Moving On

So it seems that I need more room for crafting and less for sewing nowadays. The sewing machine has been put up for a while so I have some fun with some old friends. I forgot how much fun I can have with some papers, glues, paints and the like. Here lately I have been really getting into stamping, mixed media and painting.

So it was time to reconfigure the craft room I did not take the quilts down as they remain my part of my family, but will be putting up some of my other stuff soon. I am amazed how much room I have with the sewing stuff all put away. After I took these pics below, I even put away my ironing board and brought out a table to sit at. It is totally lovely to be able to sit and stamp, paint and the like.

Here is the room now

As you can see there is still a lot of sewing stuff around. I just have other things in front of it. Also I can still work on my hand embroidery and on my crazy quilting as all that stuff is easy to get to. It is the machine embroidery and fabric items that are behind tables and shelves.

I know that sooner or later I will be returning to these things and they will be waiting there for me. Just like we go through stages in our lives and we also go through times when different things appeal to us. I like to think that means I am well rounded, and not just physically, ha.

Currently, it is the artsy part of me that is getting the attention and fun while, for the past five years it was the traditional quilter that was getting stoked. By paying attention to all parts of our lives I feel we maintain our mental health and are able to deal with what life throws at us.

I like to think of my craft room as a reflection of my mental health. It seems that when I am starting a new project it is clean and relatively neat. My mind is in decision making mode, business like and efficient. Then when in the middle of the project the mess begins and towards the end things are strewn all over the room. My mind and focus are entirely on the project. Actually, my mind cannot seem to focus on anything BUT the project and all the myriad details that go into it. Then when the project is down, I walk it down the hall to show my husband and all is well. He gives his approval (he has been trained well in that department -ha, ha) and then I go back to the craft room and clean up.

When the day comes that I cannot work in my craft room, I will be at a loss. I hope there will be something around to pick up the slack. I believe all will be OK if I judge from past history. Cause see I go through phases and move on.

 

 

Did you ever run a diaper pin through your hair to make it easier to use?

Have you ever torn up rags to use as bandages?

. . . pulled your child in a red wagon to the corner store down the road cause strollers just were not in your budget.

. . . taken a taxi to hubby’s workplace to get the family car cause child woke up needing a doctor visit? (most families still only had one car apiece)

. . . had one doctor for everything, children, childbirth, skin moles EVERYTHING?

. . . boil baby bottles to sterilize them – the nipples too?

. . . made five pairs of pants all the same for your child cause that was the way things were – children did not have to make a fashion statement in those days

. . . cut your children’s hair, gave them perms and suffered the consequences (tears sometimes, happiness others)

Those were the days -times were not simpler or harder, just different.

It came to me that I was doing things the hard way because I thought I was too good to do things the right way. In the middle of cutting out some shapes by scissors, I realized that in Primary school they taught us to roughly cut out the shapes first and then go back and precision cut them. When I did that, it became so much easier and faster.

It made me wonder how many other things I was doing the hard way because I thought I was too good or too important or maybe too old to do things the right way. Of course I am not the only one doing that I am sure.

It is a dangerous attitude to have for sure. How about the driver who thinks they are too good a driver to go by the posted speed limits? Or what about the person who carries a gun in places that they are not supposed to? Or how about the person who feels that they know what is best for their children even though it has been proven that they are wrong?

A little bit of humble pie is good for the soul. It makes take a step back from the table of life and look around and check our attitudes and beliefs and re-evaluate our beliefs and perhaps change a few. It is also good to reaffirm what we believe in too.

It happens about every other year that I need to purchase a new tube of toothpaste. One of those huge tubes will last for quite a long time. A dentist once took his time to explain to me how I should be brushing my teeth – little bitty brush and just a dab of toothpaste. That way you get everything and the toothpaste is not cushioning your teeth from the effects of the brush. So it takes about two years for me to use up a tube of toothpaste.

So, last week I shop the toothpaste aisle at Wally World and find there are about ten kinds of toothpaste for each brand. Lets see, do I want whitening? do I want tartar control? how about some of the super foaming stuff that will work its way into the cracks and crevices? Oh, my look there are different flavors as well! It can be a bit overwhelming. Why can’t they just put out a tube that says, “This, one is for you Nancy.”

So I opt for the citrus flavor cause it is cheaper than the others. Gotta watch those pennies, ya know. I saved about fifteen cents (why can’t I find the cent symbol anywhere?)

The first morning I used it I discovered why it was cheaper that all the rest. They had to get rid of it before everybody found out it is not the color you want to see in the morning before you are fully awake. Actually, it is not the color you wanna put on your toothbrush even when you are fully awake! Then when you get it into your mouth (closing your eyes helps) you wanna spit it right back out again. The idea of a sweet toothpaste just kinda sours the mind on toothpaste if you know what I mean.

So, I gotta put up with this for at least a year – by then I won’t feel bad throwing away a half used tube of toothpaste. Though, perhaps I might be able to pawn it off on one of the daughters. Though if I want them to continue to talk to me and not put me out of their lives, I had better come clean with why I don’t want it.

 

Here is a photo of it, I want everyone to know and beware. Amazon is selling them in a six pack. They have found out and are trying to get rid of them as fast as they can before the word gets out.

**Why is it that when I drive five miles over the speed limit people still get mad at me for being in the left lane, even though there are people driving five miles under the speed limit in the right lane?

**Why is it that no matter how careful I am I cannot sew a straight seam? Yet I am a profession seamstress?

**Why is it that when I need more than five squares of TP, there are only four squares left on the roll?

**Why is it that when I want to cuddle with my cats they want nothing to do with me, but when they want to cuddle they will not take no for an answer?

**Why is it when I wish I had lots of time for sewing, there was not much for me to sew, but now that hubby is home full time and I don’t have as much time, I have dozens of projects calling for attention?

**Why is it when the house is clean and the sewing room is clean no one comes over, but when all is at the messiest, people just can’t stay away?

**Why is it when my closet is clean I can’t find anything to wear, but when it was all disorganized and a mess, I had no problem finding something?

**Why is it the Postman always rings the bell twice? (He does for our house at least.)

**Why is it Texas is in drought and we are hurting for rain, but the Mississippi is in flood, many homes have been destroyed and many states are facing emergency issue with too much water?

**Why is it only the stink bugs want to come inside and not the ones the cats would have fun with?

**Why is it that now hubby wants to run the roads but would not leave the house when the girls were little and I really could have used some “road” time? (Now I am the one that does not want to leave the house.)

**Why is it I have 50 spools of thread but none of them are the color I need?

**Why is it now that I have pretty colors on my walls, hubby does not want me to finish up the decorating and put stuff up on the walls?

**Why is it that with all these complaints, I still feel pretty happy and content with my life and really enjoy what the days bring?