Wanda Gene's Musings on Life, Love and Loving the Quilting Life!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Classes with Bonnie Hunter

Hi Folks--

I just registered for some classes at Road to California in Ontario, CA in January and I am so thrilled to get classes with Bonnie Hunter.  I follow her blog and have been using her scrap organization system for almost three years.  I have made about a half a dozen of her designs and have plans to make more....maybe all of them!  I am taking the Star Struck class (that was on my to-do list anyway) and Jared Takes a Wife.  These were not my first choices (Bonnie is teaching several other classes), because some were already closed.

I have already signed up to be a teacher's helper in one of the classes.  Should be fun!  You know, I can follow written directions just fine, but the workshop experience is exciting and inspiring.  I love to look at what my fellow quilters in class are doing for their interpretation of the design.  Every quilt is unique in its own way.

I am also very excited about meeting Bonnie for the first time.  Since I live in the West, I have not had that opportunity in the past, so when I read that she was coming to California, I jumped at the chance. 

DH Jerry's Mom lives nearby, so I also have a place to stay.  I can't ask for more convenience than that!

I have been to Road2ca several times and it one of the major events in the quilting world.  If you ever get a chance to go, you won't be sorry!



Tuesday, July 27, 2010

I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can!

Hi Folks,

You know, this post is hard to write, not because I am sad now, but how do I explain these weeks lost from posting?

Things have been happening in my life that have been consuming every minute of my days and sometimes my nights...I am definitely coping with a sleep deficit.

After Yeager died so suddenly and unexpectedly, I had a big empty place in my heart and life.  I am not given to depression for no reason, but you can understand that I did have a reason.

I have thrown myself into packing (on one end) and unpacking (on the other end).  It is exhausting work, requiring probably more that the proverbial 10,000 steps a day that we are supposed to be getting.   Very little quilting unless you count organizing my future sewing room, which I love!

Here is what have been going through lately:

  • Packing, unpacking, organizing the new house.
  • Taking care of my 86 year old mother (not total care, just finances, groceries, doctor appts, etc.
  • Reading the book, One Second After, which scared the @#$%^ out of me!
  • Having an impossibly slow internet connection when in Simi and not always having any connection at all.
  • Trying to find a suitable group home in Simi Valley for the above mentioned Mother who will be moving there also so I can continue to do for her.  And they need to have a very low monthly fee.  (They all charge more than her SS check).
  • Having bariatric surgery on June 29th.  Am I crazy or just out of my mind?  But I have been working on this since December, and finally my insurance approved my Realize lap band, so I went forward.  Between the pre-surgical diet and after surgery, I am losing enough to already feel better!  This is a great cheerer-upper!
  • Last but not least, we came back to Tucson Saturday with a new German Shepherd puppy!  His name is Andie (pronounced Ahn'-dee)  He is 12 weeks old and is so cute and precious!  Within 24 hours he knew his name and  now comes when called.  We are now house-training him.  Successes: about 2/3,Messes: about 1/3.  Oh, well, it takes time. But not too long...our puppies have usually taken about 10 days.  It's like the day you think he's never going to get it, something just clicks and,  bingo, you've got a house-trained puppy. 

We think it was mutual love at first sight.

I will always love and miss Yeager and my other  dogs over the years, but this new pup is helping to fill that big hole in my heart.

  Genie