Larisa and all,
Yes, I am still alive. Not doing a lot of sewing/quilting, but staying ridiculously busy!
I went back to school at the beginning of the year. That kept me pretty busy until school got out at the end of May. Proudly, I made straight A's and kept my 4.0 GPA! Not bad for a perimenopausal woman returning to school after ? how many years? Even did my major Psych assignment on the topic of the Effects of Perimenopause on Female Cognitive Learning Ability!
I go back to school in July - only this time not at the local junior college - now I am a full fledged student of University of Houston Law School! It is the most exciting and terrifying step I have taken in my life for a very long time! By the end of September I should have my Paralegal certification and a job in family law as well as being qualified to be a Children's Court Advocate.
Time to give back some of the blessings the children and I received all those years!
Speaking of children's blessings - my teenager (the one who dropped out a year ago February) graduated in May! I was honored to watch my beautiful daughter (although through slightly misty tear filled eyes) walk across the stage to receive her diploma! She is currently working full time and excelled so well in her training that two weeks after she started the job as an Assistant Manager, they made her a manager of her own location.
My dear sweet son is doing better these days. Had quite a bit of difficulty adjusting to the move and the new school, but by the end of the school year things finally starting settling down and I think he will be ready to roll at the beginning of the next school year. Fifth grade, already?
The new house has kept me very busy! Did I say I was really excited to have a new two story house with four bathrooms? Did someone point out to me that I was going to spend a week cleaning from upstairs to down and by the end, I would be starting over at the top again? Did I miss that part somewhere? Of course, throw in a Christmas party and a huge graduation party of the daughter, and that adds another couple of months of cleaning and preparations and plans.
Physical health has been good - well if you don't try to kill yourself relandscaping the entire yard of your new home...but it is starting to look beautiful so there are rewards to the pain and suffering of an out of shape, aging body.
To keep this on topic - I have done a little sewing....
Attention Susan Laity Price - drumroll please.... I finally, FINALLY got the John Deere blanket sewn, assembled and almost completely quilted before my 15-91 pooped on me. Haven't found a good service man out here yet, and haven't had time or money since the graduation to get it in to find out what the problem is - but I'm hoping that will happen next week and I can finish the little bit of quilting that was left to do and get the binding on it. I know my ds is waiting on pins and needles, his old JD "blankie" finally gave up the ghost. We salvaged a couple of panels of it to put in his "baby box" but other than that, it was toast. He says he's "too old" for a "blankie" now, but insists he needs a John Deere "quilt" for his bed..... almost there son, almost there
When the machine pooped out on me, I had (for once in my life) purchased some material and a pattern to make myself some summer blouses. So I have spent a little time modifying the pattern and cutting out shirts so that when the machine is up and running again I can get them slapped together.
There are plenty of other trivialities that have kept me busy, busy, busy but nothing major or life threatening. If anything, it's really just about our life finally getting better and moving on that has kept us moving and shaking since we moved into the new house.
I have had no intentions of leaving my quilting friends in the dust, I've just had to be focused on school and kids and the house since we moved. Now there is lots to do and time to spend with the kids doing summer camping and things before I go back to school in July! aaarrggghhh did I say July ???
So HUGS and tears and happy dances for all who are needing and deserving. I do read the group occasionally to keep up and I hold you close in my heart and prayers. Have been keeping up with Leslie's recovery and many of the quilty projects.
And yes Larisa, I got your message and I promise I will try to call you this evening!
HUGS to you all Tina