Day 80 of 365

Now that the quilts are gone, I've decided to close up my sewing shop for the summer.

I really don't have a sewing shop, but I've used my sewing machine more in these last couple months than I have in probably the last five years combined. But the sewing room is a disaster with all the bits of pieces of fabric left over, and all the different colored threads around, and batting pieces, and ... The list goes on and on. So I'll be cleaning it up in there, organizing it all pretty, and then not messing it up again for some time. I do still have a couple small projects I'd like to get to, but nothing like doing five quilts in five days. What was I thinking?

I know what I'm thinking now, though. Now that the weather is warmer, and the gardens (and the weeds) have been calling my name, it's time for me to focus on something else for a bit.

Every year I do that anyway. For the past 17 years I've been working full time, crazy hours, bringing work home with me. Usually around the first or second week of June or so, I'm out of school and ready to leave it all behind. And ready to focus on the outside stuff. Since my husband had his last day of school yesterday (and I'm not working), I'm ready to start that outside focus now. A whole month early.

Focus on the outside of the house and the gardens. Focus on watering and weeding. Pruning and clipping. And on harvesting the vegetables we planted.

Like radishes. Our first thing planted back on April 1 is the first thing we got to eat from the garden today.

Exercise update: 34 for 34.

Day 79 of 365

There's a lot I didn't do today.

I didn't pull the tree seedlings out of the rose garden and wildflower garden, or cut out the winter damage in the roses.

I didn't dig the grass out of all the gardens or bring out the patio table.

I didn't put the new bench together or cut branches back from the roof.

I didn't empty the garbage cans of the dirt and weeds or cover the woodpecker hole in shed.

But I did do something important.

I met a goal I set this week. Quilting, binding, washing, clipping threads, sewing on labels. Five kids' quilts in one week. Quilt number five is finished. Now all of them are done, over, washed, folded, boxed up, and at the post office. Headed to the Quilts for Kids organization.

The lofty goal is now a completed goal. 

Exercise update: 33 for 33.

Day 78 of 365

I was watching someone being interviewed on TV today and she was talking about having had 9 surgeries in her lifetime. That number seemed shocking when she said it.

But as I started to think about it, I've already bypassed that number these past several years.

My body has been making things more difficult for me. I'm aging faster than I should be. I had to have a hysterectomy at age 30. Had to have a total knee replacement at age 44. And just yesterday the doctor told me I have the back of a 60 year old. Excuse me, I'm only 45? What's that back going to look like when I am 60?

And the next not-so-great news from the rheumatologist? That Methotrexate that I take on Wednesday nights? The pills that I take 8 of all at the same time? Well, it's time to switch to an injection there, too. So next week I will start taking two shots. One injection of the chemotherapy drug Methotrexate and one injection of the TB and cancer-causing drug Enbrel.

I know my situation is not unique. I know there are others out there suffering (or managing) better than I am. But some days I just have to live one day at a time.

One more day of exercising (that's 32 in a row now). One more day of finishing up a kids quilt.

Day 77 of 365

It's true that one thing leads to another.

I had an appointment with the rheumatologist today. Since I had to drive towards the big city to get there, I went ahead and went all the way to the city to see my daughter. And since Target is at the freeway interchange on the way to the doctor's and my daughter's, I made a Target run, too.

My Target take: (AC=After Coupons)

• 4 trays of Whiskas Cat food $2.28  ($1.14 AC)
• Up & Up baby shampoo $1.37  ($.62 AC)
• 2 bottles French's Mustard $2.14  ($.57 each AC)
• 2 packs Dentyne Gum $2.08  ($.04 each AC)
• 2 Dulcolax $9.48 ($.74 each AC)
• 2 Propel $1.84 ($.42 each AC)
• 3 Crystal Light $7.47 ($1.49 each AC)

I paid with a gift card my husband received last week, so no out of pocket expenses for me.

When I got to my daughter's she gave me my Mother's Day present. A new rolling pin from Williams-Sonoma. Just the one I wanted! (Thanks kiddo.) And she treated me to lunch today - sandwiches from Jimmy Johns (thanks again kiddo).

After my doctor's appointment I went to the McDonald's across the street and picked up my free frozen strawberry lemonade (from the coupon in Sunday's paper).

My only expense was the doctors co-pay. (Except there will be a bill that follows for the several tubes of blood they took.)

Didn't pay at Target, didn't pay for a new rolling pin, didn't pay for lunch, didn't pay for strawberry lemonade.

And on top of that, finished a quilt and exercised for the 31st day in a row.

A productive but cheap day.

Day 76 of 365

What a day.

Some days I sit down at the computer and am not sure what I want to write about. Today was not one of those days. It seemed that so much happened out of the ordinary that I wanted to write about too many things.

I wanted to write about that fact that we had a frost last night and I'm not sure if our plants made it or not.

I wanted to write about all I did this morning - got up early, exercised first thing (30 days in a row), paid bills, got a load of laundry on the clothesline. (All before 9:30.)

I also wanted to write about how I went to school for a meeting, visited there for a while, picked up a hamburger for lunch, and worked on the computer in the afternoon.

Of all of those things the only thing that is in a normal, average day is the exercise. (Well, that and laundry and bill paying ever so often.) Laundry, bill paying, and all of those other things combined to make it an unusual day.

But since I've done too many me, me, me posts lately, I won't be writing about any of those things.

Today's it's all about the kids quilt I finished. These first few I'm finishing are with material that the quilting for kids organization sent me. Two down and three to go.

Now when I send these five quilts out the door, can I count that as downsizing?

Day 75 of 365

By reading back on my posts, it seems I've been a bit selfish lately. My garden, my to-do list, my exercising, my pain, my fabric, my organizing, my downsizing, my unknown job status. My, my, my.

Time to get back to doing what I set out to do. Be thankful for what I have. Be thankful for being able to, on my good days, do things for others.

So today I finished one of those things I was oh-so-excited about doing a few weeks back. Doing kids quilts for charity. I was so excited when I received fabric, excited when I made the quilt tops, but the excitement waned as the spring garden season came around.

The weather has cooled off again so the work in the gardens can wait (even those weeds).  This week's goal is to get five (yep, 5) quilts finished. All the top parts are ready, but I need to add the batting and backing (which I now have thanks to that fabric arrival a few days back). I'm quilting all of them on the machine, then will wash them and send them on their way. Having them done by Friday might be pushing it, but that's the plan.

Today's picture is one of the now finished quilts hanging on my clothesline. (Which in itself is exciting - my shoulders work well enough that I can hang things on a clothesline now!)

Exercise update: 29 for 29.

Day 74 of 365

I've never been one to write in a journal.

There have been a couple times in my life where I've put pen to paper at the end of every day, but in total it probably hasn't been for more than just a few months.

So I'm surprised at myself for actually writing here each day. And putting it out for all to read. When I first started this blog I didn't know if anyone would read it. Now I have a few followers, a few people who post comments, but according to the statistics I have access to, many more read it every day.

I'm glad I'm writing things down here. Writing down my thoughts and activities, taking a picture of something noteworthy, and keeping track of how many days I'm exercising has given me a project. Something to keep me moving forward and a record of how far I've come.

But most importantly, it has kept me accountable. Especially when it comes to the exercise department.

28 days in a row. 28 days of riding the exercise bike. 28 days of getting my blood pumping. Of getting my shoulders, arms, and legs stronger.

I can honestly say I have never in my entire life exercised for 28 days in a row before. There's an interesting thing that happens when you exercise every day for a month. Your muscles feel stronger. Your clothes fit better. You stand up a bit taller. And you don't feel like you need to eat as much.

Last time when I lost a significant amount of weight, I was on prescription amphetamines. Kept me going all day, kept me up all night. They made me not want to eat, but they didn't necessarily make me want to exercise. So some days I did, and some days I didn't.

But by having people I don't even know check up on me and give me encouraging words does make me want to exercise. And makes me want to do it each day.

So to all who read my blog daily or occasionally, and to those who are on this road with me, I thank you. I thank you for your positive comments, your encouragement, and your interest in what I'm doing. Just a few short months ago, I certainly didn't think I was going to make it out of the mess I was in.

Now I feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel. (And this time I don't think it's a train.)

I'm like the peas my daughter replanted a couple weeks back. The first batch was planted back on April 1. Those dissolved in the ground from too much rain and not enough warmth. The second batch was planted just 10 days ago. The combination of good weather and enriched soil has them bursting from the ground and inching toward the trellis, looking to grow tall and strong.

And thanks to the combination of my daily writing, picture taking, and your positive support, I'm doing the same.