Racing to the Finish...

It's Wednesday.  I finished a quilt top last night.  Fell asleep early.  Woke up at 2:30 am and put the last border on the quilt... does that count as last night or this morning?  I watched TV with my husband who also woke up early.  We had breakfast and I fell asleep after he left for work.  I barely made it to class on time.  I got another quilt almost done being quilted... it's ready for binding already.

OrganizeThis has been working in my son's room for 2 days.  I don't even recognize the room!  Awesome! 

Two more days is the final push to prep the house for new floors.  I have lots of homework for tonight, tomorrow night and the weekend.

My new china cabinet is due to be delivered early next week.  I think I'm finally going to love my space.  We never did get to the upstairs or the master closet... at least not yet... but I dunno... maybe now I'll have the skills (or some of them), to do this for myself.  We were supposed to do the kitchen too.... they ARE coming back for a few days the following week. 

I think I will reward myself by going to a quilt show this weekend.  This of course will also reward my husband with a day on his own to work on his aquaponics project.  We both win!

Tackling MySpace...

Not the virtual one... In this case, I meant the master bedroom.  That was the agenda for Monday.  OMG, They did it so fast and with such organization.. I can see surfaces I haven't seen in years (and I mean that literally).  Dressertops, floorspace... I can move my exercycle in now (after the new floors are done)!  And it wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be.  Of course there were a few things they kinda of looked at me like I was crazy when I said I was keeping them, but I got rid of a lot more stuff today - including more stuffed animals... still have too many - more than I need, but less than before.  I have a LOT of homework in there still - boxes to go through... and a lot still in the family room - but we are making progress.

My son's room was the agenda for today, but he informed me late last night that has to go in to work early today, so maybe more in the garage today?  I will be working on homework today when they don't need me - I think in the bedroom though - the homework in the family room can actually wait - the family room floors are not being redone.

Really the only floorspace still needing work pre-flooring is the master closet and my son's room, though I think more work has to be done in the guest room too.  I'll have to check in there.

I am so thrilled I did this even though it's costing me a lot... it is SO worth it.  Now the process is to KEEP it this way... that is something my husband and I will have to work on.  While he is not the packrat I am, he's not much better than I am about the whole dropping things on whatever surface is handy bit.  Maybe now, with a little work (but without getting anal about it), we can live less cluttered lives.  I'm SO looking forward to the future now...

After the new floors - new cabinets in the quilting room, organizing the kitchen, studio and garage - and maybe I will be able to park my car in there again (oh, happy day!).   And the pièce de résistance... Delivery day!  I will be able to have my longarm delivered and installed.  In my studio initially, but eventually I will have a dedicated room for it - my son has to move out someday!

Somehow this entire blog has been usurped by cleaning and organizing - I didn't intend for that to happen - but I suppose it is a temporary thing...  Back to quilting soon, I hope.

Sunday on the Road with Joe...

Today we decided to walk to a nearby restaurant for breakfast.  Part of our exercise regime is to walk an hour a day.  So a half hour after we started walking, we arrived at the restaurant... no cars... no smoke from the bbq... sign on the door saying 'closed for renovations and remodeling'.  However we suspect they are closed forever - there were no signs of work inside, lots of mail on the floor inside the door and many many final notices from the utilities hanging on the door.  Oh well... long walk for nothing... we headed back home but at least we got our hour walk in.

I worked on a quilt in progress for a bit, met with a friend, sorted and folded some fabric, prepped to run D&D, ran D&D, took a friend to dinner and to see Surrogates (don't waste your money) for her birthday.  Somehow I managed to sort through 5 boxes of crap among the homework and it doesn't even look like I made a dent.... sigh.

Joe and I shelved a lot of books upstairs in the library (emptied some of those boxes too).  Tomorrow is Day 1 of Hell Week 2.  The team will be back, no more goofing off... wonder what we will work on tomorrow.  I know Tuesday is for my son's bedroom.... and I guess while that is going on, I'll work on the homework more.  Maybe the master bedroom tomorrow.  We'll see...

No Rest for the Wicked....

Homework... Thought I was done with that after college... but we have homework.  Lots of papers to go through.  We went to exercise in the park this morning.  Now we're playing D&D because we do that on alternate Saturdays.  Plllllbbbbbttt to the homework... Although there is this nagging thought in the back of my mind while I play 'You SHOULD be sorting crap'.  Maybe tomorrow.

But tomorrow is a birthday party for my friend, and I've got a quilt to finish for her.  I hope we can do SOME homework before Monday.  We DID take 5 more bins of books to the library this morning, so it's not like we're shirking everything.  If the team gets mad at us for not doing enough homework, at least we did SOMEthing. 

and now... I'm gonna go kill something nasty....

Today was day four - I was too exhausted and in too much pain to post last night - fell asleep early after taking pain meds and letting my husband massage a massive knot out of my calf muscle.

Day 3 went fairly well, got a lot of stuff sorted - most everything in the living room.  Joe and I had homework to do - sorting papers and such.. we got some of it done - got it down from five bins to three.  I gave up a lot of things I thought I'd never be able to part with... But they are just things... I can live without those things.

Day 4, Joe took the day off work.  Time was split between the guest room, where Joe's office is, and the dining room.  The wonderful team from OrganizeThis stripped out the hutch and bookcase in the dining room, and lots of crap and old clothes out of the guest room.  Joe was here and was able to identify a lot of the stuff I couldn't.  I parted with my grandmother's china and my mother's crystal.  Hard, but not my style.  There is absolutely no reason for me to be burdened with these things just because someone else treasured them.  Let someone else learn to treasure them.... I am free.

And of course that means I can finally buy my own crystal if I want any... Have to think about that... I have wine glasses from our wine tasting trips... We don't do much formal entertaining, and aren't likely to in the future, so is there a point to it.. just more stuff to take care of that we don't use much.  Maybe I'll just stick with what I have... Regardless, I'm really starting to feel relieved of the weight of this stuff...

Probably harder than the china and the crystal, while we waited for the team to be ready for our participation, Joe and I went upstairs and culled a lot of books from our collection.  We have a huge collection of books upstairs in the library, but so many of them are outdated, or more easily replaced with information on the internet.  Joe and I are both savvy enough to avoid being duped by misinformation on the net, so why keep outdated textbooks, references and encyclopedias.  6 bins of books gone to the library for their fundraising sale.  Tonight we will load up another truckload for delivery tomorrow.  We actually have space on our shelves for the books that have been piling up off shelves and maybe even the occasional new book!  Wow... that's new.

I thought it would be traumatic to part with books... We are both such inveterate bibliophiles.  It seemed sacrilegious to part with a book, even a bad one.  I'm over that now... I don't think I'll keep any books I don't love anymore.  Now, true, we parted with almost no fantasy or science fiction books, but I think that will come in time too... maybe tonight?  We'll see.. those will be the hardest to part with.  Then again, we do re-read some of them from time to time.

They left us with a HUGE amount of homework for the weekend, and I'm sure we won't finish it all, but we'll make an effort..   I know it's SUCH a cliche, but 'it is what it is'.  Can't do more than we can do in limited time over two days... we already have a full weekend without the homework.

Anyway - I'm terrified of Monday - probably get to the master bedroom on Monday, unless we work in the garage again.  We're supposed to be down under three digit temperatures after Sunday, so it might be tolerable to be outdoors.  We shall see, the meteorologists have been damned inaccurate lately.  Mid-eighties (the prediction for Mon & Tues) would be a nice change, mid-seventies (Weds & Thurs) should be even better.

What I'm really looking forward to is sweater weather... we get damned little enough of it in So Cal.  Would be nice to have a chilly Halloween for a change.

Oh, my... a Halloween where I'm not embarassed to answer the door!  What a novel concept...

Day 2

Today was a bit crazy.  Went to class, then came home to day 2 of hell week.  It wasn't really that bad, in fact none of it has been quite as bad as I thought it was gonna be.  Basically, they go through things, sort everything into bins, then go through items one at a time, 'keep, donate or trash?' Sometimes I feel guilty about things I say keep on... and maybe they count on a little of that guilt, because then I say, never mind, donate it.' 

Really when it comes down to it, most of this stuff, I don't really need.  My son won't want it when I'm gone... what is the point of keeping it all?  And yet there's still 'STUFF' I can't let go of.  I'm just a packrat.. that's all there is to it. 

I was chatting with my friend Sue today.  She recently downsized a lot of stuff too.  One of the things she mentioned, and it's SO true, is that no matter how hard it is to let go of something, once you do, no matter how much you think 'I might need that someday', in reality, once it's gone, it won't really be missed.  And she's right. 

I let a lot of stuff go in the past couple of days that I thought I needed, and I don't really miss it... a lot of the things I said goodbye to before they went and it felt right and good. Some things I kept because I really did think I might use or need them someday.  I'm finally in my life in a position to just buy a new one if I need it, so bye bye old crap. 

And there's still a lot of old crap to go... Tomorrow is another day... a little more STUFF gone, a little more burden lifted, a little more freedom.

Hooray for OrganizeThis... Hooray for me!

Day 1 of Hell Week

Today was the first day of the worst of my life. Actually it wasn't that bad. Except for the high winds and all. Still.. lots got thrown out or recycled, even stuff I haven't been able to let go of for a long time. If I were working alone, I wouldn't have gone through nearly as much stuff, and I wouldn't have been able to say goodbye to so many things that I've had an emotional attachment to for so long ... like my grandmother's sewing box. It's old, the lid disintegrated years ago, and I don't use it anymore... but I let it go... and so many toys and other things... It wasn't easy to see so many things go away, but I really didn't need or want any of this stuff.

Yet... I feel like it wasn't enough... more stuff should have gone away... maybe because we only worked in the garage and the house hasn't changed yet? Tomorrow and Thursday, the work will be in the house because it's still supposed to be high winds all day both days. I'm not looking forward to this part... the house is full of my stuff and I'm not sure how to let go of the things I don't need anymore... but that is why I've got help.

I'd never be able to do it alone, I DO know that...

It will be a busy day - I've got lots to do in addition to the work in the house - class & errands... Hopefully I will survive it.

On an upnote, the pain from doing pushups is fading a little... I can lift my left arm over my head as long as I go up to the side... My right arm is still has very limited movement. Lots of hip pain, so even though I was supposed to walk for an hour, I didn't. Tomorrow I might walk 1/2 way to class (drive halfway and walk the rest). But I have to get out early to do it. I need the walking and I need the social interaction of being in class for a while before I have to get home to work with the organizers.

Hooray for surviving day 1!

Teabagger's Pledge 9/21/09

First posted 9/21/09

Had to share. If anyone besides me is reading this blog, enjoy:

I, ________________________, do solemnly swear to uphold the principles of a socialism-free society and heretofore pledge my word that I shall strictly adhere to the following:

I will complain about the destruction of 1st Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights.

I will complain about the destruction of my 2nd Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights by legally but brazenly brandishing unconcealed firearms in public.

I will foreswear the time-honored principles of fairness, decency, and respect by screaming unintelligible platitudes regarding tyranny, Nazi-ism, and socialism at public town halls. Also.

I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life. I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:

• Social Security
• Medicare/Medicaid
• State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
• Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
• US Postal Service
• Roads and Highways
• Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
• The US Railway System
• Public Subways and Metro Systems
• Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
• Rest Areas on Highways
• Sidewalks
• All Government-Funded Local/State Projects (e.g., see Iowa 2009 federal senate appropriations)
• Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)
• Public and State Universities and Colleges
• Public Primary and Secondary Schools
• Sesame Street
• Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
• Public Museums
• Libraries
• Public Parks and Beaches
• State and National Parks
• Public Zoos
• Unemployment Insurance
• Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
• Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, State or Federal Government (pretty much all of them)
• Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived >From Any Government Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)
• Socialist Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions)
• Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
• Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies
• Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs From Government Subsidies

If a veteran of the government-run socialist US military, I will forego my VA benefits and insist on paying for my own medical care

I will not tour socialist government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist locations, including but not limited to:

• Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History
• The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments
• The government-operated Statue of Liberty
• The Grand Canyon
• The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials
• The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery
• All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, DC

I will urge my Member of Congress and Senators to forego their government salary and government-provided healthcare.

I will oppose and condemn the government-funded and therefore socialist military of the United States of America.

I will boycott the products of socialist defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and hundreds of others that are paid by our socialist government to produce goods for our socialist army.

I will protest socialist security departments such as the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Department of Justice and their socialist employees.

Upon reaching eligible retirement age, I will tear up my socialist Social Security checks.

Upon reaching age 65, I will forego Medicare and pay for my own private health insurance until I die.

SWORN ON A BIBLE AND SIGNED THIS DAY OF __________ IN THE YEAR ___.

_____________ _________________________

Signed Printed Name/Town and State


I wonder... will those being mocked recognize this for what it is?... probably not... sarcasm requires an IQ above room temperature... oh well....

Who's Idea WAS This Anyway??? 9/21/09

First posted 9/21/09

Sunday morning was our first session with our new personal trainer, Chris. He worked us pretty hard, but not nearly as hard as I was expecting. I was fine for a while afterward, but the pain hit midday and I was a wreck the rest of the day... mostly my left knee and hip and right leg were hurting. I was too wasted to do my walking, but I WILL do it today, despite all my other things I have to do.

He wants us to walk 1 hour per day without fail, in addition to the walking we do in the session. We also have to keep a food log and record everything we eat/drink. It's been one whole day... so far, so good.

In the middle of one round of push ups during training, my husband and simultaneously looked at each other and said 'Who's idea was this, anyway?' It was kinda funny... But I really think if we stick to it, this can help us...

I didn't work on the house at all... I sewed a little because I didn't get to do any sewing on Saturday. I'm looking forward to being able to sit and sew as long as I want when all this is over. Not immediate gratification... but not too long delayed. I'm SO all about the immediate gratification (aren't most of us. I think there's a little kid in each of us screaming 'I want ice cream NOW!' Maybe that's what nurturing our inner child should really be about).

Today is my last day before the horror begins... Just kidding really, but I'm sure the process won't be easy either. So, this final day, while I have a limited agenda and some errands to do, is my only day to 'play' for a while to come. I intend to run errands, make phone calls, and do some sewing. I refuse to overwork myself... enough of that is coming, I'm sure. I will be a free spirit at the machine today. I will savor every minute of the process and not stress over the result. I will lurv my kittehs and nap when I need to.

After today... Hell Week begins....

No Pain, No Gain... 9/19/09

First posted Sept 19, 2009

So, I didn't post yesterday. Did I post the day before? I can't remember, but still... the point is that I haven't been posting every day. And while that was my goal, I really don't feel I need to be obligated when there is nothing new to add. I'd rather have my posts be meaningful and maybe spaced a day or two apart than to be daily drivel.

And so, I have something new to add and here I am. I hired a team of professional organizers to come in and help me with my home. OrganizeThis is coming on Tuesday. They will be here 9-2 for at least a week, maybe two. Their services don't come cheap (I wish I could get Clean Sweep or Hoarders to come in so I could get this kind of service for free, but then I'd have to air my pathetic emotional laundry in public on a national or international stage - bleah. As if I didn't have enough problems, I don't need to melt down and whine in public).

I bought plastic bins, I rented a trash container, I even worked on stuff in the house myself today (with a couple of friends). We folded and put away what seemed like at least a half-ton of fabric, including all my loose batiks. I have loosely refered to these for over a year as 'the leaning tower of batiks'. It is no more - now I can actually see the top of the bookshelf in the hall and I have a nice neat bin of batiks. Once my shelves are in, I will have a nice neat shelf of batiks. hooray!... All my panels are folded and boxed as well.

I sorted and boxed 78 rpm records and several lp's for a recipient from freecycle.

I met a personal trainer today who I am meeting tomorrow with my entire family. It was kind of serendipity - There WAS a branch of Extreme Bootcamp here in town - they closed down their local service. I was out to lunch with a friend today when I saw a man with a tank on that had their logo and on the back were the words 'Instructor'. I ran after him and accosted him, asked if they were back in local business. He turned out to be an ex-instructor for them and no, they aren't back in town. But he does take private clients, so I will be meeting with him tomorrow to negotiate a family plan. We all need the exercise and to get in better physical condition.

So, you see, it's not just my home that's getting a remodel. My house will be in better shape - so why not me, my husband and my son, too.

I am SO excited about all these changes... and a little terrified too... The process will be painful...

... but as they say, 'No pain, no gain.'

Organizing, Reorganizing and Cutting Clutter 9/14/09

First posted Sept 14, 2009

So, in order to have new floors installed, I've got to clean the surfaces of all my furniture. For me, this is no mean task. It's near Herculean in scale. Every surface is covered with STUFF... most of it isn't necessary stuff, or valuable stuff... but I'm always overwhelmed with the idea of cleaning it. I have to --- but how????

As soon as I start cleaning, I get caught up in the emotional investment I have in these things... because truly for most of it, that's its ONLY value... it's really nothing worth keeping. I know this in my head. Doesn't make it easier to get rid of the stuff.

A friend recommended I watch the show 'Hoarders' on A&E. It's kinda like 'Clean House' except rather than being about negotiating and remodeling, it's more about dealing (at least short term) with the addiction and the process of disposing of the hoard. She said it inspired her, every time she watched an episode, to go clean out another room in her house.

So I watched my first episode today and it was scary as hell that I could be one of those people in a few years if I let my addictions take over my life completely. Thank GOD for my husband, who injects some sanity to the point that nothing has gone quite that far ...(he's kinda like the Felix Unger type except he won't do much of the cleaning himself).

And yet, while our place is far from a hoard, it's also far from comfortably livable. I invited friends over for a packing party on Friday - packing up the stuff that needs to be moved off of surfaces... but before then, I've got to sort out the stuff that can go away forever... we do have limited boxes to fill, and the rest has GOT to go.

I don't know how I'm gonna do this all in 4 days... but it's got to get finished. So... I called a professional organizer... maybe I can get some help because I don't think I can do this alone. But that's a step at least.

None of this is helped by the fact that a lot of the 'stuff' is quilting stuff, and therefore not destined for the landfill. There just isn't anywhere to put a lot of it til the cabinets are in. The floors have to happen first though. Where is the sanity in all of it???

Too much stuff, too much to do with it, too little time...

A Little Rant... 9/13/09

First posted Sept 13, 2009

Ok... this isn't about quilting or cleaning or remodeling... it's about good ol' American stupidity. I'm so sick of the partisanism that is dividing this country (I know, it's not all that new or anything), and the ridiculous claims that having a public option for health care is socialism and that all socialism is evil.

What do these protestors think their public school systems are, but who would be at the front of the line protesting if someone tried to take publically funded education away and make them all pay for their kids' private schooling out of their own pockets. I suspect most of the protestors would have to watch their kids drop out of elementary school, or not attend at all, and work menial jobs for the rest of their lives.

Early in this country's history it was recognized that a democratic society requires we have an educated and informed electorate. It's time we also realized we need to have a healthy electorate too - mentally and physically.

Socialism isn't bad... we are humans and humans are social creatures. Yes, individualism is good too, but you can't run a country on it. We can be democratic and still have a public OPTION for health care.

I'm sorry, but a lot of countries have public health care - Chile, England, Canada, Australia - all successful and their health care costs are lower than ours (and not because our health care is better).

These people who claim that our government can't afford to fund a public option for health care - what do they think we're doing now? Medi-Cal and Medicare are forms of public health care.

If we had a public OPTION, then the poor, disenfranchised, uninsured and underinsured would have health insurance. They would be able to see a doctor for normal illnesses. Right now, they go untreated, or they go to the emergency room or trauma center with the flu. They spread what they have while they walk around sick, or they require government expenditure of thousands for treating minor problems like the flu or small injuries in our trauma centers.

Note the stress on the word OPTION - those of you with health insurance already get to keep what you have. Since the existing health insurance companies aren't being required to offer plans to anyone for free, our rates shouldn't go up and our insurance should remain in effect. If these companies raise their rates or cancel people for no reason or if employers stop offering health insurance, then that is a case of corporate greed, not socialized medicine.

These same protestors I'll bet would be the first in line for free care if they lost their jobs and insurance...

And claiming it's not a partisan issue is bogus too... while there may be people on both sides of the fence waffling, the push to resist any kind of public health is coming from a propoganda of fear spread to the undereducated and the uneducated by conservative factions.

And no matter what you think of our president and his goals, respect for the office should require some civility. No matter how ridiculous and hateful the policies of some of our recent office-holders... the opposition party at least treated the office and the individual who held it with public respect.

I am very sad when I watch the news, almost to the point of finding it unwatchable.

On the Road Again 9/12/09

First posted Sept 12, 2009

Just a quick note...

We are on the road. A quick trip to San Jose to view the college and surrounding area on behalf of our son, Luke. He is thinking of taking an Engineering degree here. So far, a day of viewing the campus, seeing counselors, and a night at the movies to see '9'. Interesting and odd. I liked it, I think, but I'm still mulling it all over.

This morning we checked out local housing and properties followed by lunch at Panera. I got sick... lost lunch, came back to the hotel, lost more lunch, then a nap, after which I felt better. I spent the afternoon at the San Jose Quilt and Textile Museum.

Now that was interesting. Joyce Gross' collection of quilts was featured as well as a collection of original mola applique. I spent far too much at the museum shop and had a great time. After promising my husband I wouldn't be going to quilt shops on this trip, too!

We'll be here another day and a half, then back to so. california for some mad rush to clean the house in preparation for our new floors. Having a packing party on Friday - lots of stuff to pack up so the flooring contractors can get in and move furniture and install the new floor.

Every floor in the house is being done except bathrooms, laundry, library, kitchen and family room. Those rooms are already tiled. Our intention is to have house more friendly to us and less to allergens. With 3 cats and a dog, the carpets are a serious liability. Perhaps my allergies will get better, my son's and his gf's too! No matter what, it will be much easier to keep clean from the pets AND the fabric.

Maybe I'll get a Roomba or two.... any other quilters out there have any experience with the Roomba and quilt leavings?

Anyway... probably no more posts til I return from San Jose. Wish me a safe flight - I HATE being in a plane (I don't mind flying, it's the take-offs and landings that terrify me).

No Sanity Clause 9/9/09

First posted Sep

So today was insane. Non-stop work. I finished my bear applique, put together an owl quilt I've had sitting half done for months, got rid of some stuff I didn't need thru freecycle, made a floor plan of my studio, went to two meetings, and skipped a third... all-in-all a productive day but I feel spent. Is this non-stop DOING THINGS what being undepressed feels like? - it's been so long, I don't know anymore.

I returned the sample boards of flooring and arranged for an in-home estimate including the stairs. They would have just used my numbers I think except for stairs cost extra.

I invited a bunch of friends to my packing party on the 18th. We're gonna pack up all the knick knacks and tchotchkes so the contractors only have to move the furniture when they come to do the floor the week after.

Now you have to understand that I'm a hoarder - and not JUST fabric - so this packing is no easy task. It will be an all-day team effort, with hopefully some moving forward in getting rid of the stuff I just don't need to keep, too. Friend told me about a show called 'Hoarders' on DISC channel... gonna check that out.. she says it's very motivating.

My husband has promised to make me a gridded floor plan of my studio and my son's bedroom which will be my longarm room someday (hopefully in the not-too-distant future). Maybe I should give him a deadline.. but he's usually pretty good about coming through with that sort of thing.

I have a cabinet contractor coming in tomorrow to give me an estimate on building a floor-to-ceiling storage wall with sliding design wall doors.

On a more personal note, where quilting is concerned, I stayed up way too late last night making blocks for a BOM, and planning the borders of my king sized log cabin. I made this quilt months ago and stalled out, unsure of what to do with the borders. Now I know - I'm gonna make some log cabin houses and trees! I hope I will be able to quilt this one myself when I get my new machine.

I'm exhausted and tomorrow is a busy day too - contractor, then class, then visiting a friend to teach her how to use yahoo groups, then dinner with friends followed by quilt guild meeting.

Thursday morning we leave for San Jose. My son wants to look over the campus and we're checking out property in the area. Nothing will happen quiltingwise or on the house for those four days. While that's not a bad thing, I feel like the stress of all these unfinished projects will weigh on me during the trip. Stress can drive you crazy... Gotta just let it go.

t 9, 2009

Transformations 9/7/09

First posted on Sept 7, 2009:

I've never blogged much before... well there was a short lived one on neopets years ago... I usually can't even keep up a journal, though I love holding pen in hand and doodling on the pages.

I guess I just want to do this to keep myself motivated.

In what I hope is a nutshell, here is my story:

I've been depressed for about 25 years. It started as postpartum depression and just never went away. My son is in college, my husband is a sweetheart who has put up with me all these years, and my dr. just put me on some new meds that have FINALLY made a difference for the first time in 25 years. Where was Abilify back then???? Anyway. I started quilting about 5 years ago and I'm seriously hooked. I've converted most of the house into roaming studio, fabric storage, floor to ceiling stacks of batting, and my one ancient sewing machine has turned into 4 machines... soon to be 5 when my longarm is delivered.

I seriously have to simplify, organize and redecorate. My parents passed away not long ago, within 2 years of each other and so my house is filled with not only my own things but many of theirs. It's time to let go of the past and move on...

So... I'm turning my family room into a quilting studio, my son's bedroom into the quilting room (for the longarm). I'm ripping out all my carpet to try to keep allergies under control (I love my kittehs more than my health). Walls need to be painted, and the general chaos of my packrattishness needs to STOP.

I'm hoping that keeping a blog will help me stay on track with what needs to be done.

Day one - this post... and we picked a floor - it's handscraped Pecan, light but with a lot of color in it.... should go well with the mcm teak dining room and the mcm blond mahogany living room.

Moving Day

I'm hoping this blog location is more user friendly than Open Salon - it's not that I didn't like it so much as I found it not so friendly for non-members... friends who didn't want to sign up for yet one more thing couldn't comment on my blog, for example.
My first posts will be importing my previous posts from there to here... so here goes...