Not At All Quilt Related...

WARNING!  This post is not at all quilt related...it's about me...and not a very pretty side of me, but me none the less...I think I'm writing this as the final chapter of a very sad couple of weeks...but the ending is good and for that I am so very, very thankful...and I wasn't feeling very thankful for quite a few days.

There was an event that happened right after my last blog post...and the actual event isn't really what I'm writing about...it's the way I reacted to the event.  The event pretty much pulled the rug out from under me emotionally, I had been beyond excited about what was going to happen and then the timing of everything changed...POOF! nothing was the way it was "supposed to be"...I think that on top of my first birthday and first Thanksgiving without Mom, the kids weren't coming this year for Thanksgiving, it was just going to be Andy and I (and the boys of course) I just got sad...so sad that I was almost paralyzed...I didn't want to do anything...cried and cried...went to bed...I was in a great big depression.  Then my sweet Zack had a small stroke...I almost couldn't bear it.  But it did give me something else to think about besides ME!  Bless his heart!  He's such a trooper...he was pretty weak on his right side but he kept at it...he would slip and slide on our hardwood floors so we put some rugs down until he got sturdy...the rugs are now gone and he's getting around just fine.  The steps to go outside were a major challenge, but he's got that all worked out too.  With the stroke came some paralysis in the side of his face.  Not being able to feel his lip, if it got flapped into his mouth when he was chomping down on something he bit right into it...so off to the vet we went, his lip was swollen and ugly...she gave him antibiotics and referred us to the doggie dentist up at the specialist vet clinic...he's only there one day a month and that happened to be yesterday.  He decided that the best thing to do would be to remove those 2 big teeth on that side so he could do no further damage...so that's what they did...he spent the night there and we pick him up at 11 this morning.  The dentist said that because he has no feeling there he'll never miss them.  My sweet old man...

Sorry, I got a bit ahead of myself there but I wanted you to have the whole story on Zack, in case you wanted to stop reading this epistle now...So back to me...Thanksgiving was nice, bless Andy's heart, I was less than thankful for anything but he just hung in there with me, supporting and getting me through the day...Friday he got up and went to the gym and I was here, no one to chat with, the boys were sound asleep...the biggest A-Ha moment...not sure where it came from, was it the things that Andy had been saying for days that finally clicked, was it Darlene who had called and e-mailed daily to check on me and give me words of wisdom, was it Mom, was it ...  I have no idea where it came from, but like a door opening and the light shining in I got all of my answers...it was about me, but not the way I was thinking it was.  It was about my expectations...I was expecting people to do what I would do...I was expecting them to react the way I would...after 8 days of being a miserable human being, the light came on...it's NOT about my expectations...it's not about the way I would deal with it...the light is back on in my life.  I have much to be thankful for...I have amazing people in my life...I have my wonderful family, right here in my house and extended out to our son and his precious family...Andy and I both have very good health, a few twitches here and there but nothing of any concern, I had my mom for 60+ years of my life, while I would have loved to have had more, I am so very, very fortunate.  So all that said, I am very grateful for everything and everyone I have in my life and I hope that I will always remember the day the big Light came on...no more expectations...I will take each day as it comes and for that I will be thankful.

I am also so thankful for all of you who have stuck with me through the years...the good times, the bad times, the sad times and the happy times...the grandkid posts, the nature posts, the dog posts and the occasional quilt post...Thank you my friends!

I can't possibly have this long winded post without a picture...I have to share the birthday gift I got in the mail on Friday, the "Lightbulb" day...from my dear, dear friend Darlene...

charms for my bracelet that are HER...the Arizona sun and her Wabbit...even though we have never met in person, we've been friends for over 6 years...we "click"...she's gotten me through some very dark times...and now I have a little bit of her with me all the time.  Thank you Darlene...not just for the wonderful birthday gift but for the gift of your friendship.

Thank you for allowing me to share my life with you...the good and the not so good...next post, something quilty...I promise!

Caught up in Rehab and More

I'm happy to say that this has been a good week...all caught up with my Fat Quarter Shop BOM...thank you Sinta for

Here's the most recent block...it was a fun one to do...

And for a tool endorsement...I don't think I've ever liked a tool better than this one...it's the little rotating Fiskars cutting mat.

It's so little that it will sit on the small spot right next to my machine but large enough to do the little trimming I need to do.  I've had other ones, too big, too small, don't rotate...this one is just right.  I LOVE it...so if you want to give yourself a treat, this is a perfect one.  Thank you Darlene for sending this little gem to me.

I resisted and resisted and resisted Lori Holt's Row Along...and then Sherri posted her row of cups and I couldn't resist any longer...I was chatting with Darlene and she said the same thing, she loved the cups but the row of apples sent her over the edge...so yes, we've both jumped in...I got Row 1 done today

and I love it...tomorrow I'll cut Row 2...I'm making myself do these in order...I want to do the cups right now...but I'm going to be disciplined and do them in the correct order.  Thanks Lori, thanks Sherri and thanks Darlene for going on this journey with me...we're going to have some fun!

Countdown to Christmas

I am so excited I can hardly contain myself...I finished my Countdown to Christmas top...

well it's really called Starry Eyed (from the MODA Bakeshop)...but I can never remember it's name and the fabric is Countdown to Christmas so that's what I've been calling it.  This is by far my favorite Christmas quilt for a couple of reasons...I loved the pattern as soon as Darlene brought it to my attention...I had the fabric and she showed me the pattern and it was love at first sight...but what really makes it my favorite is the fun Darlene and I had sharing fabric so that we each had enough to do it.  Thank you my friend...this just couldn't have been more fun!

Birthdays

We're getting ready for birthdays in our family...Hampton will be 6 on the 25th...someone please tell me how that happened.  They won't be with us this year for Thanksgiving so we won't get to celebrate Hampton's Big 6th birthday...so today I got his gifts all packed up and in the mail...

The kids will be coming after Christmas for a visit...so Peyton will be here to celebrate his first birthday with us...a year already...weren't we just waiting for him to arrive?  I "had" to make him a quilt to celebrate his big day...the fabric is Scoot by Riley Blake
the big kids got quilts for their first birthday's too.

The boys had a very busy day today....the groomer came...it was bath day.  Howie waited very patiently for Zack to get done and come back in the house...

this is what they did the rest of the afternoon...

getting a bath and nails clipped just plain wear these boys out.

Happy weekend...I plan to be back tomorrow with a flimsy if Mr. Quilt Holder is available...

Dear Santa

I loved this fabric the moment I saw it...it just reminded me of the wrapping paper on Christmas gifts when I was a kid.  Lots of memories...when I finished it

this afternoon and brought it down for my Mr. QuiltHolder to help me get a photo, he immediately said, "Who is this one for?" and just as immediately I responded "It's for me".  I don't do that very often...my quilts usually go to someone else, not this one...I'm going to curl up in the memories.

And Everyone Was Happy!

Dad's home...so the boys spent the afternoon downstairs watching football with him...in between taking naps...

I spent the afternoon in my Happy Place...at my sewing machine.  I worked on a bunch of blocks for a new Christmas quilt,

using Dear Mr. Claus fabric by MODA and a Sweet Jane pattern, Picnic in the Park.  I hope to get the sashings finished tomorrow.
I also worked on some blocks to send to Erin up in Virginia...

she's putting together quilts for people who were affected by Hurricane Sandy.  I saw her post this morning, was directed there through a friend's blog and knew immediately that I was going to get some blocks done today.  I was thinking last night as we got into bed..."Sure we can send money to organizations and I know that's wonderful but I need to DO something"...and there it was this morning...my answer...I love when that happens.

Don't forget to turn your clocks back tonight when you go to bed...I'm so excited, we get back that hour they took away from us in the spring...YIPPEE!

Now My Machine is Telling Me What To Do...

And here's the proof...when I sat down at my machine today, this is what I saw...

hasn't she gotten a little bossy since she spent her time at the spa while we were away.
OK, I confess, it was really me...when I finished my Bounce top yesterday I was playing "beat the sunset" so I could get the picture taken outside before the sun went completely away....so I didn't want to take the time to get the lint out and change the needle...so I left myself a note.  I decided that since she's all nice and clean that I'm going to be really, really good and give her a nice clean out after each project.  Guess I better hang on to my reminder!