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Sheila's Christmas Cactus

My friend Sheila has a lovely Christmas cactus.  There is something encouraging about a cactus blooming so prolifically in the 'dead' of winter.  It reminds us that spring will come again.  That life will begin anew.

This winter has been challenging on several fronts - the never ending construction, the long weather delays, the mess/rubble from moving things away from where they belong to...somewhere.  Then mom's death, meaning more rubble and dealing with the finalizing of her affairs.

Sheila's cactus, blooming so brilliantly (I have seen this plant in real life - I'm sure the photo doesn't do the depth of colour justice!) reminds me that all of this will come to an end and that spring should see the completion of the construction work and the completion of mom's estate.

We have until the end of this month to finish clearing out her apartment, so I have been going over nearly every day, sorting, sifting, throwing things away - and only bringing the things we can actually use back to the house.  Because I was already drowning in the ordinary rubble of my busy, complicated life, and then the added construction mess.

Friends have been very supportive and I have had numerous offers of help.  But when it comes right down to it, I am the only one who can sort through mom's piles of papers and photos and mementos because I am the only one that knows - or thinks she knows - the history.

Since this branch of the family tree ends at this twig, I have sorted the family photos into mom's side and dad's side and given them to the elder cousins on each side.  I am only keeping a few photos that are of special sentiment.

But I have also warned Doug that once all this mess is cleared away, we need to take careful stock of our own rubble.  It is time to make some decisions about the things we have kept and if they are truly useful.  If not, they need to go.

In terms of the studio, I am slowly coming to some conclusions about the direction I need to take if I am to accomplish some of the things I would yet like to, and first on that list is to weave down my stash.  

There is also the upcoming conference here in 2019 that needs to begin planning for, but that will have to wait for a couple of months while I fight my way through this current situation.

But today I am going to spend some time in the studio.  I won't likely get back into the regular routine until the apartment is clear, but I am going to try for at least an hour a day.  The warp on the small loom has a firm deadline, so I at least need to get that finished.

This year is 'new' in ways that I didn't really expect.  No doubt 2017 is going to be interesting.

Currently reading When the Music is Over by Peter Robinson