Athens again

How can this be my life? I would give anything to go back to my simple days of sewing, working, driving back and forth to work, daydreaming, watching TV with my husband...

but no. Not 4 weeks had passed since the death of my sister when Costas calls me from Athens (again, i was at work) to say that his father has died. 61 years old, and only 5 months after he was diagnosed with cancer.

So I'm once again in Athens, at my mother-in-law's house. I could write pages comparing the funeral rituals between the two cultures, but I'm not ready for that. Theresa's photo is on my bedside table, next to all the photos of my brother-in-law who died 2 years ago. This is a sad house, a tough summer.

I am struck by the beauty here though, especially the view from the 4th floor veranda where I spent the day reading a John Irving novel to distract myself from my reality. I carry my quilting with me, but haven't been able to focus on it after the first day I came here. This poor diamond star quilt, so many emotions have been stitched into it!

On my layover in Frankfurt I found 2 quilting magazines, and inside one was a pattern I want to make as a grieving quilt for Theresa. Sadly i can't start on it now though because i am without a reliable sewing machine or good quality quilting cottons. I don't suspect my grief will have left by the time I return home at the end of the month though, so there's time.

Thank you for your recent comments, I'm sorry but my internet connection is so limited (and it's dial up) that I haven't even read them yet. I appreciate your thoughts though.