It is the middle of December and then the year will come to a close. Am I ready to end this epic year so soon? It really has been epic. In the quilt room, I have done very little except to ponder and read and write and eat yummy goodies. I had set out to revisit 23 unfinished projects. And how did I do? I don't think I finished anything in the quilting area but I did work on many projects. I was desperately looking for something not once but several times and ended up going through every single project box not once but at least twice. Some more than that.
I found some of the things I was looking for. Like a handful of $50 bills that I put in a safe place back in June then moved them to a safer place. I found them in a project box labeled Prepped Blocks in November. I had been through that box several times, but then picked out each piece of fabric and paper and there they were - a whole handful exactly the same colour as the fabric that was sitting on top. I put them into the bank. The bills not the fabric.
I went to Germany in March for a ladies' retreat. I took granddaughter Ava and my daughter Melanie.
Then my Sweetie and I went to Australia for 3 weeks for a quilt retreat and cattle show. Not blogged about that yet. I wonder why?
In May I had 2 cataract surgeries. The left eye did not heal well and it was nearly 4 months before I had a laser treatment to correct that. And now I have glasses to wear. It certainly makes driving easier. In June I organized and led a weekend retreat for the women's mentoring group that I lead. How I love ministering to these women. It really makes my heart sing.
In July we finally celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary after cancelling it twice. We had a garden party with a tent for the rain that did come. We had family visiting for several weeks. That was really nice. But when everyone was gone and all the food was eaten and we found ourselves home alone for several weeks, just my Sweetie and I crashed. I found myself so exhausted and unable to focus of anything, so, I started reading.
In August my computer crashed and we got a new hard drive. In recovering all the desktop short cuts, our guy managed to hide the current photos and documents and put up short cuts to photos and documents from 2000-2009 from the external hard drive. Any new pictures I save end up in random places. Sigh. I got a new cell phone last year and started taking pictures with it, but cannot figure out how to move them to my blog. I know. I know. I was born BC - before computers. Also, in August we quietly launched a new blog now called How We Stayed Married for 50 Years. My Sweetie and I. I have been sort of posting weekly, but got stuck a few times trying to get the posts written up and edited together. Now that has been a challenge. We are at L for listening.
Then in October I flew to St Louis for a personal retreat for 4 days. Still processing that.
In November I was in Shipshewana for a quilt retreat. Gail joined us and we met up with Hanne from Norway. Gail, Hanne and I are part of the Chookshed Stitchers, an online quilt group hosted by Chooky in Australia. She could not host her quilt retreats during covid so started a monthly group inviting bloggers from around the world to join in. Back in April, we met everyone in person at her Scrub Stitching Retreat in Barradine, NSW. It was wonderful.
I have the new 2024 monthly desk calendar and am itching to open it and start planning all sort of things. I am already considering my 2024 Goals List. Will it have 24 goals? Maybe. There are many dates already filled in the monthly at-a-glance-calendar. I do need to keep track of appointments. And then, didn't I show up for chiro a day early on Monday then cancelled the dentist on Tuesday because it was snowing and I do not have to go out driving in the snow if I do not want to. So I rebooked for January. And speaking of January, that has lots of days filled already including a family wedding, a retreat, as well as that dentist appointment.
I discovered a few new blogs to read through the To-Do-Tuesday and OMG linky parties. I have so many ideas racing through my head, but there had been a lot going on here these days like excavators and carpenters and roofers and plumbers and electricians and combines and applesauce. Just to name a few. I have not been blogging much for the past few months and wonder why? Can one get blog burnout? No. Not possible. I have not been writing either. Or sewing. Or doing housework, since I have someone come in to do that weekly. So, I have been reading the blogs but not writing and linking. Sigh. And I read about 20 books. Yup. Most of the Elm Creek Quilters series and lots of others. I started making a list. It is somewhere.
I took my laptop in to get a new battery and fix a broken key. It has not returned yet. I was putting the blind above my computer desk up and let go too soon so it is at the top letting the sun shine brightly here onto my computer so I cannot see to work on it. Can we have too much sunshine in December? No. Never. And then yesterday it rained. A lot. I cannot reach the blind to pull it down. But, the sun will come out tomorrow. Gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day.
Christmas is coming. We are having dinner with only 20 this year. Last year we had 18 for an impromptu sleepover in a blizzard. This year the weather is more like spring. Since I have learned how to delegate, and have a cleaning lady come in weekly, I do not fret about getting ready. No lights or decorations yet, but we still have a few days. And besides, my family of origin always set up the tree on Christmas Eve and some family take everything down on boxing Day. I have learned to relax.
So about the 23 ufos for 2023. I touched every single one of them. I had fun doing that. So, mission accomplished. I worked on quite a few. But my focus has been on so many other things. I do plan to return here in the New Year with plans and goals and regular blog posting. And, since we had the epic 50+2 anniversary party, I am already making plans for the 60th. I only have 2789 days. Better get busy.
Blessings,
Chris
