Connecting

This past week has been all about introspection for me. I've been working on a couple of commissions, but when I have down time, I keep thinking about Mamaw. (That's grandma for those of you who don't speak Southern Appalachian.)
This is my Mamaw.



She's getting ready to celebrate her 91st birthday on the 19th of January. It's hard for me to imagine her to be that old, but then again, she's been old as long as I've been on this earth. Up until a couple of years ago, you probably wouldn't have guessed that she was that old either, at least not by the way she acted. She was always the first one in the car if you were going anywhere, and kept a garden full of tomatoes and green beans until 2003 when Mom finally had to just stop her because she was afraid for Mamaw to be in the garden by herself. But now, her health is declining, and she's finally starting to look old to me. It just sort of crept up on me, and I wasn't really prepared for it.

She took a turn for the worse the first of November, and ended up in the hospital fighting a blood infection that caused her to lose the use of her legs. Now she's in the nursing home in our hometown for physical therapy, but the family and I all know that she will most likely never leave there. She's very stubborn, and doesn't like to do the physical therapy. My Mom goes to see her everyday. Bug and I have been sending her cards and small things almost every week, and I have been calling on the weekends so I can talk to her, but it seems like she is getting too tired to talk, even for a little while.

Bug and I found the perfect gift for her birthday, though. We got her a down filled lap blanket (because she's always cold and wearing a sweater) in her favorite color (green!) and I embroidered a patch to show her how much we love her. I know I can't be physically close to her right now, but I can be close to her in spirit this way.