A Perfect Day (Attitude is [almost] Everything)....

Today was the 1st anniversary of my darling Mum's passing.  I did no sewing, but I have Mom to thank for all the sewing that I have done.   So this post is a little bit about sewing, a little bit about gratitude, and a little bit about attitude.  And of course, a lot of bit about Mom :)

Mom was the reason I sewed in the first place.   As with many women of her generation, sewing was a part of life, and  I was so grateful that she passed the practice on to me.  :)   Even though I gave it up for many years, she was, all those years later, the reason I started sewing again - so that I could make clothes that would fit her altered body and her special needs.   And whaddaya know, the sewing bug bit me so hard that I haven't bought a piece of RTW clothing for myself since!  I (theoretically) started sewing for her - but over the past years I've replaced half of my RTW wardrobe with clothes I've stitched myself.  :)

The death of a loved one...and the anniversary of the death, can bring up so many feelings.   I could have been feeling sad, steeped in memories of the past, but instead I've had a remarkable joy-filled day :).     Yes, I miss my Mom - we were close, and I was her caregiver for the last 5 years of her life - 3 relatively easy and wonder-filled years, which gradually got a bit more stressful, and ultimately quite time-consuming by the 5th year....but always filled with wonder, and blessings of many sorts, from many sources.

I set aside this day as a day in honor of Mom, of what she represented to me, and the (usually) positive and uplifting way she lived her life.   I began the day with a lovely energetic clearing and meditation,  and this set the tone for a day of blessed reflection and accomplishment.

I knew that I wanted to spend the day in the garden - another passion passed on from her. Whenever we lived in a place that had a plot of land, we had a garden, and fresh fruits and vegies on the table.   She was often busy doing something with her hands, something creative, be it sewing, cooking, gardening, artsy-craftsy fun  and creative projects - and she worked full-time!   My father also had a strong (somewhat rebellious) creative side, so I think I came by my own somewhat unique sense of style quite organically.  ;-).  

Today.  I cleared all of the vegie patches in the yard and readied them for planting - lettuces and spinach and chard went in today; tomatoes, tomatillos and peas will follow tomorrow, and root vegies will go in soon after.

And then, as the day was winding down,  I remembered that today was the finale of the Great British Sewing Bee!   If you read my last post, you already know how much I love this show, but what makes it even more special is my heritage - Mom is from England; she was the quintessential WWII War Bride - she was in the WAAF, and Dad was a Sargent in the US Army. They met at a dance, and she followed him back to the U.S.   (with enough $$ for a return ticket back to England, just in case, she was fond of saying.....)  They married, somewhere along the line I came in to the picture, and they continued to dance together for many years.

When she came to America, one item she brought with her was her darling little Singer Featherweight, which she sewed most of my clothes on as a child :)

Sad to say, this is not "The" Feather she used, and subsequently taught me  to sew on - some time after she passed it on to me I gave it up in exchange for newer, bigger, faster, "better", [headdesk] but I mended my error in spades once I started sewing again.

(See Featherweight Spa Treatment Post

And now, I'm off to watch The Great British Sewing Bee finale (still rooting for Ann, even though I really appreciate all of the finalists!!), and lift a (rare for me, but this is a special day) glass of wine in Mom's memory.

May we all have someone to pass our love of sewing on to, and may they appreciate the gift even half as much as I appreciate the gifts from my darling Mother.   The gift of a passion shared, and received, never stops giving. :)