"Late to your own funeral" comes true

My mother struggled her whole life to be on time. She laughed about being late to her own funeral. Last week she was. 

Family and friends were gathered at a Catholic church in Visalia, Ca., waiting for a funeral Mass to begin. A photo collage showing highlights of her life was next to some flowers that surrounded the spot where her ashes would be. It was empty 10 minutes after the scheduled start. 

Her ashes were still back at the funeral home. My sister says the funeral home was to deliver. No problem as my brother-in-law dashed out to pick them. At least that is what family thought until later that night when the truth came out. 

Here, let my brother tell the rest:

"Let the truth be told! Ah my Mother, first she was late for her own funeral. Church full of people, four priests, three deacons, three ushers.

Beautiful service and what a surprise when they announced everyone was welcome for dinner afterwards, as the restaurant had setting for thirty. No problem, invite the Lord too, He can turn water into wine and bread into loafs. Fantastic dinner for all. 

Back at sister's  was the biggest surprise of all: Mom never was at the church, box was empty, mom still at funeral home. End of story, mom missed her own funeral. Hope she was watching!"

Burial will be in Michigan. I personally will check that her ashes are in the box. 

Family pose at the dinner:

Mother left her way -- in her sleep

Patricia A. Davis, 81, died Dec. 17, 2015, the way she always wanted -- in her sleep. Nearby, the daughter who had spent the most time with her recently, had just finished the rosary while sacred music played.

My mother was a religious woman, a Catholic by birth and always a good Samaritan. She once stopped to help a bleeding man on the sidewalk while her five children watched from the car.

The pet lover was a gardener, happy with flowers, especially

roses.

She grew up wanting to be a mother and married Donald G. Chick right out of high school. 

Five children survived; their marriage did not. She became a single working mom in a time when that was rare. She did it well.

It was dislike at first for her new boss and plant manager at National Can. That changed and she married Glenn C. Davis in July 1976. She was now the mother of 7.

The Detroit, Michigan, native who lived in Livonia for years began moving -- New Jersey, Ohio (twice, same house even), Maryland, Pennsylvania, and finally Calif. -- as Glenn accepted new assignments. 

In California, she opened Postal Plus, which quickly became a gift shop instead of just a mail service.

Her last move was to a place she never wanted to be - a nursing home. But a fall Dec. 26, 2014, and then strokes meant she needed the care. 

Sadly, that move meant no more Red Hat Society or mahjong with the local ladies.

It meant change for the stylish woman, who loved shoes and scarves as well as bargains. A request for her lipstick always meant she felt better now. 

She shocked many when she went on a pilgrimage to rural, rocky Medjugorje in Bosnia. She believed six Catholics had seen the Virgin Mary.

She often was a positive woman, which meant one was never lost but on an adventure. She would up the appeal of hot dogs once with a picnic in the snow.

Now she's on the grandest adventure of all. You can probably hear her whistling if that's allowed in the penny-ante poker games in heaven. 

She was proceeded in death by her parents Jack and Irene Lawson, her brother, a sister and both husbands.

Survivors include sister: Marian Soditch; children: Sherry L. Davis, Lisa M. Davis, Mary Ann Chick Whiteside, Donald Chick, Patricia Call, David Chick and John Chick; 8 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. 

Isn't that charming? #pq6

The final challenge of 2015 was to use a charm pack in your project. So my final piece is a charm bracelet 

I'll tell you more in a bit. But first a nap. 

The finished prioject:

Those squares start as two circles. Here's a look at the other side:

I will add links to how tos later

A new day for the birds

The birds announce a new day as I rush to make the deadline for the latest weeklong Project QUILTING challenge.

My entry is titled A New Day: Chirp, Chirp, Chirp. It acnowedges the birds that start the days with songs. The "prairie points" remind me of the points children draw as part of a radiating sun.

This time I made the quilt in Visalia, California, a mere 2,370 miles from my quilting tools and fabric stash. The location change is part of my new days as my mother and I continue to switch roles. 

Still the possibilities began forming quickly as I used her napping to sneak a peek at the theme of the latest weeklong challenge: Sunrise, Sunset. 

My mother once sewed a lot so surely I could borrow her tools and fabric to supplement my quart-size plastic bag of fabric scraps, 2 hanks of embroidery floss, airline-allowed scissors and needles.  

If not, I could shop while she napped. 

Well, I could have shopped before a fever and more would knock me out for days. 

Still I knew what the project could be -- a coaster for her pitcher of ice water that sits on her bedside table at the skilled nursing care facility. 

Her housing change is what brings me to California.  My mom fell Dec. 26, knocking herself out, breaking her right femur and getting a blood clot in her head. While at the hospital, she had a stroke that originally left her unable to swallow, speak clearly or move her right side. She had a rod inserted in her leg. 

Before all that it looks like sewing was  eliminated in this household. Still I did find a wornout towell to use for batting and backing. It also would help soak up the water left by the pitcher's condensation. 

And I had that quart bag of fabric scraps that I was using for a 10-minutes of needlework daily resolution. Did I mention the fabrics were mostly oranges and pinks, with a touch of purple and aqua?

I learned I missed my rulers -- a paper bag didnt give me straight lines. I learned that you should look up prairie points before making them incorrectly as a quart bag doesnt leave much room for do-overs if you cut the wrong size. 

I learned these extra challenges can  a good thing. 

Here's the link to the challenge and entries: http://www.persimondreams.blogspot.ca/2015/01/sunrisesunset-challenge-2project.html?m=1