Friday 14 September 2012

Sneaking in repairs

This is Okaasan's favorite cardigan.
She's had it for years and the multicolored, silk lining was getting more and more ripped and ragged.
Every winter she holds up the lining and says: Oh this looks bad, but I like this cardigan, I've had it for years. It's warm.

Last week in the latest cleaning blitz I took some cold-weather clothes from Okaasan's room for cleaning. They were all jumbled up on the sofa amid pants and T shirts and towels and stuff.

Most of the stuff went to dry cleaning. This one I hand washed...and then.
What to do with the ratty old lining...now hanging off in strips?
Really it was at the point where anyone putting their arms inside would probably strangle themselves in the strips of silk hanging from the seams.

I cut it off.
Then cos the lining was still obvious at the seams...
I sat and unpicked all the lining seams and removed any trace of bright red lining material.

Sitting there on a work morning doing this I DID think : WHY am I doing this? Okaasan could and should be doing this.
But, to be honest I was afraid to show her what I'd already done.
I was afraid she would be upset, and then all of a stressy dither about the unpicking of the remaining lining.
So, I did it.

Then I kept the cardigan upstairs and wondered how to give it back to her....clean and much better. But minus the lining.

Should I go to a material shop and buy MORE red silk lining and pay the sewing shop to put back the lining??? How long will that take? What happens if Okaasan notices the cardigan has gone in the meantime? What to do?

Yesterday, when I heard Okaasan go to the toilet, I grabbed the cardigan, rushed downstairs and flung it back on the sofa on top of all the other stuff. Draped a random towel on top for appearences.

And fled back upstairs.
I don't know if she has noticed it yet. Maybe not, cos we are still having crazy summer temperatures here...but there it sits on the sofa behind her...waiting.
My guess is that she'll notice the lining has gone, but think she did it herself sometime - and that HOPEFULLY she will never ask us about it. Hopefully.

Yet again, this going into someone's personal space/possessions to make changes to help them - it's a minefield of deceit and privacy invasion. But sometimes...well okay - for me many times!! - it is just easier all round to go in quietly and do it and get out. No discussion. No stress. Just do it.
But it gives ME stress :-)

* Between classes at my school I ran into the community center to check the Oldies Hula class the other day - looks very suitable, big group of friendly ladies and a teacher - all swaying to the island beat. Next week I'll take Okaasan.

Finally. We all need a cute cat picture.


Please select the sentence which best describes this scene:

a) Cat is in the basket.
b) Cat is on the basket.
c) Basket is on the cat.
d) Cat has removed basket lining and is wearing it as a hat.

4 comments:

  1. Hi there. I have been reading your blog for a little while. I became a carer to a family member with dementia just this week, and I am freaking out. But reading what you are going through on the other side of the world gives me hope that I can do this. So keep up the posts as you are teaching me alot!

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  2. Hi Lisa - calm calm calm!!! because your freaking out will only translate into stress all round....hope you're not doing it alone....you need LOTS of sane support to enjoy the madness of it all and give you the energy to be humane and caring. Good luck!

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  3. Thanks for your encouragement. xo

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  4. definitely d. very creative cat you have. Look at you both. Taking the lining out of things. I am presuming though that you didn't feel the need to go round with okaasan's cardigan on your head :)

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