Wednesday, Dad's passing

Braunwyn and Dad in her Chemistry Class at the U of I. Dad had taken the car when he was not supposed to be driving a few years ago.  He had taken the car 30miles up the hill to his old Alma Matter.  We were frantic, as we did not know where he was although we suspected he was going up there.   We contacted B on her cell phone to be on the look out for him, but this is a campus with 7000 people.  TO make a long story short, B's husband (then boyfriend) heard someone shouting her name across the large campus square.  Now Braunwyn is an unusual name so he went to investigate and found this hunched over little old man tottering across the green.  He contacted B and she came and got dad.  She took him to her chemistry lecture, where he proceeded to tell the class that he had graduated the year the U of I beat Stanford at Stanford.  Her professed made B get up and introduce this 88 year old man to the class.  He got a standing ovation and then promptly fell asleep during the lecture.  Something that would never have been tolerated by one of the other students.  B has gone into waste water treatment just like her Grandfather.  They used to talk U of I and plant stuff when dad was still coherent.  What a great memory.

 Dad passed away last night at 8:37.  Mom, Hub's and his two sister's were at the kitchen table trying to remember a song that their dad always sang to them about a chocolate ice cream cone.  It was a kind of ballad.  They were playfully singing it and arguing about different words and trying to write it down so the great grands can sing it at his funeral. When they finally got it right, Hub's eldest sister turned and looked at dad who was in a hospital bed in the front room and said,"I think he is gone."  What a lovely way to go out, with your kids and wife singing a song you had sung to them since they were kids.

Mom and dad were married for 74 years.  They were born in the same small town in Idaho.  They went to school together and starred in the same senior musical.  She was and Annie and he was Curley.  She got her man.  Both were very musical and all of their children are also.

I am relieved and so grateful.  I am so happy Hub's got to be there with his family.  I am happy it is over, in a sense for hub's mom.  She just needs the rest. Because death rates are so high in southern Idaho right now do to covid, we are not sure when the funeral can take place. It might be as long as two weeks away.

I the mean time mom and our eldest daughter and another eldest daughter and Hub's took mom out to buy a new sofa for the front room.  Daughter and her cousin bought mom a lovely new sofa to replace the one that Dad had over used so to speak.  From the pictures they have sent it looks like they are having a good time.

I don't think that mom is going to sell the house right away.  I think she will travel and go back and forth between her kids for a while and I think that is best.  She can always sell at any time. This way she is not making big decisions so soon.  Her life is going to change so radically that selling everything you own is just not right so soon after his death.  I am happy about this.

Anyway, I was blue last night and D#2 came home after teaching and told Nate she was staying the night with me as she did not want me to be alone.  I thought that was sweet and I thought it sweet of him to keep the baby and be responsible so I could have my daughter.  We went out and did a little retail therapy.  We had some good laughs about grandpa.  You know comedy and tragedy are flip sides of the same coin.

While I have been frantically sewing this week, I have also been putting together some of the things i had purchased for our Master Bedroom.  The quilt set with shams is from JoAnns.  Now why a fabric store would get into home linens is beside me and I knew it would be a superb failure.  First of all people don't go there for linens and secondly they were ridiculously expensive.  Now everything was very high quality, but I knew it would not sell. I was right and picked up this comforter set for 80% off.  It was under $40.00.  The pillow's were originality $50.00 apiece.  I mean who pays $50.00 for a pillow?  Not I.  But I will pay $10.00 after all you can't buy a pillow form this size for $10.00 and you can always recover pillows.  So when I went to Joanns the other day here they were and I also got to use a $10.00 off coupon making these under $7.00 a piece. The Swedish pillow is old and fits right in with this ensemble.  I had to be careful not to have anything to feminine.

Of course no redo would be complete without me snagging some spray paint.  Because well $4.00 is less than buying new lamp shades, and picture frames are expensive. So I sprayed the lamp shades and photo mats that were a golden color, dark grey.

I recovered this old rocking chair that was Hub's father's father's and bought this smaller pillow for $5.00 at Joanns.  The gnome was purchased last night with my daughter.  He was just so cute and he gave me comfort.  Gnomes are part of my countries heritage and I am calling this one Bob after my father in law.  I just needed something to hug last night.  Isn't he cute? 

SO I feel like this room is set for a while and all under $100.00.  My old comforter set was getting holes in it, but I will mend it and keep it for a spare.

I was pleased with what I got done yesterday, but still have a list of about  8 things I need or want to get done today, plus the house needs a good going over as I have done nothing but sew and work in the Master since Hub's left.  I will have Oliver all day tomorrow so not much will get done, but right now having a baby to snuggle is just what I need.

Not having to leave for southern Idaho has taken some pressure off and is giving me more time to get things done.  I can take a deep breath. Which is so nice.

So today:

1. hem jeans

2. mend pants

3. put darts in jeans

4. alter homecoming dress

5. hem 4 shirts

6. attack a pile of things

7. alter woman's suit

8.clean my shop

9. clean and vacuum house

10. do the laundry

11. clean the kitchen

12. mop the floors

I am struggling to get started today and in fact had forgotten to feed and water the chickens.  I was reminded about them reading a comment from one of my readers.  SO thank you Kathy! My mind is kind of fuzzy and I am spinning in circles here.

Anyway thanks for all of your support during this time.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim