You never know

At the beginning of the year my brother came to visit. I told him that he needed to visit our mom as well. They had a strained relationship but I was not telling him or asking him to apologize or ask for forgiveness. I simply suggested that he visit her since he had not seen her in over a year and he was headed back to Antarctica until October. I told him "you never know". He did not stop by. And I know she was disappointed.

On February 13th my mother was admitted to the hospital. She had a massive heart attack, she was septic, her liver and her kidneys were shitting down. My brother was called and he had an opportunity to return home. He was worried however that he would hurt his reputation and not have a good job reference from his current employer. By leaving he would loose his job. He chose to stay in Antarctica and hope for the best.

On February 21st, my mother passed away.

You never know what tomorrow holds. that sentiment has never been more true for me. I am sad for my brother. I was able to tell my mom I love her and I would see her again.

My mother may not have been the perfect mother but none of use were prefect children. She loved us and cared for us as best as she could. It took me many years to realize that. I never had to forgive her. I only had to forgive myself for being so blind.

I hope my brother will be able to deal with the choice he made. I can't say I judge him for his choice. I only write this as a reminder to others that you never know what tomorrow holds.

delightful!

Maybe its the time of year, cabin fever and all.... I dunno. But I tend to get nuts about crafting in February. last year it was hair clips, paci-clips, hand made bibs. This year I had to do something less space consuming. So, I have dove into embroidery.

I knew I did not want to do cute fluffy kittens or anything I would never want in my own house. I was pleased to find Sublime Stitching by Jenny Hart. I have stitched up a few bibs for my cousin, a library bag (each!) for my daughter and my son, a veggie tote for my mom, and our family quilt square for my daughter's school. My next move will be a t shirt for my son and a sweatshirt for my daughter.

Pics to be posted soon!

Etsy

I have a number of friends who sell on Etsy. I am a big fan and I try to shop there often. I recently bought a one of a kind necklace for a tween; the half sister of my God Daughter. My purchase was made at the IV for 4 shop and it was a huge hit. See the picture to the left and you will see why. Very hip, isn't it?

Most of the items are copper, sterling, or fine silver. The quality is great and I will certainly be making more purchases from IV for 4.

Living in a rural area I don't have mush of an opportunity to shop at boutiques that would carry one of kind items. But Etsy provides me with that opportunity on a regular basis. My only frustration (other than having to wait for the mail man) is that I don;t get to handle the item prior to purchase. To date I have not been disappointed by any item purchased via etsy.com.