Living On A Dime

is a very cool site that I love to visit when I have time. Anything that helps me manage money -OR- the lack of money just thrills me to death. When it comes to real people's experiences - I feel like they come from the heart.
     
I was skimming over it today and happened to read this little tid-bit:

. Everything is difficult and awkward when you first try it. Everything has obstacles that need to be overcome in order to succeed (That’s the secret to success: overcoming obstacles) and if you don’t give up you will obtain more knowledge, skill and strength.
I wrote the definition of skills down so you could make note of a few keywords like practice. That means, "to train at something by repeated exercises or to form a correct habit by repetition." You need to do something over and over to get good at it.
I always say if you want to learn to bake a pie, make one every day for 14 days and at the end of that time you will know how to bake a pie. Why? Because you will have made every mistake there is in making one and hopefully will have learned not to do the same thing wrong the next time. You need to do this with anything.
If you keep practicing, you will become competent. Notice the order. You can’t become competent until you have practiced. You then gain an understanding of what you are doing and discernment so that you can effectively and readily (quickly) perform the job at hand

It hit me as so funny - BECAUSE- that is my theory also. When Lynne started giving me sewing lessons we would work on one project at class. Then I decided I would attempt the same thing at home and I learned that what I had taken in at class WAS VERY DIFFERENT -from what I was seeing at home with no Lynne to hold my hand. Plus, it was very scary and at times very disappointing because it did not seem like I could retain the knowledge that she had so kindly shared. Matter of fact - it really broke my heart! I wanted to be able to accomplish this goal and I also did not want to disappoint Lynne - you know - make her feel like she was "wasting her time". because I treasured every minute that she shared with me! And I still do!

My goal was that I would be able to eventually have an entire closet designed and manufactured by ME - for Me - By Me! I think that was somewhere around four years ago and I still have not accomplished my goal entirely -but I am getting there! :) Plus, it seems like the clothes that for some reason you do not enjoy -last a lot longer than the ones that you really treasure. I belive this because every piece that I dearly love -just seems to wear out faster. Another note here is that every article I have made myself - I do truly love and I do not shop at the Goodwill as much anymore.

Lynne started me out on simple projects - you know like a fleece pillow first and it was about the third lesson that she told me I would be sewing clothes next! My heart about burst with fear and anticipation! Me????? Be able to sew clothing?????? My heart wanted to believe it - but my common sense was telling me that might not be true? When I was in school I thought that all of my classmates were all created equal - if we just wanted it. But here -now-many footprints later- I know this is not true for me anymore. Part of it might have something to do with age , but the major part of it is the fibromyalgia fog. People speak of it so lightly - but when it kicks in it is a true disability. You feel like you are attempting to insert a square peg in a round hole . It makes you want to just give up. But I believe with me that my want to be able to learn this "square peg" is a little more determined than that "round hole" disability. Some days I win- some days it wins . Makes me think I have an "evil" twin somewhere !

I have one shirt that is about four years old and this Spring I was wearing it when I was taking the pitts out of some cherries. They were a pale yellow color -not red!- and the juices were very colorless and I did not think anything about the few that I had dribbled on my shirt.

BUT - after I had washed it - it was very badly stained. I have tried everything I could think of -but the stains are terrible. Makes it look like it is covered in rust stains! UCK!  I was looking at it this morning and thinking there are very few times I would even wear it now because it makes me sad that I was so dumb to allow it to be ruined. It is getting that wore out look to it also - so I told it this morning that I might have to turn it into a nice doggie pillow! :)

Well, it is Hump-Day!

ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why do days  have to go so fast???? I keep holding on to the dream that I will have a day to just enjoy instead of another day that I end up chasing and wondering  how to capture it???????? - Knowing good and well that is not possible.

For instance after we got up this am - I got us fed. Then as I was attempting to clean up our mess my mind is already on that "HOPE' road? But , that is dashed because DH is changing out doors on my outdoor building and his new "Hunting " building. I really did dread that because those big doors just whip the tar out of me! Then that leads to DH having a "husband fit" -which is like watching the Tasmanian Devil go on a rampage!

We did get one door in the hole, but had to come back and work on it some more -after I had my counseling sesson. Those sessions are totally amazing! I can go in with what feels like the weight of the world on my spirit and somehow all of that gets tossed at the door and I become a new and improved person.There is no way that I could ever pay my counselor enough money to compensate her for what she does? It takes me from not believing I can carry on - to feeling light enough to tackle another lesson in the game of life.

We did come back and hopefully finished the number one door! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow will tell the story of the door number 2!  Mean while I am still searching for the designs I hope to find for the set of sheets I have laid out to be the next Christmas project??? By the time you tackle the project and you do the Meals three times a day -plus dishes and the laundry and vacumn the floors to chase my my furbabies hair!
And that's not counting all the other "things " that jump right in -Uninvited - to my precious day! :)
This being human is really not easy. I find I tire much more easily these days too.

Our weather is so beautiful -except we could certainly use some rain. Even the Weeds are wilting!
Sending love to all and hoping you had a perfect day. :)

What day is this???? :)

Another one of those days that runs off and leaves you in the dust of your hopeful plans?????

I did start off the day by searching for designs that I could use on a set of sheets for my sister in law??? I had been looking for her a set of sheets for a year now and it was almost impossible to find a California King set! (or at least a set that did not cost you an arm and a leg?!  :)

I still say sometimes the hardest part of the project is finding the perfect design to link your project to whomever you are working on? So, having spent half of the day searching and now having any success is very tiring .  Then we got a phone call and had to go to town and that took a lot of the evening.

Then I worked on outdoor chores.I think that was very pleasant. The day was absolutely  amazing with the perfect temperature and all the colors that are coming into the trees! IF IT JUST DID NOT  MEAN THAT OLD MAN WINTER IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had planned to watch a tv program from 7 to 8 , But???(you know how those Butts are, don't you? LOL) The best laid plans often go astray!

DH had pulled out two totes that I had stashed some of the kitchen appliances in. The ones that you don't use very often , but that I did not want to have to wash them every month to keep them clean. The one he wanted held his meat slicer. DS had bought all of us some cheese and some baloney and DH was to slice it all up because he had this electric slicer. Well, DH did get three fourths of it cut - and then it broke a gear! Not a plastic gear - but a real live (or so it was) metal gear. I have been trying to run one down for him - but so far -No Luck! :(

But , since he had pulled these two totes out and piled everything on top of them - I decided that was the perfect time to clean that dark corner. When I got that all cleaned out - OF COURSE - the shelves up above it looked terrible. Where in the world does time go to??? But, my fifteen minute job - had turned into an hour and a half job and I just ran out of steam! I resent running out of steam because I used to fly through stuff and now what should take only minutes now takes hours!

I am whipped , but at least Half of my desired goal is accomplished. When I get my next "Burst of Good Ideas " I will tackle the top shelves. :) But , it is pretty sad that I cannot accomplish as much as I want to!

I hope everybody else has had another perfect day.
Love to all!

A truly beautiful start to our new week!

I wish I felt as good as the day looks today! :) I am just so tired and bummed out. But I clung to me desire to accomplish a little some thing !

I had plum forgotten all about the gloves that I made for DH last year and he has already put in an order for this year and I had been on such a flurry of trying to accomplish projects that I had forgotten.  But , at least now they have come back to memory.

I need to go pull out all of my scrap knits and see if I have enough sizes of fabric that I could use to make these gloves.

Hope all of you are happy and healthy and enjoying the day!
Cheers to all! :)

A new week and a new chapter in our lives

Here is Mr. Cowboy who has come into the sewing room to "steal" Miss Rosie's  food. All summer he prefers to lounge around on the front porch and then through the day you can find him lounging in the trees! I kid you not - you never know where you will see him at. :)Even though I prefer that my kitties stay indoors all the time - it just has not panned out with him! Maybe it is because my girlfriend captured him and his brother wild and she kept his brother. He has since disappeared , but Cowboy is a stinker. He is one cat who will talk to you as long as you offer a conversation.

He is quiet a character too. He knows that our 4 chihuahuas do not like him and they spend all their time trying to have a wild game of chase, but he has found a new way to insult them. Each evening at approximately 8pm we sit down to watch a program on tv and the 4 chihuahuas climb up on my lap and we all snuggle together. Well, Cowboy has figured that when they get good and comfortable he will leap up on the recliner foot that raises for you to put your legs on. He VERY quietly lays himself all the way across. LOL -I even tried to cover them with a sheet so they could not see him. But you will see all of them start sticking their little noses up in the air and then they pass the word along that a CAT has insulted them in their own territory! And all of a sudden all of them come to life and stare at him. Then it depends on  who is the most insulted -if Cowboy -he will take off and if the pups they will high-tail it to the bedroom and fly up under the covers! LOL I love all of them dearly.

Time just gets away from me -if I could I would purchase a "MORE TIME CARD"-but unfortunately I have not found any yet. So, I am still attempting to just keep up.

Like yesterday I got to go with Lynne to Roanoke for a quilt hop and boy was it fun. We covered 6 or 8 places where there  were two more than I even knew existed ? I mean geee - anytime there is fabrics all around -happens to be a good time to me.

It is funny what you remember about places - one place I fell in love with the beautiful pine wood floor. It was  so gorgeous to me - all light colored and to me was the perfect back drop on which to show-case all those beautiful fabrics . I also Loved the big picture windows! Lynne noted that sunlight is not good for fabrics and I noted that was true! All the bolts of fabric in the store were 9.00 a yard.

I had ordered some more Styrofoam balls from Lynne -so I hope to get some more of those completed  !

They had been calling for rain, but God must have been looking out for us. It only started to sprinkle as we left the last shop! Some of the gals had refreshments -ummmm? One had cranberry nut cookies and they were doubly ummmm! O, one shop the gentleman had made cookies and had the recipe for you if you wanted it. To me that was very thoughtful! He did have a blueberry donut hole that I snatched the last two.I totally ADORE blueberry anything . :)

I was so mad at myself - I had taken my camera to take pictures for you all - and guess who even forgot she had the camera in her purse! :(

Today has also flown by and we had our youngest son and his lovely, pregnant wife stop by  - and that made it fly by even faster.

I did finally make it to the sewing room just at dark so I wanted to show you that I actually did still accomplish something after all! LOL

HO , HO, HO! Still working on that Christmas list! Now my tote is crammed full  , yet I am a long way from being finished! But I am so relieved to have that many all created, wrapped  and ready to go! :)

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend  and a more special one coming your way this week!
Love to all!

Would you agree that there is a Lot more to sewing -than just sewing???

For instance when everything gets out of place. I thought I knew what I wanted - UNTIL - I went to digging through and saw what a disaster this corner had turned into. So, I knew what had to be done and I started pulling everything out of the cabinet and from off the top of the cabinet.

Have you ever noticed when you start pulling things and deciding where everything should go to - that the amazing part of the adventure is :

It seems that you now have twice as much out -than you started out with and you wonder how in the world will I ever get all of this back into place??????? O, and let's not forget that when you make the mistake of running across some real "treasures" that you have to take a few moments to "play with your toys".  Well, it's just not any fun to keep treasures if you cannot "play" with them sometimes.

An example of my "toys" would be :
 1. I have a small case that holds some of my artwork that I have drawn and got so much enjoyment out of . Like my pictures that I had drawn  of some of my dairy goats many years ago. It would be a hard call to have to decide which I treasured more - the animals or the artwork. I had used some on pillows and sweatshirts that I painted them on.
2. A small case that holds maps of North Carolina and a small pamphlet of  all the flea markets scattered about there. We spent one summer just enjoying that gift. We met lots of wonderful people and ate at lots of fish houses.
3.I found 3 of the cd's I had forgotten what I had done with them. LOL

So, although I do not have any sewing project to share - I do now have a nice corner space. :) Plus, I had to feed us so I fixed a homemade pizza. We just did not have any popcorn to go with it!

I have got to get ready to go out and do out door chores . I have received a wonderful invitation from Lynne to go to a quilter's event tomorrow ! Now, doesn't that sound like fun -nice people and so many fabrics to drool over and each store will give a door prize of some kind. :)

Love to all and have a wonderful weekend! :)

See how easy it is for a day to get away from me????

Why does my life have to fly away so swiftly?????? I got up this am with the dream of sewing -only to discover that we would have to go to the mill to get critter foods and flour. It was such a beautiful drive though!

By the time we got that accomplished we had to swing by the Tractor Supply and pick up cedar shavings to clean cages with.

Next we arrived home and changed into our work clothes and I went to feeding critters since they had not had their breakfast yet? DH always gets so twitter-patted when it comes to unloading the feed that his good deed turns me into a "TWIT!" I think I got that one work right ! I am learning that one from Chris over at DietCokeRocks! It just sounds as spiffy as I believe she is! :)

Next came all the critter chores and I pulled grass for the guinea pigs- they are such little hogs!LOL
When I pull the grass is usually when I take my little walk in the pasture up a little knol . But I had only gone half -way when my right ankle that I had broken 6 years ago went into some kind of pain that I could not bear and did not know where it was causing it???? So, I hobbled back down the hill with my big basket full of grass. I fed all of the little buggers and you could tell they were very happy to have fresh grass because of their joyful Squeals!!!!!!!!

I came in the house and sank down into my chair and propped that dumb ankle up so it would ease the pain. Now that I think of it - I still have a little lightweight brace that I wore towards the end of my treatments. I think I might should drag that thing out tonight.

Our evenings are getting cooler and tonight should be in the 50's. Breaks my heart to see Summer leaving us too soon to suit me! :(

After I cleaned up the kitchen I managed to catch one of my sneaky Pups that hid from me yesterday at bath time! She is now insulted , but clean. LOL 

I really meant to accomplish something , but it is now after midnight and I need to "hit the sack"!
So, love to all and look forward to a new day coming! :)