Sketches from airport and nursing home visits

click on photo to enlarge for details if you dare

Lest you think me not having been "creative" on this trip...I did pull out a sketch pad at the airport on our way here and yesterday at the nursing home...Oh and I'm reading a book I got about making self portraits in quilts with paper and fabric and the middle sketch is from me looking at myself in the mirror...What a frightening experience that was! LOL I also knit two scarves while here. Today we say good bye to Erika, SIL and nephew and fly home arriving just before the NEW YEAR begins. I am looking forward to getting back to my sewing machine, home, Henry V, and life in SUNNY CALIFORNIA. I do believe the low 40's and 50's will now feel balmy to me!! And I can hardly wait!!!! Happy New Year to each and every one of you. May it be a happy, healthy new year!

click on photo to enlarge

(DH)Brother, sister and nephew all shoveled snow today so we could get the car

out of the garage.

We fly out NEW YEARS EVE in the evening.

Wishing you all a very happy new year!

Be happy, be well, be prosperous, hug each other!

And of course be CREATIVE!!!!

Erika's World is Hung In Her Room

Our sixth day in Minnesota! Still very very very cold. But they say "warmer" as it was out of the teens and in the low 20's. DH and I took a hike across the street through the snow covered golf course for half an hour. It was very beautiful, and I enjoyed the trees and the sound of the crunching snow under foot, but I walked faster and faster as I got closer back to the house and it's inviting warmth. I am not a snow bird by any stretch of the imagination. It took almost as much time to un-thaw my frozen fingers and toes. In the evening we visited Erika in her "home" and I took her the art quilt to hang there. It was of course, as if she were seeing it for the first time. As I am sure it will be now when she wakes each day and finds it there on the wall in her room. This is in no way the "best" work I have ever done, not the most beautiful or well done, however, the joy that it brings to Erika each time she sees it, explores it, is worth more than a million dollars to me. She knows I made it for her, and she exclaims how beautiful it is to her, how her whole family is in it, and all the things she loves...music, birds, squirrels, nature, etc. I feel like I have given her the crown jewels. I cannot express how much this warms my heart. I have received no better gift in my lifetime than her adoration for this simple piece of cloth. It was a very sweet visit, just the three of us. DH and Erika shared memories of family history. We wrote down birthdays in a notebook for her to help her remember. We reassured her we'd be back tomorrow, two more tomorrows before we have to return to California. Her eyes sparkled knowing she'd see us again soon. We felt less heavy when we left this time.

Last Night Of Chanukah & Erika Visits Us

click on photo to enlarge

Yesterday was a stay at home day for me. I didn't step foot outdoors. All that ice and snow...this California gal just wanted to hibernate. I watched a marathon of HOUSE on TV while knitting and adding fringe to scarves. I've finished two since being here. In the evening DH and D-nephew went to get Erika. She seemed fairly comfortable being here. She drank coffee and ate cake, watched The Sound of Music on TV, ate a nice dinner with us. We lit the final eight candles for the last night of Chanukah and goofed around. Karen put hot rollers in Erika's hair. She loved the attention. Her very thin straight hair did not curl so Karen turned it into a cute top knot. Erika liked how she looked in the mirror. She needed more bobby pins though until it was perfect. When it was time to take her back to her "home" once again they had to "trick her" by telling her they were going to go for a ride to see more Christmas lights. She was excited to go then. Much like a little kid getting a special treat. When they got to the "home" Allen told Erika he wanted some M & Ms and she said she had some in her room...and that is how they got her to go there!!! More tricks for a reluctant woman whose memory prevents her total feelings of ease especially while in transition. When the guys got back Allen and I played our favorite card game. Once more we stayed up till very late playing, laughing, talking. We talked politics and I learned about his studies at college, his senior year in the drama department...his hopes of directing...perhaps teaching drama one day... I've been playing cards with my nephew since he was a little boy...it's the glue of our relationship. The game is Spite and Malice! Such a thing to teach a child! I know, but it's great fun and we laugh ourselves silly. It feels good. Three more days until we fly home.

Erika's World and Erika's "friends"

click on photo to enlarge and see Erika and Erika's friends (and family)

Okay, I have decided I just do not want to get VERY VERY OLD. Unless, of course I can retain my full faculties, and then that's fine, I do. But without them it is just too too sad.

Today was day 3 in Erika's World and I did my best to stay upbeat and present, in the NOW, for as long as I could maintain that I was able to focus on Erika in her NOW and add I think to her happiness. She played the piano today for about 40 minutes!!! It's amazing how her brain has remembered MUSIC and how to read it and play with two hands! Others living there enjoyed hearing it too. She repeatedly told me the years of Hayden's birth and death and the year the piece she was playing was composed. If it's ever on a test...

I wish oh I wish I could draw people the way Andrea captures them in her "metro heads" with pen, ink, and water colors. But since I cannot I want to share in words what I saw today.

I will make up names and lives as I saw them, as I do not know their true names anyway.

But there is Lissy who is about 5' tall, just a tad humped over, not much, doesn't speak, but mumbles quietly, and has inquisitive, expressive eyes. She walks the halls in her stocking feet, for the entire time we were there (hours!!!!)...sometimes she followed us and once followed us into Erika's room when we were returning from one of our walks. I had to gently turn her around and guide her back into the hall, like a little ball caught up in the wrong corner of its maze. And start her on her rounds again.

There was Walter in his wheel chair hooked up to an oxygen tank...sleeping...then dreaming out loud...a nurse/attendant comes by and spoons ice cream into his open mouth, he wakes and swallows this, takes another bite...attendant leaves and Walter now awake looks around curiously, then dozes off again having enjoyed perhaps that bit of sweetness. A tall woman, Pat, with white hair up in a high pony tail in black ribbon, clutching a shawl in the crook of one arm and a book too, walks next to her friend, Frieda, a bit shorter, grey curly hair only slightly unkempt, both walking the hallway together...I can almost makeout their brown and white saddle shoes...I see them in high school talking about boyfriends...going from class to class...wondering how they suddenly got so old... A cluster of three women and one man sitting at a square table. The woman angrily pounds three fat colored marking pens down on the table that an attendant has given her, makes some marks on the paper...pounds the pen down again still looking angry. The man is surveying the room, he one of very few males present amongst all those women. He gets up and walks to his room across the hall passing the piano we are sitting around. Later he comes out having put a white with black stripes, short sleeved shirt on over his long sleeved black shirt and is now I assume ready for dinner. He has dressed up for his lady friends. An attendant comes around passing out bibs for the dinner parties at the many tables. One woman is seen putting her bib on top of her head. She doesn't want to be seen. One woman is digging in her purse, holding it up for her table mate to see that it is quite empty! Janice is walking down the hall in her stocking feet asking if we have seen her shoes. She has lost them. Terry is walking down the hall wearing shoes that are obviously too big for her. We wonder if they belong to Janice. Erika continues to play piano, telling me she learned when she was four years old. She knows the history of all the composers. She knows in what part of Europe they lived and tells me about borders of Switzerland, Italy and Germany. I am getting an education. It's now time for Erika to eat dinner herself. We wheel her to her table. She sits with three others. She asks where we are going. She wants to come with us. She is not comfortable hearing we will be back tomorrow. She becomes very distressed, says she won't know how to find her room. We reassure her that Debbie, the attendant will help her. Debbie assures Erika she will. Erika relaxes some and we depart. Getting old is not for sissies. I finally know what that means.

Day 2 in Erika's World

click on photo to enlarge

This is sad...even though we had lots of smiles, some laughter, some very sweet time together, at the end of the day, at the end of our visit a dark cloud of something that felt close to depression came over us. By us I mean DH and me. As we walked out of the nursing home we both felt it...weight...heaviness...sadness...and for me, fear. We came to visit Erika this morning and I felt up, buoyant, happy. She was very happy to see us and kept repeating how wonderful it was to have her family from California with her. And her grandson too, visiting from college he for 8 more days, we for 5 more days. We walked Erika around the "home"...we were happily greeted by all the staff. "Everyone knows me, I don't know anyone here." she said. We stopped to look at the birds in the aviary. I took photos to print out later. She loved seeing them in the camera. She remembered: "I used to take a lot of photos like you do now." We went back to her room and sat a spell. She'd exclaim about how happy she was to have her family with her from California. And her grandson from college. She and the guys ate Christmas cookies from Germany. We looked at photos together from our recent (six months ago) visit with her there. She wanted to "walk some more". My nephew pushed her in the wheel chair. We went the rounds again. This time we went clear to the front door and outside for a brief few minutes for some "fresh air" but it was cold, so back in quickly. We passed more people who called out to Erika in greeting. They are all so sweet with her. A beautiful Black man from Kenya with a melodic voice hugged her, asked her to tell him his name. She didn't remember. We all shook hands. My nephew stopped at a piano and sat down to play it. Erika said: "I can play with music, not from memory." Allen played loudly. Erika smiled. I am sure other's in the large room enjoyed it too. I hoped so. Other elderly people, more women than men, looked at us with sad eyes, expectant eyes, blank eyes, some smiled if I said hi. Some returned my wave. Others sat slumped over in chairs asleep. I feared they might fall out. Some seemed very very lost. I stopped us at a table where women were using foam cut outs of letters and putting them on door knob cutouts. It was craft time. I wanted to do crafts. I tried to engage Erika. She did not want to. But said I could. So she helped me spell all the names of family members and I stuck them on the paper hanger. In the end she'd spelled out and helped find letters for Lynn, Karen, Fred, Erika and Allen. She said it was beautiful. I added some stick on flowers. We took it back to her room and hung it on her door knob. Some touch of brightness, color. Later she wanted to walk again so we took another turn around the place. Erika got ice cream. She ate a few bites. DH finished it for her. It was getting late, I was very hungry...having missed lunch and it was nearing dinner time. We said we'd need to leave soon. A look of fear came into Erika's eyes. "I'll go with you!" she said. "No, Karen is coming from work to visit you soon, you will wait here." "I don't know how to find my room!" "We'll take you to your room. You'll be okay." "Are you coming back?" "Yes, we'll be back tomorrow." "Not tonight?" "No in the morning." "You aren't going back to California?" "No, we will come back for five more days." Big smile. "Oh good." "Oh good." We walked back to Erika's room. Got our coats and bag. Allen waited there with her as we left alone. He'd come afterwards, he'd get her settled first so we wouldn't all be leaving her at once. I was glad. I didn't want to see her frightened again. I felt frightened. For all the others there, lost souls, who somehow made it through the day without anyone visiting them. Who made it through the day wandering, or sitting coloring pictures, or playing bingo with huge round chips on BIG numbers; or slumped in chairs alone; or playing 'hang man' for "cognitive help"; or doing crafts or sitting at the craft table saying they did not want to do it." I felt ever so sad for this sort of end of life. It was not golden. There was nothing golden about it. The ice cream did not look all that good. The staff was nice and friendly, but lots of folks stood, walked, sat, wandered alone talking to themselves or not, and no one paid attention to them. I do not want to wind up in such a place, but I know it sure could and very well might happen. I find this very daunting, scary, even somewhat terrifying. Tomorrow we will go see Erika again.

Erika's World

click on photo to enlarge

We had a super day yesterday, Christmas in Minnesota. Erika LOVED her art quilt. You can see her identifying people in it in the upper left corner of the collage. She knew everyone there, loved all the birds and animals and when she got done looking at it she turned to me and said: "You put my whole world in there." (I had not told her what I had named the quilt. It was just obvious!) It did bring tears to my eyes to have it so warmly received. Karen of course saw it the day before and she loved it too. ;-) Erika also told me the "German ribbon" on the bottom of the quilt is Barvarian and she told me about the different costumes there!

Erika also enjoyed receiving the crocheted shawl I gave her. She wore it, as you can see in the next photo down on left. She said it was warm and she liked the sparkly threads on the outside trim a lot. It's interesting to me to note that the shirt she was wearing had belonged to my mother. It was among my mom's clothing that I sent Erika 15 years ago after my mom died. She obviously takes very good care of her clothes! You can see my DH looking at the family tree (mom's German family) in middle right side of collage. As you can see we had a lot of fun...enjoyed a good turkey dinner together, played music, enjoyed the Christmas tree, and later in the evening DH lit candles in my SIL's Lenox menorah for Chanukah. Oh, and my SIL, nephew and I sat around and knit and crocheted throughout the evening. Nephew was a quick study and is half way to finishing a scarf for himself. I hope you all enjoyed your day as well.

Merry Christmas Morning in Minnesota

We arrived safely last night...flew in from CA via Arizona to Minnesota! Left 50 degree weather that was starting to feel cold to me, and arrived in deep snow at zero degrees. Glad I practiced bundling up before we left! ;-)

Please click on photo to enlarge...the clouds are awesome and so is the snow!!!!

Later we'll go get DH's ma and bring her here and I'll give her the art quilt: "Erika's World"...SIL already saw it and LOVES IT!!!! It's absolutely beautiful here with all the white stuff everywhere. Trees are flocked. It looks like a real live Christmas card! Even a Jewish/Chanukah gal like me can enjoy it!!! SIL had a new wooden driedel and Chanukah chocolates in gold foil on my bed pillow for me. So sweet of her. Merry Christmas to all of you who are enjoying it today. And Enjoy your day what ever you are doing!!!!

Which Candle Lasted the Longest: Second Night and Terry Busse Cards

For Andrea who wanted to know: *********************************************************************************** Last year around this time I went to the Davis Art Center and ogled at some awesome art for sale. I purchased 2 Chanukah/Holiday cards by an artist there. A number of months ago I discovered art quilts by Terry Busse on her blog and went to another art show in Davis to see her work in person. I blogged it then and told you how awesome it is. A week ago I happened to look at the cards I bought last year, and never sent BTW. The artist's name now sounded familiar, and after half a second I was able to put 2 + 2 together and came up with the realization that I KNEW THIS ARTIST!!! I had met her at her art show one year after her selling me her beautiful cards! They are by none other than Terry Busse herself! Sweet story no? This year I sent the cards to others so they can appreciate them too. We fly to Minnesota tomorrow for the week. I'll blog from snow land from there! bye!!!

Peace

Recently Vivian Bonder of http://www.desertbloom.typepad.com/ asked people who came to her beautiful blog to write something about PEACE. She had a gift for the piece she chose. She chose mine:

And this is the beautiful book she sent me...full of wonderful quotes about peace by famous people.

For instance: by Elie Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize, 1986

"Peace is not just God's gifts to His creatures.

Peace is our gift to each other."

and by Mother Teresa:

Peace begins with a smile.

Or Hermann Hesse:

"Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself."

Thank you Vivian. I am honored to be chosen and to be given such a lovely gift.

Remember also the hand dyed silk ribbons I purchased from Vivian's ETSY Store? I knit them into this piece. I may add some embellishments and make it into a wall hanging. The colors of the ribbons are so bold and beautiful. You really ought to check out her blog.

Oh, We Had Such FUN!!!!!

Click on collage to enlarge and see details if you like.

Our fourth Chanukah in our home with these grand children! They sat with me and told the story of the greedy king and the quilt maker, and proceeded to make cards for all their family members and wrap gifts which they later handed out. I do believe they "got" the lesson of the joy of giving! They loved making paper drediels (spinning tops); playing drediel spinning with the grown ups; counting all of grandma's menorah collection; listening to the song "Drediel, Drediel" on the Lenox music box (thanks Patty); setting the table with the Chanukah paper cloth and napkins (thanks Patty), lighting candles in the menorahs (3) including one they brought from home; and opening their gifts. Grandson LOVED getting the remote control car, Brum, of Grandpas to finally take home and KEEP! And Grand daughter surprised me with first accepting Curious George, the long time companion to her Mono Monkey, also to KEEP, by telling me later in the evening: "Grandma, I don't want to take George home, I want to leave him here and have Mono visit him." Okay...I guess our previous game was more fun that actually "owning him" herself! ;-) All in all it was a most perfect day and evening. I feel full filled beyond my wildest dreams. So many blessings. Again, I am wishing all of you the best most full filling holidays and new year in what ever way you choose to celebrate or pass this time as this wonderful year comes to an end and the new year begins. May we all have good health, and happiness. And may we somehow survive this recession time and come out smelling like roses!

More Chanukah Preparations

I set out my small collection of Chanukah Menorahs (candle holders), music box that plays the dreidel song, glass dreidels and booklet about Chanukah on my design table which I think is well below kids eye level this year! The large Menorah was my mom's, the low one in front of that was my Grand Parents and was bought in Israel; some I got from friends, and one in a thrift store believe it or not! One I bought on a car trip one year so DH and I could light the lights in our motel rooms! This box full of dreidels I got at a garage sale! The new art supplies are out and ready... I'm going to have the kids make cards with these print outs and

wrap gifts and then give cards and gifts to their parents, great uncle, and us

before receiving gifts themselves.

I made the stack of scarves and hat below this past week

some are knit some crocheted (I could make one in two nights)

for them to wrap and hand out.

This follows up on a story book we read a week ago together about the

Quilt maker and the Greedy King. I'm going to remind them about the king

who wasn't truly happy until he had given to others (instead of just taking).

I think they will "get it"...

;-)

Grandma with a plan.

They'll be here this afternoon.

I'm very excited, can you tell?

And while I am in this festive mood

let me wish each and every one of YOU

a happy holiday season

whatever you celebrate

and a

happy and peace filled new year too!

And for those who do not choose to celebrate

just know I am wishing you well

all year long!

Getting Ready For Chanukah!

Last years candles burning brightly

for the Festival of Lights

Chanukah!

I've been cleaning house the last few days getting ready for our family gathering this Saturday for Chanukah! My sewing machine table is cleared off so we can eat at it. Sewing machine is hiding down there on the floor. I feel lost without it being out. I should have taken a "before" photo of my design table, as it was piled so high with fabrics and stuff you could not see those photos on the mantel behind it. Now it's a neat clean area begging me to come and start a new project. And not quite the eyesore in our family room it was before. I had to hide bags and bags of fabric into two big plastic garbage bags and put them in the garage for now. Tons of embellishments and sewing tools went into a cupboard. I miss my mess! Out came the dreidels for spinning and games; out came the Chaunukah projects to do with the kids (I found on line)...out came the party plates and napkins my best friend, Patty gave me last year! And out came the books about Chanukah...and Curious George! More about him in another post.

And dusted off the doll house left up from Grand kids last visit...

Grandma Lynnie is ready...is it Saturday yet???

The Birds and The Bees at age Four!!! And Brum!

I'd thought I'd share some cute things my grandchildren said this past Saturday when we visited last. My four year old grand daughter was talking about "the olden days". I asked her what her Olden Days were. She said, "You know, when I was just an egg in my mommies' tummy. I said something about being an egg and she said: "Yes, I came out of my mommy's tummy and my mom came out of YOUR tummy!" I agreed that this was true, but to set the record straight I said that the place in the tummy is called the womb. She asked if she had a womb too? And I said yes, all girls and women had wombs. "Not boys?" "No, boys have penis', not wombs." "well she said, I know that the seed meets the egg and makes a baby in the womb, but what I don't know yet is how the seed gets into the egg." ...............................Pause....................... Well, I said, I think that is a very interesting question and it's the part of a story that a mommy really wants to tell their children themselves. So be sure to ask your mommy tomorrow when you wake up! She said she would. And we went on to read some books. My grandson just listened to this but didn't have any in put. At dinner that night we were talking about Brum, a remote control car my husband happens to own, and one my grandson delights in playing with when he visits our house. He and DH were discussing Brum...DH said something about it needing new batteries and he assured our grandson that he'd have them installed before grandson got there this coming Saturday. Grandson said "Good...but what about....pause...pause...my KEEPING IT?" Oh dear, then DH had to hem and haw so he just said...we'll see, maybe some day... Little does Grandson know that Grandpa plans on boxing up Brum and presenting it to him on Saturday for a special surprise Chanukah gift! He will be so delighted. There is never a dull moment when we are with our grand kids. They give us a run for our money and we love every minute of the challenge!

Time to Say Goodbye to E & E

Lynn, Fred and Henry V are having a hard time saying goodbye to Ermentrude and Esmeralda. They had such a wonderful fun filled visit. Lynn was overcome with emotion when E & E unloaded a huge bag of wool for her winter knitting of scarves and hats! But finally it was inevitable, time to say goodbyes, as they marched toward the airport. E & E boarded the plane on their way now to Oregon where they will visit Cris, Artist in Oregon, Con, Cats, and Annie! Go to Cris' blog next to see the warm welcome they will surely encounter there. Bye, bye E & E, we will miss you!!!!

Welcome E and E to California

Well, some of you have been following the adventurous trek of Ermentrude and Esmeralda, Mike the artist in Devon's two sheep. They first visited CestAndrea in Paris, and then flew to California. They had to spend time in quarantine (while Lynn figured out that Mike was waiting for her to draw them arriving here). She did and now they are here and DH and I are busy showing them the sights around the big city, San Francisco! Afterwards they will come home with us and spend some time with Henry V in our back yard. There is plenty of green grass there for them to graze in. Henry will take them around the neighborhood to see all the mysterious places he takes off to when we are at work or sleeping. I've no doubt they will have a good time. They said they have tickets next to fly to Oregon and visit Cris, the artist there and her dog, Annie. I wonder what she has planned for them? Mike, thanks so much for sending them to us. We are all having so much fun! And they said to tell you "Bleat, bleat"...they miss you and Carole and Tiggy. ;-)

Henry V Awaits Arrival of E & E: Postcard to Mike

Click on photo to enlarge and read! MIKE: (et all)...

Date Day in SF, Babysitting JOY, and Mail from Australia!

Saturday I had a date with my husband! The stress of report card time as teacher is finally behind him (for now) and we were able to get away to San Francisco our favorite day trip from home. Of course we visited the Hyde Street Pier, and historic ships! We found that orange kitty living there. We walked around the area in the cold brisk air well bundled up against it. Then went over to the Bay Books store where I got three beautiful books for the grand kids who we'd see later. Two stories about fiddle playing, as my G.son is enamoured with music; and one about an old quilt maker and a greedy king that was an award winner and absolutely beautifully illustrated. From there we went to Crissy Fields and walked the dock. If I look fat it's only because I have a down vest and thick scarf under my jacket!!! ;-) We stopped at the warming hut for lunch. I had the best tasting vegetarian chili I have ever had! Hot too. I hope you enjoy these snippets of the city. Later in the afternoon we went to my daughters' home and were greeted ever so warmly by our twin grand kids. They are oh so sweet and fun to be with. Here we are hanging out in their "art studio". G.D.'s art just becomes more and more detailed. G.S. cuts out her pictures and turns the scraps into a horn! He thinks he's very funny and he is! My Curious George doll visits her Mono Monkey doll. She doesn't know it yet but George will be a Chanukah gift next week!!! And wait till you see what he is getting. Both will receive favorite toys from Grandma and Grandpa's house they have enjoyed all year. But this time to take home and KEEP!!!

On Friday I got mail from Australia. Two separate packages. One from Vivian, which was a purchase of beautiful silk ribbons hand dyed from her ETSY store. I'm excited to see how they knit and crochet up. Thank you Vivian!!!!

The second package from Judy of Red Velvet blog also from Australia is a prize for being her 100,000th blog visitor, can you imagine? Judy does the most awesome altered books/mixed media art that is unbelievable in its scope and creativity. Some of her work on Holocaust victims family histories should be museum pieces.

Judy's package held a bag of many, many small metal pieces I can use as embellishments in my own art creations. I am very excited to play with them and figure out where they will go.

Thank you Judy!!!!

Tam and Scarf Completed and SALE Made!

I have a 19 yr old grandson who wears his hair in long thick dreadlocks so I wanted to make him a tam that would contain all that hair. I found just the pattern at: http://purplesagedesignz.blogspot.com/2007/11/free-hippie-tam-pattern-and how-custom.h...

You can purchase a tam at this artists ETSY store here: purplesagedesignz.etsy.com I had fun taking photos of myself in various poses to show off the hat (and matching scarf which I finished last night) and then DH took a few too. Today I'll box up this gift and the journal and scarf for his younger sister. I think I'll also send her a piece of her great grandmother Ella's costume rhinestone jewelry too. I think she'd like that. ;-) Happy Chanukah for my big grand kids.

*************************

I went to the art gallery today to enter my Where Stars Are Born quiltlet in her black shadow box and while there I learned I had sold a scarf!

This one! Made with fun fur and ribbon yarn. And I know the artist who bought it. He does AWESOME paintings and mixed media art too that sells for hundreds and thousands of dollars!!! Judie said he bought several things it seemed for gifts. I feel so complimented that he chose something of mine. This was my favorite too!

Erika's World Sent Off To Erika's World

I often find beauty in the back of my quilts and this time is no exception. It is just fun to see the top sewing show up as pictures back here:

This is the label I made for the back of the quilt...sewn on by hand.

Some of these photos are not on the front: bottom row: Erika with crocheted hat and red flower was a gift from me several Christmas' ago; next photo is Erika wearing my deceased mom's jacket I gave her, she is getting mail from her mail box. We used to write weekly to each other for years! Last photo in that row, Erika with DH last summer. Top row 2nd photo is DH's sister! and second to last photo you'll recognize her son playing in park last summer when we were there (same photo of him hanging from tree on quilt front center! w/o play equipment. Our nephew is a senior at University of MN in Drama Dept.) On Monday I boxed it up and sent it off to wait for us to arrive on Xmas Eve. Sort of mailed it to myself at my SIL's house in MN. Since you saw it last beads were sewn to the center of the sun flower, free motion top stitched leaves were sewn over all the background rust fabric, and Cris' duck photos were sewn on the bottom left side.

I emailed Suki's suggestion to my SIL asking that the quilt go to Erika first and if possible stay with her in her room in the nursing home as long as possible. Then Karen can take it home to her den. She agreed it was a good idea. ;-)

Needless to say, I am looking forward to giving it to Erika on Christmas Eve and seeing her reaction to "her world".

Special thanks to Cris, Artist in Oregon for use of her photos of ducks, birds and squirrels. It's added so much to the quilt in making it Erika's World.