Day 338 of 365

It makes me sick to think about how hard it used to be. How hard it was just to get myself to work every single day. I remember the torture it was getting up, showered and dressed. I remember all too clearly the severe pain that filled my mornings. The pain so severe that I cried day after day on my way to work. The pain that stayed with me all through my work day.

Looking back, I don't know how I did it. But I'm sure glad some things have changed.

This part time work is a better fit for me and my issues. There are some days where it is hard to get myself up and out the door, but there is comfort in knowing I can sit when I arrive at work. That I can throw myself into whatever I'm doing - which usually involves sitting - and keep my mind off of it. It's not like it was before when, despite how horrible it was, I was spending the entire day teaching 25 kids. There is also comfort in knowing that I have days off each week for me to regroup.

Today was the second day of my attempt at a five day escape-from-the-world plan. And the second day of it where my husband stayed home.

So I plopped myself in my sewing room and worked the whole day. The quilt top from yesterday is progressing nicely and I freshened up my little plastic drawers with some jazzy labels.

Day 337 of 365

What the hell.

Yesterday those words popped out of my mouth at work. My coworker and I were talking and they just slipped right on out. Hearing those words in an elementary school building is quite unusual. (Thank goodness we were in my office.) What was even more unusual about those words was how loud the one word came out. I had started into a whisper and when I got to that last word it unintentionally exploded from my mouth. We had quite the laugh about it.

I thought about using the same phrase today at home but there would be no laughing involved this time.

My quiet, alone, disconnect from everyone and everything five day respite is off to a bumpy start. My husband picked today to stay home. There's nothing like a mopey, TV-watching husband who stays in his pajamas all day to throw a wrench in your plans.

I was practically giddy last night knowing I would get time to myself. Lesson learned. Back to one day at a time living. Stay away from thinking ahead.

Today's picture is the one I was originally going to post yesterday. The dark border is being chopped to make it a bit narrower and a white border is going on. Hopefully tomorrow's picture will show more progress on it. (Oops, gotta get away from thinking about tomorrow.)

Day 336 of 365

I'm going into hiding. I'm dropping off the map.

The huge project I've been working on at work ended today. The preliminary report from the State Reviewers who were on site today was quite complimentary. Now it's time for me to breathe. To rest. To cut back on these 10 hour work days. I'm taking five days off to start anew.

What better way to make a clean break and come away with a clear head but to disconnect from everything. They'll be no working on school stuff from home, no going into work this weekend, no looking at the Blackberry. (Don't worry, the blog will continue.)

Five days of no driving. Five days of no dress pants and no makeup. Five days of nothing but becoming reacquainted with my cleaning supplies (my long days have left my house lonely and devoid of shiny surfaces).

It goes without saying that the bulk of my time over the next five days will be spent working on kids' quilts for the Quilts for Kids organization. I have a couple of quilt tops in progress, and today I finished up a quilt top from the blocks I made on Day 329.

I'm not happy with the dark outside border and was thinking I'd make the border a bit narrower and add an additional white border. I took a picture of it, hoping to get affirmation that my idea was a good one. After picking up my husband from school, using the car for the last time until Tuesday, I was going to post the picture.

But that picture isn't winding up here today. For when we came home and pulled into the driveway, I noticed the front screen door ajar. We usually use the side door that leads to our carport so it was quite by accident I noticed the door.

There was a package in the door. A package from Paula. Paula O. is a reader of this blog and frequently comments. The other day she told me about some extra fabric she had and offered to send it my way. Free. No charge. She wouldn't even accept my offer of postage. It felt like Christmas as I was going through the box of gorgeous fabrics and threads. Of course my mind started racing with the possibilities.

I am so blessed to have caring folks reading along as I wander through my days. 

Paula, thank you, thank you, thank you for your generosity, and boy - am I ever glad I have five days to work on quilts!

How to Make Fruit Dessert Crepes - Day 335 of 365, Tutorial Tuesday

I've been trying to avoid food tutorials lately. When I think of food, I think of dessert. When I think of dessert, my mind always turns to that easy-for-me, quick-to-do tutorial. Sugar cookies. But I'm really trying to keep cookies out of the house.

So no Valentine's desserts or cookies, at least not yet. And after my major, months-long project culminating at work this week, my mind is not thinking about crafts.

My mind is still thinking about crepes. I've been in a breakfast rut for some time now and I'm using crepes to break out of it. I whipped up another batch to eat on throughout the week and made a tutorial along the way.

There are lots of crepe recipes out there so you could use your own. I'm using my late mother-in-law's recipe.

2 eggs, beaten
2 TBSP sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. canned evaporated milk
1 c. flour
1 c. milk
2 TBSP melted butter

As for directions, you'll have to watch the tutorial.

Click on the video below to find out how:

Day 334 of 365

I figured it out. My sewing room is my balance place.

When things are too hectic, when I'm trying to do too much, when I'm spending more hours than I should working on "work", when I feel terrible and can't do anything at all, the sewing room is the place I have to go.

It evens me out. It calms me. It makes me feel like there are more important things than what's going on in my life. It helps me keep my mind off the pain. Whether I'm organizing fabric or choosing fabric or cutting it or sewing it, it makes things better for me.

I get more excited than I should about silly things in my sewing room. Things like finding a place for my fabric strips. When I was going through the plastic containers the other day (when I stupidly put fabric on Crystal Light containers) I also came across some great containers to hold my fabric strips. The strips fit perfectly in the containers and the containers fit perfectly on the shelves.

Oh, the excitement.