You may remember that yesterday, was my mom's birthday. Below is the bouquet she received . . . they did do a great job! Not *exactly* like the picture, but close. And most importantly, my mom loved them! They do look like Spring, don't you think?
So, it being an important family member's birthday and all, I got to thinking about my family and my ancestors and those who made me, well, me. I just happen to have pictures of both sets of my grandparents to share . . .
This is my Grandma Willie and Pop-pop, my dad's parents. Pop drove the back end of a hook and ladder truck for the District of Columbia's fire & rescue before he retired. Then he honed a tin can craft which was wonderful. These two were camping adventurers; they had a travel trailer that they would take out west and stay for months at a time. I loved traveling and camping with them! Our family went with them to Mexico several times, and I traveled with them to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on one trip, and to Ireland on another trip. They were wonderful, loving grandparents.
This is my Grandma and Grandpa Wadleigh, my mom's folks. Aren't they a handsome couple? Dr. Cecil H. Wadleigh worked for the Department of Agriculture and is published. They were both terribly good cooks, although when he retired from the government, he moved into the kitchen (from which she promptly retired)! I get my love of kitchen gadgets from him. They were so sweet with each other. I believe this portrait was taken around their 50th wedding anniversary. Grandma Wadleigh was a member of all kinds of things like the
Daughter's of the American Revolution and
The Mayflower Society and several other such groups. She was also a quilter!
Interestingly enough, from both my sets of grandparents (and both my parents, accordingly), I inherited a legacy that traces back to the Mayflower. Pop Fowler and Grandma Wadleigh both had ancestors that made that harrowing trip from England and made a life in what would become these United States of America. Pop and my dad trace their lineage back to William White, father of Peregrine White (the only baby born on the Mayflower who survived). My Grandma Wadleigh and my mom have a whole slew of folks--at least eight lines--that they can trace their lineage back through! Most notably, Priscilla Mullins, John Alden, and Miles Standish.
Both my mom & dad are very active in
The Mayflower Society, and they gifted each of their four daughters with membership, as well, several years ago. I hope to be able to do the same thing for my children sometime down the road, if they're interested. And now, with a grandson due any time now, I hope to be able to share our Mayflower history with him some day, too!
Hang in there with me; I'm coming back to quilting . . .
All of that to say that someday, I'd like to take this beautiful picture of the Mayflower, from
Best Scale Models.com, and do a landscape quilt from it.
Choppy seas, gulls and all . . . except not with that other ship in the background. I've dreamed of trying my hand at a landscape quilt for a while (add that to the list of all the quilts I want to try my hand). Though, this one is certainly not the place to start! I've seen online classes for landscape quilts at quiltuniversity.com. That's probably where I'll start. Anyone else out there have any experience, advice, etc., about doing a landscape quilt? For now I'd best just finish up that baby quilt!
Ships ahoy!
:)
