Fab Friday!

Good Morning!

I’m hoping to make a big dent in grandson Cody’s quilt today. I’m pretty excited about how it’s taking shape, these are the middle blocks:

What we have here are sixteen different dogs. The big rectangles have the nose on them, you can see the body below and the ear in the air. I’m happy to be able to create something like this, even though it’s a pattern created by someone else. This is still a creative endeavor because all of these fabrics are mine, from my stash. I find myself feeling a lot of happiness while stitching the rows, pressing the seams, arranging the blocks. It’s mesmerizing and magical, all at once.

I feel the same way after writing something I feel good about. My kid book will be short(er) and sweet. Teaching children about grief and loss is hard, but so necessary. If we don’t learn to cope with both of these, we will not have a balanced life. It isn’t all good and happy. Sometimes, it’s bad and sad to cope with. But it’s part of all of our realities. The sooner we learn this, the better.

How about you? Do you remember how old you were when you experienced loss to your family? Do you remember how your family handled it? Let’s compare notes. It will help me construct a better story. I want to tell the truth. It will help children learn. And how to learn to deal with life.

Tell me what you think. Do you need help sharing life’s hard realities with children? Kids are stronger than we think. The truth is better than no information. Thank you for reading today. Have a wonderful Friday and see you tomorrow.

Merry Christmas, 12/25/2022!

Greetings to all my family, friends, followers, fellow writers, and everyone kind enough to encourage me along the way. I appreciate it more than I can tell you. I’m planning some fun stuff next year, and will have some announcements after the first of the year, along with more information on our website. Stay tuned!

2022 was a very busy year with the Babe; his Quartermaster position at the Post along with being Captain of the Honor Guard kept us both hopping. We were so involved for many years, it took some getting used to. Now, the Babe gets to be Grandpa more often and the Babe full time. I’m a lucky girl! We are also volunteering for Moving Veterans Forward in Papillion. We’ll talk about that organization after the holidays.

The blog is doing very well, more followers than ever! It’s fun growing the audience, and I’m getting more follows from fellow authors through Twitter and Facebook. 2023 will be a year of more first achievements; I will finish editing my children’s book, I will plan my second children’s book and write the draft. Many exciting things ahead. I’m eager to get started again.

To become more organized, the Babe and I will thoroughly go through every room, closet, and storage area of the house. Everything goes (we don’t use anymore). Since the Babe doesn’t need a home office anymore, we’re going to move all my writing, the laptops, files, and all business related things will now live in our home office. It will give me more room to enjoy the hobby of quilting/sewing. Right now, too much stuff is all in one room. Not conducive to getting anything done. This will help immeasurably.

Our five adult children are all doing well, all the couples are busy with their lives. We’re proud they’re all hard workers, do well with their bosses, co-workers, and others. The grandkids are all growing up way too fast. Once my mom told me, “It’s one thing when your kids don’t need you anymore. It’s a whole new feeling when your grandkids don’t need you anymore. I have to agree with that. It’s a very different feeling. We’re choosing to be grateful they can be independent kids. Glad they are trustworthy.

Yesterday, I made some last-minute dessert-type cookies for Christmas dinner today. I had visions of baking a cinnamon star bread for breakfast. After making Baklava and one batch of cookies, my chronic pain/sciatica kicked in. No more baking for me, not today. Nothing else is necessary. It’s the people we are going to enjoy. I can bake the bread and make sugar cookies another day. I’m going to work hard on knowing when to quit because of the pain, the lack of energy that goes with it. Better care for myself will cause more good days.

The Babe and I will celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary next year, in October. What a milestone! Looking forward to each day until we reach October 3. So much life will happen before that. I’m ready for the blessings and adventures. Take time out to be grateful for all the blessings ahead. I hope you are too. They’re out there, just waiting for you to receive them.

I hope all of you who celebrate have a Merry Christmas. Enjoy your day. You’re not alone, remember. We all have each other, and we all have God’s love. He sent His only Son to save our souls. He paid our debts and atoned for our sins. We are loved. Let’s celebrate that. And each other. See you tomorrow!

11/29/2022-One Day Left

Have we really reached the end of November? Today is the last day. Needless to say, I didn’t complete NaNowriMo. My writing 50K words will have to wait until another month and maybe another year. The Babe and I spent a wonderful day today, talking about his trip to DC last week and how big the grandkids are getting. Joell turned 15, Addison was 15 last February, Gavin will be 11 next birthday, and Kayla will be 5 in March, Cody will be 3 in January. Where does the time go?

Speaking of where does the time go, I may not be able to finish both quilts for Kayla and Cody before Christmas. Becky and I worked it out, when they’re both quilts are finished, I’ll send them both. It doesn’t have to be Christmas or a birthday, their Mama said. I love that about my daughter. She is forgiving. Now, the pressure is off, and I’ll enjoy working on them a lot more.

Do you get angry? Or do you claim you’re not angry about anything?

If you’re treated a certain way for a lifetime but bury how you feel, it’s probable you have a deep near rage. The anger festers, and becomes deeper. It’s hardly noticeable, until it blows up, which can happen easier than you think. Chronic, buried anger can cause a real problem in dysfunctional behavior. Have you ever gotten the silent treatment? Have you gotten the silent treatment in addition to the silent one banging cabinets, slamming dishes on the table, throwing things, and turning petty things into major problems? A minor inconvenience, like a spilled glass of milk, can set off a tirade that lasts from minutes to hours. You never know.

Some of us are sensitive to angry outbursts. I am. I’d rather hear anything else than some angry, out of control person. I don’t hear anything reasonable in what I’ve described here. I’d rather be able to talk with someone, tell them I’m angry, and go on. If it gets to the point of tirades or silent treatments, it’s too far gone to have a reasonable discussion. I wish you luck in resolving the differences.

As this is the last day of November, I hope it’s a good one for you. Me? I’ll be at the sewing machine, getting all the stitches in I can. And cutting out more small pieces to make Cody’s doggie quilt. It’s a sweet one, I’ll let you see the pattern later on.

Take care, and I hope you’re not angry today. I hope everything is resolvable in your life, or at least you have someone to talk things out with. We all need that. Have a beautiful day, and see you tomorrow.

Thursday, Thanks!

It was a day spent trimming tiny threads from Kayla’s quilt, before I sandwich it with batting and backing for quilting. It took most of the day, turning it over and over. You trim the right side, the wrong side, and all the seams to make sure nothing is hanging or dangling, or even frayed all over the place on a seam. It’s trimmed now, and ready for tomorrow’s work of pinning it all over for quilting.

I feel as if I don’t have both oars in the water, things feel “off”. I don’t know how else to describe it. Most of the time, I’m all about the business of what we’re doing, but today, not so much. I hope tomorrow is better.

One of Those Days

Those days you feel out of it

Are just an off day or two

No need to try and analyze it to death

Or over-think it

You’re just not up to snuff

It’s not a major catastrophe.

Soon, you’ll be yourself again

You’ll be on top of your game

And surprised at all you accomplish

And you’ll be grateful for the focus

For the productivity

And for the check marks on your lists.

Is that what it’s all about?

Or is it about enjoying, observing, learning

And experiencing God’s creation, in all it’s glory.

Thanks for Noticing!

Fine Friday.

I’m reading a new book on my brand new Kindle. I have a lot of books on there, free offerings I’ve browsed over the years, and the book, “The Soldier’s Guide to PTSD: A No S*it Guide to Regaining Your Life,” came up as something I may like to read. I’ve read about 11% of it and it’s pretty straightforward and concise. So far, so good. I’m interested in it because of the “Intentional Peer Support” class I’m taking.

It’s no secret I love our Veterans. I want to make a difference in their lives. I want to offer a listening ear, a hug, and support as they transition back to life. Many have difficulty. Many don’t know how to handle life back home. There are a lot of reasons for that. Our families are scattered across the country. Friends often move on as well. Finding a group to relate to is often difficult, as they may having trouble getting in touch with themselves and what they need to do now that the military is in their rear view mirror. What next? Lots of pressure and little guidance is not a good combination.

Our training is about six weeks long, and we have three people including myself. The instructor is Joel Schneider, a tireless volunteer in the mental health arena specifically for Veterans. Check out the story of Intentional Peer Support.

It will be another great weekend with the Babe. The dogs go to the groomers, and we’ll do house stuff again. It really helps me catch up. I’m finally getting to the machine work started on my quilt for Kayla. It’s going to be adorable!

Have a good rest of the evening, and we’ll see each other tomorrow.

Free Monday!

Yes, it’s my first free Monday after helping host/cook for an event yesterday. I spent time with my quilt blocks again today, and then the Babe and I picked up Addison from school, then we took Gavin with us to eat a bite. Tracy joined us on her way home, so it was a nice little family visit. Nice having no schedule, you know?

The quilt blocks are coming along nicely, thank you for asking! It won’t be too long until I can sew the rows together, then do the last step for the top – set the blocks. I predict I’ll be there before the end of the week. It’d be great to start quilting it Saturday.

I had to take a break from “Wired for Story.” It’s pretty dry even though I’m learning something. I decided I needed a story/short book to make me laugh. “Nobody Will Tell You This But Me,” by Bess Kalb. Bess is a writer on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! It’s a memoir, based on her grandmother’s life lessons, left via voice mail (many of them), and it’s hilarious. It’s also heartwarming, thought-provoking, and touching. You hear stories of women raised by women who encourage them to become doctors (way before the women’s movement), and women who were taught to be independent thinkers. The fact that they’re all Jewish may have something to do it, or it may not. It’s a different way to tell a story, which is pleasant and funny at the same time.

I love the relationship portrayed between Grandmother and Granddaughter. The Grandmother told her granddaughter many words of wisdom, some outdated and funny. The more outdated, the funnier. I hope Addison and I can someday have these kinds of conversations. I’m sure I’ll sound as outdated with my wisdom as Ms. Kalb’s Grandmother. Addison will know I mean it in the same loving manner Ms. Kalb’s Grandmother did.

You see, this book is keeping me reading. 85 pages in two days. I’m interested in the telling of the story, and what the story will show. What happens next? I want to continue reading to see. Maybe even finish it tomorrow. It could easily happen. The Babe will do yard work tomorrow. I have lots of weeds to pull, too. Lots of them.

What do you plan for this week? I’d like to make it to 1,000 followers. We’re only about 24 away. Help a girl out? That’d be a great way to end the week and the month of September. Have a good evening, and we’ll see each other tomorrow. Be safe.

Experience the Reality of Life

Do you know anyone who believes life is one problem after another, with little time for enjoyment? I believe we all do. “Born under a bad sign,” is one way to put it. There is a lot of good in the world whether we see it or not.

Struggle is a huge part of life. It is not the only thing, though. Yes, we’ve all hard very hard periods of time, and then good comes to stay. It’s relative. As I’ve said before, we need to remain positive to be positive, and concentrate on that instead of the negative things that occur once in awhile. I believe good outweighs evil, and I believe it will win in the end.

This morning, I was gluing my quilt block pieces, and Goldie wanted to play catch. She gave me a sad look with those big brown eyes, and I was powerless to deny her. As soon as I stepped on the deck, the beautiful day smacked me awake and I was in awe of the pure, blue sky. Goldie knew what she was doing. It was just the break I needed. The sky was a glorious sight; it was easy to go back to working on my quilt blocks after that sight.

Today still had many, many errands, the Babe had an eye doctor appointment, and we met for pizza. Groceries, then dropping some donations for Moving Veterans Forward. The day seems over before it was started, really. Tomorrow will see more quilt block gluing and deciding how to begin sewing those pieces down. I’m getting excited about sewing on my new sewing machine for the first time, finally.

We have another day at home tomorrow, and hope to see our friends at the VFW in the late afternoon. The rest of the week will be filled with planning how to finish up the 2022 yard work and cleanup of the shed/garage/patio/basement storage. There is so much to be grateful for, making us positive in this life. I hope the same for my friends and this family of followers. See you tomorrow!

Divesting

There are a few different meanings for divesting. Today’a meaning is simply ridding oneself of something they no longer want/need, etc. Today, I am meeting with my replacement for the Website and social media for the VFW Post 2503. My friend, William Hackenberg has I/T talents and skills that blow me out of the water. It’s time to have a younger, more up to date skilled person. And, I need the time to go back to my interests, my quilting, and especially, my writing. It’s time. And we’re darned lucky to have him to take over.

The past eight years have been a roller coaster and real learning experience, but we hung in there. I’ve enjoyed interacting with all the members, friends, and visitors to the Post. I don’t plan to go anywhere, I’ll still do community outreach with the groups we’ve established relationships with, and will be visible. The big difference will be having more time to spend the way I want to, and having no guilt about being behind in postings, calendar updates, etc. It’ll take a few weeks to be fully divested, but I can feel the relief already.

With the eight losses of close friends in the past two years, I am looking very closely at how I spend my time, and what the results are. We should all do that every once in awhile. Taking stock and deciding how to spend your time is part of de-cluttering for sure. Our schedules need that just as much as our closets.

I am happiest creating things, and sometimes those things are with fabric, sometimes with words. I hope to add drawing to the mix, and painting. It never ends, I have a curiosity about many things, and hope to investigate all of them. So far, so good!

The whole point of spending your life wisely is to leave the world a little better for you being here. Leave every person you meet and love better off than when you met them. We all try to do that. I feel if we all concentrate on that very hard, we’ll be able to achieve some level of those goals. Let’s all try it in our circles of friendship, business, and partnerships. It certainly cannot hurt.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m pretty sad making this move. I liked knowing a little more about what was going on and helping communicate those things to the public, the members, and guests. My dad always said what’s in this header today. I’m giving something up that has taken eight years to build. Some of it feels like “my baby.” And at the same time, with a new, young, more talented I/T guy coming along, it’s time to step aside. It’s what we older folks are supposed to do. Many don’t. So, that’s what I’m doing later today.

What can you divest of that will give you more time to spend how you wish? Sometimes we don’t realize how much time we waste, until we don’t have a chance to change. Don’t let that happen. No one is on their deathbed and states, “I wish I would have spent more time working.” Don’t be that guy or gal. Free yourself up to enjoy something else. It’ll make a difference in your life!

Thank you for reading today. We’re still looking for about 50 more subscribers, to reach 1,000. We have about 956. There is room for everyone! Have a beautiful afternoon and evening. See you tomorrow!

The Day After Birthday

This morning, it was still darkish out, but the bed was empty of both canines and the Babe. I heard nothing going on in the living room. They can’t have gone far. I listened to the birds for a while and dozed. It was heavenly. I got up and saw the family on the couch, all snuggly. It was sweet.

And sharing coffee amongst good mornings is such a wonderful thing. I’m not the griddle cook getting the husband out the door, or the kids off to school. I’m his equal. He’s my equal. Yes, we sipped on our coffee for another hour. It was sweet. Other married couples may not think this is a big deal. I really noticed it today. I noticed because it was missing from my life before the Babe.

I know many other women of all ages who haven’t experienced this kind of laid back before in their lives. Many, many women and even men haven’t experienced this in a relationship. Much as I was told, it doesn’t happen; it does. Single friends, take heart. Leave your heart open, but protected.

I met my son, Frankie, for brunch. It is like visiting the best part of yourself to meet your adult kid out. It was the best catch up there was. He is always in a good mood and satisfied with his life. We laugh about if I am an old widow someday and need someone to monitor me; he would be the one. We make up scenarios and I know he’d always help me out. Seriously, I hope it doesn’t come to that.

Today was a followup visit to the ortho doc for my shoulder. Over the past six months, I’ve had three injections for pain. If this doesn’t help, it’s on to an MRI next time. Hoping it’s not a torn rotator cuff. But if it is, we’ll deal with it.

Yesterday, I checked out my sewing machine before getting ready to make the grandkids in Colorado their quilts for Christmas. I plugged in my trusty Bernina Activa 220. Nothing worked. The lights didn’t go on. Nothing responded. Carried it to another room, electrical circuit, and plugged it in and turned it on. Nothing. Tomorrow, it goes to the Bernina Store. I hope it’s not expensive or I’ll be shopping for a different machine. Cross your fingers! Good thing I started early on the Christmas projects!

Have a beautiful evening. I need to get some ice for the shoulder. See you tomorrow!

Today’s Concerns-Really?

As I watched the news yesterday morning, I realized how shallow we seem to the rest of the world. My heart breaks looking at the refugee children, crying and holding a stuffed animal while standing next to their mothers on the trains to Poland. The rubble from civilian office buildings is a daily image. It generates a real punch in the gut daily.

The next “newsy” blurb lasted longer than the reporting on the crisis in the Ukraine. That blurb subject was about the maternity wardrobe of singer Rhianna. Excuse me? Wardrobe? It seemed to me it was simply a bunch of narrow ribbons draped over her belly with no actual structure in mind. It strikes me it is pure sensationalism and attention seeking. I’m no prude and I have to ask, “Is nothing sacred anymore?”

And don’t get me started on today’s story about the effect of TikTok on young teens’ mental health. Some of us are raising kids to be emotionally immature and too sheltered. They are used to their parents doing too much for them, some are the center of attention in their homes, and their mere existence trumps the marriage as the primary relationship in the home. Google John Rosemond and read. He makes some interesting points. I believe children should be heard, listened to, valued, and know the world doesn’t revolve around them.

Not sorry America, I think the world events are much more important than a celebrity’s baby bump, TikTok, and the new music tour of New Kids on the Block. Sorry, guys.

Pat Sloan wrote an article. I’ve followed her for several years. I like her style, her heart, and her way of honoring people. The quilters of the world are acting. A quilting leader in the Ukraine is heading up the efforts to evacuate the children from Ukraine to Poland. The woman has a quilt shop in both countries. Often, quilts are made for refugees and given to them. After the tsunami in Japan a few years ago, another group of quilters asked for donations of a certain type of block, and led the efforts to sew the blocks into quilt tops, then layer, quilt, and bind them. They went to Japan and into the hands of people who lost everything. I was a good feeling, knowing the blocks helped people.

Pat Sloan designed a block representing the Ukraine, in signature blue, yellow, and white. She explains the symbolism of the double star, representing the strength of the Ukrainian people. For your listening and hopefully action, here is my quilter friend, Pat Sloan, with a call to action; let’s make a difference for the refugee children of the Ukraine. The link takes you to the video. Below the video is a link to download your pattern. There is also information about donating to this special UNICEF fund. Let’s do something we are assured will make a difference for 7.5 million children. When I make the block, I’m putting it on our front door. How about you?

There is a lot to do today! I’d better get to it, and organize my thoughts for the rest of the day. Thank you for listening to my rant, and I pray it spurs it prompts all of us to help those children. Children deserve better. They deserve security, love, constancy. Let’s help provide some of that. Blessings. See you tomorrow!