Stuff

First I want to say "Happy Birthday" to Gramma Liz.  We lost her two months ago, and today she would have been 95.  SIL Norma went to Washington to visit her kids-a planned trip, but a good thing to do to keep herself occupied so she doesn't have to think about the day quite so much.  Don't know how Stan is-he is definitely a man of few words.  When we got married, Gramma Liz warned me that he was and she was certainly right!

OK, life goes on and Gram would want it that way.  I really have been sewing-for myself and for others as well.  I started this project as a topper to wear to work, since we have to wear black.

 I decided it was too sheer to make buttonholes, so I made loops.  After thinking for a while, and not finding anything suitable in my massive stash, I hauled out the crochet hook and black thread from my mom's stash.  I have used a ton of her things-glad I held on to them!

I made a self-fabric binding for the front and the neck.  The front I cut across the grain, and the neck binding I cut on the diagonal to accomodate the curves.

The neck ruffle before gathering.

The ruffle in place.  I made a tube, finishing the ends, and left a small gap to turn it.  Then I gathered it down the middle and topstitched it in place at the neck.  I thought about hand stitching, but I thought the topstitching would make it a bit more stable since you really can't interface the thing.

In all its glory.  I REALLY need a dressmaker's dummy.  I think I'm going to invest in one soon since I'm working so much-gotta get something I want out of it.

Just did three buttons.  I had a terrible time getting my camera to focus, even on auto.  I think it was because of the sheerness of the fabric.

Finished with a rolled hem.  Love that finish and it's much easier than you would think.  I got the instructions from an old Threads magazine.

After all was said and done, it's too dressy to wear to work!  I would trash it working in my department.  So now I have a lovely topper to wear to Macy's special events.

I did some sewing for customers yesterday-I'll try to get those up in the next day or so.

Catching Up

Well, what a week!  We said our final goodbyes to Gram on Thursday and it was a great service with lots of hugs and expressions of love from friends and family.  Stan sang three songs, and they were all amazing.  The neighbor, who we didn't even realize had been at the service, came over yesterday and told Stan what a wonderful voice he had.  All the songs were ones that Gram had held dear-"How Great Thou Art," "In the Garden," and "There's a New Name Written Down in Glory."

Afterward we asked the people at the senior center if we could do an impromptu dinner for the extended family and they said an enthusiastic yes.  We loaded up on Costco rotisserie chickens and a bunch of salads and gathered there to honor the great lady one more time.  She would have loved watching all the commotion, especially the noisy great-grandchildren that were everywhere!

We made sure that the two uncles that are left were invited, as well as a couple of cousins.  There was an empty place at the table, but I am sure glad we made that connection with each other.

Stan's two sisters with Uncle Bert, Gram's youngest brother.  This has been really hard on him, he and Gram were very close.

Now on with regular life, and all it has for me to deal with.  Gotta pick up our taxes today, had the dogs to the vet this morning for their yearly, and am leaving to get an oil change in an hour or so.  I have an eye appointment in two weeks, and have to schedule a physical soon as well.  My sis and I had a long talk last night.  She is on SSI and Medicaid and I have been managing a special needs trust for her from money our mom left us.  She has a hard time grasping things and loves to spend money, so I had the job of explaining to her that if she continued this way for much longer there wouldn't be anything left for her old age.  The broker had to transfer some money to cover her "purchases," and now wants to know where to go from here.  She could just spend it all down, it's not a fortune, but if she did she would be right back to square one with only her disability for income.  It was hard for her to take, she needs to think on it for a while.  I need to arrange to get power of attorney soon, because I fear she won't be able to make some of these decisions for herself before long.

She has TWO storage units loaded with stuff she has bought and probably will never need.  She is definitely a hoarder and needs my direction.  She got the second unit when I threatened to drive over and clean out her house.  She lives 60 miles from here so sometimes it's hard to keep tabs on her.  I think there will still be a major clean-out with a massive garage sale-what the heck does a single person who doesn't even drive need with two storage units?  All stuff I will have to deal with soon.  Didn't sign on to be my sister's caretaker, but I think that's the way things are going to be.

Okay, hopefully tomorrow I will have a pattern ready to publish.  I designed a knitted Easter egg, one you could stuff with Robin Eggs or little chocolate ones.  If I stay on track I might have that ready!  Then back to the trip.  I need a walk down memory lane to keep the trip fresh in my mind.

Rest in Peace, Sweet Gramma

Gramma Liz joined her husband in that beautiful place called Heaven today.  She fought the hard fight and is now basking in Jesus' love.  Can't help but think there was a huge celebration up there this morning.  When Millie told Gracie that Gramma Liz had passed, Gracie excitedly said, "Oh goodie, now she can tell Gramma Pat all about me!"

We'll miss ya, girl, but I know you're no longer frail, blind or depressed.  Have a blast dancing with the angels!  I have an image in my mind, that just like in Henry Van Dyk's poem, just as you left our sight, someone on the other side shouted, "Here she comes!"

Eventually....

Eventually I'll get back to writing about our trip, but we've been tied up with Gramma this week.  We spent the night with her last night, and another sister-in-law will be there all this week.  Then after that we'll have to figure out who can stay for the next go-round.

She doesn't sleep much, and rambles on and on about things from 20 or more years ago.  She doesn't remember me.  She said, "I love you!"  "I don't know who you are, but I love you anyway!"  She called for my father-in-law, gone for twenty years, and today she told me she was fishing and caught a whole bunch of fish.  Later she told my sister-in-law that we had to do something with the fish in the garage so they wouldn't spoil.  A friend who has done a lot of care alongside Hospice told me this is all very typical.  It's kind of like she's rewinding her life.

She loves it when I read Scripture to her.  Her favorite verse is John 3:16-"For God so loved the world that He gave his only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  She's got one foot in heaven and is waiting to get the rest of herself there soon.  One time during the night, I was sitting by her bed and she asked me who those people were behind me.  Dreams?  Hallucinations?  Angels, waiting for the signal to take her home?

This really is a privilege to sit with her while she makes the transition.  Just think, she gets to see Heaven soon!

Henry van Dyk, an inspirational poet from the late 1800's wrote this.  This is what it feels like watching her make the journey:

A Parable of Immortality
by Henry van Dyke

I am standing by the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength,
and I stand and watch
until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sun and sky come down to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, 'There she goes!'
Gone where? Gone from my sight - that is all.

She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the places of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says,
'There she goes!',
there are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:
'Here she comes!'

My Shop

I usually don't remember, but this time I did put my Etsy shop on vacation mode, hence the blank on my sidebar where it usually shows up.  Now I just have to remember to take it OFF vacation mode!

Since I forgot my list the other day, today I have to make that dreaded Walmart run.  Gonna stop by Gram's apartment too.  She has started declining a bit-the pain from the cancer has increased quite a bit and she's having more trouble breathing, so we put her on Hospice care yesterday.  Now I'm shaky about leaving her, but she really isn't in a life crisis yet, so I think it will still be OK to go.  Brother and sis in law are coming from Helena today, too, so I want to be there when they are.  We have been invited by the church youth group to a Senior dinner tonight-I have my doubts that Gram will be going now, which is too bad because she was really looking forward to it.

Good News

They have determined that Gram is doing well enough to be released to an assisted-living facility.  She is so strong-she wants to die but her body is too tough!

She'll be going to the Bozeman Lodge on Saturday.  All her kids will be here to help.  I have to work a long one on Friday, so will miss out on the furniture moving, but am hoping to help with Gram's actual moving day.  We have decided to start Hospice care, mostly because we don't think she can get along by herself with just the care they have there.  Just because Hospice is involved doesn't mean she'll leave us any time soon, but that she'll have more people doting over her.

She is really ready to get out of the rehab center.  I stopped in at noon on Saturday and she was fuming over the cold food!  She's very nervous about the new place but realizes it's necessary.  My sister in law from Billings is going to stay with her for a couple of weeks just to help her transition into the new routine.  They have a beautiful dining hall but she can't see well enough to find her own way, and if someone doesn't take her there, she'll sit in her apartment and starve.  She can't believe that she doesn't have to do any housework, even though we constantly reassure her.  With the slight dementia, it's going to be a slow transition, pray it works well for her.