We Were So Blessed November 6, 2011

The one year anniversary of Loni taking a sky dive from her attic was November 6.  Today I was reminded of just how lucky she was in not sustaining severe injuries. 

A few minutes ago I learned that the widow of my friend who passed away last year was in the hospital.  This woman and I have become friends through FB and check in with each other every couple of weeks.  I immediately sent her a message and asked her what happened.  Her son replied back and told me to check the update he had just posted.  The post read: "FYI everybody: I was in the attic last week and fell through the rafters. I broke my lower back and two pelvic bones in the front, but no surgery at this time. Wearing a fitted brace for the next three months, it's doing its job so far. I'm very lucky and very blessed?

That so could have been Loni.  I pray my friend recovers quickly and does not require surgery.  

Knopfler and DYLAN!!!!

Thursday night's was the concert I have been waiting to see for months.  Mark Knopfler and BOB DYLAN!  The tickets were Loni's gift to me and my oldest, although there was a question as to whether he would be able to get out of class to go and rest of the family were fighting over the chance not to go with me.

I picked the oldest up at 4:15 for our early dinner date at Noodle Wave.  I wanted Thai food since he is the only one that will eat it with me.  Well, Mina would but since we are usually with others that won't...  We arrived at Noodle Wave to discover it did not open until 5.  That would not fit our time schedule, so we quickly started searching on our smart phones and discovered Thai Soon and off we went.  Thai Soon is very small, but it was extremely clean and the employees were friendly, so we stayed.  We ordered steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings and two orders of Pad See Ew with chicken.  The food was delicious, and the portions extremely generous.  So generous we should have split the Pad See Ew, instead we ended up taking it back to the oldest's apartment to refrigerate for him to eat for another meal.

After dinner we headed to the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, TX,  We arrived about an hour before the concert and proceeded to line up with all the other cars to park.  I admit the oldest had to preform CPR on me when I saw the parking fee.  Once parked and inside the building, I had to perform CPR on the oldest when he saw the price of a draft beer (not even a good brand he said).  We walked around, used the restrooms and sat down for a few minutes while we waited for them to open the doors to the seating.  By 7:05 we were in our seats.

Loni bought us end seats on the first row of a tier.  She had no way of knowing that we would have a stairway railing in front of us.  Because I am short I was able to look through whichever square I needed to see whatever part of the stage I wanted to see, the oldest had to either duck or stretch.  Other than that the seats were perfect for me.  I wish I had my old opera glasses, but any closer and I couldn't have taken it.  It was so loud.  Of course, everyone around us was like it will be perfect when they turn on the big screens.  At 7:30 straight up, Mark Knopfler took the stage and the night I had been waiting for began.

Mark Knopler and his band were outstanding.  They played 90 minutes. Mark was very interactive with the audience and I so enjoyed watching every musician up there as they continually changed out their instruments.  I also cannot say enough about the lighting of this concert.  My seat was perfect to enjoy every single change of lights and to see every musician at their best.  Watching the keyboard from above was magical, even if it was through a wire square in the fencing. 



Of course, with me, there was extra entertainment in the people watching.  I was truly amazed at the number of people who made repeat trips to the bar, and made it up the stairs after five or six trips.  It isn't that I am not used to people drinking a lot, it is that I am not used to people spending so much money to drink.  A margarita was $16.00. Beer started at $7.00. A large cup of water was $4.00.  I told the oldest to keep swallowing his saliva, and I would buy him a drink on the way home.

At one point right before the concert started four almost elderly women came in.  They were standing next to me in my seat as they were in the row behind us. I was chuckling to myself because they were handing their tickets to each other and saying "Can any of us read the seat numbers?" I was getting ready to offer to help when one of them got it.   The one I noticed the most was dressed in gold lame and very high heels for someone so up in years and drinking.  Once the concert started they became the ones I wanted to boot out of the building.  They were yelling very racist remarks during one of the songs and I just felt they needed to get away from me or risk me getting in their face.  Fortunately, I think everyone turning around and staring at them did the trick.  Thank goodness they left before Dylan took the stage.

There were a few other obnoxious people around us, although I agreed with some of their comments about the theatre. It was upsetting that the large screens never came on, but then Dylan may have something in his contract that says "If you don't pay for the big ticket seats, you don't get to see my face." 

The oldest and I also did not appreciate the couple one seat over from us who would not get off their iphones.  The light coming from the screen was disturbing in the very dark theatre. 

Intermission came and I watched them clear the stage and set up for Dylan.  This is the moment I had been waiting for and had been so excited about.  The second of what I would consider the trifecta of my concert going.  The first was Joe Cocker (completed), second Bob Dylan (was about to happen), third Van Morrison (yeah, I know may never happen).  I was a bundle of jumping nerves in my seat.

It was time. The lights went out, the stage was lit.  Dylan would be singing in just seconds.  I took note of how different the stage now looked.  It was a more intimate set up with lighting that reminded me of a nightclub.  The oldest said he felt like he was in the 1920's.  Then it happened.  Dylan started singing.  It was better than I imagined, except for one thing.  One thing that panicked me and made me think "I can never ever tell anyone this."  I couldn't find Dylan on the stage.  I could hear him, but I couldn't find him.  I am searching every person up there, and none of them look like they could possibly be Dylan.  I am starting to get a little freaked out. Is he off stage and will come out after he sings the first song, what is the deal.  I look at my oldest, he is smiling, and I am thinking "Oh crap, he can see him. I made such a big deal over seeing Dylan, and I can't actually tell which one he is. Crap, Crap, Crap. I keep looking through different squares in the railing, no Dylan."  The song ended and then I see movement.  I breathe a sigh of relief, there is Dylan center stage, he was there all the time over at the piano but in a shadow.  I can really enjoy myself now.

Dylan's part of the concert was quite different.  He stood much further back on the stage than Knopfler, and he did not interact with the audience at all.  It was also louder, and I didn't think that was possible.  I was wondering if my ears would bleed.  Dylan seems to have lost his upper register of his voice and some of the arrangements were different on the songs so there were some that until he got to the chorus I wasn't quite sure what I was listening to, but it didn't matter, they were all fabulous.  That man can play a piano and blow a harmonica.  He moves around the stage very gracefully.  He did not pick up a guitar all night which surprised me, and if he played a song off his new cd, I didn't recognize it as such, but I heard plenty of my favorites.



We were fortunate in that the family next to us left pretty much after the first Dylan song and once we were sure they were coming back we moved over two seats and had a perfect view of the stage.  Did I see Dylan's face?  No, but probably most of the people in the theatre did not see his face.  Did I need to see his face, no.  It was enough to hear him in person.

The concert was over about 11.  The oldest and I drove home discussing the concert.  I found out he was freaked out during the first song too because he couldn't find Dylan.  We had a good laugh over that.  We called the youngest and offered IHOP which he accepted.  So post concert was a early after midnight family breakfast with so very many laughs.  A perfect way to end a fantastic evening.

Thank you Loni for the Christmas gift.  You made Mama C and the oldest very happy.

Easter Gift from Loni

I am always amazed by all the little thing my girls do for me, and my boys (especially the spoiled young one).

Mina brought me a new hat just a couple of weeks ago, and then yesterday Loni brought me an Easter gift.

Very Proud Mama

I am a very proud Mama tonight.  

All of my college children are doing very well. 

Loni has gone back for her Master's and is acing her homework assignments as in receiving 100, and 100 this week.  

My youngest is doing very well in a challenging semester.  

My oldest was involved in developing a Facebook app called EnemyGraph that is getting great attention. It has been mentioned in a podcast on the BCC and today was a feature on cnn.com.  Granted he was not the principle developer, that was a grad student, but there were only three people involved, and he was the undergrad.  It is exciting that this app is getting so much attention and this is a group that my oldest will continue to work with as he enters graduate school next semester.

Yep, a very proud Mama.

Another College Kid, Again

I have three kids in college again.  Loni started class today on her Master's program.  

I am so proud of her.  She is the easiest kid of all, she knows the drill and complies with ease.  

Latest Project

I am finally working on Loni's housewarming gift.  Snowman Placemats!

I wanted to get them done by Christmas, but that didn't work out too great.  

It was probably the universe telling me I wasn't ready back in December because this month I have been taking a hand embroidery class and I think the skills I learned in that class have really enhanced how the snowman face turned out.  

I am looking forward to finishing these up real soon.

A Big Day for Mama C

Another very wet, grey and yucky day.  I slept until 9:00 A.M. and then got up to go have breakfast in the living room.  I admit to not being fully dressed to accept company, but then again I wasn't expecting any company.

I had just settled into the living room when I heard a lot of banging outside.  I was confused as to what the noise could be because it was way too early for John to arrive.  I decided to ignore the sounds and find something to watch on television.  I was just at the perfectly comfortable position when I looked up and there in the back yard was my pool man and another man.  Well that really messed with my mind.  Charlie always comes on Monday.  Was this Monday? Was I late for work?  Oh crap, could they see me through the sliding door in my "not fit for company" state?  I quickly dodged into a dark corner of the living room while they did their job, promising myself to look at the day online as soon as I could in case it was Monday and I had slept a lot longer than I thought.  

Once Charlie and company left, I checked the day, and once again got comfortable.  I settled in with a comfy quilt and watched several episodes of "What About Brian" before getting ready for my big adventure for the day...finding a new pair of shoes since my black work shoes are cracked on the sole.

Here are some admissions about me and shoes:

• I hate to shoe shop.
• I am extremely picky when it comes to shoes.
• I own the following shoes:
• I pair of good New Balance walking shoes
• I old pair of New Balance walking shoes (for working in the garden)
• I pair each of brown, black and tan sandals all the same casual style
• 1 pair of good brown sandals
• Numerous pairs of slippers in varying degrees deterioration
• I pair of brown loafers and 1 pair of black loafers, both purchased for $10 each when Famous Footwear was still located in Allen next to Target and when Raymond was still working (so prior to 2002).

It was the pair of black loafers that sprung a leak the night before and had to be replaced today before work this week.  It took a while for me to psych myself up for the ordeal.

I set out around 2:00 P.M. to go to Famous Footwear in the pouring rain, wearing my brown loafers. Upon arrival I discovered that they had no wide widths in any of their slip on shoes.  I left.  

I then, and this is a huge deal this close to Christmas, went to the Outlet Mall and in the pouring rain found a Naturalizer shoe store.  They had lots of selections in wide widths.  I think I tried on about 20 pairs of shoes.  Kim who works there was very helpful.  Victor was helpful when asked, but did not have the best attitude.  I only needed help when my size was out of reach.  I ended up with 2 pair of black shoes and one pair of brown shoes.

The next stop was Fashion Bug to use my $15.00 coupon.  They were having a big sale so I bought 2 pairs of jeans and another sweater.  I had to get another pair of jeans so I would have enough to last a week.  I tore a pair at work the other day, and they are no longer fit to wear out unless I have on a very long shirt.  

Target was the next stop to get shampoo and Color Catchers (new quilting project has red and white squares). It was on this errand that my feet decided to let me know they hated me and I ended up hobbling around the store.  I guess they got used to the cushioned new shoes in the shoe store and wanted to know why I had put them back into a pair of at least 10 year old shoes.  I thought I was going to have to crawl out of the store.

Once I was back in the car I checked in to see if the youngest needed me to take him for dinner, and once he said "no," I checked with Loni to see if she wanted to meet up for dinner.  Since she was about to run into town on an errand and I was close to her house I just picked her up, and we had dinner and ran her errand.  All of this while it was still raining and getting much colder.

Now I am home, in my comfortable slippers and I am going to try to finish up my quilting project.  

Finding three pair of shoes that I wanted was a big day for Mama C.  If all goes well I shouldn't HAVE to shop for shoes until 2021.

Alone Again...But Not for Long

Loni and Mocha moved into her new house tonight, with her new quilt.  It seems strange without her, but it is time for her to start her new life.  She has been here approximately seven months, and it was a joy to have her here.

I had to laugh last night because the oldest was looking for something and the youngest said he thought it was in Loni's room.  The oldest wanted to know why he called it Loni's room since she was moving out.  The youngest told him that Loni had spent more time in it than he had in the last several years so it was Loni's room.  The oldest just shrugged his shoulders and went on about his business.

Loni will always have a room here, but I am sure that as her life moves forward she will not need the room.

Bright Cat Quilt for Loni

I purchased the pattern and the fabric to make this quilt for Loni 2-3 years ago.  I actually had the colors all laid out on the design wall at one time and took it down.  Every time I started to work on it, something felt wrong about it. 

Then Loni's life changed.  She moved in with me in the late Spring and then this summer I became serious about finishing this quilt. Today I finally completed the quilt, all that is left is the label tomorrow night. 

Even though I finished piecing the top and sandwiching it in July, I couldn't start quilting it until I knew what felt right in the design.  I finally decided to free hand/free motion hearts, flowers, and swirls.

• The hearts represent all the love in Loni's life. 
• The flowers represent many things:
• How I want Loni's life to always be filled with beauty
• How she has continued to bloom and blossom even in the hard times
• To remember her African Violets and how even though they had a tough tumble they continue to thrive.
• The swirls represent all the twists and turns of life.  Some of the swirls are really big and some are small, but they all lead to a heart or a flower, to remind Loni that no matter what life gives her she will always be loved and she can thrive.

I don't think I was meant to make this quilt until now.  This quilt will go to Loni's beautiful new home this week.  

The pattern is by Me and My Sister Designs and is called Twigs.

Bright Cat Front

Bright Cat Back

Bright Cat Front/Back

Bright Cat Front Close up

Bright Cat Quilting

Thanksgiving, Our Way

I decided a long time ago that Thanksgiving was really about taking the time to count your blessings, being with what family you can, remembering and honoring the ones that cannot be with you or are no longer with you, and that it should not be stressful.

We had big Thanksgivings when I was growing up.  I remember tables that took up the whole dining room and living room.  Once my grandmother moved in with us, it seemed our house was the place to be on Thanksgiving.  When my brother was in college we never knew who would show up.  He would bring home all the strays that had no where to go.  Mom would cook for days. I would have to polish silver.  The china came out of its cabinet (I hated that china, it all had to be washed by hand).  Then there was the noise. Oh my gosh, it was loud.  Once everyone left and the kitchen was cleaned and everything put back together, we would all collapse.  I remember the sense of having a lot of love in the room, but I don't remember it being fun, or even very enjoyable.  Just lots of stress.

It wasn't until we moved to Kentucky that it slowed down a little.  Grandma still lived with us, but we were farther away from the family and fewer of them came on the holidays.  Dad finally said that he thought we only needed one type of potatoes (candied sweet potatoes, no marshmallows), turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry something green, and some pies. Simplify.  So we did.  The stress level lowered considerably.  

When Raymond and I married and moved to Texas, we took in strays.  We had only the basics, but a full house.  We didn't know how much turkey to purchase, so that first year Raymond had to eat turkey for lunch for weeks.

Once all our strays got married or moved away, we started just having Thanksgiving by ourselves, which meant we could have whatever we wanted.  For many years that became Mexican food from scratch.  Later we varied it a lot between traditional and non-traditional years, lots of people or just the four of us.  

Since Raymond died, it has been just the three of us most years, with very simple meals and a day of game playing.  

Yesterday was Thanksgiving number six without Raymond.  We started the morning with pancakes from scratch, the boys, Loni, Kyle and I sat around the breakfast table and caught up on everyone's life. Kyle stayed to play games with the boys.  Thanksgiving dinner was grilled hamburgers on homemade buns, grilling beans from a can, deviled eggs for Loni, and pumpkin pie.  It was just the boys, Loni and me.  There is only one thing that does not change around my Thanksgiving table and that is we go around the table and everyone must say at least one thing they are thankful for before we can eat, and the youngest cannot say "ditto" just to get out of it.

Since there was not a lot of kitchen time required for our Thanksgiving, I was able to spend time with everyone.  We watched Shaun the Sheep.  We took a load of baskets over to Loni's and unloaded them and made sure everything was okay at her house.  Once home we played board games.  We played Flux, Split, Blokus, Doubles Wild, and Quirkle.  Then it was time for more Shaun the Sheep.  

Now it is the day after Thanksgiving.  Loni has left to go to the Bahamas.  The oldest has left to go to Wills Point, TX. The youngest and I are on our own, but without a lot of leftovers we did not want, no stress, and I have lots of good memories.  

A great Thanksgiving in my book.

Vacation: Fall, 2011 - Day Two

I had a great day of watching Ally McBeal on Netflix and quilting. 

I am quilting the very bright quilt I am making Loni.  She will have two new quilts to take to her new home. 

I also enjoyed spending time with my youngest. 

There Are Rules

There are rules for women that live alone.  Loni has not been on her own long enough to learn the rules.  If she knew the rules, she would never have gone into the attic of her new house.

Here are a few of my rules for living alone:

1.  Let someone know your plans for the day if they are different than your usual routine.  I am such a homebody, I seldom go out on my own, but if I do I let someone know.
2. Never go into the attic when you are alone.  If one of the boys can do the chore in the attic let them.  Loni knows the youngest is at her disposal for anything she needs done.
3. If for some reason you must climb a ladder, let someone know you are doing so and tell them if you don't check back in _____ minutes (depends on job), they should call you and if no answer, check on you.  I do that at work too since I am alone most of the time. This is such a simple thing now that pretty much everyone texts.
4. Assess each act on how you might get harmed, and try to lower the risk.
5. Don't answer the door at night unless you know the person you are expecting is on the other side.  I like people to call when they are in my driveway, or tell me what time they are arriving.  
6. Make sure several people have your emergency contact numbers.  
7. Make sure at least two people have keys to your home.
8. Make sure that you have made your family and friends aware of your wishes when it comes to your medical care.
9. Make sure your emergency contact people know where you keep your important papers.
10. Make sure your emergency contact people know your allergies, especially to medication.

I used to do things with pretty much wild abandon.  If I wanted to reach something high I would stand on anything, including my exercise ball.  I would get in the car and take off for the day, no one would have any idea where, or even that I had planned to go out.  That all changed after Raymond died because I then became my sons' only parent, and pretty much their only relative. Yes, they have elderly grandparents, aunts they have never met, and an uncle, but none of those people live any where near us, they do not have the same philosophy of life we do, and they are not their parent.  It is my job to be act responsibly for their sakes.

Of course, once they are old enough to be responsible for themselves, I will be too old to climb ladders, or act irresponsibly.

A Test of the Emergency Response System

Thursday I had lunch with my favorite Super Seniors to celebrate a couple of birthdays and then I went back to work.  I hadn't been working long when my cell phone rang. It was Loni.  When I answered she said "I need you to come get me."

Now my first thought was her car broke down, so I asked her where she was.  She said "I'm at my new house.  I fell through the ceiling."  I asked her how I would get in and she said she would unlock the front door.  I told her I was on my way, and out the door I went.

Fortunately, Loni's new house is only about 3 miles from my house.  I pretty much drove ten miles over the speed limit to get there and was praying all the way.  

When I got to the house Loni was sitting on the floor in the formal living room against the wall.  She looked a little dazed and, even though I had not seen her that morning, I knew she was not in all the clothes she must have worn to work.

It seems Loni went to her new house during her lunch hour to put a new filter in her attic unit.  Once she climbed into the attic she thought it was probably a bad idea and turned to go back down, where she belonged when she crashed through the laundry room ceiling 9 feet to the ceramic tile floor.  She does not remember much after that, including how she landed.  We know she roamed around the house after falling because there is insulation all the way back into the master bedroom area. At some point she took off the sweater she had been wearing because it was covered in insulation and put on her zippered cardigan, She also had to go out into the garage to get her cell phone to call me.  From what we have been able to put together it was probably 20-30 minutes from the time she fell until she placed the call.

I quickly assessed Loni and determined that I could safely transport her to the ED (New name for ER, evidently it is not PC to call it an Emergency Room.Loni told them ED sounded like Viagra should be involved.) 

Once in the ED it was probably less than 10 minutes before Loni was in a bed and soon after that they took her in for a head CT.  After that a PA came in and asked questions, ordered a neck CT, spinal, chest, and elbow x-ray, blood tests, and urine test.  All those tests were run quickly.  It was determined that Loni was an extremely lucky woman. She has some major contusions, and a couple of chipped teeth, but no internal injuries. She was released with prescriptions for a pain med, muscle relaxant, and antibiotic (she was found to have a little infection). 

The one thing that puzzled me at the hospital was Loni's socks.  They were covered in insulation.  Loni never walks around in her socks. She always wears her shoes because of her planter's fasciitis. Unless her memory comes back that is something we will never solve.

I was also amused at the hospital by how she kept telling everyone she fell on her "ass."  Loni would not normally talk to strangers that way. She also kept telling them it hurt like "hell."  It wasn't until much later in our time in the ED that she quit saying those things and using politer "company" words.  That is when I knew she was becoming un-addled. 

Over the last few days more and more bruises have come up on Loni.  She aches every where, and moves very slow.  

Me, I thank God for every bruise and every ache because she is alive, she has no brain injury, she is not paralyzed, and nothing was broken.

Loni says she was just testing the Emergency Response System since I am part of that team now that she is on her own.  I think I passed.

Now all I need to do is go get a box of Clairol to cover all the new white and gray hairs that popped out ever since I heard "I fell through the ceiling."

My Chick is Leaving the Nest

Yes, I know Loni is not really my chick, but I consider Loni and Mina to be my chicks even though there is only an 8 year age difference with Loni and a four year age difference with Mina. I am their Mama C.  I worry and fuss over them like I do my boys and they mean more to me than words could ever express. 

Loni pretty much moved in with me the day she and her ex decided to get a divorce and has been here around six months.  Now she is moving out to her own beautiful home a little over three miles away in the City.  

I am really happy for Loni.  Her new home is absolutely gorgeous, with the perfect layout for her life.  I believe it to be an excellent mentally healthy start for this new phase of her life, and I know that it was her fate to find this particular home.  

It will be odd not to see her every evening.  That is the time I see her most as we have dinner and sit down to watch our favorite shows.  Once in a while we cross paths in the morning during the week, but not often as she leaves for work before I do and I pretty much wait until the very last second to get ready for my three minute drive to work.  

It has been fun watching her plan out what she wants to do with her house and I am looking forward to seeing how she makes it into her home.  I do believe I might have to loan her some art.  I think my Georgia O'Keefe print will look great in Mama's bedroom.  (Yes, I have claimed a bedroom in the house, but only because it is painted green and yellow like my house.  I will share it with others.)

May the next phase of Loni's life bring her many blessings.  She leaves here knowing she is always welcomed at Mama's and that she is loved.  

I do believe she is going to miss the youngest a lot more than she is going to miss me.  

Now I Know I am Losing It!

First, let me say that I am fully awake, and not hallucinating, even though I took a pain pill.

I think Loni's love of knitting and her latest yarn purchases have done something to my mind.  

I swear that as I was sitting here writing my previous post I heard a sheep bleating.  Not just once, but many, many times.  

Now my neighbor one property down used to have a lot of sheep, but I haven't seen them lately.  So maybe that is what I am hearing right now.

All I know is that it is a strange thing to hear at nearly midnight when you have not seen a sheep all year.

30 Days of Birthday from Loni

I am not sure what day I am on right now.  I will have to work it out when I am near a calendar and not so tired, but I am having a blast opening my gifts, and there is a definite green theme going on which of course I adore.  The fabrics are beautiful, but I have to say I got great delight from the green polka dot clip board.  Very practical gift because I was looking for something to put my work in progress quilting patterns on since I am always setting them down and then wasting time looking for them.  I won't lose them on this beautiful clip board.  I think I squealed when I opened it, at least I did in my mind.

Note not all gifts pictured.  I am using my journal every night, and my Sudoku puzzle book is in use too. Actually so is my clipboard, but I had to take a picture of it to show how pretty it is.  :)

30 Days of Birthday from Loni - Day 5

A lovely little (but not to little) green journal.  Here is a picture of it on the quilt Loni just finished for her "Little Princess."

30 Days of Birthday from Loni - Day 4

Today's package contained a nice new green dusting mitt!

Here it is on the fabric from Day 3.

I know I should have ironed the fabric, but it is just going to be folded and put back in the stash.

Getting into Losing

I have to get serious about losing weight.  I keep putting on and taking off the same pounds. 

Since surgery I have lost about six pounds which I am going to consider a kick start.

I have new walking shoes to help me train for my part in the triathlon in October, and I am working in as many fresh veggies as possible into my diet, and ignoring fruit and carbs as much as possible.  

I am also working on other exercising besides walking and shoulder rehab.

Loni surprised me with an aid to my kick start by bringing me a Ziploc full of little packages that say "Celebrate."  I get to open one each time I weigh in at TOPS with a loss. Last night I had a .6 loss and was able to open a package.  I beautiful piece of fabric for my stash!

I feel another loss coming next week.  I really want to open another package!

Advent Birthday

It has become a joke about how long I celebrate my birthday each year and how it keeps getting longer. 

The reason the whole lengthening of my celebrations started in the first place was that so many people wanted time with me I could not fit it all in at once, so the lunches became extended over several weeks.  

Recently the discussion came up about how many weeks would I celebrate this year and I told the girls, meaning Jill, Loni, and Mina, that I wanted an advent birthday, with a gift to open each day of April leading up to my birthday.  Joking and not really expecting anything to come of it.  

Well, Loni showed up the other night with a green (my favorite color) bag full of 30 gifts.  I get to open one each day, at any time of the day I choose. It is the greatest thing! 

The first day she suggested a gift for me to open as she thought I would need it first.  It was a box of Thank You cards, which I do need to thank everyone for all they have done for me during my recovery.

The next day I opened Post-Its that say "I'm a Fabric Fanatic..."

Yesterday I opened a package to find a beautiful piece of fabric.  

I have to admit my grief has overshadowed the opening of the gifts, in fact I am not even given much thought to my birthday, but I am starting to get into them now.  

Thank you Loni.  You are such a good daughter and friend.