Union Unity Quilt

Yesterday was Bill's birthday and he was really happy to see that his Union College magazine had arrived in the mail. (Don't we all get excited when we see a quilt on the cover of a magazine?)

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you might remember when we made our family block for the Union Unity Quilt. It's fun to finally see it in print and we're hoping to visit it in person this summer. Only seven blocks were chosen to be featured in the article, and ours was one!

Here's what Bill wrote:

The square, made by my wife Tina, shows Union has been a big part of my family's life. My father, Ed Craig, was an electrical engineering professor for over 35 years, and growing up, I attended numerous football, basketball and hockey games. Union was home in many ways, and as you can see from the block, my older siblings Stephen and Terry also graduated from Union. In 1979, my father took a sabbatical to teach at the University of Liberia in Monrovia - my mother and I went as well. It was an incredible year, and our appreciation for African culture is the inspiration behind the fabrics in the block's border. Over the years, I have witnessed my father's dedication to the College, as a professor, volunteer, fan and overall member of the Union family. It's my hope that this square, in some small way, serves to recognize his connection with Union.

End of Summer Weekend

Summer is unofficially over. So sad.
We tried to squeeze in some fun to enjoy the long Labor Day weekend.

Bill and I worked on a Craig family block for the Union College 215th Anniversary quilt. The maker hopes to bring together family histories to demonstrate the diversity of the College. Union itself is a huge part of Bill's family history, so the Nott Memorial is pictured in the background of the block. (I used bubble jet set to prepare the fabric and printed directly on it) His father was in the class of 1945, and returned after graduate school to teach there for 35 years. Bill and 2 of his siblings are also alumni. In 1979-80, Ed was a visiting professor at the University of Liberia. Bill attended 8th grade at the American school in Monrovia, where his best friend was the US ambassador's son. Bill and his mother fled the country after the first coup in 1980. Ed remained to finish the term. The Liberian people have held a special place in their hearts, so the quilt block is bordered with African fabrics. Bill and I are happy with the final product and happy that it is done and will be on its way to Schenectady today.

Meet Charlie, my mother's rabbit.
Let me explain. My mother lives in a low-income apartment building for senior citizens. There aren't many "extras," so the Tenant's Association, of which she is the President, tries to raise funds to provide services and entertainment. They have a craft club that meets weekly to make items for their annual bazaar.
One of the ladies received this magazine, probably in February, and encouraged my mother to crochet the bunny on the cover to be raffled at their bazaar. She accepted the challenge, assembled some yarn and started hooking. We knew we were in for trouble when we saw the size of one leg. She persisted, and a bunny started to take shape. Oh My! We can't stop singing the Veggie Tales Bunny Song.

She propped him up in my father's chair and named him Charlie. Wow. We're going to work on his facial features and getting his head sewn on right. (She wouldn't listen to me when I repeatedly told her how, instead she let her friends lead her astray. Kids- I mean Parents- just won't listen!)

We took one last trip to the beach.

I love the late afternoon light.

It seems like lobsters were everywhere this week. We realized Julia and Pete have never had one, so we took advantage of one of the many local restaurants lobster specials. Pete just had fun playing with his. Neither kid particularly liked the taste. The price was right for such an experiment. Now they know.

This was the view from our table.

And the sun went down on another summer.