Make a Cake, Mama, I Need a New Dress

Some people grow up with all of their clothes made by patient hands, with necessity and/or love in the stitches. Having only had one handmade just for me top in my life - and I was an adult more or less (thank you, Robin!) - I was always a little jealous of of someone's slightly lumpily seamed shirt or skirt that Mom made. I was also well aware the recipients rarely shared my feelings. How often we want what we ain't got.

The illustrations and a lot of information came from the web site Daily Good. And it is. You can find more photos and stories there.

Here on Culebra, I have no doubt if I could delve into local stories more intelligently (as in, be fluent in Spanish), I'd hear about making do with what was at hand in those Navy occupation days. I don't know about flour sack clothing, but it would not surprise me at all. Just living here has shown me the fiber of Culebrense and it is as strong as steel cable when it comes to making things work.

Finding out what the flour companies did, once they knew that women were  thriftily clothing their families (along with other textile products from diapers to tea towels) from the sacks that once carried the means to make bread, feed animals and more was an eye-opener for me. 

Hey, I read The Grapes of Wrath, I'd heard about flour sack clothing before. But I didn't know that the companies specifically started adding patterns to the cloth for that very reason. Yes, it's great marketing but for such utilitarian products that were going to be bought anyway, it really didn't have to be done. Yet it was. 

Yesterday, in Paris, there was an historic accord reached by every participating nation concerning the need to actively address climate change (thank you, Suzanne, for including this link in your local weather email!). 

Culebra is set to take its part by eliminating plastic bags by the end of the year. Which is in about 5 minutes. I'm already seeing locals  carrying in their own bags, more questioning if a bag is needed. We and the world need training, no matter what stage of the game of caring for the Earth and our own backyard we happen to be in. That includes packaging. 

I've always thought it interesting that flour, sugar, rice and much more still come in paper and cloth, amidst all the awful hard plastic packaging. The irony of organic eggs and lettuces being contained in hard plastic can't be missed by many. So when companies actively worked to have the carriers from their products have built in practical recycling means, that's a lesson that bears more than a backward look over our flower covered shoulder.

There are many sites (here's one) dedicated to these fabrics; auctions and swapping  and discussions going on, all things I had no idea existed. That's a long list and luckily, I'll never get to the end of it. Sometimes it's good enough to share here, especially when history, the present and the future all tie in together in one...handy little flower patterned bag.

At least, that's what I think.

Bienvenidos home or in, either way.

An afternoon dinghy ride

I thought this was a sun dog, but instead, it's diamond dust.
I think. Or an iridescent cloud.
I'm so confused! (check out the second link for sure, it's amazing)
If you know the true name (Celestial Chuck, are you reading this?) let me know.
Please.

This is called a sunset. I'm pretty sure I am correct here. 

Yesterday was the start of the waxing crescent  moon- through rain here.
December 25th will be the full moon.
Enjoy Nature's lighting of the holiday(s) season.

Have a 'I forgot it was Sunday' Sunday. Do something simple.