This Too Will Pass...

A dear friend from E. Africa used to say this when things seemed overwhelming. I never saw it as wishing the time away but as a means of throwing one's heart over present obstacles. And boy! has this week thrown up obstacles!

Last weekend Eldest had a small contre temps with a bathroom door and it transpires that the top joint of her fourth finger disintregated. It was a small knock but the x-ray showed that the fibromalgia has triggered arthritis and her hand bones are fairly brittle. She has her left hand trussed up and in a sling which has rendered her balance worse than ever. She is left-handed so is somewhat stuck- dressing, washing, eating, using her stick, all hopeless.

She arrived with us Wednesday evening and it has taken my Mom, Youngest and I to cope with her. Last night she went to the Hub for two nights.

Monday I received notice on the Studio. The owner has been extraordinarily kind to me as the rent was just impossible to find from mid-December, but its still sad to be packing up. Youngest and I, plus her very generous boyfriend, Scout, are planning to do a coupla car loads this afternoon.

Boo hoo...

There's been other stuff too but we won't go there.

I had tea with a friend on Wednesday afternoon and she sent me away with jam from her garden, eggs from her hens, and mince from her cow! Eldest wondered if L. knew she was feeding us for the week- probably! How very kind people can be- and the jam tastes like bottled summer gardens, as only home grown jam can!

Overheard in the Infant Class

Class Assistant: Have you just had a nosebleed, J?

J: NO!...ummmm...yes?

C.A.: Did I tell you not to pick your nose?

J (indignantly): But I wasn't!

C.A.: So how did it happen?

J: I was just checking...


Gross but true!!

A Rabbit Story

Once upon a time, in the early 1930's, a dear little boy was born. He was the first child of an eldest daughter, and the first grandchild of a very interesting lady. Like many another much-wanted child born into a large family, there was no shortage of presents.

One present, sewn by a friend of the Grandmother, was a linen bib:

It was made with cream linen with a peach coloured cotton binding and a cute embroidered brown rabbit.

The baby boy grew up, as baby boys do, had a sister and a brother and the bib was passed down. After that it was put away safely by the mother until one day her daughter came to visit with her own first daughter. Out came the rabbit bib from its place of storage and back into use it went.

By the time the bib took its next holiday, it had been used by all nine of the lady's grandchildren whenever they visited her. She even had a china rabbit bowl to match it, which was with difficulty relinquished each time a new baby arrived. Both rabbit bib and bowl were treats connected with visiting Granny.

Some years later the daughter's first daughter came to visit from East Africa with her own roly poly baby girl, so once more out came the rabbit bib...and the rabbit bowl. The Granny passed away soon after her second granddaughter was born, but the rabbit bib was sent to the daughter and used for all three of the daughter's grandchildren.

By now the rabbit bit was looking rather tatty and the binding was parting company where the linen had frayed. The granddaughter considered how to keep it and decided not to repair it. Instead, she traced around the shape and then traced the pattern of the rabbit onto paper:

Its such a darling little rabbit!

This January another granddaughter of the original mother in this story had twin girls, so exciting!

Presents needed....hmmmm....the new fabric has been chosen, the rabbit pattern transferred ready to be embroidered and behold! the rabbit bib will start a new chapter of children!

All this from the kindness of my Great-Granny's friend who wanted to celebrate a new baby...who'd have thought it would become a baby heirloom?

And the baby who originally received the rabbit bib? Well he's heading for his 80th birthday and available for a game of tennis or golf whenever the weather permits!