I am Bad, Bad, Bad!

Oh I am a bad girl! I have lots of excuses, but I really should have updated this blog LONG ago. So sorry. Here it is almost the end of June and I just picked the winner of May's Give-away. And she is...
ROBERTA WARSHAW from Roberta Warshaw Artisan Jewelry. My apologies, Roberta for this late delivery. Please send me your mailing address and I'll get your brooch sent pronto!
So what has been keeping me from my keyboard? Well, you probably read about my mom's death. And then there was the funeral (I arranged all of the flowers including a huge casket piece of lilies). And I have been spending more time with my Dad to help him transition into living alone. And I trapped (humanely) 3 little feral kittens at his house so he doesn't have to deal with an eventual cat population explosion.  Afore mentioned kittens are now living temporarily in my bathroom as I play "Kitten Whisperer" and get them tamed down so they can be adopted out. I have myriad scratches and gouges and two pretty nasty bites, but I'm making headway. They will let me pet them now, but only one has condescended to be picked up without a fight. I have to give major kudos to my poor husband who REALLY didn't want feral kittens living in the bathroom (again!), but who has patiently let me have my way because I'm a cat woman.
I have also started selling at our local Saturday Market - A fabulously creative and magical market here in Eugene. I sell my beaded brooches and my sugar skulls and some charms I made and some beaded hairpins. I have made some wonderful friends, especially my boothmate, Cheri, who has taken me under her wing and helped me get started in the market. Cheri makes irresistable earrings out of recycled bottles. Her business is called "Boozy Baubles" and you can buy "Beer Baubles", "Wine Baubles" or "Liquor Baubles" as well as her totally awesome "Cola Baubles".  Check out her entire Etsy Shop here.
I've been beading every chance I get. I'm going to my Beading Circle again which has many great beady friends to connect with. And I've made friends with some beaders at the Saturday Market and have traded for some wonderful pieces.
So - all in all- I feel like I am getting back to my comfortable life and promise to keep up on this blog!
I will leave you with a picture of June's Give-away.  Just follow this blog and leave a comment to earn a chance to win!

Up for grabs!

Participating in My Mother's Journey

My mother, Hilda in 1940

I know I haven't been around much these past weeks (Thank You, Leanne, for noticing). My mother was diagnosed a few months back with lung cancer and she had a long, strange journey to go through before she finally passed away last night.
 She started off angry. When the doctor gave her 4-6 months to live, she said she felt like he had given her a death sentence. I had to remind her that none of us get out alive and she had 80 good years to show for the life she had. She said her doctor was still a "s#%t head".  But she eventually accepted it and tried to keep a good sense of humor through the pain that she felt. She told me that she wanted to be buried with her wedding rings still on ("check to make sure the mortician doesn't steal them") and that she wanted to be dressed in comfortable clothing, "even if it wasn't dressy".
My niece is getting married tomorrow on the other side of the world in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mom wanted to go to the wedding in the worst possible way, but knew she couldn't. She said that the only way she'd see the wedding is if she died beforehand so her spirit could be there. Last night when I called to tell my sister that Mom was gone, I told her to keep watch tomorrow at the wedding in her garden, because Mom was on her way and would be there.
I spent the last three days with her. My sister-in-law and another niece were here to help, but it was mostly my duty to administer her morphine every hour around the clock. At night I'd fall asleep and wake up exactly an hour later, without the aid of an alarm clock, give her her morphine and then fall back asleep in the chair beside her  - to wake up an hour later and repeat the process. The rest of the time I'd talk to her and hold her hand or sit next to her working on a beadwork project. She had the luxury of dying at home and in her last hours she roused a little to tell us all she loved us before she wandered off again and began talking to her mama who had died almost 50 years ago.
My dad is feeling a bit empty now and I'm staying with him for a few more days until he adjusts to being alone. His cat is a comfort for him and he has friends that he talks with on the computer. My brother lives next door, so I know he'll be watched over when I'm not here.
My mother and I didn't always see eye to eye. She was a strong personality and had very firm ideas on religion and politics that I didn't always share. But I'm glad I was able to take this journey with her and see her off into the next world. And I'm sure that I'll probably get a glimpse of her in my own garden someday soon.

My sister, Kathy, came from South Africa right after my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This picture was taken just before she left to go home - Dad, Mom and Kath on the front porch.