Guardian Angel Day

(Angel I created many years ago recently found in storage)

We grew up in my grandparents house - the upstairs was ours.  Seven of us in four rooms with one bathroom.  Being the first born of five children, I may have had my own room for a couple of months, but that didn't last long as my sister came early, just before my first birthday.  So it was a treat when I got to sleep over at my Godmother's house where I had a bed and a room to myself.  At the time she didn't have any children of her own and doted on all her nieces and nephews.  Strangely, my mother was her niece and I a grand niece although my mother was two years older than her.  I think you might have referred to my godmother as a "change of life" baby back then.  I've been told that my grandmother thought it was scandalous that her mother was pregnant after she had a grandchild (my mother).  My mother's cousins often refer to her as aunt because she is closer to their parent's ages, but I digress.  

I was raised a Catholic although my father wasn't.  He went to church with us and drove us to catechism when we couldn't walk because of bad weather.  And he helped us to learn our prayers.  But today I am reminded of another prayer and why I've started this post.  Today is Guardian Angel Day and the person who taught me the Guardian Angel prayer was my Godmother on that sleepover.  It is a very special memory and she was a very special person.  She passed away this summer and I'm sure that she's with the angels guarding over all those she loved so much and I will forever miss her. 

The last time I visited her I took pictures of a couple of things that I had made for her that she still had displayed all these years later.

Remember Holly Hobbie?

My godmother and my grandmother were into collecting chicken-themed things at one point, specifically roosters because my uncle played football at the University of South Carolina and the team mascot was the Gamecock.

These were crewel kits that I did as a teenager.  I used to do a lot of needlework of this kind for gifting and for personal use.  I've noticed a resurgence of interest in this type of handiwork in recent years as patterns and supplies are more readily available than they were long ago thanks to the internet.  I've also seen that thrifters resell these finished items they find in thrift stores that are in good shape.  They purchase them for bargain prices and get a lot more on ebay and etsy from collectors.  And you should see what they're getting for vintage Pyrex and Tupperware.  Everything old is new again.  But I suppose every generation looks back to the past at some point.