What I am doing tomorrow

I am going to a memorial service tomorrow for a friend of mine that died last week. Barbara Farmer was 71 and died of lung cancer. I met her through my fav stitching shop at Uncle Tim's Cabin. This was about 15 months ago. We got along so well and cheered each other up when we needed a shoulder to cry on. She was the most amazing stitcher, she taught at the shop and taught me how to do the Edelweiss stitch in hardanger work. During the time I knew her she met Coralie whilst Tim was still 'cooking'. I will take a photo tomorrow to show you the type of stitching she did, mostly Jacobean. I realised that I was not interested in her type of embroidery and took along my cross stitch when she had a class (I also realised I would not have the benefit of her as a teacher for the full project). So I have been going to visit her on Thursday afternoons for a while now.

Barbara was clearly failing the last time I saw her. She was in pain and irritable and had very bad memory problems. That was her last class. Her students have not quite finished that project, they have to put gold work into it still.

She was the MOST talented person, she designed so many projects, and was still talking about what she wanted to do next - never say die! She fought until the very end, she did not give up, she did not believe that this was the end. Barbara said she was not ready and was talking about needing more stash in her last weeks.

I am sad she has passed on, and I feel her memorial will be a most joyful remembrance of a fantastic person who left too early. It is to be held in the garden of the Deli at Uncle Tim's Cabin - a fitting place as she loved to stitch outside.

This does not cover my regard for Barbara and all her future plans - I so admired her bravery.

Rest in Peace, Barbara. You will not be forgotten easily.