Rose is Rose by Don Wimmer and Pat Brady for March 11, 2025

My mother occasionally would help her older sister quilt. The quilt frame was always set up in what was their dining room in the farmhouse, but meals were always eaten at the large table in the kitchen, near the wood-fired stove/oven. Great memories!

My mum tried to teach me sewing on a machine. But every time I try to sew on it, the darn thing will either freeze up, break the thread or any other mishap. So I have given up trying to sew. I can do cross stitching though.

My wife does it all by hand. The kids, grandkids, and me just drop off out stuff. She can replace a draw string in a minute even if it comes completely out. I never remember to tie them when I do the wash.

That and how to fold a fitted bottom sheet.

She should have started Rose with actual quilting, and saved the theory for later.

And she’s doing it again!

Perhaps the biggest regret of my life.

My mom tried to teach me piano.

I didn’t listen.

And now, every time I hear Frédéric Chopin, it brings a tear to my eye.

I’m so sorry, mom. I should have listened.

Awwww, so KYOOT! Kawaii!

This is what happens to me whenever I start to read legalese, information on insurance, anything like that.

It is becoming a lost art.

Rose does not miss a single chance of going into childhood mode when meemaw is around. One spoiled kid of meemaw alright. Love the mother daughter pair.

Rose is an excellent cook and gardener, but I’ve never seen her do anything “crafty”. My sister is like Meemaw; she can turn her hand to anything, from quilting to furniture restoration to you name it.

I have a quilt made by my sister in 2008, I use it every winter. It has this ingredient that makes it very special. . . It was made with love.

Deja vous

Maternal grandmother handmade an afghan and a quilt for each grandchild, each gift reflecting something about that child. Still have mine eighty years later and still treasure them.

My wife and I were once taking communion to an older, widow shut-in from our church. We would always stay about a half hour afterward and visit. She showed us some of the quilts she was making. Some of the material had very vivid colors. I asked her about it. She told me to go to the closet and bring out the big box on the floor. the box contained scraps of all sorts of vivid colors. I asked her where they came from. She said she used to work at a King Louie factory sewing bowling shirts.