Here's to the last of it

I can hear the neighbors in my grandmother's apartment complex whooping and having fun in the final remaining hours of 2008. The immediate neighbor is playing a piano, and gram is on the phone with an uncle who phoned earlier, just as we sat down to eat.

Man! Who'd a thought these senior citizens could make so much noise...or even stay up this late!

I walked to the little produce market this afternoon - it's just a few blocks away - to grab some things she needed, and wanted. Things she had been poo-pooing me not to worry about getting, but then would mention over and over again.

Let's hear it for manipulation tactics.

I guess she thought it would take me the better part of the year to get there and back, but it only took half an hour. About what I figured. I carried just under 14 lbs of apples, bananas, creamer, sweet potatoes, etc., but the fresh air felt good and so did really stretching my legs.

When I got back to the apartment building she was still sitting in the lobby yakking it up with a couple of the folks in her building. It was cute, in an odd way, to see that interaction...yet, somehow I felt supremely disconnected to the woman I was observing. I told her I was going to head upstairs to start dinner and she said, "No, I'm not hungry, and I am going to be here a while talking."

So, I headed upstairs to relax and warm up, put things away and settle in to watch an episode of CI that I had NEVER seen. Yippy! Hubba hubba.

It was 4pm when I sat down, and about 25 minutes later gram came through the door and began to peck about getting dinner in the oven. It wasn't going to take long, and all of a sudden I am getting nagged. Aaarrgh!! I wasn't about to argue with her, but I wasn't happy with her quick change.

We began eating dinner well before 5:30 and she made a crack about being done eating before the national evening news (which was hours away), and then about not eating at eight at night.

We have never eaten at eight. The second night we had dinner around seven, but that was because she was ambivalent about being hungry and when she wanted dinner.

"Hey, what are we mad about?" she asked.

I couldn't talk to her. I wasn't going to rehash...and I wasn't about to point out her demanding and silly 'argument'. Nor was I going to question her sudden change in insisting dinner be in the oven...right now, 'cuz it just wasn't worth it. But her little comment: "See, you could have been sitting here watching your show instead of being in the kitchen missing it," was smarmy.

I want to go home. I need to go home. I miss my sons, my bed, my cats, my routine, my computer. I miss the quiet and the lack of planes coming and going at all hours. I miss my bag of mint M&Ms and my wide comfy couch. I miss my 1/2% milk and a glass of orange juice, my cooking utensils and spices. I miss my sewing machine and stereo.

So, here's to the last of it. I love my grandmother, but I'm tired and I wanna go home.

See you next year.

The things we do for love

Sounds like the title of a song, doesn't it? If I'm not mistaken, it's ELO. Of course, once I am off of this site I will fact check that just to be certain.

After being here (in Livonia), sitting "duty" with Gram over the holidays, I have come to a decision (I think) about the whole PC versus Mac debate I have been running over and over again with my big mental bus.

For those of you unaware, I have been pondering the merits and downfalls of each machine as far as an investment in my future - and my needs. For those of you not wondering, the debate still rages...although I am much closer to making the decision and consequently making the purchase/investment. And yes, the PC seems to be the winner.

I think.

I have had the opportunity to use a Mac on numerous occasions and PCs, and I have to say I believe a PC is the wiser choice. For me. At this time.

Yes, Macs are the only thing capable of running Final Cut Pro (unless you have a mac clone), but I can live for the time being without working on FCP...maybe. I have learned Premiere CS3 and am now excited to get my hands on CS4 and delve deeper into that realm. Apply myself to also learning AfterEffects or (at the very least), getting my hands wet...up to the elbow; perfect and cement my skills before I get too rusty to be able to do myself any good.

Premiere is so like FCP that making the transition to using FCP in the future won't be tough, just a little cumbersome navigating the keyboard the first few times back in front of FCP and a Mac. Also, Avid is still used in many places (while FCP is not), so while Avid may be the "dinosaur" of editing suites - as Specs would have us all believe - I can't get my foot in the door without some of that software knowledge, too.

Besides, PCs are update-able and easier to modify. Also, they afford more user functionality over Macs with the software, while Macs are limiting in what can be done with the editing tools. And yes, I do know that Macs are not as prone to needing debugging if used online, unlike PCs, which seem to be susceptible to catching viruses and Macs are more (if not completely resistant) tp those types of troubles. So, I won't use the editing PC online. Easy-peasey. [washing hands]

Anybody have two cents to throw in?

But, let's get back to the whole idea of what it is we do for love.

I am grandma-sitting in order to relieve the aunts and uncles, so that they may enjoy a holiday or two. And as I have no job - and no prospects looming on the horizons - I was the perfect candidate.

I first arrived at Hacienda Adeline 7pm Christmas day, relieving Steve and Nancy; also meeting the newest second cousin in the Schaffer clan. He's a robust, attractive little monkey, and I think somewhere about 8 months or so in age. The parents seem pleased and completely unaware of what is to come.

Ah, I miss being a young naive parent.

Anyhow, my sons dropped me off and went back home, I busied myself with stowing my belongings in the room I was to occupy, and the departing visitors loaded their belongings into their autos. I acquainted myself with the routine for gram and where things were kept, etc., and made myself at home. Gram had a phone call or two from various children, a neighbor stopped by to check on her and they sat for quite a while visiting and watchimg TV. Finally the night drew to a close and gram headed off to bed. The next day and a half (right now) are going along pretty much the same way until Deb, Tom and Justin make it to town, relieving me for a very quick night and day.

Brian will pick me up late in the afternoon, and I have a bit to do before heading back here to finish out the holidays.

Stay tuned, I will update the comings and goings once or twice before year end.

Merry Christmas 2008!

That's it, pure and simple......

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Fa la la la la...la la la la!

Ah, it's snowing, again

I would be loving this, but we can't get out of the driveway.

Though, even if we could get out of the driveway, there's no guarantee about being able to get out of the sub - the streets are that bad off the mains. And the neighbors with friends who have snow plow blades...who block others in by pushing snow in front of drives that were hand-cleared...are crap heads. Yes, I said it...doody-brains! Take that, you thoughtless booger-mongering wingnut!

That's right, Moobs, I'm typing in your direction. I pointed out your inconsideration (and your doody-headed friend's error) when it happened, and all you would do was look at it and say, "Oh, uh sorry."

And did you call your friend back to right the wrong? No. Did you come over with a shovel or your handy dandy snow blower? NO! You just looked at it and walked away.

You'll get yours, you turkey squat.

That said, let me only add, aside from the misfortune of that episode, here comes that white Christmas everybody seems to dream so sweetly about.

Happy holidays and shovel that snow carefully. ;^)

Long lost mail from RTV 09-07

Well, good day!

A while back I wrote and asked what the RTV folks were up to...what was happening in [your] lives...where you were doing your thing...what four corners of the planet had we all flung ourselves off to? After a short wait I received some pretty great emails - some with news, some responses just to say "hi" - but a small sampling of the RTV-09-07 crew.

Since hearing of Ray's death, I thought I should take the opportunity to share the responses I did get, just in case you were as curious as I am about our classmates.

Jill Beitzel sent an incredibly detailed report of her goings-on, and included tidbits here and there of some others. I edited here and there to make the reading ABC (points if you can remember what that stood for):

HI BETHHHHHHH. Here's the scoop... I still have my internship at 106.7 the FOX but [edited - 'it isn't all I expected it to be']. I haven't been active with it for the majority of the summer because my dad is still in the hospital in California battling leukemia. There hasn't been much progress on the subject but hopefully soon. I'm in fact in Cali right now filling this out in a hospital room haha. Starting September 2nd I will be attending Madonna University going for my Bachelors in Arts. My major is Broadcast Cinema Arts and minoring in Journalism. It may take a little while to complete but that's my ultimate goal. I'm hoping a new internship will come out of that.

In case Matt Dlugokinski doesn't reply his butt moved to Israel!!!!!! He visited over the summer and decided he loved it so he moved there. He said it's only temporary though, and thinks he'll be back in a few months or so.

Bridget and I still talk often and she has an internship with 93.9 the River and I keep making plans with her but they never fall through, I'll take fault for that.

Brenden just text me the other day because he just got unlimited text messaging on his cell phone, we talked about meeting up sometime when I get back, he still has the same girlfriend he did when we graduated. I'm happy for him! I still talk to Mark and Ed as well, Mark is still with his gf Lisa and seems to be doing well, he keeps yelling at me to follow through with plans I make with them but they just live so far away.

Ed is still working at the bowling alley and keeping in touch with me. Nothing to newsy on his end I don't think but he'll probably respond to you, he's good at that.

Also another funny, slightly ironic story, my best friend Heidi... her boyfriend is Colin, well his family went on craigslist to find a dog, and they found a girl who was giving away her dog because she was moving and couldn't take care of her anymore. Well his parents met up with this girl and she told them how she just recently graduated from Specs Howard and moved to BFE (Cadillac, MI - if your catching where I'm going with this) to be an over-night producer for a tv station out there. Well Heidi gets back to me and asked me on the slight chance that out of the hundreds or thousands of students from Specs Howard, I just might know this girl. She tells me that her name is Sarah and that she has red hair. I thought there was no possible way but just for the hell of it, I logged onto Myspace and pulled up Sarah VanRaden's and as crazy as it was it was her haha she had pictures of the dog and everything. I thought it was pretty cool!

My sister is now attending Specs Howard and just got to the point where she's had enough of the Will Allen types haha. I'm sure you wish that I had much more to say, so you're brain can go into complete way-to-long-email overload haha, but I'm all out! I'm sure in a week I'll have more. It was great to hear from you though! XoXoXo! Love Ya! –Jill

It was wonderful to hear from you, Jill, and I hope you don't mind I included so little of your note. ;^) She did a great job segueing to the next several people, so without further ado, I give you Bridget Clarkson -

Hi Beth!! Sounds like your doing great getting your foot and nose right where you want to be! It is taking me a minute to get the ball rolling as well but it is rolling. My internship has just ended with Fox2 and that was unbelievably informative and fun. Ive gotten a good feel for what I really like and really want to get into. Im in the process of locating equiptment to create a new and improved 'shooters' demo so if you have any suggestions Id appreciate them. I visited Specs and they really didnt care so I wasnt able to get any ideas from them...or a copy of my last demo (can you believe DD didnt know where it was!) I went to Colorado at the beginning of the month for a wedding and made my rounds to all of the prospective newsrooms and landed an interview and ultimately a part time entry level stage directing/ equipment operator position with CW2 in Denver. I am very stoked. I am attempting to keep my position at FedEx since it pays the bills so the guy is working with me really well and I have a few months before I relocate and begin. Im a little nervous because I want to be doing something in the time I have before I go so I am trying to get involved.

I have become great friends with alot of the Fox people and have helped create a movie for the Detroit 48 hr film festival. You can check it out at youtube under motown showdown. Its the first one! I am not in it but for a split second as an extra but I was busy helping direct, running camera and due to crunch time I was pretty much just a spectator for the editing but it was fun. We placed second and I am hoping to get involved with more of those.

So lets see...I feel like all that has ended and I need to find something to keep me going for the few months I have before I leave and begin out there...so I am just networking and getting out some resumes- again let me know if you have any great ideas, you usually do. Sarah and I keep in very good touch. She probably will write you back as well but she is doing great. I think she gets a little lonely up there all alone sometimes but we are working to get her mixed in with her co-workers and such. She loves her job. Because of my affiliation with Fox we sometimes get to chat and work on the same packages. We try to meet up every couple of weeks or so.

I think I have covered all my bases and am so glad you reached out. Keep in touch I love hearing from you. Take Care Bridget

See! You people are amazing! I was so glad to hear from Bridget as well, and I did let her in on a few ideas for getting some equipment for another bunch of demo footage, but I never heard back as to whether she managed to score some camera time before heading home to CO. I certainly hope she did.

Both Jill and Bridget mentioned Sarah VR, and she wrote, too. Up next is the vivacious producer, Sarah VanRaden.

Hey Beth! Thanks for remembering what I was doing. Here's my update: I live in Cadillac where I'm producing the morning show for 9&10 News. It's called Michigan This Morning. Here's the link if you're interested: http://www.9and10news.com/mtm. I'm heading into my fourth month there. I work overnights, which I actually really like. Overall, I really love my job and I think it suits me perfectly. And congrats to you, lady! Anchoring the news?? Way to go! It sounds like you've been really busy. I would definitely like to see your show somehow, so when you find out how to show me, let me know. Bridget and I made a trip to Specs last Friday. I was really excited to see everyone...only when we got there all the professors blew us off! They were all standing there and only Jose said hi, and while he was talking to us the others ran away! Jerks, I tell ya. Oh well, I understand they go through a lot of students and probably didn't remember us. Oh, and if you ever want your demo tape be prepared because Double D said "they were buried somewhere and he couldn't get them." At first, he said "they were long gone." Then, he said they were buried under a bunch of boxes of junk in his office and said to come back the next week to get it. I guess it's easier for Bridget because she lives closer, but for us folk that live far away, that's bull! He told us he'd keep them for at least a year, right? It was just frustrating. Needlesstosay, I was very disappointed in Specs on Friday. So, I'm glad to hear things are going well for you and I hope they continue to! Stay in touch. Sarah

Thanks, Sarah, I have lots of time on my hands, so I will have to get back in touch soon. I did send her a quick set of questions back in October to prepare for a job I was sending a resume package out for, but never/haven't gotten a response, so I may try again some day. And no, I didn't get the job, either, but I did receive the fastest ever 'thanks - don't-call-us-we'll-call-you note as a way of answering my $12 postage investment. Grrr.

I heard from Scott M several times, every time I send him a note, I get something - even if it is a line or two. He let me know he was going on an interview for a prospective NON-intern job with WYCD...and guess what!? Nope, you're going to have to read it yourself:

Hey Bethany I got the job at WYCD, yea it took awhile but my first night of training was last night. I'll be board oping at wycd and their net station phyic radio so thats realy cool. I finnly cought up with you blog, I knew you did some stuff with wolf man mac, but I still never seen it, it's weird I don't know mac personly but I used go to creepy clyde shows back when i was in high school, not to mention we have a few mutal friends, like all them guys doing wolfman's comic yea I know all of them (i'm still such a geek) good ppl and artists we're all in the same comic geek club and I know Tony Miello was on an ep as a lounge singer and he's got that cast in his internet comic gapo the clown, right now. wow casting director for Ren Fest that must have been cool, I love going there. I'm thinking since I'm only working part time I'm gonna go back to school, as much as I'm scared to, I gotta admit I don't see a reason not to. I'm gonna wait like a month or to before i start setting things up for school though i wanna do some more research first, like what school should and can I go to. I Talked to Tishena last week, she's working in health care again and Pregant, like 6 months pregant well keep in touch Toodles, Scott

Keep in mind this was written back in the beginning of October, so he has been there over 2.5 months! Very cool! Congrats, Scott.

Last, but certainly not least, I heard from Charles Belau in September, and I had to dig through a lot of movie-related email to find it, but here it is...a word from Charles:

Hey Beth...its Charles, aka " Peach Schnapps", haha. finally read the message you sent out. i read your blog a little to...sorry to hear you had to leave the Midnight Sinama, my uncle was friends with all of them. but im working for the city of Romulus right now, hopeing for better things. what are you up to?

Thanks, Chuck.

Just a note, I regretted having to end the stint with Nightmare SINema, too, but it was necessary for my survival. I would go back in a heartbeat if the situation ever righted itself, and I had a spot to go to.

At any rate, that's the news from the RTV group. Aside from A little gossip I was passed about a month ago. It seems [sic: nobody important] has gone and gotten himself engaged! I certainly hope all the t's are crossed and i's are dotted, and that he knows this girl as well as he knows himself before the big day arrives. [NOTE: It appears as though the couple can't read or understand writing style versus interpretive style, so let me make this clear. This was a congratulatory announcement...NOTHING else. The phrasing regarding "i's and t's" was nothing more than a carry-over from a conversation we had in class one day regarding "...marrying again someday." Somebody is getting their panties in a bunch, and that's your problem...not mine. If I continue to get unsolicited email, it will be forwarded to the proper authorities and you will be dealt with from a legal aspect. And this includes email from "the couple" as well as any other source.]

Hope this satisfied your reading itch for the day, cuz this is it for me...I have things to do.

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor dark of night...my asterisk!

It's now just past one o'clock, the mail carrier went by around half an hour ago (maybe a touch more), and the area in front of our mailbox is clean enough for the mail courier's little mailmobile to pull up to the box and deliver her goodies for today...as well as those from yesterday's non-attempt. She hasn't been back by yet for her little excursion down the even numbered side of the street.

I want my mail! I know you have Christmas cards for me...gimme my mail!!!

Pardon me while I pull on my Elmer Fudd combat gear and hunt me down a wascally mail lady.

2:57p.m.

Thank you!

That's more like it...the mail lady finally delivers, and oh! was it a boxful, too. I can relax, now.

While I waited and watched, I saw a dad pulling two small kids around the neighborhood behind his SUV with tow ropes attached to the vehicle. The kids were lying on their stomaches the first go'round, and one of the little chipmunks was getting a snow facial with the taller ridges of snow! The second time past, they were sitting up and going at a pretty good clip. I tried to get a video of the last time they cruised by, and I couldn't get the camera on fast enough to get the entire ride, but here you go: [will update once I get the photo to download]

Addendum: Brian came home from work earlier than he should have, sick as a dog due to chemical food poisoning from one of the little cafe eateries in the mall. People, be careful about eating out there...if your food preparers are also handling the money or are cleaning as you walk up, and they do not wash their hands before also getting your chow together - RUN AWAY!

Good morning

Parents must be ever-vigilant, tough as nails, willing to be fallible, anxious for success but capable of remaining poker-faced, always knocking on wood, mindful of praying for our children despite their wishes or misguided beliefs, ready to shoulder the burden for lack of preparedness, willing to accept blame and criticism whether actual or perceived, capable of standing firm when your convictions and house rules are tested and pushed to the limits, tough and forgiving, protective, loyal but not pushovers or patsies, conscientious and in the shadows, always two steps ahead and standing right behind.

And this is why I am sitting in the library, waiting for a phone call from Brian, to either tell me he is stuck in the sub at one of the hairpin corners, or that he made it to work. I am dressed for weather and work - pushing and shoveling. My boots already on and laced up tight; knit pants on under blue jeans; a long-sleeved T on under a sweater, and my coat and gloves placed at the door for easy access and a quick get-a-way.

The mall is opening early this weekend (no, there won't be early hour shoppers after the storm of yesterday, nor anyone with money to spend...but still, they open) because that's what malls do days before Christmas. Brian is driving my car back and forth to work - for many reasons - so of course I am concerned...for him and for my car! Don't laugh, if you were out of work for over a year and a half and you needed the vehicle you had to not be unavailable for any reason, you would be chewing your nails, too.

8:12a.m.

This is going to be one of those days where the unmotivated, least holiday-oriented, bored to tears, have-a-million-things-to-do-and-don't-know-where-to-begin-so-I-don't-feel-guilty, tired-of-rejection parts of me have to be prodded into action.

Bought one of those converter boxes so the government can make another damned dollar from the unemployed masses who want to watch their "free" TV shows. Yes, I hooked it up, and no, it isn't all that great. Yes, the pictures that do come in without effort are crystal clear. They aren't many, and I am woefully unimpressed. And it turns out that static is static - meaning, this static is now cubist in nature and not all 'snowy'. You also have to work 4 times harder to retrieve the two or three channels you did manage to get in after you try to adjust the rabbit ears to get in the rogue recepted one.

No, I don't care if my made up words interfere with your understanding of my tale. Get up and adjust the antennae! Geez.

Even worse, in order to enhance the few stations we may get in, we had to hook up the box with the RF and the red/yellow/white cords from the VCR unit. Now, I can't watch movies!!!

Waaahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Then Brian told me when I get a job, we could get real basic cable to eliminate this whole hassle. Guess what I told him. /;^P

No, go on....guess. LOL

11:27a.m.

Karl finally got up (hey, take care of the garbage, kid), and I have decided to do the dishes. Last night we had spaghetti and green beans, and the dishes are now taunting me. Cleo has been sitting with me watching an animal habitat show (Marty Stouffer, I think). There were lots of great shots of birds doing their thing, and Cleo was on the edge of her seat for most of the time. At some point she completely lost track of the fact that she was sitting on the sofa watching the TV and not a window view. She actually tensed up a time or two thinking she had a chance to pounce!

A Tribute to Ray Cato

Sad news from Maria, something she received via Tawana Heard at Spec, about Ray. Lung cancer took his life at the tender young age of 35.

A short video from class with Ray being Ray is available on the blog, if you go to 2007 in the history, then click on December. He is participating in a group project towards the end of Q2, and he is funniest at the very end. Look for the entry of December 17th, and then play the entry "Winners" - Ray is on the far right getting his groove on.

God love you, Ray. Rest in peace - we will miss watching you rise to the top.

Mutual admiration and respect

I was cleaning out my email box recently - boy, things can get messy when you aren't looking, eh? - and I came across a note from a dear friend, which started me thinking about so many things from just over the past year, both successes and misses. I nosed my way into and onto projects and short-lived 'jobs', made contacts and taken chances, asked for jobs and been told "no" too many times to count. I have had several interviews (mostly over the phone) and prayed for second in-person interviews which never came. I've done great work wherever I had been allowed to ply my skills this past year...and I was even asked back to help in the audio end of the BQT project again this fall. (I am even getting a small stipend this season - tah-daaahhh)

Now, Maria, she's no slouch. She retired from the Detroit Police Department after (approximately) 30 years, somewhere around our half-way point through the Specs program. I can't imagine how she mentally kept herself upbeat and ready for her A-game at school every day after spending hours on the force. Wow! However, always the beautiful soul and perveyor of passing along a smile and a positive thought, this is what I found in one of her blog entries:

Let me give a big "HELL YEAH!! To Bethany! She's really doing good, she's keeping the dream alive by staying involved in the business. Before you know it her name will be going across the silver screen in bright lights! Keep up the good work you are an inspiration to us all.

Shucks, Maria. You are my inspiration, and I want to say thank you for always reaching out and always maintaining a lovely attitude.

Not for nothin', but Maria enrolled in a continuing ed program as we were ending our time as RTV 09-07 to (wisely) use the credits earned from SHS to go on to earn her Bachelors. Now who's the inspiration?

I know I will eventually get a job...I know I will. There is something out there God has planned for me, I know it. How do I exercise the patience and willpower to not give in to the blues and woe-is-me vibe that floats all around me while I am waiting for that new door to open?

Grant me the peace, oh Lord, to accept the things I cannot change, to work harder and more steadfastly to change the things I have the power to change, and to always thank You for the gifts You have provided to prepare me for my challenges & battles.

Be well and happy, people.

Here you go, Jude - three entries collecting dust

I hope you enjoy the three new additions which I had not completed or posted until now.

Once you get to the bottom of this page, and the end of the December entries, you will have to click on "Older Posts" just to the right below the entry. That will get you to November and the late entries there.

;^)

Quilting progress - This is a Double Nine Patch

Please remember, all quilt blogging and photos are now at: www.truenorthquilter.blogspot.com

Ok, I know. I need to take a photo or two of the dog quilt, but for the time being here is the cat quilt I have been working on off and on.

This is where it begins - choosing colors and the pattern, of course. I always seem to go back to primaries, although I have a hard time making myself stick with a limited palette.

That is to say, I do love a scrappy-looking quilt, so I used at least 3 to 5 calico's and prints of blue, red, green, yellow and orange with this quilt. Then, I began to realize it really needed the punch of purple, so I added a huge assortment of prints from the deep purple end of the spectrum. I punctuated it with solid, inky black and multiple faded or very petite white-on-black prints.

I then begin to assemble the patches on the wall and step back to look at the balance. As I stitch the 1.5" cut pieces (and the 3.5" larger nine patch pieces) into blocks, I begin to fill in with row ends and corners so that I can reward myself with a vision of what the end result will be. The trick is making certain to assemble these in the correct position as I lay them out. I do sometimes get distracted and end up sewing something out of order - or in this picture, forgetting one of the cut pieces in the layout. Can you see the omission?

Once enough blocks can be sewn into rows, I begin the real assembly process, and it starts to get exciting.

I ended up having to turn the quilt upside down to be able to work on it more easily. The little dots are pins keeping the blocks and rows in place against the material farm behind it. Yes, America, that is my stash.

The addition of two interior borders (a 3/4" black border for separation from the color blocks, and the multi-striped jungle grass) is always the most nail-biting time for me. Why? I am always trepidacious to commit to cutting borders...afraid I will choose the wrong width and doom the poor quilt to an odd look. I don't want the border(s) to overwhelm the rest of the work. I want the border to finish the look of the whole piece, and enhance the interior where the bulk of the piecing was done. It should be a beautiful frame, and I am always fearful of over-, or under-doing it. But as a matter of pride, I would like to point out that I once again mitered the corners for each of the three borders.Before the final black border was added to finish off the top, I worried over how wide to make each one. I am too much a perfectionist - but I am learning to cope with this aspect of myself.

As I neared this point, I began to ponder the quilting style/motif I would use, and came up with the idea of FISH. Maybe I will add a bird or two here and there...but it will be simple and fast in the multi-colored nine patch blocks using grid (ditch - maybe) quilting, with the more elaborate critter motifs along the borders and solid black areas. We shall see.

For now, I need to get it stretched and pinned so that I can start quilting it.

Thanks for looking in.

And so another year slips away

Unbelievably enough, 2008 is nearly over. Can you believe it?!

I don't think that it has anything to do with my age...you know, that whole theory about the older you are the quicker the days pass.

Yeah. No. That's not it.

No, being a non-working person I have far too much time on my hands to be able to notice and dwell on this whole day progression thing. Hours into days; days into weeks; weeks into months...you see where this is going. Likewise, people with too much on their plates (either by design or their work/lifestyle) also notice the days slipping by too quickly. Well sure! When you aren't giving yourself time/permission to notice life happening around you...what do you expect?

At any rate, welcome December. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Come on in and pull up a chair. It's been a month since registration began for the winter session at the local community college and my sons are completely unaffected by my pleading, ranting, cajoling and threats. Nope they still have not chosen any classes. Argh! Hey, boys...I don't care if you don't know what you want to do...just do SOMEthing. Get off of your butts and out of your rooms and out from in front of your PC's and do something life altering and/or self-improving. At some point in time while you are stretching your brains and improving yourself in small (or large) ways, life will happen and revelations will occur to you! I promise. Do it now while you are young and your potential is vast.

Do it or I'll kick you in the head.

Do it or you'll find your belongings scattered across the front lawn. I promise!

It is my goal that 2008 will not pass without something to show for itself - in a positive way - for my family and myself. Slow down a little, Mr. December, please.

Let's take a moment to breathe deeply, enjoy the glow of the lights hung all around, wonder at the simple elegance of snow falling softly. Why not sit in a comfy chair and look outside on a sunny day and marvel at the beauty of sun reflecting off of snow covered trees. While you're outside, look down and notice animal tracks in fresh snow. It's winter's version of stopping to smell the roses.

It's still progress...forward momentum, if you will, but on your terms. A smile and lower blood pressure is not a waste of time.

Don't let this month slip away, taking the last of 2008 with it. Grab it in your hands and release it slowly as you enjoy each moment one at a time.