The passage of time and a retirement hat.

I've been reflecting on the passage of time again. There's been a reason that I haven't had time or inclination to write my blog.
I've written about dealing with my mum's different problems over the past few years, and all the time it took up!  My brother- in - law, my sister and me shared the load, but my brother - in - law did the biggest share by far.
During that time, for the last 4 to 5 years, my sister was receiving treatment for cancer.
Endless hospital appointments, operations, radiotherapy, chemo, hair loss - she went through it all with great dignity,  not wanting people to know about her illness, she just wanted to live as normal a life as she could. So I respected her wishes.

I'd say she managed to mostly keep it to herself,  the family and a few close friends. She kept going right up until last Christmas Day. Although she was exhausted, she made the effort. Then on Boxing Day it was almost like she'd had enough.
I went over to England once again on the 29th January to help look after her.  While I was with her there was never any talk of dying, we just got on with it,  then on one of the last days she said,  "I can't do this anymore".

She died at home, on the 6th February, 66 years old. One of my son's read a poem at her funeral. It reflects on how you live your life - 'the dash' between the year you are born and the year you die.

Another event that involves a passage of time is your working life. It seems like my husband has been working for almost as long as I've known him and now he's about to hit retirement age!
Last year I made a thinking hat for my son's 30th birthday. My husband was extremely jealous!
He's been going on about it ever since!

So I promised my husband a hat for Christmas. Well that didn't happen, I was worrying about my sister too much and couldn't settle.
So this week he's got a big birthday coming up, he'll be 65 this Friday, and I've finally got around to making the hat.

I had this remnant, costing 1/6d in old money.  I inherited a lot of fabric from my mother-in-law's stash and I thought it would be nice to use it to line the hat.

 

I quilted the lining and made the hat in much the same way as my son's hat.

Somehow I managed to cut out and stitch a hat that was far too small! So I had to make another one.
Maybe that small one will fit me. His and Hers.

The braid also came from my mum - in -  law's stash. It's old.

I made a tassel.

Then finished it off by stitching his initials.

I'm calling this one the 'retirement hat'.