She is now learning to do a lot of crafts, including beautiful crochet work. She recently said, “I want to learn how to make a quilt.”

We went to visit one of my neighbors, Agnes Kissinger, to see her beautiful quilts. Kristina was so thrilled, so inspired. Agnes learned to piece and make quilts as a young girl, of 13 or 14. Agnes’ work is so precise and beautiful. She has recently made each of her seven grandchildren a quilt. She even hand-quilts each one with perfect stitches, so they’re true works of art.

Agnes remembers the dust storm of the ’30s very well — “like it was yesterday.”

“Mom and dad never both went to sleep at the same time, they took turns all night long hanging wet towels and sheets over the windows to keep the dust from smothering us kids as we slept.”

Then another neighbor, Aliene Brunner, gave Kristina some scraps and pieces, great for quilts. Aliene, also an Army wife for years, said, “Oh yes, I’ve sewn those military patches on. I know.” She also has made lots of quilts and cozy comforters for the family and baby quilts for the grandchildren. After her husband’s retirement from the military, they traveled for five years. “I done lots of crocheting then.”

Thanks again, Aliene and Agnes, for sharing and for helping.

It’s so great to see our young people carrying on old skills. Our younger generation’s skills and accomplishments are often overlooked these days, as the news media zeros in on the bad and ugly.

Thanks so very much, now, and God bless one and all.

— Aunt Norie, P.O. Box 265, Tonganoxie 66086; auntnorie@bdc.net.