Day 179 of 365

I sure miss posting on here in early afternoon.

For most days before summer was out I had a routine. I would work on sewing in the morning, have some lunch while watching the news at noon, and then do a bit more sewing. In most cases I had my picture already snapped by 1:00. I'd type a bit on my blog, head downstairs and exercise, then come back up and finish the blog and post my picture. By 2:30 I felt like I had accomplished quite a bit. I had thinking time, planning time, and working time.

But summer started and my husband was underfoot each and every day. My schedule wound up working around him and what he needed/wanted. Late breakfast, skip lunch, work in the gardens, exercise squeezed in where I could, writing my blog sometime in the evening. I even attempted to close up my sewing room twice so I could spend more time in the gardens (which did not work for me).

Then I started back to work, and my schedule became even more discombobulated. It became early breakfast, pack a lunch, get home late. Do the blog sometime before dark. And the exercising stopped.

Now I'm three (or is it four?) weeks back into work and I still can't get hold of a schedule that works for me. I sure miss the early blog posting and picture taking - it's like the important part of the day is done and I don't have the "pressure" to find something worthwhile to take a picture of.

But finally, today, I felt I could breathe a little more.

I again spent time this morning helping with the irrigation pump (that is still not working - grrr). But after some breakfast, my husband cleaned house to give me time to film my tutorial for Tuesday and work on getting a baby quilt finished.

And here it is not yet 2:30 in the afternoon and my tutorial is done (fishbowl cookies, as voted on by you!) and I have a picture of my latest baby quilt. While it may look like the exact same picture as on Day 173, it is not - it's now quilted with an overall meandering stitch, ready to be sent away.

I have four quilts going out the door this week, all to the Quilts for Kids organization. The one from Day 164, Day 176, the crumb quilt from Day 107 that I couldn't fit in the box last time, and today's.

Day 178 of 365

I went to the movies today.

I had planned on going one of these last couple days - all by myself - by my husband got all pouty about it. He wanted to go, and it's best to let him have his way.

If you've read my blog, you know my husband has cerebral palsey. To look at him, you'd think he had a stroke. He's unable to use his right side and walks with a limp. Living with someone who can't drive, can't tie his own tie (and he wears one almost every day), can't tie his own shoes (mostly slip-ons now, thank goodness), and can't cut his own steak can be a lot of work. He has great difficulty peeling potatoes, using a hammer, and cutting with scissors.

Over the course of our marriage, every piece of furniture and equipment that has needed to be assembled has been assembled by me. China cabinets, headboard, TV stands, chairs, exercise bike, bookcases (and we have dozens of those). TV hung on the wall, patio blocks installed? Me.

So those times I can get away by myself are rare, but so very precious.

I so look forward to a Saturday where I get the day to myself. I so wanted to have another quilt finished, and so wanted it to be my picture of the day. But today was not an alone do-my-own thing day. It started out with me having to help him for quite some time on the irrigation pump at home, time at the movies, and eventually ended at the grocery store.

I can't complain - I did get to go to the movie I wanted. And I found a gorgeous dessert (that I didn't buy) at the grocery store. I don't know what it was, but it looked so good!

Day 177 of 365

On a Friday in August of 1993, I canned tomatoes. Lots of tomatoes. Quarts and quarts of them.

I had graduated from college with my teaching degree the previous May, but no jobs were available. I had applied to be a teacher's assistant in the school where I did 2nd grade and 5th grade student teaching. I got an interview, but no job offer. I figured if I couldn't even get an assistant job, I certainly would never get a teacher job. I thought my career was over before it ever started.

Though, after two years of juggling my college schedule with my daughter's preschool schedule, I was more than happy to be a stay-at-home mom again. She was getting ready to head into Kindergarten, freeing me up to have half a day to myself.

A phone call at 3:00 in the afternoon, in the middle of canning all those tomatoes, changed that.

That phone call changed my life forever.

That phone call was from the principal of the school I had student taught at. The same school that didn't want me for the teacher's assistant job. This school had an increase in enrollment in 2nd grade and needed to hire a 2nd grade teacher immediately. And that principal wanted me to have the job. No interview, no interview questions. Just show up in a few minutes and get the keys to my new classroom. Oh, and don't forget, school will start on Tuesday.

So on a Friday afternoon in August in the middle of my tomato canning, four days before school was to start, I had a job. I was a teacher with a classroom and students.

My career did start. (Only later did I learn the reason I wasn't hired for the assistant job was because the principal told them not to hire me because he wanted me for the teacher job.)

That was 18 years ago and I am still in that same school. The principal has moved on and some of the second grade teachers have moved on. The students from that first year are all grown up now, with careers of their own. One of my 2nd graders from that year is now teaching just a few feet from my office. (Now, that'll make ya feel old!)

Just a few short months ago, I thought my career had ended. Guess not.

And here I am, just like the Friday in August of 1993, canning tomatoes.

Day 176 of 365

Ever so often, especially when things aren't going my way, I think to myself, "How will I feel about this a year from now?"

It helps me put things in perspective. What may seem like a crisis now, in the grand scheme of things, isn't such a crisis. It's that way with my frustrations with myself, too. When I think clearly, it's a temporary frustration and isn't all that important.

Like today.

Today was my first day home all by myself, with my husband off at work, since May. I was so excited about having lots of time today to do whatever I wanted.

I had a list of things I wanted to do, but I don't know what happened. Time slipped away from me somehow. This morning was a little slow moving. The grocery shopping trip last night left my back, as usual, a little problematic this morning. By mid morning it was feeling a bit better, but I never fully recovered and didn't feel like I could give my list enough attention. It looks like some things - zucchini bread, laundry, and canning of tomatoes - will be put off until tomorrow. I got frustrated at my lack of accomplishment, but when I looked at what I did do, it should have been enough. (Yet most of what I did do certainly won't matter a year from now.) I:

• got the irrigation pump started (it was down all last week).
• picked tomatoes (about 100 of them).
• picked corn for dinner.
• got distracted by a school/work related e-mail that turned into a must-do project today (even though it's my day off).
• got some bills paid. 
• worked on a kids' charity quilt.

Of all those, the charity quilt was the most important. The top is done, the batting and backing are together, and I got it quilted.

On this day a year from now, six months from now, or a couple weeks from now, a child sick and in the hospital, might receive it on a day where things aren't going well for them.

That's what matters the most.