Zero Weddings and Two Funerals

Wait, we did get a save the date card for an August wedding!  Yes, indeed though, it was a two funeral week. Both funerals celebrated amazingly wonderful women that I didn’t spend a lot of time with but I was honored to know.

The first funeral was standing room only and I sat with my sister and childhood friend.  The funeral was for the mother of my dearest high school friend.  Such a celebration of a life well lived!  Sometimes at funerals when they ask people to come forward with a memory to share it can be uncomfortable because so few people are willing to talk in front of an audience.  Not in this case.  The memories shared were wide ranging from Pearletta’s amazing golf swing demonstrated by her 85 year old friend that was all of 5 feet tall.  That drew quite a few chuckles, and then her dedication was brought to light by the head of volunteers for a local hospital.  Pearletta had volunteered over 20 years in the surgery wing.  And finally, my friend’s boss was singing her praises because Pearletta had raised such wonderful kids!  I couldn’t agree more!

Friday I was off to Seattle for another funeral.  This time it was for Auntie Al.  Really she was not my auntie at all, but a lovely 99 year old “real” auntie to my brother in law.  Auntie Al never married and loved people with “a wonderfully loving and dignified presence”, as quoted in her funeral bulletin.   So true.  Her Swedish roots ran deep and she even considered marriage at one point, but her intended wanted to live in Sweden, and she had aging parents here. So Auntie Al turned him down and dedicated her life to her family and was beloved by all who knew her.  She had two requests for her funeral.  No drums (that was easy!) and a funeral lasting only 20 minutes!  Well, I have to say that the second request just couldn’t be honored because too many people loved her and wanted to pay tribute.  The reception afterwards had trays of Swedish goodies and I had a piece of lefse (or lefsa?) in her honor.

Luna Blooms by Clothworks, Roundabout Pattern not quite finished yet!

Laura and I got busy with some fabulous new fabric from Clothworks that we LOVE called Luna Blooms.  Check out our new pattern French Baguette (below) and a must have table runner called Roundabout (above).  Love this fabric line!  We are going to make floor mats too!  The colors positively sing and it’s like magic in the garden, a very fantastical garden!

 Luna Blooms by Clothworks, French Baguette, also a work in progress!

We are also busy creating a floor mat for Kansas Troubles Quilters for spring market.  Dave rolled up his sleeves yesterday and drew out the design inspired by the KTQ logo and was BUSY priming lots of fabric for this 4’ by 6’ mat.  He set up shop outside the studio door as the weather was great, albeit windy, so in the end he used lots of props to keep the fabric still.  At one point we were using concrete birds, hammers, shelf brackets and tape measures to hold things in place (notice the guy theme here?).  There couldn’t be a more supportive husband, and it makes working in the studio over a weekend so much more fun for me!

All the while, Laura was making table runners and I was finishing the mitered borders on French Baguette.  I so adore the pace of working along side my dear husband and running over to Laura’s for something, or having her run over to the studio.  It is creativity at it’s very best when it’s a party atmosphere!

Hip to Be Squre in Pure by Sweetwater, in process again!

Did I mention that we are going to be in another magazine?  Here is the stack of fabric we are using.  It's a December issue and believe it or not this is Christmas Fabric!  I will give more details later after everything has been finalized! 

I took a little time to photograph all the flowers that are ready to burst open or have burst open recently. 

Laura's Azalea from daughter Leslie's kintergarden teacher as a gift for volunteering (Leslie's in college now!).

Lilacs just ready to open!Tulips, blue bells and primroses.

Have you noticed that just before light the birds are singing too?  Ooooh, I just love that, I do believe it’s one of my favorite sounds as I am an early riser.  I have been watching the nest collecting in and around my house too.  There is a wire fence nearby with some dead vines from last year and as I was watching from my window this week a crow was tugging and tugging and tugging and finally flew away with a trail of vines a mile long.  And if I sit long enough I see little birds flying to the trees with their beaks full of nesting supplies, some bigger than they are.  Spring is such a lovely time of year and it brings such hope of birth and renewal, even during times of great sorrow and loss.

Comments

• Wow, you two have been busy (and Dave as well!). I love the new purple Sweetwater fabric. It's a new look for them. The patterns you've created are stunning. Wow, you're making a pattern for another quilt magazine. Awesome! I can't wait to hear the details. Laura's azalea looks so pretty - the azalea that I got from that same kindergarten teach died! :( I love keeping up on your lives on your blog!
  by Carolyn on 15 April 2010 at 6:21 p.m.

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