Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Goofin' Off into 2019

I was just looking back at my last post way back in August, and I once again realize how precious my blogging family is to me.  It's been a surreal few months since I last posted, but the Goofin' Offs are back in business and ready to reconnect.

Quick update on my projects for those that come here just for the cross stitching and quilting eye candy.  I am looking forward to having more time this coming year to work on my projects.  I really, really missed having a lack of time last year.

Here is where I left off my last post with Mickey and Pirate Friends Cross Stitch:

Mickey & Pirate Friends CS 08/02/2018
and here is where I am today:
Mickey & Pirate Friends CS 01/08/2018
Yay!  We have a skull and crossbones.

I'm afraid to say I didn't take pictures of my last quilt finish.  I have begun being better about taking pictures again.  So here are the fabrics I picked out for my current project.  Sorry, there aren't any Disney fabrics in this one.  All but one of the fabrics were graciously gifted to me by my mother-in-law.  

Fabrics for Quilt #1 of 2019

I spent some time during the holidays cutting out all of these pieces for the quilt center--all 624 of them.  I'm not sure if this will be a record for me or not.  I know many of you do centers with thousands of pieces, but I am just not there yet.  It's not a competition, right?  It's about the journey.

Quilt #1 of 2019 - 624 Pieces Cut for Center of Quilt

Now for a quick update on the happenings of the Goofin' Offs.  My last post found me spending time with my mother who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  At that time, she had been given about another month and a half.  Mr. Goofin' Off had a conference being held at the Disneyland Hotel, so of course I decided to join him.  My mother insisted that I not miss the trip.  She loved to travel and made it clear that no matter what happened, no one was to cancel a trip during her illness.

While Mr. Goofin' Off was in classes the first morning, I headed off to check out the Pixar Fest goings on.  Here is the entrance to the newly themed Pixar Pier.  

New Entrance to Pixar Pier

It was really well done.  I spent the morning there taking pictures and journaling.  I found a nice quiet corner and enjoyed the Pixar music in the background and watching the families spending time playing together.  It was a beautiful morning.  Here is a video I put together with the pictures that I took that morning of the new Pixar Pier area.



When I got back to the hotel later that morning, I received a call from my younger sister who was up staying with my parents for a long weekend to help my mom.  My mom had taken a turn for the worse that morning.  They were taking her up to the hospice center to see if they could stabilize her.  From that moment on during the trip, things were pretty somber for us Goofin' Offs.  I debated whether or not to fly back to Seattle to be with my parents and siblings, but whenever I talked to my mother on the phone she insisted I not come home early.  

Lone Bird of Paradise Flower at Disneyland Hotel
Back at The Disneyland Hotel, I found this lone Bird of Paradise flower blooming.  My mother loved this type of flower as it reminded her of some our happiest family vacations to Hawaii.  In some odd way, it provided me comfort throughout the week.  

When we flew home at the end of the week, I went to visit my mother at the hospice center.  She looked extremely weak but wanted to know what new things we had seen.  When we came back the next day, she had lost consciousness.  I am grateful I had that one last conversation with her in person.  The next week was spent waiting with various family members in her hospital room at the hospice center.  They moved her to a nice large room to accommodate our large family.  It had a beautiful view of the the Puget Sound.  My mom always liked a good upgrade, so we embraced this room change as her final upgrade.  She passed away on August 18th.  

My father has Parkinson's and is legally blind.  As you can imagine, we have been spending a lot of time helping with things around his house and making sure he gets dinner every day.  He has finally agreed to get an apartment in an assisted living building.  I am glad he came to this conclusion on his own.  We have to wait for an opening which may take a few months.  However, this gives us a chance to start helping him clean and prepare for the move.  We are hoping his move will help take some of the pressure off of the family and help things get back to a normal state of being.  

So now you have all the updates.  I am excited be back and am glad that things are getting back to a new "normal."  I can't wait to re-engage with all of you.  

Love,  Mrs. Goofin' Off

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11 comments:

  1. My deepest sympathy for the loss of your mom. It sounds like she was a generous and loving woman. I'm glad you have family to come along side your dad as he is making a big change in his life. It's great to "hear" from you again!

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  2. Glad your back to blogging. Goofy looks great. Sorry for loss. Sending hugs and happy thoughts your way.

    Linda

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  3. Thinking of you and knowing how hard the past few months have been. Know that the blogging community will always be there for when you are ready.
    Take your time. It's not easy.

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  4. So very sorry for the loss of your mother. I'm so thankful you had that last conversation with her. How special. Hope your dad gets his new place soon and is happy with everything there.

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  5. So sorry for your loss - but what a gift to have the time you did and to see her after your trip. The death of one’s mother is one of the toughest things there is, but we find ways of knowing they are with us. I am sure the bird of paradise will always remind you of your mother - a wonderful thing. It is good that your father understands what he needs, and has some time to adjust and prepare for his move. Hope all goes well.

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  6. I am so sorry to hear about your parents. Glad you got to speak to your Mom one last time before she lost consciousness. Hope your Dad can get into his new place soon as I am sure it will help take some of the worry away.

    Hope you get more crafting time and Happy New Year!

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  7. Yay! Welcome back. You have made great progress on your stitching.
    I'm sorry to hear you lost your mum. I know how it feels. I think of my mum every day and miss her terribly, but I promise, you do learn to live with it.

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  8. My deepest sympathies for the loss of your mum. I'm glad you got to have that moment with her before she passed. Good luck to your dad with his move - I hope it happens soon. It's really lovely to see you back x

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  9. I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom, what a blessing that you were able to see her and talk with her again before she passed.
    Wishing you the best for your Dad, I hope he gets moved in soon.
    I love your progress on Mickey and Pirate Friends!

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  10. Andrea, I am so sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is. I hope the good memories will help with your healing. RJ@stitchingfriendsforever

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  11. So sorry for your loss. I am sure your Mum hung on for you and was looking forward to hearing about the trip. I do hope that your Dad finds somewhere nice to live soon, it will be good for him to be supported.
    Nice to see you back blogging again too.

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