So thankful for the memories

During my morning routine of relaxing while sipping on some hot coffee this morning and pondering what the day would bring, my telephone rang. I didn't recognize the number and very oftentimes I won't answer my cell phone if I don't know who is calling. I chose to answer anyway, and it was my friend calling from San Diego. If you have followed my blog for quite some time now, you might remember me talking about an elderly lady I visited twice a week at the senior nursing facility. When I first began doing that, she was 89 years old, but had the mind of a thirty year old and wanted to learn to knit and crochet. She chose crocheting first, and within a year's time, she crocheted each of her six great grandchildren a small afghan. We became pretty close and I adored her, but time quickly began robbing her after that first year, and she struggled to remember how to even hold her hook. The big blow came this past August though, when her daughter told me her husband would be retiring at the end of October and they would be moving to San Diego the first of November. They would be moving her mother, my precious friend and student with them. She longed to be near the ocean where she could watch the waves and the birds. Sadly, I wasn't able to see her the last couple of months she was at the facility, as my husband and I had our own set of issues with a family member, whom we lost in September. I had every intention of booking a flight soon to go visit. You probably know where this is going...
Her daughter, my friend Sue, was calling to let me know her mother passed away this past Thursday. Her final words to Sue were, "I'm happy." This past year wasn't easy for her. She was in a lot of pain due to her kidneys failing, she had COPD, and last year she went thru a colostomy (bowel reconstruction). When I heard the words, I felt the stinging of tears, but to know that she died happy and was at peace, kept them from falling down my cheeks. She was just shy of turning 93 on Feb. 4th. It's hard to say goodbye. I miss her so much. Her family constantly tells me what a blessing I was to her and how much they appreciated my friendship, but the truth is, she helped me on my road to healing from the loss of my own mother, so it worked both ways. I'm so grateful for the many hours we got to spend together!! I will just say so long for now my friend, Loretta. God rest your soul!

 

I think I mentioned how I have a few sweaters on my needles and wasn't sure if I should finish them and just be a skinny girl in big sweaters, or frog them altogether and repurpose the yarn into garments that will fit me. I made the decision this morning on one of them; Ditto by Berroco Design Team, which I'm knitting out of Miss Babs Yowza! What a skein in the colorway Oyster. I'm going to go ahead and complete it and if it looks too ridiculous by next year, I will just gift it to one of my friends. I carried it with me to my afternoon knitting group today, and forgot how much I enjoy working on this pattern. By the time I figured out where I was in the pattern though, I only managed a couple of rows. That's ok, that's two more rows than I've put on it in the past six months! Who knows? Maybe I'll have it completed by the time Stitches West 2015 gets here, and I will need a cardigan. This is an old picture, so I will take a new one as soon as blogger lets me upload new pictures. I'm snagging these from old blog posts that it's letting me have, for some strange reason.

 





As I mentioned yesterday, I had two more repeats to do on clue #3 of my Downton Abbey mystery kal by Jimmy Beans Wool. I've completed those and am all set for the next clue this next weekend. And once again, blogger isn't letting me upload the new photos. I was all set to show you my socks for another mystery knit along, as well as the progress I've made on my brother in law's socks. I've turned the heel on the first sock and am headed to the foot now. I'm very pleased with how they are coming along, but I'm also anxious to get them off the needles. All in good time....