Grandma Day

My sister Ronda lives about a mile away...and her granddaughter, Memphis, lives on the same road. We have an accidental tradition of doing something fun with "our girls" the week between Christmas and New Year's.

The way the world works -- their parents have to get back to work that week -- and -- hey -- WE ARE RETIRED. And, therefore, we have the time to spend...and we are DElighted to do it.

One year, we took them to the Discovery Center in Clinton, Iowa. Afterwards, lunch at the McDonald's playground...

This year, on a cold, bitter day -- we all ended up at Ronda's house. Memphis and Lillian picked out enough squares of flannel fabrics to make their own ragged edge blankets.

First of all, I must explain Ronda's particular "stash" mentality. I collect pithy t-shirts. My sister Ronda collects flannel fabrics. SHE LOVES THEM.  And, like all collectors, the joy is in the HUNT.  Ronda is the first one at JoAnn Fabrics at 5:00 AM on Black Friday, but the shopping goes on year around.  She discovers every 50% off coupon -- and prides herself on never paying more than $4 per yard.

She brings the flannel home, washes it, dries it, squares off the edges, then rotary cuts every bit of it into 12"squares.  She sorts it according to two major categories:  color and theme.  Then she stores the squares in clear plastic tubs.

For example, there are many "baby girl" tubs...and just as many "baby boy" tubs.  Then, there is an outdoor/green tub, and an outdoor/brown tub...some common themes might be:  solids, stripes, (all according to color); butterflies, animals, polka dots,  tie-died, pigs (own a place of honor and fill many tubs), horses, cows, dogs, fishing...well, you get the idea.

Rhonda can whip up a large ragged edge blanket in just a few days.

Sometimes, she puts them together just to have on hand...waiting for the right occasion or recipient...

But, most of the time, she is making a quilt for a specific new baby or birthday present for a friend or a grandchild...

Her signature is always one lone PIG square on the back of the blanket.

I

Lilly had a lot of butterflies and pastel colors.  I didn't have my camera with me at Ronda's house -- but Memphis picked out mostly polka dots -- and lots of brown squares...

Lilly is pointing to the ONE square that is not flannel -- but, rather -- a t-shirt that I cut up to put in her blanket.  She was not thrilled with this design change...