Connecting with our Roots

I think it's so important that we, as young-ish women and young-ish wives, have role models and make connections with people who happen not to be in the exact same age bracket.

And, like many things, this starts in our own families.

Of course, that's easier said than done, especially now that families tend to be farther apart geographically. I have relatives from Pennsylvania to Colorado to Tennessee. Connecting with far-flung family is a tricky thing, and if you're not intentional about it, can easily get pushed to the back recesses of your mind.

I'm a forgetful type of person. I never remember that we have extra shoelaces in the drawer in the back bedroom. And now we have lots of extra shoelaces in the back bedroom, because I never remember and always buy more.

That forgetfulness extends to relationships, unfortunately. If I don't have someone right in front of me, I don't remember to connect with them. Thankfully, I've been blessed with a few dear friends who know that if I don't call, it's not because I don't care- it's just because I forgot.

But just because that's the way I am doesn't mean that's the way I'll always be. Putting on a new self and all. It just takes some work, some prayer, and some grace.

With family far away, I have to be very intentional in order to maintain relationships. So, as silly as it seems, I schedule it. I actually write down, on my calendar, when I'll be making phone calls, and to whom.

Connect with your roots! (Terrible pun, but just go with it.)

And if you're not sure about what to talk about?

I'll be honest, I run into dry spells in conversation, too, especially with my grandparents. I don't really have a very interesting life, and hearing about Bingo again isn't necessarily relationship-building. Don't get me wrong, just making time for one another matters quite a bit, and the Bingo stories can be pretty funny.

Sometimes I plan "I was just thinking" calls- when I call and ask a question. Usually with my grandma, I ask about a recipe. My aunt is a dental hygienist and a great shopper, so I ask her about gift ideas or any tooth-related questions. You get the idea.

Generally, when I call to ask a question, the conversation shifts into something more. If I call to ask about a casserole that freezes well, my grandma may tell me about when she made a particular recipe for a cousin of mine when she had a baby... and then we're talking about caring for those in need, the struggles of raising newborns, and how that cousin's baby is now in Kindergarten and lost a tooth the other day.

Creating community is important, but it's also vital for us to nurture the community we already have!

Community and Heritage and Friendship and Love

It's Quilt Week over here at the Happy Life!

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Oh yes, oh yes. The girl who doesn't really quilt is having a Quilt Week. Bear with me.

Like most camps, we do a couple of fundraisers throughout the year. The biggest event we do is the annual Quilt Auction. People (and churches, and quilt groups) donate quilts, and we do a big live auction.

It is so much fun. Seriously. If you ever have a chance to go to a quilt auction (lots of camps do them), you should go. The atmosphere is so great, and it's amazing to see the talents of the wonderful quilters, and auctions are just plain fun.

I always break out my "501 Quilt Blocks" book after the auction and dream about all the intricate quilts I'll make... of course, not even thinking about the fact that I have trouble sewing a straight line. It's a lofty goal.

Anyway.

I really do like quilts, despite my own sorry lack of sewing, measuring, cutting, and piecing talent. Quilting sort of hits on a bunch of my interests- do-it-yourself projects, frugal living, keeping history alive, heritage, and creating beautiful things.

My mother-in-law stopped by to view the quilts we were auctioning off, and it came up in conversation that she has a quilt from great-grandma, one that's still in progress.

Apparently, Zeke's great-grandmother began piecing it, and left it to her daughter-in-law- dear, sweet Grandma who had quite an artistic hand. Grandma did a bit of work on it, too, but she really preferred painting to quilting, and she didn't finish it either. Zeke's mom has worked on it only a little, too, so it sits still unfinished in a safe spot in the attic, waiting another generation to finally finish it up.

It's these types of stories that make quilts so interesting- the history behind them, the hands that put them together. Generations come together to work on something practical and beautiful. It's about community and heritage and friendship and love.



What family heirlooms or traditions exist in your family? How do you honor them?