I feel like things are moving in the right direction for me. My health is improving, my energy level is increasing, and my connections with others are strengthening.
Recovery from recent surgery (nothing life threatening, but not fun either) is going well. At first it was awful. The “one week off before returning to work” just did not work for me. That one week turned into two, and my recent paycheck took a hit because of it. My situation with time off is a little complex, and the long and short of it is I took more hours off than I had available, so my pay was docked. Oh well. One body, one life, one extra week to heal. It was worth it. Now I’m up and around, energy is back, and although I’m not 100%, I’m well on my way. I’m also living in a smaller, easier to manage body, and that’s a huge plus.
During that recovery period, I was scheduled to host our monthly Bunco game. With the help of my sweetheart and my amazing friends (not to mention my favorite pizza place), I was able to pull it off with very little effort. They did just about everything, and my kitchen was pristine before the last girls left. I love those ladies; spending time with them is good for the soul.
The following day we had a low key lunch planned at another friend’s house, and I was pampered and fussed over and generally cared for in a way that only your girlfriends can do.
Speaking of girlfriends, not too long ago I received a text that one of our longtime online scrapbooking club friends had passed away. This online group changed my life in so many positive ways. I got active in the group when my son was about three years old. He’s well on his way to 30.
I made lifelong friends in the group, including my dear friend who lived on the same street as me. Yes, we met on the internet, but lived less than a mile apart in the same neighborhood. In addition to being neighbors, we realized there were some odd coincidences between our lives. For example, my son’s first and middle names are her two sons’ names (in the same order). There are other weird things too, but you get the idea. It was fate, plain and simple.
Anyway… this group became a huge part of my life for several years. We had multiple get togethers, and I was lucky enough to participate in events across four different states. Friday nights we had online chats that kept us connected. We had challenges and swaps and all sorts of fun things, but mainly we were there for each other. Births, deaths, marriages, divorces… we saw it all, and we shared genuine affection for one another. It was a remarkable experience.
We lost our first member way too young. Cancer. Not much more to say. Then, this month we lost another. Also cancer. Horrible. But her passing, and the woman who we affectionately refer to as the “team captain” brought us back together. Our team captain shared the sad news in a group text, and it allowed us to reconnect. Many of us have been online friends over the decades, but we lost touch with others. All of a sudden, there they were. We were talking again. Sharing news. Sharing updated pictures. What a gift. Our friend would have been so happy to know that she had a part in bringing us back together.
Now my formerly down the street friend and I live miles apart, but we have plans to get together. It’s been too long. We try to see one another now and then, but life often interferes. Not this time. She invited me to come along with her to a workshop to try something new. I’m in. I don’t know if I’ll enjoy the activity, but I know for certain that I’ll enjoy the company. These recent events have reminded me that life can be unpredictable. Take the trip, call the friend, try the new activity, get outside. Take time to notice it all, especially your people. And pets. Don’t forget your pets.
OH!! And I almost forgot to mention. I’M GOING TO SEE BTS!!!!!!! But that’s a whole other story.
I’ve been at this blogging thing since June of 2013, so a solid five years now. In that time I’ve published nearly 700 posts. Most of them have a fair number of words to them. Some, however, are quite short, and feature photos or a video instead of my usual ramblings. Still, that’s quite a few posts.
The thing about it is, I can’t actually remember writing all of those posts. It’s almost as if I was in some sort of stupor when I published them. Not all of them, of course, but I have stumbled across several that make me scratch my head in wonder. Are these really my words? Did I really say that?
It’s not that I disagree with my past self, or that I’m embarrassed by anything I’ve written. At least so far I haven’t been. It’s just that it seems like the act of writing should leave more of an indelible mark. I ought to remember my words, as I remember the quilts I’ve made or the scrapbooks I’ve created.
Maybe words are just too common. Maybe it’s more like trying to remember meals I’ve cooked. Some stand out, for various reasons, but most just fade into the background to be forgotten. Maybe that’s how it is with words. Sometimes they stick, but other times they say their piece, only to be quickly forgotten.
I don’t mind, really. Sometimes it’s fun to see the suggested posts at the bottom of my screen and click on an old post. Sometimes it’s like seeing an old friend, but other times it feels brand new.
It’s been ages since I’ve been to a quilt show, which is entirely my fault.
I’m lucky to live in a state where quilt makers are doing exciting work, and quilt shows, large and small, are held regularly. The largest of these is the show put on by the state quilter’s guild, of which I used to be an active member. In fact, that guild brought me my first friends in my adopted home state.
Quilt groups vary in size, focus, and time commitment. I think there’s a group for everyone, from the most traditional hand piecer and quilter to the digital age modern quilter who does things without regard for “traditional” techniques or “rules.” There are those who get together for the dedicated purpose of producing quilts to be donated to charities, and there are those who are committed to recreating quilts from particular eras. Most groups, however, are simply gatherings of people who share a love of quilting and enjoy one another’s company.
I was lucky to find a group like that in the early 1990’s when I moved out west with no job and no friends. Quilting was my creative outlet, and the quilt group I found was full of interesting and innovative women, who welcomed me into their circle. It was a branch of the state guild, and through that I started traveling to other groups to teach classes. I loved it!
The more active I was with the guild and our chapter, the more fun I had. I volunteered to head up a statewide charity small quilt auction one year that raised several thousand dollars, and I spent another year as our group’s chapter chairperson. Both of these experiences were positive and rewarding, mostly because of the wonderful people I was able to work with along the way.
Time marches on, though, and motherhood took more of my psychic energy than I could have imagined. I still quilted from time to time, but scrapbooking our lives became my main creative outlet, and I let my guild membership lapse, mainly from a lack of time for meetings. Add to that some of my closest quilting buddies moving away, and, well, you know…
The good news it that they didn’t all move, and then Facebook was invented. Through it I keep in touch with some of my quilty friends, and when I needed some professional quilting done on a top I made long ago, I knew just who to call. Well, that lovely lady did the job expertly, and we had a fantastic time reconnecting in the process. We made a date for the quilt show, and here it is, quilt show day!
I’m excited to see my friend, I’m excited to see the quilts and vendors, and mostly I’m excited to go back to the show. The show where I once earned an honorable mention ribbon for a quilt that I now cherish as a memory of my dad. The show that celebrates every corner of my beautiful state and every type of creative expression that could be classified as a quilt. The show that takes me back decades, but will no doubt fire a creative spark for the future.
BulgingButtons 