Grandmother Wren

1. Always the first stop – DLTK’s May Day crafts

2. Easy Spring Flowers from coffee filters

3. A Tabletop Maypole

4. Inchworm Party Treat Box (use it as a May Basket!)

5. A Pop-Up Flower Garden Card

6. A Flower Crown

7. Spring No Snow Globe

8. Another one with coffee filters – Daffodils this time, and really nice!

9. Baby Bluebirds in a Nest (because they’re cute, that’s why)

10. Origami Tulips

11. April Showers (bring May flowers ) printable dot-to-dot sheet

12. Printable Spring Flowers sorting game

13. Celebrate with Dora the Explorer – print and make mobile for your child’s room, free at Nick Jr.

Visit Other Thursday Thirteeners – Click Here

Be sure to stop by Grandmother’s Patternbook for 13 knit and crochet potholder links

U.S public health officials are keeping a close watch on recent cases of swine flu that have been transmitted human-to-human. Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza among pigs. Occasionally humans are infected with swine flu viruses and, in some instances, they can spread the virus person-to-person. The resources on this page can help you find out more about swine flu, influenza and animal-related diseases.

APHA resources on influenza, animal disease

The facts on swine flu
What is swine flu? How can I prevent it? What are the symptoms? Get the facts from APHA.

Influenza chapter from CCDM
Read the chapter on influenza from the 19th edition of APHA’s Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, with information on identification, mode of transmission and more. CCDM flu chapter (PDF)

Helpful Q&As from APHA
Animal diseases: How much of a concern are they to our health?: Q&A with Lonnie King, DVM, with APHA’s Get Ready campaign. Learn about diseases that pass from animals to humans, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Preventing pandemic flu and infectious diseases in children: Q&A with Jonathan Kotch, MD, MPH, FAAP, with APHA’s Get Ready campaign. APHA member Jonathan Kotch offers advice on keeping kids safe from flu and other diseases, from child care settings to college campuses

CDC resources on swine flu

• CDC swine flu page

• Swine flu MMWR report, April 21

• Swine flu guidance for health care workers, public health personnel

• Key facts about swine flu

• CDC Briefing on Public Health Investigation of Human Cases of Swine Influenza (April 23 transcript)

Influenza fact sheets from APHA’s Get Ready campaign

• So what is a flu pandemic, anyway? English (PDF) Spanish (PDF)

• Fact sheet on preparing for flu

• Emerging infectious diseases fact sheet (PDF)

• Pandemic flu fact sheet

• Pandemic flu preparedness and response (PDF)

Get Ready blog entries on pandemics, infectious disease

The latest on swine flu

Community measures key in the event of a flu pandemic, experts say

Preparing at home for pandemic flu: New guide shows the way

For pandemic flu prevention, the best advice may be “rub-a-dub-dub.”

What if your child’s school closed because of pandemic flu?

School closures during a pandemic: Distancing makes a difference

Quarantine: Scary scenario, or practical approach?

Pandemic flu: Why should you care?

Cold or flu? Learn which is bugging you

Next wave of infectious diseases likely to emerge from animals, developing countries

Anniversary of 1918 pandemic flu offers lessons

Pandemic flu vaccinations: No time for ‘cutsies’ in line

Promising Practices to help you prepare for pandemic flu:

To mask or not to mask? That is the question

Help your workplace prepare for a flu pandemic

To kiss or not to kiss? Kissing and spread of disease

Report: Pandemic flu outbreak could spark major U.S. recession

Harvard survey finds one in four Americans say they may lose job or business in flu pandemic

Antivirals vs. vaccines: Which one is the right answer in the fight against a flu pandemic?

APHA influenza information for public health professionalsInfluenza, or the flu, is a contagious illness caused by influenza viruses that affects breathing functions. The condition’s symptoms include high fever, headaches, dry cough, sore throat and extreme fatigue. Flu viruses usually spread from person to person, and at times individuals become infected by touching their mouths or noses after touching something infected with flu viruses, such as doorknobs and sinks. All flu viruses originate as viruses in birds and may transmit to other species, including humans.

Flu complications may include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure and diabetes. The flu can cause mild to severe illness and sometimes death.

The resources on this Web site are designed for health professionals, who play an important role on preventing, treating and monitoring influenza. For easy-to-read fact sheets, materials and kids games that are aimed at the public, visit APHA Get Ready Web site.

Of all the ways there are to make May baskets, probably none will be daintier than the lace May basket made by merely folding a 5 inch paper lace doily. Perhaps you have some paper doilies left over from your valentine making?

It is wise to line this basket in some way. One way is to cut a circle of colored paper which you fold in along with the lace doily. But a still better way is to fold in a circle of cellophane – either clear or colored. (maybe you have some cellophane left from your Easter basket!) It need not be pasted, for the handle will hold it in place.

Still another excellent lining is silver foil such as is wrapped around some kinds of tea, or the beautifully colored foils that florists put around flower pots.

Either foil or cellophane will protect the doily from moisture as well as make the little basket stronger. You can even put a wad of moistened cotton around the flower stems without spoiling the lace.

All that’s left is to past on a strip of paper as a handle. Ribbons, bright bits of cord and pipe cleaners also make good hangers. Even a scrap of plain wire can be wrapped with tissue paper to make quite as fine a hanger as any. An especially nice way of dressing up a wire hanger is to twist small fowers all along its length.

Little spring flowers will surely look their very prettiest in such a May basket as this one of lace.

(Holiday Handcrafts from 1938)

Today in Grandmother’s Patternbook – in the kitchen – Crochet Cottage Curtains

Today in Thrifty Creativity – bringing in the May – Tissue Paper Flowers

Today in Grandmother’s Dollhouse -  Vintage Ladies – two lovely crochet ensembles for your 7 – 8 inch dolls

Outside my window… is a beautiful summer day. It’s too early for summer, but there it is, nonetheless.

I am thinking… of how much I intend to enjoy being outdoors this spring and summer.

I am thankful for… the results of this morning’s repeat mammogram and ultrasound. After being an absurdly frequent visitor at the woman’s center, I’ve been released until my next annual exam in October. ( I’d kind of like to inquire why the next “annual” visit wouldn’t be around, oh, say, next April? Since October is six month’s away, wouldn’t that make it semi-annual? But let’s just leave very well enough alone. )

From the learning rooms…another excursion to find polliwogs. We found lots of frogs – but no wogs. We’re also learning to match the ability to count by reciting numbers in sequence to the ability to correctly group and count objects. This is proving to be more of a leap in learning than I thought it would be.

From the kitchen… lots of fruit and vegetables – I stopped at the produce market on my way home this morning.

I am wearing… my usual woman’s center attire – cotton drawstring pants, a thick blue tank top sans bra and an oversized white shirt.

I am creating… still working on our knit patchwork blankets and dreaming of our new home

I am going… to being sorting, gifting, tossing, packing for 20 minutes each day – a good leg up for when the official moving date arrives.

I am reading… The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble

I am hoping… that we will be all moved and settled in by October.

I am hearing… the whooshing of the dishwasher and Grampy running water for his shower. I should not be hearing these two sounds at the same time. I didn’t do it on purpose – honestly, I didn’t.

Around the house… I seem to be developing the idea that if we are going to leave here (eventually), then I don’t have to vaccum? Excuse me…. I need to correct my thinking…

One of my favorite things… sliced baby carrrots to munch on while I type.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Grampy’s birthday is on Sunday – lots of fun preparations ahead.

Here is picture thought I am sharing… (click it – it’s a really cool project for a good cause!)

 Click Here to read the Daybooks of other Simple Women

My house is a mess, my blog is neglected, but the weather outside is finally welcoming and the library has outdone itself this week in its offerings to our children.

The reptile and amphibian program on Tuesday was followed by a storyteller on Wednesday. Maya was delighted by the puppy puppet that refused to remain in its bag.

When the storytelling was done, the Child Safe folks issued identification cards to the kids. I always shudder at the idea that this is even a necessary concept - Maya enjoyed it and seemed to be preening for a mug shot, not a rescue.

Today was a day for Maya and Grampy – this time a ventriloquist/magician and lunch at Papa Gino’s. Grammy was just all wore out.

This week is a series of tough acts to follow! But next week the weather promises to be summery – we’ll be going to the local pond in pursuit of polliwogs. That should do.

Don’t forget to visit Grandmother’s Patternbook and Thrifty Creativity to see the rest of this week’s projects. I’ve been managing to keep up with my posting there!