Cleaning Out The Cobwebs

Yesterday was a day cleaning out the cobwebs. I mainly was doing this because Greg had been dealing with sinus problems for weeks and I wondered if the air conditioning coming on and blowing dust around could be irritating his sinuses. We cleaned the downstairs last weekend and yesterday I was tackling the upstairs. I realized when I was in my sewing room that I hadn't peeled off the dates on one of those little meditation calendars. I decided not to waste the time reading each one (I hadn't turned it since Feb.!) I ripped off the bulk and brought it current. The wisdom message was, "The wisdom of life is the elimination of non essentials."

It was like a light bulb went off...here I was spending precious time dusting stuff that at one time had meaning or that I liked...but no longer do. So, I started packing up stuff to go to Goodwill. Wonderful treasures for someone to take home and clutter up their life with! I felt lighter, the non essentials were going out the door. That doesn't mean all my pretty stuff left but, I really took a look at what I had and thought, "does this bring me joy or do I look at it as a dust collector?"

I don't know about Greg but I slept better last night.

Fly On The Wall

Facebook is an incredible way to keep in touch with a large amount of people. The question is...do you want to keep track of 100+ people? And do they need to know what you ate today??? It could be that I am maturing...LOL but I have read that the human brain can only keep track of 3 pieces of information at any one time...and so I know the name of my husband and 2 sons. I am already taxing the brain cells when I added the name of a daughter in law, a grandson and a girlfriend. When I was growing up my family knew how hard it was to remember every ones name so for a while all the women were called Kim. But that became too complicated when a phone call would come in...so we moved to Number 1 sister, number 2 sister...etc...

The thing about it...is that when you have a facebook page you want to see what everyone is up to and occasionally you want to comment on their photos, choices, jokes and commentaries. It is like being a fly on the wall and hearing all their secrets and not so secrets. I have reached a magic number of 10 friends. I like to check in...and I am finding that it is fun to check in...so how does one who is soooooo dang popular and has 500+ friends keep them strait?

Maybe you will have to resort to Friend 1, Friend 2, Friend 3....

Hurdles

Life is a series of hurdles. Running forward at full speed and suddenly you have to lift, arch and stretch over the hurdle. There is a science to running hurdles...you actually have to stretch forward towards the hurdle...reaching...reaching...reaching...eyes on a space ahead of you. You never look at what anyone else is doing...always eyes forward.

We can take a lesson from the hurdler. Life is a series of hurdles. Bumps in the road, trying to make you stumble. But, if you can keep your heart positive and stretch above the bump, eyes to the future, you will land sure footed on the other side.

And if you were to continue along this analogy...as you are at the peak of the challenge and you are stretching towards the future, with you eyes focused ahead...the view can be beautiful.

(thinking of you baby Will)

Garden Lessons

Working in the garden works not only your back but your soul. This weekend in some of the highest temperatures we have had...we decided to putter on our hillside. It is like a canvas in which the paint is rock. I laugh at how we can move a rock 3 times until we find a spot that is just perfect.

It is kind of like life. There are some hard edges, uneven ground and yet there is beauty.

I curse the deer who ate the flower on my red hot poker! And, I hand carry a frog to a safe spot. I squirt the squirrel with the hose who make a mess of my deck. But, I am quiet as the quail walk by...The garden is the place where all facets of my personality are displayed and amazingly they all get along...because my garden knows that when I show up, I bring all of me.

Humanity Is My Religion

I was reading an article on "morality"...do you need religion to be a moral person? Basically the discussion centered on the fact that humans seek happiness...and happiness requires one to live in peace with each other...and thus humans by nature are moral. Morality means we seek to live honestly, supporting those around us and seeking support in return.

Religion provides a skeleton for teaching morality but, we all know people who are not religious who are moral and we know religious people who are not moral. Which brings me to the place I currently reside...that of a moral person who believes in God...a God, who believes in humanity and thus I pray to the moral health of humanity.

Three Strikes Your Out....

The thought of an impending strike makes me ill. So much will be lost if my coworkers and I are forced into a position of striking. First and foremost the economic impact not only on the individual families but on the community will be huge. To wade our way through this impasse will mean we as employees of the largest employer will stop spending. Our community is already suffering with the national economic downturn.

As a community we are proud of what our town has to offer but that has been effected by the numerous empty houses, the closed businesses and the transient life that has resulted for some...add a strike by one of the largest organizations and you can bet it will affect the emotional balance of the town.

The sad part is that the strike is not about the money, but about maintaining our benefits and the security of our jobs. We take care of the community now we must look to the community to take of us if this results in a strike.

Feeling My Age...or...Age Is A State Of Mind

I am trying to decided if lately I am feeling my age or if, how I am feeling is a state of mind? What ever it is...it is contagious! This past weekend with girlfriends our conversations would move towards our physical maladies...is this the way it is going to be?...or is it the only thing we can remember because of short term memory?!

We do go to bed early...as in 8:30 PM but it is because we have to get up early. I do feel bad when I am lying in bed and I can still hear golfers go by, birds carrying on and occasional walker. What the hey!!! I am in bed!!!

Yesterday our son was heading back over the mountain and so we decided to have dinner early, 4:30PM. The scary part...is I liked it! My digestion was better and I slept better when I got into bed at 8:30PM. OH MY GOD!!! Please GOD!!! don't let me start heading out to Izzy's for their early bird special...where is JJ North's when a senior citizen needs an early dinner!

Today, I am going to do something totally not in my age range of appropriate behavior...like float down the river on my inner tube...or garden in spiked heels...or put purple streaks in my hair and get a belly button piercing with a tattoo...or maybe I will just except that I am who I am and garden in my sensible boots, take the dog for a walk and quilt...ahhhhh I feel better all ready.

The Poster Chicks of Quilting

It had been a long time since the four of us had done a girl trip or retreat. This past weekend the stars aligned and the gods smiled on our quilting lives. With work, family, and dog responsibilities we were still able to get away for an overnight trip! This photo was from the good 'ole days when life was less complicated...was it ever less complicated. I wonder if we allow "life" to take over our choices? I wonder if "life" is a bully?

As we traveled over the mountain and purged our souls of long held "pain", "guess what's" and "did you hear" I felt a warm glow of sisterhood and knew this was a good thing and I want to do it again!

Of course it did help that the first two quilt stores we visited had a "WOW" factor and we ran around like kids screaming, "come look at this!!!!" As is my common trait, I immediately made friends with the owner and her son which allowed us to venture behind closed doors to a brand new section which will open in the near future! Holly Hills in West Linn is by far the cutest quilt shop I have ever seen! We then headed over to Pioneer Quilts in Clackamas and they had the most amazing wool! Although the store did not have the same "WOW" factor as Holly Hill it was artistically stimulating enough to "make us" purchase fabric. The upside...the employees were very nice and there was fabulous hand dyed wool. The downside...the shop dog bit Dale! Evil little (*&^

The 3rd quilt store of the day...was of course Fabric Depot! And as birds migrating, lemmings driven to follow each other off a cliff or Emperor penguins making the same arduous trek...we ran into a couple more of our Fabric Stalkers in Fabric Depot who had traveled over the mountian...Like anthropologist seeking answers to our history and that perfect piece of fabric!

Happy Place

In my entire career I have cried 3 times at work. Twice have been this month. Time to go to my happy place! I actually love my career, it is the processes around my career that make it difficult. My challenge is to figure out how to go to my happy place while continuing to try and function as an efficient, caring person. Hi Ho, Hi Ho...off to work I go....

A Gentleman

Call me old fashioned by I like a gentleman. What makes a gentleman? I have been thinking about this since an experience we had at the grocery store. We were on our way in on a hot afternoon last Sunday when a senior citizen was lugging a watermelon from the outside of the store to place it in a cart on the inside. Greg grabbed a cart and brought it to her and helped her load her watermelon. The lady said, "Thank you so much! You don't see such helpfulness anymore."

My immediate reaction was...thank god I am married to a gentleman...cause I like them. I know there are some crabby people out there that don't want your help...don't want a door opened for them...or any assistance. But, I don't care. I kill them with kindness. There is not enough kindness in the world. Eye contact, noticing a person needs assistance or just down right conversation. While I was in another grocery store a elderly man saw me staring an the deli counter at a pile of really weirdly cut mac and cheese. The were cut into pie slices. He then proceeded to tell him a childhood story he remembered about a fight his parents had over chicken and dumplings. I stopped and listened...and heard his story. When I ran into him out in the parking lot he waved.

With all that is going on in the world I want to know there are kind people out there. I want to know that "the gentleman" still exists. What I know, is that living with me is a perfect gentleman...

Day Of Rest

Quilt week has finally come to a close...at least for me. There are some quilters out there who are still shopping! It was a wonderful week for me filled with new experiences. I had never worked in a quilt store during Quilt Week. It was fun to meet all the traveling quilters and absorb their energy. I met a quilter from as far away as Ireland...we will travel the ends of the earth for fabric! lol There were a few quilters that recognized me from having taught at the Quilters Affair...go figure...the last time I taught during this week was about 5 years ago. I guess teachers do make an impression on their students...especially when they get a teacher who does comic entertainment also!

Today I take a day of rest. Usually on this day each year head out to the Bend Summer Festival, but there is nothing I need and I don't want to impulsively buy...nor do I want to eat something that is not good for me. So, I am going to rest at home, putter in my flower beds, read the paper at my leisure, do some quilting...soooo much inspiration at the show...and make granola...a perfect day of rest!

I started my day of rest this morning by taking a constitutional walk around the yard with Enzo and took a photo of my first blooming rose planted by a friend. Each time I walk out my front door I will think of him and how sweet it was of him to plant it for me. And so, since I do not know the name of this rose I will call it "Mo" after him.

Friends, family and more friends...life couldn't be sweeter.

Born to Quilt

This week has been a busy one...gearing up for quilt week, finishing samples and projects for a friend's new shop, QuiltWorks...and getting a tattoo! Born to Quilt!!!!!!!!!!!!

After working in the shop today I wish I didn't need to eat, pay bills and save for retirement...I would so love to work in a quilt store! But, alas...for now I need to keep on, keeping on and so I secretly carry over my heart..."born to quilt!"

Self Defeating Behavior

Ahhhhh, so that is what I have been doing...trying to change some self defeating behavior by the brute force of my will instead of listening to my heart! Some people have an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other...me, I have my will on one shoulder and my heart on the other. My will, which I will now call Will has one of those giant blow up hammers you see at county fairs and will bop me on the head with gleeful regularity. My heart, who I will now call Love just squeezes in and out with needy self reproach.

Maybe if I grabbed the bopper and whacked Will and just embraced Love I will give up my self defeating behavior. At any rate, it does give me a funny visual cartoon! LOL