A Look at the Beginning – Part 2

I’m hoping you read the first post about our beginnings. This post is a continuation and will focus on Kathy. She’s a bit shy, so I, Leah, will be writing it for her. I assure you I am qualified to do so as her daughter.

Kathy, including step-children, is mom to six and grandmother to eleven. She may be retired from her career, but she is one of the busiest people I know. If she isn’t running after her youngest grandchild, she is quite active with the local American Legion, assisting one of her many siblings,  and until some-what recently, one of the full time caregivers for her mom.

She has been onboard since the beginning. Kathy started by re-learning to knit and crochet. She spent her evening hours making squares while watching TV with her family. Less than a month after Love-Squared became a reality, Kathy’s husband died suddenly. I can’t speak for her too in-depth on this subject, but I think crocheting squares became a task that allowed her to take a mental break while keeping her busy. As the number of squares increased,  she took on the task of putting the blankets together. Kathy can complete at least two blankets to my one.

Kathy’s house became a local drop-off location and is one of the Michigan addresses you all send squares to.  She was receiving so many boxes every day that the mail carrier asked her about them. The mail carrier took some flyers and information to give to her church group. She also suggested that Kathy put a big waterproof tub on the porch and she would just drop the packages there instead of handing them off in person each time. 

Without Kathy and Christie, Love-Squared would have come to an end when my family had to move to Oregon. Her house remains a drop-off and mailing location, she still organizes sorting parties, coordinates with Christie about finished blankets for donation, recruits friends and family to help seam, and gives up a large corner of her garage to house squares and blankets. She hardly ever groans when I come up with a new challenge, which means a lot of work falls on her. We would be lost without her and I can’t thank her enough for taking on an overwhelming amount of work.