After Christmas -- Happy New Year!!

Well, I'm sitting in Panera eating and checking the internet. We're staying down on the farm and there is minimal phone service and only dial-up internet from the house where we never hang out...

It's been an interesting time -- seen lots and lots of relatives. from cousins and aunts and uncles (only one aunt and uncle of mine) to nieces and nephews and second cousins (the kids) and brother and sisters. Been to the hospital more than i would have liked however -- but a dear friend is in the hospital with a brain aneurism. We are praying for him and his family.

Snow in New York so we're staying in VA for the holiday. Leaving for CA on Friday. Looking forward to being home -- trying to figure out how I can enjoy what I'm doing more. live for today. enjoy life. it's too short to not enjoy it.

well Happy New Year! here comes 2009.

monkey quilt

I finished the quilt! Picture attached.

relaxation

Ten things to do to relax, and in no particular order ...

1 - watch TV
2 - read
3 - sleep (does that count?)
3a - play stupid computer games
4 - type on the computer
5 - hanging out with friends
6 - knitting
7 - putting a quilt together
8 - have a drink
9 - taking a long hot bath or shower
10 - get a manicure

can't put a pedicure on there because it makes me crazy. I'm sooooo ticklish. I really like a good shampoo too, but I don't get those often. Okay, I don't find knitting to be that relaxing but I had to put it on there. How about a walk on the beach, that's a good one (or rather a walk around the harbor), or sitting in sunlight. Listening to some good music .. watching a good movie ...

copy cat

I thought I would upload some pictures so I could be more like Katie. Here's the view in my office ...


and here's the view from my office...


















Anyway, I took some other pictures today and will try to take more and post them, just for fun. Almost done my newest quilt. I'm getting lots of help from a friend. Can't wait to finish it!

friends

I am so thankful for friends. In the past couple of days I have talked with two of my very dearest friends in the world. Kindred spirits. I miss them so much but we are no longer geographically close and we don't seem to communicate well over long distances. Maybe someday this will change.

and then new friends. I spent a very little time with my new friends tonight.

thank you God for giving these women to me.

sharing

I was going to tell you all about my jury duty experience but that seems like so long ago now. Thanksgiving has come and gone and Christmas is creeping up on us. We're going to the east coast for Christmas this year. The whole family. So, I'm debating on whether to get a tree or not. I really want one. It's just not Christmas without a tree. Maybe we'll get a little one.

I didn't take many pictures on Thanksgiving, but as soon as I get them onto my computer I'll upload them. We had a nice day with three of the kidlets and the parents. I still made a ton of food and realized that my refrigerator is way too small. When we win the lottery, I'll have to get a bigger one.

Working on a new quilt. A sock monkey quilt. I'm excited about it. I just need to add borders and get the backing. I was actually thinking of machine quilting this one -- the stitch in the ditch method. I'm going to check with my friend who does this and get some advice from her. Maybe I'll take the quilt up to her house and have her show me how to do it. That's a plan.

I'm also going to make a sock monkey. It'll probably just take a couple of hours. I just need to get started.

gonna get ready for bed.

motives

how can we figure out what our motives are for doing anything? I am so motivated by my self interest. I want to feel good so I do things to make me feel good. Whether it's eating or even exercising (which I hate), I do it to make ME feel good. I would so like to be motivated by love for others.

Enough of that. I want to learn something and learn to do it well. I have played around with different things, cross stitich, knitting, crocheting, photography, and now quilting, but I have never worked at any of them very hard. I want to work hard at something and achieve a higher level of skill. I would really like to be good at something.

Well, the husband is here so I'll call it a night.

ttfn (ta ta for now)

Work

So I anticipate next week being a really tough week -- not so much the work but definitely the people. I've got to do reviews and I am not looking forward to it. I am really thankful that I have a job and that we are not experiencing lay offs.

I wonder how things are going to go. I'm not really worried or at least I'm trying not to be. I am hearing more and more stories of lay offs and there is a part of me that is freaking out inside. It's not us, not yet.

And with all this, I fear that the people with whom I work are going to make my life miserable next week. Not all of them, but some will.

WalMart

So I went to WalMart as planned and hated it as expected. The people who shop there are rude. The people who work there are too. It is dirty and I just don't like it. It's not all WalMarts, I don't think, but it certainly is with this one.

They did have some interesting fabrics, though. I got some delft blue yarn to make scarves for Special Olympics; and I didn't spend my allotted fun money. So I will put the allotted money in savings.

I need to figure out what quilt to make next.

Here's a picture of my favorite grandson!!

charmed

heard a new phrase today: I must be butter, cuz I'm on a roll.

Of course, I love both!

Going to Walmart to get some stuff -- I hate Walmart but they have what I want and need -- I gotta pick up yarn for tomorrow night's knitting workshop. Some for people and the other for Special Olympics scarfs, or is that scarves???

Anyway, I gotta run but I wanted to write a little bit now.

confusion

I'm trying to accept that I am where God wants me to be. Trying to get over the feeling of hopelessness and being overwhelmed. Okay, I need to focus on the positive.

1 - the devil cat is being sweet, today
2 - we can return the TV we bought, cuz the old one still works
3 - I have five terrific kids
4 - I have one terrific grandson
5 - I have a good support network
6 - I have a good job

I have a terrific friend who I never would have imagined being friends with. I am soooo thankful. Thanks Amanda for being my friend.