Changes, they are a’coming.

Well, we made what we think is a pretty bold decision to move to an apartment while our house is on the market.  Apparently, that is how things are done these days.  So say our realtor and our bank.  So that’s done.  We will move in the first week of April.  I don’t know how all this will work – I have a 2500 sq ft house full of stuff, moving to a 1500 sq ft apartment.  It will be a new experience.  We will have no choice but to downsize and purge.  Might as well adopt a minimalist attitude now.  We planned on buying a house no larger than 1500-1600 square feet when this one sells, so this should lessen that adjustment when it comes.  

I read a book not too long ago called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. Better to do when we are still kicking than leaving it all for one of us or our kids to do.  They don’t want all this crap and we don’t need it.  Do we really need everyday dishes for 16 anymore?  If we are all together we usually use paper plates – don’t judge! So I will be sending out notices to the kids – first come, first serve.  You want it, speak for it now.  If they are one of the ones that don’t live locally, I will make ONE box of stuff for them to keep in storage with their name on it.  And there will be some major garage sales happening and then trips to donation drop-offs.  Some of the family we don’t talk to as often will wonder what in the world we are thinking – but we have been thinking.  A good while.  And plotting and planning and this is the best solution we could suss out.  I can’t say I am super happy about it, but not everything has to make us super happy.  After all, I have survived our youngest grandson moving 1000 miles away.  Just barely, but I have survived. 

Recent events in my life have made me think about what is important and things aren’t.  I feel comfortable mentioning my little health issue now that it is mostly behind me.  I had my regular mammogram on the 13th of January and got a phone call a couple of days later that there was “an area of concern” and I needed to have another one done.  So, no it wasn’t a shadow, it was what we now know is a tumor.  I had a biopsy done a couple of weeks later and it is benign.  However, the pathologist, my GP and GYN want me to see a surgeon for a consultation. That appointment is today.  My thought before the appointment is: If it’s not hurting anything, leave it be.  I will take what he says into consideration.  Him being a surgeon, me having insurance, I can say with a good amount of certainty he will recommend removing it.  But that is ultimately my decision.  And I have a pretty full schedule right now.  I was really hoping the biopsy would shut the door on this little inconvenience but evidently we are going to drag things out a little longer.  Feeling very thankful it was not malignant. I really didn’t have time for that diagnosis. 

Not going to lie, I had some dark days contemplating things and waiting on the results.  I wasn’t scared, I was just very aggravated.  Plenty of people have terrible health problems and don’t have the resources to even find out until it is too late.  And even if they knew, could they afford to do anything about it?  SO yeah, healthcare for all is my battle cry! How would America pay for it?  The same way we pay for wars.  Only we would be saving lives and not taking them.  Yes, I do look at it as it is just that simple. It would be extraordinarily selfish of someone with all that I have to consider the idea that all people don’t deserve healthcare.   I won’t get off into politics.  Not today anyway.  But from this paragraph’s veiled attempt at hiding my affiliations, I think you can guess.   

Okay, enough of all that.  Until next time, I am 

 

 

Home Sweet Home

It’s so nice to be back home.  We had a good week together down South while Quite Contrary Extraordinary Jerry was attending a school.  We had time to discuss some changes we want to implement as we prepare for retirement which isn’t that many years down the road.  The first thing will be to sell our beautiful, too-big-for-two-people, house.  We have loved our 6 years here, but the time has come with the empty nest to downsize, simplify and plan ahead.  

Accepting good vibes for a quick sale and then to figure out our next step.  

Until next time, I am

Quilt Top Progress!

Happy to see so many pieces sewn together.  Taking a break while my hands spring back to life! I might finish this quilt top for Sully after all! I am still in love with the colors and plan to get the top made and then have it quilted at a local quilt shop.  My old arthritic fingers won’t allow me to hand quilt, I’m afraid.  I’m enjoying a bit of uninterrupted sewing time while my husband is in school and I am hold-up in a hotel during the day. It’s nice to spend our evenings together, eating out and lots of good conversations.  

Until next time, I am

my favorite apron pattern

I have made several aprons in this style. Some for me. Some for sale. Back in the day, in another life I had a fairly brisk business of making soaps, aprons and other cool things.This is by far my favorite apron to wear (and sew). I would love to get back into some sort of similar business venture (sans soap) if the future allows. This pattern can be purchased from Friends Patterns.

This latest one is made from a medium weight 100% cotton duck. The care instructions say dry clean but please…I washed it and dried it and it’s soft and lovely! The only real change I made in the pattern was putting only one pocket. I contemplated putting a “hammer loop” to hang a dish rag from but then forgot about it. Still may add it. It seems like a good idea.

Until next time, I am