In my last post I mentioned I was really busy and that I would let you know some of what has been happening in my world. As many of you know, my elderly parents came to live with us over a year ago. WOW is it REALLY that long already? I don't know about you BUT the time just seems to FLY by....wether you are having FUN or NOT! LOLLL Anyway.....my parents have been living in what will be my work studio....it isn't very big for two people to live in as it doesn't have a seperate bedroom or proper kitchen etc BUT mum & dad have been very happy nevertheless. The thing that THEY find the nicest, is the fact that they are never alone....there is always someone around for company or to help them if need be! WE like having them here too. It is amazing the wisdom they can share with you....and their company is pretty good too! LOL
Why have I been so busy lately though, you may be wondering? Well....we are in the process of having a granny flat built onto our house for them but because our house was wasn't setup for just coming along and adding a chunk (we would have been left with a master bedroom that has no window)......we've had to re-think and re-design our own house to make it all work! So along with the granny flat comes a renovation and an extension for ourselves. What does that mean exactly? Well....Emma had to vacate her bedroom entirely for work to be done, Amy is sleeping in a bedroom with NO window and Hubby and I are sleeping in the lounge room! Our house looks like a BOMB has hit it! There is our STUFF scattered everywhere.....and you cannot find what you are looking for....then there is the builders DUST and dirt and the NOISE! Arrrrggghhhhhhhh WHEN will it all end? It seems like it will go on FOREVER!
Apart from the time it takes to FIND things.....we have also been doing the painting of the new extension.....so far we've got most of the exterior painted.....as soon as the inside is ready for painting, we will start on that. Along with that there is the running around taking my parents to choose kitchen cupboards, vanity unit and tiles and door knobs etc...WHO knew there was so much to think about when building! PLUS I am 'trying' to get my pattern ready for the magazine....it's due in a couple of weeks....YIKES!
Well....I was REALLY starting to feel sorry for myself....wondering what I have gotten myself into with all the disruptions and so forth....THAT was until I received a phone call from a very dear friend of mine. (Her name just happens to be 'Christine' too!) She rang me up to tell me some DEVASTATING news......her little granddaughter Zara Rose....just a little over a year old, had had a brain aneurism and strokes....and if that isn't bad enough, they cannot find what is causing it! They feel like they are sitting on a time bomb because they don't know if or when she will have another set back.
Isn't she just GORGEOUS? That's when it really HIT me!!....Here I am worrying about DIRT and DUST and what amounts to stupid things when their family is going through such an awful ordeal that there are NO words to describe it! As a parent....you simply cannot bear the thought of your child having such a dreadful illness, it makes me go cold to the core just thinking about it!
Christine told me how little Zara responds the best when she is in her parents arms....and of course that is easy to understand...that is where she feels safe and secure. Her BEST chance of beating whatever ails her is to have her parents, or at least one of them, with her at all times. Naturally they wouldn't want to be anywhere else either BUT....with that comes the reality that financially who among us could really afford to do that?
It is bad enough having to face having a sick child BUT to have to worry about finances on top of it all comes as an added blow.....Even just to park at the hospital costs $18 a day.....some of the tests cost in excess of $2000! Add the fact that now neither parent is working and you have a financial disaster happening......they just do NOT need to have that weight on their shoulders as well as worrying about their beautiful little Zara Rose.
Apart from giving what she could herself, Christine has started raising funds to help support little Zara's mum & dad financially......I hope I can help with this, even if just a little teeny bit! So I am making a little request....if any of you that have enjoyed my free Coco pattern or any of my free tutorials would like to help little Zara's parents out, please use one of the donations buttons below to send a little something their way. Even if just a dollar or indeed .50 cents, that would be GREAT! It all adds up and how nice for them to know that people really do care about what they are going through! Lets ALL be reminded of the things that are REALLY important in our lives....our children....our parents, our families and friends....NOT the house we live in or the car we drive, the clothes we wear or how clean our house is!
To Donate to Zara Rose in Australian Dollars, please use this button (Note the money goes directly to Grandma Christine's paypal account for ZARA and not to my paypal account!):
To Donate to Zara Rose in US Dollars, please use this button:
Thank you to everyone who is able to help and may I also take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you whom I have chatted with and who have supported my little pattern business over the past (almost) two years! Your patronage and friendship is a valued part of my life! :)
Cheers,
