Adel Quilting & Dry Goods Co. calls itself “The Little Quilt Shop on the Prairie” is owned by at least a 4th generation quilter, my cousin Jacque Johnson.

They offer several Block of the Month programs each year–to display a quilt and to break down into monthly steps. Customers come in once a month to pick up the instructions and the fabric for part of the quilt, along with part of a short story that loosely references some of the block names in the quilt.

She was asked to: Host a family dinner – She said yes. Babysit a friend’s kids – She said yes. Organize a fund raiser – She said yes. Play piano at church – She said yes. Make a quick raffle quilt – She said yes. Take a temporary position as a choir director – She said yes. Chaperone prom after party – She said yes. 

If requests came in a written sequence like this, it would be easy to recognize getting in too deep. But, that’s not the way it works. Presented one at a time with days or even weeks in between, these questions all seem like doable or charitable tasks so yes was always the answer that popped out. Sometimes it felt like geese were flying east just to circle and fly straight back west. 

Unfortunately, she was married to a man that always said no. You may not know this but, being married to a No man when you are a Yes woman comes with its challenges. Want to hear a story? 

Moon and Star Blocks

The year was 1994 and Yes had been invited by No to go to the state fair. It was a beautiful evening. They took a ride on the double Ferris wheel, swinging so high the moon and stars seemed just a short reach away. 

I don’t believe either Yes or No expected much of the evening. Maybe that’s why it worked so well. It ended at a George Strait concert where No pretended he couldn’t remember where he parked his car but Yes didn’t believe him, or maybe she just thought it would be fine to sit there together until all of the other cars had left the parking lot. 

Bachelors Puzzle and Crossroads Blocks

Yes was a busy mother of teenagers and No was a bachelor. The choice to not live together but rather just to enjoy each other’s companionship between ballgames and high school concerts was an easy one. So easy it went on for 7 years and included an anniversary trip to the state fair every year. 

One Christmas Eve, No got down on one knee and Yes said – – – – well, she said yes! They were married on the 7th anniversary of their first date. It was wonderful and it was transformative. 

House Block and Heart Blocks

No was used to living alone and it took some gentle nudging to get him to move over enough to let Yes into his space. Because Yes was always saying yes to everyone for everything, No sometimes felt left out or pressured to do something out of his comfort zone (also known as the recliner and TV). After a particularly heated debate on the topic followed by a cooling off period, Yes was fixing supper and not wearing a very happy face. Safe to say that supper may have been a little burnt around the edges that evening. No walked into the kitchen and said, “I am just an old man, stuck in my ways and I know I can be aggravating. Will you forgive me and will you still love me?” – – – – – She said yes. 

Tree applique’

Love is like a tree. The roots go deep and sustain us through the gentle breezes and the brutal winds. The trunk tethers us together while the branches allow us to go our separate ways – – – – even from Earth to Heaven.

Love is like a tree. The roots go deep and sustain us through the gentle breezes and the brutal winds. The trunk tethers us together while the branches allow us to go our separate ways – – – – even from Earth to Heaven.