Category Archives: This and That

Shirt shopping…

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I am going to be filming an episode of The Quilt Show in just a few weeks. I’m looking forward to working with Alex and Ricky again!

Pulling together the actual content of my show is not an issue—I am good to go on that front. No, the bigger issue for me is figuring out what to wear :-). I don’t want to look like this:

From Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen

All of my ‘good’ clothes are black and white. Everything works together and looks good on me  (most of the time**). However, black and white are not recommended for filming. I have some color in my closet, but those clothes are too casual for this gig. Shopping for the right top has been on my agenda but I have not been able to find time for it.

I am lecturing for the Quilters Guild of Plano tomorrow evening. When I mapquested it, I realized that their meeting place is very near The Shops At Willow Bend. Oh happy day! I looked and if I can’t find a suitable top there I might as well just give up on ever finding one. I’m actually looking forward to the hunt!

**Have you ever put on something that looked great the last time your wore it, but this time it’s just awful? Why is that? If you are like me, once that happens it’s hard to feel good in that outfit again. It ends up cycling out of my closet to be replaced by something else, hence shopping trips.

How is it that this never seems to happen to men? I’m not complaining about that because if it did, Steve would do a lot more shopping. As it is, our clothing budget is mostly my clothing budget. I’m so lucky that he’s OK with that :-).

( Comic: Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen)

When babies happen…

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If you subscribe to the Piece O’ Cake newsletter, you know that I just sent one on Thursday with fabric and book news. Lorna was busy filling orders yesterday, Friday, when she got ‘the call’.

I’ve written before that Lorna is becoming a doula. Well, her first client called to say that her water had broken. Cutting fabric and filling orders stopped and will just have to wait until Sunday, when she’ll pick up where she left off…

ReadyToCut-2_1 copy

Lorna has an order-filling system. I am not going to go in there and mess with her system.

This being her first experience as a doula, we got to sort out for the first time what happens with Elanor, Jack, and Bear when Lorna has to pick up and go. Jack ended up with me and Steve. Judy, Lorna’s mom, stayed overnight with Elanor and Bear. Christopher was with my mom who had minor back surgery on Thursday*.

There’s been no word yet on the status of the baby and mother so I suspect that it’s not all the way over yet. I hope Lorna loves this experience as much as she thought she would. She would be someone I would want with me during childbirth if I were doing it again (which I am not!). I also recognize that this is not something I would ever want to do, nor would I be good at it, except in an emergency.

UPDATE: The baby was born Saturday evening after a flurry of activity at the end. Baby, mother—and Lorna—are all just fine :-).

*In other news, my mom had a kyphoplasty on Thursday. It’s outpatient back surgery. I was nervous because mom’s reaction to anesthetic has not been good in the past but this time she woke up pretty clear-headed. Oh happy, happy day!

But, even though she did seem OK, we all agreed that someone should be with her for about 48 hours to be sure that she was steady on her feet. You’d think that I would be the best choice to stay with mom, but we all agreed that Chris would be the better choice. Followed by Lorna, and then Judy.

Mom and I love each other, but I am less patient with her than I ought to be. It’s that whole mother/daughter thing that needs no more explanation. 48 hours of trying to be patient with each other might kill us both :-). I popped in and out. Today she is on her own and I think she’s kind of happy that things are back to normal. Also, her back is better!

Another year…

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I read the comics every day. Yesterday, two in particular jumped out at me because today is my birthday!

cl150110

Close To Home by John McPherson, 1/10/15

pb150110

Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis, 1/10/15

I mostly don’t remember how old I am. I spent the last few years thinking I was 57—both before and after I really was 57. Today I am 59. I thought it would feel like another non-memorable number, but I think I’m going to remember how old I am this year because 60 is going to get my attention.

It’s not that I fear getting older. In fact, I am enjoying where I am in life now, and I hope that continues to be the case. It’s more that I know the time in front of me is not endless. I am much more aware of the frailty of our existence. The older you get, the more you notice that people of all ages die for all sorts of reasons. (Side note: I wish causes of death were still listed in obituaries. Not because I’m ghoulish, but because knowing why can sometimes be useful. Useful is the wrong word but I hope you know what I mean.)

I woke up the other night thinking about the dent I’ll be leaving behind. What I mean by that is: who is going to notice that I’m gone, when I’m gone? Family and friends, yes. Quilters, yes, at least sometimes. But I’m pretty sure the world at large won’t even blink.

I am not changing the world in the same way that others have. Mother Theresa I am not. Nor am I Louis Pasteur, Ghandi, Paul Farmer, etc. I am not sure what I can do to change the world at large for the better so, rather than throwing up my hands in despair, I am going to concentrate on trying to be better in my very small sphere of influence. Perhaps the hardest part for me will be training myself to think first and speak second. I will fail at least some of the time, but I hope that those times become rarer. Here’s hoping that next year I can look back and see progress :-).

PS: I always tell my mom happy birthday on my own birthday. She did the work, not me. I just showed up on 1/11/56. It always makes her smile when I point that out.

Oh, my… UPDATED

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Here’s a phrase I hope you never have to google:

How to dry out an iPhone 6?

My phone was in my back pocket. I went to the rest room. The phone left my pocket and landed in the (thankfully) not-yet-icky toilet. My ohshit-o-meter went into high gear!

I have since discovered that toilets and sinks are where iPhones like most to bathe. I very quickly dried the phone. I put it in rice and then started googling where I found out that rice is not as good as it is supposed to be. A blow dryer, fan, air conditioner, and food dehydrator were all suggested. To a lesser extent silica gel, oatmeal, and kitty littler were also mentioned.

I removed the SIM card and it was wet. Water definitely got inside. I have Applecare for this phone and I found out that it doesn’t cover water damage. Note to self: don’t buy Applecare for the next phone.

UPDATE: My Applecare policy does cover 2 hardware incidents, water damage included, for the length of the 2-year plan. Oh happy day! It will cost me $79 to replace the phone, much better than it could be.

It’s possible that ATT’s insurance does cover water damage. I’m going to check that out if I have to get a new phone. UPDATE: Yes, their plan does cover water damage but it’s at least as expensive as Applecare.

We have a food dehydrator that Steve uses to make beef jerky so that’s what I’m using. He also found some Drierite that appears to date from 1990. It looks like blue kitty litter. My phone is currently in the middle of a 24 hour stay in the jerky maker.

UPDATE: The dehydrator appears to have worked! I didn’t give it the full 24+ hours. My phone is now charging, but it’s working. I don’t know if it will hold a charge or what hidden problems it may have but at least it has life. Oh happy, happy day!

DSC_0066

Biggest lesson learned? Don’t put the phone in the back pants pocket!

I am surprised at how much I miss having my phone. In fact, I’m awake in the middle of the night stewing over the phone and writing this post! I don’t have a land line anymore—this is both my personal and business phone. Most importantly, this is the phone my mom calls if there is a problem. I honestly can’t go many days without it.

If this phone is toast, I may buy a cheaper phone—but the camera on the iPhone 6 is really good, and I use it often. I think that’s why I’m awake now… I’m trying to figure out what to do if I have to get a new phone. And I can’t know that until I find out if I’ve saved this one, or not. Uncertainty. No one likes it.

Plans for the new year…

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I have mostly given up making new year’s resolutions. Instead, I make weekly resolutions (usually at church) to be a better person—to listen more, speak less, show gratitude at all times, to be thankful for all that I have been blessed with. I do this weekly because, well, no one is perfect.

I used to be a faithful writer of to-do lists. Over time, I’ve moved my lists to an electronic format and, you know what? Electronic lists are easier to ignore which is not a good thing. So, on December 31, I made a list with all of my upcoming deadlines. It was necessary, but it also took my breath away.

I realized that I have come very close to over-committing. Every day, from now through the end of May, is crowded with deadlines. I think I can get it all done. I am feeling a little nervous; I am trying not to dither; and I am definitely looking forward to June.

Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis

Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis

But I know that there are people who don’t commit because of the fear of failure. If that’s you, I would encourage you to make a commitment—just one. Choose something that you think you have a fair shot at finishing on time—and do it. Maybe it’s a baby quilt, or a Quilt of Valor, or something not quilt-related at all. Choose a project and finish it. You will love the feeling that comes from checking it off your list. Personally, I can’t wait to cross off the entries on my list.