A Patchwork Quilt for "Gracey-Blue"

This patchwork quilt has quite a story to tell - a history if you will.



I certainly had no idea where it would end up over the years. It is over nine years ago that she sat in my office. A young frail woman, smiling cautiously as she prepared to leave treatment - having successfully completed 2o days of in-patient treatment for substance abuse. My office, always welcoming, safe, peaceful, a haven for those who sought refuge and understanding, love and new life. My office was a gathering place - for clients and co-workers. There were times at lunch that folks had to stand because there wasn't enough space. We hid for a while in huddled love and shared food to gain balance and strength to continue our work of serving those in need. Some days I would run small therapy groups in my office and the "work" they did in the intimate peaceful setting always left me humbled by their courage.

This day,in late 2000, she sat in the high backed chair - holding the patchwork quilt close to her. She shared that her grandmother made it for her and that she took it with her every where. As she moved on from the treatment setting she would be going to a "Sober House" for women. She feared that the quilt would get stolen. She asked if she could leave it with me and that in time, less than a year she was sure, she would have her own place and then bring her quilt she loved so much "home".

That was over nine years ago. Unfortunately she is one of the casualties of the devastating disease of addiction and a cold statistic representing so many who die from this disease. Her quilt was draped over that high-backed chair where she once sat holding it. And there it stayed as a comfort and security for thousands of other people choosing to be in treatment and who sat on that very quilt sharing their "truths" their "it's" with me. That quilt has heard it all- it holds their pain, their joy, their hope and courage, their faith, their love, their losses, their struggles and their successes - their lives are in the very fiber of the quilt you see pictured above.

As my life changed and I was in my office less and less due to my illness I brought the quilt home. I have it draped over my vanity chair as a cushion of sorts and comfort as I primp in the morning with my hair and make-up. And then we came to know of "Gracey-Blue" - our new adorable puppy. A rescue pup -on a transport bus from Arkansas today!. She was abandoned in the woods with her litter-mates and found wet and cold and raw with flea bites she scratched. She has been nurtured by a wonderful foster family along with her litter mates. They called her "ICY", we re-named her, "Gracey-Blue".


This is a picture of "Gracey-Blue" formerly known as "Icy"....... how cute is she? And so the patchwork quilt is being bestowed to Gracey-Blue to comfort her and keep her warm and snugly here, in her forever home. She is a golden retriever and husky mix and is three months old and she has beautiful bright ice- blue eyes. We are meeting her at the 'drop off' on Saturday morning with lots of other folks who are adopting rescue dogs. We are SO excited. Every time Skipp and I look at her pictures we both fill up with tears of joy. :-) I will post next week after she arrives and include pictures of her here, happy, with us. "YAY!!!!

Who ever knew that the patchwork quilt would become a warm comfort for an abandoned puppy - seems it's purpose and meaning hasn't changed all that much over the years. It is still providing safety and comfort, warmth and security and is being given with love.......yes, LOVE