A Glorious Garnet Gift

A long time ago, in a Blogiverse far, far away (Xanga!), I met Linda Burklin: a home-schooling, curriculum-designing, blogging, fiction-and-non-fiction-writing, ren-faire-attending, autoharp-playing, knitter-of-beautiful-things and mother-of-many who also, I discovered over time, designed and produced a stunning array of cloaks for her family members and beyond. We have been friends from afar ever since, and have delighted in watching each other’s families grow up. A couple of months ago, my Geneva celebrated her 18th birthday with a trip to Texas (her first solo flight) to finally meet her friend Lucy, who was to graduate that week. It was the first in-person meeting between our families, and was the highlight of Geneva’s year, for sure, to spend actual face-time with people she had grown up seeing only on a glowing computer monitor!

While there, Geneva and Lucy went to a pottery store one day and each painted some pottery. Once hers had been fired, Linda carefully packaged it up (along with some of her special recipe chai mix and a beautiful knitted cotton dishcloth) and sent it to us. What none of us realized is that she also included a surprise. She had secretly created an absolutely stunning cloak for Geneva in a glorious garnet velveteen. I was particularly dazzled by how perfectly it fit, considering it was crafted secretly and without specific measurements. Linda’s talents as a seamstress (as all of her talents!) are superlative!! This is truly a gift that will long be treasured.

Here is Geneva in the Garnet Cloak (aka: Red Riding Hood!)