People seem to really enjoy the memory of seeing my snowquilts in Turner Park at Midtown Crossing. I know that I enjoyed making them! Now, 6 years later, it would be much harder to work on a ground of unmarked snow, due to many more residents using the park, which is great!

Here is something I wrote on 2-27-2013:

Today, I’m thinking about my snowquilts in Turner Park, and the whole process of that.

If I had a blog, I could write about the various thoughts and challenges in a day to day posting. That would be as much FUN as the snowquilt making! Writing and making are 2 of my favorite activities.

If I had a blog, I would post things like:

How Mom sent me the New Zealand snowquilts link by e-mail, and how the security guard knew about those when he walked over to see what I was doing.

How I was inspired one January morning in 2013 to try it in Turner Park.

How the temperature was 7 degrees and it took 5-6 hours to do the 9 patch blocks (the easiest I could think to do) in the 2-3 inches of snow.

How I used my feet to push, stomp and shove the snow where I needed it to go AND my hands to pick up big balls of snow to put into people’s footprints (because I wanted white in that space).

How I didn’t realize how cold I was until I came inside and the skin on the back of my legs was bright red and very cold. Flannel time!

How the activity was the most fun I’ve had in ages.

How I meditated while doing it, liking that it was a solo activity.

How it felt like I was in one of those garden mazes—reflective, tranquil.

How I would have gone on longer, but I was SERIOUSLY worried that my leg muscles would be too sore the next day (they weren’t; I’m actually in pretty good shape, I guess!).

How Marty and Sue were visiting that day, but away at the Med Center all day, and I felt the freedom to blissfully go out in the snow. Sue especially was so happy to see the snowquilt when she got back that evening.

How Dan was so surprised by it because he was out of town.

How Mom enjoyed it, staying here after chemo treatments for a few days, and we got to see how it changed as it melted.

How Karen and others didn’t know when I posted the pic on facebook that it was in Omaha, and in Midtown Crossing, and that I was the one who did it, HA!

If I had a blog, I would post, with pictures:

How in Feb., when our next snowstorm was forecast, people were asking “Are you making a snowquilt?” and “If you do, let me know because I want to photograph it.” I didn’t want to disappoint, so when the snow came, I bundled up and got to work, making the “Snowball” block.

How this snowstorm dumped 8 “, which was much more difficult to clear.

How I worked for a couple of hours and had to take a break, exhausted and cold.

How then, when I’m studying it from our 8th floor view, I see a dog and its walker going right through my squares! Then another one and I was so annoyed!

How it occurred to me that the people RIGHT IN THE PARK do not see the quilt. I can’t even see what it is when I’m in the park working. But, I still thought to myself, they do have 90-95% of the park to walk in. And THEN, it occurred to me that this is all part of the process, of the fun gift I have from our Creator, to go out there in good health and vision, and make something. Then to see how it changes as people enjoy the snow and the park in their own way. A child even made a snow angel on top of one of my blocks!

How this activity is physical, spiritual, and intellectual because I have to measure the blocks with my feet (one giant step equals 3 ft.) and decide the pattern with my brain and when one idea doesn’t work out, switch to another.

If I had a blog, I would write and post pictures of:

How 3 days later, I wake up at 5 AM and go out in the dark crispness, to add a few more “stitches” to the making of this snowquilt. It’s just the security guard and me. When I ask him how he’s doing, he says, “Tired.”, and I know it’s nearing the end of his all night shift. The ground is frozen now, and so is the snow that I have to remove. So, I attack it aggressively and can not get down to the grass completely.

How later in the day, the sun is out, and I figure it’s my opportunity to finish the morning’s start. The park maintenance guy (who smiled and joked with me in January, while I was working, that “It’s going to melt!”) said “You need a shovel”. We didn’t keep our snow shovels when we moved to the condo, so I replied, “Yes, do you have one?” He did, and he loaned it to me for an hour, which really helped.

How I wonder which floors of the condo development can actually see it. Can the 2nd, or 3rd floor residents see it, or only the higher floors?

How it entertains and captivates me, to see this design in the park, under various light conditions, day and night.

How 5 days after beginning “Snowball” I’m wondering if I should continue to add to it. Is it worth my time?

How a part of me wants to see it extended at least all the way across the park, north to south, and a fantasy of mine is to have it fill the whole park, like a blanket.

How I contemplated the possibility of doing this in an open field in the country where no one was likely to walk through it, but then, no one would be able to see it either.

Shirley

A couple of my other snowquilts: