CHRISSY CRISIS MOTTO - SISU

OKAY.....We had to remind our Chrissy's of the motto that created them:  SISU -Finnish 'for strength in the face of adversity'      AND   'courage....be strong.'

 SSF's (Spritzer Sister Francie's) Chrissy decided to handle her stress like this.......

SSM's (Spritzer Sister Mary's) Chrissy is going bold.......she decided not to waste a good crisis!!!

Hang in there everyone!  It can't last forever!  If it does we'll all be fat and have enlarged livers!

Oh....please don't think I'm not taking this situation seriously......I am.....which is why I MUST add some humor.

TIME FOR MORE CHRISSY CRISIS & THE SPRITZER SISTERS!

Perhaps it's time for more Chrissy Crisis levity, along with a look at additional silliness generated by the Spritzer Sisters.

Chrissy Crisis is longing to bond with her friends and wants OUT!!!  But will still honor the stay at home order to avoid passing anything nasty to her Spritzer Sister (SSM) guardian.

 Spritzers are fond of journals......they've been know to be made from paper bath mats (yup the quality of motels we stayed in during our jaunts were not 5 star...heck they were barely 1 star.  We've been know to use restaurant paper place mats, & the back of advertising flyers.....you'd think we'd be more prepared with appropriate paper?!?

So...let's take a peek at one, shall we??  No further explanation is really necessary......(not that this thought process could be explained!)

 Gosh.....this was the best of times......  Now my journal tends to be this blog....which truly isn't as much fun since it too is done with social distancing....much better to be sharing journals in person!

CHRISSY CRISIS SOCIAL DISTANCING

SISU!!   Chrissy Crisis is doing her part!

MORE CHRISSY CRISIS DOLLS ADVENTURES

SISU - How are you all holding up?  Of course we are all anxious to get this behind us but remember: remain vigilant, it's so important.  So......I'm guessing another dose of Chrissy Crisis might help to brighten your day. 

If you don't know what I'm referring to.....scroll back to previous posts beginning March 28th. 

 At one of the Spritzer Sister's Annual Retreat, our executive committee met for the election of officers and other frivolous fun.  Chrissy & friends had their own fun in our vacation cabin when we were out for a walk.

Look!!  She's been captured by a gargoyle.....of course we rescued her when we returned.

 Her twin was living dangerously.....hanging from the railing of our spiral stair case.  Fortunately she got her feet wrapped up in the bovine party lights and didn't fall.....and of course we rescued her too.

The rest of the gang was being more productive by holding a group therapy session.....  

A fun time was had by all!

MORE SPRITZER SISTER FUN

In no particular order.....here's some of our correspondence & a visual.  It may be that these are the kinds of things that 'one would have to have been there' to appreciate, but I offer them in the hope that it will bring some levity to our now isolated days.

 Click on image to obtain a more readable view.....

Francie is the one with short hair, mine is long...... Top two photos are of our projects at the first Split Rock class we took, minus the instructor who left after the first day.  Bottom photo is how full my car was packed as we headed off on this first class together.

This is a fill in the blank letter we sent to a fellow student who sent the Spritzer Sisters South West style cow pins after we returned home.  Since you won't have a clue about who the others mentioned are.....I didn't redact their names.  Francie typed the letter and Mary filled in the blanks.  An amusing method for a two-person letter to be penned.

This was a 'safe' correspondence.....no names to redact....just another example of the lighthearted view the Spritzer Sisters have on life.  One we all need right now!!

Here's the original copy of our camp song.....I've tried to darken the type for easier reading....again, you should be able to click on the image to enlarge it.

This will probably be the final installment of the Spritzer Sisters......as too much redacting would be necessary on other documents.  The Spritzer Sisters often had strong opinions and our correspondence was never intended for public disclosure.    Be safe out there everyone....and SMILE.....SISU....

MORE SPRITZER SISTER LAUGHTER

I've received a lot of reaction to my Spritzer Sister post.....so I thought in these 

stressful times, you might enjoy a few more ditties about our adventures.

As I mentioned in my last post, the Spritzer Sisters wrote a series of articles for Ladies Circle Patchwork Quilts magazine.....here's one that appeared in June 1997.  You should be able to click on the image to enlarge it....all contact info on lower right is out of date.

Our guild motto was "Open Mouth Insert Foot".  SSF made one for each of us.

 Upon returning from another (AND LAST) week long quilt class at Split Rock, SSF sent me this card.  The only redeeming thing about all the classes we took was our time together and a couple of wonderful friends we met along the way.

 Inside was her small drawing of one (very typical) moment together.  We had forgotten that I drove my car to the hall where our class was held at the U of Minn. and after class, we simply walked back to our on-campus apartment. After heading to bed, suddenly I hear this screak from SSF......followed by much laughter as she asked if I knew where my car was.  We weren't allowed overnight parking in that lot so we had to get dressed and limp down the many steep hills to retrieve it.  We both complained of having shin splints due to the ever present steep hills we had to traverse on this campus.....

As I've gone through my (memory lane) Spritzer Sister folder, I've come across such amusing escapades......  There a many newsletters, special reports, board meeting minutes, our camp song...etc.  I may share more assuming I can figure out how to redact the identity of certain people that may not have appreciated our fun loving ways.  Therefore, the Spritzer Sisters didn't enjoy them!

CHRISSY CRISIS DOLLS

Francie Ginocchio and I are the founding members of a two person quilt guild called the Spritzer Sisters. (To honor our favorite adult beverage, white wine spritzers.)  I believe I posted snippets of our hilarity sometime in the past.  We enjoyed writing articles about our 'guild' for Ladies Circle Patchwork magazine back in the day.

 SSF (Spritzer Sister Francie) just sent me (SSM) this photo.... no words were necessary.  Wow...what a spirit lifter and memory reawakening this is.  So....here's the story:

SSF and I (SSM) attended a Split Rock week long quilt retreat many years ago in Duluth, MN.  The UWM campus was also hosting a gathering of Finnish folks.  Everywhere we went we heard these happy adorable people calling out  'SISU' as a greeting to each other.....naturally we were curious.  Soon we adopted this phrase.  Here's the definition:

To the Finnish people, sisu has a mystical, almost magical meaning. ... It is a Finnish term that can be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. Sisu is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain that courage.

At our next Spritzer Sisters "annual meeting" (at my Wisconsin weekend cabin) we held our annual two-person quilt show, voted and presented ribbons for two viewer choice awards, had show and tell, commenced our annual board meeting with election of officers, reviewed our bylaws, and enjoyed white wine spritzers.

SSF made & gifted me this Chrissy Crisis Doll.  She was inspired by the notion of SISU....  We both hold our dolls very dear and will keep them forever.  So....in these difficult times SSF & SSM want to say to you all.....SISU!!!