For These I Give Thanks

Several years ago I saw a quilt pattern I really loved. My sister Mary bought a pattern but never made it but I kept thinking about it and knew I had to make it to display in my home. So mid-September of 2007, I borrowed the pattern and started on this quilt called "Many Thanks". I loved it because it was so colorful, whimiscal- -and it expressed many of the things that I'm so thankful for.

I'm so blessed with a wonderful family. They bring me such joy and happiness. I've also had the good fortune to have a lot of great friends over the years. I try not to take for granted how blessed I am. Working of these quilt blocks over the winter months gave me a lot of time to reflect on the blessings and all the good things in my life.

As I'd travel in the car, or watch TV in the evenings I'd work on these blocks. Several times when I went to Utah to help with the grandkids, I took the blocks to work on them in my spare time. There wasn't a rush to complete the quilt . . . I was simply enjoying the whole process.

As much as I love to travel and see new places and new things, I always love to come back home . . . I really do love "roads that lead home"!

I've always loved flowers. I grew to love them from my mother . . . she always had a yard full of beautiful flowers. There's a primary song which says, ". . . for if I love blossoms and meadows and walking, I learned how to love them, dear Mother, from you." Maybe my children will learn to love them from me. I love it when I hear one of them comment when they see something beautiful in nature, or love to have beautiful flowers in their yards. Maybe they really were paying attention on all those drives we took when I'd try to get them to look up and appreciate their beautiful surroundings.

"Each new day" brings challenges, new opportunities and another chance to try to improve and do better than the day before.

Every morning when I hear the birds singing in the yard it makes me smile . . . they sound so happy. I think I have a lot to be happy about too. And when I look up into a star filled night I think it's so awesome . . . what a beautiful sight!

Here's the completed quilt. I finished quilting and binding it by the end of February. It was a rewarding project because as I planned and pieced each block I was thinking of the many things I constantly need to be giving thanks for.

After my quilt was finished, Randy made a quilt rack so it could be displayed. I saw a quilt rack at a craft show which cost $85.00. I showed it to Randy and he came home and made mine for under $20.00! It's wonderful to have connections with a handy carpenter! The top shelf also a good place to display some of his handywork . . . some awesome little wooden bowls. A welcoming smile, each new day, peace and harmony, whispers of angels, birds that sing, the stars above, friends and family, sweet fragrant flowers, cozy old quilt, a plentiful harvest, and roads that lead home . . . are just of few of the things for which I give thanks each day. I am truly blessed and when I look at my quilt I'm remined again of those blessing!