Veteran's Day, My Birthday

Now and then I get the urge to create something red, white and blue.  The table runner at left was a first attempt at quilt-as-you-go strip quilting - made about the Fourth of July. The quilt at right is a jeans quilt I made during a bout of election fever in 2008.

Now, I'm compelled to work with red, white and blue again- this time for the families of the victims at Fort Hood.  I rallied the troops (i.e. fellow quilter friends and friends of quilter friends) and we're going to coordinate our efforts.  I've always wanted to do a community quilt, where different people contribute different squares.  But I'm saddened it will be for this purpose.

So, tomorrow is my birthday.  As a kid, it meant that there was no mail on my birthday so I couldn't get any cards.  As an adult, it has of course, taken on deeper meaning.  But I approach it with a heavy heart knowing some young Wisconsinites were injured or killled at Fort Hood, just a few days after leaving home.  I've talked with people who know families affected by the Fort Hood incident.  On one hand a family rejoices their loved one survived.  Other families greive.  Hard to comprehend how life turns out sometimes.

But I do take solace in the response of the quilting community to the call for quilts.  Confirming once again, the power of the human spirit, commitment and community and (of course) that quilters are the salt of the earth.  Peace.