Monday, April 30, 2018

Happy Birthday Mom!

Many around the world celebrate today, May 1st!  Today was also my mother's birthday!
Mom - 1955
Every year we would make cards and baskets to deliver to neighbors ... she made the day special ... not by celebrating herself, but by doing for others.
By 1965, she was 28 years old and the mother of four.  A farm wife's life is extremely busy.  Here we are celebrating Dad's new logging truck.
Every other year, Mom would pack up her four kids, and drive us out west to Oregon to visit her side of the family.  This photo is the 50th Anniversary of her parents during the summer of 1971.  As children we so looked forward to those trips ... as an adult, I now understand and appreciate the effort and stress my mother went through to get us there.
This photo was taken Easter 1973.  I love her body language in this photo ... tightly hanging on to my brother ... and keeping a close eye on something else going on!  Cracks me up!  We have so few photos of Mom ... she was always behind the scenes ... making things happen for us ... and taking the pictures.

Since her death in 2006, I have made it my task to honor her memory on her birthday!  I don't make cards or May Day baskets like we did as children, instead I do little acts of kindness for others.
This year I decided to keep it "in the family" and made candle mats for each DillyDally household!  Roseann's book, "A Little Something" has the sweetest designs.  The floral candle mats are perfect for a May Day gift!
Girlfriend DillyDally's favorite color is purple ... sew her version had to be lavender with a red violet center.
Yellow has been Sister DillyDally's favorite color since she was two years old!  Mom's favorite flower was the yellow rose!
I made mine pink ... my mother had a pink pant suit ...
Mom & me - 1979
... I loved that suit on her.  When she fussed about what to wear to my college graduation, I asked her to wear it!
I actually began these last summer when Roseann's book was first released ... in January I decided to honor Mom's birthday with them ... since then Sister DD has started her own business!  Often times ...  we are unaware that the stars are in alignment ... her candles fit the mats perfectly!
I miss my mother every day ... I long to pick up the phone and hear her voice.
I seek comfort
     - by making things with my hands
     - creating the design of a friend
     - supporting a child's endeavor
     - thinking about the women in my family
     - dillydallying in my Mothers memory

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!
Mrs. DillyDally

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Life is Messy

Life is messy ... for everyone ... on so many levels!  Mother Nature is messy too!  Yesterday she gifted us with hurricane force winds and torrential rains.  My house was messy ... I intended to stay home all day ... so I listed all the things I planned to accomplish ... my "To Do" list filled the page ...
... and then this happened!  Meet Mrs. DillyDally Bird!  Take note of my very messy dining room table too!  Yep ... I had a million things I should have done ... but life has been especially messy for one of my Knitting Buddies ... and my heart decided she needed a Mrs. DillyDally Bird!
She is a bit of a tipsy bird ... which gave me a serious case of the giggles!  So I removed a candle and placed her in the holder.
She was a joy to knit ... I was smiling or giggling during the entire process ... and successfully ignored the mess around me!  Yep ... Mrs. DillyDally Bird is very therapeutic!  Pattern can be found free on Ravelry here.
Last night our local Knit & Lit group had their monthly meeting, and I knew my KBee (knitting buddy) would be there ... so Mrs. DillyDally Bird was in attendance!  The gorgeous and delicious chocolate cake was made by her as our group was celebrating its first anniversary!
We set our messy lives aside ... drank tea ... ate cake ... and shared our thoughts about the book we had all read!  A brief respite from the storm outdoors ... and in life.
My hope is that Mrs. DillyDally Bird brings a smile to the face of all who meet her ... and that for a brief moment they forget the messes of life.

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!
Mrs. DillyDally