The Blanket

We have received a number of incredible blankets for Magpie.

A recent gift was no exception. E's Gram spent the winter making this incredible blanket, weaving yarn in and out of a base fabric in an intricate pattern. I've put a photo in of E holding the blanket and a close up of the pattern.

When she first showed it to us I was in awe, pretty close to tears... for her kindness, her effort (this was an incredibly hard and long pattern to work on and it took a long time) and for her desire to make sure that she gets to meet Magpie, something she's said many a time. I not only hope she gets to meet Magpie, I hope Magpie gets to know her. There's something about Grandparents and greatgrandparents, something magical, when you skip a generation the relationship becomes sweeter, kinder, more incredible. It was this way with my Nana and I'm sure it will be that way for magpie too.

Gram was in the hospital recently and we called a few times and E was able to visit, I was pretty sick and there was no way I would set foot near her with how sick I was. She is home now, recovering and we anxiously await news about what brought her there. For now, we are grateful, of course for the blanket, but much more so just to have her in our lives.

There is one last very special blanket/quilt (ok, besides the one we'll make) that will arrive one day. My Aunt Joann wanted children so badly and she attempted for years, all of them ending tragically as she was a severe diabetic, on insulin since her early childhood. She was never able to carry a child to term, I can relate to that, but she had a quilt she either started or bought the kit for. When Joann died, very young, my mother took the quilt/kit home with her and as I understand it, she has finished it. Though for years I always envisioned my mom and I selecting a pattern together and her making it, I was deeply touched when I heard she had this quilt.

It no longer matters to me the pattern, the style, the colors, all that matters is the connection. People who know me best know how deeply sentimental I am.