My Neighbor's Gift

Back in December, just before Tyler and Lara came, I realized I hadn't told our dear neighbor lady that Tyler was getting married. When she stopped by one day, I told her the news. She asked lots of questions and seemed genuinely delighted that I had shared it with her.

About a half hour later, she came again. This time, with a gift.

It was a needlepoint that she literally took off the wall of her house and brought over, framed and all! What had once been a birthday present to her brother (she scratched out the writing on the back to him!) was now Tyler and Lara's first wedding gift!

I exclaimed repeatedly how beautiful I thought it was (I genuinely thought so, though maybe said it a few too many times just to make sure she understood me), and that it meant a lot to me that she would give it to them.

This led to nearly daily visits from her. Why? She decided to make the same one for me!

The daily visits were to update me on the progress of it...and, I think, because it gave her a good reason to chit chat, which she loves to do. So I have seen quite a lot of my neighbor these past two months.

Yesterday morning, she started ringing our doorbell very early...so early that we didn't get up to answer the door since we'd arrived home so late from Croatia.

But eventually we answered and it was a good thing we did...because she'd finished the needlepoint for me!

I asked if it was okay if we took a picture together and she giggled and said she'd have to take off her hat to take a picture, which she did!

I wish you could see her craftsmanship - she really has a gift for doing these pictures.

We stood outside for quite a while, admiring her work (she almost never comes inside, even if I invite her)...I'm glad Claire got the camera and captured this because it's just priceless to me.

It's sweet to think that Tyler and Lara will have the same precious gift in their home as we do in ours!