Just Another Day

What a day at work. A sad and frustrating start, in which I felt a patient's needs were betrayed and superiors were indifferent. But the day ended with a rebalancing, when I visited a very poor, very sick woman who was filled with peace despite her bleak surroundings, and listened as she told me how fortunate she is.


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Sweet

What a pretty day.   I left the house at 6 AM, and the winter stars were bright in the sky.    Orion, my favorite, was high in the sky, almost over head.    I both love and hate seeing it there, because it is a sure sign of winter.    But when the sun came up, the colors were, again, stunningly beautiful, even at the local market and in the unkempt corners of my back yard.

And I saw the sweetest, most poignant thing at work.    I was visiting a senior residence (a genuine Old Folks' Home), and they had a 'Wish Tree' in the lobby.    The receptionist told me that it was put up as a project by a local student, who helped the residents of all abilities make a tag with their dearest wish.    I stood for several minutes, reading tags.    Some of them made me laugh -- one person wrote "I wish I had an elephant,"  and several wrote "FOOD!" People wanted world peace and "more money."   Some brought tears to my eyes.   "I wish that my cat would never die."   "I wish I had a boyfriend."    More than one wished to have their husband or wife back, or wished they could see their mom again.    I was touched by how similar we all are and bet that we could put that same tree in preschools and colleges and businesses all over the world, and the same sweet assortment of wishes would flutter on the branches.    It was a good reminder on this day of a presidential debate, that we are so very much alike, despite how different we sometimes are.

Project Overload

It is definitely autumn here in mid-Michigan.   

Although lately I've enjoyed all the expected beauties, colorful leaves, pumpkins and foliage, today it is cold, wet and dreary.     Definitely an inside day.     I have some taco soup simmering away in the crock pot, and I'm adding to the mess inside my house.

I am starting more projects, but nothing is near the finish line yet!     This week I received a wonderful package in the mail, a prize I won from Carrie at A Passion For Applique -- a wonderful pillow pattern, fabric, floss AND fuzzy yarn to finish it!    I love applique, I love embroidery, I am getting more confident at piecing fabric, so I can't wait to start this new project . . .

except that I really need to get a few of my in-process projects done first, lol!    My applique throw is moving along -- in fact, I've gotten to the Unknown Territory portion of this project, and will review a million youtube videos this week so that I can sandwich, baste, quilt and bind it.   I can already see that, as I've heard from many experienced quilters, I will look back with dismay at some of my fabric choices, but I'm committed to finishing it and plan to keep moving along until it's done.

I finished one knitted scarf and have a second one underway.    Both simple stockinette stitch, so nothing much to photograph.

I've made 3 little coin purses to fill the 3 frames I bought with the pattern.   More frames are on their way and I have a million ideas (and at least one purse in process) to fill them when they arrive.   I'll photograph them all when they're finished.

My Holiday pillow is moving along . . . slowly, but steadily.    Nothing to show until I sit down to sew.

And I'm getting in the habit of making wonky blocks from my scraps as the other projects proceed.   I'm not sure what I'll do with them yet, but I love seeing them stack up, and I expect they'll find their way into a throw or bag or something!

Perfect

What a beautiful day! Sometimes I just need to remind myself to stop and notice.


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Rolling Along

To my utmost surprise, I've actually completed a few of my projects -- has maturity and discipline suddenly hit as I approach my 63rd year?    So unlikely, but things are getting done nonetheless.

I finished my prayer shawl -- only a year and a half in the making! --and completed a washcloth and two change purses.   For those of you who (like me) didn't know, finishing projects is fun!   I might have to try it again some day.

My sister and brother both recently remarked that they might like to go target shooting with me so the pressure is one -- my sister has never shot before, and I'm hoping she will like it.    But for my brother, I need to be my best;  it would be very satisfying to hold my own with him since he's been shooting all his life in comparison to my less-than-two years.    I did pretty well at 15 feet,

but I need a LOT of work at 50 feet.

I think I need to get to the range a lot more often, and maybe it's also time to start doing the presidential debate thing and talking down my ability to shoot.   If my brother gets the notion that he should brush up on his skills, my plan is doomed!

I hope everyone is enjoying as beautiful an autumn as we are having here!   I was not happy to see frost on my rooftop this morning, but the colors are amazing!

New Month, New Resolve

I had to stay home this morning to wait for the Cable Guy.   It turns out that, after many service calls and nearly three years of service, the reason I wasn't having great luck with my service is that there was a 'trap' on my cable line, to prevent me from 'stealing' the service I've been paying for!    Incredible.    But, in that all's-well'that-ends-well way of things, it's fixed.   AND it turns out that I now get the Food Channel -- I may have to quit my job for sure, just to stay home and watch TV.

While I waited, I finished up one of my projects, at least to the extent I was able.   I got the little coin purse all put together (AND cut out another one!), now I just need to wait for the handle to arrive in the mail.    I've never put on a purse handle before, but I hope it will be as easy-peasey as I'm told it is!

After the Cable Guy left, I had a list of Intentions.   First I drove to the quilting shop for fabric, only to discover that it is closed on Mondays.   Saaaaaaad face.   Most of today's plans revolved around fabric.

So I drove to my local shooting range instead, and fired up the pistols.   I shoot two guns, both the same caliber, both the same manufacturer, but one is quite a bit heavier than the other.    I fired about a hundred rounds today.   I've only been to the range six times this year, but I shot pretty well.   I wish I'd remembered to retrieve my target so I could show it off -- all shots were in the black (of course), but more bulls-eyes than usual, if I do say so myself!

So the month is off to a decent start -- I'm willing to give myself a lot of credit, obviously, for very little.    Hurrah for low expectations! 

New Project Overload!

After more than a year of just watching, I decided to try Just One quilting project this autumn.   Just as others predicted, the next thing I knew, I had several projects started and none close to finishing.    Thank goodness for the internet - there really IS something for everyone -- and Barb at Cat Patches just started a linky-thingy for people like me, who've started stuff, and she's asked us to show what we've got.   NewFOs, whatever the heck those are.    Pretty cool, though, that my internal list of shame is suddenly something to celebrate!

So here we go.    I am still working on my original project, an applique throw for my fishing-frantic brother. He has a lake-front cottage that is done in hunting-lodge type colors, with my mom's pieced quilts on his beds, but the front room will be chilly this winter, so I thought he might enjoy a little extra warmth.   It's my most-done project, but there's still lots to do, including choosing the material for the borders and backing, embroidering the eyes and scales, and actually putting it all together.   I had hoped to do more this weekend, but the quilt shop was closed by the time I got off work, and I need fabric before I can go forward.

I saw a coin purse on a blog hop that I didn't have the nerve to enter, but decided to order the pattern and findings anyway, because I love the idea of making something so cute -- the pattern is cut out and I'm ready to get started but, uh, haven't yet.   In a perfect world, the body of the purse will be finished by the time the purse handles arrive in the mail.

NOT signing up for the coin purse blog hop gave me the impetus to actually sign up for a Holiday Pillow hop -- I don't have all my ducks in a row on that one yet, but I'm gathering bits and pieces in anticipation.   Pauline at Quilt n Queen and Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt are very reassuring, although they may change their mind when they learn JUST how challenged I am.

I also 'accidentally' saw a quilt that I loved and a blog that claimed I could do it (a name like "52 Quilts in 52 Weeks" is so optimistic, right?!), so I bought the pattern and a jelly roll, and I'm ready to start cutting and sewing, the minute I get a minute.   Once the braided part is done, I still need to find fabric for the borders and such-not.

Although not quilt related, I'm also working on a prayer shawl, knitted washcloths, a decoupage idea,  a variety of test recipes, and the usual castle and fairy house projects that are ongoing with my grands.  

I won't mention the piles of yard and fabric and Stuff I have sitting in the wings for my next string of projects.   Or the list of projects I want to make for the families and patients I work with at a local hospice.     And I will never, ever tell about the boxes of projects that were started years ago and went nowhere.       I'm definitely a better starter than a finisher.    One of these days, just maybe, I'll also winterize my garden and clean my house!    But for now, I think I'll have another cup of coffee and make a[nother] list of what to do next . . .