Death, Celebration, Surprises

Wow this past week has been full of surprises. My mom called a few days ago to tell me my great grandmother Rita had passed. Even though I have not seen her since I was like 10 (or maybe younger), she has never forgotten a birthday or holiday. Growing up even when my life was at it's most unstable, and difficult times, I could always count on her to never forget. I have several grandparents, but out of all those grandparents only GG Rita and my other Grams (whom I grew up around) never forgot me. When you are a kid and your parents are not together you notice and wonder as the years pass how come your dads side of the family never once called or even sent a card for any holiday let alone a birthday. Not my GG Rita, she was always there. As I grew up, myself or my mom would always send her pictures of us kids. That was her favorite..pictures. I then married and became a mom and still every year I would send her pictures of her Great Great Grandbabies C&M..and of course she never forgot to send me cards and of course she never forgot the girls either from the moment they were born. She was amazing like that. Now she has passed and I have tried not to think about it...until now. I haven't seen her since I was young, but she has always been a presence in my life and I will miss that and I will miss her deeply.

Yesterday was my Anniversary (6 years). It was a busy, busy day, but wonderful. Out and about running all over town, going out to breakfast, shopping, playing at a playground that sits on the water in Shelter Island...it was a beautiful sunny day with a crisp breeze coming off the water. It was however a long day and the "spring ahead" time change did not help at all. The girls were troopers, 8 1/2 hours we were out yesterday and not a cranky kiddo to be had.

Today has been just as busy, running around doing the errands I didn't get to yesterday plus of course picking up more fabric from one of my newest fav fabric Etsy shops So Fun Fabrics. So here I am sewing away on a  couple dress orders  and I decide "this lady needs a brake"! What do I do for a brake? Hop on the computer of course...lol

That is where I found an interesting email from UPrinting. Now you know UPrinting sponsors my blog and I love hosting giveaways for them, but why the email? The giveaway I ran for them just ended a few days ago, and it's not time for another one yet...so what could it be?

It was to let me know I just WON their March 2010 Blog Badge Drawing. OMG, I just won $100! Ahhh, I am still on cloud nine, and of course my brain is spinning with all the fabric possibilities that $100 could buy me on Etsy...lol No but really, if you haven't signed up to have UPrinting sponsor your blog...why not? It's so easy! Sign up and receive emails when they have giveaways to run. You can choose to host or not, totally up to you. Plus if you have their button on your blog like me..your automatically entered every month to win $100...like me!

What are the chances that out of the dozens and dozens of blogs they sponsor I just happened to be randomly chosen. I do not believe in "random", I do believe in Karma, coincidences and the unexplainable. Personally I think this was my GG Rita's doing. It could be me just trying to deal with her passing, or it could be her way of letting me know she is still here for me. She is still around.