The 82nd Linn Reunion!

I am a little slow in getting pictures posted from our Linn Reunion. It was two weeks ago today and it was really an awesome day. First of all, we survived the incredible heat and humidity that day. Second of all, sixty-two family members braved that heat and humidity to enjoy time together and lots of good food. So for all those family and friends, here's a few pics from that great day...........

As descendents of Francis Marion Linn, we gathered for the 82nd year in row. That's right! First reunion was held in 1929! As the "postcard sender/coordinator" of our reunions, I love to make it fun, so there is always a sign-in notebook and a chance to win some prizes..........



We gathered once again at the Lehigh Ballpark Shelter. It works well because there's a kitchen and some shade. For many years the reunions were held at Dolliver Park just west of Lehigh, but using the ballpark shelter works great now.

I began setting up the fun at a little after 9:00 a.m. that morning. My helper was my niece, Sue Ellen, pictured below, along with Zane, son of Amber Linn. He was a real cutie. Sue Ellen was a real trooper as she helped set up the tables and sweep and just generally be very helpful! And Amber's boyfriend, Tony, was a big help, too, because he brought big fans that really helped keep the air flowing. Smart man!

Here's Zane again........

he loved these squishy bracelets. For the past few years, I've bought about a dozen toy items at the dollar store and the kids get to pick something and they think that's fun. We had more kids than expected this year and that is great so I will be buying more toy goodies at the dollar store for next year!
I love watching family members enjoy time together. So does my cousin, Bette, seated in the chair. She used to be the "postcard sender/coordinator" and passed it on to the next generation in 1996, which was me. I love being able to continue to keep the reunion going!

This year almost all of Bette's family members came to the reunion. Kathy (above) came from Florida, while Terry and wife, Kas, came from Illinois and their daughters and family came, too. They all camped out at Brushy Creek Park, east of Lehigh and celebrated "Christmas in July" along with time at the reunion. Smart idea!!

If there was an award for sweetest smile and maybe sweetest couple, it would go to my cousin Sharon and her husband, Dave. I am hoping that I convinced them to come north for a visit to Minnesota one day. :-)

There are always photo albums available to look at and recall past reunions or times when we were all a whole lot younger. There is also a book that has guest lists from the reunions that date back to 1959, plus other tidbits from past reunions.

When I'm planning for each reunion, I seem to always find some item that will make a good prize and these colorful pots from Michael's were perfect. Thanks to really cheap, end-of-the-season plants at Wal-mart, the winners even got real flowers mixed with some artificial stuff. :-)

And the food!! The food always makes us smile because there is always chicken, lots of hot dishes, salads, chips, dessert, you-name-it and it's probably on the table!

While Kathy, above, came from the farthest distance - Florida - the oldest member attending was cousin, Shirley (Linn) Goettinger. I think she's 85 because she and my dad were born the same year. They were both just tiny babies at that first reunion in 1929 and the paper recorded it, of course. I love reading old newspaper clippings of events because you found out who went where and really knew what was going on!

The kids enjoyed the watermelon. This picture of Joshua (I think it's Joshua, somebody correct me if I'm wrong) doesn't need words to describe his pleasure in eating that watermelon. :-)

Interestingly, the boys were fascinated with the youngest family member..........Brock.

This is Jacob in the photo below and he was having so much fun talking to little Brock. I think this is my favorite picture from the whole reunion............

My mom's favorite part of the reunion was meeting cousin, Marilyn, who came from Omaha. My mom had never met her but was childhood friends with Marilyn's mother, Thelma. My mom even had a grade school picture of the girls together that she shared with Marilyn. It was fun to watch them visiting and I am so glad Marilyn could come.

Here are a couple winners of the flowers........Aaron recently bought his first house, so now he can decorate. :-)  If that smile on cousin Patty's face looks familiar, it's because she is sister to Sharon who I mentioned earlier. There were lots of smiles and laughter in spite of the heat!

However, the heat just about did me in. This photo of my cousin, Kathy and me was taken about 3:00 in the afternoon. I had barely taken time to sit down and even my mom commented that my face was just a little too red!

More smiling faces.......my daughter, Collette and husband Daryl........

And lots of laughter was going on when I took this picture and I don't know who told what story, but they were sure having a good time in the telling. :-)

This happy couple had news to share.........

It's Nate and Cassie who announced they'll be getting married next June so they'll be newlyweds at next years reunion. They were also winners of one of the antique candy dishes I found at Antiques and Uniques in Henderson. I shared a story about my grandpa and how he would offer us candy before dinner and it always made my grandma say......."you'll spoil their dinner". I can see him now, getting the white bag of candy from the dime store out of the cupboard.......... :-)
And another winner was Joey. There were three brother.........Joey, Joshua, and Jacob who I met for the first time, so I might not have them straight.....I know some family member will help me with this, if I have their names wrong. I had no idea this plush dinosaur would be so coveted by the kids. There was also a pink polka dot piggy bank that Katie won.

And here's my cousin, Janet, with that youngest family member, Brock. Janet and I spent lots of time together as kids and were friends as well as cousins!

Now, in the "how could your forget to take pics of the kids in the park and also not get a picture of your grandson?"......well, I am guilty. I guess it was the heat because I looked over at the playground and saw the kids having fun but I never took a single picture. And so the only one I got of my grandson is this hat shot while his mom Collette is mixing up the salad she brought. I'll do better next year!

And so that's it for this years Linn Reunion. It all started in Lehigh, Iowa. It's my home town and I still see it like it was in the 50's when I grew up. I'm so glad when I can go home and share memories with family and friends. Cousin Kevin (son of Bette) brought an album filled with antique postcards and he let me take a photo of this one...........

Hope you enjoyed the visit to our reunion (and I do realize this is probably only enjoyable to family and friends) and "Greetings from Lehigh, Iowa"!!!

For all my quilty friends, see you tomorrow with a little something "on the line" and a week of fun with Jacquelynne's book tour. Have a lovely Sunday!!  I'm sure I am enjoying the day because I am retreating at Bonny's all this weekend! See you tomorrow..............

Sandi

It's time for the great Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop!

Last Friday, I delivered a couple little projects to Janice at Firefly Quilt Shop. She and Cindy were setting up the "Quilt Minnesota" corner of the shop and it was looking very cool!!!! Take a stroll with me and if you like what you see, stop in and check it out. And if you like what you see but live too far away then contact the shop at their website...... www.fireflyquiltshop.com

The fabric this year is just beautiful and perfectly says "Minnesota - Land of 10,000 Lakes!" To see the fabrics in detail, check it out here.

And now to the goodies..........

Doesn't that screen door just say.......cabin at the lake? And while you are there, wouldn't a game of croquet be fun? And so, if you are headed to the lake, you'll need a totebag for shopping.................

and after you've shopped, you might need a place to rest your head. How about using this gorgeous pillow? You can have sweet dreams about all the lakes that are named in the fabric!

And then...........you might want to make this quilt to snuggle under if the nights in the cabin are a little too cool (not likely this summer, though). And to decorate your table, you might add one of the table toppers hanging above the larger quilt...........

The table toppers are the "little projects" that I delivered to Janice. A few weeks ago, she gave me 5" width of fabric cuts of most of the fabric line and let me "have at it" and see what I could design. So, I looked at all the fabrics.......and I thought of the lakes....... and I thought of how the wind ripples the water. And then I thought of  how the windmills in the country blow in the wind and so I chose a pinwheel block that represented that windmill and the wind on the lake.  I made the blue one first, I added the green border around the pinwheel because I thought of the lush grass of summer. Then I added the blue duck border thinking of the blue skies and the ducks, geese, eagles and more that dot the Minnesota summer skies. My favorite block is Hole in the Barn Door (or Churn Dash) so that's why I added those corner triangles. I surrounded the whole thing with the Lake names fabric which I really liked. I have memories of some lake times......The first summer we came to Minnesota, we took a vacation to Rainy Lake (1974). We rented a houseboat with another couple and we were looking forward to a great vacation. Only a few hours after we cruised away from the dock, the plumbing died in the houseboat and gave us an adventure we weren't planning. We've never longed for another houseboat vacation. LOL! Fast forward many years and it was time spent at Cragun's on Gull Lake that was a real vacation and one we hope to do again. :-) That pinecone version one really reminds me of time spent at Cragun's. And yes, Cragun's Lodge is not a cabin in the woods or a tent at a camp ground, but you see I'm not real fond of critters so I much prefer the lodge route when we go north to the lakes. :-)  Here's a bit of a close-up of the tabletoppers.........and kits are available with the pattern so stop in the shop or call for info...........

There's one more large quilt behind the check-out counter and isn't it pretty?.........

The shop hop begins Friday morning, July 29 and ends August 14th. You'll find all the details here.  There they are.........bolts of the fabrics designed by James Meger for Quilting Treasures, just waiting to be cut and bought by all you quilters!

And for me..........well, I won't be shopping at the hop as I'm headed west to Bonny's Quilt Haven for a retreat with friends Laura, Sharon, Stephanie, Sue and Jackie this weekend. I have packed my car full of fabric stuff, my sewing machine and my suitcase. And yes, I will be making a little something that I started earlier this week with the scraps left from the table toppers. Hmmm..........I wonder what it will be?

I'll share photos on Sunday night when I return, along with news of a blogging book tour for Jacquelynne's new book Fruitful*Hands. I'll be featuring a little something "on the line" on Monday that is made with her "Sewing Room Social" line. Be sure to stop by on Monday and see what it is and what other delights the rest of the week may hold!!
I'm looking forward to a relaxing and awesomely fine fabric and friendship weekend. Hope you have one, too!
Sandi

What's on the line?

It's a good thing I took a few quilt pictures a couple of weeks ago because it has been too hot to be hanging any quilts on the line. And I've been too busy! We had a great family reunion and I still plan to post some pics of that event. Unfortunately, I'm still recovering from my root canal surgery and that has put me way behind. However...............I have this wonderful quilt to share today...........

It's another one that my dad bought at auction and I just love this one. It's got some stains but it still retains incredible color and charm. By the fabric used in the quilt.......lots of shirtings and such, I am going to guess this quilt was made sometime between 1900 and 1920. Only a guess, but without any info on the maker or where the quilt came from, that is the best I can do. Notice that the maker didn't seem to keep her triangles going the same direction. I wonder.......was it on purpose or just how the blocks came together at the time?
It's going to be a beautiful day today in Minnesota. Very warm, but no storms and no high humidity! Have a great Monday wherever you are!
Sandi

What's on the line?

Ohhhh, today's quilt is just perfect for a hot day. It's bright and colorful and wow, that hot pink border! I love it!

This is a large quilt top, so large that I took the picture quickly as the wind blew it and then it didn't drag on the ground. I suspect it was made in the 1950's. It's another quilt that my dad and mother bought at a farm auction. It's extremely worn but still has such vibrant color to it.  It really reminds me of the quilts that the ladies of the United Brethern Church used to make in the church basement. And the walls were pink so it really makes me think back to when I was a kid and my mom would take my sister and me along to the Ladies Aid meetings. But anyway back to this quilt.......as I mentioned, it's worn. In fact, it is so worn that it has been repaired. The original quilter did lovely work on this quilt in the piecing and in the hand-quilting. But then..........at some point in time, someone must have wanted to continue using it and so they patched it. Wherever a fabric wore out, they replaced it with a new diamond shaped piece of fabric but they machine-stitched it in place. And so, when you look at the back of the quilt, there is all this machine quilting that shows up and it looks pretty bad. Maybe it was a quilt that was so special that someone knew it needed to be preserved. Once again I just wish I knew whose hands made this original quilt and even whose hands made the repairs. Their names are lost in time but their legacy of stitches continues for me and you to enjoy!

Now speaking of hands and stitches..........I got a little treat in the mail last Thursday. I was busy preparing to attend our family reunion and almost forgot to go out and get the mail. But when I did, I found this in the mail box..................
It's Jacquelynne's new book and I had to sit down and take a peek. It is filled with such lovely projects and some recipes that I definitely have to try. I'll have more to share about Jacquelynne's book in a couple of weeks. And I have a couple projects I'm making with her fabrics, so more on that soon, too. Finding time these days is interesting. It's been such a busy summer and my tooth problem did not help. But, I'm finally better. In fact, I am actually writing this post on Friday evening (July 15th) because I want to pre-schedule it. Our Linn Family Reunion is this Sunday/yesterday and so I am leaving for Iowa on Saturday morning. As you read this on Monday morning, I will be traveling home to Minnesota. We are to have record heat all this coming weekend and all through this coming week. I am fine with that because, after all, it is July and July is usually very hot. My favorite time of the year - Fall - is just a few weeks away!!  Thank goodness!!!  Hope that if you are caught in this heat wave that you have a way to stay cool. Enjoy the day!
Sandi

What's on the line?

Yesterday was a very, very warm day. It was definitely a summer day and so I pulled this quilt that just said "hot July summer day" to me!

I can't put a time-frame on this quilt. It's in very good condition and looks almost new but it is definitely not new. The backing fabric is a pink that is very similar to another quilt I have that has been dated to the 1920's. The fabrics in the blocks could be anytime from the 1920's to the 1950's. It's been hand-quilted and while not the finest stitches, they are fairly uniform. Notice how the maker added fabric to some of the blocks. As you can see, they are not all the same size.

This quilt would have kept someone very warm on a cold winter's night. I doubt that anyone would use it on the kind of hot summer nights we've had these past few days!  There was a benefit to all that heat, though..........we got a really good rain last night. In fact, it was kind of stormy and so we went to the basement, just in case the tornado sightings and wind warnings actually materialized. Luckily, it was just a lot of rain.
Today, I'm thinking I will do some housecleaning and then work on a little quilt project for the upcoming Quilt Minnesota event in August. Got a little design I'm working on for FireflyQuiltShop and I hope it turns out like what I see in my mind. :-)
Have a good Monday!
Sandi

To tell the Tooth.....

I am feeling so much better. The root canal surgery went well. I am free of toothache pain and just have to get through the healing of the incision along my gum/tooth and my swollen jaw/cheek. I must eat soft foods and I don't even mind that too much. I have figured out how to spice up mashed potatoes and I like yogurt and..........if you take a chocolate chip muffin and break it into pieces, then microwave it a bit and pour cold milk over it and then stir it.......you get chocolate porridge and it is really good. LOL! I have a bit of a bruise that is showing up but that was to be expected. It will all be good in a week or so.........just in time for me to go home and eat all that good food at our Linn Family Reunion!!
I'll get back to some quilty blogging next week. Hope you all have a great weekend!
Sandi

Keeping my sense of humor............

When I closed my last post I wrote ....."I never thought I'd be so anxious to see my dentist but I can hardly wait to get to his office.......LOL! Gotta keep my sense of humor!" Well, that has certainly proved to be true! Yes, I got to my dentist but an x-ray and some other tests  showed the need for a root canal and that meant I had to be referred to an endodontist. So, this morning, I was excited to head out to said dontist and thought I'd be getting a root canal. To be honest, though, I had my doubts because this is a tooth that has had two root canals already. Within minutes, a new set of x-rays and a couple tests/exams and the endodonist had a new plan. He took me to the computer screen and like John Madden when he draws Monday night football plays, he drew around areas of my tooth and described the need for some surgery, a cut here and a cut there and then seal the problem root. Ugh! And that meant another trip back home and then back again. So by the time you read this, I will likely be on the way to or in the middle of having my mouth held open for more than an hour. Yes, go ahead and feel sorry for me. But not for long because when it's all done, I am promised the pain and infection will clear up and I should be fine. There is only more step if this doesn't work and that means ........ goodbye tooth. So, I might be absent from blogging for a couple days. We'll see how I feel.

In the meantime, though, I thought I'd show you that the last few days haven't been totally lost to tooth pain.  On the 4th of July, I started another block for the quilt that I'm making in memory of my dad and finished it on my son's birthday, July 5th. It was a simple flag that I appliqued to a navy polka dot block. I had to focus to finish it because my tooth pain sometimes got the best of me.

I also worked at sorting my patriotic fabrics. I have a couple projects I want to make - a tablerunner and a candlemat - so found the right fabrics for those items. But I was also sorting my fabrics because my friend Connie from the post office is working on a project with me. We are making a signature quilt for a local soldier who was wounded in Afghanistan.

A week ago, there was a benefit for Jack and so I prepared this board and then Connie and Jack's grandma, Jan, got friends and family who attended the benefit to sign fabric strips. We will stitch them into blocks so we can make a quilt and send it off to Jack. He will be in Texas in rehab for more than a year as he goes through therapy for his injuries and gets the prosthetics he will require. To learn more about Jack, you can check out this YouTube video.....just click HERE.

And then something good came in the mail yesterday...........

the 2012 American Patchwork and Quilting Calendar and the booklet with patterns for all the quilts. Just the other day, I thought....."I need a calendar for 2012" and ..... voila! here it is! I found some really neat patterns in the calendar. Even someone I know has a quilt featured in it! Yes, Jacquelynne of TheNobleWife has a quilt for the month of August. Pretty cool!

Well, that's it for today. When I return, I hope to say "no more tooth pain for me!"  Have a good day all!
Sandi

Time passes way too fast!

Today is our son's 35th birthday. I can't believe that 35 years have passed since that tiny little guy was born. I remember the evening before he was born very well because it was the year of our Bicentennial and there was all the news coverage of the tall ships sailing into East coast harbors. Oh, yes, time passes way too fast!!  I remember how Devlin loved playing with his cars and trucks and building things with Legos. He still likes cars and this past weekend he helped his dad do a brake job on our Blazer.

The weather was decent so they had a good day to do the work. It was nice to have him come out for the day to help his dad. And like many a parent, I wished he could have stayed longer. :-)   As my own kids grew up, I came to realize how much it meant for my parents to have us visit for more than a few hours. But life gets busy so we do what we can and that's all one can do. While they worked on the car, I was cooking up some homemade Maid-rite's/loose meat sandwiches. It's an Iowa thing and they are really good.
We took a bit of time to talk about a CD of hymns that I will be doing soon. Devlin is a partner in a recording studio so I will be going to their studio to do the recording. I'll keep you posted on this. I think it's going to be really fun and it is definitely an item that is on my "bucket list".  I was glad we weren't doing the recording that day. We had originally planned it for this past Saturday but I said I'd reschedule so the brake job could get done. It's a good thing I did.
I wasn't feeling all that well that day, thought I had a sinus infection and when I get one, it sometimes settles into my cheek and so I also took a nap while they worked. Unfortunately, I didn't get better and realized my problem was tooth related, not sinuses. I had to call the dentist Sunday morning and he suspects a cracked tooth or the need for a root canal. Ugh! He called in an antibiotic and it, along with extra strength acetiminophen are keeping the pain at bay and I am feeling a bit better. However, it has not been the greatest of Independence days around here. I have so many things I want to do and just can't concentrate because my tooth hurts. I want to share what I'm planning for these little bags...........

because it involves the GO!Baby project that I made with niece, Sue Ellen. This is the two of us as we prepared to play with some fun seersucker fabrics that I brought along when I went home to see my mom a couple of weeks ago.

That was such a lovely day. We took our project outside because it was just too nice to be inside! So, once I get this tooth thing taken care of, I will get to that project and also to some crazy quilting things I've been wanting to share. All in good time..........
I never thought I'd be so anxious to see my dentist but I can hardly wait to get to his office.......LOL! Gotta keep my sense of humor!
Sandi

What's on the line? and a Happy 4th of July!!!

Today's quilt is very, very special. I've shared some photos of this quilt before but never "on the line".  So, what makes this quilt so special? Well, it was made for my Grandma Golda in recognition of her time as President of the Ladies Aide Society at the United Brethren Church in Lehigh, Iowa. It was made sometime in the late 1930's. After my Grandma passed away in 1994, the quilt came to my mother and dad. And then when I was home to see my mom a couple of weeks ago, she said it was time that the quilt could come to me. I am so very happy to have this quilt. The names on the quilt are those of family and friends at the U.B. Church in Lehigh and at her sister church, McQuire Bend U.B. Church just north of Dayton, Iowa. I knew many of the women personally and watched them sew other quilts in the basement of the U.B. Church in Lehigh. It was those women who instilled my love of stitching. There's my Grandma Golda's (always called Goldie) name and so many others.
The name in the upper left is the name of my great great grandfather who was my Grandma Goldie's dad. His name was Noah. Her mother's name was Martha and she was a dressmaker. She had passed away before this quilt was made. And while, I don't think Great Grandpa Noah embroidered his name it is likely he wrote it and someone else embroidered it. Each of the names is written by the individual women who made the quilt. When I read the names, I recognize all of them but some are more significant than other's. Like the block next to Noah's. That says Elsie Linn and she was my grandmas' favorite cousin and then they married brothers and became sisters-in-law!  Elsie died about two years ago and lived to the age of 105!
Some of you won't be interested in the names on the quilt but for those who know me and knew these women or their families, I want to share each name.  And so next on the top row is Ilda Ford and then Mae Wertz and Alma Davis. The last name in the row is Marie Lind who was my Grandpa Thurman's sister. I am fortunate to have a couple of pincushions made by my Great Aunt Marie and also some pillows and her spool rack made by Aunt Elsie's husband Leslie. So are you keeping this all straight? LOL!
In the second row is Pauline Karasek, Regina Long, Violet Damstrom, Wanda Hacket, Blanche Linn, and Edna O'Dell.  The third row begins with Lillie Linn and she was my Great Grandmother, mother to my Grandpa Thurman, husband of Grandma Goldie. She quilted and she made rugs and she gardened and oh, what a garden she and Grandpa Willie had!! The next block is Sylvia Groshart, my Grandma Goldie's younger sister. Next is Viola O'Dell, then Sadie Dutcher, Dorothy Dutcher and Madelene O'Dell. My Great Grandma Martha's maiden name was Dutcher so these were all cousins of Grandma Goldie. So were lots of the O'Dells.
In the next row, the fourth row, it begins with Rose Dutcher. I remember Rose well and her daughters. They were just a bit older than me, but they were so pretty! Next to Rose is Gertie Cutting, then Mary White, then Mrs. A. D. Trueblood, and Aunt Rachel. I don't remember Aunt Rachel but my cousin Charlotte talks a lot about her. Charlotte is our family member that keeps all the genealogy straight!! Last name in that row is Leona Baker. She lived just down the street from us on the other side of Harry and Dolly Harrington's house. I loved walked down the street to the grocery store for bread and milk and a 3 cent chocolate Lunch Bar. But I'm straying from my topic.........
Next row is Eileen Trueblood who was a good friend of our family. Her son, Dick and wife Pat, had three kids and lived about a half hour from us. We loved to "take a drive" and stop for a visit. Next name in that row is Myrtle Hamitt and then Ruth Heck. Ruth was a young woman in her early 20's when this was made. Her father was the minister of the church, the Reverend Lester Heck. As the years went by, it was my grandma Goldie who played for church and Ruth played the piano for Sunday School. I can see both of them sitting at that upright piano and playing on Sunday mornings. In fact, I have an old hymnal from the church and it was Ruth's name written in it. It is very worn and I suspect it's the one she most often played from on Sunday mornings. Ruth's maiden name was Linn and so her kids were my cousins.....Sherrill, Dale, Shirley and Janet. They lived "up over the hill" from us. I loved to visit because they were allowed to drink coffee with toast and because they had an upstairs bedroom with really lovely, comfy quilts. I can see that room clearly. Next is Carolyne Long, then Grandma's name....Golda Linn and the last name is Rev. & Mrs. C.L. Randall. I realize now that I am writing this that I do not know who they are. Perhaps he was the pastor before Reverend Heck came to the church. I'll have to find out! (Called my mom and found out that was the case.......he was pastor prior to Rev. Heck.)
The sixth row begins with Grace Brundage, then Nancy Culver, and Gladys Fritts. I remember Gladys very well. She was my Grandma's best friend. The next block says Cora & Lester and is the block of Reverend Heck and his wife Cora. Cora's maiden name was Linn and they were parents to Ruth. Next is Ophelia Linn. She and her husband and family lived on the other side of Leona Baker and with Ferris Curtis in between. Ophelia's daughter Bette is the one who coordinated our annual Linn Reunions before I began doing it in the late 1990's. Bette took it over from Ophelia. And thanks to that chain of family members we will celebrate our 82nd Linn Family Reunion in just a couple of weeks. Last name in that row is Dorothy Barker.
The final row begins with Marge Whipple. I have this vague memory that she was postmistress in Lehigh. I'll have to check that and make sure it is fact. Maude Richardson is next and I remember her well. Maude was active in our Bible School activities. I think she was one of my Sunday School teachers. And now my own memory is beginning to fade! LOL! The next block says Bessie Ech. which is short for Echelberger.  Then comes Aunt Alice, Berneice Carpenter and Pearl Goodpaster. Berneice is another of the ladies that is very familiar. Her daughter, Margie, was our babysitter. I could go on but as mentioned, these names don't mean much to most of you. I love the thought that these women put their names to this quilt and that their "Legacy of Stitches" remains for me to enjoy and share with all of you. Most of the quilts the Ladies Aide made were sent off as mission projects. My mom can remember having a couple of quilts that my Grandma Goldie made but because we used them, they just plain wore out. Interestingly, there is another quilt owned by my cousin Patty, that has many of the same names on it. That quilt was made for my Aunt Lottie. And now that I think of it, it's odd that Lotties' name isn't on this quilt. I suspect that maybe Lottie wasn't living in Lehigh when this quilt was made. Another fact, I'll have to check on when I go home for our Linn Reunion.
I'm really happy to have this quilt and to know I can share it when I do a program on my quilts. It's a special gift to have it and I will take good care of it while it makes it's home with me. Sharing it today is also a bit special. My Grandma Goldie just loved the 4th of July and going to Gowrie for the parade and the Bill Riley Talent Show held in the park. I have a clear memory of her sitting on a park bench one 4th of July as she waited for the show to begin. If any of you are from Iowa, you know just how special Bill Riley was to the state of Iowa and county and State Fair events. It's been many years since I attended that parade and celebration in Gowrie but I have great memories of those times. Memories are still being made today by lots and lots of moms, dads, grandparents, kids and more. Hope you are making some happy memories today!  Happy 4th of July to all of you celebrating Independence Day! Have a great day!!
Sandi