Leona's Quilt

I've got a favorite blanket.  I've had it since I was about 13.  It's two colors I'm not particularly fond of--yellow and purple.  It's torn.  Tattered.  Stained.  But I'm here to tell you, I'd fight to the death to keep that quilt.

My childhood best friend's grandmother, Leona, made it for me.  She was constantly making quilts.  The day she gave this one to me, she took me into one of the storage rooms she had, which was completely stacked to the roof with quilts, waiting to find a new home.  Her front room always had scraps of material from her cutting thousands--heck,  maybe millions--of small squares.  Every color, every pattern, every size you could imagine.  And she never told me her secret, but I am here to tell you, that old quilt is the warmest blanket I have ever used.

I'd known Leona as long as I can remember.  Growing up, I spent lots of time at her house with my friend.  I knew stories behind almost all of the trinkets she had lining her shelves.  My class picture was included on the wall with those of her own grand kids.  I knew to lookout for her peacocks in the yard. If I was spending the night, I always tried to wrangle my way into the bed in the back bedroom because that room used to be a porch that they turned into a room, and I thought that was awesome.

My absolute favorite Leona story happened a few years ago.  After she managed to high center her car on a median in town, her sons told her it was time to give up her keys.  She told them she was tired from all of the commotion and they could talk about it the next day.  So, as promised, the sons showed up the next day, expecting a fight.  When they arrived, she just handed the keys over.  Bullet dodged, they thought.....until they saw her cruising down the boulevard the next day.  She had gone to the lock smith and had about 5 extra sets of keys made.  The sons, not to be outdone, unhooked her battery cable, sure this would solve the problem.....until they saw her cruising down the boulevard the next day.  When her car wouldn't start, she called the nice young man at the auto shop, who drove over and took a look at it for her.  Talk about resourceful!

This week, Leona will be laid to rest after 92 years on this earth.  She was quite a lady.  And I hope one day when it is my turn to be remembered, I will be seen as even a fraction as warm as Leona was, both because of her personality and those quilts.  May she rest in peace.