Mom . . .

That's Mom and Dad on their Wedding Day, September 14, 1957

Mom and Chris, 1967

Easter, 1967 with Mom, Dad and Joe

On January 17, my Mom passed away. She had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, but truthfully I think she died from a broken heart. Mom just wasn't the same after my Dad, Joe passed away last April. Even though she complained about what a "poop" he was, she needed him just as much as he needed her. I miss our almost daily phone calls - she lived in Southern California. As a friend said, it's a different kind of lonely. There is relief in knowing that she is not suffering any longer, but I still long for our phone conversations. She always wanted to know what we were having for dinner - I'm guessing that the food in the Nursing Home was not up to par. I remember at Thanksgiving, she was so excited to hear about how big the turkey was, what kind of potatoes I was cooking, who was coming, etc. She needed to be a part of it all even though she was miles away.

We spent last week in So. California where we prepared for her Funeral Mass. I am so glad that we waited - we had our time to grieve back in January; now was the time to honor and celebrate her rich life. And rich it was, not financially, but rich in memories. As the days go by, it does get a little easier but I find myself picking up the phone to chat. I love you Mom and I'll miss you forever.

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Everything Green is 20% OFF

Happy St. Patrick's Day

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, a holiday that is near and dear to my heart, anything GREEN on my website is 20% OFF until 3/25/09. http://www.tippystockton.etsy.com/.

This has always been a very special day for me for so many reasons. I was born into an almost entirely Irish Family (my Maternal Grandmother, Julia was German). My Father, Patrick Joseph Kelly, for whom I was named after was brought up in a home where a lot of Gaelic was spoken, particularly by my Grandmother Katherine (Kitty). My Paternal Grandfather, Owen was the Bandleader for the American Irish Society, a fife and drum band that made the rounds to the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City and in Dublin. In fact, in 1976 he took myself and 2 cousins, Jane and MaryAnne to Ireland where he was the Grand Marshall of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin. He was an extraordinary man who gave so much of himself for the good of the kids in Rockaway Beach, NY for many decades. When he passed away in 1993, many of the former band members marched the streets of Rockaway in his honor.

Every year for the past 20 years or so, my sweet (Finnish) husband John makes corned beef and cabbage for me. He wakes early and prepares everything and puts it all in the slow cooker. YUM!!! This year will be a little different. My son Kellan and I will be travelling to California on St. Patrick's Day to prepare for my dear Mom's Funeral Mass. We will raise our glasses to both Mom and Dad (they passed away 9 months apart) and celebrate the rich heritage of our Family.

So I will leave you with a Traditional Gaelic Blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Slán agus beannacht leat (Good-bye and blessings to you)

Wahoo, I was featured in an ETSY Treasury

So, what is a Treasury??? When someone loves what you create on ETSY, they feature it in what is called a Treasury. My orange earrings called Valencia are featured in the middle of the top row of the Treasury. It's my first time to be featured - I am so excited! Thank you so much to RibbonsandLace.etsy.com for your support of Tippy Stockton. I am truly honored. Hopefully the bright and cheery colors that have been featured will get everyone thinking SPRING!!!

My First Post on my new Blog

Whew, I think I have finally made it. I have been wanting to do a blog for awhile - unfortunately, I am not a techy, so this took some doing.

Why a blog, you say! Well, I am so excited to be able to have a place to showcase my jewelry and find out what you all think. But mostly, I am hoping this is a way to keep in contact with family and friends, as well as make some new friends.

My hope is to write something pithy every week - feel free to contact me if I slip up now and then. For now though, enjoy the day!