Extreme Knitting Redhead: Framed

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Framed

I knew there was something else to show in my last post; my crewel embroidery from many years ago! So here it is:

Sorry about the reflections but it was impossible to take without them so I accepted this image, warts and all, with part of a window and my arm clearly visible. I should say also that it is hanging straight, it's my arm that's wonky! I love the colour of the frame against the pale blue wallpaper.

The lovely oval frame I was hoping to use (see the link above) was just that bit too small once I'd stretched the fabric and some of the design was lost. This old frame had a rather faded print in it so we chucked that out and substituted my crewel work. It's made me want to do some more so I might have to rummage around in my crewel yarns and come up with a design.

I have some beautiful photos to share soon of a church where we held a concert last weekend in aid of church funds and Alzheimer's Research UK.

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Mum's Story

In 1997 my mother, then aged 81, had a series of minor strokes. Shortly after that we started to notice behavioural changes notably memory loss and confusion over everyday items. We thought it was just old age finally catching up with her. Then she started wandering and had violent mood swings. Although she already lived with us it became obvious that she couldn't be left alone for long and so I left my job to care for her. The next few years saw a gradual decline into the blackness that is 'vascular dementia'. My normally placid mum became violent and aggressive. She had psychotic incidents where she would see imaginary people (children hiding in her wardrobe, Russians sitting on the stairs, women stealing her clothes) and she would shout at them and sometimes throw things too. She was so convincing that we used to go and check that there wasn't anyone there! When my sister died mum did not know who Judy was or that she was her daughter. There came a point when I suddenly realised she no longer knew that I was her daughter and this was a terrible time for me. In the last 2 years that she lived with us, life for us all became almost unbearable as she needed 24 hour care - she couldn't be left alone at all because she would either wander off or hurt herself, she never slept for more than 30 minutes at a time during the night, she became incontinent and incapable of doing anything for herself. Finally my husband and I realised that we could no longer provide her with the care that she needed and she went to live in a special care home where the team did a splendid job caring for her in the last few months of her life. There she lived a zombified existence unaware of who she was, what she was or where she was. It was heartbreaking. She died in March 2005, the day after her 89th birthday.

Thank you for taking the time to read mum's story and I hope you'll dig deep and sponsor me using the link below to help find a way of beating this destructive disease.