What Day Is It?
Today would have been my mom's 84th birthday.
Seven years ago today, we gathered to remember her a week after she passed away. That day, Dad led me into his bedroom where he'd laid out her jewelry and told me to take what I'd like to have. My two older sisters had already had their turn. Since I don't wear much jewelry, I only took a few pieces that I knew I would enjoy, but mostly, I took the pieces for sentimental reasons. Dad also told me I could have the jewelry box, a Japanese three-drawer piece made of bakelite. I have no idea how Mom came to have the jewelry box, but it had some brooches inside that I knew had been Grandma's, so I took it along with what it contained.
Every now and then, I open the drawers just to take out a brooch and wonder on what occasion Grandma wore it. Or Mom. My favorite of all the pins is a silver piece with glittery clear rhinestones. It reminds me of a snowflake. When I wear it on a snowy day, I feel closer to Winter and all the beauty that comes with snowfall, the pristine beauty that is a blanket of fresh snow. Right now we have no snow at all, which is disappointing, but we still have January, February, and March, so I'm sure we'll be graced by Winter's beauty at some point during the next three months. When the snow flies, that brooch will be a part of my wardrobe.
Over break I've been working on a couple of new pieces. I'm trying to finish up the chapbook, and I am so very close I can see the end of the long process. The last piece is giving me fits, though, since it's based on a photo and I don't have access to the photo. It's at my husband's place, and I just don't want to go over to look for it while he's there. So I'm working from memory and the going is mud-sucking at my boots slow. I keep the document open on my computer just in case something occurs to me and I can hurriedly type it on the page. Today I made some progress, but I know there's still a ways to go.
I've also made some progress with the ukulele playing. I've learned several chords and how to go up and down the scale. My strumming is coming along, as well. I still have a bit of trouble getting my left-hand fingers to cooperate, but I'm doing better than when I first started. Today I went ahead and bought a tuner that clips onto the headstock. Now I can tune it each time before I practice and know the strings are tuned correctly. All in all, I'm having quite a lot of fun learning how to play though my singing still leaves a lot to be desired. I am very definitely not a singer. But you know what? I don't care. I only sing for myself so it's no big deal.
I realized at one point today I've lost track of what day it is. I had to actually check the calendar to figure it out. That's a sign of a good break. Not having to run here or go there is truly the way to spend time off from work.
Seven years ago today, we gathered to remember her a week after she passed away. That day, Dad led me into his bedroom where he'd laid out her jewelry and told me to take what I'd like to have. My two older sisters had already had their turn. Since I don't wear much jewelry, I only took a few pieces that I knew I would enjoy, but mostly, I took the pieces for sentimental reasons. Dad also told me I could have the jewelry box, a Japanese three-drawer piece made of bakelite. I have no idea how Mom came to have the jewelry box, but it had some brooches inside that I knew had been Grandma's, so I took it along with what it contained.
Every now and then, I open the drawers just to take out a brooch and wonder on what occasion Grandma wore it. Or Mom. My favorite of all the pins is a silver piece with glittery clear rhinestones. It reminds me of a snowflake. When I wear it on a snowy day, I feel closer to Winter and all the beauty that comes with snowfall, the pristine beauty that is a blanket of fresh snow. Right now we have no snow at all, which is disappointing, but we still have January, February, and March, so I'm sure we'll be graced by Winter's beauty at some point during the next three months. When the snow flies, that brooch will be a part of my wardrobe.
Over break I've been working on a couple of new pieces. I'm trying to finish up the chapbook, and I am so very close I can see the end of the long process. The last piece is giving me fits, though, since it's based on a photo and I don't have access to the photo. It's at my husband's place, and I just don't want to go over to look for it while he's there. So I'm working from memory and the going is mud-sucking at my boots slow. I keep the document open on my computer just in case something occurs to me and I can hurriedly type it on the page. Today I made some progress, but I know there's still a ways to go.
I've also made some progress with the ukulele playing. I've learned several chords and how to go up and down the scale. My strumming is coming along, as well. I still have a bit of trouble getting my left-hand fingers to cooperate, but I'm doing better than when I first started. Today I went ahead and bought a tuner that clips onto the headstock. Now I can tune it each time before I practice and know the strings are tuned correctly. All in all, I'm having quite a lot of fun learning how to play though my singing still leaves a lot to be desired. I am very definitely not a singer. But you know what? I don't care. I only sing for myself so it's no big deal.
I realized at one point today I've lost track of what day it is. I had to actually check the calendar to figure it out. That's a sign of a good break. Not having to run here or go there is truly the way to spend time off from work.
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