Gwendolyn

Introducing Gwendolyn, Bearington Bear #4 in my list of intros.

Miss Gwen is very simple, she's not trendy but basic. There isn't anything foofoo about this gal. She is in my collection because her name and her 'look' represent my mother.

My mother, Gwen, was a lot like this gal. She was simple, neat, precise and didn't care for anything trendy or in excess. She was born in 1913 and lived through the Great Depression, and raised a family of five children, leading to her reasons for not living 'over the top' in many areas. She was the ultimate re-use, re-cycle and wear-it-out woman.

But one thing Gwen did was strive for perfection and quality in everything she did. She was a quilter extraordinaire. Her eye for color and design were impeccable. She urged me and taught me to do the best at whatever I created, be it an apron for 4-H to my first hand-knitted pullover sweater. She not only urged, she pushed. My mother would make sure I was busy doing something with my hands at all times - to be productive. There was not a day off from school where'd I'd look forward to being at home doing nothing, that she would have a different agenda for me laid out. At the time I had no appreciation for that, nor did I like it one bit. But in the long run, she was right and I am grateful.

She taught me how to sew, to knit, to be as precise with my work as possible. She expected the best out of me and my projects. I didn't always hear "good job" or get a pat on the back, but I grew up knowing that being busy with my hands and putting thought into my projects were a good thing.

I'm very grateful to have had simple and hard working Gwendolyn as my mom.