Happy New Year!

Happy 2022! Ray and I are hoping this is a good year; I’m sure everyone else is too.

I’m getting better! Although my only exercise is walking, my left leg is getting stronger and I can now go up and down steps while alternating feet. I still get very tired and need naps, and I still begin sweating like a little pig if I do too much, but I think my back is doing great. In a couple of weeks, I see my neuro-spine surgeon’s PA. I’m hoping to get rid of some if not all, of my restrictions. 

 

I’m helping more around the house, especially with meals. It was a nice break of not worrying about what we were going to eat each day but now I’m sure Ray would like a break. He bought groceries a couple days ago and I pretty much made the list and decided some meals. He still helps A LOT and cleans up but appreciates my efforts or so he says!

 

My long-arm (technically a mid-arm) is set up and running. It's been rather eventful. Getting the boxes upstairs was quite a task. A neighborhood man, who grew up with our kids, and his high school sons helped. Then we had to clear space before we could even open boxes – so we shoved things into dormer closets. What a mess.

The mess on the left side of picture will be leaving.

Next, we put things together little by little depending on my endurance, so it took many days. When we set up the frame (which is an 8’ frame but takes up about 9’), it did not fit according to my plan. I didn’t know I needed so much room in front on and behind it. It actually fit in the room but blocked the doors of two dormer closets. So we moved more stuff and some of the same stuff. Then we moved the frame 90 degrees. Please know that whenever I say we, I mean Ray – I just supervised. Next we had to move the frame even further from the wall to facilitate the opening of one dormer closet door. This meant the only original item that could remain in the room was the ironing table. All fabric and a 35” by 60” cutting table had to move. Thankfully DS2 and his boys came to help. Whew!

The cutting table in it's new home and a large mess.

 

While DS2 and boys were here, they also shoveled snow for us and cleaned out most of the dormer closet that contained toys. Most of the toys were for younger kids and they did a good job of tossing damaged things, rescuing a few treasures to take home, and sorting things for me. As a result, I am almost ready to begin emptying another dormer closet. Of course, we will have to do that. I can’t wait to restore order and have access to everything in the studio.

Our dining room is now overrun with toys...but I do have a plan. By next week, I hope they are all gone.

I love the long-arm but need practice. Of course, I’ve done very little free motion quilting in the last year. I don’t think my learning curve will be nearly as bad as I had thought; I just need lots of practice. I’ve been using the machine a little each day and I’ve graduated to working on a real quilt vs. a practice sandwich. The quilt was partially quilted on my domestic machine as I practiced ruler work. It will eventually be cut in half and used as  a mat for my domestic machines. I never thought I’d have a long-arm so I’m still a little giddy.

 

Hopefully as we progress through 2022, I’ll get caught up with the quilts that need to be quilted. I also look forward to sitting at a sewing machine and stitching. I am not setting any goals other than to be grateful for and to enjoy each day. Its is absolutely wonderful to feel good.