Coming and going

Ah, I was away for a week!

Waiting in the Calgary airport

I went out to BC for my father's memorial celebration. Lots of family, including a cousin I don't remember from when we last saw each other, maybe something like 1965... Once when my sister was talking about the wild, hippy, Kootenay weddings she'd been to, cousin Paul exclaimed, "Oh, I live such an ordinary life!" However, he also said things like, "I was out for a walk with my pet duck, Joanne..." I'm very glad I finally met him!

The memorial was very good -- we read lots of great English literature, which tends to be pretty Christian, and sang Ode to Joy, although my father professed no belief in any afterlife. Most tears shed: when my brother read the very last bit of Lord of the Rings. We also read from Dad's memoirs and trip diaries -- I came home with 10 kilos of the dang things, and hope to type some of the more noteworthy up for posterity. We scattered ashes in some lovely woods after my sister led a Buddhist chant. So he was pretty well covered in case of any surprises...

Let's see if I have any pictures...

Paul, Diane and the dog, out for a walk

Another walk in town

I like this bark/leaf combo

After the memorial and lunch and scattering, many of us ended up at my younger sister's house for dinner. We took along some of the leftovers!

Guess what, there were still leftovers afterwards 

The view from her bathroom. Still snow

Spring is on its way; the magnolias are out

Now, let's get textile-y. 

This blanket has been around forever, certainly from the mid-1960s. I suspect my parents bought it when we lived in the Cotswolds in 65-66. Wool, tweedy, a bit frayed, with a few cat-scratch holes neatly mended. I always liked having it when I was sick in bed: so many different colours in the weaving! I might have brought it home, but I thought one of my sisters would get more use out of it, so I took a zillion pictures instead. 

Once upon a time, in 2000, I believe, we siblings made hand- and footprints on fabric and gave them to our mom for her birthday. Then she did a whole lot of work and made this quilt.

Our little family's contribution:

I put buttons on it for decoration, thinking it would likely end up on the wall, but she made the quilt for their bed and they used it a lot, buttons and all. 

In a box in the storage locker (one day, someone will write a novel about the storage locker, I'm sure) I came across this! I have a similar one, though mine is lined and made with more muted pieces. 

My mom belonged to a quilting and sewing group, maybe in the 1980s, and every once in a while they would have a big get-together and swap. Someone brought all these little samples; I believe they were a wool/cashmere blend.

My mom snapped them up and made (apparently) two blankets, and I think there was once a jacket for my dad made out of them as well. Perhaps it will be lined and given to a getting-married niece.

The sad socks! These are the socks I'd made for my dad. They ended up with a brother-in-law with just the right sized feet.

Phew. And now I am home, with some knickknacks to find room for, some papers to put somewhere appropriate -- and also some of my own knitting to show you... another day. I finished the green and pink thing and made good progress on my April vintage hat.