Monday Memories 4.........

.........is really more of a December memory and not intended to be maudelin.
I hung our advent calendar on Thursday.........

You can't make out the date on this but it's 1989, hidden by a sweetie. Obviously this was made during my cross stitch period and I recall the pattern, full size and humungous, was published in Family Circle.
1989 was our last year in Worcester. Our two wee English born babies, both December birthdays, were approaching the ages of 5 & 7. I can hardly believe I have been hanging it for 22 yrs.
But my memory of the making of this calendar puts me on a train, from Worcester to London, for you see, my pal Sheila was in Hammersmith hospital having a bone marrow transplant to try and fight off the leukaemia that she had been stricken with. She also had a family of two, aged 5 & 7.
I stitched on that train.

This is Sheila, having gamely been "made-over" by Bella magazine.
Sadly, happily ever after was not to be, and on 18th December 1989, Sheila lost her fight for life.
I think of her now and again, and always at this time of year, as Christmas approaches.
Never forgotten, forever young.x