She told me the other day that she just loves to hear the smooth humming of the machine, that it is music to her ears.

Mama will soon be 83 years old.  Daily life is getting harder for her, things she used to take for granted and do with ease are difficult now.  While physically she is still mobile and surprisingly agile, her mind is beginning to slip. 

She forgets how to make biscuits, a skill she used nearly every day of her life until Daddy's death 3 1/2 years ago (but she can still make a killer pie crust!).  Beyond the few-mile circumference of her small town and country church, she sometimes gets confused about where she is, even though she's lived in the same spot for over 60 years.  Her recognizable circle of family and friends is growing smaller, and she has trouble remembering connections between people she's known all of her life.

The familiar is slowly becoming unfamiliar, the simple difficult, the clear foggy.

But one of Mama's passions is still as strong as ever and ignites the light in her eyes.

Mama still loves to sew!

Over the years, Mama has made quilts for most of her grandchildren.  And she doesn't intend to stop making quilts as long as she is able.

Her latest project is a quilt for my nephew Wyatt, who has a scholarship to play baseball for the University of Florida Gators after he graduates in 2021.

Patterns are confusing to Mama these days and her "figuring" and cutting skills are not what they used to be, so my sister Barb is doing a lot of the prep work behind the scenes so Mama can do the part she loves...sewing on her machine and eventually hand-quilting.

Mama always was one to try things on, even if what she was working on wasn't a clothing item.  She "tries on" curtains and tablecloths and bags, so of course she had to "try on" the quilt to see how it will look.

Not my color scheme, but I'm sure a 16-year-old boy obsessed with the Gators will LOVE it!

But this is what I love.

Despite the confusion and the accompanying frustration that follows her most of the time, I love seeing Mama content and happy and focused on what she truly enjoys most.

In her element.