After five years of trying and a major loss, my niece is expecting.  She is having a very difficult pregnancy due to a horrible placenta and a babe that's only half the size it should be at this point.  They're taking it week by week, packing their bags each week before traveling to the specialist, in case they take the babe.  My niece asked for a shawl or wrap because NICU is usually a bit chilly.  So I made her this shawl (big enough to wrap herself AND the babe in her arms with her:

Gifts

The halo bolo bracelet was shown to me last week.  After the jeweler placed it on my wrist, the song, "How Do You Talk To An Angel" came on.  I sobbed, saying, "I MISS YOU, MOMMY!".

The Cross of Faith Necklace

Two and a half years ago, Mom was with us for her birthday.  I gave her a Cross of Faith necklace (seen worn by Mom here during chemo):

Soon after giving this necklace to Mom, I made a similar necklace in Second Life:

Mom's necklace was returned to me after the funeral:

I'm so thankful for the faith that my Mom taught me about.

Mom had two coasters that my Perfect Sister asked me to make 14 of for her:

It took over a week.  That's a whole lot of tiny stitches, just sayin'.

Mom called me on Friday, February 2nd.  That is the anniversary of a horrible car accident that she and I survived and spent a week together in the hospital, flat on back, fearing broken spines, unable to touch each other, but Mom figured out that we could see each other (right side up) by holding the mirrors in the bed trays.  

This was the first year since that accident that I didn't remind her of that anniversary.  Her voice was so weak, and she wanted to give me her blessing, and she did.

Saturday, February 3rd, I felt like I hadn't given her my "permission" to pass away, so I started thinking of a blessing I could attempt to give to my Mom, something I would remember.  I decided on "May the Lord", sung to the tune of "Edelweiss".

Sunday, February 4th, my Cool Sister called, telling me I was on speaker phone with Mom and to say what I wanted to say right then and there.  I was planning on calling Mom later in the afternoon so I could gather the strength I needed to sing to Mom and try not to just bawl my eyes out.  I could only think to tell Mom I loved her forever and she told me she loved me forever.

Later that afternoon, I called Mom, getting her voicemail as the sound of her phone was annoying her.  I sang my blessing of "May the Lord" on voicemail.  Cool Sister played that for Mom Sunday evening.

Cool Sister was headed home when the Hospice nurse called her, saying, "There isn't any medical proof, but I have a gut feeling you need to stay in NW Iowa.

Shortly after 6:00 am Monday, February 5th, Mom asked the staff at the nursing home to call Perfect Sister and Cool Sister, she just wanted them to sit with her a bit.  When they arrived, Mom told them she didn't know why she wasn't feeling well.  They gently told her, "Mom, you aren't feeling well because you're dying.".  Mom agreed, then said, "I love you, I love all four of my girls.  May God bless you all.".

At 6:58 am, Monday, February 5, 2018, Mom left this world.

I got the call "She's gone." at 7:04 am.

I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living

My Mommy you'll be.

Folks are taking advantage of a Blue Super Moon and Lunar Eclipse and they're SURFING on Lake Michigan this morning!

A photo of someone I

really care about:

I've been at the sewing machine and

crocheting a lot this past week.

(Yes, I still have a lot of finishing work to do on these.)