Wrapped in Love

The day to present the quilt arrived beautifully. Sue and I made a plan to meet and arrive at Diann's new home together. The others were already there having a tour of the house, and our carefully orchestrated moment began when Sue presented Diann with a box of Kleenex. I said a few carefully veiled words about why I was there. After all, this is a very insular group of women, and it was out of the norm for me to suddenly appear. Diann and her partner, another Sue, know me from past social events, but on this day, I could see a bit of bewilderment about my presence.
Next Dorna and Sue (2) presented the package......
Diann's face says it all......


The very special handdrawn label, signed by all the members of Project DQ.
Diann opens the card containing messages from all of us, and beautiful calligraphy done by Linda.

Here they are, the most joyful, loving group of women........L to R Sue, Dorna, Debra, Diann, Jerre, Sharon, Sue, Linda
Such a happy moment......I am honored to stand with these gifted women.
Jerre presented Diann and Sue with a lovely golden tipped pine to grace their new home.
The afterglow as we all laughed about the big deception.
Sue and I hold the quilt up for one more picture.
Diann enveloped in her gift. She's going to bring it to the hospital when she has her inversion therapy treatments!
Trying to find the words to express the effect this project had on my life is almost impossible but I will try.
I remember exactly where I was the night Sue called me and asked me to teach her circle of friends to make a quilt for Diann. I was driving to LM's on a Friday evening, deep darkness in my soul, and totally exhausted with hiding the grief and the very deep pain which gripped my body and soul. We finished the conversation as I sat in the driveway at LM's. I remember before the call feeling like there was no way I was going to be able to do anything but fall in to LM's arms and sob all weekend. What wonderful man wants to deal with that, I kept asking myself?
By the time we finished talking about a quilt for Diann, to heal and comfort her, I felt so energized and excited and could not wait to get into the house and start planning!
It took about a month after that to schedule our first strategy meeting, and in that time, I struggled with whether or not I had the ability to go through with it all, but once I was amidst the loving energy of these women, I was carried along, and so uplifted. Over the course of the two months or so, I began to feel my body and heart open up, I went to a chiropractor to begin the process of pain relief, then came a series of deep tissue massages, a facial, some counseling, and then meditation classes. Through that time, I felt pain leave my body and lightness and joy return to my spirit. Everything looks different now. I had closed my body and mind in on themselves, and Project DQ, gave me back my life, and the chance to share in something so very special.
THANK YOU, Sue, Jerre, Linda, Sharon, Debra, Dorna, and to Diann and Sue, please know that every stitch in that quilt was taken with love, fun,and healing, all you have given to so many!