I'm Back & Out of Hiding

I'll bet most everyone has given up on me, but in case there's still a few readers of my two blogs who have hung in there, today I'm back trying to get with my normal routine. I've actually been back in California since Christmas, but the holidays, including New Year's sort of slid by me. Except for the non-verbal postings of Christmas and New Year's greetings, I'll admit I've been hiding, not just from you all, but from the world at large.

My only brother, Stewart Lisle Sterling, Jr, who was an voracious reader, went to read with the angels on December 21, 2008. In his last days he was surrounded by family (wife, 3 sons, a daughter, her husband and G and I. He, along with all of us, were given tremendous support by the amazing angels of Hospice. Although not an easy experience for any of us, we managed to have some valuable family time of re-connecting, sharing and love. Not to mention some awesome meals mostly cooked by one of my nephews who is a fireman and an awesome chef!

A few days ago on January 25th it would have been Stew's 79th birthday. He was 12 years older than me; yes, I will be 67 in April. Our 2 parents both lived to be older (84 and 91). That fact and the reality of his being gone so fast after the cancer diagnosis in October was a shock to all of us. He was "my rock" and not a day goes by still that I don't think of something to ask him or tell him. There's a huge hole in my heart and life. But in the past week I've been feeling him nudging me to get on with my life.

So! Here I am. This morning I finally searched down the pictures of my brother that I needed to find. I have to send an obituary to the newspaper in our home town in Minnesota and that will be my last sad task. I've been very bad at procrastinating over all this. I know he would understand, but also would scold me for it.

Below I have added some pictures that I found today. On the left is Stew at 2 in 1932. On the right is his graduation picture in 1948. The picture below was taken by G in October 2008 when we were visiting him and his wife.

I know he was proud of the fiber art work that I've been doing for some years now. In addition to the embroidered portrait of his 2 Chaussie cats I recently finished and sent to him, I also some time ago made a southwest style pillow/cushion for him and his wife as a gift. I know he showed it off some because after I got home I received a message from one of his friends and she told me how he showed her my fiber work when she and her husband visited recently. I have pictures of that pillow somewhere and I am going to try to find it and add it below. I may have to put it in a separate post; I'm a little out of practice with this blogging stuff!

Stitch on my friends!