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

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!

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!