Beginning - again

I can't believe how time flies! I really need to sit down and try and figure out where the past 5 months went. Or more accurately - where I went during the last 5 months. I'm told that time passes at the same rate every day - but I'm seeing evidence of that not being true. Time is racing by me at an alarmingly ever increasing speed. I get up in the morning and go to work. I look at the clock and realize that it is almost time to go home - and I have no idea how that happened. I feel like I have not done anything - or at least not enough - and that I have only been here for a very short time. There is so much left to do...but not enough time to do it in. I long for the days when time went slower - when I could get up and go outside to play for hours and hours and then go inside only to find out that it wasn't even lunch time yet. I miss those days when I had time to spend with my children and visit with friends and still had plenty of time to get the essentials done - vacuuming, dishes, laundry, etc.

I did take time out for a weekend vacation with my family in July though. My entire family - LOL. It was our annual family reunion and we spent 3 days at Bear Lake in Utah. We played cards and board games, went boating and tubing on the lake, learned some history about our ancestors and ate more food than we usually do in a week - LOL.

I have also taken the time to reflect on who I am, why I'm here and where I want to be. I have learned that the perfect place to be is right where I am. I have a wonderful husband who is tolerant of my children and, most importantly, me. I have incredibly amazing children who have grown up to be hard working responsible adults for the most part. I have been fortunate enough to keep working in these increasingly difficult economic times. And I have good health. What more could I ask for? Life is good.

That's not to say that I don't still have days when I wonder - What Was I Thinking? But the truth is - I know what I was thinking. And I'm glad I went there.

Time Flies

Well, gee! Doesn't time fly - even when you're not having fun! I'm even worse at the blogging thing than I thought I would be . I can't even make it monthly - much less weekly or daily - which is my real goal - LOL.



Not much has been happening in the way of life-changing crises - thank heavens. But working full time and having way too many hobbies - every needlecraft regime ever thought of, plus photography, plus reading, plus the grandkids, plus a high maintenance husband, plus grown children living at home....not much gets done either.


I have made new 'New Year's Resolutions.' Yes, it is way past the deadline, but I figure it is a new day and I can only go forward from here - and, besides, where is it written that we can only make resolutions on January 1.... OK - on to the resolution. I have resolved to only work on one project/hobby at a time - and to finish it before I start another one - LOL. I am the Queen of unfinished projects. I started making some flannel shirts for my husband one year for Christmas and then ran out of time so decided that I would give them to him the following Christmas. Then we got divorced and he never got them. I moved out of state and 15 years later I found the pieces in a box and decided to make them for my two boys. So each of them got a flannel shirt for Christmas that year. I still have the pieces for one more shirt that never got finished - and it's now been 26 years since I left my ex-husband - LOL. I also have an apron that I started for my girlfriend about the same era - except that I can't find it - LOL. It's in a box somewhere...all it needs is the ties put on it. I actually sent it to her for her birthday one year. I got it back the next year - so we started just sending it back and forth for a while - until I moved again and it is buried in a box somewhere.

Do you ever wonder why we make the choices we do - most times without the proper consideration or input of information (well, without paying attention to the input of information anyway). Most of my decisions and choices have been good ones - or at least worked out well. But other times I still ask myself "What was I thinking?" Like the time I decided to enroll in "Bootcamp With Jess" - my hell, I was 55 years old and hadn't done any exercise for 15+ years. But that one turned out good - I made it through "Hell Week" - much to the instructor's and owner's (and MY) surprise - made it through the remaining 5 weeks and then re-inlisted. I can now keep up with the grandkids and do yard work without feeling like I'm going to go into total cardiac arrest.

The other thing I wonder about is relationships. There is an old (very old) Paul Newman western (can't remember the name of it) where he is sitting at a campfire and talking to a younger man about something that happened that day. And the line that I remember the most from this movie was his reply to being asked if he was surprised about what someone had done that day....He said, "The only thing that surprises me is the people, some people marry." That's how I feel. What was I thinking when I got married? Was I thinking? Why did I do it? Can I get out of it? Probably not. Don't get me wrong - my current husband is a wonderful person. And he is a wonderful husband. He's been totally accepting of my rotten, ungrateful children. Which is really good of him considering that's how we got together to begin with - the children introduced us - LOL. But I can't help but think that I would have been better off (emotionally at least) staying single. And I'm positive that my poor husband did not get what he bargained for. I have learned to be at least content with my situation, if not totally ecstatic. Having friends to talk to that understand and don't mind listening to my constant whining and grumbling helps .

Well, I am off to get some work done - hopefully I will be back before another month goes by. But I'm not going to put money on it or hold my breath. I look good in blue - but not as a skin tone - LOL.

February 13, 2009

Friday the 13th! I'm not normally a superstitious person - but my daughter got married on Friday the 13th. And they paid for the reception hall with check number 666. How bizarre is that? They are still married. They are still doing well. They have 4 children. And that's where the problem lies. They look like like Boticelli angels most of the time - innocent and sweet (well, at least when they are sleeping - LOL). I call the youngest one (2-yr-old) "Demolition Man." There isn't anything in my house that is safe - or sacred. If I want it then I remember to keep it put up high - very high as he has learned to climb like he has suction cups attached to his limbs! Now don't get me wrong - I love him to pieces (especially when he is sleeping) - but there are times.....like the times he finds the permanent markers that I have hidden away to the point I can't even find them! Like the times he decides that there's too much water in the water cooler bottle and it would look much better on the kitchen floor. Like the times he decides to take a bath in the dog's water dish. Like the times he decides he is big enough to feed the fish without adult supervision and/or help (I'm not sure 5 small fish need an entire bottle of fish food flakes). Like the time he and his older sister took a bath at my house and dissolved an entire bar of soap under the running water - we're talking some serious, foamy bubbles. Can you say soap scum boys and girls? Ah yes, the older sister - the Princess with a capital 'P' (5-yr-old). The Princess who is totally convinced that the world revolves around her. The Princess who so graciously deigns to acknowledge the rest of us mere peasants occasionally. The Princess who knows beyond a shadow of doubt that she is always right. The Princess who is emphatically certain that the rules pertain to her brothers and sister - but not to her. The Princess who will come up to you and spontaneously give you a hug and say "I love you." And then there is the older brother (8-yr-old) - the drama king. The older brother who is a whiz-kid with the X-Box and the Wii. The older brother who as a 4-yr-old had the vocabulary of a drunken sailor when playing the X-Box. The older brother who thought he wouldn't get hurt jumping off the roof of the house onto a pile of pillows (he didn't get hurt until his mother caught him - LOL). The older brother who never makes a mess and therefore shouldn't have to help clean up. The older brother who knows the world is coming to an end if he doesn't get to have a sleepover at grandma's. The older brother who is being picked on and abused when he is given chores to do (cleaning up the back lawn after my 3 dogs is not one of his favorites - not that I blame him). The older brother who never fails to hug his grandma and say "I love you" first thing when he comes in the house. And then there is my daughter's first born - the perfect daughter. The child who could talk non-stop for 10 hours when she was 4. The child who would argue about anything - literally. The child who was always ready to help - even when you preferred she didn't. The child who thinks her world is going to end if she can't use the computer. The child whose mother just asked if I knew anyone who wanted to buy a 13-year-old virgin.

February 9, 2009

Where has the time gone? I swear it was just Christmas! Valentine's day is only 5 days away - LOL. I was going to have one project finished for next Christmas by now - instead I don't even have one started . I'm thinking I need to get busy.

January was a good month though. I got a chance to spend a couple of days with my oldest son and his family. I spent a a couple of days with my uncle and aunt. I got to see my cousin again. We did not grow up getting to know each other and it has been a pleasure finding out how much we have in common.

I get to go to the Sewing & Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA at the end of this month. There are 6 of us going together this year from all over the West - me (UT), my two best friends ( 1 UT, 1 CA), my sister-in-law and her next door neighbor (ID) and another of my cousins (WA). We are all looking forward to to the trip and getting together as a group.

I have been finishing some small projects - I made two hats for my grandchildren. Unfortunately I have 17 granchildren - LOL. My problem is I have too many hobbies and not enough time. I cannot work full time and do all my hobbies

January 12, 2009

OK - I've never done this before. So I guess i'll just start out with a little bit about myself. I'm a 50+ mother of four (ages 30 to 39) and grandmother of 17 wonderful kiddos ages (2 to 16). I've been married, divorced, lived in sin and am currently married to a wonderful man who puts up with all the little (and not so little) grandchildren running through his formerly pristine and quiet house.

I love all kinds of needlework and can usually be found with a ball of yarn and a crochet hook or knitting needles in my hands. I also cross stitch, sew and embroider. Unfortunately, doing all that leaves little time for actually finishing a project - LOL.

I work full time for a community college and love my job.

Well, that's all I have time for now - it's back to work time. More later.