If you don’t feel a big hug from these sweet little guys . . . . . well, I just don’t know. Me, I’m melting in the love!!!!!!
Saturday Selvage
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Tag Archives: hugs
My Favorite Possessions
I think about the things I would try to save if there were a fire in my house. Those objects that are precious, have memories attached to them and can’t be replaced. Those possessions that can give you a hug and a good feeling just by being there, being seen and being touched.
I have several of these irreplaceable items Some are out to be seen. Some are safely tucked away. And some are used daily.
My quilts are very important to me, but one is especially precious. It’s hanging on the wall in our guest bedroom. It’s so valuable to me because it is made from linens stitched by my grandmother and mother. There are tablecloths, towels, napkins, dresser scarves and doilies in the quilt. Then it is bordered in colorful handkerchiefs.
I can just feel those women around me when I am in the presence of that quilt. It’s like a great big hug. It speaks to me through its stitches and linens. I would definitely grab it first, if there was a fire or a flood.
My great-grandmother’s bedroom set is in our bedroom. Gramps and I have used it since we were married. My grandmother was born in that bed. It is made of cherry wood and is very ornate – very Victorian. It has a tall headboard and footboard.
I can’t even tell you how cuddled and comforted I feel in Gram’s big bed. I can just imagine the generations of women dusting those wooden boards and changing the linens and fluffing the pillows. It’s an honor to keep up the tradition of loving my bed. My dilemma? I’m not sure I could carry it out in a disaster.
Now my mother’s silver tea set is very portable in case of a calamity. It’s tucked away in a cupboard because we never use it anymore. That’s not to say I don’t get it out and pet it periodically. My mother had it sitting on the buffet, always polished and always shiny. It reminds me of her in many ways. She too was always polished and shiny.
I have some of my Daddy’s tools, which also are not very useful but are a treasure to me. He was a carpenter in the CB’s during WW II and was a general all-around fix-it kind of guy. To have those tools that were used and touched by him so many times is a gift for me. When I see them, I can almost hear him working and banging away on some project. Thinking of it now almost brings tears to my eyes.
Then there’s the diamond ring that Gramps gave me many years ago as a birthday present. I wear it all the time. It’s a daily reminder of his love and devotion to me. Coincidentally, the large diamond in the center is surrounded by six smaller diamonds, exactly the number of grandchildren we have.
The whole ring is a little remembrance of my entire family – all three generations. I don’t go anywhere without it.
So obviously, all these possessions could not be gotten out of the house very rapidly. But they could in a slow evacuation. And you know what? It doesn’t matter if I have any of these items really.
Because I carry all the people and memories in my heart, where they are safe from every disaster and can never be lost.
Sisters
I have no natural-born sisters. But sisters at heart – I have dozens!
A sister to me is a girlfriend whom I love, who loves me back, no matter what. If I hurt her or if she hurts me, we forgive each other and carry on.
A sister revels in your successes and cries with you when you are sad. She wants the best for you and will defend you to the death.
A sister believes the best of you and supports you in your efforts. No one enjoys your good times more than she does or laughs louder at your jokes. She also points out your mistakes and loves you through them.
A sister is a soulmate in many ways. She shares your secrets and confidences. She knows your likes and dislikes and can often predict what you will order at a restaurant.
I have such sisters in my Quilting Bee. We have known each other for years and yet never get tired of each others’ company. We often comment how we all feel the need to get together more often than we do because we miss each other when we are apart.
We give each other good advice and not just about quilting. About everything really – cooking, entertaining, grandparenting, decorating, car repair, computing, marriage, etc. I learn something every time we are together.
Our group is very eclectic and economically diverse, but you would never know it. You’d think we were all from the same family by the amount of love in the room.
In all the years I have been a part of this group, I have never heard a harsh word against anyone. There are no cliques or little gangs amongst us. And I believe the only curse word I ever heard was said by me in a frustrating sewing moment. (I know! I’m still sorry!)
This group is so special to me. I knew I had to be a part of them the moment I first met them. It’s a good thing they turned out to be quilters and not miners, because I would be deep in the mines right now.
These dear sisters share everything – no holding back. They will give anything that is needed – ideas, knowledge, tools, patterns, fabric, support, hugs. They will sit beside you, go with you, stand behind you, hold your hand and pat your back. I have seen them make meals, finish others’ quilts, clean a house, drive a friend, pick up a family member and babysit a dog.
And talk about huggers! These gals are the best huggers in the world! I can always count on getting my quota of hugs on Bee day. I always feel so warm and loved.
My quilting sisters set the bar high for kindness and goodness. They make me a better person by just being around them. How could I not be a better me when surrounded by my mentors of such high caliber? I hope to be just like each one of them when I grow up.
These sisters of mine are top-notch quilters, too. How lucky am I to have the best teachers to guide me? They challenge me gently to constantly improve my skills and to never accept less than my best from myself.
I dearly love my sisters and know they dearly love me. I count the days until we are together again. We will greet each other with hugs and smiles. We will laugh, talk, share stories, show our quilting projects, eat and continue on with more of the same. It never gets old.
We can’t get enough of each other. My sisters and me.
A Good Book
Reese Witherspoon has written a wonderful book “Whiskey In A Teacup” about life and recipes from the South – Nashville to be exact.
But it’s not just a cookbook. Although the recipes are truly fantastic. I mean, who can pass up great tips to making Southern favorites like sweet tea, lemonade, pecan pie and fried chicken.
And all the other wonderful tried and true recipes from her family and friends. You can’t beat those special meals handed down from generations ago. They are each a small treasure to be guarded, enjoyed and passed on to the next generation.
Added to the recipes are the touching stories of her childhood years in Nashville and the impact of her mother and grandmother They are priceless!
After such good training from such strong women, Reese can and does give us all appropriate advice on how to be beautiful and proper on the outside, and fierce and warrior-like on the inside. Hence the name of the book, “Whiskey In A Teacup”.
She shows how Southern friendship and community breeds women with good manners, hospitality and a sense of decor who will fight for the rights of others, see that everyone is fed and will never lose an argument.
Included is a list of Southern Expressions and a Southern Pronunciation Key so we can all understand each other. Although since I’m from Texas, I didn’t have any problem “talking’ Southern”. My favorite, of course, is “Well Bless Your Heart!” which, as Reese points out, has many meanings. The tone of the voice will tell you which version is meant.
A good portion of the book is devoted to how Southern women deal with entertaining especially during all the holidays. Of course, a Southern woman will tend to overdo everything, so Reese’s best advice is to try to simply as best you can. Good luck with that!
I really loved reading this book .It is charming. It is sweet. It is comforting. It is like a big hug from a friend. In fact, some people I know will be getting this book as a birthday or Christmas gift.
Shh – don’t tell them!
A Love Note To Gramps
My darling sweetie –
If only I could find the words to say how much I love and adore you.
If only you knew how much I admire and respect you.
If only all our tomorrows could be as happy and joyful as all our yesterdays.
If only all men were as fair and honest as you, my beloved.
If only I were deserving of all the attention and honor you show me.
If only all children were as blessed as ours to have a father as upstanding as you.
If only all women could be as comforted and supported as I am by you when I fall.
But we are not “if only” people, are we sweetie? No, we are believe, know and for sure people. We have known since the very beginning that our love was something special, something unique. I know I have.
Since I have known you, I have never doubted your love for me, your commitment to me and your belief in me.
Since I have known you, I have experienced a life I never dreamed of having. A life full of children, adventure, travel, faith, humor, friends and most of all love.
Since I have known you, I have never known loneliness,
Since I have known you, I have known tender touches, bear hugs, hand holding, your calm hand on the small of my back, an arm around my shoulder and you always at my side.
Since I have known you, I have had small intimate conversations, loud boisterous parties, laugh fests, serious talks, disagreements, long-distance phone calls, letters, tapes and messages. But always we stayed in contact.
Since I have known you, I have always had a roof over my head, food on my table and clothes on my back.
Since I have known you, I have always known joy, contentment, stability and a unique, abiding love.
For my whole life since I have known you, I thank you for choosing to love me.
Granny
It Happened On A Monday
It happened on a Monday. It could have just as easily happened on a Tuesday or a Thursday, but yes, it was a Monday.
It happened at 6:30 pm to be specific. Again it could have been anytime but I remember it well and it was definitely 6:30 pm on a Monday.
What am I talking about? Mac’s first band concert, of course.
It seems Mac has decided to play the tuba this year – 6th grade. (Can you believe it? Wasn’t he in kindergarten just last year?)
There were tryouts at the beginning of the year on many different instruments. Mac blew into the tuba mouthpiece and the director announced he was “a natural”. My interpretation– “We are short of tuba players and you look pretty good.”
Anyway, Mac now believes he was born to play tuba, which is a good thing. He is in the beginning band, a very good thing. And they had their first concert last Monday night . . . . . at 6:30 pm, a very, very good thing.
The evening started out with Gramps and me arriving at the school and coming in to the auditorium through the back door. All the kids were nicely seated in the audience section and no parents were anywhere to be seen. Suddenly Mac stood up and said to us, “You can’t be here!” What ever happened to “Hello Granny”?
We smiled and waved to him. “Hi, Mac.” Again, “You can’t be here!” He’s very big on rules and regulations lately.
“OK” we said. “We’re leaving. Where are we supposed to be?”
Mac. “Out in the hall! You can’t be here!”
I’m not sure to this day what we were not supposed to see but obligingly we went to the hallway and there were all the other families waiting patiently.
Finally we were allowed back into the auditorium and all the kids were by then on stage in their performance seats. Of course, we could not see Mac. He was one of the four tubas in the back row.
The concert was great with lots of Christmas music. All the instruments were featured throughout the evening including the four tubas in the back row.
The time passed too quickly and before we knew it we were hugging Mac back out in the hall. “Congratulations” and “Good Job” were heard from everyone. Mac was beaming.
How special for him to have both parents and both sets of grandparents hugging him and telling him how great he did. Even his great uncle, a musician, made an appearance and was very impressed.
Nothing feels better than family hugs. Nothing sounds better than family applause. Nothing feels better than family support. Even if it just happened to be a first time ever band concert on a Monday night at 6:30 pm.
Retreat Revisited
Ah quilt retreat! There is nothing like it. Four days of sewing, chatting, sharing, laughing, eating and maybe some sleeping. There is lots of humming of machines, questions like “Does this border go with this fabric?”, answers of “I prefer the blue!”, whirring of rotary cutters and even some quiet times of hand sewing. One person can be absorbed in reading directions, two people can be sharing a new technique, three people can be giving an opinion on placement of blocks for a quilt and any number of people an be taking a class on a brilliant idea or some new sewing notion.
A retreat is many things and can be anything to one person. Maybe it’s a chance to finish that project . . . . finally. Maybe it’s a chance to start a new project . . . . finally. And maybe it’s just time, time to sew and sew and sew on anything and everything you have. It’s the freedom to do whatever you want.
Ah quilt retreat! Looking forward to it is a joy. Experiencing it is true heaven. Even the memories of it are a blessing. Here are a few of mine.
This is just one block for a quilt done in appliqué. Can you imagine how spectacular that quilt will be?
This quilt looks like it was woven. And it is made out of flannel. What a coy hug it will give on cold nights.
A beautiful Christmas tree already for the holiday.
A beautiful quilt done in squares. Very modern looking.
Is this too cute? I love the baby penguin!
A wonderful red, white and blue star quilt. Love those stars!
This quilt is big, beautiful and not even done yet. There will be more poinsettias when completed. How perfect will that be?
A quilt of foxes is being worked on here. How adorable!
A little Christmas village just got finished here in this cute quilt.
Several of us took lessons on making stars the Inklingo way. Here are our results.
This spectacular one is made from a zillion little pieces of fabric applied to the background. Isn’t it wonderful?
I love the brightness of this quilt. Must be all those primary colors.
This is going to be a great quilt when it is done. Don’t you agree?
Another very interesting quilt. The blocks are going in all directions. Love the clocks!
This quilt is very soft looking. I bet it is very comforting too.
Here is a special quilt of several blocks of the Lady of Guadalupe. It was made for a special friend. Lucky lady!
This is not exactly a quilt but still a real cutie. It is a wool mat for a platter. It is all done by hand with much embellishment.
A complicated quilt that is very lovely to behold. Can’t wait till this one is done.
This one looks very hard but actually it is the fabric that is printed to look like 36 square blocks. Interesting, right?
This is all I can show you of the marvelous retreat I went to. The best parts are the intangibles. They are the relationships we all have and the history of many retreats and gatherings over the years. They are the hours spent in each others’ company through good times and bad. They are the words spoken between us over coffee, tea and wine, sharing meals, ideas and feelings.
All these things we carry in our hearts until the next time we meet. Be it tomorrow or next year. Nothing is lost or forgotten. Retreat is forever!
The Importance Of Saying I Love You
Every time I say goodbye to anyone I adore, I close with “love you”. Every time I end a phone conversation with a family member, they hear “love you” before I hang up. Every time one of my grandchildren walks out my front door, the last words they hear from me are “love you”.
I want all my dear ones to carry those words with them whenever they leave my presence. I want them wrapped in my love and good feelings until we meet again.
For some people, that’s hard to do. For some people, those words don’t just roll off the tongue or come up easy in conversation. For some people, saying “I love you” to their own children is a difficulty.
I think children cannot hear those words often enough. I think they need to hear those words from as many people as possible. I think those words need to be sincere.
Knowing you are loved provides stability and reliability in your life. It develops self-esteem, confidence and pride. Hearing the words of love reminds you of your place in the world, in the community, in the family.
Being told you are loved makes it easier to share your own love with others. You are more likely to love and express that love. It becomes a full circle of loving begets being loved begets loving, etc.
My family knows I am going to begin and end every conversation with love words. It’s a known fact. It’s expected. If it didn’t happen, they would worry about me. Something would be wrong.
It has now become a tradition, a habit. Something comfortable and familiar that passes between two people. If it didn’t happen – if the words were not spoken – they would be missed. There would be a hole. The relationship would be changed.
But we don’t forget. We speak the precious words to each other every chance we get. Every time. All the time. Love you. Love you too. And the relationships stay strong.
Why I Quilt
I love it. I have to do something everyday that gives me joy. Quilting (and sewing in general) does that for me. It brings a happiness that nothing else does. What a blessing to find that in my life and so early. I knew as a child I would sew the rest of my life.
It gives me peace. When I am quilting, I am completely at peace with myself and my surroundings. Time and trouble have almost no meaning when I am in the midst of fabric and a sewing machine. For me, quilting is better at curing the blues than professional therapy.
It makes me use my mind. Quilting involves a fair amount of math; using fractions, the metric system, division, geometry and angles. I must use my brain to keep measurements accurate. I also have to make squares, triangles, etc. match up. There are many skills I have to learn and new ways of doing things. There is always something new on the horizon. Quilting keeps me on my toes, alert and always aware. I think it helps keep me young.
It’s a way to be creative. Colors, shapes, sizes, contrast and harmony – all combine in a million different ways. How fun it is to explore the possibilities that quilting affords me. I can literally think of anything and try it out with fabric! It doesn’t get any better.
It keeps me organized. Keeping all the parts of a quilt in order can be a chore, but it does make me develop a system. The system allows the quilt to go together in the right sequence and it is different for each quilt. That way I’m able to stop and start without getting lost.
It allows me to be messy. When I’m quilting, it can look like a fabric bomb has gone off in my sewing room. And that’s okay! Allowing the fabric to speak and jump out can be a freeing experience. Try it – I think you will like it! And I don’t have to clean it up until I’m ready.
It gives me a sense of accomplishment. Making progress on a quilt is very invigorating. Every block done is a goal accomplished. And a finished quilt is a thrill beyond compare. All the thought, planning, work, ripping, re-sewing and love become a beautiful fabric hug.
It never ends. Even before one quilt is done, I’m looking forward to the next project. There is always a new energy and an eagerness to get to the next idea. Numerous thoughts concerning several quilts can be going on at the same time. Quilts follow quilts. They never end!
The community of other quilters. Sharing the love of quilting with other like-minded people just multiplies the joy. I have found quilters to be the most selfless, caring, inclusive, sharing folks on the planet. I can’t imagine quilting all alone. It is a gift that must be performed with others. I must share. I must be taught. I must teach. I must know the happiness of a group quilting together.
Photographs for the book “Teach Yourself Visually: Quilting” by Sonja Hakala.
(Photo by Geoff Hansen)
It is part of my legacy. I envision quilts I made being handed down to my family for generations. I have also made many quilts as gifts for family and friends. These quilts are part of me and show my love for those in my life. Like my laugh and my sense of humor, they will be remembered and talked about for many years to come.
The act of quilting itself sets a good example for the younger generations in my family. As the matriarch, I want to be seen as a productive and active elder. I believe quilting does that for me.
Witty Wednesday
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The Village Granny 