What's on the line?

I wasn't sure what I to share "on the line" today. Nothing in the photos I took last fall seemed appropriate for today and since we got more snow last week, the path to my clothesline is still not clear. No photos in the great outdoors anytime soon. :-(  But then I remembered what got me started with this whole "hanging the quilts on the line and taking photographs" thing. Yes, long title, I know. I'll try to make it a short story.....

If you have followed my blog since I first began blogging you may remember that I organized a quilting/donation project for victims of flooding in Southeast Iowa in the summer of 2008. I had begun my blogging journey just three weeks before the floods hit the Iowa City area. It was a way to cope with grief following my dad's passing. The flooding was severe, historic even. My sister lives in Iowa City. I was grieving the loss of my dad. The floods were happening just at the time of what would have been his 82nd birthday (go here to read my post that day) . I just had to do something to help. So I put out the call to quilting friends nearby and also to my blog readers. Those who were nearby gathered in the Community Room at City Hall and made quilts, pillowcases, hats, scarves, etc. And churches in the area also donated quilts. Readers from as far away as Alaska sent totebags and The Easter Long Island Quilt Guild sent bundles of pillowcases and Target Gift Cards. And there was money donated, too, $750 from Redeemer Lutheran Church in rural Henderson. So I started a blog about it all and if you go here, you can see lots of things I hung on the line so I could share them with quilters nearby and far away, like this one.............

This quilt is one of many that were donated but I never found out just who donated it and several other quilts. I just know that it went off to someone in Iowa and it was appreciated. I received a very nice note from the coordinator that I was able to connect with for this project.

I thought about the donation project last night because my friend, Dorothy, was one of many friends nearby who helped make quilts. It was her church that raised that $750 which went to the United Way in Johnson County, Iowa for the flood victims. That's Dorothy on the right in the photo below and friend, Joanie on the left. Both are in the Bible Study group that I was invited to join when I first moved to Henderson.  

Dorothy was on my mind because as I shared with you all recently, she has faced a serious cancer challenge. Sadly, Dorothy passed away last Monday. Her funeral was yesterday afternoon. She has been on my mind all these many weeks and especially these last few days. She, along with Joanie, are two of the happiest gals I know. You can see it in their smiles. I, along with many friends and, of course, Dorothy's family, will miss her smile and her wonderful laugh and just her sweet nature. I have not known her as long as other's but I do know this.........it was a gift to be invited to join the Bible Study circle that she, Joanie, Arline, Doris and Carolyn all participated in. Sometimes you just get lucky and friends draw you in to their circle. That was the case for me. I repeat.........it was a gift!!! Today's post is in memory of Dorothy and.......

it's also in memory of another friend, Cathy (see in the photo above). Cathy was in my quilt groups at my church and she's as sweet as Dorothy.  Both of them helped make quilts for the flood victims and both have been taken by cancer. Cancer robs us of their presence in our lives and so I am sad for that. Their smiles and sweet nature will remain in memory forever. But, oh, how I miss the sound of their voices. I am glad I knew both of them and could call them friend.
And while I'm in a reflective mood......thank you to each and every one of you that reads my blog and to those who leave me comments. I read them all but am not good at responding these days. Time seems to be short because I am always putting my fingers into some new project or cause. Next one on the agenda........assisting the Easter Bunny. More on that in a couple of weeks.
Here's hoping today is the start of a really good week.
Blessings,
Sandi

(Oops! I set the post time wrong for this and just realized it had not posted for today. Guess I was tired when I wrote it.)