And it is a busy one! I’ve got several projects going at once, most of them still in progress or not even started! On top of that, I have a wound in my foot for which I’m under weekly treatment. For a while, that meant an actual cast with a protective boot so I could stay mobile. It was… problematic, to say the least. (I have no house elves or brownies to help with the housework.) I’ve been upgraded to a specialized boot that’s supposed to take the weight off my callous/wound. We’ll see how well that’s working at my follow-up visit on Friday.

Since this is supposed to update to Facebook, where my local sister-in-law maintains a presence, I’m hesitant to show you her gift. Let’s just say, I got my machine quilting skills boosted. My local niece is also getting something quilted, but it should be much easier to make. I could have had both of them done, but my sewing machine’s bobbin assembly broke. No one local services my type of machine, so (sigh) I bought a new one. Same machine, different name and color. I’ve been showing the in-progress photos to friends; maybe I’ll document it here after Christmas.

My youngest niece and nephews are getting knitted hats–which are already made–and scarves; one is finished and two are still in progress. I’ve got one of the unfinished scarves on a loom. They other’s on needles. They’ll be headed up to Michigan with Hubby, who is spending the holiday with his siblings.

Why is he doing that instead of staying home with us? Well, his mom (my sweet, sweet mother-in-law) went into the hospital with a lot of CO2 in her blood. They got things headed in the right direction, and sent her to rehab to learn to use a bipap machine, which she hated. She ended up back in the hospital, then back to rehab, and was headed for hospice care at home. She expressed the desire to see all of her children and their spouses for Christmas. So, we set up a flight for my husband to go as my wound and treatment kept me from accompanying him.

Then, last Saturday, she passed away.

Hubby thought she wouldn’t make it to Christmas.

Most of the family was there, surrounding her. As with his sister, who died of advanced breast cancer in 2000, my husband was not. He is the only one who’s had a steady job–his next-oldest brother is disabled and the youngest brother has finally woken up and started working. It’s the busiest season for the Postal Service right now; he goes to work at 6AM and sometimes doesn’t get home until 7PM, even on his days off. His getting Christmas week off is nothing short of a miracle. Carriers with more seniority than he has get first choice of vacation slots and that week is always gone early. So, since he’ll be in Michigan, his mother’s funeral and burial will be the Monday of Christmas week. His next-oldest brother, who has been caring for her over the past few years, his wife, and our sister-in-love (late sister-in-law’s husband’s second wife) are handling the arrangements.

I want to be there, so I want to set up a Zoom call or something so everyone here can say “Hi!” to everyone there.  And I’m sending a fully-charged selfie stick with him so he can take pictures with him in them.

I will miss him that week. I’ll miss her for the rest of my life.