Patchwork 9.11.2012

This morning I woke up and enjoyed watching the sunlight
stream through the window over the quilt on my bed.
I believe my mom or her mom, my Nana Bradstreet,
stitched the quilt  together over 75 years ago.

Last night I read in the Anne Bartlett novel, Knitting, "At one point they discussed knitting, the making of Sandra's shawl, and Sandra's work teaching textile history and theory.  Sandra offered a few pieces from her current research, about the resurgence of home crafts in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and the trend toward complex stitches as a new generation learned to knit." What an interesting observation...a resurgence of creativity from terror and ashes to knitting, crocheting, weaving, embroidering, stitching, creatively drawing together fibers and fabrics that have the potential to warm, decorate, protect, and celebrate our precious patchwork of loving life.

So far I have written ten  commenters names on slips of paper and tucked them into this mug.  Each commenter who wants has a chance to be chosen on September 30, 2012 for me to send my mug full of thanks cushioned by some other things to them as I celebrate a year of blogging and my 100th post while I gratefully enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  xxx from Gracie

Celebration

Celebration....  When does it begin?

31  years ago I made this needlepoint star while our youngest son was hospitalized for four weeks in Colorado.

Such an uncertain time to pursue creativity, but healing for me as I waited for our son to be healed.

About 12 years ago my oldest sister stitched this felt star for me  She birthed four delightful, adorable children, three of whom were thriving in their thirties when she made the star, but her youngest son was ill for over five years and had died nearly ten years before she created the star. 

When I was a child I was certain that a freshly chopped tree was an important part of celebrating Christmas, but about 20 years ago I helped purchase my first artificial tree.  The tree pictured above was set up each weekend afer Thanksgiving in my living room for the last two years since my husband died, but this year some of my children set it up in our family room and hung some socks on the window ledge instead of the fireplace mantle.

This year I decided I did not want a tree in the living room, but while I was at the dollar store I bought the little green wire tree perched on this window ledge behind the olive wood nativity scene my parents purchased for my husband and me 40 years ago.  [Various herald angels are floating on the window above the nativity scene celebrating Christ's birth, I'm certain!]

But my daughters thought I might miss having a bigger tree in the living room so they surprised me by finding just the right spot for this one, decorated with many handmade ornaments including a little flock of sheep, to spur on our sense of celebration.

My 2 and 4 year old grand girls.

Celebration....  When does it begin?  Looking back over the last 60 years, it seems to me now that celebration has not been so focused on particular days of the year like Christmas, or in special symbols or ceremonies, but rather in those moments throughout all my days when I have been loved and have loved, creatively, reflecting the One I am simply as a child growing to know as Creator, Savior and Lord in His kingdom ruled by Love.

When does celebration begin for you?