The Grandmother Christmas Dilemma
I love being a grandma. At Christmas time is puts a whole new twist to the experience as I search for the kinds of gifts our grandchildren might like. We have 25 now, with one more on the way. Someone once ask if I knew what all their names were.... We laughed at that, but it is an awakening moment when we don't even know what their favorite color is, or what their letter to Santa might have included. The real challenge comes with being careful not to empty out the bank account. And the diversity in their sex, ages and likes puts it on a roller coaster of thrills, dips and turns. It could become an impossible task if boundaries aren't clearly established... My husband is always reminding me that the grandmother is not the mother of the child. I think as a grandmother, it's not so much how much is spent as it is with time spent in making it special. Giving it a personalized touch. Made with love.
This year I chose to do pillowcases.... It totally fit into the category of practical, covering all the ages and a simple project to be created. I could have made them all identical and they would have served a good purpose... (and my grandchildren probably would have loved them). But I chose to individualize and personalize their own pillowcase. I loved it when I discovered most fabric stores even have pillowcase kits (in limited supplies, though) you can purchase that are prepared with the instructions to make them. Shopping for the right personality designs of fabric was a fun but time consuming experience. Their grandfather stepped up and was involved helping in a big way to scout out, carry out, and then quietly stay out of my way as I created the finished product. Simple, a bit time consuming, and not something you 'one-stop-shop' over.
In the meantime I had a little obstacle to overcome... I was not prepared for the news from my orthopedic doctor who informed me that my right shoulder needed surgery. I'd been experiencing pain, had my sleep interrupted because of it, and was desperate for a fix. Here it was already October 31st. Insurance deductible had been met over the months previous... Christmas was just a short time away. Although the fabric was all lined up ready to go, I had not yet begun the sewing marathon. November 29 became the target date for surgery. It put Christmas preparations in the fast forward mode. Not really a bad thing I guess.... having it all done before Thanksgiving is a pretty good target, right? And getting all my Christmas decorations set up before then as well? Where there is a will, there is a way. Heart don't fail me now.....
Long story short.... only 3 pillowcases left to complete and Thanksgiving is still a couple weeks away. Mission will be accomplished. Although I am NOT looking forward to surgery, I am looking forward to having my shoulder be taken care of to allow me some relief. The new challenge.... learn to do everything left handed for a while... yikes. Everything I do may need some assistance. Christmas won't be a Hallmark Christmas, but it will be a memorable one. My Christmas dilemma has become a Christmas miracle. We all love when we can take time to really enjoy Christmas in a way that was intended.... Celebrating the birth of the One who has given us all. Merry Christmas.
This year I chose to do pillowcases.... It totally fit into the category of practical, covering all the ages and a simple project to be created. I could have made them all identical and they would have served a good purpose... (and my grandchildren probably would have loved them). But I chose to individualize and personalize their own pillowcase. I loved it when I discovered most fabric stores even have pillowcase kits (in limited supplies, though) you can purchase that are prepared with the instructions to make them. Shopping for the right personality designs of fabric was a fun but time consuming experience. Their grandfather stepped up and was involved helping in a big way to scout out, carry out, and then quietly stay out of my way as I created the finished product. Simple, a bit time consuming, and not something you 'one-stop-shop' over.
In the meantime I had a little obstacle to overcome... I was not prepared for the news from my orthopedic doctor who informed me that my right shoulder needed surgery. I'd been experiencing pain, had my sleep interrupted because of it, and was desperate for a fix. Here it was already October 31st. Insurance deductible had been met over the months previous... Christmas was just a short time away. Although the fabric was all lined up ready to go, I had not yet begun the sewing marathon. November 29 became the target date for surgery. It put Christmas preparations in the fast forward mode. Not really a bad thing I guess.... having it all done before Thanksgiving is a pretty good target, right? And getting all my Christmas decorations set up before then as well? Where there is a will, there is a way. Heart don't fail me now.....
Long story short.... only 3 pillowcases left to complete and Thanksgiving is still a couple weeks away. Mission will be accomplished. Although I am NOT looking forward to surgery, I am looking forward to having my shoulder be taken care of to allow me some relief. The new challenge.... learn to do everything left handed for a while... yikes. Everything I do may need some assistance. Christmas won't be a Hallmark Christmas, but it will be a memorable one. My Christmas dilemma has become a Christmas miracle. We all love when we can take time to really enjoy Christmas in a way that was intended.... Celebrating the birth of the One who has given us all. Merry Christmas.
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