A Tale of Two Afghans....

Quote for the Day:

 "Heirlooms we don't have in our family. But stories we've got."~Rose Cherin 

"It was the best of times...it was the worst of times..."

~Charles Dickens 

"In the ancient year of 1960, in a land far, far away…called Illinois…there was a child born to Glenn & Mary (also known as “Gwen” by some people).  The exuberant couple did name this golden child “Loretta”, for she was a beauteous site to behold and they did correctly intuit that she would, indeed, be the exceptional child that they so longed for…as they figured after 5 previous children, they surely would have gotten it “right” this time.  :)

As this child grew and became around the age of 16 in the year of 1976, she decided to use her burgeoning gift with crochet hook and yarn to make an afghan for her parent’s 39^th wedding anniversary that would be forthcoming in 1978.  Working diligently by faint candle light and under the scope of darkness, she did work studiously upon said afghan till she doth run out of necessary yarns, thus leaving an unfinished work.  And as history would play out, it was unfortunate that her father passed away 5 months before the aforementioned 39^th wedding anniversary. 

Never one to give up on a craft project, the lovely Loretta subsequently moved the aforementioned incomplete crocheted squares from her homeland of Illinois to the new, unchartered land of Ohio where she kept abode for one year before then packing up all worldly possessions and headed for the wilds of California…all the while lovingly packing and storing the unfinished afghan.

Before long she met a charming young man named Andy who doth did hail from a far, far, far, far, far away land called Maine.  In 1982, they did joineth their hands and hearts in holy matrimony.  Within a few years they brought forth two offspring named Paul and Erin who brought much joy and happiness to the household...when they weren’t wreaking havoc upon said household!  

Fast forward to the year 1997, or thereabouts, as the exacteth date doth escape my feeble mind at this point.  Not one to let a long lineage of unfinished craft projects deter her from starting another one, the even more lovelier Loretta, as she became known as she aged gracefully in wisdom and knowledge, thusly decided to undertake another afghan, this time for her lovely 1990’s living room which was decorated in county blue and mauve, as was every other abode at that time.  Ahhh…the remembrance of the “good ol’ days” doth bring a smile to our lips and a tear to mine eye.

But shortly after starting the new crochet project, she soon became too busy with the educating of her beloved offspring at the abode instead of sending them to the one-roomed school house while also working her fingers to the bone as a nursemaid to critically ill patrons, and once again, the project was put into boxes and all but forgotten...except when moving once more.  Whereupon, her ever gallant husband doth lift the boxes and toss them onto the wagon that would hence carry them to the new land known only to them as “West Virginia”.

Fast forward with me again to the year of 2011, when the husband doth ask his wife to accompany him to the land of Maine where his ancestors still inhabit.  Knowing that the husband’s mother is a virtuoso with yarn and knitting needles or crochet hook, the ever wisening Loretta doth say to husband, “let us take these two boxes to your very special mother so that she might turn these ‘sows ears’ into lovely ‘silk purses’ that might be enjoyed by someone.”

When presented with these ‘sows ears’, the mother-in-law, upon hearing the sordid past of said yarn squares, did reply that she thought the lovely offspring of her son, Andrew, and the lovely Loretta  should have them whence finished because the history of said yarn squares was endearing, if not off-putting.

Thusly, the grandmother of Paul and Erin did in a timely manner finish the yarn squares into completed afghans and returned them to the lovely Loretta to be distributed to said offspring…thus completing their journey of literally thousands of miles, where upon they shall rest and warm the hearts and souls of all who lay there under."

  

It was my mother-in-law's suggestion that I write down the history of these afghans so that my children would know the background.  :) 

When we were in Georgia a couple weeks ago, I presented each of the kids with an afghan and a copy of the story I had written.  The top afghan went to Erin & Dale since it will match the sofa they have.  Also, it is bed-sized so it can be used as a blanket when necessary (they live in a slightly colder area than Paul & Trinity.)

The bottom afghan went to Paul & Trinity and was put on the back of their sofa immediately.

I hope they will be used and enjoyed for many years to come.  God bless my mother-in-law, Eleanor, for salvaging these squares and making them into something beautiful!  :)

Loretta