Happy Home Quilt Block

      I found this 6" Happy Home block in 5,500 Quilt Block Designs by Maggie Malone.  The name is a good fit for these diary entries.  This block is also known as Mosaic, Star of Virginia, and Variable Star.        
     On Wednesday, the family is busy getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Ruth, Eva, and Minerva are Hattie's older sisters.  Lester is married to Mary, another older sister.  Ted and Howard are younger brothers.  Howard is attending school in Manhattan, Kansas and surprises the family by coming home.  Frank is Hattie's beau, her future husband, and my grandfather. 
     I included Hattie's entire diary entry for Thanksgiving Day.  She left the whole page blank, so I'm assuming she hoped to have time to write more.  (She was determined to have an entry for each day.)  She usually writes at least a page, so clearly Thanksgiving is a busy day for her! 
    
Wednesday, November 29, 1916 -
"This has been a beautiful day and likewise a full one.  I'll begin at the beginning:  Soon after breakfast, everyone began flying around getting things ready for tomorrow.  Lester and Papa killed the old white gobbler.  He weighed 25 pounds and 19 after Ruth has him (un)dressed.  Eva made pumpkin pies, Mother made a cake, and I jumped in the car with Papa and Ted and went as far as Ellis' after some eggs.  The walk back was lovely.  Everything was so frosty and bright. 

"Eva went to the Alpine program this afternoon, and soon after dinner, I gathered together my clothing, potatoes, and jelly, and Frank came and we went to town.  Not many people had donated, so we only went to a few places.  While the car was being fixed, Mrs. Mc and I went up to her house, and she gave me chicken sandwiches, cake, pickles, and stuffed dates left from her party yesterday.  When Frank came up, he said Minerva wanted to see me.  So all unsuspecting, I went in and there was Howard.  He surprised us all by coming home on the 5:20.  We were all tickled to see him, of course.  After a bountiful supper, we have been sitting around talking, singing, crocheting, speaking pieces, etc., etc.  It sure seems good to be home all together again.  There are so many of us Howard wanted to know if we wouldn't have to sleep in shifts."

Thursday, November 30, 1916 -
"Thanksgiving Day"

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post:
http://www.starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2012/07/endless-stairs-quilt-block.html