September to Remember?

This has already been an eventful September, one I’m sure will stay with me for the rest of my life. And we’re just hitting the first week mark! But I’m doggedly remaining cheerful (if not naive) as I work through this. Do you remember an old musical (and book) called “Stop the World - I Want to Get Off”? (1961). I was only a little kid when it came out and I never did see it, but the title has always stuck with me. It pops into my head now and then when the going gets rough. But I’ll share more about the ups and downs this week at the end of the post. That way, it’ll spare those of you who are just here for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) blocks. 

September’s colors for the RSC are dark neutrals. I believe next month may (or may not) be the same, but regardless, I will be working on them for two months. There’s brown, black and gray scraps that are threatening to take over my sewing room. In addition, I need more time to work on my green scraps this year. Usually we devote 2 months each to the greens and the blues, but when we did greens in January, I was getting the old house ready to put on the market and did not do justice to my scraps. So, in September I hope to focus on brown and green, and then in October I’ll focus on black and gray. At least, that’s the plan. 

So here are the three blocks in brown that I sewed up *last* month, when I mistakenly started on the wrong color!

Two Color Sticks blocks (pattern by Cynthia Brunz)

And one Scrappy Star Block (courtesy Julie’s Quilts and Costumes)

All the blocks for the It’s a Jungle Out There quilt top are now sewn. I’m beginning to sew them together and will try again this week to finish the top. But this past week was a real sewing bust for me as I had an accident involving a rotary cutter.

Sometimes the plates we’re spinning or the balls we’re juggling just come crashing down and we have to rethink what and how much we are doing. It’s a recurring issue for me, taking on too much, getting overwhelmed, crashing and burning (figuratively speaking), then rinse and repeat. So, on Sunday, while Kim and Ruby and I were sewing and cutting fabric, listening to music, gabbing and laughing, I sliced the tip of my left index finger and fingernail off with a rotary cutter. Not paying enough attention. Being too much Tigger and not enough Owl. 

They took me to the Instacare where the doctor was able to get the finger to stop bleeding. Then it got cleaned and bandaged (nothing to sew back together as it was gone) and I was sent home. The fingertip will grow back. My self-confidence may not. It’s going to be a slow, deliberate process.

And then came The Intervention. Kim, Bruce and Ruby kindly lectured me to take on less responsibility, relax more, pay attention/be more mindful in the present. And they are right. I’ve given my notice to the HOA Board that I’ll not be running for an office in November. I will make more time to relax and do things I enjoy. I will no longer multi-task (talking on the phone while cooking, laughing and joking when I’m rotary cutting, daydreaming when I use my curling iron on my hair). Paying attention to what I’m doing. What a concept! 

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Only minor progress on the kitchen this week. The flooring (baseboard) trim was installed. The painting begins on Monday. The hood fan was never ordered from the manufacturer by the supplier we bought it from…they had a change of management and it fell through the cracks. But our general contractor got on it and they put a rush on it, so it should arrive and be installed sometime between Wednesday and Thursday of next week if all goes according to plan. This was the first real glitch in the process (well, other than Bruce and I getting Covid and having to postpone everything for a week). 

Bruce had two visits to the VA hospital this week - various clinics there - as part of the screening and exam process for getting benefits. Eventually. And he has two more next week - one at the VA, and one at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. I’m trying to get him to eat without being reminded and to eat high protein foods as his doctors have stressed. He’s getting better about it, because I told him I will not babysit his food intake. And he feels lousy when he doesn’t eat enough and/or properly. Cause and effect. Duh.

The kitties had to go to the vet yesterday, and since Bruce had his own doctor appointment, I had to take them myself. It was an epic battle. The cats managed to open the bathroom door (where I had them stashed while I got ready). I have no idea how they did it. Then I caught Alfie again and put him in their carrier in the back bedroom while I hunted (chased) Darla. When I got her and took her into the back bedroom, the carrier was empty and Alfie had busted out of the carrier, which was heavy duty plastic and made for two cats. There were eight locking clips that he managed to thwart! I found him hiding under a bookcase and eventually got them both into the carrier securely. Talk about Little Rascals! I couldn’t use the carrier handle to transport them, but rather had to pick the whole da** thing up by the bottom and wrestle it into the car. Smooth sailing from there. They got their exams and shots and clean bills of health. But we have to buy two new individual carriers. Oh, and change Alfalfa’s name to Houdini. 

Today I’m going to make a couple batches of raspberry and raspberry-peach freezer jam. My son Ryan and daughter-in-law Kim are coming over for dinner tonight. It’s a belated birthday celebration for her as she was in Italy last month for her birthday, and we had Covid. Should be fun! Then the rest of the weekend will be devoted to relaxing and sewing. Life is good, especially when you pay attention!