Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in Pictures

My 2012 in pictures.  This is another wordpress photo challenge.  I love participating in them anytime I can.   This one was actually easy because there pictures were already there from my blog posts and saved in my media gallery.  After looking through them I realized that my year was full of crafting.  I did a lot of crocheting, knitting, painting, tatting…  and journaling.  I also did a lot of reading.  I have to say, it was a good year and I enjoyed it.

I made this tatted lace awareness ribbon in memory of my cousin that passed away

An artist trading card I painted

I got this smash journal in January 2011 and now it is full. I just bought a new one to fill up!

My Mailbox covered in snow

Tatted bracelet I made for a friend

Colorful fishcloths I crocheted

A crocheted blanket I made for my great nephew

Tulips from my husband

Dog love

A crochet headband/ear warmer I made

A love note for my husband

My son won a bunch of metals at Academic Decathlon and the team brought home state!

Dear Mom,

This is the fifth Christmas without you and it is so hard to not be able to hug you and tell you how much I love you.  I want to make you a beautiful shawl in the softest red yarn.  I know how you love red.  I want to give you a dozen red roses mixed with a dozen white roses because you deserve the best.  I wish I could have you over for Christmas dinner and sing Christmas songs with you.  But of course, I can’t.  I can’t do any of those things.

I bought an Amaryllis and planted it in memory of you.  Every year since you’ve been gone I have gotten so sad when I saw those flowers in the stores at Christmas time because I know they were your favorite.  This year I decided to get one and it is tall and ready to open soon.   I know you can’t be here when it opens but I will be thinking of you.

Oh, and mama, a horrible thing happened today and a bunch of innocent little children have gone to heaven along with some of those that cared for them at school.  Please hug each one and sooth their spirit.  I know you would be the best angel to guide them home.

With Love,

Your daughter

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I’m Thankful for Memories

“Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,
Tears from the depths of some devine despair
Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,
In looking on the happy autumn fields,
And thinking of the days that are no more.”
― Alfred Tennyson

Kerry Aultman Preston

Today would have been my cousin Kerry’s birthday.  She would have been 44, only 3 years older than I am.  She died this past September 1st on my anniversary.  I was just getting to know her since I grew up so far away in Fairbanks, Alaska and she lived in Florida (where I was born).   Facebook brought us together though and we began talking on the phone.  She loved the things I was knitting and wanted me to make her a pink sweater like the one I was making (and never finished).  Now I can’t knit without thinking about her.  I am so sad thinking of how much time was lost before I got to know her as much as I did and sad about how much time was taken away.

• I am thankful for memories of loved ones that are no longer with us.
• I am thankful for the time I had with them.
• I am thankful for the memory of their voice so I can still hear them as if they were still here with me.
• I am thankful for angels.

 

In Memory of angels lost

Well I finished lessons 1 & 2 of the beginning tatting class and I’m working on the third now.  I am learning the needle tatting method and I wanted to show something I made.  I made this tatted brooch for my aunt who’s daughter (who was my age) died unexpectedly during a routine surgery.  I made an awareness ribbon in white and added a pink rose since my cousin loved the color pink.  Black awareness ribbons are for mourning but white reminds me of angels.  My cousin is with God and even though I miss her I know I will see her again.

I added a pin to the back and stiffened the tatted lace with starch.  I am sure my aunt will love it.  She just had a birthday and I can’t imagine she was able to celebrate so soon after the death of her daughter.

If you are interested in making a tatted awareness ribbon there is a link to the free pattern below.  You can also follow my new tatting blog called My Adventures in Tatting since I don’t usually post tatting stuff here.

In memory of Kerry Preston Aultman

RINGS ONLY TATTED AWARENESS RIBBON (c) Lenore English 2001