I cannot even remember if it has been two or three weeks since I last posted.  So much has happened in that short time frame.  Much of it joyful and also some deep sorrow.

First headed over to Walla Walla to pack up Doodle Bug and get her settled in her college dorm.  I cannot believe she is already a college freshman.  Although it was a great deal of work and a very rushed trip we had a great time.  Erica arrived too and we hustled around to get her packed up and resettled.  It was so wonderful to be a part of this transition for her and she was full of excitement and ready to take the next step on her way to adulthood when we left.

It was hard to leave her as she is so far away, but my Doodle is a smart girl and she will be OK.

We headed straight to Condon to spend a night with my mom.  When we got there I was surprised at her decline.  Since she lives over 3 hours from her MD and with her back fractures and declining health it is just not feasible to keep making those trips.  We all agreed it was time to bring in hospice.  It is easy to recommend hospice to families when it is not your own; yet it was obvious she needed the additional support.  Although it was a hard decision, we all agree it was the right decision for her.  Mother wants to stay in her home above all else and we all want to accommodate that.  I decided to stay on for a week just to spend time with her and meet with the hospice team.  Becca and crew came up from Nevada and Erica and crew stayed on for a bit longer as well.  While it was a difficult time it was wonderful having my three girls and all the grand together!

Mother always loves the babies and never misses a chance to hold them!

 

I spent a part of the time clearing out her sewing room to add a bed.  In doing so I brought out all her buttons and she had so much fun going through them, it wasn’t long before the grands joined in.  Mother let them all go home with some and they were delighted.

While there I helped provide her care; it was such a blessing, but exhausting.  After a week I knew it was time to head home and regroup.  It was a difficult week and there are so many emotions that are continually flowing through me.  Being from a large family with numerous siblings adds to the mix.  We have a difficult time seeing eye to eye and everyone wants to be a part of all decision making, yet cannot agree adding additional layers of stress.  There were a lot of tears, a fair amount of arguing, but in the end I left feeling it was all going to be OK.  I will be there as often as I can; savoring what it means to be a daughter.  It is really still quite raw and I am not able to share my emotions.  I know that those of you who have walked this path understand.  Sometimes there are really just no words…

I hitched a ride back to Salem with Christina and the grands who stayed on a few days.  We had a great time doing their school shopping.  Christina is very environmentally minded and does all her shopping second hand if possible.  It is amazing the new and like new clothing we found; and the kids loved the joy of the hunt….wonder where they got that from…..  We also went to yard sales and found treasures for each of them as well as for Christina and myself.

Mother sent me home with the cutting board she had in her sewing room since my quilting shop had closed.  This table was bought way back when I had Sunshine & Stitches in Concord CA.  It is a wonderful piece and although I love now placing it in my sewing room, I did so with a great deal of tears.  Sewing and knitting have always been such a part of my mother’s life and the passing on of these useful items marking an end to her handiwork days is heartbreaking!  It will be well used and holds memories dear of the quilt shop and her sewing room.  When Christina and the Sweet Peas left I got it set up and my sewing room all sorted to fit the larger table.  I do love it so much more than the rickety thing I had used for years!

I find that, unfortunately, I deal with stress by hitting the destash pages and acquiring yet more fabric and yarn.  I returned home to the mailbox full of lovely items all from IG destash.  I seriously need to stop as my sewing room is at its maximum.

After the sewing room was completed, I got out the beads and made some lava bead bracelets for essential oils.  I love the one my sister Anna gave me and wanted to make more for myself and for the girls and older grands.  I still have to put a touch of glue on the ties and cut them off.  But overall I am happy with the end results.

Oh and I must share my latest acquisition that I got before all the travels.  I knew I wanted another small hutch to house my Hummel collection.  I found the cutest one on the classifieds.  Two sisters were cleaning out their mother’s home and neither wanted this piece.  Her home was so sweet and my heart broke for the sisters.  But I assured them this piece would be loved and treasured.  Isn’t it just the sweetest?

I will need to put something on the bottom shelf; but all in due time.

This morning I was up early and got busy climbing around in my attic storage to get out all the Autumn decor.  It is always such a job but well worth it.  I got the boxes down and will sort through them today and begin the process of decorating.  Last year I didn’t do much decorating and I plan on making up for it this year!

And now off to sort through Autumn decor.

Let the decorating commence!

Patricia