Remember when 1,000,000 was a big number? Has it shrunk in importance lately? When I was a kid I used to have tremendous respect for such a big number despite a problem keeping track of zeros. I checked the blog stats the other day and to my utter amazement I saw well over 1,000,000 visits. Really? I couldn't help but get stuck wondering about that number and how it crept up so quietly and in such an unassuming manner. There is so much of life that comes as a surprise while we are busy thinking about so many other things.
For example, when did this guy get so big? As you can see, he loved me helping him with his hair on his way to the year 12 formal a few weeks back.
Is it also my imagination or are young ladies getting more beautiful?
Say a little prayer for this young lady today. A few short days after thinking about things like gorgeous shoes and dresses, boys and maybe kisses, she lost her brother in a freak accident.
Today I am mindful that we must grasp the simple pleasures of life while we have them. Who would have thought that her life would change so dramatically and so quickly. I didn't know her brother and we just met the family but their suffering is on my mind. The sadness is overwhelming. Thinking of this sudden loss makes it hard not to panic and hold the boys close...to not let them out of our sight. Ironically, as a family we are fast approaching the time to let them seek their own lives.
Formal season is now drawing to a close and summer has officially started. Sam had the last one the other day. When the plans were revealed we had to draw the line in the sand. The afters were a distance away and involved buses and trains. It seems that all the fun happens before or after the formals these days. We did the hard thing and said, NO. It was a shock for everyone but it felt right.
Perhaps it was the fresh memory of things gone wrong without a care. There should be lots more parties, formals and the rest to enjoy for him. By the way, that geek in the background is Mr. Nosey. Had to go into the house, had to stand in the background...had to make funny faces...didn't he!
It wouldn't be right not to formally farewell Liesel. Sadly, Liesel has gone back to full time employment and will only be at Material Obsession one Saturday a month and of course in spirit! We will all miss her calm sense of assurance that yes, it has been ordered, no she didn't forget it was happening TODAY, of course all the messages have been answered, the quilts prepared for quilting, the samples done up perfectly, the vacumming and the register in order, the customers are happy, the lunch is delicious....OF COURSE it is all done right because Liesel did it. I feel a bit like a toddler taking my first awkward steps since she has represented control to me for three long years. We are grateful...
Looking for a holiday gift for a potential quilter? We have made up cushion kits... (this is like an ad break in the soap opera of life...)
Everything needed for a summer project. Hexagon papers, glue stick, clip, needles, instructions and your choice of pretty, contemporary or classic fabrics to make a cushion cover. The complete kit is $45 or we have starter kits for $25. Catch the hexagon bug or if you already have it...pass it on. Having discovered the fun of hexagons I am looking forward to spending my down moments with a lap project this summer...who am I kidding? Anyone? I have a list a mile long of projects for this summer!
One last thing, I had a medical procedure this week which meant I had to lie low for a few days. Fortunately I haven't had much time lately to worry about what was!!! It was a shock when they called my name in the waiting room. It was interesting listening the hustle bustle of the nurses in the halls. It was strange putting all my clothes in a plastic bag. I didn't like being rolled around on that bed. It felt weird not to be able to initiate anything myself. Even as I was going under I was thinking...try to stay conscious...try not to slip away...however, there was a part of me that was really enjoying the idea of being asleep for a while. Just to give in to the lack of consciousness...to let all the responsibilities and concerns of life take care of themselves. Of course, I didn't stay present and when I woke up in the recovery room I felt a million dollars. It was as if I had had a cleaner come into my brain and sweep away the cobwebs. No complaints. I will admit that I was frightened to have the procedure but in the end it was really ok, and I got two days off work! I have to wonder if that is the only way to stop me!
I spent yesterday in my sewing room working on projects. This is the start of my Wagga for the Hunters Hill Show in August 2012.
I find challenges rather difficult. The way I work is rather impulsive so it is often hard for me to approach a set plan. This one had to be a certain size. I thought a lot about what a wagga meant to me and it had to be simple. That meant keeping the palette tight and the shapes basic. Now I need to decide how to quilt it. It is a bit more sophisticated than intended so I will try to pull it back with the quilting...mess it up just a bit.
Anyway, these are some of the things that happen while we are working at life. Some good, some bad, some necessary and some just fluff. It is all an experience. k
Glad you are well...but so sad to hear of that random ill fortune that can strike affecting someone you know...loss of young life always seems so wasteful.
Sad to hear the lovely Liesel will be at MO less...but never far in spirit I would guess!
Posted by: cardygirl | Friday, 09 December 2011 at 08:37 AM
Congratulations on your number of visits. I am sure that I am half of them. It must feel very rewarding to be acknowledged in such a way. Enjoy it because you have definitely worked hard for it. On that note and I know I don't need to say this, but enjoy your sons and the girls they bring home, because you have also worked hard with them. Making tough decisions and parenting in all sorts of ways and seeing the fruits of that labour is hard work! My children are not nearly the age of yours but, we are currently dealing with heartache and personal pain with terminal sickness in our family too and I guess what I am trying to say is enjoy and make memories of the time that you have with your loved ones.
I hope that everything will be well in the shop and even though you are losing a great asset, adjustments will be made and you will succeed. Thank you for sharing and hope you, your family and their friends and your shop will come through this time.
Posted by: Amy | Friday, 09 December 2011 at 02:32 PM
And I am the other half of the visits. I always want to find out what's going on in the shop but also with your boys, given I have a boy the age, more or less, of your older two. And those girls, their dance dresses are so much more tasteful and pretty than what the girls in the US are wearing to the dances these days, in my humble opinion.
So sad about that young girl's brother---life is so unfair, consistently.
I also am challeged by challeges--the constraints can practically immobilize me. I keep telling myself I'm going to do something tailored and with solids, but then I find some wild color......
Posted by: Sara Hill | Friday, 09 December 2011 at 02:45 PM
My mom always says life can turn on a dime, so live and be so grateful for all that we have. I am so sorry that that lovely young lady has to deal with the loss of her brother at such an early age. She will be okay with the love and support of her family and friends. Life is unpredictable, and that is part of the ride. Give her a hug from me.
Posted by: Lisa | Friday, 09 December 2011 at 03:45 PM
i agree - those girls look stunning. Wish I had had that much self-confidence and poise at that age. When I think of what I wore to my Form Six formal - some sort of spidery, Stevie Nicks black affair - it is no wonder he ran away as soon as he could - I made a great witch.
Love to the girl and your son as he helps her through this most awful of times. It will be sad to see how much they grow up from this but at the same time, you will wonder at just well they will cope.
Posted by: Sue | Saturday, 10 December 2011 at 03:01 AM
It will be sad to see how much they grow up from this but at the same time, you will wonder at just well they will cope.
Posted by: Tory Burch Outlet | Monday, 12 December 2011 at 12:32 PM