Month: January 2023

Sparkling Snowflakes

| Flower Roberts

We all need more light in the winter.

Anything that sparkles catches my eye. I am like a crow.

I want to decorate mama’s door at the facility with something different every month.

(Nothing says forgotten like a Christmas wreath the end of January.)

I ordered giant silver snowflakes instead of white to contrast with the white doors and white blinds in the windows.

I wanted each one to be unique and have variations. This meant adding more glitter from my glitter collection.

I painted different sections of the flakes with Mod Podge glue.

Then I sprinkled different glitter on those sections. Keep the flake contained in a box for this step.

I like the ones with three types of glitter best. They reflect and refract light differently to make the flake more interesting.

I have augmented some as they dried with more glitter.

The left over glitter in the box was used on the last flake. I call it the ‘Everything Flake.’

This was a fun thing to do on a dreary cold day. I plan to share the extra flakes with those folks who still have a Christmas wreath on their door.

FLAKY FLOW

When the Past Circles Back

| Flower Roberts

A proper blog post will follow when my head quits spinning. For now I will just spew a few thoughts.

Time moves forward no matter what you are doing. Every day you wake up older. We all do, even the young.

You are spending time you will not get back. It would be wise to do things that matter to you.

I have been sorting through my parents’ past. They both have saved items from their parents past.

My mom’s dad died over thirty years ago. I am finding ancient Mother’s Day cards he gave to his mother.

No, they did not go into the trash or recycle piles. My sis and I call it the ‘Keep’ box.

Our hours have been spent discerning what stays and what goes. It is mentally and emotionally exhausting.

When we are done there will be many more hours spent deciding what to do with what stayed.

Mama would not like us doing any of this if she knew. She has dementia, so she would be mad but not for long.

I came back home determined to purge my files. I did toss a few things, but then I felt a circle forming.

My own past was circling back. The children’s sports events, dog flea treatments, orthodontists appointments, school meetings, family parties… All the things I do not do anymore.

I clamped a bunch of it together and attached a note to my children. I guess I saved a circle for them to feel when I am gone or in a home.

Time goes by every day. Do something important with some of it.

FLOW

The Hanky-Panky Hanky

| Flower Roberts

My sister and I have been organizing the things in our mama’s house.

Our goal is to clear out the trash and charity items before we start dividing things up.

(No rush. Mama is living it up at the assisted living community.)

My parents shared their home for over sixty years. They accumulated many items. It will take us a while.

I was sorting through the linen drawers weeks ago and was surprised by an improper piece of needlework.

Hidden among the embroidered leaves and flowers was a folded hanky with a hoochie coochie on it.

My mother, grandmother and great grandmother were very proper. They are more the apron, dresser scarf and table runner types.

We did have an interesting great aunt.

My sis and I suspect that the handkerchief originated with Aunt Ethel, but someone else must have saved it?

It is a fascinating bit of needle work ingenuity. This dame even has on an enticing garter.

There must be implants in those firm little breasts.

I guess there was needle porn before Play Boy.

I can see some clever young seamstress giving this seductive little jewel to her lover.

I cannot imagine a man blowing his nose on this masterpiece.

I guess I’ll stop there.

FLOW