Aunt Viola

This week Lyn & I made a trip to Walnut Creek, OH for a business retreat.  This was being held about 10 minutes from my Aunt Viola's house.  After a bit of encouragement from Mom, I decided to see if I could get up with her and touch base at least a bit.

Let me just say that it was the highlight of the weekend.  Aunt Viola seems to be doing well and at 80 years of age, was just hired this week full time at her job which she has worked "temporarily" at for several years.  She works at a factory where she does soldering.  It's my impression that she is very good at what she does and the company sees her as a great asset.

Viola spends the week at her daughter Leann's house more than an hour away which is near where she works, and then spends the weekends at her home in Sugarcreek.  It worked perfectly that she got back home on Friday about the time that we had a 2 hr. break.  I went to her house and she showed me around.  Here is the front door which my Dad made the glass inserts for.

From the inside

The light didn't want to cooperate right, but you can still see what a beautiful door it is!

She took me on her elevator down stairs and showed me two quilts that she has been working on for her children.  They are so neatly done.  I found out that she has put these together totally by hand sewing... NO SEWING MACHINE!!  She will have an Amish lady quilt them for her.

This one is called a Missouri log cabin (I think).  It needs borders on it yet.

This one is done and is being marked for quilting.

Her son, Lamar, and his family are living with her in Sugarcreek.  They have 4 young children.  Lamar has his office there at the house, and I was able to talk with him as well for a bit.

I invited Viola to join us for supper at the Der Dutchman, which she readily agreed to, so that gave Lyn & I another hour to talk more with her.  During this time, she showed us pictures of cookies that she decorated this past year.  These cookies were works of art.  The next morning I got a call from her that she had left something hanging on our truck mirror for us.  She mentioned that it was fragile so we waited until we were home until we opened it.  The gift was several of her "left over" cookies.

Look at the details...

This star one made her think of my Dad (her brother).....

My two teenagers wondered if they could eat them.  Ummm....No!  I am planning to preserve them and make tree ornaments out of them.  They will be a treasure to me.

I know that my Aunt Viola has not had an easy life.  There are many, many things that have been hard and disappointing and even things currently that are not as she would like them to be.  However, I was challenged by her ability to find beauty and happiness in life and feel like somehow her creative outlets have helped bring healing and balance to the craziness.  And it was a reminder to me to keep in touch with my aunts & uncles if I am able while they are still with us.  Their lives are rich with experience.