Disdecorating & memories

You'll have to forgive my header. We lost all our snow, although we had a skiff Wednesday night and this morning. It looks so much better with snow.  It fits the season. We've a Polar Vortex here. It is a tad chilly. 

We are in the process of what my Mom called 'disdecorating!' We're putting away our indoor holiday stuff. Outdoors we'll keep our bears up, though. It's such a nice light in the dark days of January. 

I've cleaned out our Christmas trunk. My late mother had 5 trunks. I packed it all up and donated it to her church summer bazaar in 2006. I wish I wasn't in such a position of grief, and kept some. 😒 

I told JB that 59 years ago last December I took a bus to Sudbury, to attend the pre-Christmas wedding of my dear choir friends. When I returned home, my parents had bought some wee ornaments, and decorated a 2' tree, which sat on my dresser. I've kept the ornaments, and added to them. We've been trying to clean some things out, and I was going to pass them on, but I am not ready. Sending Joseph into the post-Christmas sales, he was to try find me a new wee tree.

These, my mom made from a kit, sold at a church bazaar. I bought them. She complained bitterly about how long it took her to make them, and how little they asked for them. We happened to be there in Bala, and here was mom working the sale. 

Daisy really enjoyed the ornaments, back in the day! Daisy chewed on the old one, and burned her tongue. Since she has been rehomed a few years ago, we may be able to put one up.

Nutmeg likes to sit on the satin tree skirt, beside our Charlie Brown Christmas tree. I think it has had its day, though. Soon, Father Christmas will go back downstairs. She likes to 'turtle' as we call it. Head down, relaxed.

I've two blooms on the Amaryllis, the third, which I broke off, is in a mug. There is a 4th bud on the way. It is such a wonderful spot of colour in the winter.

The cats have enjoyed the toy train set. JB had enough of it, and put it away. It needs repairs, although JL, our SIL, worked on it on Christmas Day. The lights remain. Cinnamon was quite keen on it. 

Nutmeg likes to sit on the table, too. JB took this with his wee camera.

We have eased ourselves into the new year. Wednesday night, we finished off all 6 seasons of Unforgotten. It was amazing, and kept us on the edge of our seats. 

Normally, we begin our evenings watching an episode of Escape to the Country! We have learned so much about the UK. The scenery is amazing and we've learned lots. We learned about the Tolpuddle Martyrs the other day. The beginnings of the union movement. Fair wages for good work. The news is full of the fact that CEO salaries are in 

Canada's top 100 CEOs are averaging $14.9 million in 2022 and they make 246x the average worker. Then there are sports stars, but I digress! Have a great weekend!

Blast from the past

I want to show you my late mother's room divider. The kids will remember staying at the cottage, with no door on the TV room/guest room. Mom wanted a screen. I asked a now defunct Manotick antique store if they had one, and they found me this one. That was somewhere around 1995. It has beautiful hidden screws, covered by carved plugs. Mom replaced the fabric with this white lacey stuff.

Dad used to get up at 5:30 a.m. to put on the wood stove. Sabre, the dog, would peer under the divider to see if we were up!

Sabre, with mom and dad, 2002, BALA

Anyway, I have loaned the divider to a bereavement group run out of our local hospice agency, for whom I volunteer. I'm sure Mom would have thought that very cool! It would have been her 93rd birthday on the 4th of the 4th, last week.

We used it when I volunteered with Day Hospice. At that time, my friend, Susan, gifted tea cups to Day Hospice that belonged to her daughter.

We toodled into the city to have lunch with JB's aunt. She gave him an old photo album that belonged to his late mother. They talked about old times.

Today, April 12th, would have been my parents' anniversary. I have photos.

Dad, Nanny, Mom,
Wedding April 12th, 1945

Ray Jilks (1925 - 2007)
Joan Jilks (1925 – 2006)
Anne Butt (1883 – 1978)

April 12th, 1945

Mom and dad at their home,
Walker Ave., Toronto

Mom adored her grandbaby, Caitlin, Bala, 1980

Mom and dad at our wedding, 2002,
Bala

My cross stitch - framed

Framed!

I have been working on this furever! Many helpers, indeed. My late mother (Joan) had started it, but she died in 2006, leaving it unfinished. I don't have any idea when she started it. It's been a cross to bear for me, but a challenge in discipline. I've had to put it down when I've gotten frustrated. It's counted cross stitch, and much more complex that anything I've done before.

 It's been washed, and I've taken it to be framed.
 In the meantime, I feel a burden lifted.

Mom made these in 2004 or so!

2015

 April 4th was my mother's birthday. I'm sure she is happy that I finally finished it! She did a lot of this type of work, including some Christmas ornaments, which she made for a church bazaar, and which I bought!

I truly believe in celebrating the day loved ones were born, not mourning the place or the date they died.  My mom died on Mother's Day weekend, you see. It's a crazy thing, and I just put it out of my mind. I prefer to remember her on her birthday.

2011

The white and black fur on it doesn't help! March 2014

The hoop helps, I maketh progress!
March, 2014

 Happy birthday, mom. It was a life well-lived, choir member for 60 years. She worked hard inside and outside the home, from age 15 to 66, when she finally retired. She was a perfectionist, and her home was always meticulous, until her final year of life. That's when I knew how ill she was.

Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds 

-- all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have. 

-Edward Everett Hale, author (3 Apr 1822-1909) 

NaPoWriMo #4: fresh colours

napowrimo #4: fresh paint or make up
Think of a colour...any colour. I used this blog as inspiration, since our hardware stores all close at noon around here!

My late mother - we often gathered on 4/4 for her birthday. She loved her periwinkle, forget-me-nots, & violets. On this day, the anniversary of her 84th birthday, I miss her greatly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Colours of your love

today a pure white snow falls
a cosmic joke covers up the promise
even as your body gave up its battle
our lives framed by cancer
rose-coloured glasses buried with you
our faith remained strong

I know you and Spring will return
often my soul tingles
I feel you watching over me
pink forget-me-nots we planted
(as if you would be forgotten)
they spread, like your spirit, over this place
all is forgiven and forgotten

as a nurtured chosen child
you painted principles we hold dear
you coloured our lives
fairytale summers by the lake
thickly brushed stories of love
silver songs of unconditional joy
golden fireflies in the dark
the tinkle bells of hope
sparkle like diamonds
punctuating the saphire sky
all framed in mahogany by faith
never a door closes
but a window opens

seeing me through
trials and tribulations
I gave you much grief
I know in my heart
the indigo periwinkle
will raise their heads
azure violets
will nod to the sun
cerulean forget-me-nots
will carpet the land
black and yellow butterflies
will dance in your garden

a salute to the people you loved
and the land you lauded

~~~~~~~~~~~
“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me but I think she enjoyed it.”

--Mark Twain, American humorist, satirist, lecturer (1835 - 1910)