And On

I have been machine quilting my Brother-in-Law's quilt. Simple stitches to make the borders work.

As always when I work on my quilts, I think about the person who will receive them and put a lot of love and positive energy into the time spent. This man married my younger Sister decades ago, and has been the kind of person who is open, loving and giving beyond measure. He's not a person of many words and grew up in farm country. He is probably the typical male who gets a job, works everyday he is scheduled, comes home and does whatever chores wait for him. He keeps the peace with his Wife and plays with his Sons. He pays taxes, and might even vote and goes to church. He is always there.

I don't think I have had many conversations with him over the years. Not even when he picked me up from the airport in MN during a heavy blizzard that stopped traffic. We just drove wordlessly along the unplowed streets that turned a 20 minute drive into 2 hours. My best friend from high school had committed suicide. He & my Sister were celebrating their first wedding anniversary. Yet, there he was hauling me through this wicked snow.

I think he drove down to AZ to pick up Daddy's car & brought it back in time for the funeral. He is always present for our family, from the time we were young.

Yet, here we are, all grown up. Our kids are grown too. And we are fast becoming the elders in our family.

This is the man I think of as I work on this quilt. One I don't know. One I cherish and hold dear in my heart and prayers.