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| Home Circle Quilt Block |
This month in the Quilters' Book Club, we are reading and discussing Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas. With Charlie Bullock off to fight for the North in the Civil War, his young wife Alice and his mother are left at home together on Bramble Farm near Slatyfork, Iowa. I found some free quilt pattern blocks online that go with the main characters of Alice Keeler Bullock and Mother Bullock.
Alice Keeler Bullock:
Contrary Wife Quilt Block
Housewife Quilt Block
Lover's Knot Quilt Block
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| Contrary Wife Quilt Block |
Mother Bullock:
Mother's Dream Quilt Block
Mother's Own Quilt Block
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| Mother's Dream Quilt Block |
Both:
Home Circle Quilt Block
While this book is about women who are left behind during war, it is also about the relationship of a young bride with her mother-in-law. What advice would you give to brides and mothers-in-law about this relationship? Inquiring minds want to know! Please answer in the comment section below.
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You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.
LOL. I wouldn't be a good one to give advice since I'm now divorced. My mother once told me that the best way to handle most any advice was to keep what sounded good and logical and get rid of the rest. Just beware that no matter what, you have to deal with the consequences of your actions. And learn something that you have in common with your mother in law and concentrate on that to get on her good side. Be nice in public and keep the nasty thoughts to yourself so nobody knows them.
ReplyDeleteI've been fortunate that I had the world's best mother-in-law, may she rest in peace. We complemented each other in our individual styles of caring for family and home, so life back then (20 years +) was good. Be helpful and be positive, if I had to give advice.
ReplyDeleteThe common thread in the book is of course the husband/son to Alice and Mother Bullock, Charlie Bullock. Alice talks of her love for Charlie in her letters to her sister, while Mother Bullock loves him just as much, in her own quiet way.
I would advise them to remember that he loves them both in totally different ways and not one more than the other. That being said, don't compete with each other for his attention. Understand that he needs his separate times with them both and times together with all 3. These two women can get along and help each other throughout life if they keep things in perspective.
ReplyDeleteMy advice would be to love and respect your mother-in-law with all your heart. She is a big reason your hubby treats you so well :) My mother-in-law passed away a week before our wedding, but is still a huge part of our hearts!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had advice, but alas. My M-I-L hasn't spoken to us since 1986, despite the fact that we have her only grandchildren. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteI like how the relationship between Alice and her mother in law was developed. It was nice to see each other backing the other up periodically.
ReplyDeleteThat was nice to see in the book. I was wondering if it would happen, and the ladies realize they only have each other to get through this. So in their own ways, they have each other's backs.
DeleteI had missed the introduction of this book for June, but I have found it in my library and ordered it. I have made the Mother's Dream block a couple of times for swaps; it is a nice one to choose fabrics for. I don't have any advice for new brides and their m-i-laws. I was intimidated by mine for the thirty or so years I knew her. I did send her a card when she was in hospice for the last couple of weeks before she died, telling her I loved her and appreciated knowing her.
ReplyDeleteI have a wonderful MIL. She offers advice 'carefully' and not often, and always offers encouragement. My youngest son just got engaged, so, I'll be the MIL soon enough. I'll try to follow both my mother and my MIL's footsteps. Hope I succeed.
ReplyDeleteI gave up on my first serious love because his mother didn't think I was good enough for her son. I already had a mother that felt personally responsible for all my short-comings and never failed to point them out, so I didn't want more of that. I traveled to Japan to meet my future mother-in-law, determined to end the relationship if rejected. Instead, I found the mother I had always wanted.
ReplyDeleteA funny sideline is, that one of my son-in-laws told me," I heard if you want to know what kind of girl you are marrying, look at her mother, and I knew Marie was the girl for me". I had known that boy since he was a naughty fourth grader and I still love him dearly.
We modeled good family relationships and all my kids have done the same. Advice? find the positive (no matter how small) and build on that.
My MIL and I have a pretty good relationship overall. She is a worrier and I am an optimist, so we can sometimes drive each other nuts, in a good way. But the most important thing is that she quilts and my DH came trained. He gets it. The fabric everywhere, needing just a FQ of every colorway, a basting table set up in the living room for 6 weeks. That is a HUGE.
ReplyDeleteAnd she loves our DD to pieces, which of course is her right as the grandma. She used to ask if she could give DD a treat, like a donut or candy. I always said, OMG you are the GRANDMA. That is your RIGHT! And to this day, DD can wrangle a treat out of Grandma.