The Muse: Silver Lining

For the past week our school has been in mourning for our dear friend Laurie Blake, affectionately called Blakie (Mrs. Blake was her mother-in-law she insisted) who passed away last Tuesday. A few weeks ago I posted about Laurie who I know was reading from home. She was diagnosed with brain cancer last year and made an amazing recovery, however about two months ago she relapsed, and it quickly became clear that this time she wouldn't be so lucky. While we knew her prognosis wasn't good, and the weekly updates her husband Pat sent were increasingly grim, it still was a shock when we were called together for a faculty meeting last week to hear the news.The local paper published a lovely tribute to her here. Laurie taught English, but she was more than the subject she taught, she was a force of nature. She ran like the wind, every day for dozens of miles. She had an infectious laugh and a wicked sense of humor. A self-professed dumb blonde, she was absent-minded even before her illness took away some of her mind. She would regularly wander around with out shoes and had to tie her keys around her waist so she wouldn't loose them. A bit of the laughter and joy has gone out of the halls of our school, and sadly I think without her it may never return. We wore ribbons for brain cancer awareness, but the offical color was plain gray, and when the nurses put out the ribbons for us they substituted silver, because Laurie never saw anything in life as gray, there was always a little bit of sparkle, a silver lining. I know most of the people who read this never met Laurie, and I know it has nothing to do with fashion. But I miss my friend, and it helps to put it down in words, because I'm still looking for the silver lining.

Dress: vintage, no label, mother's
Sweater: Dress Barn, thrifted via Salvation Army Family Store
Necklace: vintage, thrifted via Goodwill
Purse: Bueno, gift
Hair Clip: souvenir from Monet's House at Giverny in France
Shoes: A Touch of Nina via DSW
Sunglasses: Dollar Tree, self-embellished

Also linking up today with The Pleated Poppy

In Loving Memory of Laurie Blake

A Wonderful Friend and Educator

July 25, 1953- May 7, 2013