As I sit here grumbling about the early deep freeze mother nature has delivered, Paul is snuggled up toasty warm under his tee shirt quilt.

The other year for Christmas, I made this quilt for him out of a collection of his old t-shirts. Shirts he never wore. Some didn’t fit and none of them had pockets. Now that he wears glasses, pocket tees are essential to tuck the glasses in when not wearing them.

That Christmas morning, I waited eagerly for Paul to open my lovingly crafted gift. When he did, I do believe his first reaction was horror. His precious collectible tees were no more. Marine Corp tees, Semper Fi tees, biker week tees, and biker bar tees – all dissected and neatly stitched into a polar fleece backed quilt. As I recall, he regrouped as he studied the quilt and ultimately showed proper appreciation for my gift.

Whenever the weather turns cold, that quilt comes out. Instead of being abandoned in the closet, these tees have a new life. When he uses the quilt, he can be reminded of the memories that came with them. Yet, if he sees me anywhere near his closet, he calls out, “Leave my tee shirts alone!”