A good day and a sad day...

Today was one of those days that leave you with really mixed emotions. It was both a really awesome day and a really sad day.

I braved the crowds on black Friday and went to spend a gift card at Jo-Anns Fabric and Crafts. I really cleaned up with the sales they had going. I got all the fabric and the batting I want/need to make Gabe a quilt. I also got a pack of desperately needed cross stitch needles. They aren't the petite needles I prefer but they will hold me until I can get some of those. I also got some white and black floss, a pack of glue sticks, a quarter yard of fabric that I need for a special project for my MIL, and 4 rolls of wrapping paper.

Then, I spent the rest of the day being my MIL's chauffer while she did some shopping she needed to get done. We went to the mall to Dillard's to get her some shoes. We also had to stop into another store in the mall. It was at the other end of the mall and we considered walking down there but she asked me if I minded driving around. See, my FIL used to go and walk through the mall with her as a way to get exercise and just pass some time. She was afraid walking through the mall without him would be way to hard emotionally. This was when the sadness crept in. I started thinking and was realizing that how much I miss him and how much my loss and pain pales in the face of what she is dealing with.

We also went clothes shopping for her. My MIL has lost a significant amount of weight since my FIL passed away. Her pants are hanging on her and make her look biggger than she is. We found one nice pair in Hudson Belk. We were palnning on going straight from there to Avenue which is a fabulous store for Plus Size women. However, we realized that it was almost 2:30 and neither of us had eaten since early in the day and sinceMIL is a diabetic we HAD to stop to eat. We had a delicious lunch at Pei Wei diner. I highly recommend the Thai Coconut Curry chicken if you ever stop in there...yum yum. We finally made it to Avenue at almost 4. It was worth the wait because MIL hit the jackpot there. My MIL needs pants with a shorter leg...a plus sized petite (yeah, I know its an oxymoron). Not only did they have a wide range of petites but they also carry pants with the length needed by tall women too. By taking advantage of both sales prices and a 30% off total price offer (had to fill out a store card application), my MIL got 4 pairs of pants, 5 shirts, and a beautiful wrap for only $120...and one of those shirts was for me :) While seeing her buy clothes that fit hera nd look good on her mad eme happy, watching her buy those clothes also made me sad. She's lost the weight becaue my FIL isn't here anymore cooking all the wonderful food that he always made...and, she bought almost all black because she said she just doesn't want to wear bright colors right now and she honestly doesn't know when or if she will want to wear them again.

I can't even begin to imagine the loss she is feeling. Dad was a part of her life for almost 60 years. While they had been married almost 40 years, they first met when he was 13 and she was 12. Can you imagine loving someone that long and then having them ripped away from you? I know I can't begin to imagine how it feels. I loved spending the day with her but I wish it had been for a happier reason.

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Luckily, when I got home, Ms. Kymberli of I'm the Smart One made me smile when she gave me two awards.

Thanks for the compliments that went along with this award. I also received this award from Carolyn a couple of weeks ago. I'd like to pass this award on to...
Cara...she is insightful, driven to help, and has made such an impact on us all in the short time she's been blogging.
Antigone...she has shown more strength than I can ever imagine having. She is such an inspiration.
Margaret and Helen...they probably don't have a clue who I am but I love, love, love their blog. They are smart, funny, and speak their minds. They've also been friends for 60 years. I want to be just like them when I grow up.
Roslyn...she's a great writer, she tells it like it is, and makes up wonderful words like fucknuttery. Love, love, love that word!
Jen...she's a great friend, bakes, and decorates amazing cakes, puts her hubby's photography into amazing slideshows, and does it all while parenting 6 kids.

I can't say it any better than Kym did..."This stroke of genius award was developed by Angry IF. She gave this to all of us, and I'm giving it to all of you. If you haven't done so already, read about the significance of this award and pick one up for yourself. Well done, Angry. Brilliant."