How Do We Carry on The Best of Grandma's Traditions, Improve on What We Know Better?

I don't know if I'll ever have the skill or the time to make my own Amish-inspired tree of life quilt that's been handed down from my great grandmother.  But I sure do appreciate the time she put into it.

A friend reminded me recently that quilting has become more about art and extravagant expense than about the frugal piecing of fabric scraps.

Maybe so.  But no matter your motive, you might find it encouraging that a skill like quilting continues in some form.

How do we carry on the best of Grandma's (or Great Grandma's) traditions, while improving on what we know better?

I love using a clothesline on sunny days like Grandma did.  But not everything about the way she did laundry works the same for our household.  I have my reasons.  Perhaps you do, too.  How do you discern what to carry on and what to improve on?

If you're in the St. Louis, Missouri area, I hope you'll join us for a gathering about this, next Monday, March 11.  I'll be visiting the state for a free talk at the Middendorf-Kredell Library in the O'Fallon community at 2 o'clock.  We'll have a craft corner for the kids, while parents can chat about what we want to keep from the "good old days" and what we know better as parents today.  I'll be sharing some personal reasons why I've been blogging with the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition and will have free resources to share with attendees.  St. Louis parents, how are you finding the right balance of yesterday's wisdom and today's new information?  Hope to see you Monday.