On The 30 Mile Leash

Maybe it dates back to college days when I lived with 75 women for 3 years.  Loved it.  Was much younger then and definitely carefree except for homework deadlines, of course.  However, I am over that now, along with waiting in lines and dealing with bureaucracies.  Ouch!

So getting on a bus and going en masse anywhere is just not my cup of tea.  Not even for quilting fabric.

Luckily for me, two of my most favorite quilt shops fit in a cirlce of 30 miles from my home.  One is relatively new, having been open just a few years.

The other is not only well established, it is ranked as one of the top ten shops in the country!

Debbie Roberts, Quilted Moose Owner

Debbie is holding a quilt made by Betsy Chutchian, a prolific quilter, author and designer.  Betsy commands “healthy” speakers’ fees.

Betsy Chutchian

I know because I am the Speakers’ Chairman for the Cottonwood Guild based in Elkhorn, Nebraska. She topped the list, which simply means she is very much in demand.  To be in such good standing that a top national designer and speaker would hand over several quilts to Debbie before their appearance at Houston, the most important quilt market in the country, speaks volumes about Debbie’s standing in the quilt world.

Having said that, The Quilted Moose is very down-to-earth.  Wonderful staff.  Every one is eager to help customers.  That is no mistake as Debbie values people skills over all others.  Do they know fabrics?  Yep.  Will they either leave you alone or tag behind you as needed?  Yep.  Most of all, though, is that you are absolutely made to feel as though you belong there.  Might be that’s why the customer base is so loyal.

If you are a “get ‘r done” gal, The Quilted Moose can accommodate you with a kit.  If you are a “change it up” person, you are celebrated!  It’s called “Moosing It Up”, a term of endearment for those who step out in faith and change the pattern or color scheme–or both.

Christmas Tree Skirt

The pattern for this Christmas Tree Skirt included a slit so it could be tied around the tree.  Since it was made for a family with an artificial tree, Debbie altered the pattern and created a seamless pattern.  Smart!

“Moosing It Up” also means changing the color scheme or fabric type.  So while the Applique Workshop gang (I am so excited to be a part of this group) are going to make the “Words to Live By” quilt,

they will be breaking from the pattern that calls for wool applique on a cotton background and go 100% cotton.  With the richness of the Jo Morton fabrics, none of the richness will be lost.  Rule breakers!  A couple of members are going to use brighter, less traditional colors.  So many roads to get the same end:  a beautiful quilt to own or gift.

Debbie is a 4-H “grad”.  A country girl right down to her bones, she made her own clothing in her teens and is a gardener.  She knows exaclty why the shop gets quiet one month out of the year–it’s the quilters tending to their gardens.

From her initial 1500 bolt offering 15 short years ago, to the 8000 bolts of today, The Quilted Moose has earned its spot in the hearts of not only Nebraskans but also of the wider country.

Good job, Debbie.  Thanks for being there for us.

PS:  Debbie has also been published.

Debbie Roberts’ second title, Baskets, Birds, & Boughs

Four Seasons at Minglewood by Debbie Roberts

Both books are available at Amazon, and another is coming out from Martingale.  You will be inspired.

Heart, Heart, Heart That Applique!

Applique Flag Element with Flutter Included

My applique story begins a long, long time ago in a faraway place…

I still have that 20 year old unfinished project .  In my defense, we moved. 🙂

Once I discovered the knitting machine, my love affair with hand work ended.  So while turned applique is very pretty to look at, I just don’t have the desire to cross stitch or smock or any of that other stuff I once did.

And yet, I loved the look of applique.  While pieced quilts are fun to make and the possibilites are unlimited, applique seemed to be a way to “paint” with fabric.  So, I was tickled pink when Suzanne Earnest  was invited to teach invisible machine applique to my Plattsmouth guild this summer.  Suzanne well known in these parts and has taught dozens if not hundreds of Omaha area quilters her applique method.

I immediately fell in love with the ease of her process and soon joined her closed applique workshop group.  Closed not because of attendees’ skill level.  I would have been excluded had that been the case.  Closed because Suzanne is so generous with her time, not only teaching but encouraging each and every student.

Her empowerment is contagious, so for my first project I sketched out a wall hanging.  I had never done an original art piece of any description.  But ya gotta start somewhere, and what better place and time surrounded by a excellent teacher and fellow enthusiasts eager to see one another succeed!

Cornstalk In Progess

I love this shape.  My husband said I should have looked at pictures of corn before starting.  Are you serious!  I live in Nebraska and can’t go a mile from my house without seeing cornfields.  As a kid I detasseled the stuff and even ran a rouging crew.  Does this look like something Kent feeds would produce?  NOT.  It’s fanciful, not accurate.

Assembled Cornstalk

I am very proud of this goofy cornstalk because the pieces are relatively small and they all went together just as I had planned. The stalk is only an eighth of an inch thick.  Not bad for a beginner.  I promise to share the completed project by and by.

The “take away” for me is:  trust your instincts and make stuff that delights or challenges you in some way.  My next project is a much more serious project, but I have until Christmas to complete it.

It involves a Red Rooster panel from 2012.  The mission is to reproduce the Asian motif flower below:

Asian Flower Element

Looks tough, but with a little help from my friends, I think I can pull this off.  Besides, Suzanne tells me she has a few little tricks up her sleeve just in case this cat needs to be skinned a different way.

If you are an applique person, please check the ForeverQuilt website for a listing of Suzanne Earnest’s “must have” equipment for invisible applique.

And if you are not a quilter but want to own or give a quilt, remember that I quilt “on command”.  Let me know what you would like, and get a quilt of your very own.

It’s easy to subscribe to “News From ForeverQuilt”.  Text FOREVERQUILT to 22828 and follow the prompts.  News From ForeverQuit is your ONLY source for our deals and specials.

Craftsmanship Lives!

I fell in love with the Joslyn Castle at a wedding this summer.  The craftsmanship was just amazing, a tribute to the common man and his creative talents and pride of workmanship.

Built in 1903

Coming in at just under 20,000 square feet, this Omaha landmark was built in less than a year.  Everywhere you look, the eye is delighted to see magnificent woodwork, stained glass, metal work, and every other detail is breathtaking.

I believe there is a natural desire to possess individually made works of art as well as practical items for everyday use.

Today we see a wonderful movement dubbed DIY.  Do It Yourself.  The younger generation is leading this era, using even the lowly plastic milk carton in ways never before imagined.

The big news in personal accessories is purse accessories.  I guess the multiple zeroes range for handbags is just a bit much these days.  I had to try my hand at it.

The result is the Ultimate Wallet from Craftsy.  I made one for daughter-in-law, Carrie and liked it so much I made one for myself.  Whenever I showed it, I got a request to buy one.  So I made a few up and put them on ShopHandmade.com

Quilted Clutch Wallet

Red, White and Blue is popular these days.  This offering is a lap robe and matching pillowcase.

Patriotic Lap Robe & Pillow Case

Kids’ Playmats are low tech (VERY low tech), old-fashioned fun.  Great for solo or pair play.  Just add a book or favorite toy and enjoy the show…

Square Yard of Fun! Fireman Theme

Find much more on our web site, from armchair organizers for the men to doll blankets.  The gift giving holidays will be here soon.  Special offers for our newsletter subscribers only.

Save $$.  Learn Stuff.  Subscribe to “News From ForeverQuilt” by texting FOREVERQUILT to 2282 today!

Eat Your Cake And Have A Waistline

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

I have been keeping a secret.

On Father’s Day, my sisters and I went to our folks’ house to help them with house and yard work. I wrote about that June trip in “Alzheimer’s Is Not That Bad” and “The Bird Quit”.

My sister from Texas was as fit as a fiddle, inspiring me to take off some pounds I had been ignoring. I already knew the answer. It’s a great little free app called “My Fitness Pal.” (Also on-line at http://www.MyFitnessPal. No “smart phone” required.)

Years ago, I had hired a personal trainer and worked out faithfully 5 days a week at the local gym. Surprisingly, though, the “big reveal” was that 70% of weight loss happens at the table. The old saw about the moment on lips being forever on the hips is more or less true.

Sweat It Off!

I used to work out. Used to. Don’t any more and don’t want to. So my 70% success factor had to be my 100% success factor. I had wanted to surprise the kids at Christmas. At more than half way to goal even before fall came, I knew I had to share the secret with others. Who wouldn’t want to head into the holiday season at ideal weight?

I did it, and I know you can do it. I have added some “cheat sheet” hacks that keep me encouraged and allow me the leeway to enjoy family gatherings and some calorie rich foods. I do not want any “off limit” foods. Dieting should not be about deprivation. I like my chocolate, doggone it!

The site/app does a great job of getting you started. You put in your weight (avert your eyes!), asks you how much you weight, height, desired weight… Easy peasy, just follow the prompts.

My Favorite Features:

Barcode Reader.

This is for the smart phone. Grab that bag of chips and scan the barcode. You will know how many calories in those chips. Don’t be afraid of them. Write them down. As the old adage goes, if you nibble, you must scribble.   I’ll tell you in a little bit how you can binge a little and still stay on track.

My Recipes and Foods.

Genius. Take any recipe and “dump it” into this feature. You need to know or reasonably estimate the number of servings to make this work. I love the Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage balls recipe from my Grandma Sadie.   I knew it was calorie rich, but now I know that one is plenty. I just slow down and enjoy it in little bites.

Saw a vegan frosted chocolate cake made with beets and avocados. It is very rich. Just because it is vegan doesn’t mean it can’t pack on the pounds. What to do? Dump in the ingredients and get the unvarnished truth about what this beauty does after the party. Come to find out, a half inch sliver of this dessert is my limit. At least I know, so I can “eat my cake and have it, too.” :->

Weigh In: Just be honest with yourself. There are set backs and plateaus. Whoop de do.

My Fitness Pal Web Site and App

My Favorite Hack:

Ok, this is how I recovered from the massive chocolate cake feeding frenzy.  Just so you know, that vegan cake packs a whopping 200 plus calories for a one inch sliver serving.  I had more than one serving, and we took the left over cake home.  Mine field, for sure.

So here is how I hack the system:  When I hit my calorie limit for the day, I put the excess calories on the next day.  Then I eat a little less that day.  I don’t have to make it up all in one day.  It took me a week of “forwarding” calories to work my way out of the hole I had dug in that luscious cake.  I wish I could say I had plateaued, but I actually gained a couple of pounds.  Lost two weeks but kept the memories!  I back to being a loser and closing in on my ideal weight.

So I guess you CAN have your cake……

And here is the recipe:  http://www.coffeeandquinoa.com/2014/03/fudgy-chocolate-beet-cake-with-chocolate-avocado-frosting-vegan-and-gf/

Go for it!

MAJOR PS:  My apologies to my News From ForeverQuilt subscribers.  The September newsletter did not connect to the ShopHandmade Blog.  My fault.  I apologize for the inconvenience.  I will post a special coupon just for subscribers that will give your holiday gift-giving a major head start.  If you are not a subscriber, you can fix that by texting FOREVERQUILT to 22828.

 

 

Quilt With Non-Standard Measurements?

How is that going to work out?  Just fine, actually.

That is, if you have the correct tool.  Not talking modern art quilts.  These are traditional “on-point” beauties.  Where the square is turned 45 degrees to become a diamond.

And that is where the nightmare always began until an out-of-the-box quilter found a short cut or hack, if you will. I like to think of it as thinking like a girl and not an algebra teacher.

Donna Lynn Thomas

I can imagine Donna Lynn Thomas cocking her head to mentally change a square into a diamond.  What is the magic, she must have thought, that makes it stupid simple to tame the beast?

Identical 3″ square squares

After all, a square IS a diamond–turned.

Turning the square does not change its measurements at all–except for the seamstress.  Hummmm….

The diamond creates a wider row for the quilter.

Many a designer has struggled with this conundrum.  Many have shared the obvious solution of turning to the calculator.

Wiki How explains it in 7 very detailed steps involving square roots (how fitting!) and triangle dynamics.  If you fell asleep in either algebra or geometry, you might not want to visit their info page. 

Even when you come up with the right answer, there is no such marking on any ruler you own, so the only option is to guess or fudge.  It is not at all precise.  And any quilter knows that imprecise measuring…..  Well, you know where that goes.  Never mind.

Perhaps Donna Lynn could not find a calculator that morning.  Maybe she cheated some how, but luckily for us, the result was a new ruler.

Genius! Seams included and no angst.

Ms. Thomas’ multi-purpose ruler is very smart. Not only does it measure the width of the diamond, it adds in the quarter inch seam allowance. Because, really, how much fun would it be to have to add a precise quarter inch to a point? We certainly do not want to go back to guesswork and fudging the numbers–the exact situation we are trying to escape!
Who would ever guess that “no-math” could trump complicated math for getting to the exactly right measurement. Donna Lynn Thomas gave us out-of-the-box American ingenuity for our all-American quilting joy. If you love the “on-point” look but have been holding back from trying it, please try one of Donna Lynn’s books.

No less than 15 pages of this book can be previewed before you buy.

I have selected On-Point Patchwork because of its variety and the fact that you can preview so many pages before you buy.  One or more pattern is sure to catch your eye and fire your imagination.  However, all Ms. Thomas’ books have easy-to-follow directions.  Choose one that is right for you.

And finally, I would be remiss if I did not personally thank Ms. Thomas for generously taking the time to answer my questions about the on-point ruler.

Not long after her visit to Cottonwood Quilt Guild as a speaker (see my previous post), I tried to sort out exactly how her ruler worked, not having purchased it yet. After several emails, she figured out that I was cutting fabric on the right side of my standard ruler instead of putting the ruler on top of the fabric I intended to use.

Using the grid to determine strip width. WRONG!

The ruler determines strip width, not the mat.  CORRECT!

She also challenged me to turn my cutting pad over until I had broken the habit of depending on it instead of the ruler. A very simple bad habit was holding me back. This is the reason I encourage quilters to take a beginner class, either in a group or with a book in your own sewing room. You don’t know what you don’t know. You know?

Preview over a dozen pages of instruction and pictures before you buy.

Whether you are a beginner or experienced quilter, please consider either taking a beginner’s class at your local quilt shop or tutor yourself with Ms. Thomas’ easy directions and inspiring designs. Quilting Essentials II is appropriate for all levels.  Or try the Quilting Essentials book one, also available at Amazon.

Donna Lynn Thomas’ original quilting tutorial.

If Your “Stash” Owns You…

Donna Lynn Thomas, a very talented and profilic quilter/teacher from Kansas City came to Omaha’s Cottonwood Quilt Guild in April of this year.  That morning, I was distracted and running late for that meeting.  I was not really prepared to actually pay attention to the speaker even though it was a divinely sweet spring day.

Luckily for me, Donna Lynn Thomas’ chat captivated me totally.  Isn’t it nice when someone draws you out of yourself and takes a manic morning in a totally different direction?  It was like the first whiff of your favorite perfume.  Ah, so sweet.

Ms. Thomas got my attention in two ways.  First, she makes quilts a couple of fat quarters at a time.  Forget about a “stash” of fabric.  Or rather a stash of cash because face it, that is what a mountain of yard goods really is.  What to do with it all?

Secondly, she chooses a pair of fabrics in the same color (hue) but of different values.  Value changes with the addition of either white or black.

Color Value Tool

Interestingly, Grace Errea had been our speaker the month before Ms. Thomas came, so color value was still fresh in my mind.  The Color Tool above makes it easy to find fabrics that work together well because they are the same color (hue) but a different value (darker or lighter.)  You can buy this tool from Grace’s site.

A fat quarter goes a long way, actually.  If you are working with 5 inch squares, you get a dozen blocks.  Five by five is 24 square inches.  You are getting 12 blocks, so the coverage is just under 300 square inches.  At that rate, 14 fat quarters makes a queen size bedspread top.  Since you work in color pairs, that is 7 colors.

Patchwork Palette by Donna Lynn Thomas

Donna has an amazing eye for color.  There is a quilt featured just inside the front cover of

Flip Your Way…

that will be my first fall project.  I will send you the picture when I finish.  If you have a lot of “stash” or none at all, I highly recommend anything in the impressive library from Donna Lynn Thomas.  No less than 11 of her books can be found on Amazon.  Don’t forget the fundamentals books, either.  Even Tiger Woods takes lessons!

The pink links are your gateway to easy purchasing.  Enjoy!

Oh, and next newsletter, we will talk about Donna Lynn Thomas again.  Make “on point” blocks and FORGET THE MATH.  Can you believe it, there is a way to make “on point” blocks effortlessly. 

When A Mask Reveals Beauty…

I was just out of college a couple of years when the personal computer was introduced. For half a decade, my best friend’s husband had been working for IBM, “the” name in computing. So iconic was this company that HAL of “2001 Space Odyssey” was the voice of calm and stability that is IBM. (“H” comes before “I”, “A” before “B”, etc.)

Like everyone else of that era, I knew how dependant big business was on mainframe computing. One of my summer jobs before graduation was as a balance clerk at a Lincoln bank. Overnight, we made sure the small town banks’ ledgers were accurate. Through a large picture window, we saw the massive machinery in its air-conditioned sanctuary. We were in awe of the highly skilled technicians who were allowed access.

A far cry from our hand-held data masters now, the computers back then were a technology for serious pursuits. That is why our carpool gang of three wondered what in the heck a person would do with a home computer. I was at a complete loss as to what to store in the thing but wondered if it might be handy for organizing my recipes. Don’t laugh.

Now computers are being paired with our art of quilting. From hand-carded and dyed fabrics to longarm quilting machines, we’ve come a long way. Time-consuming techniques of yesteryear are child’s play for easy for the computer-driven longarm.

One of these features is called “masking” where a section of sewing is skipped as it were so a similar design can be inserted to emphasize the overall pattern. I love adding it to my customers’ quilts. It can be as little as a four inch square and take the quilt from “ok” to “wow”. A 12 inch square “masked” motif adds less than $3. It might be just the icing on the cake that your Christmas quilts are calling for.

See this beautiful quilt technique:

Back of Quilt showing overall design interrupted by single motif blocks.

Check us out at http://www.ForeverQuilt.com We are not a fabric store. Your quilting order is our only priority. We take orders from all 50 states. Give is a try.

I thought we had this one licked.

I haven’t had a problem with red dye running since the early 80’s. The clothing industry figured out that people wanted a hassle free way to have red clothes. Problem solved.

What changed? I call it the “purity movement.” Folks are looking to eliminate fake ingredients in their food, their pets’ food, their cosmetics, and well, everything. Surrounded by environmental toxins, it is comforting to know we can take steps to reduce risk of illness and allergic reactions.

And that is where the new vegetable dye fabrics come in.

Great idea.  Let the buyer beware!

If you shop for fabric like I do, you grab the bolts carrying the looks that will be perfect for your project.  As the commercial reminds us, “If you’re a quilter, it’s what you do.”  In a quilt shop, you don’t even check to eliminate poly blends.  You know that you know that you know it is 100% cotton.

Well, from now on, you must.  The vegetable dyed fabric is out there, and it is beautiful.  Rich, saturated reds and blues. and other hues.  Yummy stuff.

Read the label.  Ask the person cutting your goods.  It’s not that anyone is trying to hide anything.  You know how it goes.  Lots of people in the shop.  Lots of talking about quilting.  It just gets forgotten.  So be sure to ask.  Because as the industry works, there is no label on the goods when you leave the store.  You must get the information while you are there so you will know what to do next.

Let’s talk about setting dye.  Then the solution if you have the problem.

It is quite fitting that vegetable dye is set with salt and vinegar.

Instructions

1. To colorfast dyed or colored material so the dye won’t run,
   into bucket add:
   1/4 cup salt
   1 cup vinegar
   1-2 gallons cold water
2. Place one garment in the solution and swish around gently, dissolving the salt and making sure the entire garment is wet through. This will set the color so the color won’t run.
3. Let sit, swishing the material around gently by hand whenever you pass by (every few hours so during the day). The colorfast process is quite hands off.
4. After about 24 hours, lift the garment out, squeezing gently so that excess solution falls back into the bucket. Rinse the garment, cloth, rug or item you are colorfasting thoroughly until the cold water solution runs clear and is free of dyes. When the water runs clear, you can safely wash the item in your regular laundry.
5. If dyes remain after many (10 or so) rinses under cold running water, repeat the colorfasting process (steps 1-4) before washing it in your regular laundry.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_5210690_colorfast-clothing.html

One more step: Add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. Vinegar is the “icing on the cake” in this process.

All fine and good.  But what if this has happened to you?  Notice in the photos that the bleeding occurred where water came in contact a dye that runs and was transferred by the connecting thread.  In other words, the colorfast thread (the thread in this case is also red but does not bleed) acted as a wick to carry the excess color to the quilt back.

We were able to eliminate the stain caused in this case.  Credit to my meticulous, problem solving genius husband, Tom.

This process takes patience.  We were working with a white back, so that was in our favor.

The tools used were a fine paintbrush, an alligator clip, a solution of 50/50 bleach and water, and a place to hang the quilt.  If you do this on a flat surface, you run the risk of bringing more of the dye from the opposite side of the quilt.

Hang the quilt to avoid saturating the quilt.

Use a fine brush and a 50/50 bleach and water solution.

An alligator clip, clothespin or strategic stitching keeps the back and front apart.

The clip on the front isolates the stain for processing.

One of the stains before treating.  The tip of the star shows a bluish black stain.

Barely dip the brush into the bleach/water solution and touch the brush lightly to the quilt surface.

Do not saturate the fabric.

The stain will fade with each application. Allow fabric to dry thoroughly between each treatment.

Both red and blue stains are gone.

If your backing fabric is not white, you will have to test the fabric with the bleach/water solution to determine whether it significantly changes its color.  The other solution is to “unquilt” the piece and use the colorfast process above to set the quilt top.

This quilt is not out of the woods yet, either.  The dye on the front of the quilt has not changed.  Its owner will have to decide whether to wash the quilt and let nature take its course.  Perhaps the decision will be to use it as a wall hanging.  The colorfast process could be done taking care to keep the back and front separated using clips.

The quilt owner is a prolific quilter, patronizing several shops to get the widest selection of fabrics.  She hopes to remember the supplier of this fabric to let them be sure to warn others.  The silver lining in this cloud is that the problem was discovered before the quilt was offered for sale.  And, now you also know.  Get the fabrics you love without getting problems you don’t!

Happy quilting.

The “Bird Quilt”

I guess it’s a bird thing.  My last post, “Alhzeimer’s Is Not That Bad” featured the birdhouse wallpaper in my parents’ bathroom.  Now I am set on solving the mystery of  the “Bird Quilt” puzzle.

My cousin, Jane, was gifted one of the three of the highly prized “Bird Quilts” from the Redfern family.  The quilts date back to our great, great grandparents as nearly as I can tell.

The note inside the brightly colored card is in our Grandmother Lola’s hand, mother of Jane’s mom and my dad.  Grandma was an amazingly talented woman.  No textile art was beyond her.  She made lace, hats, quilts, and clothing.  She knitted and crocheted.  When she was in her late 80’s she started a bedspread cover for a full size bed and declared it would be her last project.  It was made of fine crochet cotton, something one would use to make dainty doilies.  She was finished in a couple of months.  Jane knows the project I am describing.  If you saw a picture of it, you would be amazed.  It was fabulous.  (And by the way, Grandma Lola lived another couple of decades and just kept on producing baby booties and many other cherished and beautiful things for her family.)

Yet the “Bird Quilt” was her prized possession.  She says so on the note.

The quilts are made of high grade muslin, the type you just don’t see any more.  There are 12 of these blocks on each quilt, each bordered by a plain block of the same size.  I think my Dad might actually guard this heirloom with his life.  Ok, an exaggeration, but it is very, very precious to him.

On my bucket list is the task of reproducing this quilt for each of Mom and Dad’s four granddaughters.

That being said, I would love to discover the last piece of the puzzle.  I am burning with curiosity to know what happened with the third quilt.  And Jane may know.

Each of the 3 boys of the maker, Elizabeth, were given a quilt.  Skipping a generation, one went to our grandmother and one to her little brother, our great uncle Glenn.  One went to Jane as a wedding gift, another passed through my father’s line, and the third one’s fate is unknown to us.

One of the boys had no children, so perhaps his quilt made its way to a museum.  It certainly would qualify as a museum piece if it is any kind of good shape.

What intrigues me is that something so pretty could be made of such humble materials as muslin and three times over for all of that.  The 12 motifs are as identical as can be.  I assume all 36 are just as well made; each one interchangeable as any other one.

No computers.  No rotary cutters.  No special sewing machine foot. Lovingly and carefully hand quilted.  Would that we could be as productive and exacting today.

Alzheimer’s Is Not That Bad

My two sisters and I went to our folks’ for the Father’s Day weekend to enjoy one anothers’ company and pitch in with chores around the house.  One sis was lamenting mom’s forgetfulness issues.

I acknowleged her sadness seeing someone you love “slip”.  Without saying it out loud, though, I told myself, “It’s not that bad.”

At 60, I still have both my parents.  My husband lost his dad when he was 14.  My dad lost his dad when he was only 5.  My mom lost her dad before she turned 50.  Mom is still with us.

What I think is cool is that with her memory loss comes a sort of sparkle.  Don’t get me wrong, she also has those frustration times and temper that comes with the condition, but most of the time, she talks about what is really important to her.  I see the essence of who she really is.

So this past weekend, I really paid attention to the topics of interest to her.  She is absolutely batty about the grandkids and will beam while telling of the moments precious to her when they were little.  “Emily Elizabeth, Emily Elizabeth,” she sing songs, “how are you?  How are you?”  I can just see her doing that “back in the day.”  Way better than a scrapbook.

She often sits and just watches dad as he naps.  She gets the coffee pot ready for breakfast.  And the funniest thing of all is how much she likes her bathroom wallpaper!

Whether she bought them or received them as gifts, mom ended up with 3 whimsical tin birdhouses.    This is one of them

Because of these 3 birdhouses, the bathroom wallpaper became this:

   It’s been up for decades, and I assure you, she is anything but bored with this decor.  I think this silliness should be memorialized as a quilted wall hanging or table topper.   And the blue winged angel nightlight in there is also inspiration for a project.

  I tend to be an “in the moment” person.  It’s just my personality.  Handy because I don’t have to remember too much myself, either.

But I have to say, weird as it sounds, that I am enjoying my mom in these days.  I cherish her quirkiness.  I love when she plays her favorite hymns at the piano.

After all, what is the alternative?  My grandpa Ralph, picture of health in his mid-70’s and just home from his morning run, literally dropped dead at the kitchen sink pouring a glass of water.  Yep.  I like this Alzheimer’s stuff. It creates a sense of urgency for me to enjoy my mom and to get a project done that she will delight in before she passes.