The Mail that Made me Cry

Over the last couple of months, I’ve created a snail mail friendship with a blog reader Annie.  I love getting letters from her.  She is a kind soul and a kindred spirit.

She is often writing about the antics of her goats.  I grew up with goats and just love them.  Outside of a dog, I am sure they are my favorite animal.  She is so sweet and often sends me pictures and stories about them.

Annie lives on an island in Washington state and I completely romanticize what life would be like there.

We regularly exchange notes…mine is usually a thank you card for something sweet Annie has done for me.  Her notes are letters that are wonderfully chatty sharing her life.  I feel like she would be the best neighbor!

Anyway…this time, Annie sent a box-only I didn’t know it came.  I have a little story that goes with it all.

At the time it came, I was sorting out childcare things and had a big pile of boxes and bags near the door that goes to the garage.  Remember I was giving a bunch of stuff to the gal that is opening a childcare?  There were boxes and boxes and I was adding to the pile as the day went on.  Gannon was here and he was playing as I was sorting.

Kalissa called and asked if Carver could get off the bus here.  I said sure.  Carver came in from the bus as I was digging the cabinet to get out the cereal as with tradition, the minute Carver gets in the door, he wants a bowl of cereal.  I didn’t see Carver come in the door.  I just yelled hello and went getting the cereal asking how his day was and reminding him to hang up his stuff.

Carver ate and I continued sorting.  Little did I know that Carver had carried a box into the house that the mailman had left in the garage.  The box got put in the pile and I didn’t notice it.

The pile stayed by the door and two days later over the weekend, I decided to sort through the art cabinet and give the gal some things.  I did that and then decided that I could put all of the stuff in the spare garage bay and not have it sitting in the house.  It was then that I realized there was a box in the mix that was actually my mail.  It was a box from Annie.

I opened it.  There was a quilt inside.  I didn’t really look at it.  Instead, I looked for a letter and of course, there one was.  I read it and started crying.

Oh, my word.  Annie made a quilt for me!  Here it is hanging off my quilt hanger at the front of my house.


Annie knew I hadn’t been feeling well during Bonnie Hunter’s mystery clues and often I do make Bonnie’s mystery quilt so Annie followed along, did the clues, and then gave the quilt to me.  SERIOUSLY, can you believe that?

Annie said she didn’t follow the final layout.  I had to laugh as I would have not followed it either.  I hate sewing on-point settings and I hate sewing sashing with on-point settings.  Annie’s quilt is perfect for me!!


Aren’t the colors amazing??

I love the colors…love the prints!


I was like a little kid playing eye spy with their quilt!  Look at the little cows and the moon.  It just made me smile!


Check out the pigeons…

…the pumpkins.

I can’t believe Annie did all this work for me.  Seriously.


Last week I was on Bonnie’s blog and gave Rhododendron Trail another look and almost bought the pattern but didn’t.  The appeal of making it kind of fizzled out being I wasn’t going to be doing it with everyone…and LOOK, Annie made me one.

Just look at all the work that went into it. I love the flying geese on the border.


..and I found doughnuts.  Just precious.

Annie wrote saying she prayed for me while she made this…ah.  How blessed I am.


Annie also told me that I could pass it on if I wanted.  NO!  I am not passing this on.  It’s becoming my new go-to couch quilt.


Annie sent a picture in her letter of one of her goats inspecting the quilt…
It’s just precious!!

My mom had Nubians, the goat breed you see here with the floppy ears.  Mom’s were mostly brown though.

I had to take a picture of the quilt with my inspector…Rosie.


Annie…I can’t thank you enough.  This is so precious and one of the best gifts I’ve ever recieved.  Rosie and I are going to snuggle under it and get LOTS of stitching done, and while we do, we’ll be thinking of our friend Annie, on the island with all of her goats…who has the biggest, kindest heart.  Thank you, Annie.  Rosie and I just love it!!