I miss her

I want to write about my late Mother-in-Law, her creativeness and life ...she'd think I'm being SO over the top but quietly like it I think. 


My dutch Mother-in-Law died in January this year from secondary breast cancer. She was extremely creative and collected craft material, patterns and equipment all her life. I have been an extremely lucky girl and inherited it all. Including her sewing machine.  Boxes and boxes of it. She had boxes of just sewing patterns. Unfortunately we can't keep everything WE horde, along with all her things, so we have donated some of the dutch language things to the dutch club. 

I organised her casket flowers which included knitting needles, wool, buttons and cotton reels along with her favourite colour blue, orange (she was Dutch after all) and lots of green ferns from NZ.  

These are her scissors in a recent sewing adventure.

A month or so ago, I felt compelled to pen a little message to her son (my husband's twin who I have made a pact with myself to keep in touch with as he's overseas and now has no mum OR dad). I feel I wish to share it here as it relates to a few things going on in my head. 


I miss driving down Papanui Road to her house on a Saturday afternoon to go and drink her fizzy (we never have fizzy) and have her play with the kids and have a chat about nothing in particular. I do miss that. A lot. 

I miss her coming here and having a coffee with me. 

I miss asking her how to sew something. 

I miss that she never commented on how we were parenting. 

I miss not going and doing something to tidy up her place. 

I miss her not playing with the kids. Did I say that already.

... she made life better for me. 

.

The last bit is the thing that since she has passed I've come to realise more and more. She made life better for ME. So let this be a reminder to tell those in your life when they make life better for YOU. 

Pax Vorbis is latin for peace to you. We think she made this embroidery- it is beautiful. Peace be with you Gordina I shall think of you lots as I make things with your stash. You knew I wouldn't throw it away didn't you?