My Last Day

Tomorrow will be my last day of work at one of my jobs. I've been working two part-time jobs recently. I was up to three at one point but since the death of my daughter, it's been difficult to keep up that schedule-along with being here for my 4 children still at home, dropping off and picking up girls from work, and all the other motherly parental duties facing me. The schedule has been draining and on top of that the income hasn't been sufficient. I've been wondering why I'm pushing myself to keep other people's businesses going, even though the compensation isn't that great, while I could be putting all this time and effort into working for myself. I know the answer...because it's simpler. Well, simpler in some ways, more difficult in others, not to mention unfulfilling.

So, I made a decision to quit the one job that is draining me physically and generates the lowest income...delivering newspapers.  I've been having to get up at 3:30 am and I usually get home somewhere around 7, depending on weather and other things--like whether or not I have to collect that day, break down, get a flat, or get a late start because the delivery truck is late. I won't miss it.  Not one bit. 

Hillary My Darling

My beautiful, darling daughter died unexpectedly and tragically this past November 10, 2014 at the age of 22.

My heart is broken forever and I will never be the same.

Here are some of the most recent photos taken of her with her sisters.

She was Sunshine in our Life

A Beauty Inside and Out

With a Heart Bigger than the Largest Ocean

Love Overflowing on Everyone She'd Meet

I Miss You, Sweet Hillary

Every Moment of Every Day

Sewing Room Stew

I have been living in my apartment for 5 months now and I'm still surrounded by boxes.  Ugh!  My children and I moved to a new place, town, city,...and I'm still without quite a bit of furniture.  When I was in Chicago, it was easy to find furniture (anything) on Craigslist for free or next to nothing, but here, not so.  The pickings are slim to begin with and they seem to cost an arm and a leg, as well.  So, I'm struggling to have a place to put things, ergo box castles surround me.

Anyway, to the sewing room we go....I have been thinking on how I'm going to set up my sewing room without much furniture/storage and I'm having a hard time with it.  I have one sewing machine in a table, two small bookshelves which I purchased at Walmart for $18 each, that my 13 yr. old son put together with just a tad bit of help from his dear ole' mum who is so proud of him; he seems to be really good at that kind of stuff... that I'm using as a base for a whiteboard tabletop.   I also have a wooden table with another whiteboard tabletop on it that I'm using as a desk.  But, I don't have all the shelves and storage I had in IL and I have no idea how to arrange it all so it flows well - you know, Feng Shui - not to mention the importance of not bumping into and tripping over things while working in the wee hours of the morning.  Did I mention that at this point in time this room will also serve as the center of my homeschool work and production and also my personal business office?  Mainly because it also houses my laptop and printer, file cabinet, mailing supplies, writing and craft supplies, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera! (Yul Brynner was just in my head reciting that last part while he waltzed around my living room in grand, sweeping steps, and donned in red silk adorned with gold trim.)...I digress.

...minor rabbit trail, but...we're good.  Slides glasses back down onto nose, fingers rest on home keys ready to strike. Quietness envelopes me.  Three minutes tick by, sticking out their tongues at me as they pass.  I feel like Tootles from the movie "Hook" when he exclaimed, "I lost my marbles!"  Except that it's my train of thought that has gone missing.  I hear it, faintly, off in the distance, taunting me- chhgha chhgha choochoo.  Whoo whoo!  It may as well be smugly calling out to me, "MARCO...?...",  *sigh*  --sudden interupption-- "Mom. Mom!"  eye contact is made but my thoughts are lagging behind  "Mom? What's for dinner?" "Son, didn't you just eat...head turning toward clock...like, um...(sheepishly) 6 hours ago?" His eyes widen as his arms lift and fall emphatically at his sides, "Exactly!"  I smile and start to push myself away from my desk.  Walking toward his bedroom he declares, "Oh, and we're out of toilet paper."  must...take...break.

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Relocated

My 4 youngest children and I have recently relocated to Texas, where two of my older daughters currently reside and where one of them is attending University working on her Masters degree. It was a long road getting here, not just the drive down here (which took about 27 hrs.) but everything that has happened within the last year or more bringing me (us) to this "place" where we have sold, given away, and packed up all of what we now own into a 12ft. trailer and hauled it South to this new location, and new way of living. So many changes, so many choices ahead of us, so many lives affected, so many thoughts swirling around in my mind...so many different emotions being experienced at one time.

 I am more than half a century old and I feel I have nothing, yet everything. Nothing, because many years have gone by and most of what was cultivated, expressed, created, and gained during these last decades seems to be now gone - including people;  parents, siblings, friends, partner, pets, belongings...not to mention our home of over 25yrs.,  And yet everything because I am almost starting all over again; currently not being stuck in a 30yr old rut, the possibilities ahead of me are varied and many. 

I'm sad and relieved, excited and nervous, adventurous and timid, wanting and at peace - needless to say, quite conflicted, yet not.  How is this possible?

The beat goes on...

The Big Needle Controversy - Solved!

How often should I change my sewing machine needle?

Over the years, I have heard and read this question asked and answered a hundred times, and most times it's a different answer depending on preference.  I have never been completely satisfied with the answer or my own personal choice on this.  But today...Eureka!  Look no further except to watch this video presentation by Bob Purcell, "Chief Threadologist of Superior Threads"; he will tell you everything you ever wanted to know and more about needles!



There are several other very interesting and informative videos that you may want to view, if you're a sewer that's soh-er not soo-er ;), and they can be found on YouTube on the Superior Threads channel.

Baby Guinea Pigs

We were surprised when one of our guinea pigs got pregnant early this year.  Surprised because we've been keeping our males and females separate.  But, apparently, one time when my sons took them out for some exercise in their room, they put them all together in a make-shift pen made with old vhs tapes standing on their sides.  Ooops!
Here's our guineas:                                            

  Our 2 oys                                       

Max (above) and Chowder (below)

The Girls

Calico, Crunch, and Snickers

(Snickers had the pups)

The babies, or puppies, or cavies, didn't really look like the typical animal newborns we were used to.  They had all their furry hair and it was dry (by the time we were able to see them) and their eyes were open and they were scooting around.  They even started feeding on some greens within the first few weeks!

Well, they're weened now and about 6wks. old 

We need to find homes for them, which makes my whole animal-loving family a bit sad.  But, they'll be much bigger before we know it and we already have 5 other guineas along with a cat and dog.  If we were already living in the country on our land, we'd certainly be keeping them.  But, unfortunately here in the city we don't have room to accommodate them and I don't think we'll be moving soon enough.

Here are a few more guinea pics just for fun.

These 2 piggies were actually cuddling up against my daughter's dog's tummy, she's curved around behind them.

This is my youngest son with his guinea whom he loves, Chowder.

Get ready for your close-up!

CUT!  Print!  It's a wrap!

Okay, people, get the clean-up crew in here and sweep up all these little piggie pellets.

Friday Finds at GoodWill

I was happy to find two things I've been "needing" for awhile but just did not want to put the money out to get.  And today, I found both at GoodWill!  Yippie Skippy!  I love when that happens.  :)

They are both vintage, which made them even more special since I love vintage things.  They give off that comforting feeling to me.  Maybe because I'm  vintage, having lived on this earth for a little over half a century now, and also because all things vintage remind me of my childhood, which realistically was full of a lot of pain, but it also had some good moments.  Those are the moments on which I like to focus these days.

My first find was a Weaver's Pres-Kloth tailor's ham made who-knows-when-exactly, but apparently, it was ages ago.  It's hard as a rock!  A lot harder than I had expected, having never owned one.  I bought it for 99¢.

 Here we have a World's Best sleeve board.  

This cost me $2.99.

They both look a lot cleaner in these photos than they actually are.  I can take the covers off the sleeve board and wash those, but I'm not sure yet how I'm going to wash the big fat ham up there.  And since my old rickety ironing board just recently fell apart like a cheap suit, I can use the wide part of the sleeve board for ironing small projects.  I've been using a folded towel on top of my sewing machine table, which has been slightly inconvenient but doable in a pinch.  My sewing room isn't very big so I prefer something small while I'm sewing anyway.  This little sleeve board will be perfect!

$3.98 plus tax = Fun Friday Finds Finer than Frog's Hair!