013013 CKC Quiet January Kit #2

This month has brought us a terrible loss. Our Aunie went peacefully home to Heaven early Sunday morning, January 13th. Although we knew she was in a decline we certainly did not expect to lose her this soon. We were able to get the whole family together which was a great comfort & blessing.

She looked lovely & aristocratic & some dear people helped us celebrate her homegoing. She would be thrilled to know that the congressman's children came to the funeral because they consider her family. We buried her with a watch on her wrist as she adored finding novelty watches, and we had them paint her nails as she used to do. One of the "girls" that worked with her in the congressman's office many years ago related a funny story of how Ann - who always ate her lunch at her desk - just this one time did her nails after she ate. Of course, someone came into the office right after & she was mortified because she couldn't shake hands! Aunie shared many delightful stories about what it was like to be on the campaign trail & to work on Capitol Hill as a congressional secretary. She saw a lot of history in her time in Washington D.C.

She was a hard worker, a generous woman who lovingly cared for her mother until her death at the age of 90. She was a Red Cross volunteer, a Pink Lady at a local hospital in Florida, she delivered Meals on Wheels, and ferried a number of "little old ladies" to the grocery every week. She taught me how to sew and to love crafting & quilting. She was an incredibly special person to my children all of their lives. She leaves a gaping hole in the fabric of our lives which we know will eventually mend as beautifully as her award-winning embroidery projects.

We traveled to West Virginia last week to bury her with her grandparents, parents & her big brother who died of polio at 15. The cemetery was just as my brother & I remembered it, although we must have been quite young the last time we were there. There is a beautiful view on that hilltop, and it was quiet & peaceful. A fitting place to leave the shell of our dear departed Aunie while she enjoys eternity with her Saviour. 

My second page from my CKC Quiet January kit is about that place.

After I had laid out the photos & chosen some things to add to the page, I stumbled across the transparency that included the gate & knew it would go perfectly right over those bright clouds in the large photo. The perfect counterpoint to the photo of the gate post to the cemetery. I like how the earthly one is so sturdy & grounded by comparison. That made me realize how perfectly the background paper surrounding the title looked joyful & light, so I traced around it in white ink. Tracing around the photo at the bottom in black gave me the final contrasting touch.

Until we meet again, Aunie...xoxoxo