A surprise in the mail

There are a few surprises which one typically comes home to after a long vacation, some unpleasant item forgotten about in the fridge or an overgrown garden, or the odd changes to the neighborhood that have happened while you are away.

We came back from vacation f

acing overanxious dogs, a garden full of weeds, a line of neighbors wanting to hear about our (particularly Bella's) travels over the last couple of weeks, and of course a stack of mail. There was the typical pink card from the post office notifying us of a package that had arrived while we were away, and required one of us to head down to the Post Office

during regular business hours and pick it up. Laura finally got around to that today, getting there just before closing. We had no idea who it was from, or what it could be until we got the box back at the house since there was no indication on the notice.

When I came home, Laura told me that she had a chance to get to the PO today and pick up our package and that it was still in the car. She left it for me to open since it had a Point lookout, New York return address. I kind of had an idea who it was from since my friend Mush back home did send me an e-mail asking for our address a few weeks ago, but when I opened the box and saw the meticulous packing, I was sure. Words cannot describe the feeling that came over me when I made my way through the box and unfolded the quilt.

It looks as if Mush spent a lot of time thinking about this with her choice of fabrics and designs trying to capture nearly everything from my life that influenced me in choosing the name Bellatrix.