Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Skating till I am 80!

These are my Dad's skates from a long ago time.  They have been sitting in my attic for at least 25 years because that is how long we have lived in this house.  Now I know about in line skates because most of my younger kids have had a pair and I even tried them on once and took them off quickly before I broke something and made me feel my age.  But, recently my daughter said she was going skating and wanted to know if I wanted to go along.  I am only 56 I thought to my self...sure I know I can still skate!  Ha!

She got to the house a little early and I was just coming down from the attic with Dad's old black skates.  The sad part is my Dad's skates almost fit me.  There is room for me to be able to wear two pairs of socks.  They had been in the attic for so long the rubber padding on the inside of the tongue had dried up and cracked.  I had to use a knife to scrape it off.  But, once I made sure there were no spiders inside and the rubber was shaved off the tongue I tried them on and I decided to go back to the future and visit my childhood one last time...because I knew I would probably break something and never skate again.  Life is meant to be lived right so go for it!

When we got to the rink it felt exciting because there were a lot of people from all walks of life and age groups.  I can do this I told myself.  We put our skates on and stood up together...I with wobbly knees she straight and strong.  We walked on the carpet to the wood floor and it looked shinny...too shinny and slick to me...not a soft fall at all.  I felt a little scared to step onto the floor but it was too late to back out now.  We rolled slowly to the middle of the rink where it looked less crowded.  I could not believe how wobbly I was.  But, I was thrilled to be up and rolling along.  After several songs I realized there were muscles I hadn't used in years in my legs...screaming muscles...shaky muscles!!  I was raised on skates ...from the time I was about 4 years old I could skate.   Wow, it felt really good and as the evening progressed I got my confidence back and was crossing my feet...feeling quite good about my accomplishments.  It had only been 20 years since I had skated and I could still do it I told myself at just 4 years away from 60!!!  I should have gotten off the floor then!

The next thing I knew I was kicking my feet forward trying to get some kind of traction on the oh so slick floor and feeling myself going down...big splat!!!  Oh, that sound...was that just the sound of my ample butt hitting the floor or of broken bones too?  My daughter turned around and was heading back to me quickly to help me up.  All I could think of was get up before you cause a pile up.  I was up and rolling around the floor with a feeling of knowing I was not broken but would definitely reap the  pain of the fall for weeks!
That was an understatement, everything from my shoulder to my rear end felt it had shifted to another place it was not supposed to be there.  My legs cramped all night long!!

It has been almost a month now and I am back to feeling myself and I think I would like to go skating again!  I know I must be crazy and going through a mid-life moment or something.  But, inside I still feel so young and alive and there is a part of me that just doesn't want to accept I am getting older.  They say age is a mental thing and if it is I may still be skating in my 80's!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

To mirror or not to mirror....




Ok, I bought this cute little book on Amazon and I love the patterns! The quilt store where I work did a whole year of classes and meetings to sew on this cute little book, which I attended for all of about three months till it was obvious to me my brain was lacking in a few departments. I had bought a boat load of fabrics to sew this quilt and have indeed made about 16 of the cute little 6 inch squares.  But, oh..my...goodness...has it tested my patience and brain cells!!  First the book only has template patterns in it and of course I just had to learn to paper piece to do it "right" like everyone else was doing it.  That meant buying the companion CD that only works through EQ6. After getting it set up and actually sewing a few it was clear to me that I did not have a brain wired to paper piece the traditional way.  Just can not do it...my brain can not translate the triangles and which way to cut them to make them lay in the right direction and cover that teeny tiny little shaded in paper piece going the "right" way!  Ugh!!!  Frustration set in and I simply put it in a drawer where I couldn't see it and tried to forget the cute little book...

Almost two years later my sister decides to start hanging with the girls on Pizza N Patchwork night at the store.  Wow, she says ...that was great but what was that lady working on with the cute little book and squares?  I just love that she says... and I want to learn it ....over and over...and I was forced to deal with the cute little book stuffed deep into that drawer, way in the back.  So, here I am all set up again and fortunately the lady at Pizza N Patchwork has a new revised method of paper piecing which I CAN do.  I am feeling accomplished after having done a couple of blocks that look "right" for the most part.  Well, now it is time to deal with the printer on my own in EQ6 printing the cute little paper piecing patterns myself. I have been told to do it right you must mirror image the pattern.  Ok, that can't be that hard right?  I pecked around at a million buttons and found the mirror button....Print....out comes the pattern all perfectly in mirror image!  And for the life of me it is like De Ja Vu or how ever you spell it, but my brain does the "can not compute" thing on me again!!  Grrrr....  So, I have just made the not so "right" decision that I do not give a monkey's butt about whether my cute little squares from the cute little book are mirror image or not!!!  Ahhaahaahaa....mirror or not to mirror....I just put the cute little book and it's cute little printed images in the back of the drawer again...

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Oh for the love of the digital generation!


I love this digital generation!  As a mom it is the answer to staying in touch with your children through out the ups and downs of life on a daily basis in the blink of an eye.  I don't know how I did it before the world of texting.  Looking back at this past week I have been able to chat back and forth though out the day with all of my kids.  It's been a tough week for one of our daughters and sons this week with breakups and the mostly downs of married life, and one daughter who experienced an earthquake!  My heart breaks and aches for them and I wish I could fix the wounds like I could when they were little with a bandaide, kiss, and a big hug.  Not so easy any more now that they are all grown.  They have lives of their own and they must steer their own course in life.  I see my self as a tiny little light house now only there to comfort and look ahead of the storms with words of comfort or advice if they want it...not to be in the way of their own choices.

As a Mom I want all my kids to be happy...what Mom doesn't.  But, life is not always "happy" since we are dealing with human beings, and there will be ups and downs in life no matter what since we are human.  I do however take comfort in the power of prayer in these times.  My kids are spread all over the US now with their jobs.  I can not visit with them in person like I wish I could, so I text them to let them know I am here for them and will support them in all of their life choices and decisions.

So, to the brains behind the digital generation, "I love you too, :)" and thanks for your contribution to the world of motherhood, you give us arms to stretch around the world with (((hugs))) and love for our kids at a moments notice in these oh so busy times of their lives.  <3

Monday, August 8, 2011

My first days of school...ground hog day!





Nothing strikes fear in my heart like the first day of school...whew, I said it! I could never utter those words for over 33 years because as a parent I felt I needed to set a positive example. Well, those days are over and I can speak my mind now because all my little kiddies are all grown up.

Don't get me wrong I loved the excitement of getting new dresses...it was in the 50's remember with patten leather belts that were all made to fit a very round figure first and always needed to be taken up by extra holes punched in the belt by my Dad. I can still hear him sigh as we brought him all our pretty little pink, yellow, red, and blue shinny little belts! Hehe, thanks Dadddy!!!  New shoes, pretty pencils, and shinny brightly colored notebooks were all very exciting and fun to pick out...but in the back of my mind fear would peer out from behind the over stocked school supply store racks.

Anyway, the fun part of getting all the new stuff aside, the new day of school jitters were a very real horrible fear for me. I can can still remember the bus seats that were so big and slick that it was hard to stay in my seat on those bumpy turns and stops while trying to keep my breakfast down...then walking into the school and down those super long crowded halls heart pounding walking into the class room as everyone looked up to see who just came in! I still dread walking into even the dentist office as everyone looks up to see who just entered...but there is no growing up and out of that experience.

So, there I am looking for a seat...putting my new stuff into the desk...sitting down with fear stirring my guts into mush as I try to size the teacher up as a nice person or a witch that wanted to make sure I hated the year. Fear and worry dominated my life as a kid with school, fear of failing and worry that I would fail were my constant companions. I still have bad dreams of forgetting a test or loosing my way trying to find my classes.  I was so painfully shy for so many years, then my teen years hit!  Ha, still shy for the most part but I got to the "who cares" state of mind and by graduation it had spilled over into my grades as well.  But, I did graduate and at that point in my life decided my first days of school were over forever! 

Funny thing...I can not remember any part of my second grade year except that I hated every minute of it.  I can not remember anything past the door to that room.  I truly do not have one memory to lay claim to that whole year of my life!  What an amazing thing the mind is to wipe the slate clean of our most uncomfortable memories. 

As I was walking through Walmart yesterday, with all the Mom's and Dad's last minute shopping for school supplies, my mind was thinking and reliving the pain of those first days of school every year and my heart felt for all those kids....wonder how many were like me with fear on their faces as they approach that first day of school yet again!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

So many thoughts in the day...day dreaming!




It is Tuesday, very hot with a high expected to reach 98!  Ugh, and tomorrow is expected to get to a scorching 100 degrees!  How is anyone supposed to get anything done in this kind of melting heat?  A trip to the car...that is sitting in full sun in the driveway...is enough to melt a person, but sitting down in that oven on wheels is just enough to make you want to go inside and tell the family tonight we are dinning on peanut butter and jelly crackers because Mom is a wimp and didn't want to brave the heat to go get groceries.  I love it living in the south but the older I get I question this decision not made for me when I was just a crawling baby. 

When I was about 9 months old my Dad moved the family from Arkansas to Atlanta for a better job.  I do agree with that part...life for us was good growing up!  But, as an adult I had the option of dreaming and moving to see the world and find a place with better climate.  I really wonder on days like this just why I didn't set my goals on living on the beach at least there is a breeze...or in the mountains where there is always a cool morning and evening.  It was 87 degrees when we went to bed last night!  I know...we tried sitting on the porch swing sipping a glass of wine...I am a wimp that doesn't like to sweat.  Then why the heck am I living in the south I am wondering today?

Dream on I tell myself because to move would require us to have to clean out the basement and the attic...let alone move all the stuff in my sewing room!  Oh, that is a dream stopper right there...eeeerrrrk!

Love my Brother 770 embroidery machine!


This is one great embroidery machine. A bump up for me from my Brother PE150 machine.
It has a very tidy LCD screen that is so easy to navigate around. I ordered it from Amazon because the shipping was free! :) 

It has a needle threader!!  A wonderful, wonderful needle threader..do you know how many times you thread the needle with all the thread changes?  Some designs have 10 to 15 different color changes!  Threading that needle begins to get old after about the 5th time. 

It automatically cuts the thread after each thread color change!  Love it!  I can just snip the thread at the spool and pull it out...walla!  What a time saver...

When I mess up and it happens, like when a thread breaks, or I mix the colors up and have to back up...it is a breeze to do on this machine with the color or stitch backwards and forwards buttons.  It will even jump through the colors in a design and go back to a color for any reason.  I feel like I am in heaven with the options on this machine compared to my PE150 machine...a simple USB stick transfers my designs from my pc to the machine, plus it even uses my Ultimate Box memory cards...not to mention the great designs that are built into the machine!  There are more great features but these have been my favorites so far.

I have already put this machine to the test with several orders from the store where I work!!  One right after the other the quilt labels sewed out beautifully.  Yep, this was a good decision and almost paid for...Life is sew good!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

It is Thursday...and I am ready to play!


Have you ever just sat and thought of all the things you want to do?  Of all the things you want to learn?  Of all the things you need to or have to do?  This can make a person crazy I have decided...stop thinking.  I rarely think like this...now I know why.  I tend to just piddle through my days...doing what has to be done first and then letting the mood take me from there, which is usually into my play/sewing room...for as long as I can get away with it. 

As I sit here in my sewing room I notice the quilt I loaded onto my frame a few days ago waiting on me to make up my mind on the pattern to quilt.  There is a colorful pile of scraps in another corner that are begging to be formed into a quilt top of random colors with no rhyme or reason to the order...they are scraps and they know it!  I have my Embird tutorials laying out open just waiting for me to dig deeper into my embroidery software discovering the little tricks of the trade my brain is begging to try out.  I need to clean up the mess I made embroidering out two names for a customer at the shop, who is making stockings for her family..I am now wondering if they are good enough for her since she said she has a bunch she wants to make!  Cha Ching!!!  Oh, and lest I not forget the two blocks of the month waiting for me to finish on the other corner table...there is not one corner of this room that is not calling me to come play.  I am happy in here...

But, I do question my life or lack of it sometimes...a customer said the other day, "well I do have a life outside of my sewing room," she said she was telling a friend.  Which made me question if I do?  I have a great husband and he really wants to travel a lot and we could be since he is retired but we have one big stop in the way right now...a teenage son still living at home that does not have a car but finally has a job!  So, we are stuck grounded for a while longer till we can see him take flight...or has to be pushed out of the nest!  As a result I am home a lot waiting on the call to be a taxi service again.  This too shall pass and when it does I hope we are still young enough and able to get in the car and go to our dream destinations.  Key West please don't go away...

I am the mother of five kids I know they eventually do fly out of the nest..some sooner and others much later.  But, it gives me a little bit of a concern when he seems this content to not look over the edge of the nest and wonder about the great big world out there or if he could fly on his own yet. 

Oh, I can't think about this now or I will go crazy...Scarlet you are so right!

So, for me it is better to just piddle through my days for now and be thankful for it...playing when I can in my sewing room ....doing what has to be done to keep the house in healthy living conditions with it's occupants full and happy!  Hey, maybe that is why he doesn't want to leave...hmmm

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Motherhood is a blessing!



The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world....   In support of
 http://www.themotherhood.com/
and ONE week!
http://one.org/blog/2011/07/08/one-act-a-week-watch-economist-esther-duflos-ted-talk/

I found TheMotherhood a couple of years ago by accident and I love this site!  It is just for Mom's supporting Mom's in the most important job in the world...MOTHERHOOD!  Being the Mom of five children, three of which are adopted, this is a subject very close to my heart.  Also, having one child that has been sooo hard to raise with many very hard and down times, TheMotherHood has been there for me to spill my joys and heartbreaks.  I know, some people say that it is weird sharing your soul with an internet friend you have never met in person.  But, not so...there are times when I need to write my thoughts just to see what my thoughts are... and I needed to share them with someone who would care with out a bias one way or another.  The Mothers on this web site have been there for me and through them I have gotten some much needed support and prayers....real help in my time of need.  They shared ideas, and points of view I needed to look at as well as experiences from their past and part of the world!  So, having these internet Mom's friendship has been a real eye opener!  Just like their mission to help Mom's around the world with ONECampaign!  Love these ladies, friends, Mothers!!!

Here is the description of ONE Week from the ONE website:

"African women are leading a movement. They are the driving force behind Africa's economy, and mothers in particular have an enormous impact on the future of Africa. ONE Week is a weeklong social media event following 10 bloggers making their way through Kenya with ONE from July 23rd-30th to see what life is really like for moms in the developing world. We know not everyone can go to Africa, but through daily email updates straight from these moms, daily actions tied to their trips and access to experts who can explain the key issues these women will see firsthand, you can follow their journey and share this information with your community - for ONE week. Together we can shine a spotlight on the success and challenges that accompany the fight to end extreme poverty and preventable disease around the world. Get educated, engaged, and activated. Use your voice on behalf of the world's poorest. It just takes ONE mom."

It Just takes ONE mom....


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

My royal crowning day!


     It is 7:50AM on this hot sticky Wednesday morning in the South!  I am thinking way too much about the dental apointment I have today.  I have to get a dental crown in the back of my mouth.  I really just want to wish it away and do something more fun like picking blueberries at high noon in this stiffling heat. 

     We have been picking berries for days and days now...sweating profusley in this heat...we now have a freezer full of plump deep blue blueberries!  Yummy, and oh so good for you too!  Blueberries are one fruit that can be pesticide free with no problems from bugs here in the south, but the birds here must be organic, they love them!  We have two fake black snakes in the bushes to deter the birds...ummm, tell that to the one that built a nest smack dab in the center of the bushes this spring and dared to pick our noses off when we got close to her nest!  Her babies got wings and flew off while we were on vacation...thank goodness!  But my Dad who lives next door, decided while we were away, that adding tape cassette ribbon to the bushes would help keep the birds at bay.  So, far I think he may be onto something with all his flashy ribbons tied to the tips of the bushes blowing in the gentle humid breezes...until I get stuck in one reaching for that thumb size berry way up high!  Did you know that cassette tape ribbon sticks to a sweaty arm?  Yep, and when you pull it away it feels very much like a spider going down your arm...but, we don't have birds in our bushes, threatening to attack us, and pecking out the seeds in the center of the berries to poop out on our cars!  lol

    I wish I knew someone who wanted to come over and pick blueberries....I am tired of picking them....oh, yeah...I just remembered I have my crowning today!  Ugh....

Thursday, June 2, 2011

ahhh...the house is all mine for a few minutes!

Wow, this is great! The hubby took youngest son M to a job interview...and all I hear is the humming of the air conditioner. So, I will take a deep breath and relax sewing on my Blue Beauty quilt with it's most challenging lay out with directional fabric. I will post pictures soon...it is going to be a hard one to hang on to...not the case with most of my quilts due to the ugly factor...more about that later. Time to sew...Ahhhh, I love a quiet house a rare thing with five kids, two dogs, one retired hubby, and parents next door.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

One fine May Day!

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I needed a day like today to just float through the hours with no schedule. To play with my new phone toy from sprintpcs. I am loving this HTC Evo so much better than my last phone. I can web surf, check my email accounts, and best of all I can even blog, post, and twitter where ever I am! No more being tied to my pc when the mood to write hits. Now if only I can learn to use this fancy keypad...ummm, and how in the world do I get this video to turn up on it's right side??? 

Anyway, when daughter S was home this past week she needed to uprade her phone and guess who got sucked into the excitement of all this htc Evo phone can do. Then I spent my whole paycheck getting the upgrade too!  Bad part is my poor hubby had to go without phone service for 24 hours for me to get MY upgrade...don't ask how...they figured out how to make it work at the store since I wasn't eligable for an upgrade till 2012!!!  Nooo, I can't wait that long...oh, you say my hubby can upgrade?  Hmmm, let's do it!  So, the thanks go to daughter S for encouraging me to get what I really, really wanted to get for so long now...a phone that is like a little pc for the nerd in me to build more brain cells.

Post note...ummm, do I sound a little evil or what in my video?  hahahaaaa....the sky is the limit with what a small home town mom can do now!  :)  This is ust my first video...woot woot!  :)

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Friday's Expo treasures!

Oh, for the joy of sewing!  How can I be so blessed two days in a row to get to spend so much time at the Expo and with my sister!  Yep, my sister is getting back into sewing and crafting and it is so much fun watching her find fun crafts to play with.  She has been setting up her craft room with her husbands help these last few weeks!  So, we walked all over the Expo as she stopped at each booth and I explained a little about what they were selling.  She always says she is part racoon and I believe it...she spent most of her time and money in the crystal booth with those tiny little stones that glitter...I call bling bling.  She got a bejeweler tool and every color of the rainbow stones!  It was so much fun watching her discover the whole big world of really cool sewing tools and patterns on the market...oh, for the joy of living!!  Ummm, I found a few cool toys for me too...a cute bag with all kinds of zippered pouches inside, crochet tool set, DVD for the creative feet I bought years ago and never used because I don't know how to use them, a project bag pattern, and cute zippered project pouches with the Expo logo printed on them in sweet pink colors..for joy...for the joy of sewing!!!

Treasures from the Expo!

Oh, the fun...so much fun!!  Left the house on time and even got my McD's biscuit...yummy!  Met with my long time school friend, two of her daughters plus a mutual friend for the Original Sewing and Quilting Expo to shop and shop all day!  We hugged, and spent a few minutes catching up, then we started the hunt for the perfect border for her pretty quilt!  Funny thing when your hunting for the perfect fabric for someone else you find all kinds of fabrics you want to buy!  We never found the perfect fabric for her but I did find a lot of goodies for me...a few cream fat quarters and a couple of perfect greens to make a copy of a quilt I gave to my son..a package of the batting tape I saw recently in a magazine...you can use it to piece together pieces of batting! I found two $4 quilting books...like I need more.  Oh, and 1/2 yard of some batting to make pot holders with...a project I have been planning for a few years but keep forgetting to get the batting. We were all pooped out by 4:30 so we sat and talked till the big prize drawings at 5:15.  I wish I had put a bogus name on my ticket...I think I would have a better chance at winning something!  Still, I felt like the big winner for the day getting to spend several wonderful hours with such great friends!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Original Sewing & Quilt Expo!

Yeah!  The day has finally arrived for the Expooooo.  I am soooo excited because one of my wonderful friends from my youth and 2 of her daughters will be going with me!  When we break for lunch my middle daughter will join us...this is going to be great!!!  Plus tomorrow I am going back to Expo with my sister.. days of pure joy!  I am so blessed...I think I will even treat myself to a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit with a small cola from McDonalds!  Whoohoo~~~In the words of Betty and Wilma, "charge"!!!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Life's up's and down's along the stream of life...

Often times I feel like a fallen leaf in the stream of life that floats along bumping into the rocks and limbs of troubles along the way.  We have five kids and each one has it's problems to deal with. For one this week it was car trouble...another it was relationship issues...another is out of work and no direction in life...or financial issues.  As a mom I want to fix it all and make it all better...like when they were little kids with a skinned knee and it was fixed with a bandaide, hugs, and kisses.  Mom used to say to me when they were all very young , "be thankful for these simple fixes now because when they get older it won't be so easy"...she was right.  Wish Mom still had her mind so she would be able to sigh with me in understanding... 
   I don't really have any answers for my kids in these troubled times except to offer prayers and heartfelt hope for the future.  We are a strong family even though we are so spread across the country now that they are older.  The one with relationship issues will either work it out or call it quits...this one bothers me most.  The one with car troubles will find a way to get it fixed.  The one with no job and no money will hopefully get one very soon.  We will get through these troubles and this leaf will float back into a smooth part of the stream again someday...

   Many, many, years ago I used to keep a journal and I learned during those years that when these troubled times come....look to the future and dream!  That nothing stays the same in life either the good or the bad.  That prayers really do bring answers and hope!  "And it came to pass," is a line in the Bible that is repeated many times over.  It came to pass is repeated in my journal not in those exact words but in the wisdom I gained for dealing with life issues.  I know in my heart that better days are ahead even though I can not see them now.... 

   And it came to pass...or float along....

Monday, January 10, 2011

Sew much to do and so little time...




Life has been crazy busy this last few weeks and my blogging has fallen behind again...I am not surprised at myself...I seem to have more trouble staying on task the older I get. 

My family is famous for our piddling around the house and doing a lot of this and that and not getting a single thing done to speak of.  Only, lately I have been spending huge amounts of time in my sewing room. I must be feeling time passing too fast and fear I am not going to get it all done.  Ummm, like it HAS to get done! 

The projects are all in my head and no one is pressuring me to accomplish anything.  But, like one lady at the quilting store I work at recently said, "there are no quilters coming up behind me."  I feel that way too and panic a little as I look around at my many WIPS...or Works In Progress!  At last count there were more than a dozen or two perhaps.  Oh, is that so many really I ask myself?  Yes, I quietly agree....So, I am blistfully again in my sewing room about to work on my Sassy Sixteen quilt all the while listening to another of Richard Paul Evans books I rented from the library. 

Perfect timing on my part since the winter snow storm blew in last night...Ahhhh, so with that I am again...content in my little sewing room piddling.....

This is a beautiful winter storm but it comes with bad timing unfortunately.  Today was supposed to be my daughter-in-law's moving and packing day and tomorrow I was supposed
to meet the movers at my son's storage unit to get all his stuff
packed and on it's way to Hawaii.  P and T worked really hard to get it all scheduled and planned out with great timing between my work and hubby's job too.  But, it's ok because in life these little things happen but it seems to always work out somehow.  I know this and I am told this but I still have that little worry thing going on in the back of my head...moving on to my piddling quilt project and listen to Promise Me on cd....

Life is a journey, enjoy the ride~~~
Quiltndollmaker....