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?