remembering forward

I don't even know where to start. Since last time I shared some thoughts and pictures. A season ago. Some moons ago (one of them a harvest moon eclipse!).

 I have found time- to the detriment of other activities of course, such as keeping house - to start cutting for Emma's quilt. This helps me settle, be alone with my thoughts and helps me grieve, process my father-in-law's recent death.

Here he is, in a portrait that my love took with his phone during a spring 2014 visit to the Netherlands. He had the gift of enjoying small things in life. He used to say to me "as long as you are here, you will be well taken care of" (and made good on that promise). If I talked to him during weekly phonecalls, he always asked whether things were still good between my love and me.

Another portrait, done by Vera several years ago. Signature 'over the glasses' look and smile. He worked hard all his life and was a volunteer fire fighter. So many people in town will miss his presence, but of course close family most of all. The circle of life is rough.

Even if you can look back on 'great years' like my mother-in-law said. May those memories give her some peace.

And perhaps the already planned demolition of our master bathroom (finally- we have joked for a while that this was the first room we thought we would tackle and is now almost last) was somewhat therapeutic for Thijs and my love.

I may eventually show  before and after pictures, but I will have to swallow some shame first over the 'before'. The 'after' is going to be quite 'swanky' as one of my co-workers exclaimed over the proposed plan.