Thursday, December 27, 2012

The story continues...


When the Mad Stitcher picked up the ringing telephone she found that Bo had answered the extension and Wilma was telling him that she and Pam were coming up to visit on Thursday and they were going to bring the baby for them to see.  Also, Bo’s two sisters would be joining us.  He immediately said that it was wonderful and that she would get a chance to see the “blanket” that MS was making Pam.  Before MS could correct the information Wilma was ringing off with “See you Thursday.”



 Normally this would not bother her, but today it did for three reasons.  Firstly:  Wilma had informed them that they were coming without bothering to ask if it were convenient.  She had just assumed that MS and Bo would drop everything else.  Secondly:  Since her accident, MS had a lot of trouble doing certain jobs around the house and now that Bo couldn’t help her there were just too many things that had been left undone.  Now in the thirteen years that MS and Bo had been married, Wilma had never seen her house in a mess and she wasn’t going to start now.  This meant that somehow, some way, she had to clean the house.  Thirdly:  This would cut into her stitching time!  Darn it!



 On Wednesday morning the Mad Stitcher arose early and began her chores, starting with the bathrooms.  She knew that she would be able to do everything but the floors.  So she did something—then rested, did something else—then rested.  Repeat.   Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat.  This went on until lunchtime.  She had managed to get the two primary baths cleaned, but by this time she was in terrible pain.  She took a short respite then began in the kitchen.  Just then Bo came in with that mystified look on his face.  It was time for another scavenger hunt.  “What are we looking for today.” She asked?  “Have you seen my glasses?” he asked innocently.  Gently MS reached over and took the glasses from his shirt pocket and handed them to him.  “Thank you so much,” he replied.  “I love you.”  Then went back to the family room.  At least this one was easy she thought.



 As she loaded the dishwasher and wiped down the counter tops, tears began to stream down her face.  She hurt so badly and didn’t know how much more she could stand.  She finished up in the kitchen and went to sit down in her chair.  She had to take a break—just a short one.  She had decided she would close off the bedrooms and dare anyone to go near them!  She was sitting there dreading to get up again when the doorbell rang.  “Oh, God, she thought as Bo went to answer the door.  “What now”?



 Her darling son came in and immediately went to the refrigerator and fixed himself a sandwich.  They talked for a few minutes and Bo mentioned that Wilma was bring Jeb to visit  the next day.  Then the most amazing thing happened.  “Can I do anything to help.” asked Jason.  She could have cried.  “You can clean the kitchen and bathroom floors, if you have the time.  I just can’t do that.”  “No problem.”  Just like that her prayers were answered.  He cleaned the floors, then began dusting and cleaning the family room.  Each time MS began to get up, he would tell her to sit (as if she were a child!)  Then he pulled out the vacuum and finished up for her.  When Jason got up to leave she hugged him tightly and thanked him.  He kissed her lightly on the cheek and said, “Take it easy, Mom.  You don’t have to do everything!  I’m here for you.”  As the door closed behind him, Bo asked, “Who was that’?....Well, back to the real world.



 The Mad Stitcher didn’t get any stitching done that night.  After dinner she got Bo settled in for the night and suddenly realized just how tired she was.  She laid down and promptly fell asleep.  She dreamed for the first time in months.  Sweet, Sweet dreams.  If only….



MS sat down in her chair and noticed she had about an hour to stitch before the “guests” would arrive.  She had hidden away the afghan so that no one would see it.  Instead she picked up “Angel of the Sea” and worked on it for a while.  It was looking really beautiful.  She would be glad when she could get back to it full time. 



Everyone began arriving and each one had to look at “Angel”.  They commented on the lovely star sapphire linen and the gold braid.  MS realized that she had done more than she had remembered.  It would only take a couple of days more to finish except for the beading. 

Wilma waited for Pam to leave the room before asking to see the afghan.  She was talking about how wonderful it was that MS could stitch this for her and she knew that she would just be thrilled.  So apparently she would be stitching a second afghan in time for Christmas!  How did she find herself in these situations?  To disclaim now would be out of the question.  Oh, Bo, how could you do this to me? 

The day went by very pleasantly and soon the guests took their leave.  MS had found a private moment to discuss Bo’s condition with Wilma, but she wasn’t sure if Wilma really understood just how bad he was getting.  She gave lip-service, but….well.  MS continued to stitch on “Angel.”  She decided to work on it the next day while she was deciding on the next stocking design.
     

She finally chose the Nativity scene for Mary.  It was model stitched on a piece of light blue Aida and she knew she had a piece of this fabric in her stash.  The Mad Stitcher really didn’t like using Aida anymore, but she still had quite a bit of it and needed to use it up.  This stocking would be perfect on the piece she had.  She pulled all the floss and metallics and began to stitch.  She didn’t take time to do a working copy and found it very frustrating to work from the hard back book in which the chart was found.  She would stitch a few stitches, pick the book up off the floor, find the page, look at the chart, stitch a few stitches, pick the book up off the floor, find the page, look at the chart, and repeat…., and repeat…, and repeat!  She must remember to get a copy made tomorrow!!  And while she was at it, she had better decide on the others so she could copy them as well!



So back to the hunt.  She found a lovely Victorian design that she thought would work for her Mom and a neat Santa with animals that she thought Michelle might like.  So the next day, she went to the copy center where copies were made for all of these and then to the LNS.


The Victorian design needed black.  So she chose a beautiful black Lugana.  Bo helped her choose the right *star* charm for the Nativity scene and then wanted to go to the car.  So MS gave him her keys and told him she would be there in a few minutes.  She was still looking for a Dragon design and the LNS owner was helping her look through catalogues.  She decided on one that Nancy was going to have to order for her.  So she made her purchase and went to the car.  Bo was sitting there almost asleep with the doors open and as she got in, she asked him for the keys.  He didn’t have them.  “Oh, no!” she thought.  She began to look everywhere.  Even Nancy and Carol came out to help look.  They looked in the car.  They searched the area around the car.  Carol even walked all around the outside of the shop to see if he had walked around and dropped them somewhere.  They were nowhere to be found.  What was she going to do?  She didn’t have a spare with her and there was no one to call to bring her one.  She sat down behind the wheel and was about to give up and call the locksmith.  Bo was sitting there contritely—upset that he had done something wrong yet again, but not really knowing what it was.  She decided to take one more look around the inside of the car.  She glanced in Bo’s direction and noticed something red on his ankle.  She reached over and found her red key case hanging out of his sock!!  She couldn’t help but laugh even as tears ran down her face.  As she pulled out of the drive she glanced at Bo and whispered, “I love you.”

“Did you get that Lagoon cloth,” Bo asked innocently?  MS laughed and suddenly all was well again.  How could you be upset with someone so sweet?  She patted his hand.  “Yes,” she answered.  “I got everything.”

The design began to develop beautifully, but MS wished she had done it on that lovely evening blue Murano that she had in her stash.  It would have been ideal for this.  She stitched madly and the more she stitched the more she questioned.  Maybe I should….


The Mad Stitcher worked furiously.  The faster she stitched the more she began to wonder what she had gotten herself into.  Also, that Evening Blue Murano was calling her by name.  Maybe she should start over and do this Nativity on it.  But no, she had it more than half finished.  She couldn’t start over.  But, you know, this scene would be lovely stitched on the Murano as a framed piece—for herself.  Maybe, when these stockings were done.  But no.  She still had the afghan to finish.  And of course, this would mean she would have to do something for her grandson and his wife.  “Oh, Lord, please help me,” she prayed silently.


To be continued...

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