Thank you...

Oh my.  Too everyone who ever commented on any of my posts, thank you.  I had seen some of them, but was surprised tonight to find some comments, many months old, that I never saw.  I'm so sorry.

I'll have to check my settings and make sure that I'm getting e-mail notification when someone does comment, though I thought that I already was.  I don't know how I missed so many comments, and all so positive, even supportive.

I promise to try to do better...key word = try.

A post...

Old habits do stick around...and time slides by...and so I post again, after yet another long absence.  I'd love this blog to be more like the blogs that I follow, full of interesting and useful information.  Doesn't seem likely to happen.  My life just isn't working that way, not at the moment anyway.

And I'm struggling with creativity and with trying to prioritize so that the things that I have to do don't totally block out the things that I want to do.  Ahhh...life.

It's likely to get harder too.  I'm going back to work full-time, now that my boys are almost 16/18.  They need the experience of not being able to depend on mom, every moment of every day.  They need to learn to think more, to plan and to explore independence and responsibility.  I need a break and a paycheck.

I've worked full-time before, within their lifetimes - a little bit.  My part-time jobs - teaching and costume work - have sometimes had some intense hours.  There was a theatre season of full-time costume shop work, combined with the part-time teaching, and the carpooling of the 6th graders...that year almost did me in.  But time has passed.  Oldest drives.  Youngest has come a long ways in personal development and growth.  I think they can handle the change, in their own way. 

Overall, I suspect that the household is going to suffer...like it doesn't already?  Ha.  I'm no housekeeper or cook, never have been and likely never shall be, so things will probably only get worse!  I'll take the break anyway.  I need something that will eat enough of my free time, to make the remaining time seem more valuable, more critical, so that I'll focus more, accomplish more.  Oddly, yes, that's how I work.  I won't do a better job on the housework, but when I have less free time, I'll be more appreciative of it, more efficient in using it.

Ok.  Enough with the whining.  Have any of us been creative lately?  Most would say, yes, all the time, not just 'lately'.  But my creativity has been very dodgy these last couple of years.  I've gotten trapped in the world of FB and computer solitaire...and I don't quite know why.  When I do get to my studio, either I look around and leave, or maybe, just maybe, I pick up something to work on and for a brief moment, rediscover the pleasure of just doing.  If I could make enough of those moments happen in a row, I'd be back to the creative self that I seem to have misplaced.

 So, recent creativity....my last post showed a project that had gotten me all fired up.  Here's the finished item.

 

This is the finished snood, made from this cord:

I photographed it stuffed with my fake braids.  Haven't worn it yet, so don't have a picture of it on my head.  It was a bit time consuming to stitch each intersection, but it was fun and I have plans for doing at least one more.  I'm thinking a plain gold cord, or perhaps a gold kumihimo braid, with pearls at the intersections.  Hmmm...that sounds like fun, so maybe it's time for me to head out to the studio and get busy...have to tackle while inspiration is active!

 

So some days I just can't worry about "it's not period!"

When inspiration strikes, I have to go for it.

I wanted to test the snood from Simplicity 8735, a pseudo-Italian Ren.  I was looking for something like a gold soutache, when I came across this in the stash.









It is a fine cord that has been shaped into rose-like segments.  There is a finer green thread holding it together, and hinting at leaves for the roses.






Right now, it's pinned onto the pattern tissue.  It doesn't look like it will be very large, but I think that it will be gorgeous.  Period or not, I'm going to wear this!

November, December, January, February.....uh-oh....too long between posts again.

It's been a rough few months.  Had foot surgery back in December, which went well, but which required a healing process.  I'm a bit over 2/3 through the healing, based on the goal of being back in regular shoes at the 3 month mark.  I've been wearing men's extra-wide running shoes, so as to not irritate the healing foot, but of course they're too wide for the other foot, so it's been a challenge.

And then things got harder.  My mom suffered a stroke in January, from which we had every reason to expect a pretty good recovery.  Sadly, because of complications, we lost her 3 weeks ago.  She was too vibrant and excited about life to be gone so soon.  Between watching her struggle with recovery, and losing her after 3 weeks of that struggle, it's been a really hard winter.

So much to handle, helping Dad with Mom's stuff, her sewing room, yarn collection, and all of the knick-knacks and such.  We're getting there slowly, with tears here and there, and an occasional chuckle as objects and papers remind us of good moments.

I'm not old enough to not have my mom yet....I don't care what the numbers say.  She shouldn't be gone.