No Place Like Home...: Anniversary Quilt

WARNING: THIS IS WORDY, THERE ARE PHOTOS BE PATIENT AND READ FIRST :)

I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. Sometimes I dwell on the negative in life and forget how BLESSED I really am!
I have a dear friend that I have been friends with since Kindergarten. She has been a part of my life FOREVER. Later in life we come to find out ,that funny enough, we are distant cousins....like 5th. Does that even count? Our parents are friends and even though she lives in the Washington DC area, we try to visit with each other on her visits to our hometown. Usually we see each other at least at Christmas time, but sometimes twice a year.
Let me back up a bit. She works for the government. (Crazy woman) and for a hobby she designs and pieces masterpieces of quilts. She was home this past summer for a visit and had a private trunk show of her quilts. I was lucky enough to be invited to the show. I am amazed and in awe of the work she does. I am amazed because one, it takes a brilliant mind to design and patience to piece the quilts to the perfection that she shows. I can sew, a very little bit, not well, but it will hold together whatever it needs to. Now give me a hot glue gun and I can conquer the world. Seriously some of her work is so tiny and exact it is amazing!!
Anyway, I was in awe of her work and asked to bring my husband back to her parents home later to see her work. He comes from a family that his Grandmothers and Mother both do old fashioned quilting. Not for beauty, which some are beautiful, but for the simple warmth the quilt provides. So Hubs, appreciates quilting as well as I do. I have been told now that during the show I pulled several out many times to ooh and aah over the design and fabrics. Little did I know I was being "watched" ;)
So Christmas arrives and we plan our yearly visit. I invite her to eat pizza with my family and stay for our yearly chat, gossip and B***tch session. All in good heart. She brings along some of her current projects for us to see. As I said before I love to see her works, so no surprise to see her pack along her quilts. She opens up her bag and proceeds to show us her works. Beautiful!!! Original and unique as well. She opens a quilt in light green and pastel muted colors in what I call a Star design. I am drawn to this design and say how beautiful it is! She states, "This is one I have put a label on." She brings the quilt over for me to read the design. She chuckles, because I have to remove my glasses to read the label.....old age stinks! I read the first few lines and say the dumbest thing. "Seriously?" "Are your serious?" I must look and sound stupid. I am not at a loss of words very often but this dumbfounds me. She laughs and says of course I am serious. The label states the quilt was pieced and made by my friends name, specifically for Hubs name and my name and our last name in honor of our 29th wedding anniversary. Amazed. Simple amazed. Now comes the best part.....photos of the quilt. The pics do not show the beauty of the quilt. I am honored and AMAZED!!
Enjoy the photos and her wonderful work....

Anniversary Quilt