My Afghan

In graduate school I spent a year in Salamanca, Spain teaching English at the University of Salamanca, studying and working on my Masters thesis. When I returned to the States in 2000, I was in limbo. Most of my classmates had graduated that spring, but I had not been in the country to present my thesis and take the exam. I decided to live at my grandparents’ house, in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, until I could finish up and then look for a “real job.”

This is the house that my great-grandparents built in the mid-1950’s, probably very close the the time when the Cape of Dreams was built. I had many fond memories of that house growing up. When my great-grandmother died in 1988, my grandparents decided to move into that house and convert their house into my grandfather’s photography studio. We had never lived near my grandparents, although we had visited often, but I was looking forward to the chance to get to know them better.

I found a job at the local Hampton Inn where I worked the night shift. It was usually quiet and afforded me time to work on my thesis and study for my exam. I graduated in December of 2000, but I do not have any pictures because I skipped the ceremony.

Since, I no longer had anything to work on at night, I found it hard to stay awake, and I asked my grandmother to teach me to crochet. She had just finished a beautiful afghan, and I decided to make the same one in a different color. Here is the finished product.

Why am I thinking of all of this now? Because I have spent the last two days under that blanket wishing I would get better or die! It has been a while since I have been this sick, and I had forgotten how miserable it is. I have no doubt that I caught this from the little germ-breeders at school, and I have been devising ways to torture them with tests and homework when I get back! I am sore and achy and stuffy. I cannot stop coughing, and I have no energy. I really hope this passes soon. I hope you are doing better than I am.

In the midst of it all, however, I do give thanks to my Grandpa Joe, who has since passed away. That year gave me the chance to get to know him well. I also thank my Grandma Bernie who is still going strong at 87 for taking me and my dog, Freckles the Freak in for the year, teaching me a beautiful craft, and helping me to create this afghan that warms me in my illness.

Happy Homemaking!