The end...and the beginning

We got the sad news that our dear friend Linda passed away peacefully, early yesterday morning.  We will truly miss her.  I'm not sure I knew how special she was until I saw strangers interact with her at the nursing home.  Everyone who met her was endeared to her and the staff at the home was hit hard by her passing, as are all her friends and family. 

In addition to being our dear friend, she was my quilt show cheering team, there for every ribbon I've won.  And, it is hard to think of going to this year's show without her. 

I'm sorry I was silent last week.  I know many of you were following our story closely.  But, last week was hard.  For us, it felt like the week between a death and the funeral.  Linda passed for us over a week ago, when we realized she would not wake again.  But, her body continued for another 9 days.  We felt like part of a very small group of people sharing the same experience who could not fully rejoin reality.  We couldn't move forward.  We couldn't move back. 

Today, we can move forward and rejoin the greater community around us (but a review of the news this morning makes me want to crawl back into a hole, to tell the truth.)



Coincidentally, I finished a project yesterday.  Linda gave me many unfinished projects.  Many. 

No.  Really.  Many.

But, she only asked me to finish one.  And, that was this one.  It's an afghan she started in 2003.  She had a third of the granny squares made.  And, the rest of the yarn and the pattern got left at her apartment and donated. The blocks had an unusual outer edge that I couldn't reproduce without the pattern and she couldn't remember, so I had to take that off the squares she had made and add something different. 

The border was my idea.  The focus yarn is a multi color called Aspen by Red Heart.  I found it during a lunch search one day.  And, I added a blue and green pulled from that and an off white.  Linda made the centers of the brown squares.

I finished it the day she passed away.  Rob made the point that she couldn't leave until I had finished that afghan. 

But, that's not true.  All it really means is I'll never be able to get rid of it.  Ever. 

Really. 

Stuck with it forever.

Kidding.  Sort of.

Sydney has done well with all that has happened.  She has followed our lead.  And, when we told funny stories at the dinner table, she laughed with us.  And, when we were sad, she was sad.  And, when it was time to grieve, she grieved.  And, when it was over, like us, she was relieved.  I'm reminded of something I read or that someone said when she came to live here.  Your children are learning from you, even when you don't mean to be teaching.  Make sure the lessons they learn are all lessons you'd want to teach. 

I wanted to say thank you from me and my family.  You have all been a great source of encouragement for us all.    You've supported me and encouraged me through a very difficult time.  And, now, life begins again and I'm anxious to see what comes next and to continue to share my personal experiences here, on the blog. 

Be well and have a great Monday!!  Lane