I have a few nice old quilts around here. It's nice to see that quilts in general are receiving this kind of scholarship and attention. (My great grandmother made most of mine, and wisely, she dated them. They go back to the 1860s). A couple of years ago I asked an old very dear friend of mine if she'd leave me one of her quilts in her will. She did better than that--she mailed it last year and it arrived on my birthday. It's a beautiful one she made back in the days when she was doing a lot of sewing. She's 90 now, and not doing much of that, so I was glad she could part with this--it is precious.

Hey, Rapaire, if Pat's not home an there is snow on the roof and a furnace inside, what's a fellow do in a case like this? Extra fencing practice? Lay carpet? Read a good book?