Off to Texas on a sad mission

 My Dad didn't make it to his 100th birthday party. He died peacefully in his sleep last night at 99 years 11 months of age. We'll be leaving for Texas in the morning plan his memorial service and help get what he left behind donated to charity or given to family. In the back of my mind I knew he couldn't live forever, but he sure gave it a heroic try.

Before this happened, I was sewing and quilting as usual, finishing quilts and feeling happy. Here are the fruits of my labor for you to enjoy. Now, I'm off to bed. It has been a long day of preparation for the trip and tomorrow morning is getting closer. Take care of your family and love them with your whole heart. You never know when you will lose them forever.

I finished the appliqué repair. Isn't it a beauty?!

Everything is sewn and secured for the next 90 years.

All these components were loose. The maker used a weird stitch for her work, but I hid my tiny stitches!

I also finished the Sparrow quilt. Oh my, did I pick out a gob of stitching on this one.

Then, my friend looks at it and asks why some of the bird eyes are higher than others.

GAAAAAAAAAH!!! Mistakes everywhere!

Panto: Argus. It is a vine with leaves.

This cute backing is soft but has a 'slippery' feel to it. I had a booger of a time getting the quilting tension right.

Label on. I need to sew labels down when I get home.

National Jelly Roll Day was last Saturday and the shop in Dahlonega had them on sale for 25% off! I grabbed this one and made the quilt on Funday-Sunday. Not bad.

Panto: Funky Fans

The backing is four leftover strips of backing from other quilts.

This one has a label, too!

Now, I have to choose which picture goes in the papers...

Here is one picture of Dad taken at his and Mom's 65th wedding anniversary.

We had a family reunion and had all our photos taken. It was a wonderful day.

I changed this one  to black and white to see how it would look.

The last time I visited Texas and spent time with Dad was in May. He moved to assisted living to have more supervision and avoid falls. Still spry and getting around with a cane, he enjoyed reading the daily paper and talking about the past. In July, he got Covid and I think that was when he began to struggle to eat enough and get up and about. My Dad was a tough nut and did the best he could with his frail body. 

He went to sleep. To paraphrase poet John Magee; "...he slipped the surly bonds of Earth, and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings'...

I love you, Dad.