The Emilia Quilt

The Emilia Quilt on Etsy    

What if the English language had official words for all small things. Yes, we have doggy and piggy and horsey, but can you imagine taking the "y" and applying it to just about everything?

"While you're in the cupboardy, can you please grab a platey and a glassy, I'll also need a forky to go with my spoony and knify."

That is exactly what Romanian does to all sorts of words. It's really cute, if not a tad excessive. Eastern Europeans play fast and loose with their names, too. There is one family in our congregation, a big family, and there are four different versions in the spelling of their last name. One with a K, the other with a CH, the other is EA instead of an E, or is it AE? And if the women feel like being a little more Russian that day, well they just slap an A on the end for good measure. It can drive me quite batty and make me nutty while I try to learn this languagy. What is your name today and how are we spelling it this very hour? And exactly how does your brother who is from the same parents spell it? Today. Not your baby brother, your biggy brother.

When I first met little Mila, I assumed that was her name. Wrong, she told me it was really Emily. OK, Mila, Emily, close enough. But in time, as always, the real deep down name came out. Emilia, but even now I don't know if that is quite right, because she doesn't like how her mother spelled it so she decided to change it. When she was ten years old. And her parents are OK with that.

Jessica, Mila, Ina and Nina - September 2009

So Mila, Emily, Emilia, Emelia, Emilutsa, Mia - this quilt is named after you! It has stripes and checks and big flowers and teeny flowers, and all together it looks super pretty. I still can't believe you and your family with the name I don't quite know the spelling of moved to Georgia and then you went and grew to be like 10 inches taller than me. You'll always be that cute little Mila with the big brown eyes who I used to spend my Wednesday afternoons with. Just don't start talkin' all funny. Okey Dokey?

Nina, Mila, Ina and Mamica Jessica after setting up for a big party at our house.
Moldovan teenagers are simply amazing.

Viorica, Laura and Mila-Emilia-Emily-Emelia-Bo Delia