Goodbye 2011; welcome 2012

That last post was written just before the other shoe dropped. My #1 son became gravely ill a week later and our whole world started spinning out of control. While he has recovered quite nicely, and even got married a few months later, my own topsy-turvy spin continued to rum amok. My dear mother began declining in April and surrendered in May. I was lucky enough to be in the area, and spent the last month of her life with her. It was a humbling and wonderful experience, as I watched the loving nursing home staff care so gently for this woman they loved as their own grandmother. Mommy did indeed slip gently unto that dark night. It was a blessing.

Now, I am happily reinstated in my own home, loving my dogs & cats; sewing with my old buddies and once again sharing my everyday life with my dear, patient and generous husband.

The last two years were the opposite of the "Four Weddings and a Funeral" theme: Four funerals and two weddings took place as my mom, both of her siblings and her sister-in-law all died. Aunt Char's was the only funeral I wasn't able to attend, as I was back here in CA & heading to KY two weeks later. It's been a time of great happiness and un-doing sorrow, as well as joy in spending non-holiday time with relatives we don't see often enough. I will be forever grateful to Josh for the opportunity to know him as a fully-formed adult, as well as the chance to bond with my grandchildren in a way not otherwise possible. I admire them all for their generosity of spirit in welcoming me to the fold, as well as their sense of love and family. I learned a lot in my time in their household. It was a renewing experience for me.

Today, I'm celebrating 36 years of marriage to my DH, who gave me the freedom to spend 18 months of that time with our son and his crew. I don't know any other man who would so freely give up his wife for an undetermined period of time for the sake of another family.