Quilts

Last month, I was attending our monthly homeschool art program at the Flint Institute of Arts with my daughters. The gallery lesson was focused on the exhibit of the Quilts of Gees Bend. I have always loved quilts! I love running my hand over the careful stitching...sometimes that stitching is artistic, sometimes it is just practical. I love to think about the fabrics used...do they have a history or were they carefully chosen and purchased for this project? After walking through the exhibit and looking through the related items at the museum's gift shop, I realized that I have the privilege of access to many beautiful quilts that are relevant to my life. All made by special ladies (real cathedral builders in my life)... from different branches of my family...some made in recent years and some made decades ago. All were made with love...what else could define the time it takes to plan and create such an item...an item that can warm on a chilly night...an item that can host a picnic...an item that can provide hours of play as a fort or roads for toy cars. I would love to share those with you now. And, I hope, to build on this little mini exhibit. Please enjoy!

I must start with the quilt of which I have my earliest memories. This wedding ring quilt was made by my aunt, Jewel Overman Calhoun, and given to my parents as a wedding present in 1965. I have wonderful memories as a child of using the pattern of the quilt as roads for toy cars. I am in awe of the time it took to cut out all of those little pieces and sew them together.

Next, I would love to share with you a quilt that I received as a wedding gift. I remember the night I received it...the night before my wedding, after returning home from our rehearsal and dinner. I walked into the house with my parents and my sister and the quilt was draped over a quilt rack standing in the living room. I learned that my Aunt Opal, my dad's sister, had made the quilt rack herself. That is wonderful enough...but the story of the quilt...My Grandma Overman, my dad's mom, was killed in a car accident in 1961...before my parents ever met. My knowledge of her is limited to only what has been shared over the years by my dad or his siblings as we gathered for cookouts. But, my aunt, Opal Overman Shands, took a quilt top made by my grandmother and completed it for me. I am emotional now as I recall the tears in my dad's eyes when he saw it that night. I love this quilt because my grandmother, Eva May Meek Overman, planned its design, chose the fabrics and stitched it with her hands so many years ago. I love this quilt because my Aunt Opal...the dynamo of the family...held it in her own hands and finished it with care...for me.

These next few quilts do not play such a prominent role in my own memory...but they are special because of the creators and the obvious care and love that has been expended keeping them.

This quilt was made by my mom's paternal grandmother, Tabitha Garland. We don't know the exact time of its creation, but we know it was made prior to 1963, the year she passed away.

The following two quilts were made by my mom's maternal grandmother, Martha Ann Fletcher Head. Again, we are unsure when they were made. My great grandma passed away in 1967. The first quilt featured is a crazy quilt and the second is a block quilt.

Thanks so much for humoring me as I shared these special quilts with you. I have a few others to share in the future...those given to me when my daughters were born and some that weren't immediately available for pictures. In the meantime, I encourage you to treasure any heirlooms you have in your possession from those that came before you. They are part of your story.

Keep warm...

Kid Art

My four-year-old loves to color with markers. It would not unusual for her to print and color various coloring pages from the web throughout the day. Today, I was sorting through a pile of her pictures that had accumulated on the counter. There amongst the pictures of Little Kitty, various Pokemon and Bratz, I found this picture.


I asked her to tell me about the picture. "It's the squares and circles from my pillow!"


Of course it is...can't believe I didn't see it.

Kid Art

The four-year-old created these two treasure last weekend with some markers and a spiral notebook. I just had to share! The first is titled "The Helicopter" and the second is a portrait of the artist with her two older sisters. She made sure that each of her sisters was wearing their favorite colors. Her wardrobe was inspired by the pajamas she was wearing at the time. Both were created on 2/6/10.

Lessons From This Week

I learned from the four-year-old, who was chatting with her two four-year-old friends in the backseat of the car, that she is the smartest person in our family. I think she is on to the fact that I have no idea what I am doing. Hopefully, she doesn't tell the other family members.

I learned that my alarm clock will let me snooze for only one hour. Then it gives up on me ever getting out of bed.

And when you are really looking forward to something (for example...seeing your sister, parents and grandmother), time reeeeeeaaaaaalllllly drags along.

If God Can Forgive...

My grandmother's health has been rapidly failing for the past 13 months and someone has been with her almost constantly for that entire time. I am so thankful for the various family members who have spent time with her and helped care for her. While I know that this has certainly been a physical, mental and emotional burden for many...they do it out of love and honor for her...for the deposits she has made in their lives in the past. While we are instructed to cleave to our spouses upon getting married, we are also called to honor our parents in Exodus 20:12...one of the Ten Commandments. And it has been a blessing to me to see my family members carry this out in their lives. It clearly depicts how important our relationships are.

This made me begin to ponder what would happen to a person, in a similar health situation, with terrible family relationships. Would their children re-arrange their lives to help...would their grandchildren stop by bringing along a smile and a special treat? This made my heart break for those that may spend their last days in bitterness...loneliness...as an inconvenience. When your health fails, will there be someone there to care for you, to help you? If one of your parents, grandparents or siblings suddenly needs special care...will you be there to help? Or will spats over what someone said at a picnic or didn't say at Christmas get in the way? Will the seeds of jealousy or anger or self-pity in your heart prevent you from showing love or having love shown to you? Are you feuding with a sibling? Have you considered what this is doing to the rest of the family? Is it worth it? Forgiveness is such a tough task for us sinners...we always want to be right. What if you are right? Does it feel good to be right and angry? Or would it feel better to forgive and let go of any bitterness...to not have an upset stomach every time your path crossed that of the offender? Despite His righteousness, Jesus took the punishment we deserved for our countless sins and God forgave us. Are you more righteous than Jesus? Are all the wrongs against you bigger and worse than those against God? If God can forgive...why can't you?

So, make your relationships right. Ask for forgiveness...a new start. Grant forgiveness...a new start. Your life will be richer for it.

Defining Prayer...

From "Morning Jam Sessions" by Betty Malz...

Prayer is not conquering God's reluctance. It is not worrying out loud. Prayer is praise for what He has already done, then laying hold of His willingness to do more.

GOOD GOLLY!!

My last post was December 18? Really?!! My apologies...I will try to get back on track here.