Wednesday Treasures

This Anhinga was cooling off in the pond this morning.  

I've been a bit sloth to post here lately...it's been too hot to spend much time outside...haven't been out on the kayak because of the heat, and it seems as though the birds and the other wild things have gone into "hibernation" as well, probably also because of the heat.  After all, it is the middle of summer in Florida! We do still take our early morning walk and an evening walk, but even then the humidity is enough to take your breath away!  And so I am taking my cue from the critters and staying inside and out of the hot, sultry, muggy summer weather.   Even my poor geranium plants that were on the front porch had to come inside to escape the heat. I am trying to save them, but I hope I am not too late!

This red one looks pretty sad.

And so I decided to do something a little different today.  I think it would be fun if others of our friends wanted to do this as well...pick a day of the week to share your special collections, hobbies, things that are extra special to you. Some of you do this already in your regular posts and we always enjoy seeing the things that you love to do or things that are particularly special to you.  I know many of us are at the stage in life where we are trying to "downsize" and eliminate extra "baggage" of so many things.  When we moved last summer I honestly tried to do that. But I am afraid I did not make a very big dent in the accumulation of 50+ years of marriage.  So much of what we have has been given to us through the years by family members, good friends, and just "stuff" that we enjoy having.  Trust me, I know all too well that it is all just "things", and that we can't take it with us.  I also know the Bible verses so very well:  

Matthew 6:19-21

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, 

where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 

where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I am trying to live by that truth, and pray that God knows my heart that these things are only temporary.  Quite frankly, I am greatly looking forward to the day that I can leave this world and leave all the stuff and cares behind. But in the meantime, since I already have all these things, (and I am definitely not trying to add to these collections), why not enjoy them and share them with others  so you can enjoy them along with me?  

All that being said, today I wanted to share some special quilts with you. No, I did NOT create these lovely quilts. These were all gifts in one way or another...some are handmade, some are not.  I'll share the history as we go.  So sit back, get a cup of tea or coffee, or iced tea or lemonade since it is so warm, and let's enjoy the show!

This quilt block is probably the oldest "quilt" that I have. 

Here is the description  on the back, in my mother's handwriting:

What is interesting to me is that it was made by my paternal grandmother Elva Hill Mursch's "grandmother", Grandma Benner

However, my Grandma Elva Mursch was adopted as an infant, and this "grandmother" was really her adoptive grandmother.  I am still in the process of researching my grandmother's birth parents, and will write another story about that someday.  But I have to keep in mind, this "Grandma Benner" was the only grandmother my grandma ever knew.  She never knew her birth parents or grandparents. This framed quilt square is a family treasure.

Now, this quilt is a store-bought quilt, but it is still very lovely. It was given to me by a friend years ago, and I love to use it on our bed.

These next few pictures are from a lovely quilt that was actually created especially for us by some of our church ladies at one of the churches where my husband served as Pastor. So that makes it another very special gift quilt.

I forget what they called the pattern...maybe you will know. Every square is a different quilt pattern.

Now this is another special "treasure" quilt. My father actually created this

"Tumbling Block" wooden quilt, and gave it to me for Christmas one year. He made one for each of his children that particular year, and each one was a little bit different color. I think you could call this an original "Barn Quilt", since it is made of wood and each side of the "block" is a different piece of wood.

Now, this is another special quilt, especially made for me by my good friend Paula.  It is what I call my "nap quilt", as I use it to cover me when I lie down for an afternoon nap. 

I love the bold colors and design. It is just the right weight to keep the chill off when napping.

Now moving into the guest room...Here is my hubby's grandmother's  antique sewing machine, where she used to sew many dresses for her four daughters, as well as make many many quilts. (Although I believe all of her quilts were hand sewn)

This is one of "Nanny Martin's" hand made quilts. She made a quilt for each of her grandchildren and gave it to them when they got married. This is ours. You can read more about this quilt HERE and HERE.

And this is "Nanny Martin", my husband's maternal grandmother. I am so thankful that I was privileged to know her before she passed away. She was indeed a very special woman.

As I said above, this is her Singer Sewing machine,

And these jars are filled with some of her buttons and wooden spools of thread.

Below is a Wedding Ring Quilt that I was blessed to purchase from the estate of a former member of one of our churches. It is a very old hand stitched quilt as well:

I have it on the foot of this bed in the guest room, where it can also be used as a "nap quilt".

The quilt on the wall is actually a vintage tablecloth that was quilted by the sister of a dear friend of mine who has since gone to be with the Lord. You can read more about this quilt HERE.

These cute little guys are sitting in an antique chair that belonged to "Nanny Martin". The tapestry blanket is not necessarily old, but it was a gift from my mother...

There is a portrait of my paternal grandfather's mother, so she would be my paternal Great-Grandmother Mary Vogt Mursch.  She passed away when my grandfather was only about 12 years old, after bearing at least six children, two of which did not live past age two. My great-grandfather remarried and had one more child with his second wife. 

This lovely black and white "lap quilt" on the dresser was created by my friend Paula! She actually made this for my mother in law, and when my mother in law passed away I asked our friend if she would like to have it back, but she declined and so it came to me.

This lovely cross-stitch was lovingly created for me by a dear friend many years ago.

Proverbs 17:17

"A friend loves at all times..."

These two little bears were gifts from my sister Doris.  And yes, it is true:

"Sisters are the beary best!"

This pillow is very special.  The embroidered design was done by "Nanny Martin", and I created it into a pillow for my husband's cousin Janice for her birthday, as Nanny Martin was also her grandmother, and Janice used to always have poodles.  You can read more about her story here: 

This little picture on the wall in the guest room is kind of special:

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow...

Don't walk behind me, I may not lead...

Just walk beside me and be my friend."

Albert Camus

I will close with that thought.  I hope that you have enjoyed this little walk through my quilts and memories.  I do hope that you will share some of your special "treasures" with us in the near future. It is such fun to share these things with others. Since most of you will never come here to stay in my guest room, and I probably won't ever get to visit you and your home, this is one good way to share our special "treasures" with one another.  I do hope you will, and be sure to let me know when you do!!

Okay, it's time to go crawl under my "nap quilt" and take a little nap! See  you later!