From Laines Letters: She is discussing her various projects and how they sometimes don't always work out...

"Why do I try to do all these things that I am obviously not very good at? Well, I have noticed that some of the best memories for children are those when their mother or grandmother took the time to make something special just for them. Something that couldn't be bought in a store. For anything created by a mother or grandmother cannot be bought in a store. That is why we hang pieces of quilts or old bits of hand-stitched lace made by our great grandmothers in special picture frames. That is why we save old, handwritten, stained recipe cards. Those items spell love. Love that took the time to create something special.

Today my oldest son was making tuna for our sandwiches. I pulled four loaves of braided bread out of the oven. I heard him remark to his friend that was visiting, "Don't you just love homemade bread?" I smiled. Love makes homemade bread. Love makes a tea cake. Love makes a jumper. Love makes a knitted sweater. Love makes soap. And, oh, love makes a whole lot more that I am looking forward to." Laine

******************************************************************* A few years ago I made all of my kids a quilt for their beds. Just scrap quilts, using whatever I had on hand. Now I llok at them and they are so funny! The squares don't match up, and the kids picked the design and fabric, but they wont go to sleep at night unless I tuck their quilt around them. Because they know their Mother made them with love! So don't mind the failures, they just teach you what not to do!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 21, 2002

Answers

My boys have afghans and quilts made for them by their great- grandmothers and grandmothers. I know they will mean more to them and to their kids than the outfit that cost $50 (for a BABY, mind you!) that a relative sent.

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), February 21, 2002.