What a week this has been!!!

I want to thank all of my readers for sticking around and even setting some wonderful records for me as far as visiting my posts! I haven’t had any readers unsubscribe this whole week and there was hardly any talk of “new” sewing… just some older pictures of doll dresses. I thought that was amazing… NO… YOU are all amazing… Thank you very much for hanging around while we moved my mom into her new apartment… it’s been a crazy, roller coaster week, and one I won’t soon forget (none of us will, I don’t think), and I’m hoping this next week keeps going the way we want it to.

Cindy left Friday and Deb is leaving Saturday morning. :o( My brother took momma home the week of Thanksgiving and did his part while we were gathering the “troops” for what we were about to face. It was an awful week and a wonderful week all wrapped into one. It was very gut wrenching and happy at the same time with every kind of emotion you can imagine. My mom seems to be adjusting to the new place reasonably well, talking with the other residents there and we’ve come a long way since last Friday night. I don’t know what I would have done without my sisters…(and my brother in law, Tom), not only were they a major factor in pushing this move forward, they were pretty clever in their decorating my mom’s new apartment. It only has 765 square feet, but by utilizing the best pieces from her house and picking up a few necessary pieces, there is lots of room and even though it’s a small apartment, it really feels spacious. I’ve learned one thing this week… Simple + Small = Sweet!!!

I only slept about 2 hours last night because of our slumber party… well it was probably more because of sleeping on the floor, so I’m going to share some pictures of my mom’s new place and then head to bed… I don’t have a wide angle lens on my camera so the pictures aren’t great, but you can get an idea of her new place.

This is her door…

When you step inside you see this…

…and since it’s almost Christmas… a sweet little 4′ tree…

At the other end of the room is her kitchen…

Down the hallway, you’ll find a pretty bookshelf…

The bathroom…

Her guest bedroom…

The biggest bedroom is long and very spacious… with a walk in closet at one end… it’s great!

My sisters get all the credit for turning this cream colored apartment into a wonderful haven for my mom… Their fingerprints are all over this place… mine? …not so much, but I did supply the ribbon for the bow at the top of the Christmas tree and I “did” take these pictures! :o)

I hope you enjoyed seeing my mom’s new place. I’m hoping the weekend goes smoothly and I can get back to Lian’s Christmas dress and then on to someone else! That’s my plan!!!

Thanks everyone, Have a wonderful Saturday,
Blessings, Jeanne

28 thoughts on “What a week this has been!!!”

  1. Good Morning Jeanne,
    My beloved Mother was 90 1/2 when she left this world for heaven in April 2014. She had lived alone since 2000 when my Father left this world for heaven. My Brother and only sibling died in 1988. Reading your blog and hearing about you, your sisters and family helping your Mother to make this transition has been somewhat emotional. My Mother never wanted to leave her home and by the grace of God and I am certain because of many prayers said, Mother died peacefully in her home. I am the only surviving member of my immediate family and without my loving husband, I could not have endured the 500 mile travel back and forth to help care for her for the ten years prior to her death. It was one of the most difficult things God has required of me to be by her side until she drew her last breath. God gave me STRENGTH that I did not have and GRACE thru it all. For everyone who reads this blog, it is humbling to know that one day this could happen to us. Life is short. I love the words to this song “Only One Life.” It matters so little how much you may own, the places you’ve been, or the people you’ve known, for it all comes to nothing , when laid at His feet, just memories to keep. Only one life, how soon it will pass, only what’s done for Christ will last. Only one chance to do His will, so give to Jesus all your days, it’s the only life that pays, if you recall, you just have one life. You and your sisters poured a lot of love into making your Mother’s new apartment so perfect for her,
    The pictures are wonderful. Now, prayers that she will make new friends and adjust.

  2. Charlotte Trayer

    It is just lovely, Jeanne–thanks for sharing pictures! Is that your mom reflected in the mirror in that last one?

    Did you make the quilt on her bed? I don’t remember if you’re also a quilter or not.

    I’m sure you did a whole lot more than just the bow on the Christmas tree, and taking pictures! Surely you helped make some decisions with your sisters as to what things to take and where to put them.

    Anyway, thanks for sharing, and I hope you have a good–and restful!–weekend!

  3. Wow, Jeanne, I don’t know what I was expecting, but this is way above my expectations! What a light, bright, andcheery atmosphere your mother has in her new apartment! It is just wonderful, warm, inviting and very homey all at once! I love the period furniture, and the chifferobe (sp) in the one picture reminds me of the ones my grandmother had in her bedrooms. This lovely place looks almost as if it was a Better Homes and Gardens feature!

    That’s a beautiful quilt too on her bed, did you or your sisters make it? I love all the personal touches your sisters and you did, from the sweet little Christmas tree and the nativity set in the guest bedroom, to the pretty lighted hutch in the living room! At least now, if you stay overnight, you have a bed to sleep on!

  4. I just realized after looking at your pictures again that the table painted in white next to the bed with the cream and floral quilt and the plaid dust ruffle is identical to the two that I have that once belonged to my parents. I am still having difficulty parting with my Mother’s belongings after cleaning out her home last January. I still have the wicker furniture from Mother’s Carolina Room in my garage. I do not have a place to keep it and that was the one room at Mother’s home that I loved the most. I am having difficulty parting with it.

  5. I am so impressed. Your mother has a new, light, lovely space to enjoy. The striped chair reminds me of one my grandmother had. I think you’ll all enjoy visiting her in the space you helped make. The hutch is wonderful, and I love the quilts.
    I’m so glad you had so many hits this week — this is a part of life that many of us have faced or will face, and seeing what you did and how you did it is an inspiration for all of us.
    I hope you get some well deserved sleep this weekend and at least an hour or two of some relaxing sewing and a couple of hours to enjoy with Deb. You can paint each other’s toenails and go shopping for a new Christmas ornament to remind you of this huge accomplishment. You deserve something good and you got it. Congratulations on another job well done.

  6. What a lovely apartment and all of you girls and brother-in-law did a wonderful job in preparing and fixing up this light and well organized home for your mother. Bless you all !
    I too hope you get some much needed rest but I know helping your mom was a must and an endearing task from the heart.
    My dear mother was diagnosed in 2005 and lived till December of 2013. For the majority of that time, she stopped talking and went into herself, and as I said before, only the Lord knew where she was. It is different for many men and women. We moved my mother- in-law into a lovely apartment similar to your mothers and in five years or so, moved her into a nursing facility. She was still able to communicate quite well despite her memory loss.

  7. Your Mom has a lovely apartment. I love the furniture and furnishings. You and your siblings did a wonderful job making it look inviting and homey.
    Try to get some rest. I know you must be tired emotionally and physically.
    Have a good day!
    Take care —

  8. Well, all I can say is it looks so darn comfortable! Just the right combination of her things and extras to make for perfection. Very tasteful. Even the front door. Thank you so much for sharing.
    Hoping your mom might get involved in some crafting opportunity or perhaps they have a book group as it looks like she enjoys reading.
    Be thinking of you as your siblings head home and you are left as the call button. Just take a deep breathe and remember the good times. Keepy cheery.

  9. Dear Jeanne,
    How cozy it all looks! I am sure your mother will feel right at home in just a little while.
    What a difficult task that was. You are a great daughter.

  10. What a beautiful home you’ve made for your mother! I seem to remember seeing the refinishing of the breakfront on the blog. Did you and Cindy refinish the beautiful chifferobe to match the chest? The owners will be wanting to share your pictures on their info pamphlets. Very professional and all done with love. No wonder Momma came around. Hope all goes very well from now on. You all can rest assured you’ve done absolutely everything to make things perfect. Thanks for including us and posting the pictures. Have the restful weekend you deserve.

  11. Oh my, what a sweet little apartment. I think your mom will ultimately be very happy there, and no doubt she’ll be proud to show off her pretty living space to the new friends she makes there. I hope you are getting some well-deserved rest this weekend. The hardest part is behind you now and you can slow down and catch your breath!

  12. Thanks for sharing all this about your mother’s move to an apartment. I can see the grace of God in between every line. I love the last photo… your mother shows up in the mirror.

    1. Thanks so much Joy,
      You’ll have to tell her at church tomorrow how much you like her new place! It has TOTALLY been the grace of God!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  13. Your mom’s new place looks wonderful and very cozy. It’s the little decorative touches that make a house a home no matter the size. The cabinet filled with treasures is what I meant the other day by putting special pieces from her old home into the new. Until you have to move, you don’t think about it, but I have seen magazine articles where someone goes from a large home into something much, much smaller and it’s interesting to see what they take. I could walk around my home right now and know and a glance what pieces of furniture and items I would have to have and what could be given up. it’s almost entirely the items that have sentimental value because of the emotion they bring. The dropped cabinets in the kitchen are really nice in that you can display things above them. You and your sisters certainly have made things nice for her. I hope your mom soon makes new friends and settles in.

  14. Dear Jeanne:
    I’m a little late chiming in but as everyone has said you and your family have blessed your mom with a new, beautiful, safe home. It looks Wonderful!!! I know you must be anxious being the closet for your mom to call on – I pray things will settle down for you.
    Praying God continues to give you strength, grace and guidance.

    1. Thank you Leigh,
      I’m only 4 1/2 minutes away from momma now…it took me 14 minutes to get to her house. Just the closeness of this new apartment is a big plus for me.
      She spent the night by herself last night and I picked her up for church this morning. Other than being a bit early waiting down in the lobby (7:30 instead of 10:00), she seems to be getting the hang of things!!
      Thank you, Leigh,
      Blessings, Jeanne

      1. Oh Jeanne I’m so glad for you and pleasantly surprised that she spent the night by herself – that is a huge step. I bet you didn’t sleep much maybe expecting a call??
        I laughed out loud when I read how early she was, bless her heart.
        Hoping you have a better week
        All the best

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