Budgets...

Who schedules a budgeting process at the end of December??? Oh well, we're conforming to our new parent company's schedule and this is it. I've been consumed by budgets this week. Though I can't say I'm complaining. In many ways I feel like it's one part of my job that I really understand well. And the number of things I feel like I understand at my job seems to decrease daily.

However, as with every budgeting process I know this one will end with a complete and utter drain of all my energy. That can only be fixed with lots and lots of creative projects. I do believe there's a quilt top in pieces at home with my name on it that really needs to be pieced. I hope I have time to throw myself into it once all these budgets are complete.

Humanity

I love the humanity that works its way to the forefront of everyone’s mind during the holiday season. Everyone is so much more willing to help out their friends and neighbors, but more importantly complete strangers. Why are our defenses down so much lower during the holidays? Why is the idea that no one should be alone or without during December so prevalent an idea? It’s an interesting one since really I don’t think people should be alone or without at any point during the year. But maybe we’re just more willing to overlook the flaws in our fellow men that result in our willingness to shun someone in need during the rest of the year. The argument of “well, maybe he should just get a job” doesn’t sound quiet as loudly in our heads when the Christmas bells are ringing. Wish those bells would ring more often throughout the year. We should love each other. After all, what else do we have in this world?

 

 

Welcoming committee???

I received my ballot in the mail this weekend and I've been working diligently on researching the items at hand so I can cast my vote. I've worked my way through the state issues and the last item on my ballot is a City and County of Denver ordinance item. Okay, important city issues - roadways, noise, community safety...

Nope.

The creation of an extraterrestrial affairs commission. Um yeah - you read that right. A commission just in case there is contact by little green men. And what will this commission do? "ensure the health, safety and cultural awareness of Denver residents and visitors in relations to potential encourters or interactions with extraterrestrial intelligent beings or their vehicles"

At least it's to be funded from grants, gifts, and donations...not tax money. Important stuff we're dealing with here! Solid proof that it was WAY too easy to get items place on the ballot in the State of Colorado. I wonder if this will actually pass.

Monsters monsters everywhere...

I made a monster yesterday. He's blue with a red polka dotted bow-tie. But his orange hair just isn't quite right. It's supposed to look like a spikey mowhawk do, but instead I got an orange crown. I'll have to work on that more tonight.

I'm making a monster quilt for my cute little six-year old monster. Which was originally an ironic nickname, but as her six-year-oldness has begun to kick in more I'm starting to question the irony.

Oh well, regardless I think these cute little hand appliqued monsters will be a lot of fun. I absolutely love the bright colors.

Meanwhile the little girl cut a bunch more squares for her quilt yesterday. She only needs about twenty more and then she can start sewing! The husband is well into his third quilt top and will be learning to machine applique with a satin stitch very soon.

A new project

Yes, yet another new project. The scrappy fence rail is on hold until the back can be complete pieced (still waiting on a few more choice pieces). The tie quilt is in the works - about 1/4 of the center circle is together. Of course it's time to start a new project! But this one...is top secret. Not the quilt pattern or design. More the quilt purpose. So we have a sketch - 9 large patches (about 10" sewn) with sashing in between. Plus a larger border across the top and bottom of the quilt to make it less square. The material - scrappy of course! The background fabric for the 9 main blocks has been selected. A nice assortment of different colors. Now it's time to find the fabric for the appliques that will adorn each block. The best part about this quilt though (in my opinion) is the back. Because I get to make that one. Yes, a double-sided quilt. I thought it quite clever. It's a way to collaborate on a project, with very little actual collaboration. Match the two sizes and we're good to go! I've decided on pinwheels for my side, but I'm at a total loss as to what fabric I'll use. Definitely bright colors, but I haven't gotten more specific than that. Time to get to work on my design!

In other news...my machine is fixed! Ha! Maybe I'll actually get to do some quilting sometime soon. One can always hope.

And the quilting continues

So the latest purchase is a sewing table complete with a 1948 Kenmore. Which seems to still work. Definitely needs a bit of service, but even the lightbulb is still kicking.

We've moved out the big couch and replaced it with the one from my condo that had been sitting in our garage. Left just enough space for the sewing table right at the end. Now grumpy's sewing machine is no longer on the kitchen table. Hooray! Makes more space for the little monster to do her homework.

The tie quilt is still in process, but there hasn't been progress yet on sandwiching or quilting the scrappy rail fence. That one is going to be a bear to quilt - definitely queen sized.

In the meantime, I manage to get in a stitch or two handquilting the monkey baby quilt. Maybe I'll get it done before the baby arrives. We'll see.

A quilting family

My husband and I just finished our first quilting retreat together. We packed the sewing machines, supplies, etc. and headed off for the weekend to do a bit of sewing while the little girl visited her grandparents. I got started on handquilting a baby quilt, but my husband managed to finish piecing his queen sized scrappy quilt. We visited most of the quilting stores in the area and started collecting for his next quilt - a tie quilt. And the queen sized scrap quilt? The plan is to hand quilt it. My hands hurt just thinking about that endeavor, but we'll see. Hopefully it will grace our bed all in good time. As for where we're going to store a second fabric stash...the jury is still out on that one. We barely have room for my meager stash.

And while my machine is in the shop with a dead motor - I pulled out the Singer 301 and had it serviced. My grandmother, mother, and I all learned to sew on this machine and let me tell you - I had forgotten just how cool this machine is. I may borrow it while mine is being repaired, but it now belongs to my daughter. And she's already started collecting some cool scraps for her first quilt. I'm interested to see how all this quilting plays out...

What to do, what to do...

I have a ridiculously high level of nervous energy today. I'm going a little stir crazy. Worked out at the gym at lunch and still I feel it. Apparently I need to run a few miles...if I was a runner that is. Nope, no clue because honestly, I don't feel like doing anything. If I wasn't stuck being awake for the next several hours, I might consider just putting on the PJs and calling it a day. How can I be so amazingly exhausted and still so anxious and nervous? I can think of a million things I should be doing and a million more that might actually help me relax. But really - I'm at a loss as to how to get rid of this mess in my head today. Oh well, tomorrow will be better...right?

A new quilter

My soon-to-be husband has decided to take on the quilting world. Never one to be typical, he has ignored the role of the quilt husband and has decided to instead join in the fun. My honey has decided to make a quilt - one that will take up the whole living room, of course. The biggest quilt you've ever seen.

We spent the weekend roaming the local quilt stores with plans to drive a little further this weekend. He's picked out a good stack of fat quarters, some of which will now become part of a pieced back because they don't fit his newly refined vision of the quilt.

The purchased fat quarters and remants have been soaked and hung dry. Now comes the next challenge of teaching him rotary cutting skills. I say challenge because it'll be a righty teaching a lefty this quilting technique. Always a fun new skill even without the challenge of having to teach and learn in opposite directions. It should be a fun experience! Or a bumpy road. I'm not sure which yet.

Counting down

18 days until B is back and 24 until the wedding. Exciting! Each night I make another check off my mental to-do list and just can't wait to hug my little girl and marry my honey. And when all the excitement is over? Well, then I can just get busy again with school, girl scouts, and karate. Whoever said life is dull, just wasn't trying hard enough.

Happy Birthday, B!

Today my beautiful stepdaughter turns six. I want so very badly to hug her, kiss her and wish her a happy birthday. I can't stand that she's away for so very long. Two months is absolutely miserable and my heart is absolutely breaking every day she's gone.

If I miss her this much I can only wonder about her mother who seems perfectly content to only have her two months out of the year. The thought of this going on for ten months out of the year is more than I can bear.

I want my little girl back. I hate being without her.

How many dead horses?

My dad recently wrote a blog post on the concept of riding a dead horse in business. Whether it's keeping an employee or keeping a business concept; we can come up with a multitude of ways to avoid admitting that the horse is just plain dead. For whatever reason, we unable to give up and let go.

So, how often does this idea impact our personal lives as well. It could be how we manage (or don't manage) our finances or our household; how we parent our children; or unfortunately, the people we depend on in our lives. How often do we let dead horses stop us short in terms of personal fulfillment? What is it that keeps us from admitting the truth and moving past the dead horse?