On the mend and feeling fine! What's next?

Ahh, Good Morning to you all! Wow, I finally feel great again! My home is nearly back in order and I have energy to burn, let's go! It is also a lovely day, so what is next?

Well as I have said I have trimmed my work schedule, I am so excited to feel my life come back! I have a huge list of projects and activities that I haven't been able to work on since I started working so much, but as usual I want to make something new! Argh, oh well I guess that wee thing in my nature will never change.

The first thing I want to do is go outside and go for a walk or a ride, my Doc would say "Walk" of course and she would be right. The next thing would be to reset and reorganize my studio. Thirdly, I will sew a bit. I have several projects on the go and many of those are nearly finished, so I should have no problem winding a couple of those up in the next couple few weeks.

As for the Studio, well that is another story all together! You see a couple of months ago I was offered a energy audit and I accepted. Then I was offered some weatherization and I accepted. Then I took apart my basement which includes my Studio to make way. Then no one showed up for weeks and weeks. Then I called, guess what? Yep, no weatherization....Probably! What, Argh! Now long story short my studio is and has been a total disaster of piled furniture and packed up crates and boxes for weeks. Of course I want to work on that project in the bottom box - under the pile of furniture, Right Now, wouldn't you? So I have decided "Probably" or not, the studio is getting reset, period - exclamation point! - THE END! So there.

Of course on the brighter side of things. I do have a clean space and a chance to reorganized everything! Maybe it will be better than it was and it will all work out to be a good thing. Well in any case, it is what it is and there is nothing to be done about it, so you may as well smile as cry. For now I will ..... read some of my favorite blogs. (Another one of those things in my nature that will never change, "You may as well look at the bright side of things" Sorry I just can't help it.)

Happy Day to you all, Joanne

New Days and New Hopes

It has been a very --- week for me. It would appear that my decision to pull back my work load was a little too late. Almost directly after sending the note to my employer I started to get sick and am still sick now. I got so sick that my diabetes went haywire and I missed three days work! Now if you knew me you would know that I don't miss three days work in three years! Let alone in one week!

I was beside myself horrified and completely dismayed, but at the same time I knew I had done this. I had pushed myself too far and I was paying for it now and in a very dangerous way. You see with diabetes when you get sick you can get very, very sick and I did just that.

Now if you have stayed with me so far, I thank you, because my reason for this post is not to let everyone know that I was sick. In fact I would rather you not know I was sick, but in this difficult economic environment it is easy to say "Well I will just put my head down and bull through it! I will work and work some more." Does this sound familiar? Well you know that is great if you can maintain it, but for me I found myself unable to enjoy anything! I had contemplated tossing all my quilting and was totally sick of all handwork! I kept starting new projects trying to relight my passion to no avail. I just kept feeling more and more hopeless.

Then, finally, I came to the conclusion that some of that "work and work some more" had to go if I was going to save my passion, save myself! I had to save myself before it was too late, before I quit myself and kept the jobs!

After all is all this work really worth what you are paying? Are those few dollar bills, numbers in your checking account really worth your time? I mean really what are you giving up to work that sixth and seventh day or the 10 or 12 hour day? I don't know about you, but for me it is too much.

What I want to say to you is just this - Protect yourself and your passions! Indeed make sure to make time to cultivate yourself and your craft and your interests. Stop and smell the roses or pet the fabric or dig in the dirt. It is absolutely imperative to do so! And if you need to talk it out with someone who will listen, then do it! It is amazing how just a little or a lot of talking can put things in perspective. Do what ever it takes to have a happy life and let the economy be damned! You only get a chance at TODAY once and TODAY is an important day in your life.  (She says stepping on her soap box)

I mean, I'm just saying....

                                            have a wonderful day and many more. Joanne