My Aunt Sue's Favorite Blanket

One of the most heart wrenching times in life has to be trying to decide whether or not Mom and/or Dad can continue to live on their own.

My sisters and brother and I had to help my Mom make that choice a couple of years ago.

After my father passed away, my mom at 68 years old and for the first time in her life, lived alone.

The first few years were very difficult for her.   Things changed, though, once she moved into an independent senior living facility.

This was a multi-unit building which was located in the same town that my sister and I lived.  She had a cute one bedroom apartment.

There were many planned activities and it seemed like my mother participated in every one.

She was always busy going from her crochet club on Monday's (which she started and was the president of), book club on Tuesdays, Tai Chi on Wednesday, shopping via the community bus on Thursdays  and bible study on Fridays.

My mom lived there until she became ill at age 84.

After a bad fall, it was apparent to us that she could no longer live alone.  By then Ross and I had moved  about an hour away from her.   My sister, Elaine and her husband Al still lived in the area and suggested that my mom move in with them.

It was tough trying to convince her that this is what she needed to do.

One of the saddest days was the day that we emptied out her apartment.

Even after several months of living with Elaine, she would still ask where her favorite pasta pot was or she would want to know what happened to my father's old desk.

Once the doctors told us that there was nothing more they could do for her and that we should consider hospice care, my mom moved in with Ross and I.   Ross and I were both retired, we had a nice spare room and we felt very fortunate that we were in a position to provide the care she needed.

She spent the last months of her life with us.

My mom's sister, my Aunt Sue, who is also my Godmother, is now 86 years old.   She has been living with her son and his family for many years.   Actually, the house they all live in belonged to Aunt Sue and Uncle Don and is the house that my cousin grew up in.
The house was renovated and turned into a Mother/Daughter type of home.
My aunt has her own little kitchen area, a bedroom and bathroom.

Until recently, she too was very active.  She was always on the go.  About 9 months ago,  Aunt Sue suddenly started to have health issues.   The health problems have gotten progressively worse.  So much so that my cousin and his wife have made the decision to move Aunt Sue into a nursing home.

One of the things my mom would always say is, "How did I wind up here?"  I think that little sentence has so many meanings on so many different levels.

What happened to my life?  Where did the time go?  If I can't take care of myself, why am I still here?

Interestingly enough, my Aunt Sue is asking the same question.

"How did I wind up here?"



Many, many years before they would even think to ask that question, they went on a trip to Atlantic City.  My mom is in the center, my Aunt Sue is on the right in the dark suit and that is my Aunt Nancy on the left in the white suit.

I am planning to visit Aunt Sue sometime this week.  

I have been working on a gift for her and should be able to finish it up today.

I hope it will keep her warm and offer some comfort to her.

After all she has been asking "What ever happened to my favorite blanket?"

No More UN's

My inclination is to be pretty hard on myself.   I know for a fact that I am not alone in this.  Most of us have bruises from the times we beat up on ourselves.

I think I have found a solution to this problem.   I think the prefix "un" should be banned from our vocabulary.

I thought about some common words I use on a daily regular basis.
UNcomfortable, UNimaginative, UNaccomplished, UNappreciated, UNapproachable, UNattractive, UNcertain, UNdependable, Uncoordinated, UnBelievable...just to name a few.

Those two little letters sure do carry a lot of weight, they are very heavy.

Maybe I will try a little experiment and UNburden myself.  (Hey a good UN word.)

I believe with certainty that I would feel comfortable using my imaginative mind to accomplish the approachable task of coordinating an attractive post which will be appreciated by the ABC meme community who have come to depend on me.

Whew, I feel lighter already.

To view more of the letter U check out The Accidental Knitter's ABC Meme

A Tall Tale Full of Magical Princesses and Turtles

This is my post for  the Accidental Knitter's ABC Meme that I am participating in.
The letter is T and the post is Tall Tales.

This is a letter that I will write to my grand daughter one day, but I hope not too soon.

Dear Isabella,

Among the many stories I have told you over the years, there is one particular one that I hope you can forgive me for.

One time, after a trip to Florida, Pop-Pop and I brought you a little stuffed turtle.   You were about 4 years old.  When I gave you the turtle, I told you a little story.  I wonder if you remember it.

  One day when Pop-Pop and I were walking on the beach, we spotted a little turtle.   The turtle looked very young, a baby in fact.   She looked sad.   I knelt down, like this, and gently picked up the little turtle.   She was very shy, but I think she liked me.
After a little while, I thought I had better put her down, right in the same spot just in case her Mommy came looking for her.
As we started to walk away, we noticed that the little turtle seemed to be following us.  I knelt down again, like this, and told the little turtle that she needed to stay here on the beach.  After all that's where she lived, that was her home.  
We started to walk away and again the little turtle followed us.   I said to Pop-Pop, I wish we could take her home with us.  I think Bella would love her.
As soon as I said that,  a magical fairy princess appeared.
The Princess had long brown hair, and big brown eyes, just like yours, Bella.  She was beautiful, just like you.  Her dress was green and it sparkled.
The Princess told Pop-Pop and I that she was the Fairy Turtle Princess.   She said that she found homes for little lost turtles, just like the one who had been following us.   She wanted to know if we knew of a little girl who would always love and take care of the little baby turtle.  I told her that you, Bella, you would always love and take care of this little baby turtle.
Then the magic Fairy Turtle Princess waved her magic wand and turned the little turtle into a soft and cuddly turtle.  This is that turtle, Bella.

I remember that after I finished the story and handed you the stuffed toy turtle, you said to me, "Is that for real, Grandma?  Did that really happen?"  And I said, "Yes, yes, it did Bella."  "That's just what happened."

On your 7th birthday, you had a party with all of your little girlfriends.   You wanted to show them your room.  Your bed was loaded with many stuffed toys.   I saw you pick up the little green turtle and tell your friends that this turtle was special because she was real once.  And then you told them about the Turtle Fairy Princess.

The innocence of your belief in Magical Fairies touched me.  Especially since I knew that soon,
Bella, all too soon,  you would find out that your little turtle was never real, and there was no such thing as a Turtle Fairy Princess.

I hope you can forgive me, Bella, for the Tall Tale that I told you.
But I hope you will always remember how it felt to believe in Turtle Princesses.