Taking comfort from the mouths of babes

On Thursday, the boys and I drove to PA to be with my husband at his mother's bedside.  We took our time getting there, stopping for 2 hours at New Market Battlefield in Virginia.  Battlefields and museums of war do not excite me, but my children read a book that took place there and have been begging to visit.  I enjoyed the homestead that was there - the 19th century Bushong Farm - as well as the mile-long walk through the battlefield.  Donald, of course, started to complain, but Jason, wonderful big brother that he is, offered to carry him.

When we finally made it to my mother-in-law's house, I was shocked at the difference in just a few short weeks.  She could no longer speak or move more than her head and hands.  Her breathing was labored and she only opened her eyes for short periods of time.  I could tell the end was near.  She died surrounded by loved ones on Saturday afternoon.

My heart is broken -

for my husband and his sister who lost a mother who was always there to help in any way she could,

for my children who lost a generous, patient and loving grandmother,

for Adam's grandmother, who will bury her firstborn child just days before she herself celebrates her 94th birthday,

for her best friend of over 40 years,

for her entire extended family for whom she was the rock, the foundation, the voice of reason and the beacon of hope,

and for myself, as she was as much a friend as a mother-in-law.

But my 10-year-old, Jason, who sat with her on her bed, holding her hand and breathing with her for most of her last two days, telling her over and over that he loved her, reminded me that "she doesn't have cancer anymore."  She is no longer in pain, and for that, I am grateful.

Snapshots of this weekend are seared into my heart:

Jason being sent to bed on Friday night, and him kissing his grandmom and saying, "I gotta go now, Grandma.  I love you.  Goodbye."  He didn't see because he was walking out the door, but her lips trembled and tears leaked from her closed eyes.  I know that she heard him.

The keening wail that my sister-in-law released when her mother took her last breath.  She has been by her side, caring for her day and night, for months.  This is not going to be an easy transition for her.

Walking around the neighborhood with my husband on the incongruously beautiful day that she died, stopping in the middle of the street and holding him when he couldn't be strong anymore.

The surprised sob that escaped me when I started the car just half an hour after she died on my way to take the kids for an outing so they could escape some of the pain in the house for a while, and the first words I heard on the radio were from Sarah McLachlan "...you're in the arms of the angel, may you find some comfort here..."

Jason and his grandmom - summer 2012

The night before we got married - May 2000

Our last vacation together - Bermuda, August 2012

My favorite photo of her of all time!

In need of distraction - YOU can help! (and win!)

In the world of college admissions, today is the day when the admitted students have to let us know if they are accepting or declining our offer of admission.  I try not to take their decisions personally, but I'll tell it to you straight - I do.  I let myself get so excited after reading their applications and meeting them, that when they say "no" it feels like a personal rejection.  Of course, just a month ago, they were the ones feeling these emotions as they received news from the colleges to which they applied, and we were the ones repeating over and over that the decisions shouldn't be taken personally.  Easier said that done.

Luckily, I have a lot to distract me. I have just a week and a half until the baby shower for my karate instructor who is having twins.  I am finishing up sewing down the binding on quilt #1...

I decided to go REALLY colorful for the binding!

The back is a light purple

and I have all of quilt number 2 cut, and it is partially assembled.  It will be zigzag rainbow quilt made from half square triangles.  Here's one assembled row...

As my Leader/Ender while I assemble this, I've been sewing some pre-assembled colorful strips that were donated to me to some black strips that I have cut, no real plan in mind yet, but we'll see what emerges...

But the thing that is taking up the most of my time is planning for what comes next.  Regular readers know that I gave notice at my job after 10 years.  My dream is to do something different, something creative, something that involves QUILTING!  I've been working on a business plan.  Here are a couple blurbs I've excerpted from there to give you an idea about what I have in mind.  "The Stitchin' Post" is my working name for now, a placeholder.  I know that there is a famous Stitchin' Post store in Sisters, plus many others scattered across the country.  It is just such a cool name!  But who knows what name I'll eventually go with - any ideas?

Statement of Purpose

The Stitchin’ Post is a creative space for fiber artists to sell their products, teach their craft, share their resources and engage with a supportive and collaborative community of other fiber artists.

Business Philosophy

The Stitchin’ Post strives to empower local fiber artists to create a revenue source for themselves by introducing their talents to a wider audience.  The Stitchin’ Post values creativity, collaboration and integrity, and seeks to create a welcoming, inclusive community that celebrates these values. 

So, it isn't a quilt store selling fabric or a yarn store selling yarn.  It would be more of a community center for fiber artists of all kinds - quilters, knitters, weavers, everyone.

Wanna help out? I'm still in the market research stage of things.   I have a quick 10-question survey to help me determine my direction. (I have other surveys that I'll  be sharing with local quilters and knitters and whatnot, but this particular survey is for fiber enthusiasts anywhere.)  Everyone who completes this survey will have his/her email address entered into a drawing for a $25 ETSY gift certificate that can be used at any ETSY shop that accepts gift certificates.  I'd love it if you'd complete the survey.  I'd love it if you'd share the survey with other fiber enthusiasts that you know - you can either link to today's blog entry, or you can just share the survey link with them - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3J3KB8N.

But don't forget to take the survey yourself! Click here to take survey.  (I've gotten my 100 responses - thanks!  The winner was respondent #55, Angela C from FL.)

THANKS!  Reading your responses will be one more way for me to distract myself.

A perfect afternoon

After a whirlwind week at work, I was thrilled to have an afternoon and evening with no prior obligations.  I spent time on the porch in the sun and breeze, finishing up the hand quilting on the rainbow rail fence.  This weekend, I hope to put the binding on and start on the quilt for the second twin.

Then I spent some time playing ball with my son.  I think the game is supposed to be called "Catch", but for us, it is more like "Throw and Chase."

As the temperatures cooled, I retreated inside to finish up making the blocks on my scrappy spiral log cabin baby quilt.  This one doesn't have a recipient, but it is taking up space on my design wall, so I wanted to finish it up.  The blocks aren't sewn together yet, but I like the way it is turning out.

Lessons learned

I really shouldn't wait so long between blog posts.  So much happens in even just one day, that waiting almost a week means I'm bound to leave things out.  Perhaps you readers don't mind, but my blog is my online journal, so I hate to leave things out.

Anyway, last Friday's memorial service was painful, as expected.  My entire office shut down for several hours and walked over to attend together.  I armed us with "mourning tissues", made in black, but with musical notes lining the inside to honor my late friend's love of music.

the raw materials

The finished product.  I was kinda bummed that you couldn't really see the musical notes.

My tissues were almost gone by the time we left the church.  I'm going to miss him.

On Friday afternoon, Jason left for his first camping trip as a Boy Scout (as opposed to Cub Scout) - 3 days of fishing further up in the mountains.  He came back on Sunday half-frozen and reeking, but smiling from ear to ear.  Then, later on Sunday afternoon, I caught him practicing his cast in our yard. It is safe to say he is hooked! (pun intended!)

While he was gone, I had hoped to get lots of sewing done, but of course, I didn't.  Friday night I didn't feel well, and neither did Donald, so we cuddled together in my bed watching Mrs. Doubtfire on TV until we both fell asleep.  On Saturday morning, I felt better and took him to the doctor for some medicine to make him feel better, too.  Then, it was off to the Cub Scouts' annual Bike Rodeo.

Donald has the red helmet, blue sweatshirt and green bike.

Next, we delivered the baby quilt and bib to my co-worker.  Good news, Ella should be able to come home this week!!!

All washed and ready to welcome the new babe!

It'll be a while before she is big enough to wear this, but I wanted her to have it anyway.

Finally, we spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying crafts and food with some friends as we prepare for another friend's baby shower. By the time we got home, it was all I could do to brush my teeth and crawl into bed before falling asleep.

Sunday, we picked up Jason and drove him to the gym at the university for a shower, since I wanted to take them somewhere before heading home for the day.  After a quick lunch of Mexican, we drove out to Cabin Spring Farm where they were having a two-day sheep shearing and fiber arts celebration. What fun!  My kiddos really took to weaving.  In fact, on the way home, we stopped to buy an old picture frame from Goodwill for Donald to make his own mini loom, per his request!

I thought the peg loom was fascinating and watched for quite some time.  She was making rugs out of cut up wool clothing.  She had another basket full of "t-shirt yarn" that I was coveting!

There was wet felting...

This is going to be a gorgeous rug!

As well as a woman needle-felting, but when I found out she was from Maine, too, I got to talking and forgot about taking her photo.  She made the neatest needle-felted dolls - fairies and mermaids and all manner of creatures.  I know next to nothing about yarn and wool and what can be done with it, so it was a true learning experience for me.

I had the opportunity to fondle some alpaca fleece, too.  Oh my goodness!  I just wanted to roll around in it, it was so soft and luxurious!

But we couldn't stay forever because I start back up with the after-school program this week.  This time, it is only 4 weeks long.  I learned some valuable lessons from last time:

• limit the class size: I only have eight K-2nd graders this time - yay! 
• set realistic goals: I ordered 14" square pillow forms, and the kids are each going to design their own patchwork pillow. We are using 2" squares and designing on an 8 x 8 grid. (yes, I know that makes 12" finished pillow size, but this was the pillows will be nice and plump!)
• keep everyone's work separate: I bought 8 new, sturdy pizza boxes from a local pizzeria, and inserted a 14" square piece of batting in each.  Each child will have a box to keep their project in.  Hopefully we can be more organized this way.

Here's my sample pillow top (E for Erin, not yet quilted).

I'm going to mock up some more on paper grids for them today.  I kinda wish we had an odd number grid (7x7 or 9x9) because sometimes you want to have a center for your block, but oh well.

It's going to be a crazy work week for me this week, too, long days with a ton to do.  Two more months...only two more months. Then I'll have more time to enjoy this...

This was taken on the road to my house this weekend.  My house in the one on the left at the tree line.  I LOVE living here!  So quiet and pretty and peaceful...paradise!

Bullet points

No, that doesn't refer to today's Senate vote.  All I'll say about that is that I looked up the votes online to make sure my Senators voted the way I, their constituent, asked them to.  I encourage you to do the same, not just on this issue about gun violence, but about any issue about which you feel passionately, and hold them accountable when they don't.  Enough on that.

What I mean by bullet points is that I have been wanting to blog, but haven't found the time.  To expedite things, I decided to blog updates in bullet point format today.

- I knew we'd owe taxes this year, so I waited until Sunday to work on them.  I set the stage for an enjoyable experience - pulled out the teapot, put on some music -

but it didn't work.  We took a major hit this year.  Ouch!  Rice and Ramen Noodles for the rest of the month!

- To make myself feel better, I made something for myself.  Two somethings, actually.  Check out my new Business Card Holders,! (I used this tutorial.)

 

They sure beat the rubber band I usually have wrapped around them!  I was so tickled after my presentation today when people asked for one - I may have brandished my new Business Card Holder a bit more than necessary while extracting the cards...

- Now I want to make a matching bi-fold wallet, using the tutorial here, and whip up this Jean Pocket Purse to put them in on my casual weekend jaunts!

- Dinner has been hit or miss in the Hutchinson household lately.  Tonight it was Chinese. Last night it was Subway.  But wherever we are, they must have fruits and veggies.  And my sure-fire way to get my kids to eat veggies?  Let them build their own kebabs to put on the grill!

Donald liked the red onions best!

Jason pretending to eat a raw shrimp.  Grossing me out is one of his favorite past times.

- Have you heard of the Bunkhouse Giveaway for a Quilter's Texas Getaway Weekend?  If I tell you about it and you win, will you promise to invite me to your 3-day, 2-night quilting retreat?  Check it out at https://mariebostwick.com/bunkhouse/!  (I can't wait for Marie's new book to come out - I think I'll go pre-order it from my local bookstore tomorrow.)

- Most of you have received your Hurricane Sandy Quilt Project Thank You postcard by now, but I still have some where I don't have a complete address.  Could the following people, if you are reading this, please email me with your mailing address?  I don't want to leave you out!

H Heyes, VA (yours was returned as undeliverable for some reason)
N. Gilbert, New Zealand
T. Macomb, not sure where you are from
A. McElroy, United Kingdom
P. Dungar, not sure where you are from
Lane from TX
I think there are a few others, too, but wouldn't you know I left everything at the office today!  If you participated in the project but haven't received a postcard from me, would you please email me your mailing address?  Thanks!

There's more to say, but I'm tired.  See you around the blogosphere!

Goodbye, old friend

My friend and co-worker of 10 years died today.  I was going to visit him last week, but I didn't.  I was afraid of being an emotional windowpane, afraid of being unable to mask my emotions while there, and afraid of doing more harm than good.  "This week," I told myself, "I'll go see him this week."

I'm not going to make the same mistake with his wife, a talented and prolific quilter that I've known for just as long, albeit in a different context.  I will go to see her, and hug her tightly,  and if I wet her shoulder with my tears, so be it.  Being strong is for the birds.  I waited until I was strong enough to say goodbye to my friend, and I waited too long. I hope he was able to tell from my card how much he meant to me and how much I will miss him.

Goodbye, Russ.  I'm happy that you are no longer in pain.  I'll see you again on the other side.

Birds, best friends, bindings...

On Friday morning, looking down the barrel of the weekend to come, I was unsure if I had the stamina to make it, but here it is Sunday night, and I am happy to report that I survived.  Adam and Jason went to Atlanta for the Division 3 Men's Basketball Championship (yay, Amherst College, national champs!), so it was just me and Donald at home.  I had to do something to make up for him being left behind with mom, right?

Friday night was stay at home and relax night to rest up for the weekend.  My plan was to sew, sew, sew.  But when I got to my sewing room, my machine didn't work!  The needle wouldn't move, and there was an error message on the screen!

Mind you, my oven has not worked for TWO YEARS and I'm OK with that, but I went into a near panic when I couldn't sew.  I took the machine apart, cleaned and oiled everything, and put it back together again.  I don't know what the problem was, but I got it working again after about two hours.  Whew!  I made two April Block Lotto bird blocks just to be sure.

By then, it was too late to do much else, so I went to bed.

Saturday morning we led the Pledge of Allegiance at the MS Walk with the cub scouts, then walked a couple of miles with the other walkers.  We ran errands, and then I hopped on the highway to travel the 150 miles roundtrip to Donald's best friend's house to pick him up for a sleepover.  They've been friends since the infant room at daycare, so it was rough on both of them when Evan moved away two years ago.  We try to still get them together a couple times a year.  They are so cute together, picking up right where they left off, talking a mile a minute, and never getting into disagreements.  Evan is welcome at my house anytime!

When we got back to town, we went to the First Annual Monacan Round Dance - native american drumming and singing and crafts and regalia - it was cool!  Then, back home for a couple of hours in the spring sunshine before heading out to the Drive-In where I was volunteering for the evening.

Today was not the day of rest I had wanted.  While Evan and Donald played all morning, I packed an enormous box for Goodwill (trying to clean and purge), and then treated myself to sewing on the binding on baby Ella's quilt.  I'm only about a third of the way done sewing the back down, but I hope to finish tomorrow afternoon.  Yay, I might even have something for Show and Tell at this month's Guild Meeting!

I had just enough of this pink to make a binding.  I love using up odd pieces of fabric!

I'd been waiting for the right quilt to use this big busy print as a backing, and this is it!

After Evan went home, it was off to lead a cub scout den meeting.  Today, they earned their Marbles belt loop - I had forgotten how much fun it is to play marbles!  Then a quick visit to a friend who was purging some fabric (I promise, I didn't bring home even a fraction of what I took to Goodwill!), and then dinner with my friend, Michelle, and her family.  We have a standing invitation every two weeks, and I love going because not only is the food always amazing, but it is nice to spend time with another woman who is also surrounded by boys and men, an understanding ally in the friendly battle between estrogen and testoterone.  Today, it was especially wonderful to go because I had to come home and do even more cleaning.  Our house in on the market - since I have given notice at work, we MAY need to downsize.  That saddens me because I love my house and because moving is such a pain, but the house hasn't been this neat since we moved in nine years ago!  Anyway, there's someone coming to look at it tomorrow, so as much as I despise housework, it had to be done.  Right now, I'm exhausted, but happy.  And tomorrow, Adam and Jason will be home again. 

A clean and full house, can't beat that!