2016

Happy New Year! Now, let's get going on those UFOs. I have a Hidden Wells to finish binding.

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Whoa!

I see it is nearing Chrismas. I barely have any decorations up - no outdoor lights and an indoor tree with ONLY lights. The boys claim they will remedy that tomorrow. We will see!

I have gotten some sewing done. I have four lap quilts ranging from 38 x 42 all the way up to a 61" square ready for the long arm quilter. Ok - full disclosure - I need to get the batting cut for the 61" square and need to iron the seam I created in sewing the backing - but the others are ready. Did I tell you how generous one company was to our guild? They donated enough money so that we could purchase a full bolt of batting. The only stipulation is that it is only available for quilts we are giving to Hospice. There are a couple long-arm quilters in our guild who stitch the quilts for Hospice at no charge - which is generous of their time and skill. Of my 4, three will go there: two are serendipity quilts and one is a minions simple panel. The fourth is my donation to the guild, so I need to pay for that quilting myself. That quilt was a round robin. It is very pretty with its bird fabric and appliqué, but it is not my style. With those off the UFO list, I can move on! (To other UFOs. 😊)

Warning:

Ok, now for the self pity moment. My in–laws just returned from two weeks in Europe seeing the Christmas markets. They are going to Antartica next year and Scandanavia in 2017! Ugh! I don't care really about the former, but Norway, etc? I'd love to see the fjords and Hans Anderson's Little Mermaid statue. Even if I could physically make it - we have paid out so much for my medical - we couldn't go. This is not what I expected in retirement.

Rant over.

Tomorrow, we are going to try to see Star Wars. I am pretty excited! I have been able to avoid spoilers so far. If anyone has seen it, just tell me if you liked it!

November 2015

Hoping I'd fallen off the face of the earth? Sorry, no, just not in a routine of blogging. (Obviously.)

I hope to return to blogging regularly, so we will see. I am finishing my second year as my guild secretary - I am so done. I have done little regular quilting; I have become a serial starter. Our incoming President has plans for a UFO challenge. I think it will be good motivation. I have enough projects to consider. The only recent thing I have done is finish three lap quilts for Hospice. I have three more to finish and donate. I think finishing as secretary will allow me to enjoy quilting again. I can concentrate on my goals more.

Speaking of which, another goal is to be less self-absorbed and more grateful. I have been very down the past couple days: My in-laws are off tomorrow for two weeks in Europe and I cannot go. Parkinsons has forced me to give up my dreams of traveling in retirement. My disability forced me out of work earlier than planned, left me trying to walk, talk, and live more normally than I can, and screws up a lot of plans. I should be grateful for a wonderful husband and two fantastic sons. They never get upset with my help requests and always care for me. I know I am fortunate - but I am still angry.

By quilting, I can give to others. It takes the focus off me.  Maybe I will appreciate what I have. I know that I will lose this ability, too, so I need to control it as long as possible. Off to bed now. My sewing will beckon tomorrow.

Merry Christmas,

Goodness! 2014 is almost over! So many quilt plans ... So few completed! I haven't done much lately except some hand work. I started on a new medication and had some side effects. Just headaches and nausea; that isn't so bad if they go away after an adjustment period, but horrible when they stick around consistently. Worth a shot but it's back to the old medicine for me. Maybe it could be better, but maybe there's something else to try!

Not doing much tonight. Matt will be coming for supper and then we are going to watch "White Christmas." Silly family tradition, but it's ours! Since I can't decorate the tree, the boys did it the other day. They enjoyed a little silliness, too. Matt is on the left, Dan is on the right. It wil be a quiet Christmas but we are thankful for Matt's new position at the Post Office and Dan's continued steps toward a healthy, independent life! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ch-ch-ch-changes (my apologies to David Bowie)

So, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving was my last day of teaching school. It seemed so odd. I didn't like telling my students goodbye. But at same time, I didn't like lying to them. I had only been telling them the partial truth. Oh, they've known about the Parkinson's since day 1. I just didn't want them to worry about me, so I acted as if everything was fine. I told them I was having medication changes and that I'd be taking a medical leave. I didn't tell them until the last day that it was permanent.

Having Parkinson's Disease has complicated my life in ways that I couldn't have imagined when I was first diagnosed. This disease has progressed faster than I would've believed. Everyone's different, so it's hard for me to compare my experiences with anyone else. I really thought that I would be teaching longer than this. There are no guarantees. I am disappointed that my life is no longer following MY plan.

Griping aside: being a Parkie has dictated certain activity changes. I can no longer walk distances. Even with my cane and Brent's hand to hold onto, I can only go so far. Cooking and baking wear me out! I made dinner last night, (beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, and peas). After dinner, I wanted to make Rice Krispy Treats and Scotcheroos. It was a good thing that both the boys were over - they followed the instructions well! I just supervised! Housework is almost impossible. Brent does most everything when I cannot.

So what can I do? I can still scrapbook. In fact, I just have to put a few things together and my Christmas cards will be done. I can still quilt! I am so much slower at sewing and cutting that I currently have 15 projects to complete. Most of the projects I began at quilt guild monthly workshops. I work too slow to get it done that same day. Now that I am no longer working, I should get more done. ☺️ I can still read. I haven't read much lately and I used to be a voracious reader. My not reading so much irritates Brent. What he needs to understand is that I realize my various crafting activities are winding down. I will have plenty of time to read when my fingers no longer work well. I can still enjoy the sunrise. It is cold here, but sunny and clear. Beautiful.

Enough rambling already! This was not meant to sound depressing! Next time, I will try to catch everyone up on the boys. Right now, I need to finish Christmas cards and work on my Hunter's Star piecing! Take care!

September...

Ahhh, September! The daily weather is battling it out for supremacy this month. The hot days are putting up a good fight but we know the cold ones will soon win until spring.   --  And that will be my only attempt at poetic writing! LOL!

I am off work today as I had to go for some testing this morning. My appointment was at 8:00 AM. I was there at 7:45, they took  me in at 7:50, and I was done at 8:15! I feel like I should have cancelled my sub and gone to school but having the day off is much better.

Our next quilt workshop for the Club is a "5 yard quilt." I am not entirely sure of the block design but we need a focus fabric plus 2 light and 2 dark complimentary fabrics. I know whom I want to make this quilt for and what basic color scheme but no idea on the fabrics themselves. I guess that means another grueling trip to the fabric store!!! BAWAHAHAHA!

In November, I am going on my first quilting retreat! I am really excited to go to Berne, Indiana, and sew alongside other like-minded folks while not feeling guilty doing nothing but sewing!

Everyone have a good weekend. I better make that trip to the store!
     

1 year? Really??

I cannot believe it has been almost a year since I last posted. I feel incredibly rude for ignoring the blog. To be honest, I didn't do much quilting over the past school year - I was placed in a different grade (8th to 5th) and I feel like all I did was concentrate on getting through a different curriculum. This summer, I was able to work on my quilting more and it has been a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I am under two weeks away from the start of the school year and I'm starting to feel an anxiety that only other teachers seem to feel. It is all the typical thoughts: Am I ready? Is my room ready? What do I want to accomplish the first day? first week? and so on...I need to remember to quilt at least three-four times a week, in the evening, once school starts. It is a relaxing activity where I can focus on one thing instead of 20-25 students at a time!     Okay, so here are a few pictures of what I have done:

The first quilt is a Serendipity quilt. I know it looks wild, but it is using a line of fabric called Poppy Modern. I received the fabric free, which is the best time to experiment! The next block is called Blazing Star. It is a 24" block and was Towne Squares Quilt Club's latest member workshop.  I really like it! Lastly is a blender quilt - these are some of the blocks I made, but I have many more to make! Thanks for stopping by!