it's time.

I've put off posting lately. I wanted to talk more about what has gone on in my life in the past few months.

To sum it all up, both of my beautiful grandmothers passed away within the course of a month. (My Mudder in February, and then a month later, my Grammy.) It has been really hard. They both had Alzheimer's disease. I guess it should have made it easier to cope with the loss because we had time to prepare. But, I wasn't ready. When is anyone ever ready to lose someone?

I wanted to write a fitting tribute to both of them. I'm just not ready. Maybe someday.

Since their deaths, I've thought hard about how I want to honor these women who made me who I am today. I learned cooking, gardening, sewing, and countless other things from Mudder. And, I learned about cooking, sewing, embroidery, and countless other crafts from Grammy. They both taught me how to be a good wife and mother. Whenever I do any of the things they taught me, I know it honors their memories.

As you can see in my previous (albeit long ago) post, I have taken up canning. (I didn't realize how truly old I sounded until I typed it out.) Since making (and subsequently giving away) all of those original jars, I've made another batch of lemon+honey marmalade. I wasn't quite as pleased with it as I was the blood orange marmalade. But, that's another story.

I think I mentioned sewing in my previous post. Good news, I've made a top! I will definitely take pictures as soon as it's not wrinkly. (I am very proud of it.)

We also began the work for our garden. I love coming inside with dirty hands. Who knew? I can't believe I enjoy it so much!

Most importantly, these days, I feel so connected to my grandmothers when I'm doing my household work. When I'm cooking dinner for Brandon and me, when I do the laundry, or clean. Both of my grandmothers were so great at housekeeping. They ran great households so that everyone around them was able to excel. My grandfathers were both able to be successful in their careers, and they both raised strong and intelligent children.

I think many people undervalue the role that household work plays in the world. Were it not for grandmothers who worked so hard to make sure things were in proper running order, my parents might not have turned into the wonderful people that they are today. The role of hardworking women whose work is home is the most important job out there.

This post is quickly turning into a soapbox about the value placed on domestic work. That's not what I wanted to do. I mostly wanted to tell you about how much I miss my grandmothers, and how hard it has been to sit down and write since their deaths. And also to tell you about what's been going on. Please forgive my lengthy absences.

May their memories be eternal!