archivedthreads3

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Guilt, I am definitely fighting the guilt issues of not adding to this Thread. I think I can live with it.

We, like the rest of the U.S.A, have been caught up with the season. My sweet sister, Debbie, decided to come for Christmas. We were
delighted. Combine the facts that she hates driving and it is a six hour trip and it becomes understandable that she does not make it up here
very often. Oops. I had already sent her gift to Ocean Springs where she lives. I could not imagine her sitting here with everyone opening stuff
and she would just be watching. So, I got to play Santa, once more. We all know how much I hate shopping....NOT.

Then, I decided to make some goodies for snacks. First problem, I had to find the kitchen. I had not cooked in so long it probably took me twice
as long as it should have to make the pumpkin bread, mainly because I did not know where things were being kept. Well, I figured it out, but, I
am now going to make a concerted effort to forget that information....no sense messing around with the satus quo -- I mean, I do love quilting,
but, I love my husband doing the cooking even better!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

Merry Everything and Happy Always!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

I finally gave up waiting for a sunny day to walk. I figured it might boost my spirit to get the endorphins flowing. Wouldn't you know it? It started
raining about half way through the walk. One nice couple felt sorry for me and offered a ride. Did I take it? Heck no. I am tough. I am woman.
Hear me roar.....hear me sneeze.

Now, guess what is outside as I write??? You guessed it -- THE SUN. I am singing to the music of the day. Of course, it does not hurt that my
husband is on his way home from Alabama. Yippeeeee. Bless his heart. I usually do all of the shopping for the Mothers. This time I left it up to
him to pick out his mother's gift. He is still scratching his head. Do I feel just a tiny bit guilty? I don't think so. Not even one tinsy winsy bit.   I
mean, once every 44 years?

Speaking of once in a lifetime, I recently did something I "never" (oops, more sugar, please) thought I would do. I back-talked (yelled at) a police
officer.

I was innocently driving to town when I saw a police car coming out of a side street. Of course, I immediately looked down to see how fast I was
going. Miracles happen. I was actually going the speed limit. I had for some reason set the cruise control. Go figure. Anyway, I glanced back
as I passed the intersection where the officer was and sure enough, he turned onto my street, lights flashing. Of course, like a good girl, I pulled
aside to let him pass so he could catch the naughty driver that was not obeying the law. To my surprise, he was pulling me over!! I rolled down
the window and asked, "What seems to be the problem, Officer?"

"Speeding, M'am."

My mouth dropped open, my eyes bulged, and out of MY mouth came, "THERE IS NO WAY! When I saw you I looked down and I was going the
speed limit. I even had my cruise control on."

He said, "When did you see me?"

"At the intersection."

"Well, I had to go eighty miles an hour to catch you," he says.

I told him that was not MY fault, that I could have been stopped and he still could have gone that fast to get to me.

Then, still in my not-nice-to-the-police-officer-who-is-about-to-give-me-a-speeding-ticket voice, I said, "Listen, you can give me a ticket for
yesterday, because I was speeding then. You can even give me a ticket for tomorrow, because I will probably be speeding then, too. But, you
CANNOT give me a ticket for speeding today, because I definitely was not speeding and I will contest it with every fiber of my being."

To that he says, "Jeez, Lady, I am not going to drag you out of the car and beat you up. "

"Is that supposed to be funny????? It is not funny."

"Well, to be honest, I did not actually have my radar on."

TADA. No ticket. Merry Christmas, for sure.

As I started the car and drove off, I realized what had just transpired. I shocked myself. I have never, I mean never, even considered speaking
to an authority figure in that manner. I am surprised he did not ticket me just for "Naughty attitude to an officer." Whew. Lucky me.

Before closing, I would just like to say that today would have been my dad's 87th birthday. So, Dad, I love you. I miss you every day.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Please, email me quickly to remind me of what the Sun looks like. It has been either cloudy or raining for over a week. As much as I like the rain,
I am definitely one of those folks who is negatively affected by a long term lack of Sunshine. For me, a week without is "long term!" Help.

Actually, I could also use some help with inertia. Once I found out that inertia is not just the energy it takes to get something going, but is also
the energy it takes to stop it, I knew that was my problem.... I mean, if I even go look in my sewing room, I am doomed. I tell myself that I am going
to "just look at the quilt that I am working on, not sew, just look"....Yeah, right. My next thought is, "Maybe I will just sew this one seam so I can
see how that looks...." Sixteen hours later, I have not gotten out of my jammies, not eaten (unless that incredible husband brings me food), and
run dangerously close to peeing in my pants on several occasions, but, I have nearly completed the quilt.

Perhaps this is a tiny bit of insight as to why I skip so many days writing on this Thread.....?

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Yippee. I just got an email from the shipping company. Our brand new cups will arrive in California on the 22nd of this month. It will take around
another week to get them to Dallas where we will go get them. I can hardly believe it. I am a fairly optimistic person, but, right about now, I am
holding my breath. No wonder blue is my least favorite color....

I finally finished the "Very Pink" quilt and am busily working on the commissioned piece that I showed a picture of earlier, the green one with the
flowers (It took four months for the beige fabric to get here. Yep, you read that right -- FOUR months. At least I am no longer going to add to my
grey hair collection by worrying about my kits taking a week to get somewhere !!). I am going to have a very difficult time letting go of either one
of these quilts. I just keep reminding myself that the pink one is so perfect for the Breast Cancer fund raiser and the green one is already
spoken for....sniff, sniff. :-(    It's probably a good thing that Guilt is a huge part of me or I might just talk myself into keeping at least one of
these, heh heh.

My photographer, aka, husband, just left for Alabama or I would have photos to show. I will try to get the pictures done on Monday. In the
meantime, have a great day.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

We had a terrific weekend visiting friends in Texas. The food was amazing. The company even better. I just keep thinking of that quote by
Aristotle...."without friends life would not be worth living."

The return trip got really interesting.   A little background: our daughter was set to graduate from nursing school on Monday morning. My
mother, who lives 8 hours away, had wanted to attend the graduation but got sick and decided not to come. At least that is the last message we
received.

Well, we were about half way home when my husband's cell phone rang. It was my 89 year old mother. She had changed her mind about
coming and was now in Ruston. She was confused about where she was and how to get to our home. It was dark and she was lost. I told her to
go to the closest gas station and ask directions. Thirty minutes later she was in worse shape. Nothing like the stress of trying to remedy a
situation from another state! Anyway, we told her to stay put and then we called a friend who graciously agreed to go get Mother and lead her to
our house. What a prince. Again, Aristotle comes to mind....

How can one person be so lucky as to have such amazing friends? I also include those of you who come back to read my Threads to be a part
of that circle of friends. All of you are amazing. I am grateful.

In case you have not noticed, I am gushy. It is not due to advanced age. I have been this way all my life. Deal with it. Come back. I love it.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Well, did the last Thread make any sense to you? I started to fix it today but decided, nope, that is exactly what my day was like....confusing,
incomplete, scattered, etc.   So, incomplete it stays. (My husband thought I was through with it and that I had just forgotten to publish it. So, he
published it for me. Think he reads these things???)

We are getting ready to head out the door for Texas. I promised my husband that I would be ready by
10:00 a.m. and he is standing over my shoulder as I write. Pressure, pressure. I think I had better just say, "Have a great weekend," and see
you next week.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

I won't even go into the day I had yesterday. I love rainy days but they can be dreary sometimes and they certainly predicted the
menu for the day. Everything looks like it will be resolved but it took all of my husband's and my

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

It is raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring.....really. Hard to imagine someone could actually sleep through the thunder and the lightening
and the pouring down waters. Oh well.

For a week I have been saying, "I really need to get in the other room and write something." Then I just keep doing other stuff.

First, I was preparing for a talk that I was going to give at our local Pfaff Club. The shop owner, Louise, called me on Wednesday and said that I
needed to prepare to talk for 2 and one half hours, three different times. YIKES. "Is it O.K., if folks fall asleep?" I asked. ( I mean, I can
definitely talk that long,...remember, I always have something to say, not necessarily something of interest.....like this Thread, that audience of
ONE -- little ol' moi, and even I am known to snooze now and then.) Madly, I prepared my handouts, my quilts, my thoughts. Well, the talks are
over. I loved it. I was entertained; I was smiling. How could I not? I mean, 7 1/2 hours with a focus on ME?? How fun is that? Almost as good as
my birthday.

Next, I have been trying to complete the "Very Pink" quilt so I can bind it while riding to Houston, again. Finally we sign the papers for our son's
apartment. What a nightmare our country has created for the home buyer. Walls at every turn. We heard more "No's" than my boyfriend on our
first ten dates combined ! (Hey, it was the 60's and I started out as a good girl!) At least there will be very little guessing about what I am doing
when I don't write on this Thread for a while. I will be helping with the "fixer" part of "fixer-upper." Should I mention that the seller is not very good
at hiding his joy at selling, a.k.a., getting rid of, this place? Just what I needed, another project.....

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

I was writing to Suzanne, a new email friend (that is a friend I have never met in the flesh, only through the heart) and telling her about our
Thanksgiving. When I mentioned that the men in our family did about 99% of the planning, shopping, and the cooking, she seemed surprised.

Actually, my older brother, Don, is not only an incredible cook, for years after our Mother decided she was "done," Don did all of the cooking at
Thanksgiving. He has now decided that we should share the responsibilities. Funny thing, the "sharing" went to my other brother, Rob, and my
husband, Tom, both of whom have turned in to amazing cooks, themselves.

My husband's cooking career began late in life, as in "after-retirement." I had dreaded the fact that he would be able to retire before I was
eligible. I imagined the house with him there all day, and no Sergeant-at-Housekeeping there to protect the place.   It was worse than I had
imagined. Each day I left for my 40-mile-drive-to-work, teach-all-day, 40-miles-home routine having left the sink clean, house clean, and
husband snoring. New to me was the dread of what I was going to face upon returning. Each day seemed worse. The sink was full, the
counters a mess, the bed unmade, clothes everywhere, etc, etc. A NIGHTMARE.

After a few weeks of my arriving home, smiling" with gritted teeth, asking, "What did you do today, Honey?" and having him respond with, "Oh, I
don't know. A little this and a little that..." I blew up. I walked in the house, looked around, and said, "I tell you what. You have lived down to the
lowest expectation I had of when you would be retired !!!!" He began sputtering, eyes wide open, saying, "What?"

I said, "I left the sink clean. It is now dirty. Why are the counters full? dirty clothes all over the place? the bed unmade....and dinner, where is
dinner? I am gone all day, you are home all day. When we both worked, I did all of this, but now you are home all day....."

All he could say was, "but, but, ....but..."
"No 'buts,' there is no excuse!"
But, I did not know what you wanted to eat."
"For forty years, did I ever ask what you wanted to eat? I cooked it. You ate it. Do you think I care what you fix?"

Miracles happen. The next day I arrived home to a lovely dinner of pork chops, steamed asparagus, grilled tomatoes, and to a spotless house!!
A week later I came home and he announced, "I hired a maid. I don't like the housecleaning part."

He did, however, continue to cook. I should probably mention that we had the same exact dinner for a month. He kept apologizing for the
sameness, explaining that it was all he knew how to cook. I told him, "I did not have to cook it; it is delicious; I am happy." Little by little, he
ventured out with his cooking and now is simply an amazing cook. I have not grocery shopped for four-and-a-half years. He does not even want
me to do the dishes. After dinner, as soon as I start to clear the table he says, "No, Honey. You go sew. I'll take care of these." Like a good
wife, I obey.....90 quilts later.....

Monday, December 1, 2008

I hope all of you had as much fun during your Thanksgiving holiday as I did. It does not hurt that the location was, basically, perfect. We were in
Fort Morgan, Alabama, right on the beach. The weather cooperated totally, only raining the day before we left. Talk about being thankful. How
could one not be thankful in that location with friends and family surrounding you?

The weird part was how my clothes grew in my suitcase between there and here. I mean, the pile of dirty clothes sure looks waaaay bigger than
the pile I packed! Now I better try to make that pile disappear altogether. Have a terrific day and thanks, again, for giving me one more reason
to be thankful -- you are still checking in on me, yippeeeee.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Wow, I just read a website where the "daily" was last updated, April, 2003. I am FREE. No more guilt trip when I am unable to write my Thread
for a few days! Even I can do better than one update every five years!!!

Unfortunately, that "freedom from guilt" thingie does not work in all aspects of my life. I have been trying to get ahead of myself so I could leave
for our Thanksgiving trip without worrying too much about what I did NOT do. Also, I have real issues with riding in the car for hours getting
nothing else done but moving from one place to another. So, I have been madly trying to finish a quilt to the binding stage. Consider that done
-- I will be binding while riding.   See Dianne smile.

Smiling comes easily for me. I have a lot to be thankful for. A lady I met at Quilt Festival remarked, "As long as I am on this side of the dirt, life is
good." While I realize that is extremely simplistic, it is a good start for putting life in perspective. I hope this finds all of you, not only happy and
smiling, but with LOTS to be thankful for this holiday season.

Have a perfect, warm and cozy Thanksgiving.   love, Dianne   (backatcha on Monday....)

Friday, November 21, 2008

What happens to the days??? Could this quilt be one of those things that happens? I think so. Sometimes I think I include photos just to prove
that I am not sleeping on the job. I call this quilt, "Very Pink." Hmmm, I wonder why. Can anyone see the "oops" on this one? I always think of
my Grandmother as I undo part of a project. She loved to say, "As ye sew, so shall ye
rip." I think of my Grandmother a LOT....

This quilt is probably the one that I will raffle
for my next 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer.
I am mentally preparing for all of the phases
of the walk....making the quilt, selling the
tickets, and, oh yeah, walking, walking,...
and more walking. Next is the "reality"
phase when I actually start doing these
things.

Don't you just love close-ups ?

Tuesday, November 17, 2008

Who gets me into these things? this nutzy schedule without a minute to breathe? Oh, yeah, heh heh, I did it.

Today was a "Shop Ruston First" type of deal where a dozen or so local businesses set up shop at Trinity Church.   It was really nice. All of the
booths were pretty and had lots of cool stuff. And, I did the same thing I always do, shopped first, even before my own booth was totally set up.
Hey, first come, first served, and the choices are all there since I was there FIRST. How could I resist? What would be the real first for me would
be if I made more than I spent....yeah, right. Why change a lifetime of a system that has worked for me so far. Also, my husband might just start
thinking I was supposed to make a profit.....gulp.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Busy day, busy day....This is the weekend of the Holiday Arts Tour where various artists open up their studios to the public. It is totally fun
talking to folks, showing off my play room, a day talking about ME. I loved it.   Of course, it worked beautifully for me because my sweet daughter
came to the rescue to help, not only by cleaning up my very messy studio, but to take the $$ while I entertained the masses.   She even brought
her new roommate, Eva, as back-up. How cool is that? Then, my sweet husband wined and dined us. Could a day end more perfectly?

I hope the rest of you enjoyed your Saturday as much as I. If not, come see me!!!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

NEWS FLASH !! NEWS FLASH !!!

I tested my tootsies today. I did my first walk after THE walk. Tootsies fine. All is right with the world.

Now, if I can just finish getting my act together with my after-Market stuff. Hmmm. Do I really want to be "caught up?" Is that a good thing?
Probably not. So, I think I will just enjoy the situation and smile as I take each order. Wait, I already do that.

I am actually just yanking your strings a bit, delaying my BIG NEWS, the secret I mentioned weeks ago. I have finally given the O.K. for
production of my new cup. My very own cup. It even has my name on the lid lest folks forget whose cup/idea this is, heh heh. The new cup has
not only a new box, it has a LID with an opening for a straw.. It even has the straw included in the kit along with the curved batting and the
directions sheet doubles as a template for the final trimming stage. One final goodie, the two parts of the cup screw together. I am so very
excited about this new cup and hope it makes you sew happy, too. Now, I am waiting for calm waters and a fast boat......

On that note, nighty night.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

I took some pictures of THE walk. (Cell phones
are so awesome.) Anyway, this is a record of
our very first step of many...many...many to come.
I actually wore down the tread on my shoes
just like a pair of tires. That has to be another
first for me. I do not usually wear one pair
long enough to do that -- too many shoes, so
little time. At least under "normal" circum-
stances that would be true. There was very
little "normal" for me on this trip.

To make that point a little more clear, check
out the picture of the Porta-potties. That
is definitely not what one sees everyday.
Actually, nearly everyone, even men, wore
bras during the walk. I saw more terms for
"breast" than I had ever seen before used in
very creative ways. My favorite was
probably, "Save Second Base." It took me
two days to figure that one out. Duh.

Speaking of the potties -- I totally
missed the sound of flushing! but, not nearly
as much as I missed my BED. Sleeping in a tent,
on the ground after walking 20+ miles in one
day is NOT something one looks forward to.
Good thing is, horizontal was the most important
thing, comfort less so.

Sorry but I just have to say it one more time --
I DID IT, I DID IT.

Monday, November 10, 2008

A five hour drive and a 60 mile walk later.....I have returned. I am not only back, I am about to find out for sure how well "NEVER" goes down with
salt --- or sugar, or whatever, because I am eating those words as I speak. I have already signed up for next year's Walk. Never say "never."
My daughter could not make it at the last minute so I went alone. I was not alone....

This was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. First, I can brag ---- I DID IT !!! Not only did I walk all sixty miles, I did it without
so much as ONE blister. Out of the 3,200 walkers who started on day one, there were only 960 of us who arrived on the first day without
assistance. TADA. Following the recommended regimen seemed to have worked, at least this time, for me. I felt great. My daughter-in-law
once told me that if I received pleasure from doing something for others such as giving a present to someone who did not know you, that I was
being selfish. Well, call me selfish, Selfish, SELFISH, because it was, indeed, a pleasure for me to have done this. It was a joy to have seen the
look on peoples' faces as we walked, thanking us, giving us a high five, water, candy, flowers, support.....many times I walked with tears
streaming down my face as I heard "thanks for walking" from women in wheelchairs, in scarves trying to hide lost hair, others proudly bald.
There were men and children holding signs of thanks, hugging us. Somewhere on the route there was a sign that said, simply, "My mother would
have thanked you...." That one got me the most. When I told that to my husband, he, too, cried.

Don't get me wrong, this was mostly an upbeat experience, tears included. How about the group of men who had the picture of a little baby girl,
frowning, on their shirts, with the saying, "please find a cure before I grow my boobies!" You gotta smile. You gotta be proud you are a part of
this.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

I am baa-a-a-k, but, to be honest, only for one day. I should begin with a simple, "Hi, Dianne," because at this point I am sure that I am the one
and only person who is even reading this column.

Quilt Market and Quilt Festival were a blast. I love being able to meet some of the folks I have been writing to and now be able to put a real face
to their type face. I almost got hoarse from talking from morning until night, but, fear not, I have a very seasoned set of vocal cords. Folks tell
me I even talk in my sleep. Sometimes when my husband apologizes for not hearing something I said, I tell him not to worry, I would not listen to
everything I say, either.

And that "not being able to pee" thingie that I worried about before Market was not a problem for two reasons. (1) I did not have time to eat or
drink, anyway, so since there was nothing going in there was nothing coming out, and (2) a delightful gal that I met last year at Market, Gina,
offered to come sit in my booth. Meeting folks like she, is what makes life worth living. What a doll. Aristotle, you rock!

Gina was also, along with her delightful mom, my scavenger compadre. You would not believe the stuff that exhibitors were leaving behind after
Market. We scored, big time, with gorgeous plants, shelving, a table, etc. An artist friend of mine is known for saying, "You have what you
need." In this case, these other folks had what I needed. My booth looked waaay better with all my newly acquired goodies, heh heh.

Wanna know something else that happened? Both Kaffe Fassett and Ricky Tims came to my booth to talk to me. Kaffe said he loved my clocks.
(Should I mention they had his fabrics in them?, heh heh) and Ricky came to say how much he enjoyed my products, in general, and thanked ME
for being a part of their show.   Have either of these guys any idea how totally awesome that was for me?????? I wonder, also, if either of them
realized how close they came to being hugged and kissed? The awestruck stupor I was in prevented that from happening, much to their delight, I
feel sure.

That stupor will most likely be topped by the Major Stupor I will be experiencing this Sunday. I mentioned at the beginning of today's Thread that
I would be back for "only one day." That is because this is THE weekend. THE WALK. 60 miles. I leave in two hours for Dallas. Please keep
my feet in your prayers......

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Gulp, it is getting crunch time.   Quilt Market is this week. The preparation is overwhelming. At least when I finally go to bed I have no trouble
sleeping. I believe the more accurate description is "passing out."

For the first time, my daughter will not be helping me with Market, and to make matters even more complicated, I am doing Quilt Festival, too.
Panic time. How will I go pee? Maybe that is what Depends were really invented for..... hmmmm, wonder if that would work while I sew?? Ewww.
That is a trash can idea in every sense of the word. (started another quilt........very pink)

Monday, October 20, 2008

"This is the day the Lord hath made." That is what keeps running through my head because, for me, this is the most heavenly time of year. I
love the leaves changing, the low humidity, the coolness (especially love that I do not have to run the air conditioner or the heater, yipppeeee)   It
makes my walking time simply awesome and even makes me start rethinking that "I will never do this, again," statement. Do eaten words go
down better with salt or sugar? That is something I should already know at this age. I mean, it is not as if those are the first words I have eaten.
My dad used to say that if he had to eat the words for all the times he said, "oh, my child would never do......," that he would have weighed 1000
pounds!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Aristotle once said that without friends, life would not be worth living. Well, my life just became even more worthwhile. I am delighted to say I
have two new friends. Actually, I met one of them, Brenda, while I was in Bali, this Spring. She was my roommate and companion throughout the
trip. As of yesterday, I met her wonderful husband, Hal, too.   My husband and I were invited to their home in Natchez where we were wined and
dined, entertained. welcomed, and made to feel special, in general.   Lucky me.

I have one more thought for the night. Do Fortune Cookies work? If they do not, LIE, because I just got one of the best fortunes, ever. I hope, I
hope, I hope....

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Never. I should never say, "Never," unless,
of course, it is to say that I should never say
"never,"....hmmm, whatever.   That mess of
a statement was the result of my thinking
that I would never make a T-Shirt quilt.
Welll, guess what I have been making???
Yep. My son arrived the other day with a
large brown bag. It was filled with his old
Karate shirts and the loaded question,
"Mom, can you make a quilt out of these in
your spare time?" So, instead of doing what
I need to be doing, like getting ready for
Quilt Market, or writing this Thread, I am
busily sewing, actually, happily sewing.
It is more of a challenge for me to work on
something that I don't think I am going to like
as opposed to something I love from the
start. So, here is the quilt top so far. Now
the challenge is to keep my big mouth shut
long enough to make this a Christmas
surprise.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Long time no write, sorry. Now, I remember why it took so long for me to start this Thread thingie in the first place. I have come to the conclusion
that the only way I can truly know what the word "sleep" means is if I check a dictionary. Honestly, I am still having issues with that. It does not
help, I am sure, that every muscle in my body is screaming at me. I walked 33 miles this weekend. Lest I begin to think, whew, I can do this, it is
still only half the distance we are supposed to walk in Dallas. I am very glad I volunteered to do this walk. I will NEVER do it, again.

At my age one would think that I would stop jumping into situations feet first with little to no "reality" checking. Nah. Why would I wanna do
that???? This way life is more exciting, more of an adventure. It is also filled with beaucoup OOPS. Life just needs to last at least twice as long
so we could really benefit from our mistakes, from our successes, and then have the time to incorporate them into our being.

By the way, I am almost finished with the scarf I have been knitting while walking. I will zap a photo of it as soon as I do complete it. Even my
family is shaking their heads with disbelief that I am knitting/walking. Honestly, wouldn't you think "surprise" would no longer be an issue when it
comes to me? Hey, the only way I want predictable and Dianne used in the same thought is when it comes to my dependability, honesty,
trustworthiness, and ability to love.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

How little sleep can one get by with?   I think my body is experimenting with that idea and has been using me as a guinea pig, for years! As is the
case many times, I was very wide awake Tuesday night. I stayed up "creating" until around 3:30 in the morning and decided that this was
ridiculous, "Go to bed, Dianne." Strangely, I listened, so, to bed I went. An hour later, I was still staring at the ceiling so I got up and sent emails
to China. Really. Hey, it was daytime there. Went back to bed and slept for about 30 minutes. I gave up; I got up.   All day Wednesday, I
seemed to be functioning "normally," whatever that means. I finally went to bed around 1:30 a.m., not because I was even a little bit sleepy even
then. Shouldn't I have felt, I don't know, different? at the very least, sleepy? The weird thing is I slept well last night, for about 6 hours, and now,
I am sleepy......go figure.

How about a total change of subject? Wanna see a photo of my sewing room? This room has led many lives. First, it was our older son's
bedroom. Next, it was a guest room, then it became my "bead-making/painting studio." This is the studio/bedroom that I mentioned on Tuesday.
Presently, it is my sewing room. Hmmm, now that I think about it, I am wondering if it is even possible to get sleepy in this room????? I love it.

Tuesday, October, 7, 2008

Wow, page three of my Threads. Even I am impressed with me. Although this has not worked out as a daily, it has lasted longer that some of my
other endeavors, heh heh. I bore easily. Perhaps that is why I have supplies for every art medium known to man. My wonderful, patient,
supportive husband even built a studio for me to house all of my supplies, knowing that I did not even know what supplies I have. Part of the
impetus for building that studio was probably due to the fact that we could not even walk into the former bedroom that I was using as a "studio."
Did I mention that I also make glass beads and was using a propane/oxygen torch in the house??? Think that had anything to do with moving
me into the studio? I never did understand the big deal about not putting it in the house. I mean, it is supposedly O.K. to put it in the garage
which is connected to the house. Hey, if it blew up does it really matter if it is in a room called a "garage" or a room called a bedroom. The
house is gone, either way, and most likely taking this little ol' gal with it. Gross.

I am beginning to think that the studio was built just in time to make room for this "business" of mine. It is crowding us worse than the art
supplies. It is beginning to look like a warehouse in here. Boxes, tissue, labels, batting, etc. And preparing for Market only makes it a bigger
mess. We have boxes stacked to the ceiling. Literally. Do not be mistaken. I am loving it. I forget I am old. I forget I lived another life as a
teacher for 25 years. It is exciting. Now, if it is not too much to ask, "When can I start to order some black ink????" because I have the
"spending" part down to a science.....

Sunday, October 5, 2008

My Fear Of ... List While Walking has changed. Snakes have been trumped. Today, when I was walking, I heard gunshots. It is hunting season.
I might not have explained earlier that I live in the South, one left step away from "Deliverance." (Now, I can no longer deny my age, can I? I
have given wa-a-a-ay too many clues, I mean, "Deliverance?" Who else but old folks have seen that movie? heard of that movie?) Anyway, truly
scary to me are most hunters. I know there are a lot of terrific, level-headed, cautious hunters out there. I even know some of them, personally,
thank goodness. It is not they who scare me. It is ones like they guy who shot the woman wearing white gloves while in her back yard. Her
family took the shooter/hunter to court. The HUNTER WON the case. The decision was that the woman should have known better than to have
been wearing the white gloves during hunting season. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but, isn't there a stipulation that before shooting the hunter
has to be able to actually count the points to be sure the deer is old enough? Were her "two points" enough????

Hunter's Orange is my new favorite color.