To Courtney with love . . . from Mama Doris

Dana presenting Courtney with the quilt

There were many special items that belonged to our family that we had to sell or give away because they wouldn’t fit in our tiny New York City apartment, but the beautiful, hand-made quilts that were so exquisitely sewn by the women in my life were not among those things that left our side. Those quilts today reside in a cedar chest (that also found its way north) that belonged to my grandparents Dana and N.E. Jones that I remember gracing the front bedroom of their home on Frederica Street in Hartford, Kentucky.

The quilts in that chest were made by various women in my life: my Mommy; Honey, my name for the aforementioned grandmother Dana; and her mother, Grandma Fuqua. The bright colors, the intricate patterns, the purple cross-stitch flowers that adorn some the most beautiful quilts that Mommy made – all of them reside in that cedar chest, awaiting their turn to adorn a loved-one’s bed.

This weekend we gifted one of Mommy’s quilts to Courtney, one of our girls’ – and our family’s – most beloved friends. Courtney has been a part of our family since she and Dana met in the fall of 1999 as two equally-geeky freshmen in the Gainesville High School band. Over the years Courtney

has spent many hours with our family, from days at GHS and Florida State University – to exploring Italy individually with both Dana and Jenni – to standing alongside Jenni as Dana and Nate married in 2014. Equally important Courtney became close to Mommy – or as Dana, Jenni and their friends knew her – Mama Doris. When Larry, Dana, Nate and I were in Italy during Mommy’s birthday in May of 2012 (and Jenni was a Peace Corp Volunteer in the Dominican Republic), Courtney took Mommy to dinner. She has always been there for us.

So, we can’t imagine anyone we’d rather have one of Mommy’s beautiful creations than Courtney – and Brandon, her soon-to-be husband.  We can’t wait to celebrate their nuptials this June – in the gorgeous Colorado mountains. Courtney and Brandon, we love you – and thank you for being a special part of our family!