Call It What You Want...

Cording the stays is a rather repetitive process (I hope that sewing all those channels prepared you for this), so settle in with a good DVD or Netflix or audiobook or something that will keep your hands free. You already gathered your supplies, but just in case:


You're ready to continue?
Your back is already corded, as are your waist channels. It doesn't matter where you start.
For channels like your center channels along the busk, do it just as you did for the backs. However, because of the busk facing, it may be impossible to get all that length on the loop turner. The solution is to poke a hole with your awl through two of the four layers at about the midpoint. Cut your cording the full length (doubled, of course). Insert your loop turner through the hole at the midpoint and slide it through so the hook end comes out the bottom. Grasp the cording and pull it through to the midpoint, so the loop end of the cording now comes out the hole you made at the middle. Now remove the loop from your turner, and insert your turner at the TOP end of the channel. Slide it through the channel to that midpoint hole you made before (you might need to use your awl to open it again) and poke the hook end out that hole. Hook the loop end back over the hook again, making sure the hook closes on the cording, and pull it back into the channel and up to the top. Now you should have the whole channel corded. It doesn't matter if a little peeks out at that midpoint spot.

For the side cording, do as before on the waist: Poke a hole with the awl.


Insert loop turner in channel...



... until the end pokes out the other end. Hook the cording into the hook ...



... and pull it through, leaving a little tail at one end, and a little loop at the other.



For channels that don't have an "open" end, just use the awl to poke holes at both ends. The beauty of using an awl is that it doesn't actually tear the fabric, but just spreads the weave so that you can put the cording through. After you've finished, the holes "close up" and hold the cording in place. Unless your channels are absolutely gigantic, the cording is there to stay. Don't believe me? Give one of those loose ends a gentle tug. You have to pull pretty hard to pull them out.



(The top ends of these diagonals can be a challenge with the gore pieces in there. Just be aware of where they are. Sometimes I slide the loop turner into place and then make the hole to "pop" it out.)



Under bust channels, more of the same....

On the lower abdomen channels, you have two curved channels on each side. Just insert your loop turner and pretend it's straight. It works.



What are you watching or listening to while you cord this? I have corded at soccer and baseball practices, too, as well as in the car, but if you do it in a moving vehicle, please put the protective cap on the awl any time it's not being used, and put it back in your bag every time you finish poking a hole.

When all the cording is finished, your stays suddenly look amazing. The texture is really something to take in...



Congratulations! This is beautiful! Great job!

Next post: binding, shoulder straps, grommets and finishing.

This will be a short one... but gives you a sneak preview into cording the stays.

Before you attach the backs to the fronts, you need to insert the cording to the WAIST channels. To do so, assemble your cording supplies: cording (I use 16-ply cotton office twine!), the loop turner pictured in post #2, an awl, and your scissors.




First, lay your cording the length of the waist channel from the edge of the busk casing to the side. Double the cording so you have a loop at one end and two raw ends at the other when cut. Each channel will, in effect, have TWO strands of cording in it, with a loop at one end.



Using your awl, poke a hole in the LINING side of the front, just beyond the busk casing and the cording channel beside it. Make the hole you poke large enough to insert the end of your loop turner. If you can get that part in, you can pull the cording through.



Then, insert the loop turner into the channel.



Push it all the way through the channel until the entire curved end extends out the edge. Put the looped end of the cording through the curved end, and allow the little "hook" to flip up, clasping the cord inside.



Pull the loop turner and cording through the channel, gently tugging it free through the awl-hole you punched earlier.



Leave the loops -- they won't pull back out of the channels.
Cord all four waist channels -- two on each side of the busk. Now you're ready to attach the backs to the front.

To attach the backs to the front, I wander a bit afield from the original instructions. In this case, I'm not working toward an exact reproduction of the original but instead ease of construction.

Place the back piece and the front piece together, LINING ("wrong") SIDES TOGETHER. (Remember, the slits for the back boning are on the inside -- "wrong" -- side of the back pieces!) Fold back the front "outside" piece and pin it out of the way for later. You will be sewing THREE layers together. (If your cording channels come too close to the edges, just trim them back so you can fold that front piece out of the way.)



Sew this seam with a 1/2" seam allowance. Please try to keep that top layer out of the way!



Press this seam TOWARD the FRONT, then pin the top layer (which had been pinned out of the way) over the seam, folding the raw edge under, to create a finished edge. Topstitch as near to the edge as possible without going over. Repeat for the other back piece.

Now your fronts and backs are attached and you're ready to CORD this thing.

I like to cord the back panels first. All the cording in the back is the same length, so cutting it is easy. The challenge with the back pieces is often that the length of the panel is longer than your loop turner. Really pack it on tightly and you should be able to get the turner all the way through.



Pull the cording through each channel. Get something interesting on TV or Netflix because this is going to take a while and not a lot of brain power. (May I suggest Cranford? No, wait. Too many tears.)



Once the cording is in, the panel will look wrinkly. That's okay. Leave the ends loopy and loose -- you'll trim them when you're all done.

The next post will cord the front, apply binding, make the shoulder straps, and finish. It will be GREAT!

When we last left, we had assembled the front lining of the stays by inserting gores, then sewn the front to the front lining. Unfortunately, it seems only one post was visible to all of you, so please see post #2, in case you missed it. In this post, we will put together the back pieces and attach them to the front.

The back pieces are two large rectangles, cut on the fold. You have two facings that you cut along with those for the front busk channel; these are for the back stay channel (to strengthen the area so the boning doesn't rub through). Place the facing inside the unfolded back piece and baste it in, top and bottom.

Please note that in this example, a completed set of stays (above) shows the placement of the facing. We have unfolded the back piece (fold near the center of photo indicates the folded edge, which is where the grommets will go later). The facing may go all the way to the edge, giving the grommets more fabric to grip. The width shown is the absolute minimum needed.

Once the facings are basted, there's nothing else to add to the back pieces. It's now time to start sewing in the channels for the cording.

The first line is sewn a channel-width from the folded edge. I use the settings demonstrated in the previous post, with my sewing machine needle in the flush right position and the stitch width set at the maximum setting. I then line up my fabric with the edge lined up with the presser foot for a 3/16" channel.



Sew in two channels for the lacing edge of your stays. Then skip over about 1/2" for the grommet strip. This is where you'll place the grommets. (We'll talk about them in the "finishing" section.) Remember if you're leaving your needle in the flush-right position to line up the last stitching line a little further over than the 4/8" line on your plate.


(leaving the needle in flush-right seemed to work for me this time as my machine is in need of servicing.)

You now need three more channels for cording that go between your grommets and your boning. Continue as you were.
(By the way, these are all detailed in the original instructions.)

You are likely to be using 1/2" boning, so your channel will need to measure 5/8" to make sure you can slide the boning in successfully. Be very attentive to this width for the entire length of the back. You don't want to have to re-do it. (Though it's not the end of the world. Done it more than once.)



When you've finished this channel, test it with the boning you plan to use, just to be sure.

Now finish sewing three more sets of channels at the back. Repeat with the other back piece.



Your two back pieces will be mirror images. Oops, they're the same? That's okay. Flip one over. Problem solved.

Next, mark the slit for the boning. Remember, this is the SECOND wide channel away from the fold. Use a pencil or marking pen to mark across the channel, about an inch up from the bottom. This leaves room for trimming, binding, and so the boning doesn't regularly slip out.



The best way to cut this slit is with a seam ripper -- a sharp one. Insert it at one edge of the channel and slit across. I usually cut through the back and the facing (two layers). Make sure you don't cut through ALL the layers -- this is the INSIDE side of your back piece. P.S. When you're marking this slit, make sure you have a right back and a left back piece!



(Using scissors is hard to get started and hard to stop. The seam ripper really is your friend. Just punch it back through at the opposite edge of the slit and you won't overcut.)



Sew around the edge of this slit with a buttonhole stitch to finish it. Make sure that if you cut through the lining and the facing, that you sew them together into the buttonhole.



To insert the boning, put it in the hole, slide it up, and make sure the bottom end fits in as well.



I love the strength and flexibility of the spiral steel boning. I buy mine from corsetmaking.com and have been very happy with the service I have received.



Sometimes that last end is a little hard to wiggle into place. Make sure it fits in!



The boning will fit into the channel. Once the binding is on, it won't slip out the bottom, top, OR hole. (Now take the boning out and put it away until you're finished.)

Your back pieces are finished, and we'll attach the backs to the front.

In the previous post, we sewed the gores and facing onto the lining portion of the stays. Now we attach the front piece, which will be the "outside" of the stays.

Slash your hip and bust gore lines if you haven't already, and cut the armhole as marked. If you are not using pinking shears, staystitch along the edges before cutting.

Starting with your second busk facing, line it up with the one you've already stitched in place at the busk opening (which should have been at the bottom of the lining).

Lay your front piece on top of your lining piece, creating a "sandwich" with all the gores and facings inside. Once again, line up the center front of the front piece with the center of the busk facing. Consider (again) basting down the center line, or at least pin down the center line, burying the tips of the pins under the layers so as not to draw blood.

Stitch along the busk casing lines you drew in. This is on the lining side of your stay, and will be the only stitches you do "face down". This will hold your facings in place and keep your stays properly aligned to start. Then turn your stays over and stitch a second set of lines outside these lines to form the channels for the cording that will go on either side of your busk. I will detail how to set your sewing machine below, but you will want your second line to be about 3/16 inch from the first line. (1/8 is not enough; 1/4 is too much. If you're not sure if it's large enough, pull your loop turner through the channel. If it is too tight, take out the stitches and try again. If the loop turner wiggles freely, it's too loose.)

Starting again with the hip gores, fold under the raw edges of the slashes, aligning the pressed edge as near to the lining stitching as possible. The sewing lines where you sewed the gores to the lining may occasionally show, which is not a big deal, as there should be enough seam allowance to prevent raw edges from peeking out. Press these edges and pin them.



Top stitch along the edges as before, being sure not to "fall off" onto the gore. As you may be able to see at the right edge of the above photo, the gores are "sandwiched' between the layers.

Again, you may pin these one at a time, or pin two, three or four at once.



This is one of the ways I generally hurt myself. It's easy to catch a finger or hand on one of those pins, especially when pivoting around a point.

Repeat this process with the bust gores.

NOTE: At this point, you may notice that the points of your gores are not as perfectly sealed as you would like. You might have had a little bit that was pressed under come out in the sewing, or there might be some loose strings. Don't worry about it. The next step will enclose those tricky spots, which were troublesome on the originals as well.



Simply zigzag around the points of each gore. If they aren't a little ragged now, they likely will become ragged after a few wearings, so just do it now and get it over with. (On originals, you'll see a sort of buttonhole stitch around the point to protect the edge.)
Do this just on the front. All this stitching will hold your lining pieces in place anyway, and your points, no matter how exact you are, aren't likely to line up perfectly, so you would have some funny shapes showing through on the front.

When you have all these edges done, you've completed the front piece of your stays. (The back pieces will come soon.)

Now to begin the lines for the cording. The thought of cording can be scary, but it's really quite simple, once you've figured out how to set your machine. You will sew lines for the cording, and then later draw the cording through these channels using a loop turner.

The pattern instructions direct you how to mark your lines. I only mark the first line of a series, and then let my sewing machine help me space them properly. Draw the lines on the front of your stays -- you want the best alignment to be the part you can see when you put them on.



To sew the lines, sew directly on the first (marked) line. I begin at the waist, and sew from one edge to the other, backstitching and lifting my needle over the busk area and the lines for the cording that goes along the busk casing.

To sew the next line, I use my sewing machine settings to help me.


I have set my needle so it is aligned to the right. Then I set the WIDTH so it is at its widest point (closest to the right-side of the space in the presser foot). This has been a trial-and-error process for me to determine where to set things but this is the one that works!

Next, I align my needle and presser foot so that the previous stitching line is at the RIGHT edge of my presser foot, in fact, just under the edge of my presser foot. I'll make this photo very large so you can see it.



Test your channels again to make sure they are the size you like. The loop turner should pull through without too much trouble, but with some resistance.

Loop turner. This is worth buying, and you're not likely to have it forever because you will wear it out on your stays.



This is the sort of loop turner you want. You can buy it at JoAnn stores (or probably any other fabric store). It has a round "handle" at one end (for pulling), and the other end has a hook and a latch. They will work together to hold your cording when you pull it through the channels.

Sew in all the lines as directed in the instructions. The cording here provides the proper support for the stays and aids in the smoothing that makes these so very nice to wear. This takes a while but is worth the effort to keep the lines as straight and even as possible.

Coming soon: making the back of the stays, sewing the backs to the fronts, shoulder straps, binding and grommets. That sounds like a lot but is really just sailing home.

The season has begun, and I am sewing like a madwoman. We have some 8-10 women in Prairietown alone who need stays (the 1836 version of a corset) and I'm the gal to do it.
I have been at this for a few years now, and I've developed a few shortcuts and techniques to make stay-making less fussy and as easy as possible. These tips are for the Past Patterns Corded Stay by Saundra Ros Altman, which is a wonderful set of stays to wear in 1836 Prairietown. Some of the original instructions are a little tricky to understand or are perfect for the exact reproduction, but there are quite a few shortcuts that can make it easier, if not an exact replica of the original.
Begin with the pattern. If you work at Conner Prairie, get it from Historic Clothing. Past Patterns provides us with the necessary patterns for our clothing construction. Determine the size by measuring yourself or having someone measure you. The key measurements are the bust (fullest part), waist, hip, and back length. Another measurement I take is from the mid-shoulder blade to the front edge of the armpit. This will help you make your shoulder strap the correct length. Do NOT fudge these measurements!! -- though it is definitely okay to pull them snug. People with more "padding" have a "squish factor" that needs to be taken into account.

Cut out your pattern pieces according to size. If you have a very full bust, you can adjust the pattern by cutting your bust gore pieces longer and cutting the slashes for the gores a bit deeper. This gives more room for the bust so it's not all perched on top. In addition, cut four strips: two approx. 3 to 3-1/2 inches wide and two 1-1/2 to 2 inches wide, the length of the body. These are facings for the actual boning channels, and are not in the pattern.


The narrow facings go in the back piece, about a half-inch in from the folded edge.
In this photo, we have opened out one back piece (the creased fold is the center back) and placed it atop a finished set of stays to see where the facing goes. Baste it in place. Do the same with the other back piece. 

It is tempting to start in, cutting and shaping, but there are a few steps you should take to ensure success later in this project.
First, if you have them, use pinking shears to cut out all the pieces of your stays. You'll end up covered in little teeny tiny pieces of unraveled fabric, but the coutil we use for the stays unravels very easily.
If you do not use pinking shears, your next step is to zig-zag stitch around all your edges with your sewing machine. This takes time but is well worth the effort in your pieces staying whole as you work with them.
I generally double-up the gores (almost always the bust gores; sometimes the hip gores). If you're zigzagging the edges, go ahead and put together the two gores that will go together -- this will save you time later.


Also, transfer all marks from the pattern onto your fabric pieces. Seam allowances don't really need drawn on (if you can remember them) but put on the cutting lines for the bust and hip gores, the arm hole, the center busk, and the busk hole.
I use the special disappearing fabric marker for all my markings. This washes out with plain water when you're finished and doesn't get on other things -- tables, clothing, etc. -- though the edges of some of my straight-edges are suspiciously blue.
It is perfectly okay to make the markings on one half of each front piece and then cut through both layers, but be sure to mark the front and the lining separately (because cutting through all four layers is hard).
You will begin working on the lining piece. Set aside the actual front for later.

Go ahead and cut the slashes for the bust and hip gores and the arm hole. If you're using pinking shears, you can just cut them. If you're using straight scissors, the pattern instructions have you stay-stitch along each slash before cutting it; this is a really good idea. Once again, the unraveling will cause heartache.


As you can see, I have cut the slashes for both the hips and bust at the same time. If you are hesitant, by all means, just do one set at a time.
I recommend starting with the hip gores.
This is where the provided directions become a bit confusing, but I offer a shortcut that will make you much happier.
(Is your iron on full heat and full steam? If not, go turn it on and make sure it's full. This will help a lot.)
Lay your lining piece on your ironing board. (My photos have me ironing left-handed, so you may need to face your piece the opposite direction. Or not. I'm very confused.) Open the first slash slightly.

Begin to gently turn the cut edges under approximately a quarter inch (no measuring necessary, just make sure the edges are turned completely under for the entire length of the slash). Press this edge under, so you have a folded edge on top.
Repeat for the other side of the slash so both edges are folded under and pressed. The steam from your iron will help a lot -- coutil is very stout and needs some persuasion.
Your finished pressed gore slash will have no cut edges showing as they are now pressed under.

Do this with all four of your hip slashes.
To put the hip gore into place, put the triangular hip gore piece under the slash. Pin one edge onto the gore -- if you've marked the seam allowances, you can put the folded edge right on those seam allowances. If not, place the first pressed edge about half an inch from the edge of the gore, and then "open out" the slash into a triangular shape approximating the shape of the gore.


Pin through the lining piece and gore, with the gore placed under the lining. If the person who is wearing the stays has wider hips, make the triangle larger, with more of the gore exposed. If she is narrower in the hips, you can "close" the gap a little.
Pin through all layers except the ironing board cover.


The finished pinned gore looks like this.
Wait. Folding under the edge? I'm not sure I can do that. I'm not that precise.
That's okay. Just flip it over and press the edges where you can see them.


This is what the back side looks like before you put the gores on. See the lack of unraveling? Pinking shears, folks.


This is the back, with the gores pinned in. (Still pin it in from the front.)
And here it is, ready for sewing.


You will sew on this, the "right" side of the fabric (which, incidentally, will end up being the "inside" of the stays -- the side closest to your body. The gores will end up sandwiched between the front and the lining).



Begin at one edge of the gore. With your needle centered for this stitch (you can set it to one side, if you wish), you will want to sew as near to the pressed edge without going over the edge of the gore. Sew up one side of the gore to the point, then, with the needle lowered and presser foot lifted, pivot the fabric so you can sew back down the other side of the triangle. This topstitching would not be the period-appropriate way to sew stays (no sewing machines, remember), but makes quick work of sewing in the gores.



When you have all four hip gores in place, it's time to repeat the process with the bust gores. Once again, if the wearer has a more ample bust, you will want to open out the gores a little wider; one with a smaller bust will want narrower openings.



With the bust gores, you can hold open the slash for ironing.



Press all four bust gore slashes open.



Place two bust gores together (if you zigzagged them, they already are) and treat them as one when pinning them into the opening.



It is okay if this doesn't lay completely flat, but you do want all your edges to be smooth and without puckers.

You can pin all your gores at once before stitching them in, or do two at a time, or even one at a time. The fewer pins in place in your working project, the fewer opportunities to gash yourself on them as you sew. Or so I hear.

Once the gores are sewn in, you are going to mark your center front and align one of the wider facing strips at the center front. Pin it so its center is aligned with the lining piece center, on the "wrong" side of the lining piece (the side which will be "inside" the sandwich). You may choose to baste down the center through both layers -- I usually use a needle and thread and hand-baste very long stitches, usually with colored thread so I don't forget it's there.

Mark on the front of the lining, the lines that will go on either side of the busk. This may be done by centering the busk vertically on that center basting stitch, then making lines on either side of the busk piece, remembering not to make them too close to the edge, or you'll have trouble sliding the wood into the casing when it's finished. (1/8 inch ease should be enough.)

Then, using the pattern placement or 1 1/2 inches as your guide, draw in the busk opening. This can be cut open and then hand-sewn (buttonhole stitch), but I use my machine zigzag stitch. I set it to the buttonhole stitch settings (about 4 on width and .75 on length) and align the needle with the edge of my line, not yet cut.


(The second set of lines were too wide for the busk. I later wiped them off.)
Zigzag along this line, pivoting at the end (just over the edge of the busk line) to turn, the back toward the starting point.
When you have completed this very large buttonhole, you can slit along the line, being careful not to cut through any stitches. I use my seam-ripper to make the neatest slice.

With this, you have finished the lining piece of your stays. The next post will see the front piece attached.

About a year ago I got sucked into the wonder that is Pinterest. Browsing the boards, there are so many amazing ideas, and so there I go pinning things that I will never do...

Until now.

Yesterday I finally caved in and made the decadent snack I'd seen on so many people's boards: Cake batter waffles.

The concept is simple: one boxed cake mix, prepared as instructed on the box, cooked in turn on the waffle iron. The boys were eager to help (momentarily):



They then disappeared, and I failed to photograph the blobs of cake batter seeping out of the waffle iron from pouring too much on. Or the beautiful cake-waffles that came out of said waffle iron as they lined up on my wire cooking rack.
I did, however, manage to photograph boys with their cake waffle and ice cream tacos.



They were really, really good.




The boys thought so too.

So. Next time you have a boxed cake mix, a waffle iron, and a little time on your hands, make Cake Batter Waffles. Yum!

Note: They are soft. Very soft. And they get puffy and try to escape from the waffle iron in waffle blobs. But they are ooooh sooooo gooooood.

The whole thing started in May. Well, sooner, but for that I'd have to scroll back and see when I first posted a photo of one of my kids to my blog.
But in mid-May 2012, l started getting a bunch of really weird emails from my web server from my blog -- referral to a particular post from another website. I figured it was spam. I moved the 600 referral notices to my spam folder. More came. It was weird.
No. I did not go to the website. I had no idea what it was. Probably a spammer trying to get to me. I have had weird referrals and stuff to my blog from companies selling, er, enhancement drugs and whatnot. I just file those away in the spam folder.

A few days later, I received this email:
"Hi Jenny,

I'm not sure anyone has contacted you with this information.  There's been a scam artist using your little boy's pictures and claiming he's her own child.  

http://warriorelihoax.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/i-found-the-real-eli/ 

I'm really sorry to tell you this.  I'm the one who has been writing the site and I forgot to let you know about it.

If you have any questions or anything or want more information, please let me know.

Taryn Wright"

Weird, to be sure. That address was the link that had been on all the referrals. And there is was. And it was weird. An adorable (and slightly pitiful) photo from my blog, of Adam somewhere between bouts of tears, only being portrayed as a child with cancer. Yikes! Weird! And this lady has busted the crazy person who was behind it.

Moving on, I dismissed this as a weird but strange incident. What else do you do? I like having a blog and I guess that is the risk, though I DO NOT APPROVE SO DON'T GO USING MY PHOTOS FOR YOUR PURPOSES, THANKS. But my mom reads my blog, and I sort of figured she was about the only one. And besides, I was powerless to do anything about it.

In September, I got another strange email -- this one from my brother. Now my brother's emails are often strange (we come from a strange family, after all), but this one was something I knew about.

"Hey, Jenny,

I got this e-mail today - I don't know if it's legit or scam. If you want to follow up, that's your call.

Brian

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Druckerman, Shana
Date: Tue, Sep 25, 2012 at 5:30 PM
Subject: ABC News, 20/20 - question?
To: "brian's email address" <>


Hello Pastor Brian,

Please excuse a kind of random email, but I'm trying to reach out to a family member (I believe) named Jenny Sherrill.  She writes a blog called "Call It What You Want."

I couldn't find proper contact information on her website, and so I thought I'd try to see if I could reach her through you.

I am working on a story for ABC News about an alleged internet hoax and I believe one, if not more, of her personal photos was used by someone else under false pretenses.  Perhaps she's already aware of this whole thing, as I believe a number of people have been contacted in one way or another.

As part of my research, I wanted to reach out to every parent I could find whose photos were used and I was hoping Jenny might be willing to have a quick chat by phone.  If you're comfortable passing this along, I would really appreciate the help.

I am best reached at this email address or on my cell phone ---------.  I will also be reachable at my office tomorrow and Thursday at -----------.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Best,
Shana"

Interesting. So I sat on it for a little bit, then emailed this lady back saying I wasn't sure what I could do to help, that Taryn seemed to have covered it all. I posted on Facebook, asking my friends, "What would YOU do if a 20/20 producer contacted you?"
I wasn't really sure what my input would do to advance the story, or if putting us out there would bring out the creepers...
Then the other brother made the comment that people really are victimized by these sort of creeps on the internet, those who claim to be something that they are not. (He also comment that Brian was the correct brother for her to have contacted, and that if she'd contacted HIM, he'd have knitted a really delightful story of his own that would have put the hoaxer to shame for being so mundane and non-dramatic. But that's beside the point.)
I decided to give this producer a call. We chatted a bit. I described a couple of the photos Taryn had used on her website, photos of this poor "child with cancer", "Warrior Eli", that were actually Adam.
"I have those photos on my desk right now," she said. "That is so weird. I am looking at photos of your son here in New York."

The perpetrator of the hoax, a woman in Ohio, had sent photos of Adam in a "care package" to someone who was following "Eli's" cancer battle, along with "Warrior Eli" bracelets and pictures "Eli" had colored.



Those two photos -- the baby with the giraffe? the boy with the hat? -- Both Adam. (Also not a 4-year-old, as portrayed, but when he was between 9 and 18 months.)

I agreed to send this producer some current photos of Adam -- and his family -- to show that he is actually a normal and healthy child and to help the viewers connect the fact that these aren't just "stock photos" borrowed from some business but real, actual people whose likenesses have been used to elicit something false from others. In the case of the perpetrator of this hoax, she apparently just enjoyed weaving a complex and dramatic story -- one that spanned 10 years or more and had much tragedy and sorrow. (Had she not chosen to "kill off" the "mother" of this family, she might not have been uncovered, but a dramatic Mother's Day vehicular crash that left the "mother" dead and a baby born by emergency surgery had set off the hoax alarms in the mind of Taryn, the Chicago woman who uncovered the hoax.) But why not let people send money to help this poor family? Why not accept gifts from others? She had taken advantage of the kindness of others -- she had preyed on the sensitivity of followers of this tragic story and made them feel like fools.

The segment was slated to air in October. Then it was bumped for more "current" topics. I set my computer to record 20/20. The show got bumped again. I stopped hearing from Shana, the producer.

This morning, I got up to three messages in my Facebook inbox.
From Emily: "Were you just on 20/20? I swear there was a picture of you and the boy on 20/20."
From Linda: "Natalie just saw your 20/20 show. It was on tonight. She was freaking out."
From Natalie (Linda's neighbor): "I just saw your picture on a 20/20 special about fb scams! I took a picture of the picture . Isn't this you?" and the photo at the top of this blog.

When I checked my emails from yesterday, there was a note from Shana, but I'd missed it because Tim was using the computer to work on Mark's Pinewood Derby car (making stickers -- NASCAR cars need stickers).

Fortunately, I have been recording 20/20 all along, so we have the segment (which was short, and near the end of the show) to watch and save for later.
It's also available online at http://abcnews.go.com/2020.



And now you know how I missed my photo on national TV. (Oh, and I used a not-so-great photo of myself because 1) I am not vain and 2) It was from the same day as the photo of little Adam with the giraffe.)

Today I made the most perfect roast chicken ever, and I would like to share it with the world. Oh, it was heavenly. Mark said it was the best chicken I ever cooked. Adam is still sitting at the table refusing to eat it, but I don't really care. It was that good.

I started with Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken from the Food Network's website and then made a few changes for my liking.

1 -- 6 1/2 pound organic, farm-raised, Conner Prairie chicken
Kosher salt
Pepper
Thyme (I have ground thyme; the recipe wanted fresh, but you use what you've got)
1 lemon, cut in half
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 onion, cut in wedges
4 carrots, cut in 2-inch chunks
2 potatoes, cut in 2- to 3-inch chunks
2 stalks celery, each chopped in half
Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, both halves of lemon, and the celery. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Toss the onions, carrots, and potatoes with salt, pepper, thyme, and olive oil, then spread around the bottom of a roasting pan (I used a Pampered Chef rectangular stoneware baker). Place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

I made an extremely rich gravy by draining the drippings into a saucepan and whisking in about 2 Tbsp. flour into it over medium heat, whisking until thickened.

This was delicious. Wish I could eat more but it might kill me.

Delicious.

A Brass Choir accompanied our church choir this Easter morning (the 8:45 service was the place to be for this musical joy), and I enjoyed each song the trumpet, tuba, French horn and trombone added to our music. Of course.
On the way home, we discussed which instrument the boys would like to play when they get older. In working to steer Mark away from, "I don't want to play any instrument" or "I want to play the traffic cone" we wandered into the territory of large, low brass.
Baritone
Tuba
Euphonium
and, at last...
SOUSAPHONE.


"I like the sousaphone best," Mark said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because it's named..."
My mind jumped ahead in dread as I would have to explain the difference between SOUSA and SEUSS-A.
"... after a famous composer, John Philip Sousa," he said proudly.

And with that, I kneel in honor at the feet of Mrs. Saddler, Mark's music teacher.

"We're going to have to work on a little packing," I told the boys. "I'll go check the weather report and then we'll start packing."
Adam ran upstairs while Mark followed behind me and read over my shoulder.
A few minutes later, Adam came running downstairs, lugging his little suitcase.
"Look at this, mom!" he said.
"What do you have?" I asked.
"My suitcase! I packed!"

I thought I'd better go see what the little dude had packed, just in case he'd overlooked something he might need.





Inventory packed:
2 pairs underwear
4 pairs socks -- three black and one red
1 pair shorts
1 pair long pants (sweats)
3 short-sleeve shirts
2 long-sleeve shirts
1 pair short pants/sleeves pajamas
1 pair long pants/sleeves pajamas
1 random short-sleeve pajama shirt
1 random long-sleeve pajama shirt
1 random pair of long pajama pants
1 random pair of short pajama pants

Not bad, but a little tweaking needs to be done before we're entirely ready to go. But it was a commendable effort.