Great Memories with Betty

 One of my very best friends, Betty, will soon be taking her final trip to heaven. She was one of the very first people I met when we moved here 57 years ago, and we quickly became friends. Here we are three years ago.



We have so much in common - gardening, sewing, handicrafts, faith. There were a few times in our lives when we didn't see each other very much, but in the past few years, we've been trying to fix that. Quite a few years we spent one evening a week together working on projects.

Here are a few memories of fun things. Of course there are a lot more where pictures were not taken. In 1983, we each had so many crafty projects we'd started that we decided it was The Year To Finish Things- TYTFT. We even made t-shirts, and believe it or not, we both worked at finishing things and didn't start a single new project all year. We did finish quite a few.

In 2001, we did two big projects together. She helped me clean out and sort my "potting shed," which had been a chicken coop.

We did get it all put away again. Betty said, "Joan, that was a LOT of stuff!"

Also that summer (maybe we agreed to each choose one big project to do together), she said, "I want to make a pocket quilt [technically a comforter]. Bring your sewing machine in. We'll work together and it won't take more than a couple of days."

Ha! We've joked about those "couple of days" ever since.

We cut up donzens of pairs of old jeans. I used pockets from each of our boys and some of the foster kids, and Omer, and me. The corners have flannel in them. We each traded a few pieces of fabric. She has 4 girls and I had 3 boys, so it's easy to remember who donated which pieces. Here's my first square, done.

Here is my quilt, almost done (with V-8 Kitty on it). I think I still had to put some of the edging on.

The finished quilt still lives in my car. It's very heavy- almost too heavy to sleep under, but it is great for extra padding. I just used it on the Sheltowee hike under my mat. And it is great for memories of all the boys.

Did we ever finish all the projects? Heck no. But sometimes just working on things is great fun, a learning experience, a social experience, or therepy. She did gorgeous hand embroidery.

In other news- Well, I went to say goodbye to Betty- she has gone downhill quickly and was not conscious. She has a large family with the 4 "girlsies," grands and great-grands. She's been with her husband Roger for 12 years, after Sam died in 2010. Both relationships have been wonderful. If you believe in prayer... say one for Roger and the family if you would.

I shopped, I voted, I went to bell practice.

See An Evening with Betty