mimi's quilt
There is no sadness like the deep sadness one experiences upon the loss of one's mother. Our belinda ridgewood just lost hers -- and Nurse Kelley thought this would be a good time for the community to put its arms around belinda. Ann and I lost our own mother in 2006 and we have to agree. Our hearts are with belinda ridgewood for we know hers is breaking.
peregrine kate's quilt, showing the backing
Nurse Kelley writes:
A Kossack I love, belinda ridgewood, lost her beloved mother quite suddenly a few days ago. A few weeks before that, Hurricane Irene caused such flooding that she has been without heat and hot water ever since. Winter is coming, with its chill added to the coldness in belinda’s life that her mother once filled with warmth. She needs a community quilt to warm her physically and spiritually.
Grief is a long slog. Grief when you lose your mom is piercing in a particular way, as most of us lose the one person who has known us forever and who loved us unconditionally. And, as belinda knows, death is just the beginning of grief:
I would be pretty okay if I could just hole up here with the computer for a long time, provided I had enough tissues for when I randomly start to cry, but that's not how it works.
Anyone who's done this knows that the first part, where someone dies and you deal with that, looks like the hardest, but it's actually part 2, where you reassemble the remaining pieces of your life, using duct tape to patch the big hole, and march forward, that's the challenge. And I'm only on the cusp of that.
When I was very little, my grandmother once told me, "Your mother is the best friend you'll ever have." Of course, it was years before I stopped thinking that was ridiculous, but she was perfectly right. I know that's not true for everyone, but if it is true for you, and your mother is alive, my recommendation is that you call or send a card or give her a hug. Not later, but today.
Shall we wrap belinda up and help her get through part 2?
Goldie inspects peregrine kate's quilt
Community quilts are colorful blankets that include squares of muslin upon which I have transcribed your messages in archival ink. Your loving words will be read over and over. The quilt will be cuddled, cried into, and treasured for a long, long time -- because of your love.
Nurse Kelley's quilt
You can help by sending a message (no quilt without messages -- and we will need 44 to make a pattern!). If you wish, you can also help with the cost of the quilt (materials and a bit of our time). Here is a PayPal link - or send me a message for a snail mail address. Suggested donation is $10/message -- but anything will help. It is never necessary to donate to leave a message, however!
Handmade card by Blue Heron -- this went to Jester with his quilt
These are the community quilts we have made to date:
othniel (cellulitis and ensuing complications)
exmearden (cancer of heart and lung, RIP)
MsSpentyouth (brain tumor)
Moe99 (lung cancer)
Michelle Caudle (ovarian cancer, RIP)
BFSkinner (lupus)
Kitsap River (long wait for kidney donor that ended 2/18/11)
Frederick Clarkson (blood clots)
Dreaming of Better Days (lymphoma)
one bite at a time (lost house and belongings to fire)
Timroff (cellulitis)
Sol Fed Joe (multiple cancers and health problems)
Brubs (AIDS, immune reconstitution syndrome)
rserven (gall bladder infection with dangerous complications)
grndrush (brain tumor, RIP)
ImpeachKingBushII (needs liver transplant)
andsarahtoo (lupus)
Frank Cocozzelli (muscular dystrophy)
luvsathoroughbred (breast cancer)
Predictor (stroke and HIV)
Austex54 (caretaker to othniel)
Theodore Olbermann, RIP
cskendrick (antibiotic resistant infection)
Keith Olbermann (caregiver to father)
Juan (cancer)
Ana (a young horse belonging to Juan, hit by truck)
MA Liberal’s mother (Alzheimer’s)
Charles CurtisStanley (caretaker to Kitsap River)
Lorikeet (cervical cancer)
Dr. Lori (metastatic cancer)
ulookarmless (cancer, heart condition, stroke)
riverlover (caregiver to husband suffering from liver failure, now widowed)
Melody Townsel (caregiver to dying father, now deceased)
dadanation (AIDS)
Dr. William F. Harrison (leukemia, RIP)
Larry Bailey (sudden loss of partner to heart attack)
ramara (adopted son with fetal alcohol syndrome)
Noor B (herniated disk from car accident)
Louisiana 1976 (fibromyalgia, severe arthritis, depression)
stumpy (MS, stroke, RIP)
bleeding heart's niece (cancer, RIP)
escapee (failure of corneal surgery)
SarahLee (lymphoma, Lyme Disease)
Bustergirl (ovarian cancer)
mimi's niece (cancer)
ZenTrainer (breast cancer)
Miss Blue (severe injury to shoulder, anxiety over coverage for surgery)
Granny Doc (bladder cancer)
mango (heart attack)
nudger (ovarian cancer, RIP)
DaNang65 (heart condition)
Lt. Choi (exhaustion)
Nurse Kelley (spinal stenosis)
Ben Masel (lung cancer, RIP)
Otterary Scribe (caregiver and grieving grandfather)
Aji (autoimmune diseases incl. fibromyalgia, inflammatory arthritis, & Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus Syndrome)
JaxDem (suddenly widowed)
DavidW (AIDS and other undiagnosed illness)
Jester the Marine (facing amputation of leg)
peregrine kate (endometrial cancer)
mimi (grief due to family illnesses)
DavidW's quilt
Right now, we are finishing the blocks for the Daily Kos quilt (only four left!) and are beginning to transcribe alliedoc's messages.
JaxDem's quilt -- belinda ridgewood's will be similar in style
Upcoming quilts include:
labwitchy (diffuse scleroderma)
Sensible Shoes (caring for sister with brain cancer)
Plutonium Page (pulmonary embolisms, pulmonary infarction)
MsGrin (life long heart problems requiring multiple surgeries)
UnaSpensor (Lyme disease)
MA Liberal (caretaker to her mother who has dementia)
paradox (cyclical vomiting syndrome, PTSD, depression)
Stranded Wind (Lyme Disease and other health issues)
woodtick (caretaker to mother who has Alzheimer's)
Ellinorianne (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia)
Boots says, "Thank you for supporting community quilts!"
PAYPAL LINK FOR BELINDA RIDGEWOOD'S QUILT - THANK YOU!
Otteray Scribe's quilt
Namaste