Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Aunt Alice's Quilt

Our high school library was on the third floor of the building with large windows that the sunlight would come through - I loved the place - I found a book of short stories there by Dorothy Canfield Fisher and there was one story, The Bed Quilt, that I never forgot. It is the story of triumph - an elderly unmarried family member, Aunt Mehetabel, and the quilt she creates. I love this story and it really began my love of quilts - and the stories they could tell if they could talk.

In Texas I was even in a quilt group - but only made squares - not a whole quilt - but when I would sit in the living room working on one there would be such a sense of peacefulness in doing the handstitching - my husband even commented about how he loved to watch me working on a square. I even went to the huge quilt show in Houston - and got a migraine afterwards from staring at everything!

We moved back to Long Island and once again I was near family. My Aunt Alice, who could sew so fantastically that she used Vogue patterns and I believe made a sports jacket for her husband - was talking about making a quilt - and I remember telling her that she would be the last person to need a lesson - all she had to do was start! She did start - and then one day she and Uncle Artie showed up at my home in Northport with a large shopping bag and gave it to me and I reached in and began to bring out the most beautiful hand stitched quilt. I was so overwhelmed I don't even remember what I said or did - it was so emotional for me. The patterns she used for the squares are Log Cabin, Schoolhouse and Hearts - perfect - and they are all in wonderful warm pastels with such great color combinations - I really didn't want to write about it without a photo - but I didn't want to wait. She made handstitched quilts (Queen size) for all her nieces and daughters-in-law. What a blessing. If you hold my quilt up to the window it looks like a stain glass window!

It is hard for me to write about The Quilt - because the tears come to my eyes when I think of the love that you feel when you pull the quilt around you and you just feel the love and care that went into its creation. During one particular rough time in our lives I gave the quilt to Kik so she could take it to where she was staying and it would be safe - I remember the look in her eyes as she carried it - she knew how precious it was. Whenever someone wasn't feeling well they would want the quilt. The quilt is truly imbued with a love that is so tangible all you have to do is wrap yourself up in it. The Louvre has the Mona Lisa - we have The Quilt - our treasure.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Not Waiting for the New Year

I have several things going on besides all the Christmas Worship Pages for the newspaper and writing up all the debutantes and cotillions - here are some new things that are happening:

1. I have booked my niece to be my personal trainer - she comes to my house twice a week and gets me to exercise - I am now up to 150 crunches!!! I don't believe it myself - and I have hope that I will not be in this same body for my birthday in March - and I will buy a new bathing suit for the new body this summer. She has given me the precious gift of hope.

2. I have hired someone to come and clean my town home once every two weeks (she is scheduled for next Tues. AND the 23rd - just before family arrives!!) I made this decision because I have just been getting bogged down with house work when I want to be working on major projects here - and I want to wake up on Saturday morning knowing I don't have to clean the bathrooms. When I came home my first Tuesday after she had been here - really questioning whether I should spend the money - and I opened up the door and saw my place - clean - shining - and smelling wonderful - I told myself that she was worth every single penny!!!


These are just some of the things that are happening in my life - this is a really busy time for me because I handle all the church advertisements for Christmas and we do this whole special section for all their ads - every Christmas and every Easter - and I haven't even started decorating or shopping for Christmas - hopefully this weekend!

Monday, December 1, 2008

New Laptop

I am actually sitting in my living room writing on my blog - not having to stay late after work to read blogs and write on my own!!! This is a real blessing - right up there with finding my townhome, my used car and now being able to use my laptop at home.

We did have a computer in my old home - it was a used one that they had a lottery for at work and I won!!! We had it set up in April's room - but then after my husband's death I had to move out of the house and into my Mom's home until I found my own place - and finally into my own place two years ago - I never set it up here - and now with a lot of things happening in my life I knew I really needed to make this next investment. Kik's husband helped me so much and actually got the laptop for me so I could buy it and gave me all the good advice about "hooking it up" - stuff that can slow me down if I have to figure it out for myself! Thank you Ken!

My third daughter, her husband and son and their yellow Lab came from DC this Thanksgiving and stayed with me - what a blessing it was to have them here with me! I got to take my grandson to the Children's Museum here in town and my son in law really helped me a lot with my laptop - setting it up - getting a wireless mouse - showing me how to do things - it was wonderful having my own IT person in house!!! My daughter worked in a bakery all through college and makes the best piecrusts (Martha's recipe) and pies - it was great having my own in house baker here!!!

It is really the small things that really matter - tucking my grandson into bed - reading him stories - singing lullabies to him that my grandmother and my mother sang - sitting in the living room next to my daughter - having a cup of coffee with her in the morning - watching my son in law hold his son - having my son in law pray with me over a very important decision that I need to make - it is all pure gold and I treasure the memories.

Our last night together we all gathered at my Mom's home and we had Parmesean Wings and Pizza - and if you wanted it there were brownies, ice cream and pie after the Pizza/Wing Fest!!! What a finish to the Thanksgiving weekend!!!