October 12: Mantente caliente!

"Mantente caliente" means "stay warm" in Spanish, something I thought of this afternoon as our temperatures began to drop down into the 30's and I reached for a heavy sweatshirt to wear in our house.   The next few nights are going to be chilly and though we haven't turned on the heat yet, we've got the gas fireplace going and we sleep under three layers of warm blankets and quilts.  

But my mind turned to our friends who are newly arrived from Venezuela.  I had helped them find warm jackets at the local thrift shops but I figured they didn't have much in the way of blankets ---Venezuela is a reliably warm climate and they hadn't arrived here with much ---and the heat in their apartment may not be on yet.  I texted the mother and confirmed that yes, there was no heat and yes, blankets would be very welcome. 

Remembering that we had many surplus blankets and quilts we had used as bedding when John and Dawn and their two boys would come visit prior to their move here, I went to hunt them up.  Indeed, we had plenty to share, including an old but good handmade quilt that Ben's mother had picked up for us somewhere and we had used for probably twenty years.     

I also decided to go ahead and give the two young children in this family some "comfort quilts" I had made especially for kids.  I had expected to donate to a local quilt guild but after meeting these young  newcomers I thought I might gift the quilts to the kids at Christmas.  But today I decided that the time was now!

I find it hard to part with a quilt, even if I know from the start that I'm  going to give it away.  I always feel a twinge of regret as I prepare to send the quilt on its way.  And in the case of comfort quilts, I don't give it to the recipient myself so I don't see their reaction when they receive it.  

But in this case, I did and it was a great treat. The family has a 4-year old and a 1-year old, and the older child immediately began playing with her brother under the two quilts, which was great fun for them and for the adults looking on.  

Then she began looking over all the interesting and pretty fabrics, naming the animals, flowers, and colors she found, exactly how I had hoped a child would do when I planned out the quilt. 

The future of this family does not rest with me, but I'll sleep better tonight that knowing they, too, are warm!  Mantente caliente, my friends!