Spring is Here!

It has been a hectic Spring.  The NIFS Shop Hop was from April 19th through April 29th, and with extended hours, it really kept us hopping!  We had a great time and really enjoyed seeing the over 400 people who came through the shop in that 10 day period.  All that to say, I haven't accomplished much in my quilting business these past couple of weeks!  Spring weather has arrived, and I couldn't resist posting the picture of my son and his son enjoying the beautiful weather.  It has been so nice these past few days that it has been a real shame to be inside!  I hope everyone is loving the Spring this year as much as I am.  Hopefully, it will last longer than a short bit.  Seems like sometimes in Nebraska it goes directly from too cold to too hot!  So far this year, it has been great!

"Forks in the Road"

  This week, I have been working on a couple of quilts that a lady made for her two granddaughters.  They are fun, happy quilts with fun, happy colors...my favorite!  Each day that I quilt, I spend some time when I get up drinking my coffee and relaxing.  Then I go in and either look at the quilt, or press and load the back all the while thinking about what the quilt "wants" for its finishing look.  Usually, it doesn't take me long to decide what I want to do on the quilt, and then it is just a matter of taking that first deep breath and starting to stitch.  Occasionally, I start to second guess my choice about one pass into the design, but I never rip out what I have done based on that feeling alone.  My instincts are good, and I just trust that it will all work together in the best interest of the quilt.  I haven't regretted that yet.  Without fail, the more I quilt the better I like my choice.  This is not to say that I never think, "so and so would have looked nice too" on this quilt.  At the end of the day, it is simply a matter of choices.  Much like life, there is always a "fork in the road" so to speak when a decision must be made.  The choices are many, and few are necessarily "wrong" for the quilt.  Lots of patterns can enhance the design.  My philosophy is to make a decision and then do what I need to do to make it work.  Come to think of it, that's also the way I run my life...so far, so good.  :)

Scrapbooking Retreat Was So Fun!

This past weekend I went to the scrapbooking retreat at Maranatha.  It was so much fun!  We started scrapping on Thursday and continued into the wee hours of the night each night through Saturday.  I was operating on only 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night.  About Saturday night around midnight, I started to realize that I am way to old to keep that kind of schedule for any amount of time!  Anyway, I got 45 pages done in my daughter's wedding album.  I started the album when I got there, and all I have left to finish are a few layouts from the reception.  The Save the Date layout in the picture above was the winner of the "Page of the Day" contest on Friday, and I won a new organizing container for my Cricut cartridges.  I was very surprised to win, and loved my prize.
In between scrapping, I was able to spend time with my grandbabies.  My granddaughter stayed with us so that my daughter in law could feed her.  She was such a good little girl!  We didn't have any problems keeping her happy while we worked.  My son and grandson joined us for meals and visited us a couple of times a day.  It was a great weekend!  Now, I am back to quilting.  With shop hop around the corner, I am working on getting as much done as I can before I go to Kearney to help mom.

Life is Busy...but soooo good:)

  I have been crazy busy this past couple of weeks because I went to Kearney to run the quilt shop for my mom while she and dad went on vacation last week. In the time that I have been home, I have been quilting madly so that I can justify taking several days off next week to go to a scrapbooking retreat.  The best part of the retreat is that it is held at the Bible camp where my son works, so I can stay with his family and hang out with my adorable grandchildren!  I can't wait!  My grandson is turning 2 in May, and I am amazed at how quickly he has changed from being a "baby" to being a little boy.  He is running everywhere, learning to talk, and soooo sweet with his baby sister.  I had two babies of my own that grew up too fast, but it was long ago, and I had forgotten how quickly they do grow up.  I am trying to enjoy every chance I get to spend with them.  As quickly as one chance ends, I start scheming how I can see them again.  Yesterday, my son told me that he is moving closer to home and going back to college.  That will give me even more chances to spend time with my babies!  It is going to be great!

Silence is golden...or deafening...depending on your perspective!

My constant companion, Candy our Boston Terrier follows me around the house from room to room throughout the day.  She burrows under the quilts on our guest bed and just hangs out there while I quilt.  If I stop working and go to another room, she follows me.  I find her presence a great comfort on days when I am missing people.  Transitioning from teaching full time to working as an administrative assistant to working out of my home has been a journey.  The best and worst of it are the same...I am by myself all day.  The silence is sometimes really nice, but at other times I miss human companionship.  At those times, I text my husband, daughter, or friend Jo hoping to reach out and connect with another person. Thank goodness for texting!  I can make a connection without actually distracting them from their work or me from mine.  The creative process is rewarding in itself, but it would be great to have my machine in a quilt shop where I could just hang out and visit with customers,  However, if it was, I wouldn't get near as much done!  So, for now, every couple of weeks I head to the quilt shop in Kearney to help my mom and get some social interaction!