Life

Life is good. Lots of peaks and valleys but generally good.

Blog posts - I don't know why I've been away so long. Perhaps I'm overthinking things. I need to revisit KISS. I do know I've been having fun reading others' blogs lately and so posting is a natural next step.

Highlights -

Kids in the photo (see last post) went to the state competition and did well, finishing mid pack. Woohoo. Funny aside.... I recently discovered a new teacher at our school (who I really, really like - probably because she knows more than I do on juvenile literature) is the mom of the red head standing next to Ace in that picture. Small world!

I completed another fun year working for the Padres. A month into the season one of our supervisors resigned due to being offered his dream daytime job. So I applied for the position along with a dozen or so coworkers. Mid June found me with a new job title "Captain". I LOVE the new role! I've got a funny story about the transition. See that 'A' to the left? I was supposed to get the letter B along with a pass key for access to certain areas of the ballpark. The letter A gets you access to the clubhouses among other things. Can't say I wasn't tempted (grin) but I also knew that would be my last day working there if I did. It sure didn't take them long to get me the correct letter B. I did snap a photo of the elite credential before they asked for it back tho.

Ace decided on a college and major.... Cal Poly - Landscape Architecture. I KNOW this is a very strenuous degree but I also know she is up to the challenge.

My DH was laid off and joined the masses scrambling for the few jobs out there. I feel so sad and frustrated for him because I know he feels even more so. We are hanging in there but this is definitely one of the valleys.

We went to Yosemite in June. Camped at the Wiwona Campground at the south end of the park and drove to the valley each day for lots of hiking. The last night there we stopped at Glacier Point to watch the sunset on the way back to our campsite. Ace took this photo. I need to find out if the resolution is good enough to enlarge it to poster size. That sunset was the crowning jewel on a wonderful visit. Yosemite is still one of my most favorite places and it was fun sharing it with our two girls.

Ace left for college in September and now we have an empty nest. What do you do with an empty nest? LOL We have two new furries. Maysie actually came to us before Ace left. Her trumpet teacher found the pup, a verrrry underweight stray Westie but couldn't keep her. We've fattened her up and she and Snoop are good buds. We lost Jasper a couple months ago and I could tell Cosmo was missing him something terrible so I brought home a shelter kitty. She's still new and time will tell if she warms up to the boys. Her name is Casi and she sure has won my heart. I will post photos of both in the future.

I have been quilting up a storm in the absence and will be posting details in the near future. In the interest of KISS.... that's all for now.

Good News

Wow. Another long break between posts. The really good news is my computer is back from the Apple doctor and is working like new so there is no excuse.

And I have more good news! My youngest has followed in her sibling's footsteps and done quite well at Academic Decathlon.Here's a photo of all the kids plus their coach and a few important county education mucky mucks after they won the county title last week. Next stop is the state competition in Sacramento in two weeks. Second from the left is 'Nas', their coach. The student next to Nas is Brian. Brian & my daughter (purple top, black jacket & blue jeans) have known each other for 6+ years and they both play trumpet. In fact, they both take lessons from the same instructor, play in the same band etc. By nature trumpet players are VERY competitive. See how Brian has lots of medals around his neck and is holding a certificate? He's 'off the charts' smart. He won 5 medals, 4 gold and one silver and the certificate is for being the 2nd highest scorer in his division. Now here's where the trumpet player thang comes in. Ace has fewer medals.... she got a bronze in Economics and ....... a gold in Music. You got it... Brian's one and only non-gold medal was in Music and Ace periodically asks him 'I forgot. Can you remind me what the silver was for?' to which she gets the icy cold Brian stare. Heehee....

I'm so proud of these kids. Go Lancers!!

Antidote to frustration

AKA quilting therapy. Wow what a week. One of my favorite scrappy quilts (below) resulted from a 'therapy' session a couple years ago following a particularly stressful week thanks to a former close friend (now she's a casual friend-much less drama).

This week was a combination of events that came to a head yesterday but the underlying theme was coworkers and friends saying they would do something and then not following through. I like to think I give people the benefit of the doubt the first time they flake out and often, the second and third. I know things come up occasionally to change plans or priority but when it becomes a pattern it gets frustrating to say the least. It definitely gives pause to reevaluate the connection.

Indulging the need to rant in writing helps me release; an emotional pressure valve of sorts. That AND an hour or so of stitching and cutting, and I'm nearly back to mellow. I'll post accomplishments in my stash busting report later today.

Changing it up

We've had some amazing sunsets lately. The new header is one I took a couple years ago but remains a favorite. I need to find a better vantage point for local sunset shots.

I've noticed a few other things that need tweaking on the blog. Stay tuned.

Thoughts on communication

I touched on catching up with my oldest daughter in yesterday's post. It's been REALLY good to talk to her in person! That's pretty much the only way she communicates. She will answer an occasional email or text message. The only time she calls... and I mean only... is when she needs something. Do her periods of silence bother me? More than I can say....but she is 20 (re. marches to her own drummer) and has never been one to talk much to anyone, so I don't take it personal. But I do worry about the unknown. Her home is 350 miles away which is just a tad too far for a quick visit when I don't get a reply. She leaves tomorrow to go back to her new apartment. Sigh. I've asked her to call more but I know the calls will dwindle. I've come to the conclusion I must make more trips to stay connected.

Thinking about Allie and her communication habits got me to thinking about communicating with others in general. I know I'm guilty of making assumptions, assuming I know the intent of another's words or their silence in the case of no communication. I've seen it in others too. I'm not sure what the answer is.... perhaps just the realization that we make those leaps will help keep us from continuing.

What I do know is that relationships change, be they family or friends. Kids grow up and develop their own identity. Friendships ebb and flow. It's ok to be sad for the connection lost to the change.

Guess that's enough heavy stuff for tonight. Sometimes writing things down helps me think things through. And besides.... my camera battery ran out of juice.....as soon as the card reader was working again. :cP Photos tomorrow...

Allie's home

It's a good thing when an adult kid comes home for a visit. Especially this one since she's not much at phoning or emailing. My mind is much more at ease now that I've caught up with her life. She had to find a new place to live on short notice and only spent a week on a friend's couch before finding a great one. So all is good. And look what she made for us today while we were at work/school......amazingly tasty banana cream pie from scratch.The week before Christmas I was working on a gift and I threw the timing off on my Pfaff. Yeah... I was trying to stitch through several layers of denim. I was able to hand turn the last few inches of stitches. The repair of the machine was under warranty but I just hate being without a machine while it's in the shop, so I decided to bring out a Singer 201 a friend found for me. It was the first time using this machine. I now know why many folk call this the best Singer made. As much as I like sewing with one of my featherweights, I really like this grown up model. I'm a little apprehensive about using the 201 though, it's almost too nice to use. The decals are all intact.... slight scratches in the paint but nothing major. This photo isn't the best but you can get the general idea. Oh yeah, it's a centennial model too. And this is the project I started on her New Year's Eve. Here is one block each of the two blocks in Bonnie Hunter's latest mystery quilt, Double Delight. I have lots of trimming left to do on the square in a square units for the top block. Slow and steady, enjoying the process. :c)

Three cheers for the Genius Bar

Apple Stores have a Genius Bar.... in store tech support for Mac's, iPods & iPhones...free if it's software related. Who knew... well, my nephews did because they told me. It took a couple weeks to find an appointment slot that worked with my schedule but WHOO HOO..... I'm back in business. They were able to fix my intermittent internet connection problem AND the photo card reader problem. The only thing they weren't able to help with was the Palm PDA link. I jokingly commented that I guess this means I need an iTouch or iPhone. His reply was "I couldn't live without my iPhone." Ah, youth. :c)

So I'm back... the computer issues were a big part of my absence. But that doesn't mean I've been twiddling my thumbs.

I'm loving my new job. I've come to the conclusion that the library was "neglected", for lack of a better word, for a while. With the help of my friend, we've scavenged good used copies of popular titles that were lacking. And 'my' kids are learning.... the readers come and visit me often and ask if there is anything new. :c)

Over the holiday break, I quilted A LOT! I prepped lots of hand work projects including 2 Woodland Creatures applique BOM's and the applique part of the last Pearl Pereira mystery quilt. I also quilted and applied the binding on Bonnie Hunter's Orange Crush mystery quilt. Used torquoise thread and the panto Feelin Groovy. The point was to work on UFO's in 09. HA! The day I took Orange Crush off the longarm Bonnie announced a new mystery. Double Delight. It calls for 3 yards of double pink. Even though I'm not a pink person I just happened to have a 3 yard piece of pink. Plus all the other fabrics too. Guess I was meant to do this quilt. I've completed Steps 1 & 2 minus some of the trimming. I also did part of step 3 so I could put a couple blocks together. OMG.... I think this one is my favorite so far. I promise to post photos soon. I decided to use Bonnie's color scheme.

Now that my photo card reader is accessable again I have one more photo to share. We have 2 Ginkgo trees out front. They were planted at the same time yet one turns a dull yellow brown and the other turns this gorgeous gold....2-3 weeks after the first one is completely bare. This is what it looked like the week before Christmas. The following week there was a carpet of gold on the lawn. Smile stuff.

Retreat Review et.al

I took my camera with me.... really I did. Did I get it out? NOOO. geez.

I arrived Friday about 3 and most of the attendees were there already. My friends had saved me a more than ample space and I was up and stitching within the hour. I didn't even take my bag to the room till bedtime... I wanted to sew.

Saturday ended up being gorgeous and warm.... 85+ degrees. (sorry to those with snow already) Sunday was soooo different. 65 and blustery. What a difference a day makes. I promise next time I will get photos. I attend retreats here 2-3 times a year.

I ended up taking 4 projects to work on. I don't know why I do that, guess I want a choice depending on my mood. Only one was worked on. All the blocks were finished being pieced and I began sewing the blocks together for my version of Orange Crush. I'm liking it but wow.... anyone got a pair of sunglasses. *grin* Here is what is done so far..(hmmm. My card reader won't work. I'l try again later to load the photo.)

I love going to retreats like this. I can sew to my hearts content without the normal home distractions interfering. I am going to take some hand work next time though. As much as I love these gals, the loud, non-stop chatter in the workroom drains my energy. There are some wonderful little outside spots to sit and re-energize and do a little hand work.

On a totally different subject.... I noticed a few fellow quilters talking about facebook so I signed up today. I saw someone with the same AIM address as my son so I invited him to be my "friend" and the person was not my son at all. Yikes! To any of you bloggers out there... what are your reasons for using facebook (or myspace) too? After looking around a little, I'm not sure I get it. Is there something you can do there that you can't on a blog? TIA

Monday recap

I got the ugly fabric challenge piece finished. Can you guess which is the challenge fabric? LOL The thing is, I like lime green .... so I made something I would use later. The pattern is just OK... IF I make it again, I won't use the peltex. It made it too hard to construct. The good news is I finished up the purse on my Pfaff... just back from the repair shop. Perhaps other parts of the construction would have been easier on the Pfaff.... instead of my featherweight.

Next on the list today was a simple 2 piece curtain for a window in the library. It's a window between interior rooms. The other room is the computer lab and since the lab opens this week to classes, the time is now to cover the opening and keep my office from becoming a fishbowl. Look at the fabric I found.... ties into my theme for the year 'Explore Reading'.Time to hit the hay. Tomorrow's gonna be a long one, between school and the Madonna concert and voting in there somewhere.

What to take to the retreat

Today is the day to do most of my packing for the upcoming retreat. I work T-F this week (including the Madonna concert tomorrow night at Petco Park) and leave right after work on Friday so it's now or never.

I have one of those "guilty" projects I should take along. Then there is my daughter's graduation quilt I should start. There's another UFO I dug out recently I'd like to finish.... it just needs borders. Last but not least are a couple of applique quilts that need the next blocks to be prepped and glued so I will have hand work ready. Yikes.... sounds like too much already. Decisions, decisions.

One thing I have decided is to remove the stash yardage used tally in the side column. I'm going to focus my weekly reports on project progress sans numbers. This past week found some progress on the retreat challenge. That's it.... and some reading. I tend to loose track of time when I read.

Off to pack.

Misc. projects

No photos.... sorry. It's such a big mess I'm not taking pictures. Ace and I finally finished painting the living room this afternoon. What's the big deal, you ask? Welllll, we started the project 2 months ago but stopped because we had to wait to move some large pieces of furniture. One unpainted wall had a player piano and a very large TV cabinet along it. My husband found a place to store the piano in his garage BUT we needed to hire a piano mover to get it out of the house.... it's THAT heavy. In the meantime the project sat, half finished. I've been living with the living room in disarray and was growing tired of it. So I compromised. Don't laugh too hard.... but the piano is now in my kitchen. The whole reason the piano needed to be moved was because we are moving the dining table from the kitchen nook to the far end of the living room. So till we can hire a piano mover, the piano will live in the nook. If the kitties have anything to say about it, that won't happen too soon. It's a perfect height for a perch in front of the kitchen window.

An the best part, now I can put the living room back together.... just in time for the holidays! Yay!!

My other weekend project was a guild retreat challenge. We were given a fat quarter of an 'ugly' fabric and given free reign on what to make. The thing is.... I like the fabric so I'm making a purse I'll use afterwards. Photos soon. Perhaps tomorrow. :c)

The New Job

In yesterday's post I mentioned I wasn't sure I wanted this job .... my first impression after the interview. The school has over 700 students, 33 classes (6 of those Special Day Classes) and the job is only 19.5 hours per week. Even without a calculator I knew I couldn't schedule all the classes weekly. The demographics of the school were another concern.... most of the students are of Hispanic origin and my knowledge of the Spanish language is basic at best. The principal addressed my concerns ..... there would be assistance with language issues and class visits would be every other week. I'm not happy about the every other week schedule but without more hours.... well, we do the best we can. 20 or more hours per week would mean the district would have to pay benefits and there are very few schools doing that right now.

Now that I've been there a few weeks I'm glad I said yes. It is an old school, built in the 1930's, so it has some unique characteristics from expansion and remodeling projects. I'm trying to ignore the snide comments from others, attributing those to subconscious attempts to feel better about their own place. I prefer older things in general so I'm enjoying the uniqueness of the campus.

I'm really liking the staff. I would much rather work at a school with marginal facilities and great people than visa versa. There are a good number of male teachers which is feel is crucial to an elementary experience.

One of the things I'm not totally happy with is the overall age of the library collection and it's condition. There are several books in the library that are older than me and I'm coming up on the big 51 in 3 days. With the limited funds available I'll do my best to fill some holes. In the meantime look what me and my BFF/childrens library mentor found at a recent book sale. Each of these used books were 10 cents each. I found 130 books, she had a similar amount. I sat last night and slapped on barcodes while watching game 7 of the ALCS..... Did the Rays really win?? LOL

'Bout Time

I'm sitting here contemplating all that's happened since my last post. I'm also giving a bit of thought to why I haven't posted. I guess in a nut shell.... with all the happenings of the last 4-5 weeks, my life is a bit out of balance. I know writing helps give me perspective so I'm gonna do my best to make time to post.

Happenings.....

• That job interview I mentioned in my last post was odd at best. I did not get the job but I learned a lot in my two weeks subbing at that school.
  
• The baseball season came to an end and closed a disappointing year. There's a bit of melancholy at the end of each season... you never know who will be back next year ... so you say good by and cross your fingers. A highlight of the last homestand, for me, was being awarded the September MVP award (employee of the month). There was an on field ceremony prior to a game and all I could think was "please don't trip, please don't trip"...LOL
• The week after the odd interview/sub job, I was sick..... I don't get sick very often. The boys were out of town so I was able to take it easy. Thursday of that week, Sept 18th, I had another interview. I left that interview with a different type of odd feeling. I knew I nailed it but I wasn't sure I wanted the job. By the time I got home, I found a voice mail from the principal offering me the job.
  
• Fast forward... I took the job and spent 3 weeks getting the library in shape for class visitations. Why 3 weeks? The school underwent some remodeling over the summer and that included the library. The new window heights dictated all the bookcases be moved and my first day on the job I got to direct district workers where I wanted everything to go. Yeah, I got to redesign the library layout. How cool is that?!
• My quilting business has trickled down to almost nothing. I attribute it to a combo of things. The economy has my customers being more selective about what they have me quilt and what they quilt themselves . Some of the gals I used to quilt for got short arms or mid arms and for whatever reason.... there seems to be a proliferation of longarmers in my region. I've got some ideas on how I will remarket my services... will work on that soon.
  

Quilting progress. Some of the things I've been working on....
Block 4 from Judy L's BOM project and ......A top from the Blended Wall Quilts. The pattern is called Elizabeth.... I'm calling mine Desert Palette. I've been collecting dusty colors that remind me of our local desert. Everything in this quilt is from stash.... blocks from collected fabrics, borders and back from stash and batting was pieced from leftovers. Whoohoo!

More photos...... A recent early morning found this handsome fellow using my neighbor's patio shade cover as a hammock. I'll leave you with one last photo that tells me autumn has arrived. It's finally cool enough for my fuzzy friends to curl up together. Awww...More soon.

1 - 2 - 3

Whoo hoo! I've caught up on the BOM project by Judy L. Here are blocks 1, 2 & 3....



...back to the long arm to finish a customer quilt, now that the sun is off the wall against the machine. It's toasty here today. Cheers!

Lifting this up...

to the universe. I'm hoping you'all can keep a good thought and fingers crossed for me next week. I'll be interviewing for a job that would be such a good fit for both me and the school. How do I know this? Because I subbed there this past week and I'll be doing the same next week. It's a open library clerk/tech position, 3 am hours a day, 5 days a week. Yes, you'd be correct if you said 15 hours per week is not enough time for the library to be open at any school let alone an elementary school. In our district classified personnel took the hardest hit in the budget cutting process. The district pays for 2 hours/day (isn't that SO generous) and any difference is made up by the school site. Not only is this site increasing the LC hours by 5/week, they also added a second "special projects" person who will keep the library open for an additional 3 to 3.5 hours a day. That speaks to their dedication to the library as a tool for literacy. I like their vision and the "special projects" gal and I work well together. So... crossed fingers for me would be most appreciated. Oh yeah..... another plus.... the hours perfectly mesh with my Padres job. :cD

I've done well getting on top of a couple projects so I hope to have some blocks of time this weekend to quilt. Stay tuned for a quilty post.