When Your Head Is Spinning

Time to take a very deep breath....

We took coffee and bagels to Michael and Bernadette's new house this morning. Do you remember your first house? I sure do, because I still live in mine! They are so excited. They closed and moved in Friday and they already have everything unpacked and were hanging things on the walls when we were there. They removed a bar from the family room, tore out some built in stuff they didn't like and have a mental list a mile long of things they want to do.

I am going to go there next weekend to dig out a bunch of perennials that they do not want. Irv is going there tomorrow to cut down a bunch of awful looking bushes and an evergreen that was very poorly placed. Irv will be spending a bit of time there helping them to replace all of the interior doors! Irv loves helping the kids with stuff, so it should be a lot of fun!

The neighbor's dog already jumped their backyard fence to come and welcome them and Teagan! Michael looked out their back window the other day to see the neighbor chasing his dog around their back yard!

In addition to helping them with all of their new home owner fun things, I want to do some painting in my house this fall. I plan to redo my bedroom, the bathroom and the living room. Mostly just painting, except the bathroom needs a new sink and floor. I have no idea what colors I want, so today when we were at Menards, I came home with every little booklet they had with color ideas in it! I have a stack about two inches high, no kidding. I think I am going to buy fabric and make a shower curtain. Irv was also saying that we need to start thinking about siding our very old garage that is aging very ungracefully.

On top of all of that, I have two indoor craft shows coming up. One is in September and one is in October. One is an 8 x 10 space, one is a 10 x 10 space. Irv and I are trying to figure out what kind of booth we want that will be easy to transport, set up and take down...but can be used for both size booths and also be utilized for outdoor shows next spring. We would like to use slatwall, but we aren't sure how easy that will be to do. Irv is very handy, so I'm sure he'll figure it out. Plus I need to make more aprons and I am going to start making those tote bags, and reusable lunch and snack bags.

I plan to start walking Wrigley a mile each morning before work and then get back to my yoga and pilates after work.

Can you tell me how on earth I am going to manage all of this?

This is one of those times when most people would get really rattled and crumble. Not me...I see times like this as a challenge and I love challenges. It is going to be very interesting to figure out a way to fit it all in, but somehow, some way I will.

Tonight when I sit in bed with the news on, I will have my little clipboard in hand and I will be jotting down notes and ideas and schedules and I will be prioritizing for sure. I will have color charts all over my bed and sketches of my indoor booth.

What do you do when there are a dozen things you want to do and not enough time to do it all?

I yell, "Chee Hoo" and dig in!!

What a Day!

We had the picnic at work today for our superintendent that is retiring. It went really well. He's such a great guy. I ate way too much, including a couple of pieces of cake and my stomach is still reminding me eight hours later! HAHA!

After work I zipped on over to the house that Michael and Bernadette are buying. They were having inspection, so we were able to go in and take a little tour. It is so cute and in such a nice area. I think they are going to be very happy there. Once they close on it, I'll share some pictures.

When I got home I watered the flowers on the deck. They were looking a bit thirsty. Then I got Irv to take some pictures of me modeling my two new aprons. I love these two. It was cute...when I was headed back in the house after he took the pictures of the black and white one, he commented that he really liked that one! :) I like them both and I can't decide which one to make next as I sit and look at the fabric I have left.

I had hoped to get these all done before vacation, but that sure isn't going to happen. We leave a week from Saturday and I have five more to do! Maybe I can get two or three done. I wanted to have them for the show I'm doing a week after I get back. Why do I always think I am Super Woman?

Well, I really have some other things I need to get done. Hope everyone is having an awesome day! Chat with you tomorrow....it's summer hours and I get off at NOON!!! Woo hoo!

This and That

Beautiful day here today, finally. This spring has been awful. We had a little nice weather early on and then it has been either cold or raining, and raining and raining. Today it was sunny and in the low 70's so that is quite an improvement!

Took over 200 photos of more things for MyOtherShop...coasters, light switch covers, pillows, etc. Now I have to tweak them and then get everything listed. Here is a sneak peek!

Found some cute t-shirts at Target for work and the trip. I love wearing jeans and tees every day. I wish it was always like that. I even bought a new ironing board cover. Mine had no padding left. I think it was about 15 years old...or more!

I start summer hours tomorrow. I start 30 minutes early every day and then get to leave at noon on Friday. It's hard for me to get to work by 7:00 a.m. I have a 40 minute commute. That means I won't have any computer time in the morning. It will just be get up, walk the dog, do some weights, get cleaned up and dressed and out the door. I cannot bring myself to get up any earlier than 4:45-5:00!

I finished the green apron yesterday and almost have the black and white one finished today.

Remember the awesome fabric...well the aprons are even more awesome! I should have them both listed this week. I have five more of this style to make and then I will get fabric to try some other styles. This is so much fun!

Have an awesome rest of the day and I'll chat with you soon!

Pulling Up Roots

I want to move. I really do. Unfortunately, I can't move right now. There are a number of reasons...like the job market, the housing market, too much debt and two of my kids live here....the two that will be starting families of their own soon. Those of you that have moved over and over and over again probably think I'm crazy, however, I grew up about five miles from where we now live. Irv moved out here from Chicago in eighth grade. This area is all we've ever known. It was a awesome place to grow up and a wonderful place to raise kids, but now I want to experience something new. I want the excitement of putting down roots somewhere else. I want a change of scene. I'm ready to pull up the stakes and pitch my tent in another part of the country.

Let's say that three years from now the economy is better, houses are selling and there are jobs available. That would be great, but there would still be one thing that would keep me here, and that would be grandchildren. I am really looking forward to that. I don't want to be a long distance grandma. I want to be hands on. I want my grandchildren to know me, to sit on my lap so I can read to them and sing to them. I can't do that from the other side of the country...at least not on a regular basis.

So, just this morning I asked myself...what is it that's driving me to want to move in the first place? Is it the weather? The view? The house? The fresh start? The adventure of it all?

If I ever moved out of state, I wouldn't be moving to a warmer climate. I would move to Colorado. So it obviously isn't the winters. The view is definitely a plus in Colorado, but it isn't the driving force behind my desire. I don't really care too much about the house. Sure after 36 years in the same little house, it might be fun to have a change of scene, but I love my little house. No, it isn't that. A fresh start? That always sounds like fun, but we really get a fresh start each and every day. Don't we?

The excitement? Yes, I think that might be it....although I honestly feel that it's really a little of all of the above that feeds into the excitement. Don't you think?

If I can't pick up and move to Colorado when the opportunity presents itself because my heart tells me to stay put, what could I do to fill my desire for the excitement a move would bring?

What about moving to a new town in Illinois, or in southern Wisconsin? Would that do it? Would that be enough? I would be moving, but still not leaving the kids and possible grandchildren. It would be the same awful weather and the same basic midwestern view, but it would be a fresh start, a different house and heck...it would be exciting!

All I can do right now is to continue to control what I can control and that is clearing up my debt. Then when the time comes, I will take a look at everything else and decide where I would like to continue this wonderful adventure called "life"!! The funny thing is...when I think about pulling out of this driveway for the last time, I tear up.....I assume I would get over that?

Have you moved a lot? Did you leave somewhere you loved? Are you living where you grew up? Are you living where you want to live? Feel free to share...I would love to hear your stories!