Having recently moved back to Spokane
from NC has left me feeling stunned. I feel like I’m living in a surreal place.
I’m closer to family and have had so much more time to create and craft. And what
has been especially pleasurable for me is to share my materials and expertise
with my children, just as my mom had done for me.
When I was a
new mother starting up my own home it was wonderful to have my mom nearby to help
me make curtains and pillows, or refinish chairs. She knew how to hang wall
paper straight and fitted properly. She sewed cloths for my children and, on
occasion, an outfit for me. If I needed something repaired or remade, she
seemed to know how to do what was needed and had supplies ready on hand to make
it all better. She was a wonderful cook
and was there to answer any of my many recipe questions. We both had gardens and often canned together. Work was often shared,
which made it fun.
When I lived
2,500 miles away I could not do for my family as my mother had done for me. It
was difficult to give instructions over the phone and know that down in my shop
I could attend to the problem in a few minutes. A part of me always felt a little
"unplugged," so being back nearer to my children and family has left me in a
permanent state of euphoria. After years of being unplugged, it didn't take
much to make me feel connected.
This was a
great holiday season for me. I think that I have nearly forgotten how to
celebrate them. With all the travel required over the years to be with family
on the holidays, it has been awhile since I was able to deliver or receive warm
baked cookies and bread. I hardly bothered with decorations knowing that no one
would be seeing them, including my husband and myself. Holidays felt stark and
empty. Now I’m building my decorations one string of lights at a time; what may
seem a pathetic attempt at holiday festivities, at times, feels overwhelming to
me. There is a real learning curve to knowing how to string a decent set of
lights across the lawn. Amazing, they even have light-sensing timers!
This was my
daughter’s first Christmas with her daughter. Nothing like young children to
bring out the magic of the holidays! We made ornaments and handmade gifts to
ease our budgets since we've both experienced a cut in the hours we work (or at
least the paid ones). Even my son got in on the action and made a pair of
polymer clay snowman earrings.
For me, that is what gift giving is about. My
mother and I used to start at the end of summer planning what
gifts we were going to make. We knitted and sewed, painted and hodgepodged our way to the holidays; and
it made them so very special. My tree is still decorated with our odd assortment
of handmade ornaments. I wanted to share this with my children, and this was
the first Christmas in a long time that I was able to do just that. It was a
wonderful feeling to add my granddaughter’s handmade, hand-print ornament to the
eclectic mix of decorations already hanging on my tree.
I look forward
to the New Year and the new challenges we face; knowing that I’m surrounded and
supported by my loved ones makes it a great start already.
My handmade gift to my daughter...
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