Just DO it!

There are a few life-changing moments that shake your world....one of them is the death of a parent.  

Dad's airplane quilt - 2011
Yellow Brick Road, on point.

 

 

But that was a month ago!  Life should be normal again, right?  But, the weeks roll by and here I sit....twiddling my thumbs.... I just don't know what to do with myself!  Every night when I finish work I think "... now what do I do..."  until it's a respectful time to just go to bed.

 

 

 

 

I'd heard it said if you do something for 21 days straight, it becomes a habit. That is true statement...for more than 21 days, every day ... morning and night.... I'd drive over to sit with dad. 
I swear, now every time I get in my car, it fights me to drive to dad's.

 

 

 

While you need to give yourself grace, there comes a point in time when you simply just Pick Yourself Up and Just DO IT!

 

 

 

So, that is what I'm doing....forcing myself to sit down at the sewing machine every evening and sew, even if it is for only 10 minutes
(usually turns into an hour or so.)  

 

 

I'm starting with the project purchased from Country Sampler in Omaha last month.  HERE

It's new and fresh and fun...and easy, mostly....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hardest part...flying geese.  I only need 60.

 

 

 

 Other things to restart my life;

*perusing quilt sites and saving pictures of quilts I like; 

*this Saturday my quilting friend, Carolyn, is coming over for tapas and wine and she's bring a show-n-tell....what else.... Oh, yes, 

*A niece, Lauren, (who I met for the first time when she and her family came to Paducah for dad's memorial) is a new quilter!  She lives in Chicago, but there is Zoom, so we'll connect.

 

 

That makes two nieces who are quilters!

 (Dez's first nine patch.)

 

 

There IS life after death....both for me and for dad....
He is alive in heaven, worshiping at the feet of Christ all day long.  Psalms 95:6

On The Road Again

With my dad in convalescent care, my sister and I have been taking turns sitting with him, tending to his needs (competent help in care facilities is scarce, to say the least.)  There is no time for anything but sitting with dad, and work.  Every other past time has been put on the back burner for now. No Quilting, No Ukulele and No Gardening.

 

But, I did get a little reprieve this week with the annual software forum in Lincoln, NE.....YEAH
(sorry, sister, adding to your responsibilities.)

I decided if I did not live in KY, NE would be a nice place to live.

While there, of course, I spent some time with my college roommate, bestie, Cori.  We always have a few good laughs and a couple of good meals.  This visit was no exception. 

And I even managed to work in a visit a very nice quilt shop.  

Country Sampler - Click Here
Follow the link and visit their website.
It's a nice experience, even on line.

What a NICE shop!  Nice fabrics, nice displays and really nice people!  This would easily be my favorite place to hang out if
I lived in Omaha!  And, even though quilting is on hold for a time (because of dad) I still managed to spend almost $200. 
Oy, Vey....

I am not a Halloween fan, but I really like Halloween fabrics.  So, I could not resist buying fabrics to make this throw quilt.

Not Halloween fabrics, per se, but Halloween colors.

This will be for my nephew's daughter, JayCee.  Since their visit this past summer, I've been watching for a quilt pattern
I thought she might like...she is 13.

Front Row (L to R):  JayCee, Abby, Jason
Back row:  Sister Joy, B-I-L Mike, and me.
Our family tradition, breakfast at Cracker Barrel on the last day of the visit.

 Other fun displays in the shop.

Vintage Sewing Machines!

If you are passing through Omaha, I highly recommend a side-trip to the Country Sampler!

After a few days in Nebraska, it was off to California and some R & R with my babes... and a visit to In-N-Out Burger.**

The burger is almost bigger than Catalina!

(L to R:  West, Catalina, Gabrielle, Cash, Presley)

Good food for the tummy, and good company for the soul. 
Soon enough it will be back to the every-day responsibilities of real life.

**This burger chain is very popular....long lines to order food.  And, I've heard it is a great place to work.