St Kateri

A few weeks ago I posted that my "nun" doll or St Katerie was finished except for the shoes and that she was keeping my auntie company. I would not get the doll and photograph her until I could do so.
My wonderful auntie passed away on February 14th while her sister Aunt Eva, and my two sisters ElizaBeth and Shirley were singing "Amazing Grace". That was one of aunty's favourite hymns. I keep telling myself she went to be with Uncle Jesse on Valentines Day and I'm glad for her.

St Kateri, was canonized or made into a Saint in October of the past year. As you will see, if you go to the link to Wikipedia she is known as Lily of the Mohawks.
Auntie was 94 years old and she was a school teacher. She has a paper somewhere that lists all the schools she taught at on Six Nations with the last one being SS #5. Many people have said that she was their teacher and from what I've heard from some of them, she was a wonderful teacher.
How did I get to look after them? I went to visit one day. They asked if I'd like to drive them to Toronto to visit their son, who is handicapped with epilepsy and a bit of other things. I did and I kept on doing that once a month and then I helped them move into the retirement home and with my sisters' help cleaned out their apartment. Then I kept helping them while they were in the retirement home - taking them to Toronto, on shopping trips, to appointments for dentists, hearing aids, hair dressers, shopping etc. Sometimes it was just an outing to go for a a ride and lunch somewhere. Then I was there helping the nurses when uncle Jesse was getting ready to leave and then from there helping auntie till she passed on.
Yes, it is time I took time to look after me and find out what I want to do and where I want to go.

The idea of the doll came to me as I was sitting with the embroidery group in early October, at their first meeting and the challenge for the year was to make a doll. I had been given a card with St. Kateri's picture on it and a bit of a write up about her. I enjoyed making her and I'm now trying to figure out how to make moccasins for her. I want the moccasins that I see in her photograph and I have to learn how to make those.

I also have a wooden cross that hung on Aunty's wall (below the loudest ticking clock I've ever heard) that I want to incorporate the cross into the doll "picture". In the photograph - the only known portrait of St Kateri as stated on the Wikipedia site - she is carrying a cross or holding one. This cross is made of Olive Wood, (aunty's name was Olive Ann) and she purchased it from a vendor who came to church to sell pieces of art from Jerusalem. This cross is about  six inches tall so it will be hard for the doll to hold in her hands. I'll keep looking for a smaller one - maybe only three inches and maybe of some other material. Or, I suppose I could try to make one eh?


I've now begun the process of finding out who I am. I have been a care taker for many years both in a good way and a not so good way, meaning that I've always been there to help others but in doing that I continually put me second. It is scary to think that I can put me first and I catch myself almost offering to do things when not even asked. My mom, who is 88 years old told me that it's time that I took care of me, looked after me now that my aunt and uncle are together on the other side. I'm looking forward to something new, a new adventure, new travels, new excitement and I must admit, it can be a bit scary. Have a good one.

Good Morning

Good Morning all.
I'm just letting you know that I'm still here. I've finished the Saint Kateri doll except for her shoes/moccasins. I can't show you her yet because she is sitting on the dresser in my Auntie's room and she keeps looking at it and the tiny little orchid plant that my grand-daughter Lyla brought her. Those are the two things she focuses on before she drifts off to sleep in her chair. She is sleeping longer. The Dr. said she had a few days to a few weeks and so I'm just leaving the doll there. I sit with her everyday and I am working on some pieces to go on another wall-hanging. Hopefully it will be done before April.

The snow came and piled up in parking lots and roads and I plowed my way through. It was lovely and on a day when I didn't have to go to the nursing home I would have loved to just walk in it. But off I went and found it wasn't so bad - I've driven in worse or worser.

Okay I'm off now to get some groceries before I go and sit with Auntie. I will miss these days even though right now I get tired.

Hope you have a good one.

Almost Finished

Did I mention that I'm creating a doll that is representative of St. Kateri? I started this soft sculpture doll in late September. I've been working on her everyday and she is almost done. I have the shoes to make and to find a couple of crosses and she is finished. I don't want to post a picture just yet but soon.
I've been sewing while I sit with my auntie. The Dr at the Retirement Home put her into the hands of the palliative care team. She is still able to go to the dining room for meals - although they have to take her in a wheel chair and the amount of food is miniscule.
She goes back to her room and sits in the recliner with her feel up because they are swelling so bad and her abdomen and chest area has fluid as well.
I was very confused for a few days because of the "palliative care" term. What I mean is that I figured that is what happens when a person is ready to die and I guess she is because we've done lots of paper work and house cleaning but she is still alert, still eating, still getting up and with help, getting dressed everyday. They've explained that palliative care means she will have more help, she has a different Dr and because she has said no explorations, no surgeries, therefore no treatments they are to keep her comfortable. Changes have happened with her health and quite quickly but she is still with us.
Anyway, I'm not so confused about what's happening with her and I'm sitting with her and stitching, reading, and visiting whenever I can. Today I was there for forty five minutes while she slept. She woke and we visited briefly and asked me to do some shopping for her and when I returned I was able to show the aid where she keeps her clothes.
Now all I have to do is to keep myself on an even keel so I won't get into the emotional eating - which I can do and which can be the subject of another post.

Apology For Not Posting

Good morning. I'm so sorry but things have been a bit of  smozzle for me. That is my word for busy, confusing, sickening, etc.
I had a great Christmas. Christmas Eve with auntie, then to visit my brothers, my mom and my children and grandchildren. I like to give gifts to my siblings on Christmas Eve, though they don't open them till the next day, but for me it has been a tradition to visit on Christmas Eve. I experienced that with relatives on mom's side of the family when I went to Thunder Bay at the age of 17 - thinking my aunt was going to get me into Nursing School - but ended up only being there for a few weeks. From that memory and our families getting so big I decided that the only way to see everyone was to go visit.
Christmas day I stayed at the nursing home with auntie until three when I went to see my sister and her family then to mom's to see her and the relatives left over from having dinner with her. It was a peaceful time for me. I didn't create stress for me by trying to make things or trying to figure out what to buy. I gave pictures of our grandparents to my siblings and pictures or our parents to my children.
Did I mention that I really don't like the holidays? It's not that I don't like them it was just that I don't like the commercialism of it. The emotional stress that people are in and the fact that there are people who have nothing, never mind the people who don't celebrate and who choose to just damage or put down the decorations because of their beliefs or non-beliefs or whatever.
The dratted cold and flu has been running amuck in our families and my one nephew had this cold for over 5 weeks, my brother for over 3 but he did manage to be well enough to have knee surgery. I got the cold the Sunday after Christmas-it's still here and then mom ended up in hospital this past Sunday with the ugly flu and pneumonia.
Through all this 'stuff' I've been going to visit auntie and we are basically in palliative care mode with her - meaning she knows her body is shutting down with congestive heart failure, and liver failure - but because she is almost 95 she's chosen no surgeries, tests, treatments for whatever is going on inside. We are getting her affairs in order and I have the pleasure of sitting and hand-sewing or doing my embroidery with her but only if I have things to sew and embroider so I better get back at it.
I've finished making the doll that will be my version of St Kateri and gathered pieces to sew for her clothes. Going now to put the "kit" together and get to the nursing home.
I'll try to get back to posting soon. Have a good one.

Katie's Wand

A few weeks/months ago I posted pictures of a doll called Katie that I was asked to make. I only had the magic wand to finish. I think that the hardest part of making the wand was waiting until Katie told me what she wanted on the wand.

My friend Kathi Kuti, the doll maker I mentioned before, brought back little pebbles from the beaches of Australia and I used a few on the wand. I knew that I also wanted ribbons on the wand with bells on the end to match the bells on the toes of her shoes. My friend Deb found the bells for me in Toronto and I sewed them on the ends of the ribbons. Even tho they don't make a sound they look nice. Finally I found the star that I was looking for. There were no stars like I wanted in the Dollar stores but I did find a decoration in the Lens Mills store.  The Christmas decoration was of three stars and bells hooked together. I removed the smallest star and glued it to the top of the wand. Just what I'd been looking for. I put the star decoration - minus the smallest star - on the door of my neighbours apartment and pretended I didn't even know it existed. A little elf humour.

Finally the doll is finished and I can wrap her up and send her on her way. Too bad the picture is so dark.

Wishing you all the best of holidays and health, wealth and happiness for the new year. Have a good one

Back from vacation

Sorry I haven't been writing.

I returned from Florida a week ago and have been up to my old tricks of doing too much and resting too little.

My friend Mary Lee picked me up at the airport in Tampa and we went to her place in St Petersburg until 4am on Tuesday morning when we drove to Pensacola to visit her sister and family. We both swore we were on vacation and we were not cooking. Of course that wasn't the case. She made pumpkin bread for her nephews and families when we got there.

I had a wonderful time in the sunny south except for getting the flu for a few days. I spent American Thanksgiving in bed and feeling a little green. I'm glad to say it was only for the one day. I was back up shopping and visiting with my friend and enjoying the Gulf of Mexico in the cold the very next day. Yes, it was cold. Maybe it was the left over flu but I was chilled and other people on the beach looked cold as well. I did see some sting rays jumping out of the gulf and different gulls and pelicans.

On Friday evening our hosts, Lynn and Kathi drove us to Gulf Shores Alabama to a place called Lulu's.
I was still feeling a little green so I played it safe and had a burger and some ginger ale. I didn't want to try the sea food or the collard greens. It was fun and I enjoyed the little side trip.

Saturday we cooked the Thanksgiving Dinner (we were not going to cook) and all Kathi's boys and wives and children came over. Mary Lee and Kathi's brother Tom came in from Burmingham Ala. and we had a great visit.

On Monday morning my friend Mary Lee and I left Pensacola at 4 am and went back to her place in St. Petersburg. We walked the dogs and enjoyed the sunshine and I even saw an alligator in a little lake behind the gym that her son Tommy runs. All in all a wonderful vacation and I'm going back again soon.

Have a great one

Another Doll

Just read a post from an on-line acquaintance who may someday may become my friend. We don't know each other well enough to call ourselves friends but I just love her blog. I've posted before about her work.
She wrote about not liking Halloween and I responded that I don't either. I stayed home and worked on a doll and because I live in an apartment building I don't have the little trick or treaters ringing the door bell.

I got to the legs part of the doll - which I didn't photograph but here the preliminary pieces. This is my first time embroidering a doll face. This is also a doll from someone's pattern given to us by the head of the embroidery club. More challenges.
I will post the picture of her dressed and standing. Secrets!!!!!