Farewell Sweet Maggie

My step-grandma passed away April 28, 2013 after a long decline from Alzheimer's disease.  She came into our lives in 1991 when she and my grandpa married.  It was a second marriage for each of them, and it was much needed companionship.  She was a brilliant cook, often just cooking by instinct rather than from a recipe.  She also sewed without using patterns.  

The sad thing was that I never really got close to her until after she began to decline.  She wasn't a mean woman, just not the squishy milk-and-cookies kind of grandma.  She didn't want us to sit on the floor, roughhouse in the back yard.  I chock that up to the time she was born and raised in and not any form of malice or spite.  She loved us in her own way and we loved her back in ours.  

I will keep the sweet moments of dancing with her in the living room while Ella Fitzgerald serenaded us.  Giggling over the cute, silly things she said.  Kissing her utterly adorable nose!  

How much she loved my Grandpa.  

Mary Margaret Nightser Labouy Wildi 

1922-2013

There was a viewing, and many dear friends from the neighborhood she and my grandpa lived in came to pay their respects.  

My mother and neighborhood friend admiring Maggie's dress.

Mr. Parker and his sweet Mama!

Viewings can be weird for people.  Some people, like my fiancee find them morbid and weird.  This turned out to be a wonderful time with family and friends.  We told the best "Maggie Stories" and laughed until we cried.  It was wonderful.  We celebrated that she wasn't in pain any more, that she was at peace at last.

Maggie and her Georgie <3 p="">

Ta May! You've been fun.

Folks have been asking what I've been up to so far, what with it being Summer Vacay and all.  Well, I started up on my internship with Seattle Shakespeare Company, working on Huck Finn, Taming of the Shrew, and then organising The Shoe Room.  The costume shop for Seattle Shakes is tiny and is responsible for maintaining the touring shows, building and altering the mainstage shows, and building shows for Book It Repertory.  It's a busy place!  With summer fast approaching (in terms of weather at least) the season is winding down inside the theatre, but the shows that perform with the Wooden O group are just getting started, so there is plenty of stuff to do.  It is also a time when the costume stock can be organised, things weeded out and taken to the thrift store, as well as restocking everything else.

And if that wasn't enough, I'm stage managing AND costuming a show with my very favourite, Outsider's Inn Collective.  We're working up a Jacobean Revenge Tragedy, written by Messers Decker and Middelton but done in the style of a Spaghetti Western.  I couldn't be more chuffed.

We're working on performing it outdoors later this month (eep! so much to do!), most likely in Ballard. To condition ourselves, as it were, rehearsals have been held in parks around the Seattle area which, so far, have been cold and damp.  Rather like camping in the good ole PNW.  The weather is changing, and I'm hoping to be able to leave my heavy (WARM) army jacket at home soon.

Other than that, I'm reading and knitting when I can.  Watching Supernatural (i'm rather addicted!), and spending time with friends.  Oh, yes, and working when rehearsals permit.  

Life is good.