AFFORDABLE FURNITURE SOFA

I was struck today with the wonderful reality that I really have a nephew. Which, for the most part, seems strange to a lot of people I see in every day life, because I've had a nephew for two years. But, there is such a difference between knowing that there is a little boy out there somewhere who bears an uncanny resemblance to you, and one who runs into your arms giggling with unsurpassed joy.

Most of the time it still hasn't sunk in that I really, truly am an aunt. Someone was talking to my sister-in-law the other day and referencing a heritage from "the aunt" and I confusedly stood there thinking I should know what he meant. It never occurred to me that he would be talking about me.

But then, other times I have this rosy picture of my nephew and niece being all grown up, remembering me from their infant years as the loving aunt sitting in her chair knitting, an afghan over her legs, sipping her cup of tea - housecoat and all.

And, then I have to laugh at myself, because that is precisely what I am doing in a slightly modernized version. Here I am, sitting in my chair, sipping my tea, working on my mending pile- and stopping in between threading my needle to write these few sentences. I even have an afghan, crocheted by a lovely white-haired dear from the Poconos region of PA, over my lap. No housecoat. I'm more of Jeans person myself. :-)

I also haven't got a clue how to knit. :-p

One thing I do know, however, and that is that the joy that this young boy, and even Miriam (who is due at the end of March, but based on Kris' size is likely to show up sooner) have brought to me is beyond anything that I could have ever imagined. To such a point that I must say simply having Daniel brought me through some great grief a couple weeks ago. There is a great power of healing to be found in having a small child cling to you and bury themselves in your arms throughout the night.

And some day, when the two of them are respectively 15 and 13 I will say things like this, and a good deal more, and they will both feel the need to crawl underneath any nearby furniture or bush and possibly engender thoughts of disowning their crazy aunt who continually embarrasses them to what they are certain is social suicide. ;-)

Yet, I will never be ashamed to say just how much I love them. :-)


In other news, I apologize for my recent absence from Flickr... It has been difficult for me to be on here, and I may be somewhat less active for some time, but I hope to be able to return, and I am sorry for neglecting everyone's wonderful work!

Her voluminous white plastic evening
wrap, at one time wrapped furniture destined for a retail store. The black
patchworked motif was created from scraps of cut out polar fleece.
Both items were fished out of dumpsters in Sodo. Alotta's gown
started its life as an erosion control sock. A woven plastic tube originally
stuffed with compost and used to control erosion on construction sites.
It has salvaged white paper pill cups
cascading in waves of ruffles down the front while more white onion bag
net ruffles edge the the saucy slit up the leg an hem. Sandle-boots, made from discarded wheelbarrow and bicycle
inner tubes and laced with broken earphone wires. She wears a
top hat made from dumpster scraps of industrial petro-felt and rescued
cardboard, accented with plastic net bags once used to keep either veggies
or plumbing elbows from getting away. The bling that swings from brim to
brim is debris dredged from the bottom of her sewing basket.