Memories

Hello. My name is Jennifer Day. I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This quilt, Memories was inspired by a trip that I took to Cuba. One Sunday morning, as I roamed the streets of Havana, I took a photograph of this old woman sitting in her doorway. She is sitting with only a gate between her and the people who walk the streets everyday. She is 96 years old. Her hair is brushed, she has her jewelry on, and she is ready to meet her family for Sunday activities. It was cool that morning, so she covered herself with a pink towel. Her kerchief rests on her lap. Her husband is long gone and she has moved her wedding ring to her right hand.

What memories she must have of Cuba in its prime. I can imagine her dancing at age 40 in the beautiful buildings in Havana in the 1950’s It is possible that she, Marlene Dietrich and Ernest Hemingway shared a drink at Floridita, Ernest’s famous hang out in downtown Havana.

The most amazing thing to me is that even at age 96, her fingernails are painted red!
She is a strong woman, the matriarch of her family. The memories of her life in Cuba at its prime are still with her.