Quilting. I was taught to quilt by my Grandmother, Lillian. She made an amazing number of quilts in her life. Last month she passed away at the age of 96.
When I was a teenager I went and spent a week with her in Missouri. It was just me and her in her tiny home in the middle of what seemed to me to be never ending trees. Coming from Utah and growing up in California, the back woods of rural Missouri was fascinating. She taught me how to bake a pie, cook fried chicken, and quilt.
The funniest moment came as I was driving us around town with the windows down and a huge horsefly flew in the open window. I had never seen a horsefly. It scared me half to death... those things are HUGE! I pulled the car over, nearly driving us off the road and jumped out screaming. My grandma laughed and laughed and laughed. Then she swatted away the "dinosaur fly" and coaxed me back in the car. What she must have thought of me, I have no idea!
When I was a very little girl I remember making peanut butter cookies with her and being delighted by the cross shape she made on the cookies with the back of the fork. I spent the night at her house that night and I am told she let me sleep in my "fort"... a large cardboard box.
As she got older and we moved away to Utah, I saw her less and less. I was determined to have my kids get to know their Great Grandma so one summer we made the trip with the kids. C was only a baby but my boy remembers her as "cowgirl grandma" (I think she might have told him a story of when she was younger because I don't remember my grandma being much of a "cowgirl")
Our plan was to visit her again this summer. We didn't make it on time.
But I was very pleased we were able to make the trip for her memorial and see all the family.
I wish I would have gotten some better pictures but I spent the night before in the Disneyland nurses station... funny story for another time (that darn Space Mountain ride :)... and I was still pretty sick.
It was a lovely memorial though and wonderful to see all her quilts displayed in one place. My grandma has quilts in the hands of people spread out all over this country, these were only a few.
Thank you Grandma Bee for passing down your quilting knowledge to me. My husband loves me to make your banana cream pie, the fireflies on your neighbor's porch is one of my happiest memories, I am forever grateful you raised such a loving man as my father, and I will miss you very much.
