Thrifty Miss Priss

A picture worth 1000 words.....

Do you do facebook?

I signed up about 6 months ago, mainly to find and re connect with cousins that I have spread out all over the United States.  I seriously do not even know how many cousins I have. If I had to guess it would be about 60 on my mom and dads sides of the family.  I know very few of them "well".  So it's been fun finding them and hearing family stories.

One cousin has a LOT of photos from my Grandparents on my moms side.  She found photos of the farm that my mom grew up on and posted them  As the story was told to me, my grandparents purchased this farm in about 1940 at auction.  Their previous home had dirt floors.

I have no idea when this picture was taken but I'm sure it was long after my grandparents left the farm.  It sat empty for years after they sold it.  In the early 70's my mom took me to North Dakota and we got to go through the house.  I was about 10 years old at the time and it left such an impression on me.  I remember the built in bookcases, the leaded glass windows, the maids quarters in the attic, glass doorknobs....what 10 yr old takes note of these things?.....I wonder if this is where my obsession with old things started.

Even way back then I could picture  my mom sitting in the attic window on a rainy day reading her Old Nancy Drew Books.  She usually got one for Christmas every year, and her first one was in 1939.  

They were regular every day farmers.  They lived off their land and had to buy very little in the way of food.  Every morning and every night regardless of heat, rain or snow, they had to tend to the cows in the barn, milking etc.  No matter how tired, sick or lazy you were, there was ALWAYS work to be done.

I used to hang on to every little thread of story my mom would tell me....because I was able to visit this homestead I had created quite a story in my imagination of what it must have been like.  As her older brothers grew up and went to fight in WWII more of the workload was shifted to my mom, her sister and two younger brothers.

My cousin posted this picture on face book last week of my mom, her brothers and my grandparents.  I've never seen a picture of my mom so young.  I just stared at it and burst into tears.  Something about seeing her so young and fresh faced made me so sad.

I knew I had to get the picture to her.  I also knew she probably would not recognize even herself.  If I framed it she'd never look at it hanging on the wall.  I decided to print it out onto a pillow, that way she could keep it on her bed and look at it all day long as she catnapped.

at first there was no sign of recognition.  But as I said the names to her a few times, and gave her her glasses to put on I slowly saw the light come on in her eyes.  She got that same look in her eyes that she gets when I bring her the milkshakes.

She must have held it like this for 15 minutes or so.  Finally I propped it against the wall and the bed so she could always see it and she promptly fell asleep.  I tiptoed out and hoped it would give her sweet dreams for a long time.  

Jeg elsker deg Mom! (I love you in Norwegian)

   

My mirror is probably famous....

 

  

 

 

I've been glued to the computer watching these videos..... it's all about the process and not so much about the "pretty". I've been spending way too much time on this stuff...but having lots of fun!

I went to see my mom on Saturday and it dawned on me that she probably doesn't really know who I am. She has a faint look of recognition but I'm not sure she knows me or my sisters anymore. I think she knows we are "familiar", she listens to the conversation and laughs at appropriate times but I'm not sure she knows us. I take her a hamburger and milkshake every time I visit, she loves those milkshakes! It's fun to watch her expression when she takes her first sip. My daughter frowned when she read the page above about my mom...she said "you need to stop writing all the sad stuff about Grandma" and focus on all the happy memories you have of her...... maybe she has a point....but after all, it is for ME and not to please anyone else...

In other news...remember this?

found at a yardsale a few weeks ago and now hanging in my bathroom?

Well my husband and I were watching American Pickers and he noticed that Frank was walking around holding the  same mirror at a junk place!  They never mentioned how much he paid for it but I'm betting I got the better deal!  

I've been busy making lots of pillows and more are on the way! I've been lucky enough to sell some in my Etsy shop...that makes me so very happy!

Have a wonderful week!

Today......

Today I will visit my mom......take her a juicy sandwich and a big milkshake....

(photo taken last Saturday)

then I will hit some thrift stores....and come home and make pillows.....

 

Yes, I took this picture in my bathroom! 

What fun things are you doing this weekend?

 

Where does the weekend go?

 I sure wish two days would fly by during the work week like they do on the weekends.....

Before you know it....it's Sunday evening....your still in your PJ's, there's been no grocery shopping or house cleaning.....

the minimal amount of laundry has been done.......

but I got to spend the morning yesterday thrifting...and guess what I found?  Lots of ruffles!   Then I went to visit my mom....and I pumped her for hidden stories of us when we were kids.  Since she can't articulate much anymore I had to play the guessing game.  When I asked her which of her kids was the cutest....I just KNEW she would say me....but without hesitating she blurted out my brothers name!  THE TRUTH COMES OUT!

spending the day in your PJ's, cutting and sewing......with a little heartbeat at my feet...

yes...it was a perfect weekend!     

 
 
My sister and I forcing my mom to dress up again...this time as a Witch in Target.

My mom plays along and mentioned that her hair looks like a witch's.  She hates it now that it's gone natural grey.  We don't color it anymore and occasionally she will catch a glimpse of herself and be shocked at her reflection.  Her disease is progressing so much that she can barely walk.  On our outings now we have to struggle with a wheel chair.  This won't stop us from getting her out of the house and seeing new and different things.  It's hard to believe that 17 months ago she was living in her own little apartment in an assisted living facility, walking to the store, taking the elevator up and down to check her mail and eat her meals.  Now sometimes she barely recognizes her room or the people that take care of her.

When I started to write about my mom I felt a little as if I was betraying her, writing about her disease; because she has always been such a private person.  I knew if my mom were not affected by dementia she'd have a FIT if she knew I was posting pictures and stories of her all over the internet!  It gave me the opportunity to hear stories of so many other moms that are suffering from this horrible disease.    I met Rosemary through my blog and we've shared so much about our sweet moms. Kim is another sweet blogger that has shared her moms journey with me.  We've had laughs about the silly things and also shed many tears. Being able to share with others that are going through the same experiences has brought me so far.  I'm lucky to have my two sisters that are going through this right along side me too.  I no longer burst into tears after I leave her on Saturdays, or lay awake at night questioning if we are doing the right thing for her.   

 I'm so sad to say that both Rosemary and Kim lost their beautiful Mothers recently.  I know they are finding comfort that their sweet Mamas are finally at peace.

Journal Pages

It's been a while since I've made time for Journaling.  I go in spurts.

 

paper doll is from Suzee Que on flickr-great images that she finds and shares!

"photographs back ground paper" from The Graphics Fairy-always so sweet to share her BEAUTIFUL images with everyone!

Little girl in photo strip above and my new blog banner is from Jamie at Art-e-ology.  Jamie gave me her blessings to use the sweet image in my blog banner too!

I was playing with contrast and brightness in Picassa....it's free and a decent photo editing program.

I heard this quote the other day and it stuck with me.  This one is in my "edgy" journal....the one where I try different techniques and don't really care how it turns out.  The Little GIrl Lost page is from my "pretty book" (that's what I'm calling it) where I do my "safe" stuff.

I opened a book one day and this little fortune was in it.  How I managed to save it without loosing it I'll never know.

Over atMind Wide Opena challenge is posted to take a piece of digital art and do what you want with it.  I've never played along before but sometimes I'm just stuck and sit there not knowing what to create.  Driving home from work one day I was at a light and I was looking at blogs on my iphone (I wasn't moving!)  I saw this challenge and immediately knew what I wanted to do!  It just started spewing out of my brain so fast I couldn't think fast enough.

The theme is "daughter"

This is the beautiful image you are supposed to play with.  I of course ran out of blue ink that night and I was bummed.  I printed it out and black and white and made the best of the situation.  I told myself this was just a practice run.

I liked how it turnout out so I'm leaving it as is!  I have to send it to Mind Wide Open for voting on 9/8/09.  I think I will check back more often for prompts to get me going.

I like to journal about my mom.  I miss her so much!  She is here but she can't really communicate with me anymore.  She acts as if she recognizes me and my sisters but who knows.  She might be putting on a good act.  When she tries to talk it comes out all backwards and makes no sense.  Usually I just talk to her and keep the conversation light.  We might watch the animal planet or look at a coffee table book.  I never know whats going on inside her mind.  She does try hard to get words out but it doesn't always work.  When I heard the song "Landslide" last year while driving with my mom it really made me so sad.  It's kind of become "that song" that I get so sad about my mom when I hear it on the radio.  I hear it MAYBE once every few months.  Saturday driving to the bridal shower it came on the radio......oh the tears started!  I tried to slap myself to pull it together........so the other night when I was making the collage.....guess what song came on?  Yep!  Is that weird or WHAT?  This time it didn't make me nearly as sad.  Maybe art is therapeutic.

 Have a wonderful THREE DAY WEEKEND!  Yay!

Journaling again.....

Here's a few more journal pages I've made recently.

The one below is about my sweet mom....I was thinking of my visit with her on Saturday....gearing myself up for it Friday evening last week.  I start thinking about what we'll do for the afternoon while I'm with her.  Usually its lunch out and having her hair done.  Sometimes my sisters and I take her to a local park and walk thru the trails in the woods.  She seems to love this and asks to go back often.

She always seems so shocked when I walk in the door..as if she forgot about me until that very moment...then it seems like pure surprise and happiness to her.  I don't think she has thoughts of me or my sisters during the week...out of sight...out of mind...but she knows us when we're with her...and she is just so giddy and happy the entire time.  I often wonder if she'll call me by name.....and sometimes she does...

It's been two years now since she's been in assisted living, with the last year she's needed assistance with almost everything connected to daily skills.  Dressing.....eating, everything.  At first we were so depressed and sad over her diagnosis....but the pain has eased....for the most part.  I'm still so sad about what she's lost...and what me and my siblings have lost.  I see active vibrant seniors and wish it could be my mom.  I also know first hand what it's like to loose your mother (my mother in law) and how my husband would give anything just to have his mother for one more day.

One of these days I'll  do a page dedicated to my mom that's not related to her illness.  It's not that  I really need to document this.....believe me...it's something I'll never forget.

Now...on to other pages!  I've been following along in Teresa's "Journal of Interest" e-zine.  I'm having a great time trying new things.  The picture below was a challenge to draw something without looking at your paper.  I totally ignored the prompt for a few days because there was no way I'd draw something without looking.  I finally pushed myself to do it and was shocked at the way the bird came out.  It looks nothing like the one I used as a model.....(a print on the wall) but the fact that I could see that it was a bird shocked me.  I started at the top beak and worked my way around the head, and body...when it came time to circle around the bottom for the belly I had the BIGGEST URGE to look.....I kept on until I couldn't stand it anymore and I peeked.  So right about the spot where the bottom beak is where I finished it off while looking.  I added the details etc while looking of course!  I also journaled around the drawing. About certain teenage kids that think they know it all....ahem!

I see that I set this page down in a blob of pink paint.  That's ok......I don't care that there's a little blob of pink in the middle of the text!

Another page......

Here I used some of the vintage ephemera that Beth sent to me.....and some bits and pieces of fabric that I had laying on my desk.

So another Friday is upon me...and again I think of my mom and what adventures we'll have tomorrow when I visit her with my sister (it's always a duel visit...she gets "two kids for the price of one" and my sisters and I get to visit with each other more than we ever have!

Have a fun, creative, treasure filled weekend!

Thank you mom!

Thank you mom, for always making your kids come first.

Thank you mom for teaching me the first sign of Spring is the Forsethia and the dandelion....you loved them both......

Thank you mom for teaching me to love all animals....babies....old people.....

 

My mom and sister walking this morning when we visited her

 

 

Playing with the timer on my camera!

 

Talking to my brother in St. Louis....

 

The collage I made for her....thats my mom....my three sisters, and my brother and me in the background with our dog. 

Tonight on HBO starting at 9pm there is a four part series about Alzheimers....I will be watcing and hoping to find out we are closer to a cure! 

I hope you alll had  a terrific weekend and mothers day!  My daughter took me out ALL Day yesterday to yardsales and thrift stores...lunch and pedicures!  We left at 8:30 and didn't get home till after 5!  My son came this morning with new running shoes (if only I could make myself run...!) and tonight dinner was made for me......on the grill with family!

Tomorrow I will show you some before and after pictures of my furniture make over!

What a difference a few days bring in temperature!  We are in full blown Spring here today.

I went to visit my mom.....I had a little present for her

 

 

she has ALWAYS admired my engagement ring.  The last time I saw her she commented on that sparkle on my finger......I came home and told my husband, that even with dementia, my mom still appreciates diamonds.....It got us thinking.....he remembered we had a good "fake" in his grandmothers stash...so he boxed it in a pretty velvet ring box for her. 

  she admired it ALL DAY LONG.  She showed it to everyone at her house.  They all joked and told her "Your ENGAGED!" and she'd point to me.......I caught her admiring it on her hand...I said "Mom, will you marry me?" she got a chuckle out of that!

 

A new pretty ring means you must have a manicure!

 

My sister and mom on the wrap around porch of her assisted living home.  Mom is getting the full blown spa treatment!  I massaged her hands and my sister did the manicure.

 

Lunch at subway and some goofing around outside on a wonderful Spring day!

 

Even though she doesn't communicate and express herself the way she used to...she's still inside there....with a sense of humor.  She hugged me so tight when I left....and repeated over and over what I said to her when I left....and what I always say..."I'll be back on Saturday!" She doesn't know that means seven long days from now.

When I got home I dragged out my "art box" that I recently put together.  Cami sent me some wonderful supplies to get me started..she really got my creative juices flowing..I had this black suitcase that I'd painted.  I didn't want to just throw everything in there so I made little holders for my pens and suppplies

 

 

 

     The quote on the journal page says:

We make a living by what we get....we make a life by what we give.....-Winston Churchill

 

This is my word for 2009....Content..so far I've been living it.......

Wonderful Things!

 

I received this wonderful gift in the mail From Coddy.  Just because!  I got to meet Coddy last fall at the DC Big flea.....she does not have a blog (yet!).  She has her own business and works outside the home!  She makes wonderful pieces from shells.  She used to live in Hawaii and recently moved to the area.  She included a little piece of sea glass from the beach in Hawaii....it's truly just so special to me!  Her son sweetly calls the sea glass finds "Diamonds from the sea" OH MY GOSH!  How appropriate! Coddy, thank you so much!  I love it dearly!  Coddy is in the process of starting an on line boutique and a blog! Yay!  I'll update you when she is up and running!

Today after the crappiest day at work I've EVER had I got home and there was a box waiting for me!  My daughter always stands beside me anticipating what I'm opening.  I'd won a giveaway on Rosemary's blog and look what she sent-

 

I just love  a pretty box!  My daughter immediately reached over and untied the bow.....I yelled STOP!  I have to get a picture!  So I retied it and snapped away.  It was KILLING her!

 

Just look at these petite little bottles!  The one with the red flowers was an old ink bottle I think!  So sweet!

and then I found this:

 

These could not be any more perfect if I'd selected them myself!  FIVE of these beautiful stuffed hearts....one to represent each person in my family!  They are made from vintage quilts out of the softest fabric I've ever felt!  OH MY GOSH! She tells me they are called Tennessee Hearts...and she selected them because she saw my scrappy garlands and thought the fabrics were similar!  She also included these ADORABLE tiny tags.....you almost need a magnifying glass to look at them and all the detail.  The buttons are sewn!

 

Rosemary selected these things without ever meeting me in "real life". I swear it's like she KNEW me, that's how perfect it all is. Why is it that a blog friend "gets you" but members of your own family don't?  She actually used to live in the next town over from me....8 miles away....but moved to Tennessee several years ago.  We "met" and clicked because of one common bond....both of our sweet moms suffer from Alzheimers.  We started comparing notes and stories back and forth.  I have to say that one of the biggest benefits of blogging has been my ability to find and talk with other "daughters" who share this struggle of the long goodbye with our moms.  When my mom first moved to assisted living, it was so raw.  I cried so many tears, and sobbed harder than I ever have in my life.  I've learned to understand the disease and even laugh about it at times with friends like Rosemary.  Other women I've met don't feel comfortable sharing their alzheimer stories yet on their blogs, but we've privately shared our pains through emails and it makes it just a tiny bit better to know someone elses story.  So Coddy and Rosemary, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity!

Speaking of alzheimers....my mom's house has been sitting for over a year now.  My sisters and I decided to quit avoiding the task at hand and drove down there on Saturday morning.  Our plan was to clean out, donate and get it ready for sale.  We anticipated it taking 2-3 weekends.  Well, the three of us worked like horses and from 11a.m. Saturday until 2pm Sunday.....we were able to get it ready and cleaned out and we even "staged it" for the Realtor.  He saw it at it's worst on Saturday.  I emailed the pictures to him on Sunday and he was in shock!  So now it's on the market and we'll see what happens.

I'll share a few pictures with you.  The house looks bare because we wanted it that way!  My mom had so much stuff on walls etc...we had to un personalize it!

 

My sister pointed out that the tablecloth is crooked!  Whoops!  And that wall hanging in the background is disguising and UGLY electric panel.  We had to work with what we had!  We'd already given EVERYTHING away....and we scrounged around and found this.  We hadn't donated it because it was special to my mom...handwoven in Norway.

 

 my moms bedroom after we'd removed most of the big furniture!  I WANT that little dresser!  But I have absolutely no place to put it!

 

my sisters wanted to pitch the little wicker trunk but I protested and it's staying until the yard sale. 

We also managed to fill up her TWO car garage with stuff to sell in the Spring.  That's in ADDITION to the three trips we made to the thrift store!  Thanks to Beth...she gave me some tips on where to take it.  Her family has a vacation home here and she's quite familiar with the thrifting scene!

 

 see those SILLY little spindles holding up those cabinets?  That's an accident waiting to happen.  My dad fought with the builder for 3 years about this and he would not change it out.  He never got the balance of his money either!  How ridiculous does that look?  We want to change it out, but it has to meet code and it's a can of worms we aren't opening!  We'll allow $$ in the contract for re-decorating this part of the kitchen.

 

 And just for the record....my mom would officially KILL me if she knew what blogging was and that I'd plastered her home all over the internet!

  This is at the end of her street, just a block away.  Boat access to the Chesapeake Bay.

I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Have a wonderful weekend!  It's my first weekend "off" in THREE WEEKS (I've had mom duty the previous two weekends...it's really not a duty at all....but I've not been able to get a lot of things done" and my favorite thrift store is 50% off this weekend!  You KNOW where I'll be!