All the things you didn't know...
Where have I been? Well, that is something I ask myself all of the time. But, mostly, it's where am I? lol and I'm sure my hubby would concur, he often wonders where I am, or where my head is at.
It used to really upset him, when my kids were little and I didn't know what day it was. It never really mattered to me, all of the days were the same, until it came to the weekend and he was home. :) I was busy being in the moment, but, I digress. ;)
When I left you all, we had just returned from the Denver Show. We did have a wonderful time at the show and I learned a lot, met a lot of great people, but... the trip did not go at all as planned, but what does one do? Other than suck it up and put a smile on their face and go on. :)
When we returned from the trip, we had some family stuff to deal with and the next thing I knew, I was getting a job. I hadn't worked outside the home in ten years, so it was very exciting. I got a sales position at Macy's for the holidays and I basically just worked like a nut from then on until after Christmas and then found out that they were keeping me on permanently.
Nine months later, I still love my job. I love getting dressed up and wearing make up and jewelry and accessories! It's like playing dress up, every day that I go to work. I love our customers, some of the most fabulous fashion savy people shop at Macy's and our customers are from all around the world. This is so appealing to the world traveler in me. I love the stimulus, the excitement, the work, and most of all, helping people. I confess, I am not an avid clothes shopper, but I love serving others.
This year has had a lot of ups and downs for us and I try to keep focused on the positive rather than the negative...
The highlights so far this year have been, my oldest daughter graduating from Penn State University where she had a major in Meteorology and a minor in.... I always wanna say Business Science, I think she says something else. ;)
My husband turned 50 and we celebrated him being in business for himself for the past ten years.
One of the lowest points of the year so far, has been my mother passing away. She died in the spring and I was there at her side to see her not take one more breath. I was there for her, just as I was for when my father passed away and I feel so grateful and fortunate to have been there both times, for both of them.
Both of my parents started to fail in the same year, though they had been divorced for the majority of my life.
I had always been so close with my mother. We spoke on the phone daily when the children were little and she was at everything for my kids, we took her on vacations with us, she was just a staple for my kids, which is how I wanted it to be, I made sure, she was always there.
Almost one month to the day of my father going into the hospital, my mother took a fall coming home from work and basically, cracked her head open and was hospitalized. I had her come to my house to recuperate, my brother lived with my father, so he had him covered, but I was busy visiting him, every chance that I could.
After mom with with us for a while, hubby and I were comparing notes and we knew things were not right. After a visit up to my mother's house, I came home and told her, "Tough love, you are not going back home anymore, you are going to stay here." She looked at me with relief in her eyes and smiled.
I had her evaluated by a neurologist and that is when we got the diagnosis of dementia. Dementia is a cruel and heart breaking disease.
I cried every night uncontrollably for a week. I knew, I had already lost my mom.
This is something that I have kept fiercely private, because it has been so close to my heart, so painful... this was my secret, I shared with only a few.
As any parent that has raised children knows, you celebrate each day with each new thing learned and each goal in life attained.
I watched my mother digress and unlearn everything. She couldn't remember how to wash her hair, so we got her hair done every week. She couldn't remember how to tie her shoes, so I tied them for her...
The movie "The Devil Wore Prada" came out and we went to see it. Mother always loved movies and going to see them. This movie totally changed my direction in life. Given my circumstances it was a time of re-evaluation.
I longed for a job in retail again, but, knew that could not be. But, I could fulfill one life dream to go to Paris, so I took my family to Paris the next spring.
I knew I had to do something for me during this time, as I could not leave the house, I had to supervise her and eventually her caregivers.
I decided to go back to what I knew, making dollhouse miniatures. I had a very small business when the children were young and I just sold exclusively to one shop. This was a lot of fun, until my son when to school and I missed him so much, I could not self motivate. I ended up working at an antique store here in my town.
On the anniversary of my father's passing, I opened my etsy shop, dalesdreams. I was just about to spam all of my dear friends and family, when I got an email from one of my dearest childhood friends that her mother was in the hospital and then, a bit later, another email, she had passed away.
My shop opened with a dud, as I no longer felt like celebrating it, those spam emails never went out with any announcement of my new endeavor.
But, it opened, life went on and I had my first sale within the first week.
So, here I am, seven years later, dalesdreams will be five in August. Still making my miniatures... and realizing that in wanting to have something just for me, that I never shared it with my mother at all. She never knew what I was doing and given that she had dementia, I don't know how she would have reacted. (It was very rough for me, us switching roles, she used to introduce me to people as her mother) I know how she would have reacted years earlier, she would have been so proud of me and happy for me, as she had always been and that's what I keep in my mind.
So, that's it, my deeply guarded secret, now you know...where dale's dreams came from.
And, life goes on....
I'm working on a new line, set to debut on Labor Day and it is the biggest project, my largest endeavor to date. I hope that you will be around for the reveal.
This post is dedicated to Dorothy Rose Rodgers 7-2-28 - 3-21-13
I will love and miss you forever, Mother.
Where have I been? Well, that is something I ask myself all of the time. But, mostly, it's where am I? lol and I'm sure my hubby would concur, he often wonders where I am, or where my head is at.
It used to really upset him, when my kids were little and I didn't know what day it was. It never really mattered to me, all of the days were the same, until it came to the weekend and he was home. :) I was busy being in the moment, but, I digress. ;)
When I left you all, we had just returned from the Denver Show. We did have a wonderful time at the show and I learned a lot, met a lot of great people, but... the trip did not go at all as planned, but what does one do? Other than suck it up and put a smile on their face and go on. :)
When we returned from the trip, we had some family stuff to deal with and the next thing I knew, I was getting a job. I hadn't worked outside the home in ten years, so it was very exciting. I got a sales position at Macy's for the holidays and I basically just worked like a nut from then on until after Christmas and then found out that they were keeping me on permanently.
Nine months later, I still love my job. I love getting dressed up and wearing make up and jewelry and accessories! It's like playing dress up, every day that I go to work. I love our customers, some of the most fabulous fashion savy people shop at Macy's and our customers are from all around the world. This is so appealing to the world traveler in me. I love the stimulus, the excitement, the work, and most of all, helping people. I confess, I am not an avid clothes shopper, but I love serving others.
This year has had a lot of ups and downs for us and I try to keep focused on the positive rather than the negative...
The highlights so far this year have been, my oldest daughter graduating from Penn State University where she had a major in Meteorology and a minor in.... I always wanna say Business Science, I think she says something else. ;)
My husband turned 50 and we celebrated him being in business for himself for the past ten years.
One of the lowest points of the year so far, has been my mother passing away. She died in the spring and I was there at her side to see her not take one more breath. I was there for her, just as I was for when my father passed away and I feel so grateful and fortunate to have been there both times, for both of them.
Both of my parents started to fail in the same year, though they had been divorced for the majority of my life.
I had always been so close with my mother. We spoke on the phone daily when the children were little and she was at everything for my kids, we took her on vacations with us, she was just a staple for my kids, which is how I wanted it to be, I made sure, she was always there.
Almost one month to the day of my father going into the hospital, my mother took a fall coming home from work and basically, cracked her head open and was hospitalized. I had her come to my house to recuperate, my brother lived with my father, so he had him covered, but I was busy visiting him, every chance that I could.
After mom with with us for a while, hubby and I were comparing notes and we knew things were not right. After a visit up to my mother's house, I came home and told her, "Tough love, you are not going back home anymore, you are going to stay here." She looked at me with relief in her eyes and smiled.
I had her evaluated by a neurologist and that is when we got the diagnosis of dementia. Dementia is a cruel and heart breaking disease.
I cried every night uncontrollably for a week. I knew, I had already lost my mom.
This is something that I have kept fiercely private, because it has been so close to my heart, so painful... this was my secret, I shared with only a few.
As any parent that has raised children knows, you celebrate each day with each new thing learned and each goal in life attained.
I watched my mother digress and unlearn everything. She couldn't remember how to wash her hair, so we got her hair done every week. She couldn't remember how to tie her shoes, so I tied them for her...
The movie "The Devil Wore Prada" came out and we went to see it. Mother always loved movies and going to see them. This movie totally changed my direction in life. Given my circumstances it was a time of re-evaluation.
I longed for a job in retail again, but, knew that could not be. But, I could fulfill one life dream to go to Paris, so I took my family to Paris the next spring.
I knew I had to do something for me during this time, as I could not leave the house, I had to supervise her and eventually her caregivers.
I decided to go back to what I knew, making dollhouse miniatures. I had a very small business when the children were young and I just sold exclusively to one shop. This was a lot of fun, until my son when to school and I missed him so much, I could not self motivate. I ended up working at an antique store here in my town.
On the anniversary of my father's passing, I opened my etsy shop, dalesdreams. I was just about to spam all of my dear friends and family, when I got an email from one of my dearest childhood friends that her mother was in the hospital and then, a bit later, another email, she had passed away.
My shop opened with a dud, as I no longer felt like celebrating it, those spam emails never went out with any announcement of my new endeavor.
But, it opened, life went on and I had my first sale within the first week.
So, here I am, seven years later, dalesdreams will be five in August. Still making my miniatures... and realizing that in wanting to have something just for me, that I never shared it with my mother at all. She never knew what I was doing and given that she had dementia, I don't know how she would have reacted. (It was very rough for me, us switching roles, she used to introduce me to people as her mother) I know how she would have reacted years earlier, she would have been so proud of me and happy for me, as she had always been and that's what I keep in my mind.
So, that's it, my deeply guarded secret, now you know...where dale's dreams came from.
And, life goes on....
I'm working on a new line, set to debut on Labor Day and it is the biggest project, my largest endeavor to date. I hope that you will be around for the reveal.
This post is dedicated to Dorothy Rose Rodgers 7-2-28 - 3-21-13
I will love and miss you forever, Mother.
