It's Labor Day

Labor day means different things to different people, that's for sure. Since I work in the field of "labor" it will always have that feel to me. For most I believe it is a nice way to have a three day weekend at the end of the summer before the hustle and bustle of a new school year starting. This has always felt much more like a New Year to me than January 1st. Cleaning things out from flower beds to closets, making lists and menus. I do love the cool crisp mornings and warm sunny afternoons. Truly my favorite season.

It is also at this point that I am ready to start to back off on all the watering I do in my garden and all those hanging baskets that were just mere sproutlets last spring. It is kind of joke to see how far into September I get before they give it up. Part of the problem is that I start doing more traveling away from home for 3-4 days at a time and things just don't get watered as well by the well meaning husband. He seems to think that if he stands 10-15 feet away and shoots the water toward the plant, that that is good enough. And if it rains, well, that's watering, isn't it??? It tell him, it isn't watering under the eves!! But, whatever.

My garden and flower beds have grown and changed over the years. The one constant I have always had though are my marigolds. Ever since we bought our first house in 1975. I remember buying that little 6 pack of marigolds and simply digging one hole and popping all of them right in there. Seems goofy now. It took a few years to figure out that once they are planted you have to pop off their heads, and water and feed liberally for a few weeks so you get marigolds like I have now. I'm sorry the photo up there is sideways, and I can't seem to figure out how to turn it the right way.

A friend gave me some dahlia tubers this summer and here is the biggest flower in my yard. This beauty is 12 inches across!!

I need to go out and do some cutting and pruning today.

Need to figure out what to cook for dinner for the kids and grands today.

Hoping everyone does something today, just for themselves.

Back once again....

Interesting how life twists and turns. Lots of things going on, lots still to come. I have found myself drawn to reading several quilters blogs. Some are more quilty than others, but it has been fun to read them. I guess my blog doesn't really have to always be geared to a specific subject matter. So I'm going to work at posting much more regularly, including all the things that matter in my world.
A bit of catch up. Several medical tests (and unbelieveable co-pays) later, it is looking like at the very least my gallbladder and I are going to part company. It is going to be a challenge to fit it into my very full Fall calendar. I meet with my surgeon on Tuesday afternoon to talk about the most recent tests and devise an action plan.
I have been working quite a bit thru the summer. Just finished a 10 hour shift, and I am on call for four hours Tuesday night and Wednesday night . Other than that I am not scheduled to work again until Friday the 14th. One of the problems with working so much, is seeing the patterns and web like actions of the other people working there. I'm sure that is not unusual in any large group of women who work together. But the more I work, the more I am glad I don't work more, and don't have a regular position. I can pretty much work when I feel the need, or my bank account feels the need!! I do love working with laboring and birthing families, and I know that what I do is important. Just keep away from the department and hospital politics and crap.
I've done very little sewing all summer. There is a 4 day retreat coming up next Sunday, so I know I'll be sewing then. Plus preparing to sew will make me more enthusiastic about sewing. I will post photos of projects as they become photo-worthy.
Jillian is so excited to have started kindergarten. She has her first full day (9-3) on Wednesday, she'll get to have lunch at school and everything! Plus take the bus to and from, so it will be quite a day. Little brother Ethan will probably enjoy some one on one time with Mommy, or Geema (that's me). I'll be posting photos of them too.
Enough for now. If I can remember my password (there are WAY to many passwords in my life) I'll really work at posting more frequently.

Do What Matters Now

And on and on we go. My day has been filled today. And near the end of this day, that will be forever a memorable day, I learned a new lesson. That is to
"DO WHAT MATTERS NOW"
My emotions have had a hay day today, swinging from very deep depair and downright panic, and then rising back to the level of control and normalcy,,,,,reason is sneaking its head into the scene.
I expect to be journalling my way through this upcoming adventure and hope that somewhere down the road, someone will benefit from it all. The just must be a reason. But I will go forward acting on "doing what matters now" because now is really all we have to work with.
And right now, what matters is going to bed as the sleeping pill I took, that will enable me to sleep for at least a few hours is working pretty fast and my typing is feeling very jumpy so I will stop for now, so I can sleep. Have to be up for the grands at 7:15. So I'll post more tomorrow. After some sleep.

Taking Care of Business

You know those pesky things, that just hang in the back of your mind, bugging you? Well, today I took care of a few of them. I called and scheduled someone to come and give me an estimate to do some gutter cleaning and repair. Not very exciting, but one of those maintenance things you need to do to prevent big headaches later. I also called and scheduled a consultant to come and give me an estimate to replace my hated tile counter tops in the kitchen with granite or something else. It's a free visit, and I won't know if this is something I can ever do or not unless I find out. I also called a former employer to have them resend me my retirement information. AND the best part was I updated my MP3 player to some new favorite workout music.
Makes me more anxious to get back to the gym!!
Six months until the cruise.

What a Week I'm Having

Started the week Easter Sunday, bringing my 2 grands back from a family gathering, to have 4 "sleepovers" while their parents had a getaway vacation. Ethan is 2 1/2 and big sister Jillian is 5 1/2. Sleeping all night is a challenge, and man was I sleep deprived by the time Thursday afternoon rolled around. Ended up now with Ethan's cold, that he willingly shared with me, along with lots of hugs and kisses, so I'm thinking it was worth it!

Had to give up two shifts of work though, as coughing and sneezing on laboring Mom's or newborns is not considered a "prudent" thing to do.

Got a haircut, went shorter than normal. Not ONE person I have seen since then has had any comment, so does this mean it was not the right choice of haircut for me - LOL!!

Pledging to become more active with the blog. Looking forward to seeing what develops - cough, cough, sniff.

Getting Started

Sunday, February 25, 2007
Feeling a strong need to organize, minimize, socialize, economize, philosophize!
Having had many, many journal attempts, thinking maybe a "blog" might be the way to go, to keep me on track. What lead me to finally start? Several things really, that all seemed to roll together to create a feeling of frustration, anger, motivation, resolve.
Death of a co worker, though expected, hit hard. Death of an acquantaince, hit deep. Death of a dream??? Maybe not yet, but needs some reformatting.
We'll see where this leads me.