Jeez - when did I get so old?

Still not much going on in my life - I'm still having to take it easy.  My injured ankle has almost healed, but now I'm having back problems.  I ended up at the doctor's office twice in one week.  The medication they gave me (4 different prescriptions) don't do anything to relieve the pain.  They make me stupid and groggy.  So I go to work each day without taking anything for the pain.  I come home, eat dinner, take a shower, take a handful of pills, and zonk myself out for the night.  When the weekends come around, I overload on pain pills all week long.  Last Sunday - I might have been awake 4 hours all day long.  When I woke up, I'd do the bare minimum, and if I had more pain, I'd take a handful of pills and go back to bed.

I've got an appointment next week to have my back x-rayed.  They think I may have fractured/broken a rib when I had my fall.  Wow!  When did I get so old? 

I am soooo ready to get healthy and feel better.  I've made the first step.  I went to a "Cooking Healthy" class my insurance company sponsors.  But I cook only for myself, and that's no fun.  Next?  When I finally get my health back, I'm going to sign up for Zumba, Yoga and Weight Watchers.  I tremble at that last one.  I can't do those first two until I get my ankle back in shape.  And I'm working on getting my nerves up for Weight Watchers.  I've never had to worry about my weight until I had a hysterectomy, and after that, the weight just piled on.  In my opinion, I need to lose about 75 pounds. 

So...now that I've spilled the beans on all that, I'm going to close this post.  It was really scary just putting all this down on paper.  Because now I feel like I've made a commitment. 

I can't wait until I find out about my back.  The doctor said there was nothing they can do if I have fractured or broken a rib - I can only have pain pills (which don't work).  But I still want the x-rays.  I want to know exactly what is wrong.  Because if I haven't injured my ribs, then there's something else wrong, and we can start working on finding out what the problem is.

Jeez - when did I get so old??

I'm probably doing a lot of damage...

Ankle Update:  It’s still hurting from my fall on September 5th, but I can tell there is progress every day.  By the time I get home from work, all I want to do is elevate my foot, so no progress has been made on any sewing projects.  I don’t miss sewing, and that concerns me.  I’m hoping the quilt bug will bite me and I’ll be ready to sew once my ankle cooperates.  Please Lord!

Now, as far as the damage I may be doing:  I know I’m a blogaholic (is that even a word?)

I knew I had a problem with the number of blogs I subscribe to, because I asked questions about Google Reader here.

I went to visit family over the weekend, and had 1,200+ blog updates to read when I returned.  All of that in only three days.  Three.  Days.  OMG!  I knew I had been spending too many hours each evening reading blog updates.

I've been busy “unsubscribing” to blogs since yesterday.  And I'm tired. 

So - for the 36 of you that follow me, please let me know if I have unknowingly unsubscribed to your blog.  Because I'm starting to go a little crazy with this unsubscribe business, and I've decided I'm going to whittle this down (hopefully) to a small number of blogs, and that's (hopefully) where it will stay. 

In the meantime, I'll be busy for the next few days.  Because I know I unsubscribed to some blogs last night, but yet I'm having updates from them today and they're back in my Google Reader listing.  I know I unsubscribed at the GFC button on their blog (or on the Blog Management page within my blog), and I also unsubscribed with the drop-down within Google Reader.  So evidently something isn't working right.  Dear Lord, please tell me I haven't devoted all of these hours to unsubscribe and it hasn't worked. 

Guess I better scoot so I can see what's going on -- wish me luck!

It's not broken, just badly sprained

At my age, we don't snap back like we did when we were younger. 

I had guests over the weekend.  My mom and granddaughter were here.  We're such a dysfunctional family, suffice it to say I'm glad the weekend is over and I'm back to just me again.

I was helping load everything for their return trip, making a couple of trips back into the house.  There are six steps outside that lead down to the sidewalk to the front door.  I started down the steps and took a tumble down the last two or three.  Very graceful, huh?  I used to consider myself clumsy and would joke and say my middle name should have been "Grace".  Maybe I need to start saying that again. 

So - my left ankle was killing me - but I iced it, and kept it elevated and went to work yesterday.   A co-worker took me to the clinic and after x-rays it was determined it's not broken, just badly sprained.   So I was given pain meds, anti-inflammatory and crutches.  Oh, and a tetanus shot.  Now I think the tetanus shot injection site hurts almost as much as the ankle.  Almost.

Anyway, I get back to the office, finish up what I was working on before I went to the clinic, and headed home.  I had an assignment I needed to finish once I arrived at the house.  No problem.  Except...smart me decided I'd go ahead and take the muscle spasm medicine.  Last thing I remember is sitting on the sofa with my foot elevated and the laptop in my lap.  Four hours later I woke up.  I hopped to the bedroom, crawled in the bed, promptly went back to sleep and didn't wake up until ten hours later.  Awesome medicine, huh??  I think I'll definitely take another one Friday night.  What a wonderful uninterrupted night of sleep.  It was Heaven.

I told the doctor I needed a quick healing -- I am a volunteer usher at the Fox Theater and I had signed up to work later this month for "Wicked".  I started volunteering two years ago - specifically so I could see "Wicked" and in all the time I've been volunteering, it hasn't come back.  Until now.  And now I'm injured and certainly won't be able to assist people to their seats if I can't walk.  And I'm ushering upstairs.  Up.Stairs.  I've got to heal fast.  FAST.

One funny thing about my fall.  My husband was behind me when I fell.  God, I was lying there hurting.  He tried to help me up, and I was like, "no,  no, God, I hurt.  Hold on, I'll get up on my own."  Then I said something like, "I think they felt that in China."  I was lying face-down on the sidewalk and he was leaning over me and thought I said something about hurting my "V_ _ _ _ _" (rhymes with China").  Even hurting as bad as I was, I still had to laugh.  Isn't it crazy how our hearing plays trick on us too when we get old?  And no, I didn't hurt my V_ _ _ _ _.  Thank God!

What a crappy way to end an already crappy weekend.  Every time we get together, one or more of the following happen:
     someone ends up getting their feelings hurt
     someone ends up crying
     someone ends up storming out of the house heading back to their house
    
And I usually end up in the middle of it all. 

Am I the only one with an dysfunctional family?   God, I hate it! 

It's been a month since I've posted anything

I haven't talked about my job much on my blog.  I'm a Budget Analyst and work for a government agency.   Our money is received based on a budget fiscal year versus the annual year.  So for all intents and purposes, all our money expires on 30 September each year.  Since I'm a Budget Analyst, things get really busy this time of year.  So here recently, my time has not been my own.  I've been working Saturdays and Sundays, and when I do finally get to come home, I'm exhausted and don't feel like doing much.  I've been reading all of your wonderful blog updates, but just simply haven't taken the time to post anything new to my blog.

Don't give up on my please.  When I finally get back to this blog, I'll have plenty to say.  Here's a quick recap of some things that are going on:

I've got a win-win situation going on with my mentor/longarm quilter in Texas.  She made up some quilt "kits" along with layouts, mailed them to me, and I'll make the quilt flimsies based on the designs she sent.  I'll be getting experience piecing (and hopefully glean some tips on how to pick colors/fabrics which I totally suck at), and then I'll mail them back to her, and she'll sandwich, quilt, and donate them to one of her charities.  That's where the "win-win" comes in.  I gain experience.  She gets quilt tops to donate.  So far, I've only completed one of the four quilt "kits" she sent me. 

Remember I won the Accuquilt Go! Baby?  I've already received it, and believe it or not, I haven't even taken it out of the box.  My mentor/longarm quilter in Texas also sent me a box of scraps from the 70's or 80's that she said I can use while practicing with my Go! Baby.  Darn, I just need to find the time!

I have an "angel" that mailed me some wonderful fabric.  Not because I won anything.  But because she's an "angel".   New fabrics.  Beautiful new fabrics.  Fat Quarters.  Charm Packs.  Lovely, lovely fabric.  And I've got thread.  How wonderful!   

My work won't slow down until November.  Well...at least, totally slow down.  Once it does, I'll be able to spend time "playing" with the Go! Baby and then my new fabrics can be used to make something breathtakingly beautiful.  Not sure it'll be THAT great, but at least I hope to make something beautiful.

Hang in there for me.  I hope to eventually get this blog up and going.  I hope to have photos, and projects to share. 

In the meantime, like I said, I've been reading everything you've been doing.  And I've been trying to leave comments when I can.

November....ahhh....I can't wait.

Speed cutting video

Remember, I consider myself new to quilting, and I'm still learning a lot.  But late last night, I stumbled across this post at KateKwiltz.  At the end of this short post, she gives you a link to a video for speed cutting.  In the video, I was amazed at the simplicity of the cutting technique.  The demonstration is for a square on point, and with four simple cuts with the rotary cutter, you have cut 6 square on point blocks ready for sewing (consisting of 30 pieces).  Just that simple!

Again - you might already know this, but I was truly impressed.

To go straight to the speed cutting video, click here.

EEEK!!! LOOK WHAT I WON!!!!

Oh dear Lord!  I can't believe it!!  I've been entering contests left and right trying to win one of these GO! Baby fabric cutters.  And I can't believe I won one.  I got an e-mail today from Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts.  And I just love the way she informed me I had won!  The subject of her e-mail was one simple word:  Giveaway.  I open her e-mail and there's a note that says:  Deborah, I think you might want to check out my blog post! http://ellisonlane.blogspot.com/2011/07/accquilt-go-baby-winner.html

Now I'm out putting slobber on my laptop screen trying to pick out three dies.  I thought I knew what I would get - I mean, I really did!  But oh my!!  I'm still new to quilting and really don't know which dies will be the best to select.  I had thought, "Okay, I'll get the 2.5" strip die because I have to put bindings on every quilt I make, and that means I'd use it each and every time I make a quilt."  Then I thought "Hmmm....cutting strips isn't that difficult.  That wouldn't really be much of a time saver for me."  Then I was talking with Debra at Debra's Design Studio trying to pick her brain.  She got me on the road to thinking if I purchased a die for squares, I'd merely have to cut that square in half to get triangles.  Yeah!!  That sounds really cool!  But what size squares/triangles are the most popular with quilt patterns?  When you don't have a history of making quilts, you don't know what size to get.

I was thinking of getting the Bountiful Baskets by Alex Anderson (not sure if they have a dollar amount as a ceiling for the dies) because I've always thought I'd like to make one of those quilts, and the die for it is twice the price of the others.  Whatcha' think?  

So....anybody want to jump on the wagon and recommend dies and tell me why you think I should select a certain one?  And this is a GO! Baby, so not all the GO! dies will work for it. 

Squeal!!!  I'm so dang excited I keep opening the e-mail and looking at Jennifer's blog all over again, just so I can see my name on her post as the winner!!!

Still playing with my granddaughter

Well, it's been a fun week, but it's almost come to an end.  I've had my 5-year old granddaughter since Friday afternoon, and my oh my, I'm finding it hard to believe I had twins and kept my house in order.  Maybe it's just the fact that as a grandmother I'm all about trying to do fun things with my granddaughter and not focus on keeping things clean around the house.  I've discovered (yet once again!) that she's more content to sit and play games on the computer than going places and playing. 

We went to the pool for 3 hours earlier this week.  Stayed in the pool the entire time.  She had a blast, and I did too!

Went to a puppet show yesterday, but left less than 10 minutes after it started because she was "bored". 

Today we will have our last full day together.  We plan on visiting her aunt and uncle (my daughter and her husband) who live about 40 minutes away.  I hope to do some shopping for clothes and shoes for her while we're out.  But with the way things are going right now, it doesn't look like that will happen.  I mean, how many excuses can you come up with to delay brushing your teeth, brushing your hair, and getting dressed (how much easier it was when you could put what you wanted to on her and didn't have to worry about her opinion about what she wanted to wear).  There are so many excuses to slow down our departure.  Just getting breakfast down her was a 30-minute playtime. 

I haven't had time to play with the new laptop, or even load the software for my camera.  HA!  I haven't even taken any picture since she's been here.  What a terrible grandmother I've been.  Well, I really haven't.  We've had so much fun since she's been here - playing on the computer (we've found so many websites for games), making a tent with two chairs and a quilt hung over them, snuggle time at bedtime, practicing spelling and reading, and our short foray into the sewing room this morning.  Hopefully we'll find time after our visit with her aunt and uncle for her to try to sew a small blanket for her bunny rabbit.  She picked out some fabrics that sadly don't look good together, but they're what she wants, so that's what she'll have.  It took a long time for her to make her decision.  She selected six fabrics for blocks to make her center, and then four fabrics for the border (a different color on each side).  Hey!  Maybe I can remember to take photos when she's sewing.  Yeah, right!!  Anyway, I need to cut the six fabrics for the center blocks.  I bought one of those glue sticks and will glue the fabrics together so they won't shift when she sews them.  Hopefully we can get that done this evening before bedtime. 

I've kept up with everything going on with all of you while she's been here.  While she's been playing on the computer with her games, I've been playing on the computer with mine.

The week has flown by, and it's hard to believe it's time to take her home.  I know I need to take my energy pills, because when I get her home, I'll be cleaning my mom's house.  There will be plenty of dishes and clothes to wash, floors to vacuum, bathrooms to clean, and groceries to buy. 

When I return, it will be back to the daily grind of my life as a Budget Analyst, with numbers and spreadsheets and getting to work at 6:00 a.m.  One of the reasons I don't look forward to retirement - I like having structure to my life.  Knowing I have to do specific things each day.

Hoping all of you have had a lovely 4th of July with your families, and you remembered the reason we celebrate this holiday.

Support our Troops - Send coupons

I received an e-mail from a friend in Germany today.  In that e-mail was the below (which is verbatim).  Please take note that coupons overseas are good for six months after their expiration date.

Please share this information with others as appropriate, particularly folks in the US who may not use all or have expired coupons to send along in support of the overseas military families.

The Army Community Service office in Kaiserslautern, Germany, has a coupon program to help benefit US military families in the area on their purchases at the local military commissary. Coupons are sent in from individuals and organizations back in the US to help the families save money on their food and other purchases. The commissaries benefit too by receiving a processing fee on all redeemed coupons (and that potentially saves all taxpayers).  PLUS, most coupons are good for up to six months after their expiration
dates in the US. So, no need to throw away expired coupons back home, just send them along for the ACS program over here.

The mailing address is:

US Army Garrison - Kaiserslautern (which can be abbreviated USAG-K)
Army Community Service
Unit 23152
APO AE 09227

Normal US postage may be used. (No need for international stamps.)
Thank you for your support.

Note from me:  I remember shopping at the Commissary in Heidelberg.  When I walked in the front door, there was a box full of coupons.  Many of us would stand at the counter and sort through that box to see if we could find coupons for purchases we planned to make.  Unless we subscribed to the local paper from "home", we had no way to get coupons unless it was out of magazines.  Postage to mail your coupons is minimal because you are not paying to mail to a Europe address.  You are paying to mail to a US address.   So please support our troops overseas.  This costs no money on your part (other than postage).  Just grab extra coupon flyers from the grocery store when you visit the next few times.  Or throw your expired coupons to the side.  When you've got a stack, mail them off.  Or send a shout-out to friends and family and get a large collection and put them in a manila envelope.  Or send out a shout out to your bloggy friends.  Do it.  For the troops.  So get out there and spread the word.  Please.

I've done it - I bought a laptop

I've loaded Norton Antivirus, and other than a quick e-mail to my daughter to tell her it was up and running, this is the first thing I've done.  Yep, I have my priorities straight!  My daughter was my go-to person when I was trying to figure out what to buy.  I'm clueless about all these giga's and mega's and all.   You might as well be talking Greek when you talk to me about that stuff.

So - hopefully I'll figure out how to download the software for my camera, and then the photos from my camera.  I have some of you saved under my favorites, and I'll have to get those off the work-issued laptop, so I can "reach out and touch you" when my heart desires.

It's gonna be a slow process.  Because I'm such a doofus with this electronic stuff. 

My family gets so frustrated with me because it takes me so long to make decisions.  I've been talking about getting new cell phones, changing cell phone plans, and changing internet/cable providers for months and months and months.  Seriously - at least six months.  I just never seem to make a decision.  I've been talking about getting a new laptop for over a year.  Yep.  Sad, but true.  A year.

I've already seen things that are different with this laptop, and it's going to take this 58-year old woman some time to find out how to maneuver around.  God help me.

But needless to say, I'm so excited ! 

Questions about Google Reader

I’m new to all of this blogging stuff.  I’m finally figuring out how to read new posts with Google Reader.  Yay me!  Up until this point, I’ve always requested post updates via e-mail.  But sadly, I didn’t create a new e-mail account for those e-mail updates.  Nooooo…I wasn’t smart enough to do that!  So when I get home for work each day, I sometimes have 50+ e-mail notes from bloggers that have a new post to their blog.  God help me when I leave and go out of town for the weekend and don’t have access to my account for two days.  I can come back and it’s not an exaggeration to say I sometimes have 150 or more e-mails.  So I’m figuring this Google Reader stuff out.  It’s been slow, but it’s happening!

But I’ve got some questions:

1.        Why do I see everything for one bloggers post, but only maybe the first paragraph of another bloggers post?  Is there something I can do so I can see the entire post?

2.       I see a listing of blogs down the left-hand side of Google Reader.  At the top, I see a heading entitled “subscriptions” and I’m thinking the number that appears at the end of that heading is telling me how many new post updates are being displayed (those that I haven't read).  Is that right?

3.       Under the heading “subscription”, I see a list of what I assume is the title of the blogs I follow.    Correct?

4.       Why is it that sometimes I go through all the unread blogs, but there are still numbers displayed after the heading “subscriptions”?  I can look through the listing of posts (all ninety gazillion of them) and I can see numbers at the end of the blog title, and when I click on the blog title, I see posts displayed that I didn’t see when I was scrolling through the new posts.  Huh?  Why is that?

5.       If I read a post that I want to “open” (what other word would I use?) either to read after I’ve gone through all the new post updates, or to enter a contest, or to leave a comment or whatever, is there a way to do that without going back up to the title of the post, right-clicking and then opening it in a new tab?  Surely there is a way to do it easier than what I’m doing.

6.       How do I un-follow a blog I am following?  I’ve been reading blogs for about six years, and my tastes have certainly changed a lot in those six years.   And is there some sort of courtesy you go through to let a blogger know you’ve un-followed them?  I know that a lot of you are concerned about the number of followers you have (I don't know why, but maybe one day I'll understand).  And I know you get concerned when you lose some.   So please educate me.  I want to be a good girl.  At least about this.  Yeah, yeah.  I pick my battles.  I don't always want to be a good girl.  That's no fun!

Is there anything else I need to know about Google Reader that I haven’t already touched upon in this post?

My H2H Charity Quilt is finished

Debra at Debra's Design Studio just completed the quilting on my H2H Charity Quilt, and I'm so pleased with the final results.  I worked in Kosovo and Bosnia, and the locals I worked with loved bright colors.  I'm making the assumption the folks in Romania love bright colors too, so I hope I made the right choice with my color selections.  Being fairly new to quilting, I was bumfuzzled as to what pattern to use, so Debra came up with this one.   This was my second time to do a 9-patch block.  The first time?  The first time was my initial introduction to Debra.  She had asked for donations of 9-patch blocks for a quilt that she would make that would be auctioned for the American Cancer Society.  She even had to send me the 9-patch instuctions and answer my questions about her color requirements.  I know I bug her to death with all my questions, but she's been a trooper about it, and has been there for me every time I've needed her.  And I've needed her a lot. 

Huge thanks to Debra!!!!
This is my first 9-patch quilt, and my first charity quilt.  I did it.  I can't believe it.  I did it.   Yippee!

Chance to win iPad2 and $1,000 in cash and Cool Video

Still Blonde After All These Years has two posts that really caught my attention this evening:

Are you interested in entering a contest for a chance at winning an iPad2 and $1,000 Total Cash?   The giveaway begins on June 6, 2011 at 12:01 am EST ends on June 20, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST.   Head on over there and throw your name in the hat.  I'll wait....  hum, hum.....whistle, whistle...

Okay...you back now?  Okay!

Well, now that you've done that, how about taking a few minutes and having some fun!

Still Blonde After All These Years also posted a really cute video showcasing “American Pie” and some of the fun-loving residents of Grand Rapids, MI.  The video was shot on May 26, 2011, and they have already had about 3 Million YouTube views!  I can't imagine the planning that went into this video.  I loved it!  I remember having to write an essay in college based on the song "American Pie".  There was all this controversy about who the song was written about - Elvis?  Buddy Holly?  The Big Bopper?  Richie Valens?   Ha!  Some of you young whippersnappers know who Elvis is, but probably don't have a clue who those other people are.

So - that was some serious stuff and some fun stuff. 

I LOVE music, and those Michigan residents looked like they were having a blast filming the video.  I'd love to do something like that!  That is sooo me!  Fun, fun, fun.

Good luck with the giveaway, and let me know if you enjoy the video. 

Is this crazy or what???

Our condo unit had a 'get-together' at the clubhouse this evening.  The condos used to be apartments back in the 80's, so they're freestanding units, four units to each building. 

I don't know many of the residents here.  I don't venture outside after I get home every day...I come inside, change into my pj's (if I'm lucky), sit down and start reading blogs, or do a little housework, then sit down and start reading blogs.  Gotta keep my priorities straight, ya'know?

So anyway, I didn't really know anybody at the get-together.  I’m just walking around speaking to this one and that one, trying to figure out where they lived and explaining to them where I lived.  One of the men I was talking to had super-duper white teeth.  So I made a comment about how white his teeth were, and he said he just had that whitened last week in Brazil.  My reply?  "Holy cow, what in the heck were you doing in Brazil?"  He said he was a pilot for XYZ Airline.  That was my opening to talk about what I did on Friday.  "I just went to a flight attendant open house Friday , but I didn't make it”.  His reply?  I wish I had known!!!  I could have given you a letter that would have put you three steps ahead of everybody else.  I told him I couldn't go back and apply again for six months, so we exchanged e-mail addresses and he's going to give me a letter the next time I apply.

The Lord works in mysterious ways.   He’s always been by my side.  And He’s done some awesome things for me.  Isn’t He wonderful?

Connecting Fabrics on clearance for $2.98 a yard

Sandi at Piecemeal Quilts has a post about a sale Connecting Threads is having.  Visit her blog and get all the facts! 

You'll be glad you did!!!!

Have I lost my mind? Part 2

Update to previous post about the flight attendant Open House I attended. 

Well, I didn't get selected.  But what an eye-opener this was!!!  I wasn't told why I wasn't selected.  But we were told if we were selected, we would be required to attend a 23-day class in Memphis, TN that starts on June 21st.  Your air travel to/from Memphis was provided.  Lodging and meals are NOT provided.  There were about 150 men/women at the Open House.  We had a brief overview/slides giving us information about the airline and the flight attendant duties, how the assignments were handled, and a brief overview of the company benefits.  All of that took about two hours.  We were given a break and told names would be posted of those who were selected to go through to the next session - those blasted interviews I was dreading so much.   I work for the government as a budget analyst.  Congress just sent us our money, and we're in high gear trying to get ceiling letters out and we're already gearing up for this fiscal year to close and the new fiscal year to open.  This is our busiest time of the year, and there will be very little leisure time until probably November.  So I'm sitting there very dejected knowing there is no way I'd be able to go to Memphis for 23 days.  That would have been my first hurdle.

I'm disappointed.  Yes.  I am.  The introduction they gave us was so interesting and informative.  Then part of the way through the overview, I realized it would be impossible for me to have this as a part-time job while still holding down my full-time job.  I had discussed all of this with my supervisor and he said we'd work around the schedule the airline would assign me.  Neither of us had a clue what that involved!  Not.a.clue.  Like I said, this was truly an eye-opener.

Oh....and during the question and answer session, someone asked if we were not selected today, could we come to the next Open House (which I understand is next month).  Their answer?  No, you have to wait six months before you could attend another Open House.  What???  No reason was given as to why.  But it didn't make much sense to me.  All in all, I guess the bottom line is - I'll need to wait until I'm retired to pursue this dream.  There is no way I could go through the training and the work assignment required.  I now have a new respect for flight attendants.  I never in my life realized they had to go through all this.  Especially for the amount of money they get paid.  It's definitely not a career choice they made to get rich.

Watch out world!!!  When I retire, I'm trying this again.  In the meantime?  I'm going to learn airport codes, and I'm going to try to come up with sample questions they could be asking during the interview.  And if you know anybody that can share flight attendant tips, please send them my way.  I especially need to know sample questions that may be asked during the face-to-face interview. 

Because I am going to be READY for my next Open House.   I want to be as prepared as I can be so if I am fortunate enough to make it to the face-to-face interviews, it'll be a piece of cake.  Mmm...and I love cake.  I think I'll go celebrate with some.  Because after all - this is a time to celebrate.  I overcame my fear and at least went to the Open House.  Yay me!!

Have I lost my mind???

I'm 58 years old.  I have a full-time job.

I wanted to be a stewardess when I was 20 years old (now they're called 'flight attendants').  My boyfriend (later my husband, now my ex-husband) said if I became a stewardess, he wouldn't date me any more.  So I didn't pursue my dream of becoming a stewardess.  Like yeah  -   love IS blind! 

 So why am I telling you that?  Well....because I've taken the day off work tomorrow.  I'm going to an Open House to be interviewed for a position as a flight attendant.   YIKES!!!!

I understand it's grueling.  Many, many questions dealing with thinking 'outside the box', how to handle situations, multi-task and handle customer problems.  And who knows what else?

My problem?  I'm not a good test-taker.  I freeze up when you put me in an interview situation.  I freeze up taking pen and paper tests.  I freeze up and many times wouldn't be able to tell you my own address.

But oh, I want this so bad.  And I don't even know if I have a chance at all.  From what I've read on-line (I haven't found a phone number to be able to talk to a real live person), if you make it through the interview and are selected, you then go through 21 days of intensive training.  Memorizing airport codes, announcements, etc.  So...does that mean they wouldn't hire a person that has a full-time job?  I wanted to start working part-time (my understanding is I can pick/choose my own flight days - but I could have been misled by someone about that), and then once I felt comfortable being a flight attendant and knew it was REALLY something I wanted to do for a long time, then I'd put in my retirement papers.   I'm not even sure if they'll hire me since I already have a full-time job.  I don't know that I'll be able to work the grueling hours/shifts they'll want me to work.  So I may be wasting their time.

I will admit I was a bit surprised when I found something about the starting pay for a flight attendant.  Believe me, I was totally surprised.  But I'm not pursuing this for the money.  I wanted this 38 years ago.  And I want it now.  It is a dream I never forgot.

I had told myself I wasn't going to share this on my blog.  But you know what?  That's one of the good things about having a blog.  I can throw my dreams out there to all of you, and you stand behind me. You're my extended family.  All 21 of you.  ~smile~

  So, if you would, please think of me tomorrow.  Send a few thoughts my way.  My family is supporting me in all of this, and I'm thinking if I am fortunate enough to be selected, this would give me the second career I've always wanted to have.  One that is "fun". 

Have I lost my mind????

I hope not.

More Help Needed in Joplin

Barbara at Cat Patches has written an excellent post about how we can help the quilting community in Joplin.    One of the houses lost in the tornado held all of the charity quilt supplies for the Town and Country Quilters of Joplin.   Gone are rotary cutters, cutting mats, batting, fabric, irons, everything.   Please read Barbara's post.  And help them. 

I'M AN IDJIT~

Since funds are at an all-time low, I'm finding myself entering more and more giveaways. 

I have so many things I need/want.  I need my own laptop (thank God for this work-issued one).  I need a newer phone - mine is almost six years old, has seen better days, and only sends/receives phone calls/texts.  I need better lighting in my sewing room - the overhead light is just not giving me the lighting I need to see my projects.  Do you have some lighting you love/hate you can tell me about?  I'd love to have a Sidewinder - what a wonderful thing that would be.  I'd love to be able to take some quilting classes so I can gain more confidence in myself as a quilter.  I agonize over every single stitch I make.  I make stupid mistakes. 

Of course, a large part of that is because I don't sew that often.  I moved back to the US from Germany in July 2008, and my sewing machine didn't even get unpacked until recently.  I made my first quilt when my granddaughter was born in July 2005.  Since that time, I think I’ve made five more quilts.  It is always such a long time between quilts that I feel as though I'm starting over.  About the only thing I can remember with any certainty is the fact that my seams should be 1/4".  Everything else is like Greek and I have to pull notes or go to the internet to figure out how to do them.  I can't remember things like:  Binding issues - the width I should cut the fabric for the binding, how to sew the strips for the binding, how to join the final section of the binding; Stitch Length:  I went from a "regular" sewing machine to a new "electronic" sewing machine, so now instead of setting a stitch length of 10, 12, etc, I have to set the stitch length at 2.0, 2.5, etc.  I am constantly searching the internet for guidance when I hit a dead-end.  AND...GUESS WHAT???  I got another virus on my work-issued laptop last night.  Searching for quilting advice.  This is the second time in a month I've gotten a virus on my work-issued laptop.  That's not good.  Not good at all.

Maybe God is trying to tell me in subtle terms I don't need to buy myself a laptop until I can learn to be a good little girl and stay away from infected websites.  Who would have thought I'd get a virus looking for quilting advice????  I'm definitely an idjit when it comes to computers, I guess. (I'm sure if my DD#1 was reading this, she would say HECK YEAH!!!)

Lady Luck is shining on me

 











Wow what a winning streak I'm on.  And hey, at least by winning these prizes, I can post photos.  Yippee!!

Here is what I've either already received, or I've got coming my way.  This is so exciting!!

I won an Isabella Charm Pack from Sarah at Fabric Seeds.  I got them in the mail on Friday!!!

I won a layer cake of Sunny Day From Kiera at Its Sew Kiki.  I got them in the mail today!!!  This is my first time to have flannel.  No idea what to do with it.  Do I treat it just like my regular cottons?  Do I combine it with the regular cottons, or do I need to use all flannel for my quilts?  Guess I need to check into that.

I won these beautiful hexies from Angela at Country Scrap Quilts.  Aren't they breathtakingly lovely?  I've not gotten into the Yo-Yo or Hexie craze yet.  Maybe this is the little kick I need to get me started.  My granddaughter will tell you in a flash that her favorite color is PINK.  Now I've got to find a Hexie pattern - something that looks complicated but is really easy.  Ha-Ha!   (now how come I got some of my comments to go to the right-hand side of the photo and for the life of me I can't get this one to go there?  Go figure!)

Anybody know of a Yo-Yo giveaway?  Ha-Ha!  I've got a breathtakingly adorable (or at least it is to me) wall hanging of a Christmas tree done with Yo-Yos, and I need something to push me over the edge to take that next step.  Anybody know about a blogger that has some Yo-Yos they're putting in a giveway?  If I could win some of those soon, I could work on that wall hanging.  If I started on it now, I might be finished with it by Christmas.  I've held onto that Yo-Yo Christmas Tree wall hanging pattern for over five years and haven't started trying to make one yet.

I won a charm pack and a couple of fat quarters of Jacquelynne's "Sewing Room Social" fabric line from Sandi at A Legacy of Stitches.











So....guess I need to go buy some lottery tickets.  The way my luck seems to be going the last few days, it looks like Lady Luck is on my side.   Woo-Hoo!!



Have you had any luck with giveaways lately?  Do you enter giveaways?