F is for Family
Since we have to go through Chicago when we travel nearly anywhere on Amtrak, a visit to family living in South Central Wisconsin is almost always in order. This trip was no different. We spent a few days catching up with my parents.
While visiting with Mom and Dad, my sister and her family and my brother’s daughter and her family came over for dinner, and we had one of the best family gatherings in a long time.
My mom had been working on a gorgeous Texas Star quilt for my husband for several years (hand-quilting — can you imagine?), and she had it finished for him.
She surprised me with an afghan in a repeating cat pattern. (Dad got the only pictures of us together with the afghan.)
Mom also did a couple small sewing projects for me while we were there.
Dad has been working on family genealogy for many years. Over the last year or so, he’s been making quite a push to capture my husband’s family. My husband has most of his family background since they arrived in the United States, but he didn’t have the European background in any more than general terms. Dad presented us with a binder with the last twenty generations for both of us printed out. What an unexpected treat! He also discovered my husband and I are distantly related on my mom’s side. We got a laugh out of that.
Thank you for visiting for the April A-Z Blogging Challenge. Today’s entry is “Grand Tour”-themed, about our Amtrak trip we took last month. I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions in comments. If you don’t want to miss an entry, please enter your email address below, press sign-up, then check your inbox to click the validation link to get these blog posts in your inbox.
You’re the second person I’ve visited to pick family today 🙂 That is an amazing quilt! My husband’s mother is dabbling into trying to discover her family tree and it’s always interesting when she finds out something new :).
Tasha
Tasha’s Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
That is the most gorgeous quilt ever, and I love the afghan! Will your mom do some crafting for me? 🙂
(Popping by for the A to Z Challenge, by the way. Nice to meet you!)
Wow, that is an amazing quilt. I still have a throw my grandmother knitted me in that same cat pattern. I love it.
Mom said she saw the cat pattern on Facebook, knew she had the materials for it, and started working on it. She said it was tough to keep from talking about it so it would be a surprise for me. I was tickled, but didn’t see the cats at first until my dad showed me. Then I was even more tickled.
The quilt is amazing. I cannot imagine doing it all by hand. Very talented lady!
Smidgen Snippets & Bits
The quilt and the afghan are gorgeous. I think we’re all distantly related…if you go back far enough.
I have yet to ride on a train. Its a goal of mine to do on my “While I’m Still Alive List.”
Wow–what wonderful surprises! And…the best family gathering in ages, too. Does the Texas Star quilt mean that Mr. L is a Texan?
Edited to add: at my mother’s mother’s house (log cabin), there was a quilt frame in the bedroom. It spent most of the time raised up to the ceiling, but when a quilt was to be quilted, the frame was lowered so women could work around the edges. I still have a couple of quilts she made, but they are worn and threadbare.
Mr. L’s family has been in Texas from the very beginning, so, yes, he’s a Texan.