Week 41 - Contrary Wife

This week's story was not really about a Contrary Wife (since we did the Contrary Husband in week 33) as about two people who should not have been married.

I had been saving the wavy woven-look print for a basket block, but we haven't had one.  Time to  find a different way to use it.  It is one of the several prints given to me by Sherrye and I really like the energy it has.  I also like how it looks with the floral on black which I had not intended to use in this green and yellow quilt, but it went with the dark green and the light cream and green stripe I had used earlier and will work in the setting I have been working on for the quilt.

Nothing to do with contrariness, this week brings us to my grandmother Mary's birthday.  She was born on June 11, 1901 -- 112 years ago.  Thanks to my father and my sister, I can share this next photo of her to mark this occasion.

left to right:  Anastasia (Aunt Annie), Walentyna (Aunt Val), Grandma (Marya), and Helena (Aunt Helen), four of the seven sisters. Missing are: Pearl who died in 1896 at 6 years old, Veronica (Sister Mary Egidia), and Florence (Sister Mary Charissima)

The photo may have been taken sometime near Mary's wedding day in April, 1924 because the style of the dresses looks so much like dress she was married in, but her sister's is obviously not the same. I wonder if the occasion could have been a bridal shower?

These next few photos are from my personal collection, taken the same day as a couple of the ones I posted for Carl's birthday two weeks ago, at a family gathering in the summer of 1981.  Mary looks the way I remember her in these, with her beautiful, naturally snowy-white hair.

standing: Aunt Tenie, Mary, Cousin Kurt: seated, Cousin Amy, Aunt Florence, and Aunt Bernie

Cousin Roy, Mary, your quilting Aunt Cheryl, and Cousin Dan

Mary, Aunt Florence and Cousin Amy

Dana has no doubt seen these last two, but I wanted to include them since I'm talking about Mary and just posted those older photos of Carl two weeks ago.  Just a few years later, and he looks so conservative.

Everyone is obviously having a good laugh at something off camera in this photo from a family shower at my parent's house in Schaumburg Illinois.

And this is from Dana's parent's wedding- Carl, with my parents and both Faye and Mary.

Happy 112th Birthday, Grandma!