Blogging and Sharing

I started blogging because I wanted to join the fun in the quilting community.  Quilt alongs and give aways were the attraction.  I've gotten to know so many nice people.  Bloggers have become my friends.   Initially I thought I would only share my quilting, recipes and farm life, but real life sometimes doesn't leave a lot of time for just those activities.

I started January out thinking I was going to get so organized and get so much done.  I wanted to spend less time on the internet, eat healthier and sew, sew, sew.  SO where have I been for the last month--almost a month without a blog post.  I've been living life and not really very pleasantly.  Because you are my friends, I'll share with you:

On January 17th my older sister called to let me know that she hadn't been feeling well the last couple weeks and had been to the clinic.  They were treating her for a bladder infection, but after a couple days she was feeling worse.  The blood panel they did showed alarming things going on in her blood.  On Friday a friend took her to Omaha NE and on Saturday morning they did a bone marrow test. My healthy, vibrant 68 year old sister, Kay was diagnosed with Acute myeloid leukemia AML.   She passed away the following Wednesday night, January 23rd. 

I'm so thankful that we had two weddings, a birthday celebration picnic and a sister trip last year.  Kay came for both weddings and the picnic.  Since our parents are no longer living, we siblings don't get together very often.  My older brother died four years ago and we've been reluctant to take a picture of just the four of us.  It just didn't feel right.

Last year we took pictures.  I'm so glad we did, even if little brother had to be persuaded to take the time at his son's wedding.

It's always comforting to have old pictures to look at too.

 

The three girls on "old" Pepper. 

 

 

Easter in my grandparents back yard.

 

 

This is Kay with her three sons - the loves of her life.  She married a dairy farmer and worked very, very hard and never had much luxury in her life.   Her marriage ended in divorce and it took years of pain, patience and strength to build a life for herself and relationships with her boys.  The last few years she had made a move.   She loved her job at an assisted living facility,  her cute little house and her church family.  She liked to garden, can and bake.  She never visited her boys without bringing homemade jelly and baked goods.  She sewed many of her own clothes in her early life, including her wedding dress.  The boys' shirts in this picture were made by her.  She had just started quilting in recent years.  She liked to travel.   She had taken a trip to Branson, MO, a river boat trip and a Fall colors bus trip.  We had such a fun sister trip to Arkansas to see my aunt.  We were planning another girl trip this year to the beach in Florida.  

 

She was the healthiest and happiest I've know her to be the last few years.   She was probably the most health conscious of all of us.  She exercised and watched what she ate.  "I have to take good care of myself, because I have no one to take care of me." she would often say.   She had come to a time in her life where she didn't have to work so hard and could take time to do some fun things.   It's been a shock to lose her so quickly.  I went to Omaha on Sunday and spent her last days and nights on this earth with her.  I still can't believe my beautiful and loving sister is gone.   I'm thankful that she didn't suffer.  It was a special time and I'm thankful that I could be there with her.   I so admire her faith and strength.    We will all miss her.

 

Of course, I came home and immediately came down with the "crud".  I was unable to attend the memorial service in Nebraska, but did go to the one in our home town.  The combination of exhaustion, "crud" and grief have kept me in a very dark place the last couple weeks.  I'm feeling better physically now and I know that the mental will improve with time.   It always amazes me and sometimes makes me angry how life just seems to go on.   I'm working my way through the black hole and the gray time and I know the sun will shine again in my life.  I selfishly want my sister and she has gone on ahead to be with my parents and two of my brothers.  We will all be together again some day. 

 

My desk top computer died this last week.  It's going no where, but the dump probably.  It has my email account on it, addresses and tons and tons of quilting ideas and patterns.  (yes, I do have backup)  I need to decide if I'm going to replace it.  I haven't heard anything good about Windows 8.   I miss not having the printer available, but I could probably install that on my lap top.   Decisions, decisions--not very important problems at least. 

 

I hope to get back to my 2013 goals.  I've done well with less time on the internet.  I can't believe February is half over!!  Happy Valentine's Day by the way.  I made DH chocolate chip cookies yesterday.  See I am feeling better.  Thank you dear friends for reading this long post and sharing my ramblings.  I've missed you and will be back.  Hugs...................