It's been a long time since I posted; that's because I was in Monatana caring for my Mother in law, diagnosed with cancer in February. Sadly, Mom lost her hard fought battle on July 6th.
I went to Montana in March and was with Mom, caring for her until she passed away. Now that I'm back home and have the chance to reflect, I realize it was one of the greatest opportunities of my life! Yes, it was very difficult! Yes, there were many a day when I cried my heart out! And Yes! It was worth it!
Many of us are fortunate to have people in our lives who's impact may not be felt immediately, but is oh, so lasting. That was my mother in law, Jennie, my 2nd Mom! I loved her so much, and feel it was a priviledge and an honor to show her how much I cared by taking care of her, spending precious time with her. and at the end, honoring her wishes.
This morning, I checked the bluebird box in our yard, noted there were 5 eggs, and instinctively went to call her. No, this isn't the first, and probably not the last, time that this has happened. I cry because I'm sad that she's no longer with us.
then I realize...maybe she is. She certainly "lives on" in my heart, mind and memories! She will always be a part of me, one that I thank God for!
Mom, I love you! And I miss you ever so much! Thank You for all you were and all you continue to be! With Love, Now and Always!
Karen
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
The Kindness of Quilters
My Dad once told me, "There's no such thing as strangers....just friends we haven't met yet!". And I have found that maxim to hold true, especially in the quilting world!
AS I sit here in Montana, knee deep in snow in May, I realize how isolated I have felt. Coming out here to care for a loved one, not knowing ANYONE, my only reprieve has been on the rare occassion I can bond with my sewing machine!
Well, in order to sew, one really should have fabric. So I wandered in to a delightful quilt shop on Main St in Bozeman. Lisa, the owner, and I started chatting, and ended up setting up a trunk show and book signing. While there, I was so warmly welcomed by the staff, had an absolutely incredible afternoon of sewing, signing and making friends, that when it was time to return to the real world, I had to fight back tears!
I can't tell you all how very much I miss my 'quilting buddies', the comaraderie' and good times that go along with sharing. So, I say Thank You! to Lisa and Main Street Quilting. You gave me a day to hold on to, a wonderful memory, and a reminder that quilters everywhere are the best!
Karen
AS I sit here in Montana, knee deep in snow in May, I realize how isolated I have felt. Coming out here to care for a loved one, not knowing ANYONE, my only reprieve has been on the rare occassion I can bond with my sewing machine!
Well, in order to sew, one really should have fabric. So I wandered in to a delightful quilt shop on Main St in Bozeman. Lisa, the owner, and I started chatting, and ended up setting up a trunk show and book signing. While there, I was so warmly welcomed by the staff, had an absolutely incredible afternoon of sewing, signing and making friends, that when it was time to return to the real world, I had to fight back tears!
I can't tell you all how very much I miss my 'quilting buddies', the comaraderie' and good times that go along with sharing. So, I say Thank You! to Lisa and Main Street Quilting. You gave me a day to hold on to, a wonderful memory, and a reminder that quilters everywhere are the best!
Karen
Thursday, April 22, 2010
CHOICES
Have you ever noticed how many choices we have the opportunity to make each and every day? As I've sat here in a hospital with Mom for the last month, it's given me alot of time to observe, think, reflect and discover.
Before this all happened and I had to work, well, I didn't even think about what to wear...a uniform. Or whether to go to work, HAD TO in order to get paid! So those were pretty easy, 'no brainers' if you will.
But here, every day we're faced with new challenges, new choices. And sometimes, it's the "choosing" that seems to be the hardest part. Once decided on a course of action, well, we move forward, usually with conviction.
I guess we all want to make the right choices (all the time), but life isn't that way. And it's OK. We choose, we learn, and maybe we choose differently next time; maybe not. I think, no, believe, that it's the whole range of emotions, ability to feel and express them, and commitment to move forward that keeps most of us going. Life isn't always easy, yes, there are challenges, but it's how we choose to live with them that define us.
God, please help me to make the right choices today!
Karen
Before this all happened and I had to work, well, I didn't even think about what to wear...a uniform. Or whether to go to work, HAD TO in order to get paid! So those were pretty easy, 'no brainers' if you will.
But here, every day we're faced with new challenges, new choices. And sometimes, it's the "choosing" that seems to be the hardest part. Once decided on a course of action, well, we move forward, usually with conviction.
I guess we all want to make the right choices (all the time), but life isn't that way. And it's OK. We choose, we learn, and maybe we choose differently next time; maybe not. I think, no, believe, that it's the whole range of emotions, ability to feel and express them, and commitment to move forward that keeps most of us going. Life isn't always easy, yes, there are challenges, but it's how we choose to live with them that define us.
God, please help me to make the right choices today!
Karen
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Break out the Sewing Machine!
Oh how I'm itching to break out the sewing machine! As you all know, things have been tough for my mother in law! I recently made her the "Sun Kissed Roses' quilt from the book to use as her "therapy" quilt. And you know what I discovered? That quilt can be made in a day! So can "Midnight Fairy Lights" and "Sew Dear"!
As I sit here and work on a presentation for quilt shop owners, I've realized that the book has much to offer. Quilts that can be made in a day! Faux piping and flange techniques! How to split the binding at the miter! Cool border treatments! How to make freehand feathers!
And what I love the most, well, the response Mom has gotten from having those quilts with her in the hospital. Seems everyone just loves quilts, and many wish they had them! You can see in her expression how proud she is to have them, they set her apart! Everyone remarks how much she must be loved! And you can watch her stroke them and feel the comfort they bring her! So can you blame me for wanting to make a few more?
Mom, I love you! And oh how I want you to get better! I'll make you as many quilts as you can handle, each one a little different, yet each one made with love!
As I sit here and work on a presentation for quilt shop owners, I've realized that the book has much to offer. Quilts that can be made in a day! Faux piping and flange techniques! How to split the binding at the miter! Cool border treatments! How to make freehand feathers!
And what I love the most, well, the response Mom has gotten from having those quilts with her in the hospital. Seems everyone just loves quilts, and many wish they had them! You can see in her expression how proud she is to have them, they set her apart! Everyone remarks how much she must be loved! And you can watch her stroke them and feel the comfort they bring her! So can you blame me for wanting to make a few more?
Mom, I love you! And oh how I want you to get better! I'll make you as many quilts as you can handle, each one a little different, yet each one made with love!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Montana: One Week
Hi All!
Been here in Montana for one week now, and with Mom still in the hospital, have had plenty of time to sit, hand sew, watch, and reflect.
I gave Mom 2 quilts at the hospital, one "just cuz" and one to be her "therapy" (chemo) quilt. Both quilts just easy, lap size projects, yet both truly appreciated by all who see them! Doctors, nurses, therapists, dieticians, friends, and family. It amazes me how quilts speak to all of us!
In a world wrecked by cancer, wearied by the drugs to treat it, Mom has found a small measure of joy, comfort and warmth by having those quilts grace her hospital bed. And I, like every little girl who once wished she had a magic wand, but found out she didn't, am so Thankful I was able to give her this one small gift!
Never forget that quilts are so much more than the scraps they're made of...they're part of the fabric of our lives, interwoven with others, and measured in value by the joy we give to those who love them!
God Bless! Prayers appreciated in this tough time!!!!
Karen
Been here in Montana for one week now, and with Mom still in the hospital, have had plenty of time to sit, hand sew, watch, and reflect.
I gave Mom 2 quilts at the hospital, one "just cuz" and one to be her "therapy" (chemo) quilt. Both quilts just easy, lap size projects, yet both truly appreciated by all who see them! Doctors, nurses, therapists, dieticians, friends, and family. It amazes me how quilts speak to all of us!
In a world wrecked by cancer, wearied by the drugs to treat it, Mom has found a small measure of joy, comfort and warmth by having those quilts grace her hospital bed. And I, like every little girl who once wished she had a magic wand, but found out she didn't, am so Thankful I was able to give her this one small gift!
Never forget that quilts are so much more than the scraps they're made of...they're part of the fabric of our lives, interwoven with others, and measured in value by the joy we give to those who love them!
God Bless! Prayers appreciated in this tough time!!!!
Karen
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Heading to Montana
Ever had to pack for a long trip? I mean a r-e-a-l-l-y long trip? I have lists on top of lists! All to , I hope, keep me from forgetting something I might really need!
Oh there's the usual suspects...clothes, pajamas, toilettries, but then there's the important stuff..sewing machine, notions, and lots and lots of fabric! A mat, ruler and cutter, scissors, pins and thread! oh, and of course, the quilts that are part of the trunk show!
I suppose I could go on and on, but the bottom line is, when traveling to far away places, take what you can, buy what you forget! Lists are just pieces of paper I'll soon throw away!
As I travel to Montana, I hope your thoughts and prayers will be with my Mother in law. A very special lady having a very tough time! It seems we are inundated with "cancer awareness" ads and new and more promising treatments, but getting the diagnosis is just plain scary! I know we have a tough road ahead and all these lists do is give me something to focus on, something else to think about. That's OK I think, we all find our solace in different things. My hope is that Mom can find a way to cope too, because while I'll be there for her, she's still the one who has to 'take it on'!
So with that said, I think I'll go finish the binding on her "therapy" quilt. More later....
Karen
Oh there's the usual suspects...clothes, pajamas, toilettries, but then there's the important stuff..sewing machine, notions, and lots and lots of fabric! A mat, ruler and cutter, scissors, pins and thread! oh, and of course, the quilts that are part of the trunk show!
I suppose I could go on and on, but the bottom line is, when traveling to far away places, take what you can, buy what you forget! Lists are just pieces of paper I'll soon throw away!
As I travel to Montana, I hope your thoughts and prayers will be with my Mother in law. A very special lady having a very tough time! It seems we are inundated with "cancer awareness" ads and new and more promising treatments, but getting the diagnosis is just plain scary! I know we have a tough road ahead and all these lists do is give me something to focus on, something else to think about. That's OK I think, we all find our solace in different things. My hope is that Mom can find a way to cope too, because while I'll be there for her, she's still the one who has to 'take it on'!
So with that said, I think I'll go finish the binding on her "therapy" quilt. More later....
Karen
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Bring on the Retreats
Hi All!
Just went on a Retreat, sponsored by the Waterford Guild and the Haymarket Qu Chapter. And it came at a time when I really needed it! Sometimes, you don't even realize how much you need the fellowship that other quilters offer. Just seems like 'life' was kinda spinning out of control....work, kids, book, events, Mother in law diagnosed with cancer.
So, the opportunity to slip away, even for a few days, was a wonderful respite. It's not that you forget your responsibilities, but it does give you the chance to 'just breathe', reflect, and even 'indulge'. I got to talk alot, listen more, laugh uproariously, eat till I was busting at the seams, and yes, get a few things done!
I made my Mother-in-law a "therapy" quilt, and was able to knock out two other tops. Love that Sunkissed Roses pattern, 3 tops in 2 days! Now, of course, I'm back and just have to get them quilted and bound. But, restored and refreshed by the friendships, I have a brighter outlook, a spring in my step, and most importantly, hope for the future.
So, if life starts spinning out of control, take a moment, go on a Retreat. Do what you love to do! It's amazing how just those few moments can restore a little 'balance'!
Just went on a Retreat, sponsored by the Waterford Guild and the Haymarket Qu Chapter. And it came at a time when I really needed it! Sometimes, you don't even realize how much you need the fellowship that other quilters offer. Just seems like 'life' was kinda spinning out of control....work, kids, book, events, Mother in law diagnosed with cancer.
So, the opportunity to slip away, even for a few days, was a wonderful respite. It's not that you forget your responsibilities, but it does give you the chance to 'just breathe', reflect, and even 'indulge'. I got to talk alot, listen more, laugh uproariously, eat till I was busting at the seams, and yes, get a few things done!
I made my Mother-in-law a "therapy" quilt, and was able to knock out two other tops. Love that Sunkissed Roses pattern, 3 tops in 2 days! Now, of course, I'm back and just have to get them quilted and bound. But, restored and refreshed by the friendships, I have a brighter outlook, a spring in my step, and most importantly, hope for the future.
So, if life starts spinning out of control, take a moment, go on a Retreat. Do what you love to do! It's amazing how just those few moments can restore a little 'balance'!
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