below because it made reference to the origin of some of the letters of our alphabet.

Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Kate Kiesler
     Wonderful summer poems, some of which are shape poems.  Each illustration is perfect for its poem.

When the Moon Is Full: a Lunar Year by Penny Pollock, illustrated by Mary Azarian
     This book features a poem for each month, portraying the traditional Native American name for each moon.  Azarian does an amazing job on the illustrations for this book, which are hand-colored woodcut prints.  There's a more detailed question-and-answer section in the back.   
    
Middle Grade Novel:
Paperboy by Vince Vawter
Historical fiction set in Memphis, Tennessee during the month of July, 1959
     I subscribe to the Nerdy Book Club blog, read this review, and knew I had to read this book.  I wasn't disappointed.  The main character is an 11-year-old boy who is highly intelligent and an outstanding baseball pitcher but who also stutters.  The author writes in his Author's Notes at the end, "Paperboy is my story, certainly more memoir than fiction."  He does an amazing job of letting you really feel the struggles and frustrations of stuttering.  If you enjoyed the movie The King's Speech, I think you will love this book. 

Book Club Books:
The Purpose of a Dog by W. Bruce Cameron- the August selection for the Raspberry Mountain Readers
 
     I listened to this book, read by George K. Wilson.  It's the "story of one endearing dog's search for his purpose over the course of several lives."  Definitely worth reading/listening to, even though I don't really consider myself a dog person.  (I most definitely am a grandpuppy person, though!)

Our grandpuppy as a very small puppy

Not so small anymore!

Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick - the August selection for the Quilters' Book Club
Set in Too Much, Texas between 1970-1984
     In our book club, we had read A Single Thread, the first in Marie's Cobbled Court Quilt series.  This book is a prequel to that series and centers around Mary Dell Templeton, a strong, lovable main character.  Highly recommended even for non-quilters.  Here are several blog posts related to this book.

So what's on YOUR nightstand?  Do you ever have the opportunity to read aloud to someone?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you are entering your name in a giveaway of a fabulous prize pack containing Wedding Ring, Endless Chain, Lover’s Knot (first three books of the Shenandoah Album Series) and Mountain Away, all by Emilie Richards - courtesy of Harlequin!    

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.            

Wearing an Apron and Making Dr Pepper Cake with Mary Dell

Grab an apron, and let's make a Dr Pepper Cake with Mary Dell!

Dr Pepper Cake
1 cup butter
1 cup Dr Pepper
1/4 cup cocoa
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2.  Heat butter, Dr Pepper, and cocoa in a saucepan.  Mix well and set aside.
3.  Cream together eggs, sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla. 
4.  In a separate bowl, blend flour, baking soda, and cinnamon together. 
5.  Alternate adding flour mixture and Dr Pepper mixture to creamed mixture.  Mix until smooth. 
6.  Pour into greased and floured 9" x 12" pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes. 
7.  When cool, frost with Dr Pepper Icing.

Dr Pepper Icing
1/4 cup butter
3 Tablespoons cocoa
1/4 cup Dr Pepper
1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

1.  In a large pan, heat butter, cocoa, and Dr Pepper and blend well.
2.  Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla, and nuts.
3.  Mix thoroughly and frost cake. 

Thanks to book club member Cheryl for sending me this Dr Pepper Cake recipe she found at Cook.com.  Here's another recipe that uses Dr Pepper.  Enjoy! 

 

Pioneer Woman's Spicy Dr Pepper Shredded Pork

1 whole large onion

1 (5-7 pounds) whole pork shoulder (pork butt)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 can (11 ounces) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 cans Dr Pepper

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

 

1.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. 

2.  Peel the onion and cut it into wedges.  Lay them in the bottom of a large dutch oven.

3.  Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the pan.

4.  Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce).  Pour in both cans of Dr Pepper.  Add brown sugar to the juice and stir in. 

5.  Place lid tightly on pot, then set pot in the oven.  Cook for at least six hours, turning roast two or three times during the cooking process.  Check meat after six hours; it should be absolutely falling apart.  (Use two forks to test.)  If it's not falling apart, return to the oven for another hour.

6.  Remove meat from pot and place on a cutting board or other work surface.  Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat.  Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can and discard it.  Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid and keep warm until ready to serve.  (You can also refrigerate the meat and liquid separately, then remove hardened fat once it's cold.  Then heat up the liquid on the stovetop and return the meat to the liquid to warm it up.) 

7.  Serve on warm flour tortillas.  Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, avocado slices, salsa, and whatever else you'd like.  Serves 18.

 

Here is Pioneer Woman's step by step instructions with excellent photos!

Have you ever made a recipe containing Dr Pepper?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Send the recipe to starwoodquilter@gmail.com and I will publish it in a separate post.  By commenting, you are entering your name in a giveaway of a fabulous prize pack containing Wedding Ring, Endless Chain, Lover’s Knot (first three books of the Shenandoah Album Series) and Mountain Away, all by Emilie Richards - courtesy of Harlequin!

Our September book is The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs.  Order it now from your library or local book store, so you can join us in our discussion next month!  You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here. 



Peace and Plenty Quilt Block and a Song for Sunday

Peace and Plenty Quilt Block

I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul,
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.

 

 

Listen to my daughter-in-law sing "Peace Like a River" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG_bXEV8xzk

It's from my son's and daughter-in-law's Lullabies Hymns album.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.

Twin Sisters Quilt Block and Twin Sisters Mary Dell and Lydia Dale in Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick

Twin Sisters or Twin Sister Quilt Block

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  Our book to read and discuss during August 2013 is Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick.  Today our focus is the relationship between fraternal twins Mary Dell and Lydia Dale.

If you'd like to make a quilt block to represent the twin sisters, here are two wonderful ones:

Twin Sisters Quilt Block (also called Twin Sister and Whirlwind Quilt Block)
Sister Star Quilt Block (also called Sister's Choice Quilt Block)

Sister Star or Sister's Choice Quilt Block

Mary Dell and her fraternal twin, Lydia Dale, were close as children. Though the sisters love each other and live in the same town, they have grown apart as they’ve grown older. What circumstances or attitudes brought that about? Have you experienced a similar situation with a sibling, family member, or friend? Were you able to resolve the problem? If so, how? Or, if you’re still feeling distant or estranged from someone with whom you were close in former days, what steps do you think you could take to heal this situation?

Mary Dell is a technically skilled quilter. But she doesn’t hit her true stride in quilting until she joins forces with Lydia Dale, who has the gift for choosing fabrics that her sibling lacks. Working together, the sisters are greater than the sum of their parts. Do you have a skill or talent that was magnified when you teamed up with a friend or family member? Did working together enhance your relationship as much as your talents? Tell the group about it.

Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting on either or both questions, you are entering your name in a giveaway of a fabulous prize pack containing Wedding Ring, Endless Chain, Lover’s Knot (first three books of the Shenandoah Album Series) and Mountain Away, all by Emilie Richards - courtesy of Harlequin!

Heads Up:  Our September book is The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs.  You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.  

August House Quilt Block

 

This 12" August House quilt block is part of my Calendar of Houses Bee Quilt.  A friend and I organized this on-line bee a couple of years ago after being members of two previous on-line bees.

 

There were twelve of us in the bee - from the United States as well as England and New Zealand.  Every month, each of us made a block for a member and a different member made a block for us.  The house design was to represent that month.  A bee member from Aukland, New Zealand made this block for me.  Keep in mind that it was wintertime in New Zealand when she created this!   

 

My daughter-in-law recently made this Pioneer Woman's Peach Crisp.  Talk about delicious!  The Maple Cream Sauce makes this an extra-special recipe.  It's perfect for August when fresh, local peaches are at their peak.  Enjoy!

 

Pioneer Woman's Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

5-6 fresh peaches, not overly ripe or soft

1/2 lemon

7 tablespoons real maple syrup, divided

1-1/2 cups whipping cream

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   

2.  In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, using a fork or pastry cutter.  Cut butter into small pieces and gradually add to flour mixture until evenly mixed.  Set aside. 

3.  Peel and slice peaches into another bowl.  Add the zest from half a lemon.  Squeeze juice from lemon half and stir in with peaches and zest.  Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup to peaches; stir well.

4.  Grease an 8" or 9" square pan.  Pour peach mixture into pan and cover evenly with crumb topping.  Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until crisp and brown on top.  5.  To make Maple Cream Sauce:  Pour whipping cream into a saucepan.  Add 5 tablespoons maple syrup and 3 tablespoons light corn syrup.  Stir over moderate heat until thickened and reduced by about one-third, approximately 15 minutes.  Refrigerate mixture until it is cold and thick, or set the saucepan into a small bowl of ice.  (The ice will melt and turn into ice water.)  Stirring your mixture, it will cool and thicken in about 15 minutes.  Drizzle sauce over peach crisp.  Serve warm. 

 

Check out The Pioneer Woman's website for excellent, step-by-step photos of this recipe as well as many other recipes! 

 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here. 

Calico Spools Quilt Block and Velvet, Organza, Taffeta, and Silky - Oh My!

Calico Spools Quilt Block

In the Quilters' Book Club, we are reading and discussing Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick. 

"When the twins were born, Taffy intended to carry on with the family custom of naming female children after fabric, in homage to the Tudmore tradition of producing women who were experts with a needle, even though she personally had no talent for sewing.  But her husband, Dutch, objected.

"'Hell, no!' he exclaimed.  'You're not doing it, Taffy.  All the good names are gone.  Your cousin got the last one - though I'm not crazy about Organza.  But it's sure better than Corduroy.  Or Hopsack.  Or Flannel!  That's about all that's left.'

"'I was thinking of naming them after Momma and Aunt Velvet,' Taffy countered.

"'Silky and Velvet Templeton?' Dutch spread his boot-shod feet and crossed his arms over his chest, aping the bronze resolve of Flagadine Tudmore.  'Do that and these will be the last babies you have a chance of getting off me.  I mean it.'"  page 9, Between Heaven and Texas 

If you'd like to make a quilt block to represent the fabric-named Tudmore women, here are some good choices:

Calico Spools Quilt Block

Spools Quilt Block

Spool Quilt Block

Which fabric name is your favorite?  (Or is Jack Benny your favorite?)  Can you think of other interesting fabric names?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you are entering your name in a giveaway of a fabulous prize pack containing Wedding Ring, Endless Chain, Lover’s Knot (first three books of the Shenandoah Album Series) and Mountain Away, all by Emilie Richards - courtesy of Harlequin!

Heads Up:  Our September book is The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs.  You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.

Farmer's Daughter Quilt Block and Main Character Mary Dell of Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick

Farmer's Daughter Quilt Block

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  Our book to read and discuss during August 2013 is Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick.  Today, our focus is on the main character, Mary Dell, and her baby Howard. 

In an interview, Marie Bostwick answers some questions about Mary Dell and Howard:

You have identified Mary Dell Templeton as your favorite character. What is it about her that compels you?

"It’s true. I fell in love with Mary Dell the minute she walked onto the stage. How could I not? Mary Dell Templeton is just a pleasure to write. She’s bold, she’s brave, she’s kind, she’s superbly confident yet without an ounce of arrogance but, most of all, she’s just completely happy being herself."

Mary Dell has a son with Down syndrome. Why did you choose to develop a character with a disability and what do you hope that readers might gain from your depiction?

"I didn’t really decide to develop a disabled character. I almost never decide to develop any character. They simply arrive in my head. When Mary Dell, a technically expert quilter with not an ounce of taste, arrived she came with a son, Howard, born with Down syndrome, who happened to have remarkable color sense and picked all the fabrics for his mother’s quilts. So, they were kind of a package from the first.

"That being said, one of the reasons I decided to give Mary Dell a book of her own, aside from her being such a delight to write, was because of the mail I received from readers who were parents of adult children with developmental disabilities, thanking me for writing about Mary Dell and Howard in such a positive, hopeful way.

"One reader said, 'no one ever writes about our kids as having anything to offer.' When I thought about it, I saw that, in fiction, this was usually true. I wanted to change that. As far as I’m concerned, everyone is here for a reason and everyone has something to offer if people will give them a chance. And if people can see the truth of that by reading BETWEEN HEAVEN AND TEXAS, that would be about the best payday I could imagine."

 

If you'd like to make a block to go with Mary Dell or Howard, here are some suggestions to get you started.  Click on each link to go to the free pattern:

 

Mary Dell:

Color Me Bright Quilt Block - If you make this block, choose colors that are bright and clash with each other like Mary Dell would!

Farmer's Daughter Quilt Block

Honor and Courage Quilt Block

Mary's Own Quilt Block

 

Howard:

Color Wheel Quilt Block - If you choose to make this block, choose colors that reflect Howard's good color sense.

That's My Baby Quilt Block

Star of Destiny Quilt Block - "Everyone is here for a reason and everyone has something to offer."  Marie Bostwick

 

When Howard is born with Down syndrome, Mary Dell and Donny are understandably stunned. Within a few weeks of Howard’s birth, Donny leaves Too Much and deserts his family. Why do you think Mary Dell was more able than her husband to cope with the reality of Howard’s disability? Is there such a thing as the “weaker sex”? Or do you think each sex has its own set of weaknesses or strengths, depending on the situation?

Mary Dell works hard to become better informed about Down syndrome so she can be a better mother, teacher, and advocate for Howard. At some level, most mothers become an advocate for their children. Do you think that is a good thing or a bad thing? Is advocacy a role that can get out of hand for parents? Why or why not?

Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting on either or both questions, you are entering your name in a giveaway of a fabulous prize pack containing Wedding Ring, Endless Chain, Lover’s Knot (first three books of the Shenandoah Album Series) and Mountain Away, all by Emilie Richards - courtesy of Harlequin!

A note to my readers:  I like to e-mail all those who take the time to comment.  If you are a "no-reply commenter," I don't believe my e-mails are reaching you!  So from now on, I will reply to you after your comment.

Heads Up:  Our September book is The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs.  You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.