Ah, friends. What a time. I wish I could write about all the wonderful knitting inspiration I’ve been experiencing, or the fantastic book I can’t put down. How about … nope. The thing is, I’m preoccupied with another chapter in the saga of the frail mother whose health keeps taking a turn.
Last week my mom was getting ready for her afternoon Bingo game (her favorite part of the day) and she fell and broke her femur (thigh bone). The only reason she didn’t break her hip was that it still had the pin in it from two years ago. So now she’s recovering from surgery (more metal holding her together) and will be moving to a nursing facility for rehab. Again. Each event takes a little more out of her. She’s stoic, so I will be too, but it’s hard.
When I emailed my friend Judy to tell her the news, she wrote back, “They shouldn’t let old people play Bingo.” I’ll second that.
Our family has gotten past the “rush to be at her side” sort of thinking. Within hours of something like this, we are mobilizing and planning who will come when, and for what part of the recovery, and for how long. We coordinate our schedules, make our reservations for plane or hotel, and act. We’re pros.
But I’m left feeling like a puddle of daughter-ness. Exhausted at work, distracted, a little weepy at odd moments. Thank goodness for the dysfunctional family that is my staff! They’ve been wonderful. Until I can go to my mother — until it’s my turn — I have things to do here. I’m hoping that today, in this new week, I’ll get to work and face it and get on with it.
I’ll be driving to Maryland on the 19th. Between now and then I do have some nice knitting to keep me company. This is a scarf pattern I’m working up for Spirit Trail Fiberworks. The yarn is a cashgora-merino blend. It is so soft and so warm and so nice to knit with that the experience is like one of those Calgon Moments. I’m also knitting another pair of KR Hedgerow socks for one of the Remarkable R’s. The model will get to have the originals, but the stylist needs her own pair too. They’re of the same beautiful blue yarn as my Delicato Mitts.
Everything will be all right, I know it will. Everything will be different — for my mother, for me, for our family — and I know that, too. The tricky part is the navigating between now and then.
Not Plain Jane 