INDIANAPOLIS -- Barbara Anderson sums up her retirement like this: "I just get up every morning, bring a second cup of coffee and plan my day."
Then, the 93-year-old says, on comes the sewing machine.
"It just inspires me to keep right on working,” she said.
Anderson taught for 22 years before she retired, and has sewn so long she could do it with her eyes shut.
She keeps them open, but they're of little use nowadays because she suffers from macular degeneration.
"She's quilting every day by touching and feeling her way and gets it done,” her friend Diana Mumaw said.
While Barbara may not see the needle and thread, what she does see clearly are the faces of children in need.
"In my mind I can envision a smile on their face or who they might be, and you never know some of the horrible experiences that these children have been through,” Anderson said.
She's no stranger to tragedy herself.
Anderson lost her mother at a young age, and later her son.
This year her husband passed away. Their 71st wedding anniversary would have been on Wednesday – a day when Barbara will donate many of these quilts to a family resource center in Anderson.
Her goal is to donate 100 by the year's end.
"Just that they bring some joy in this old world that's full of a lot of sadness,” Anderson said. "It's just like teaching, through a quilt. This is my small way of giving back."
---
Download the free RTV6 app to get the latest news on the go and receive alerts to your phone
Sign up to have the latest news headlines delivered straight to your email inbox
