Vale Fiona

I have spent a sad week in another city.

Youngest beautiful daughter was having a difficult time coping with the critical illness of a friend. Her friend, Fiona, suffered from Multiple Sclerosis - at 31 years of age, she was not expected to live.

She was moved to a hospice last Monday, after 6 months in hospital. She could not speak or swallow, and there was nothing else that our amazing medical practitioners could do for her.

My daughter had had "sleep-overs" with her at the hospital, and at the hospice, she had been amazingly strong and had given wonderful support to the family, but needed a little support for herself.

Sadly Fiona passed away last Sunday night, surrounded by her loving family. She is now at peace - no more pain for her - the pain remains for those who loved her.

I can only pray that they can take comfort from knowing that she is at ease now, and that all her beloved animals who went before her, were there to welcome her home.

A few weeks ago my daughter had contacted me to say that Fiona was "always cold" - and we decided that maybe she needed a quilt. I had enough of the colours that Fo loved, so managed to whip up a simple quilt in 48 hours, and express posted it to them. I don't think that Fiona knew much about it all, but I am glad that her family got some comfort from the simple gesture.

Quilts have a hug in every stitch - there are many, many stitches - so that is a lot of hugs and a lot of warmth. When I was visiting at the hospice, I was glad to see it there on her bed, and to know that I had helped to keep this lovely young woman warm, in her last days on this earth.

MS is a cruel disease - I pray that there will be a cure one day.

Happy Birthday Dad

Today, 23 May 2009 - is my fathers 100th birthday!  I have been thinking of him so much today - I do every day - but as he has been gone 15 years now, I can only hope that there was a party in Heaven.

The picture above is of him at 84 with my Mum - not too long before he died.  He would be a funny little old guy by now, but he would still be himself - funny and whimsical and stubborn.

Happy birthday Pop.

Bloggers Unite!

Had a lovely surprise phone call this morning, from a woman whom I don't know very well, but had called to offer me help to make my blog a little more bloggy!

Now she runs a very splendid blog herself, so I would be in good hands.  Actually it would help if I just wrote more often, but there are many enhancements that I would like to make.  

Doreen is a woman who like myself, has trouble settling on one art form, so we flit from one to the other, leaving great piles of UFO's and debris behind us.  The problem is, there are so many wonderful ways to create, and if I try them, I usually fall in love.

I really enjoyed the conversation, thanks Doreen - and will look forward to catching up with her one day soon - and picking her brain.

Well my year of living quietly has actually backfired quite badly on me.  More about that another time.

I have done a few things - including a tapestry!  Now I have not made a tapestry for about 30 years, so challenged myself to use many different fibres, and to colour outside the lines a little.  Above, you see a picture of Harriet Loves to Dance.  She has her two different pairs of legwarmers, her dancing hoofs, her pearl necklace, and her Princess crown.  Now she needs to be framed.  I thought of making her into a cushion, but decided that her jewellery would not take kindly to being laundered should the need arise.

So Harriet's body is the only wool on this canvas, I have used Perle threads, silk, soft cottons, and have an interesting collection of fibres left over.  I will have to do another to use up some of the threads!

I also finished a new quilt.  It's photo also keeps rising to the top of the page - another mystery to be unravelled.

This was a UFO that has occasionally risen to the top of the pile, only to be submerged again.  I felt the chill of winter one day this weekend, so hauled it out and finished it, so that I could wrap myself in it should the need arise.

The thing I love about this quilt (besides it's 'put your sunnies on!" brightness) is the fact that it is made of fabric that I dyed myself at a workshop.  And the fact that it is technically abbysmal in that it has more wrinkles than my own face, is neither here nor there.  It makes me smile to see it, and will warm me on chilly days.  How could you look at this and feel sad?

I willdobetter I willdobetter I willdobetter........

Resolutions

I did resolve to take better care of my baby blog this year - to this end I have spent a good part of the afternoon adding captions to my slide shows!

I also made a brand new one - on the Book of Memories workshop which I attended in November, I spent sooo long, importing photos, and adding suitable comments and captions - now I cannot remember how to import it to my blog!

I have tried and tried, and now am going to bed in frustration.

Well - soon.

Had another new experience today - I have been a long-time blood donor, but this year I am donating plasma - my doctor is displeased at me giving whole blood, so we have moved to plasma.

What a morning!  

10.30 appointment, I am on time.  Wait 45 minutes til a nurse calls me in.  Quick check of details - takes me to the plasma room - 5 minutes to hook me up to the tubing - 35 minutes for the process - leave there at 12.15.  After a quick stop at the local shopping centre, rush home, make lunch - and suddenly feel quite ODD!

I am sure that next time I will be more prepared, and I will certainly NOT be scheduling anything I need to do, for after it - but the whole half day was gone in the waiting and the process, then because of that, I lost the afternoon feeling weird!

Don't let that put anyone off donating either blood or plasma - people NEED it - so go out and do it, if you don't already!

And tomorrow - I will try again to import my new slideshow - wish me luck!

Happy New Year!

So it is a brand new year today, and I did something that I have not done for about 15-16 years - I went to the theatre to see a movie.

Kofee-dog gave me a copy of "Marley and Me" for Christmas - she is such a thoughtful dog!  The book was a delight for a dog-lover, which I am, and I read it for the few minutes before sleep for a couple of nights, then yesterday I sat and read the rest of it in one huge sweep.

Anyone who has ever loved a dog, especially a naughty dog, will relate to every page of this book.  I knew Marley as well as I know my Kofee-dog!  

So the movie opened today, and we went to see it.  The theatre was only half-full, despite being opening day, but every one of the patrons was a dog lover, and the laughter and muffled sobs was a testament to the fact.

I think it will not be long before it is available on dvd, if you are unsure of your commitment - hang in there and wait - it will be worth it.

I was rivetted by the cost of the movie visit - not having gone for so many years - for three adults it cost me $40.50!  Can this be right?  Think of how much money I have saved by NOT going all those years!  Enough to pay for all this stuff in my art room probably.

Tomorrow is another day and I am going to do something with it.  It is also my dear sister's birthday - and the day I take down my Christmas tree each year.  When that is done, the new year will be really underway, as I lose my grip on the last vestiges of Christmas - only the ham remains........

a happy new year to all!