A Week In The Life Of Gramma

And what a week it was! Starting with Monday during the day. (My last post sounds cheery when in fact I felt like I was at the bottom of the pond trying to come up for air. And the post was written before Ernie came home.) I had submitted a request for some days off for when my daughters were coming for a visit. Everyone I work with knows how I feel about my kiddos and my grandkiddos.

On Monday afternoon, I got a phone call from the office telling me that "people" were complaining that I was taking too much time off. How dare I! My kids live out of state, I don't care about the hours, I want the time off to spend with them. Period, make it happen. I spent the rest of the day trying not to cry. Everytime someone said anything to me, the tears fell. I came home hurt and angry and vented to my dear husband. He said quit.

Tuesday morning, Happy Birthday to Me!, I call the office. ME: "This is my notice. I will work through the end of the month if you want me to." THEM: "Ummmm, ok." ME: "OK!" Hang up. Fall into my chair.

I felt the weight of the world fall off my shoulders. Then I had to tell the guys. I told one, that seemed to be enough because we can't keep a secret. So work Wednesday and Thursday, take a 5 day weekend that THEY scheduled for me (and I did not complain about), work next Wednesday and Thursday and become retired! I spent the rest of the day cleaning my office. I want to leave on good terms, just in case. You never know what life will bring and I don't want to burn this bridge. I also don't want to cross it again but...

Wednesday and Thursday were explaining days and trying not to cry everytime someone says they will miss me or not to quit. I've worked there almost 11 years so I know alot of people. I felt so great about doing this that I came home from work full of energy and in a good mood. I sewed everynight.

Then on Friday, day 1 of my 5 day weekend, I finished up this wall hanging. I love it and am giving it away. Due to arrive in a mail box next week but I'm not telling who or why yet.

Friday night was the Brad Paisley concert. I almost didn't go. But I sure am glad I did. It was fun spending the evening with Dee, Vern and Taylor. And Brad is one of my favorites and a hottie!

Then Saturday, I cleaned house for a while, then sat down in front of the sewing machine. (Ernie didn't feel good so he napped off and on all day. Poor baby has a head cold.) I got almost all of my blocks made from my quilt retreat project. I am calling it Circles and Stars. Then, after begging Ernie and the dogs to go get ice cream-and they did, I ate my ice cream, watch Over the Hedge - cute movie - while stitching binding down on my quilted jacket. Then I shopped on ebay, put in a bid on a book and went to bed.

I got up this morning full of energy, checked my bid--won the auction-wooho, made breakfast and finished sewing my blocks. Now I am sewing them into rows. Hopefully I can get the top together today. If I don't I have some extra time coming into my life. I think I'll be ok.

I'm 53 and I'm Free! Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy To Be Home

I had a blast at the retreat. What a great weekend. It sure felt good to sleep in my own bed. I had to come home ( a 3 mile trip!) a couple times to take care of Uggie and get some stuff for people that forgot or wanted what I had. Other than that, I got to sew. And eat! Lordy, the eats at the retreats! They are the best.

Thank you to all my quilting friends for giving me a fabulous surprise birthday party! All I wanted to do was work on my projects for my birthday present. I didn't know people were sneaking goodies into a surprise gift bag. (That's what makes it a surpise, Goofy!) I can't thank you all enough. Even singing Ole Gray Mare made me smile. (Remember Sister SuSue??? Riding bikes in the woods, singing at the top of our lungs!)

This picture is of our Bingo cards. We sewed together a 25 patch and the winner, Marian, sewed all 25 of them into a charity quilt. She is going to add some borders to make it big enough. I had planned on finishing it for the charity of her choice but she said she would do it. Thanks Marian, I have a new project list a mile long!!! She also won a fabulous wheeled caddy that I really wanted but didn't win. Good thing I gave up Bingo along time ago. Better to spend that money on quilting goodies.

Like the book I had to order last night and the sharpener thingy that I had to have. All because of Jane! I guess I have enough quilty "stuff" because those 2 things were the only things I had to have and ordered as soon as I got home.

Talk about inspiring. Show and Tell makes a person drool! I didn't ask the ladies if I could post their faces or their projects so I will keep those photo to myself. But let me tell you! Fabulous stuff.

Thanks for the great weekend, friends. Can't wait until the next one!

Hungry For Free Time

This morning I was getting out the Cheerios for my breakfast and without the aid of my glassies, I read on the side of the box "Hungry For Free Time". Then I put on my glassie to see what this was all about. What was actually written was "Hurray for Free Time". From the health and parenting experts at KidsHealth. So I checked it out and there are all kinds of fun things for kids.

Did you know that if you got to Cheerios.com and enter your box code, they will donate $1 to WomenHeart, supporting women living with heart disease. So rush out and buy your good for you Cheerios and be sure to get a box with the $500,000 banner on the front so you can find your box code and help raise a half a million dollars! Way to go Cheerios! Too bad you can't enter a code from any box. I tried. But not to worry, I'll buy more.

The funny thing is, I am truely hungry for free time. Yip, every once in a while, I need some Judy Time. You know what I mean, time to do what you want to do, when you want to do it. No clocks, no TV, no phones (I'll have my cel phone just in case!), no (sorry honey) hubby or dogs, no work. Just some quilty friends to talk to or not. To laugh with or cry. Snacks, chocolate, good home cooked meals--cooked by someone else and no dishes!

I get to sit down in front of my sewing machine and sew. I don't have to stop unless I want to. You never know when you might need a snack!!! And I do need to get up and move around a bit.

My bags are packed, I'm almost ready to go. I have a couple little things to do in the morning and then I am off to my retreat. I have my projects all packaged up and I know what order I want to work on them.

First thing I'll do is eat my Cheerios.

I Love My Dogs But...

 
 
...holy cow, they are so expensive!

DJ's shots--------------------$86
Uggie's shampoo & hair cut----$35
DJ's scrubbin'----------------$25

After all is said and done

Hugs and Kisses---------priceless

 

WhooHooo, I knew if I whined loud enough and long enough, I could show you this picture. Thanks blogger.

Ugly Fabric Challenge

Use your best blue whinie voice.......why won't blogger let her upload the picture of this quilt???

Last November at our quilt retreat, we played a game using ugly fabric. We were to bring 1 yard of ugly fabric. Then we ripped it in half, dropped a half, ripped, dropped, etc. At the end of the game, when the "What are we gonna do with this now?" question came up, I suggested we make something for charity out of it. Add some of your own fabrics, can't remember how many, and make something for someone else.

Last night I started to clear off my cutting table and I found my bag of uglies (which by the way, I didn't find one ugly fabric in the bag!) and figured I better get started. The retreat is in November after all and I have to have something for show. So I pulled out my notebook of patterns from Quiltville. I decided on the Chunky Churndash. And this is where I am now. I have one little piece of fabric left and I think I can get the 2 needed blocks out of it if I add another piece from my scrapbag and use the pink for the corners.

I didn't have to work today so I have spent my time obsessing about this top. I have all the hourglass blocks done and will do the 2 other blocks later today so I can sew the top together. I don't know what to use for the borders yet but I think I have enough fabric on my self to find something!

Now I have to get going and run a few errands. I need to go to the quilt shop and find a black batik for my May retreat project. I'm going to do an organized scrappy (I know--what a surprise!) quilt and I want my 2 background pieces to be constistant throughout the quilt.

It sure feels good to be productive again. I think I'm out of my slump for a few days. I've even been able to sew a little bit at work and have almost all of my half square triangles pieced for my depression block quilt.