The Family's Been Busy

I know I've posted lately about taking care of my mother-in-law, who had been ill for quite some time, until her fight with emphesema, pneumonia, lupis, and a few other things, was finally over. We had her memorial today, and afterward, the family got together for dinner at her home and to watch a bunch of home videos that we came across recently.
She was already in the process of selling her 800 (I think it's 800) acre farm in Heppner, Or. Then, the home she bought along the Columbia River just last year, she decided to sell. She was thinking she'd like a smaller home. As it turned out, it was nice that she still had this one, because of all the places we could have been staying at to take care of her, this was great. You could just sit and watch the ships go down the Columbia, the ferry taking passengers from Wesport to Puget Island, the sea gulls, the fishermen....It is really a peaceful place to stay.
She had finally gone to Hospice, where we just can't be more appreciate of, with the care she got there. She got so frail, that it was literally hard to know how to move her. They took great care of her, and made it possible for us to just visit, not do the work. It was my first experience with anything like this, and they really made it easier on the whole family, so Thank you Hospice!!!
Well, since her home was already listed for sale, the kids got together and figured we'd better go in and arrange things, de-knick-knack a little, and get it ready for it to show. Sunday, a local guy came and filmed a virtual tour of it. I think he did a really good job. If you're interested, here's the link. We need to get it sold, plus, there's still her farm to sell, and a piece of commercial property. I know it's not a great time to sell, but we have had some inquiries already, so that was encouraging. The other great thing about this home, is it has a separate guest cottage!!

There are a bunch of things I really want to do now that there is a chance to take a breather. A couple days ago, we got our garden in, last weekend we spent working like crazy catching up with so much that had gotten behind. I'd just love to be able to go to the Farm Chicks sale. I keep trying to think how I could whine my way to that! So far, I've missed everything else that's gone on, and I have this need to get out and see what wonderful things people have come up with for their shows. I've got what, a couple days to come up with a reason why I really need to go! I can't just use the "getaway" excuse, 'cuz I already used that one to go to the Wallowa's soon. If nothing else, I guess I could just read about what a wonderful show it was from everyone else's blog, but isn't that just missing something?? I'm convinced LOL.

Some treasures from a trip

When Randy and I went on our little excursion through old small towns down the ocean side of the freeway as far as Corvalis, then up the right hand side of the map, parallel to the freeway, we did end up finding some fun treasures. Due to life being so hectic the last month with losing my MIL, I hadn't had a chance to really uncover the stuff to show, but today I'm on a roll as far as accomplishments go!
The first thing I did this morning was get my marionberry coffeecake done so it could cool enough to take to the little store down the road, where I sell my baked things. I got some more of my thead stash listed on Etsy, which I was putting off doing. But, I am finally getting to the end of one of my hoardes of stuff. I think hoarding fabric and threads and stuff BTW, is hereditary. My grandmother died with tons of fabrics. I know I'm not the only one who goes through a fabric store with their hands out touching all the different fabrics! What is it about stuff like that, we just gotta feel it??? Anyway, I had a stash of thread that I've been working on thinning out and it is almost finished. Like I said, I'm on a roll. I have some cushions to work on, and that WILL be getting done soon.
It's too cold today to work outside, so I'm getting to work as soon as I share the cute things we found at sales that weekend a couple weeks ago. I love these old scrap books, don't you? Remember you always used to see the sewing cards when I was a kid, I don't know when the last time was I've seen stuff like that. The vintage book isn't in great condition, but I couldn't leave it, I didn't think it would get appreciated. The poster pages were kinda neat, I actually thought they'd work well for rug hooking patterns, but haven't farther that that, I may just sell them. It's the thrill of the hunt that gives me a lot of enjoyment! The little Easter stickers were in my husband's family stuff, just really sweet. Well, I hope your day is productive and fun!!!

Grandma's Pretty Things

We've had to all this week try and get my MILs home ready to sell. She actually already had it listed, but she's had so much stuff, we needed to thin in out to make it more "staged". So the family has been getting together, sharing a lot of Grandma's keepsakes. We actually all had different tastes, so it's worked out pretty well. But none of us needed what is probably hundreds of pieces of Fenton glass, she collected the pretty hobnail stuff. I got a couple of pretty vases, mostly as a remembrance, but now we've listed the entire collection on Craigslist. I know it took her quite some time to collect this stuff, too. Pretty isn't it?And this isn't even all of it!

It's all been kind of forced to happen so quickly. She has this home along the Columbia for sale, and she already had their farm in Heppner listed for sale. So, if you know anyone who is looking for an Eastern Oregon farm with 875 acres of land and full water rights, let me know LOL. I can direct you to the realtor! Or, if you just want a vacation home along the Columbia River, 45 minutes from the ocean, there is that option. This home is actually kinda neat, it has a fully equipped cottage on in, so you can have your guests stay there! Have I sold you on it LOL? I know the timing isn't exactly great for real estate sales, but at least my FIL invested in something real, right? I keep thinking the Eastern Oregon property would be good for a vineyard, with the rolling hills. And not so much rain! For that I could almost give up all the trees around me, but not quite.
It's raining her today, and I'm quite in the mood to get some crafting done. It's been awhile since I've done anything, and I do have a CLEAN craft room to work in that's been calling me. I have some cushions to work on, and some glass projects Natalie showed me how to make still unfinished. Better go get started or it will be time to get dinner started!

Did Mothers Used to be Old in Paper Doll Days?

I belatedly am getting a couple pieces of paper dolls on my blog, which I had planned for Mother's Day, but, sadly, ended up spending the weekend in Hospice with my failing mom-in-law. I have never seen a stronger person put up a fight, to the last breath, and I know I could never have done it myself as long as she did. It is something that you think you couldn't do, at least I never would have thought I could. In the almost 2 years since my FIL passed away, she has been failing, but since November, it has been terribly sad and dramatic, the change. I'm in shock to think in November, she drove her own SUV to see her sister, 2 1/2 hours away! In December, she was no longer driving, in January, my Sis-in-law and I started taking meals to her. In February, we started staying with her day and night. My SisIL stayed a lot more, but I did stay 2 nights and what came to about 4 days a week, taking care of her.
I teach my kids at home, and my emotions were frazzled, thinking, I should be home, teaching my kids, then back to, "this is a season. This is Life stuff". My almost 14 year old daughter was able to help me with her twin brother's 4th grade work, and she is pretty motivated, too, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been with school.
Mom-in-law made the decision to go Hospice after her last hospital stay, wanting to just stay comfortable. Emphezema is not going to go away, and she was so low in weight I didn't think anyone could be that thin. She had told the nurse she was going to go on Mother's Day, but thankfully, she passed away the day after. She put up a huge battle and is now at peace and is no longer suffering. My mind right now is trying to remember the healthy grandma, instead of the last couple years and especially months. I can still hear her voice. It got to where we just stared at each other sometimes, there was nothing to say sometimes. I am so thankful for Hospice for the care they give. It would have been horrible to be by ourselves through this. We leaned on them to be the ones to move her, afraid we would break her bones. They did a wonderful job of caring for her, and letting us just be with her.

Well, that is basically what I've been up to lately. I am still going to put up the Paper Dolls, maybe your mom is having a birthday and you can make her a card with these. I laughed when I was looking at them, because the kids that go to them are little children, really young, you know? Well, this mother seems more like a grandmother to me, don't you think? At least I don't think/hope I look this old yet! But they are cute, and when I get around to it, I'll post some more of my paper dolls if you like them.

I've been missing going to the sales. Last week I missed Barn House, and I noticed in the same area Randall Woods is having their Out on a Limb sale. We went to that last year, too, and it was fun. I feel like I've been under a mushroom, and the rain isn't helping. I need some sunshine, some getaway estate sale type days, some good garage sales, some days spent cleaning up the yard that has been sadly neglected. But it is all a season! It is all good!

Town Hall for Hope is Great!

OK, I have to put an ad for Dave Ramsey on my blog. We went to this last week, and it was so encouraging! If you didn't get a chance to see this and get some different views on our nations economic situation, you've got to see it! It's well worth it.