Finding the Muse

I just read an enewsletter from Laura Cater-Woods. In it she talks about finding the time to go into the studio and get something, anything done. It's all a matter of scheduling. I've made up my mind to get my house in order this week and really start to plan my days. I'm setting October 1st as my launch date, and writing it down here makes me accountable.

It's going to be sweltering here in the Hudson Valley today-90 degrees! Where is autumn? I don't want to have to keep running the AC, but I can't breathe without it. Plus, woke up this morning with a little sore throat. I thought that if I wasn't on the bus, I wouldn't get the bug this years. We've always complained that the kids make us sick. Oh well..............
Gotta get upstairs.

What time of day are you?

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Blue Monday

It's been a while since I've written but that's only because life has been pretty boring lately. I'm going through a slump where I don't want to do anything-not even work on customer quilts. Fortunately for them, I need the money so I'm working. Maybe it's because I'm not sleeping well. I do a lot of tossing and turning. Too bad it doesn't count as exercise. haha
Keri has switched what she wants to do. She's not changing majors, she's a senior graduating in December. She's been on the fence between school psychology and clinical. She spoke to an advisor who told her that what she wants to do is more in the social work/welfare field. So she's researching schools that have an MSW program. I just want her to be happy with her choice and happy in her life and work. She's had a tough road, and she deserves the best.
Do we ever stop worrying about our kids? David's married and now I worry about him AND Alicia. I've gone from 2 kids to 3. I hope that's normal. It's how my Mom and MIL have always treated inlaws.
I'm rambling, just trying to fill space so I'll say good night.

What color is your soul painted?

Your soul is painted the color yellow, which embodies the characteristics of joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, gold, hope, liberalism, sociability, friendship, death, courage, intellect, confidence, communication, travel, movement, attraction, persuasion, and charm. Yellow is the color of the element Air, and symbolizes the sun, grain, and the power of thought. http://www.quiztron.com/tests/color_is_soul_painte_quiz_23687.htm

Life Changes

I had a preliminary hearing at the Workers Comp Board today. We are going to continue everything the way it is. I'm going to keep up with the physical therapy and going to the doctors.
I hired an attorney on just about everyone's advice so that I couldn't be railroaded.

But now I have to make a decision. The company policy is that we are allowed 60 work days medical leave. If we go over that, we lose our seniority. I missed 45 days in the spring so I only have until September 26th to go back. I don't know if I'll be ready by then. The surgeon has me out until November 5th, so I'll definitely lose my seniority. Even if I do go back, it'll only be 2 days a week so I can quilt full time. Otherwise, Mike wants me to guarantee that I'll double my quilting income and I won't have to drive at all. With all the ups and downs of this business, how can I guarantee anything?

Sure, I have plenty of quilts now, but the phone isn't ringing very much. August is a very slow month for me every year. I have to figure out what I'm going to do on my art quilts, and I have a double wedding ring to quilt for my new DIL.

Do I have the courage to go for it? I can always go back to the bus. There's not a line out the door for people willing to do my job. This is very hard for me. I'll talk more when I've made a decision. Or not.

I'm in Love!!!

I am officially in love with King Tut thread by Superior. I used it on a quilt this morning and had only one thread break in the whole quilt. I used a cone of "Temple", it looks like natural by PermaCore. I didn't have a lot of lint either. I can see a lot of this in my future. For 7 years, I've been afraid of using anything other than my old favorites. But now I'm FREE!!!!! Ahhh......what a rush!

What to do?

A very good friend told me today that her husband has been drinking. He was involuntarily retired in December from the ANG because he turned 60. He actually ended up in the hospital a few months ago with alcohol induced hepatitis. She's an RN and has tried to tell him what can happen to him, but he just doesn't seem to listen/understand.
I'm at such a loss. They're both friends and I hate to see her hurting like this. He's so unhappy being retired. He does have a part time job-every other Saturday-but I don't think it's enough. He has to feel like he has a purpose in life.
She says he needs rehab but she hasn't got the guts to do it. I just wish there was something I could do.

Creative Quiz

Well, this makes me feel a little better.

***You Are 79% Creative***
You are beyond creative. You are a true artist - even if it's not in the conventional sense of the word.You love creating for its own sake, and you find yourself quite inspired at times.
How Creative Are You?http://www.blogthings.com/howcreativeareyouquiz/

I'm not completely out in left field when I think and visualize.

Vacation!!!

I'm going to Williamsburg, VA for a week. I never did get the pics of the other quilt up, but I will when I get back. Our Boy Scout troop band is playing tomorrow in Colonial Williamsburg, and I'm going to visit Bob and Carol Lyons. They're a quilting couple that we met a few years ago and I'm in awe of them and what they've done with their business.
I'm hoping a week away will stoke my quilting fires. I don't know if we'll have internet so it may be very quiet around here for a while.

How should I quilt this?

This is the quilt top I completed in my art quilt class. It's a pattern by Esterita Austin. How should I quilt it? I want to do it justice, after all it came out really good, IMHO.

My daughter says I should do a meander, but that doesn't seem right to me at all.

I've been working on my still life also. I've got most of the primary pieces fused together, but I'm having a problem with the background. It's suppose to be some stuff sitting on a table. I want to create the illusion of a corner of walls-two walls meeting behind the table, and I have some fabric that looks like wood but I can't seem to get the angle right. Should it be straight head on or should it be at an angle? I'm stumped.

Hopefully, inspiration will come. I'll try to get a picture later today. Maybe seeing it through the view finder will help.

Art quilting

I took a class at MQX with Robbi Joy Eklow this year. I still haven't finished the class project, but I will. It's a still life in great colors.

A friend and I took a class with Esterita Austin in May. I actually finished the quilt top but I have no idea how to quilt it. The picture shows our classroom at the 1889 Greenville Inn in upstate NY-it was a converted carriage house. It was a 3 day class, with gourmet meals. We're going back next year for a landscape quilt class. Can't wait. I'll post a pic and maybe seeing it online will help me decide what I want to do.

I have so many ideas crashing into each other in my head. It's just hard to get them out, ya know? I've got to find out how other people fit inspiration into their days. They all seem so productive.

I have a goal-the still life will be fused onto it's background this week!! So there.

Hi Again

It always seems to be a long time between posts. I'll try to do better, I promise. I tend to write in a stream of consciousness, but right now, I feel unconscious. I found out last week that I've been scammed. I feel so stupid!! I'm in the process of going into the t-shirt quilt business to supplement the longarm so I don't have to go back on the bus. So, last November, I was surfing the web looking for companies where I could build my own website, and lo and behold, one called me! I fell for it like a ton of bricks. I had to QUALIFY in order to be taken on by them. They got me to authorize monthly payments for 4 years in a non-cancellable lease for credit card equipment and all I got was a 256K laptop. I did the training, and now that it's time to build my site, they're nowhere to be found.
The Dallas BBB revoked their membership because of them not answering inquiries and taking care of business.
So now I've filed reports with Ripoff Report. com, the FTC, and my state attorney general. I went to the bank and put a hold on my account.
I'm royally p@##@%!!!!
Stay tuned for developments.
On the quilty side, I haven't accomplished a dang thing. My brain is fried with all of the other stuff going on.
I'm going to VA at the end of this week so I have a lot of customer quilts to finish. I'll try to post some pics later in the week.

One wedding shot

Here's one picture from the wedding. I'm the one in the blue shimmery dress. It has a jacket and it's made of washable silk. The lady in red is one of my very good friends, and you can see David's back and Alicia dancing next to us. Can you tell we're having a good time?
They went to Sandals in Antigua for the honeymoon. They ended up having to change rooms 3 times because of mold in the room. But they still managed to have a great time and they looked really good when they came to dinner last week.
My machine came home last week! It's back on the table and I even got to play a little yesterday. I'm going to take it slow for now, even though I have customer quilts up the yinyang.
Mike and I have decided that I'm only going to drive the bus 2 days a week come September. I'm working on a t-shirt quilt website and I'm taking in enough flimsies to offset the paychecks. If I can, I'm going to quit soon. It's getting harder to drive the bus anyway. People expect us to just let their little angels do what they want without consequences. Sorry-not on my watch.
I finally finished all the pieced blocks for my BOM Harvest Spice quilt. The months it was supposed to be done were 2 years ago. Okay, I'm a little slow. Maybe a lot. I get bored after the 4th or 5th block. So I'm not going to make big quilts anymore. I'll stick to wall hangings from now on. Everybody has a quilt or two or three on their bed, so I've covered that. haha
I'm going to try quilting a panto this afternoon. Something simple and not too big.
I want to get back into blogging so Judy will let me back into the ring, but it'll have to wait until I catch up on my life. I miss everybody and I'm trying to read but everyone keeps writing so that just when I think I'm almost up to date, I'm not. Oh well, I'll just keep plugging away here.

Healing

We got home from Florida on the 30th, and I had my neck surgery on July 2nd. They went in from the back this time so the scar is under my hair.
I am getting my machine back tomorrow, thank goodness! It won't have the IS anymore, it'll be a Gammill Classic Plus. Unfortunately, I can't quilt until at least next week. I can't even drive right now.
The guild is having a sit and sew this evening. I don't usually go, but I have to do something! And no-I don't want any cheese with my whine.

The Party's Over

It's Monday morning and the kids have been in Antigua since Saturday. My feet still hurt!
The wedding was absolutely wonderful!!
Alicia looked like a princess in her gown, and all the girls, including Keri, were beautiful attendants. David was so nervous that he needed Advil before the ceremony. The girls' limo was late because the driver had a little fender bender with a stone wall on her Dad's property. At 6:34pm, David was freaking out, saying the ceremony should have started, where was she, what was happening???? Kind of funny, actually.
The pastor was great, and the ceremony was very nice, very spiritual without being too religious. Mike's brother, Jimmy, played the bagpipes during the cocktail hour, and our side went crazy! I told Alicia's parents that it was one of our traditions.
At the reception, her side really didn't get up on the dance floor much, which was fine; it wasnt' too big and our family and friends filled it. For 2 kids who said they don't dance, David and Alicia were up there a LOT! The love just shines from them, and we were so blessed to be there to share it.
The buffet was delicious, but a lot of people couldn't identify what was on there-it looked so fancy.
Anthony's Pier 9's staff could not have done a better job. They looked like Secret Service with their earpieces and walkie-talkies. Everything we wanted was done before we knew we wanted it. There was even a suite for the bridal party with a private bathroom. All locked up so our stuff was safe.
Alicia's little sister told Keri she's her new "Sissie" now. So Keri didn't just acquire 1 new sister, she's got 2!
I can finally concentrate on quilty things. My machine is leaving on Wednesday for an upgrade. I figure that it'll come home about a week after surgery, and I'll be ready.
Have a great day!!! I know I will.

June 14th

Last night we had the rehearsal and dinner. What a great group we have for this wedding! The rehearsal was quick and then we went to a local Irish place called "Harp & Whistle". We had our own server, and they cordoned off a whole section for us.
Great food, great conversation. I sat back and just looked at everyone having a good time. I read a couple of poems to the kids that I had gotten off the net, and there were some tears.
Most of the groomsmen have been part of our lives/family since early childhood. It feels so good now.
I love Alicia for loving David. She's the new daughter of my heart.

Tomorrow's the wedding. The ceremony is at 6:30 and the reception will end at midnight. The catering place is so elegant, I think we'll have an awesome time.
I've had my doubts over the past months about my baby boy getting married so young. He's only 24. But like Mike said this morning, "Just because we weren't ready at 24 doesn't mean he's not."
God bless my children, David, Keri and now Alicia.

Posting pictures

I want to upload a picture from the workshop I went to, but when it tells me that it's uploaded and to click on "done", there's no "done" to click on. What am I doing wrong?

another week

I just can't keep up with a daily journal, so I'll post when I can. I hope I don't offend anyone but we all have lives and sitting here puts life aside sometimes.
Anyway, I want to tell you what a great weekend I had! A friend and I went upstate to Greenville, NY outside of Albany. Until I looked up the directions, I had no idea there were at least 3 Greenvilles in NY! We arrived Thursday afternoon, had a wine and cheese reception, a small orientation and dinner. Our room was 1/2 of a cottage and it even had a jacuzzi tub-not that we had time to use it.
Class started bright and early on Friday. We had a short lecture and then began to work. I've never done an art quilt before, but let me tell you-I'm in love. Keri says this is the best quilt I've ever done. I can't wait to get it on the longarm and play. I'll try to have a pic when I can get the camera. I came home with a completed quilt top.
The innkeepers, Mark and Kim LaPolla, were awesome. He's a gourmet chef and she's a quilter. I gave her my business card and she gave me a quilt to do for her. How's that? Every meal was an artistic showcase of his work. (I gained 5 lbs in 3 days!!! Dang. The wedding's next week. Thank goodness I'm wearing a sheath style dress with a jacket. Hides most of the flaws.)
This is the first time I've ever done a workshop like this. If you ever get a chance, you have to take classes at this inn. It's www.fiberartworkshops.com.
The wedding's in 9 days, I have quilts up the yazoo, and we're going away on the 23rd. How's that for bad planning? After the wedding, I'm sending my machine back to Gammill and having the Intellistitch taken out and the Plus put in. Talk about learning the hard way. I make very expensive mistakes and then have to pay lots to correct them. I just hope I'm doing the right thing. The machine is going away between the wedding and vacation. When we come home from Florida, I'm having my neck surgery. The machine is coming home around the 19th of July so I should, according to the dr., be able to quilt right away. I'm also getting the hydraulic lift-that should help my neck from having to be in one position all the time.
This is getting very long, so I'll see you later.
Have a great day.

A new week

The wedding is 18 days away. I have my dress, my hair's been colored. I need shoes, a manicure and a pedicure. Keri needs underwear so my friend can alter her dress. Last night I laid in bed imagining my baby boy saying wedding vows. It's tough. I can still see his baby curls in my mind, all the times he snuggled up on my lap. He was always a small child, so he was able to do that until he was around 12. Now I barely get a hug.
I like Alicia. I'm going to make the best of it-I will not be alienated from my son and any grandbabies that may come. I just miss my baby.
I just realized this morning that I'm going away the day after tomorrow! Dang-where did the time go? I've got a supply list to fill and I have to pack. No pressure..........
Mike and I went upstate to a friend's home on Friday. She just upgraded her machine from a shortarm to a Premier Plus. I love her studio-it's compact, but with space for everything. She's been quilting for customers for 14 years, and put her 2 boys through college with it. I am in awe of all she does.
Well, time to get going. The king size quilt on the machine won't quilt itself.

She's home

I miss Keri when she's away at school. I really do. But I forget how much havoc she can wreak when she comes home. My living room is filled with boxes; she can barely turn around in her room because of all the stuff from her dorm room. And she wants help NOW! all the time. Am I a bad mother because I love the peace and quiet when she's at school? We'll get into a routine, I know. She'll be working and we'll talk like we used to. But for now, ARGHHHHHHH!

I'm going to a weekend class on the 31st with a teacher named Esterita Austin. I want to learn something new, and her quilts intrigue me. It's a full 3 days. I'm going with a friend so I won't have to share a room with a stranger. If anyone has taken a class with her, tell me how you liked it. I'm really looking forward to just immersing myself in it without having to worry about anything. We're going to a B&B with a gourmet chef. How's that for a great class environment?