Last Lasts

The past week has passed in a whirr of packing, address changes, and last-minute details. 

Neither of us has good short-term memory.

Where's my cigar box? Did you check your prescription refills? Have you cancelled phone service? What are you planning to do with those books? We need another mirror box. Where's the box of miscellaneous stuff? Do we want to keep this (fill in the blank)? Have you changed our address with (fill in the blank)? 

It goes on and on.

My sewing room was out of commission last Thursday. Everything sew-y and craft-y I own filled two dish barrel size boxes; 19 full-sized bins; 6 half-tall bins; and 8 medium-sized clip-lid bins. Along with two fold-up tables, two hollow core doors, two sawhorses, and five sewing machines, there was more stuff than I thought. Oops! And there are three dish barrel size boxes full of quilts! Though I don't expect to use the quilts in Florida, there are unknowns about teaching, and whether Stitchin' Mission will continue as it has. For now, I'm keeping those quilts.

Last week we hired a college age fella to carry all the bins and boxes from the basement and house to the garage. The pile is missing the last of the kitchen stuff; several picture frame boxes; a bed; wooden rocking chair, floor quilt rack, and wine rack. (Everything else has been sold.) We're pretty sure it will fit into the 17-foot U-Haul truck we'll be loading Wednesday.

In between bouts of feverish activity, sorting and packing, and donating even more stuff to Goodwill, I've had my last, last good-byes. Thursday evening Batting Buds took me to dinner at an Italian restaurant.

Chianti raised in toast

Dinner conversation was about how we met one another, memories of activities together, quilting retreats, numerous Stitchin' Missions and how life will be so different. Dinner ended with that pink squirrel, just for me! It's creme de Noyaux, creme do cacao, and light cream for those of you, like me, who didn't know what constitutes a pink squirrel.

L-R: Bug, Norma, me, Lola, Susan

These gals, and several others who couldn't make it to dinner (Mary, Erika, Kim, Michelle - You were missed!) gave me fat quarters. Knowing how much I like modern prints, each one gave me a print that represent themselves. They've challenged me to make a quilt - once I get settled in Florida - with all these prints. 

Saturday, these same buds hosted a reception for Stitchin' Mission, the quiltmaking ministry I've offered in the Des Moines area for the past seven years. The reception was at church, and this is what I first saw when I arrived.

The room was decorated with some recently-made mission quilts. 

And look! More cake! I will very likely be heading to Florida carrying a few extra pounds of junk, and it won't be in the back of the U-Haul truck!

Here are the lovely, wonderful, smiling friends I was blessed to first get to know through Stitchin' Mission.

L-R: Ann, Andrea, Michelle

me and Lola

L-R: Norma, Kim, me, Rachel, Bug, Andrea 

Sara and Suzanne

me and Abigail

Missy

Again, it's pretty much impossible to sufficiently express my thanks to these special, thoughtful and giving friends. Each of them have blessed me with their support and friendship these past seven years. I've already shed a few tears at partings, but I'm sure the waterworks will flood on Thursday as I'm driving south on I-35 toward Kansas City. That's where we'll unload and stay with our daughter for a couple weeks.

As for these fat quarters... They're quite a unique collection, aren't they? Initially I was stumped as to how I might use them in one quilt. But then...

... I received this card from Erika. Doors. All of them different. Are you tracking? "When God closes a door, He opens a window." Each fabric a door, unique to the friend who lives behind it. A window. Some embroidery. Some creativity. I'm itching to get started.

Doors will wait for a few more last last things that need taken care of. God-willing, a truck to be loaded, and house closing papers to be signed Thursday. Later in May, after quilt market and the Machine Quilter's Showcase, we'll head to The Villages to begin hunting for a new home... and opening all kinds of new doors into the future. Linda