A really special gift and a thank you

I adore my Mother-in Law. (FIL too) Ann - Grandmother to all of us now - is just a very special person. She is a woman of faith. She is a caring mother and grandmother. She welcomed me into her home and life when I was really young. She has set an incredible example of being a Christian in all areas of her life. She has loved all of us through good times and bad. Through sickness and health. Through newborns and teens - and now as many of these grands are young adults- she is loving us through all of that. Through death and other challenges. Through good decisions and real screw ups. There is Grandmother - loving, supporting, and praying.

We love her too.

After 27 years, she knows me well. So instead of tossing this box into the trash, she brought it to me for my birthday. (She also brought scrapbooks for my "real" gift.) The fact that she knows me and thought of me with this is the most special gift of all.

Its vintage. Imagine buying Hallmark brand cards at a dollar for 21 of them.

I took the lid off and found this. I can't find a date anywhere on it. But its an almost complete transfer pattern. The is even carbon paper and part of an old receipt in the box with a tracing of the piece missing. (Ann - was this in Mama Norvan's or Grandmother Simpson's stuff?) The small piece that has been traced is the piece missing from the pattern - so it must have been a favorite.


After that layer was more stuff. A free sample for the "new" Taster's Choice freeze dried coffee. Floral hankies, Linen hankies, thread. A really fun and sentimental box.


But wait ... it isn't floral hankies... IT"S AN



APRON - hand stitched ribbon trim. Made from several hankies. The pleats are hand stitched down on the ruffled ones at the bottom. Just look at the color and pattern. Ann said she remembered making something similar in Bible School as a child. This will definitely have a place of honor in Maggie Grace world.



One linen hankie (green) is trimmed in off white crochet. One has the ball of thread attached and is a WIP (yellow and has the varigated ball attached). One is a pale periwinkle color. I would love to finished for my girls to carry as old or blue in a wedding someday. And that wasn't coffee - it is a jar of salvaged vintage buttons. Carefully snipped and collected over time.

Question for ya'll - do I dare try and finish the yellow WIP one???

How much fun was this as a gift?

Ann - I love you and I am blessed to be your daughter-in-love. I am even more blessed that you have allowed me to be your friend. Thank you for getting to know me and I am so happy that we have NEVER had any of the MIL/DIL thing going on. You have made me feel like one of you from the very beginning. I love, respect and appreciate you and G-Daddy so much.
Teresa

Hope everyone has a good weekend.