basimah knits… and spins… and maybe complains about things a little…

thanks for the thoughts and prayers and words of support from everyone.  so things are mostly getting back to normal around here.  there’s still a lot of work to be done at Bumpa’s house, but nothing super important at the moment.  it’s kind of weird not calling to check on him or going out to the house to see him, but i think we’re all dealing with it pretty well.

in happier news, mom and i went to a fiber fest last weekend, and i got a set of Howard Brush Co handcards that actually ARE made for using with fine fibers like merino and alpaca (rather than the Ashford cards i got last year after the salesperson told me they were ok for fine stuff).  i talked mom into getting a spindle, and she ended up with a gorgeous Kundert, which then of course meant that i had to get one too because i’ve wanted one since i started spinning.  no pics at the moment, but that will hopefully change in the somewhat near future.

so i’m not sure if i’ve mentioned here before, but my Bumpa (i guess i couldn’t say grandpa when i was little, so bumpa just stuck) has been sick for a couple years now.  he had good weeks and bad weeks, but 2 weeks ago he was hospitalized with pneumonia and just couldn’t shake it.  his immune system was pretty much gone, and medicine can only do so much.  Bumpa passed away at 2:30am today with mom and my uncle Bob beside him.

Bumpa was old and stubborn and didn’t have time for skirting around subjects or listening to most advice.  he’s been around the world and had more jobs than 2 or 3 people put together.  he fought everyone about everything every step of the way, but if we needed him for anything, he was always more than willing to help.  it was Bumpa’s car i was driving when i ran into the driver’s license building on my first driving test.  it was Bumpa that helped mom and dad buy this house when finances were difficult.  Bumpa always had candy at his house and never got upset if i didn’t eat the black jellybeans… those were his favorite.  it was Bumpa’s patented "yelling at you but doing it with love" that made me stick it out and go for my high school diploma (a year late) instead of giving up on it and going for a g.e.d.  no matter what my brother and i did, he was always proud of us as long as it was what we wanted to do.

i’m going to miss him and i’m sad that he’s gone, but i will relish the fact that i got to hear his stories and fight his stubbornness and wash his windows (for which he would slip me 5 or 10 bucks all top secret like even though mom and dad always told him not to).  and i’m glad i was with him to hear the last clear words he spoke saturday night, and they couldn’t have been more Bumpa…

"let’s just cut the bullshit and get to work."

well, Bumpa, the bullshit is over now and you can do whatever the hell you want, just so long as you’re happy and you remember the rest of us down here and how much we love you, stubborn attitude and all.