Special Quilt for a Special Lady

 I made this quilt for my very good friend, Jolane. In early spring, I told her that I wanted to make a quilt for her & wanted her to chose the fabric. She picked the 2 main colours & I chose the cream & solid brown to compliment the brown/burgundy paisley & the brick tone on tone.

 

 The 2 pictures above, show the colour as quite scarlet but it is really more of a brick red. I hadn't worked with this combination of colours before & quite enjoyed watching these colours come together.

 I liked how the cream solid just popped out & enhanced the 2 other colours. This pattern was also fairly easy to sew. 

This is my friend, Jolane & myself. We have been friends for over 35 years & have had a lot of fun times. We have "had each other's backs" through family crisis, losing parents, kids graduating & getting married, grandchildren arriving, shopping trips & tropical holidays. Jolane & her husband, Harv, have been a huge support to us during this past year. I hope she enjoys this quilt for many years to come.

August 15

Have been thinking back to a year ago & remembering the events that happened that week. A year ago, on the 15th, was the memorial service. It was such a beautiful service - honouring two young men, taken too soon. Too soon in my way of thinking. The Scriptures say our days are numbered. The Lord knows the number of our days here on earth. He knows & He is in control. Some days that is easier to accept. Some days I sure do ask "Why?" The Lord knows my thoughts & understands my questions. Sometimes it's hard to believe a year has passed. Sometimes it seems like a bad dream, sometimes like it happened yesterday,  There is so much to think about, it's like a bad movie that goes on & on. The accident, talking to Albert on the phone while he was still at the accident scene, thinking that it can't be that bad, I spoke with Albert, riding to the hospital with my sister, waiting for news, so many details, so much to absorb. 

So many medical appointments for Albert, his injuries, when to help & when not to. 

Knowing that we could not have gotten through the first few difficult weeks without the One that carried us through, the prayers of many, many people who constantly & faithfully upheld us in prayer throughout this past year.

And so, time marches on, some days that is good, some days my thoughts are totally confused. The first year has passed, we have done all the birthdays, the holidays, the one year anniversary. How we all miss both Barry & Zach at family gatherings, it is just so empty, and so we must go on, we must celebrate life, each other, and one day, I'll see Barry & Zach again. In Heaven. And so, I'll take a deep breath, & with the Lord's help, live life each day to the best of my ability, being thankful for so many blessings, loving each of my family members, enjoying the many beautiful things in life.

August 8th

We little knew that morning

God was going to call your names

In life we loved you so dearly

And now we do the same.

It broke our hearts to lose you,

You did not go alone,

For part of us went with you

The day God called you home.

You left us beautiful memories,

Your love is still our guide

And though we cannot see you,

You are both always at our side.

Our family chain is broken

And nothing seems the same,

But as God calls us one by one,

The chain will link again.

August 8, 2013

The day our lives changed forever.

Always in our hearts – Barry & Zach

Deeply loved & deeply missed.

Albert & Lillian Unrau

Allen, Lena, Jared & Brandon Unrau

Chris, Charlotte, Adam, Katie, Carly & Nick Unrau

August 7th

Grey

My life is grey, can't find my way.

All colour is lost, such great cost.

All black & white.

But there is light.

God, you are here, I will not fear.

I'll trust in you, to bring me through.

Paint my life now.

Colour somehow.

Yellow and blue, red and green too.

Make my world bright, renewed and right.

Will it be long, till I am strong?

Show me the way.

Be with me I pray.

***********

Picture painted & poem written by a dear friend.

August 6th

Memories. So many. Each item here represents a part of Barry & Zach's life. One life was 42 years lived, the other 16 years. Both cut short. Both so dearly loved. So many more things could have been added to the table. Just doesn't seem right to sum up two lives to a small display. There is so much  more. So much more can be said.

Zach loved photography. This is the last picture he took that Thursday afternoon. Zach was many things - funny, very smart, ambitious, a deep thinker, and so much more.

This picture was taken of Zach on August 7th, doing what he loved.

So I wonder -where has the time gone, is it really a year? At times, it seems like such a long time ago & at times it seems like just a few days ago, I remember so many things about that day, 

August 8th, 2013, How happy I was when Barry & Zach arrived for lunch, how I hugged them both.

I wonder - Did my Heavenly Father shed a tear when He saw me hug my son & grandson, He knew that it would be the last time, here on earth that they would return my hugs.  

Romans 8:35 -39

His strongest grace is for your weakness moment. His sweetest fellowship is for your loneliest journey. His riches supply is for your neediest hour. His closest embrace is for your deepest sorrow. His brightest light is for your darkest hour.

The above scripture was sent to me from my Aunt Margaret in Ontario. A dear auntie who writes & sends cards on a regular basis.
Friday, the 8th, it will be the one year anniversary date. Time goes on. Life goes on. So many thoughts. So many prayers.
Bary & Zach - missed so very much.

August 5th

Here are a few readings from some of the many cards we received.

I can't possibly share each one. Each card meant so very much as did the personal written words.

********

The Lord knows the pain you feel. the grief you carry, the tears you cry,

the memories you'll cherish, the comfort you'll need, the strength you'll require.

******

Memory is a special place in our hearts where we can find comfort in the treasured thoughts of those we hold dear.

 ******

The gift of love lasts forever.

It cannot wear out or grow old.

It cannot be taken from us.

The gift of love lasts far longer than sorrow,

which is a shadow that will, in time pass like a cloud.

The gift of love

is the true inheritance of our hearts.

We carry it with us every day,

And we pass it on,

just as it was given to us.

 ******

In sorrow we have many questions...

In faith, we have the answer.

 ******

 If God didn't want us to imagine what Heaven will be like,

He wouldn't have told us as much about it as He has.

******

God holds our lives in His hands like precious,

polishing each with challenges, choices & changes.

And in time, we become shining reflections 

of His purpose, of His promise, of His love.

 

August 4th

The Lord makes so many good things happen in our lives that 

we might think He's abandoned us when sorrow comes along.

But the Lord knows when we're hurting and it's then

that He draws closer to us.

In our sorrow, we may not feel His presence,

but that doesn't change His promise to be with us...

and we may not understand

but He doesn't ask us to.

All He asks is that we trust Him.

August 3rd

Sometimes there just aren't any answers,

but what we know is--

God sees each tear, feels every hurt,

understands our need to ask "Why?"

And because of His love for us,

We trust that in time

His comfort & peace will come.

This picture was taken at my mom's 95th birthday party.

Left to right, my three sons, Chris, Allen & Barry.

August 2nd

The Plan of the Master Weaver

Our lives are but fine weavings

That God & we prepare

Each life becomes a fabric planned

And fashioned in His care

We may not always see just how

The weavings intertwine,

But we must trust the Master's hand

And follow His design,

For He can view the pattern

Upon the upper side,

While we must look from underneath

And trust in Him to guide...

Sometimes a strand of sorrow

Is added to His plan,

And though it's difficult for us,

We still must understand

It's He who fills the shuttle,

It's He who know what's best,

So we must wave in patience

And leave to Him the rest.
Not till the loom is silent
And the shuttle cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why -
The dark threads are as needed
In the Weaver's skillful hand
As the threads of gold & silver
In the pattern He has planned.
*****************

The picture below is not a weaving but a quilt that goes together step by step, piece by piece & the back is not attractive due to the raw  seams &  snipped thread. The quilting on each block reveals the beauty of the quilt.  And so it is with this journey of pain - some days are fairly ordinary & some days there's so much pain & the threads get very tangled & the seams don't match & the seam ripper is used to open the seams & then I try again.

What a wonderful God we have - He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts & strengthens us in our hardships & trials.
2 Corinthians 1: 3 & 4

 

And Now It Is August

For the next little while, maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks, I plan to post some memories, some readings, some poems & pictures about my journey of sorrow, sadness, my broken heart & also moments of joy by looking back to August 2013 & on. Right now, I'm not sure how much I'll be able to write from my heart. Some days it may be just a picture, some days some thoughts & some days a poem from a card & some days, some scripture that has been meaningful.

LOVE LIVES ON

The gift of love lasts forever.

It cannot wear out or grow old.

It cannot be taken from us.

The gift of love lasts far longer that sorrow.

Which is a shadow, that will in time,

Pass like a cloud

The gift of love is the true inheritance of our hearts.

We carry it with us everyday.

And we pass it on, just as it was given to us.