Sunday's Child (trying to be full of Grace): August 2010

Thursday, August 26, 2010

My mother was wrong.

Here's news you can use, my mother was wrong! gasp, shock of all shocks,
yes indeed, she was 100% wrong.

My mother always (that means several hundred times) said, a lady doesn't
speak of her misfortune or her good fortune. It is not proper.

So here I am 48 years later and finally figuring out the little nuances of life.

When Sweet Zoe was born, Mr. Right & I sent out little "It's a Granddaughter"
announcement cards to our friends. We shared chocolate roses and cigars with
co-workers. We are just so darn happy we wanted to
shout it to the world. Just sharing that giddy, happy, silly,
butterfly in the stomach feeling with everyone who would listen.

We told the waitress at the pub we were about to be grandparents. She was
really happy for us. We told the candy shop lady we were buying candy for
the mother of our new granddaughter. She was really happy for us. We have told a couple dozen grocery clerks our news. They have been elated for us. I have told
every single sales gal at every craft, quilt & fabric store about our new granddaughter. Heck, we even told strangers in the elevator. They have all been super happy for us. We told the people at the Sushi restaurant where we frequent that we were new grandparents. They were very happy for us. The mail lady, the UPS man, our librarian and on and on the list goes. Every single person has been happy for us.... no strings, no obligation, nothing more, just plain old happy for someone else.

When they told us on December 11th, 2009 that we were going to be grandparents,
it has been fun and happy and uplifting. On Good Friday when we learned it was
a girl and her name was Sweet Zoe, we shared and told everyone her name. It has been amazing and to borrow a word of our daughter in law, "impressive". Everyone has patiently listened to me go on and on. Everyone has looked at pictures and smiled.

We have a very "impressive" display of heartfelt cards here at our home. Friends and family have sent Mr. Right and I cards and little gifts. All to congratulate us and to share in our happiness. Immediately it has doubled our joy. Sharing all the sweetness and happenings of a new grandbaby has been, well quiet frankly fun. Fun. Period. Nothing earth shattering, just pure happy fun.

I happened to stop at a friends house this week. Her deck was a riot of pink geraniums. Just lush and full and cheerful and happy. She said oh, I planted those in honor of Sweet Zoe. Wow, impressive and lovely all wrapped into one.

Something else happened too. People who are our friends, co-workers and neighbors, who do not know our kids personally have given us gifts for the new parents and baby. Just because they want to and they are genuinely happy.

So here is the lesson folks........yes we all have bad times in our lives and we need support during those times. The big lesson is............we also have great, impressive over the top wonderful times in our lives as well. Share. Simply share. It takes time and stops it just for the briefest of moments and you can feel pure joy and happiness between people.

All the goodness and happiness people have bathed us in replaces and
heals the not so good memories of the past.

Grace happens right before your very eyes.
Our family has been bathed in grace.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

stitching alone

Any chance I could be the only 48 year old person living today
that feels like they were born in the wrong time frame?

I love to quilt, sew by hand and machine, counted cross stitch on linen,
embroider, bake, cook, set a nice table, make cards and do crafts of many kinds.

I am smack dab in the middle of a counted cross stitch birth sampler.
I am doing the celtic embroidery in gold thread on a Christening gown.
I am awaiting a pattern for a quilt I am planning for a Christmas gift.
I have a couple stacks of fabric waiting for some inspiration.
I have four blank dish towels waiting for some embellishment.

Sometimes, just sharing my progress with Mr. Right is just sort of blah. Oh,
he always is complimentary and says all the right things.

I just miss having girlfriends to discuss handiwork with. I miss sharing and
show and tell. Today, is one of those days, I can't wrap my brain around why I
enjoy doing handiwork and I feel so alone.

Finding joy in the "doing" has to be enough sometimes.