Grandma

I really don't like this picture of myself, my face is too round and my hair to short for me! The picture is four years old, and the best one I had on the computer of my grandma. She is one of my biggest inspirations to sew and craft.
It's funny as I thought of this last night, but she has never really had the opportunity to sit down and teach me much. We live about 70 minutes away, so I never really "popped in" for sewing lessons. I used to stay there on school breaks when I was little, and I do have a set of pillowcases that she taught me to embroider. They are french knots and stem stitching; and I need to finish the second one! But once grandpa retired about 20 years ago, grandma's time seems to be consumed! And once I had children it was probably ridiculous to try to sit together and sew!
But even so, it is her that I think of as I sew and embroider. She has given me many of her embroider pieces, both finished and unfinished. She made beautiful clothes for me and my cousins when we were young, and she did the same for my daughter. We write each other constantly, and we talk of our projects. Lately, she talks of the projects she wishes she could do, but I know she still tries. We write at least a couple times a month, and each time I pull one of her letters out of the post I feel such a mix of emotions. Excitement of course to hear from Grandma, and a dread of the day the letters will stop. But I try to treasure them for what they are now, and accept what the future will bring. I have boxes of her letters, quite a few of her tablescarves, and most importantly, the legacy of creating, giving and loving that she has passed down to me.