Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Explanations.

I've been absent from this blog for quite a while, and decided that I ought to take a few minutes and share a bit about what's been going on in my life recently.

In short, the past several weeks have been the worst I've ever experienced. I'm at the end of my rope, I don't even know what to do or expect next. I've been trying to go with the flow and make the best of things, but I'm starting to worry about myself and the emotional health of myself and my family, because I don't know how much more that I can take.


Photo credit: somadjinn from morguefile.com

I guess this all really started when I stopped the management job I had at work. It sucked, I really wasn't happy doing it. I had a job offer on the table and I was excited to leave the position I was in to take the new job. Then the new job disappeared- they decided not to change their staffing. I haven't been able to regain my former hours either, so I've gone from working 40 hrs/week to about 20-25 hrs/week. I'm currently looking for a second job to supplement my income, because this sucks.



My sister spent a week in the hospital at the end of April, she'd had an ectopic pregnancy and ended up with over 4 pints of blood in her abdomen. The doctors told her husband that he'd never come that close to losing her again- they were extremely lucky that she survived. I didn't find out until after the fact just how serious this was.



A good friend of Hubby's (and one of the Prince's godfathers) had a heart attack 4 weeks ago. He had 3 stints put into his heart- those arteries were 75%, 85%, and 99% blocked. This happened 5 weeks after his 30th birthday... not what you expect when you're 30!



I took my van to the shop to fix a strange noise. They called me a few hours later and told me that they wouldn't charge me, but suggested that I "get rid of it as soon as possible". We'd planned on keeping it for one or two more years. I spent the next 10 days researching, searching for, and buying a new van. The whole process wasn't tons of fun.

When we picked up the van, it only had one key. A new one is easily over $200 (transponder chip and remote are all on the key). I found some on eBay and took them to get programmed. Turns out that they don't work and I got screwed.

New van had the "service engine soon" light on, so I took it to my mechanic. He said that he thought there was a short in the O2 sensor, because the car's memory said it was an O2 error. He said that if the light came on again, we'd have to replace the sensor. Guess what? It came back on this morning.



The diamond fell out of my engagement ring. I'd worn it to work and noticed it missing the next morning. I'm sure it fell out at work and went down the drain or into the trash. We don't have the money to replace it right now, and our homeowner's insurance deductible is higher than the value of the diamond. For the time being, I'm wearing a fake, because I felt pretty naked not wearing my ring.



Our garbage disposal started leaking (gushing) water. I researched those too (I research most purchases over $100) and installed the new one myself!



Then last night our dryer died. The heating coil sparked, broke, and went kaput. The sparks caused a fire in our laundry room (towels and a rug that were under/behind the dryer). Our whole house filled with smoke and stink, we sent the kids to the neighbor's house while we got the mess cleaned up. And we had the fire department come to make sure that there weren't any hotspots in the dryer vent or anywhere else.

dsc09743
(Thank God this wasn't mine!)

I feel like more has happened that I'm not remembering right now, but that's a pretty good overview of recent events. I'm thankful that Hubby and I are both still employed, but goodness- it's just one thing after another and I feel like I have no control anymore.

Please forgive me for not being around much in blogland lately, I don't feel like I have anything to blog about. I'd like to continue to do the SewConnected group, but just take some time off (a couple more months?), because I'm not sewing right now... just trying to figure out how to get through my life. I'm so sorry for not being good about getting everyone's blocks done and sent off.

edited to add: After I typed this post, I went to get cookie dough out of the chest freezer- cookies sounded like good therapy. They were cold, but not rock hard frozen as they should have been. The chest freezer apparently has also died. Fuck me.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Easter Pics

Just a few pictures of the kids at Easter...







Topsy Turvy and Totally Green

Have you seen the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter? It's made of a plastic-y fabric, green with a green print. Big and really pretty ugly.



My wonderful Hubby spent yesterday doing some planting. He planted some peppers into our vegetable garden (which hasn't been planted yet this year), potted some herbs and lilies into pots for our front patio, and re-did our strawberry patch yesterday. A few weeks ago he bought one of those Topsy Turvy tomato things and a tomato plant, and it has been hanging in our office window since then. Yesterday he hooked up a hanging rod near our front door- by the new pots- and hung the tomato thing. I'm glad he did it, but it had zero curb appeal!

So today, crafty lady that I am, I grabbed some outdoor fabric and made a cover for it! What do you think?

Topsy Turvy cover, in context

Topsy Turvy Cover

Bottom View

Top View

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Sew Connected: All Caught Up!

I've been completely missing lately. Things have been crazy and I just haven't been posting (but I have been skimming reading my Reader. More on busy-ness later.

I spent the past two three days playing catch-up on the Sew Connected quilting bee. It is already the second week of April and I hadn't done January, February, or March's blocks yet!!! I got all caught up this weekend and the blocks are FINALLY on their way to their owners. Hope they like them!

January- SewConnected Block #3, for Tracy:







February- SewConnected Block #4, for ArtsyMomma:






March- SewConnected Block #5, for Jessica:





Thanks so much, ladies, for waiting for these! I really hope you like them!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Because I Am...

... unable to post directly to Blogger from my head, I am surprised whenever I log in to Blogger at how long it has been since I've posted. I am constantly writing posts in my head, they just don't make it out of my head and onto my blog.

... working more and finally maybe finding a balance between work and home, maybe I'll be back to posting sometime soon.

... sore, I haven't been wanting to type much. I pulled a tendon in my arm a few weeks ago and am still recovering.

... lazy, I'm going to repost my 25 Things from Facebook. Apparently I'm a sucker for peer pressure- "everyone" did the 25 Things meme, now I'm seeing it popping up over here as well.


25 Random Things about Blondie:

1) I love my cell phone. I get nervous when I don't know where it is, and I'll go back home to get it if I realize that I've left it there. The fact that it is an iPhone makes me love it more, it's just such a handy tool to have around.

2) I really am not sure how to exercise if I'm not swimming laps. Really. I did a fitness/bodyshaping class a couple of years ago and it was ok, but honestly? I'd WAY rather just be in a pool. I would love to find a place where I could swim laps really late at night- like 11pm to 1 am.

3) Mornings are not for me. I much prefer staying up late.

4) I started quilting about 2 years ago and I love it. Hubby doesn't love how much time it takes, so I've stopped sewing as much as I'd like.

5) I tried knitting a while ago. I used online tutorials and Knitting for Dummies. I think I "got it" but I felt like it was a irritatingly stupid activity. Please don't take offense, I would love to actually knit things... but the process drove me crazy.

6) I do like to crochet those dish-scrubber things, though. I make a few of them every summer and that stash usually lasts me through the year.

7) I'm totally OCD when it comes to things being in their places and cleaning. It shows up a lot at work, but not so much at home. At home, I've really just given up because I have 3 kids that run around the house every day... it's just not worth the effort to keep the place even half as clean as I'd like.

8) In high school I owned a goldfish that "danced" every time I played the Greatful Dead.

9) I've played the flute, piano, alto sax, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon. I adored the bassoon and made my own reeds. I quit because I hated the college band director.

10) I miss the Gettysburg and DC areas, and would love to go back to visit; but I don't think I'd want to live there again.

11) I've visited 6 countries in Europe. I hated Paris and most of Italy, but enjoyed the history of Rome. Also, the pasta and the wine in Italy were fabulous.

12) I spent a month in Japan and absolutely loved it. I took 4 years of the language in high school and it all came back to me while I was there.

13) I bought Hubby's wedding ring before he proposed. I saw it and loved it, and figured that maybe I'd propose if he didn't.

14) I made an offer on our house before Hubby saw it. I thought he'd like it and I didn't want to lose the house because of waiting for him to see it- he was out of town for work. Luckily, he agreed that this was the right house for us.

15) I had a great time with the youth group in high school. I haven't seen or connected with those old friends in years and I miss them.

16) I don't spend nearly as much time with friends as I'd like to. I think we all are busy with our own lives, but we should work harder to make time for each other.

17) I've always wanted 4 kids, but Princess is such a wild woman that the thought of having more is rather frightening. I adore our kids and know that a lot of people consider one of each to be just right, but the thought of only having 2 makes me sad.

18) Our 10th anniversary is next summer and to celebrate, we're taking the kids on a 7-day Disney cruise!

19) I hate to repeat myself. Especially if I've explained something, I really dislike having to explain it again.

20) Stupid people drive me nuts, too. Most of the time, just thinking a little bit before they open their mouths would make them seem less dumb.

21) I'm raising my kids to be independent and to think for themselves. I don't want them to have to rely on others to do things for them or tell them what to do/how to do things. I've met too many adults that rely on others for anything and everything: advice, money, time, etc- and I refuse to allow my kids to be like that.

22) I've never paid for cable and don't intend to. There's good stuff on the free channels... and we probably watch too much TV as it is. I do miss HGTV and a few other channels, but it just isn't worth it to me.

23) I spent the summer I was 16 working at a summer camp. It was a great summer. I really don't regret working there for just one summer, because I only have good memories.

24) My first car was a 1984 Lincoln Mark VII. I loved it. I totaled it on Mother's Day 1996, when I used it to recover a stolen vehicle (I totaled that car, too!). I don't think that I've loved another car as much as I loved that one. It was the only one that I've ever totaled, which is kind of ironic.

25) I hate cold weather and playing in the snow. I'd just rather be warm. I realize that I live in the wrong part of the country, but being close to family means more to me than being unhappy with the weather.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Tuesday, January 20, 2009