I think it’s safe to say that everything is much different today than any of us expected at the beginning of the year. For me, instead of getting to spend some quality time with my family last month, my husband and I had to sadly cancel our travel plans and I started self-isolating at home on March 12th. Today is my 23rd day at home, and my husband and I are enjoying working from home together. Our routine includes waking up 30 minutes later than normal due the lack of commute time for my husband now, which we are both appreciating! The biggest change for my daily routine has been not going to the gym 5 days a week. I have figured out how to get in my full gym exercise while at home, though, and I am even finding that I am doing more exercising for stress relief over the weekends as a result.
My goal is to send my Launching Pad newsletter out monthly, and my focus on the newsletter that went out yesterday was gratitude. Right now I am deeply grateful that my husband and I were able to travel last year without fear of illness, lack of supply, or fear of border closures.
I am thankful for very delightful surprises in the mail this week.
Push-Pull Quilt Along Midway Linkup
And I am delighted to see all the versions of the Push-Pull quilt being made during the quilt along as shared in the midway linkup. Note: If you are participating in the quilt along but have not yet finished Piecing #3, you can still link up! Link up where ever your progress may be to be eligible for the giveaway prizes. The linkup ends tonight (and I had to make this graphic early), so hop over to see all the colorful versions being created!
Rosie and OC
My mom and dad boarded their golden retriever, Rosie, with her vet while they traveled to Austin for QuiltCon at the end of February. When they returned to pick up Rosie, they also brought home a new kitten. My mom named the kitten Overcast, which is the Kona Cotton color that matches his fur, and they call him OC for short. Clearly OC and Rosie didn’t take long to become buddies.
Right now I vacillate between feeling like things are going well (I have picked up several new clients for technical editing recently and I love the work I am trusted to do!) and being in such a mental fog that I cannot form coherent sentences. I am sure that we will come out of this completely changed in some ways, but I find peace in the comfort that there will be quilts and the quilting community along the way.
Be well everyone, and I hope that you can find gratitude in your day, too.
Stay safe and healthy Yvonne!
What an adorable photo of Rosie and OC!! Love that! Seems like being able to travel freely is a distant memory, I am sad that our upcoming trip had to be canceled. Stay safe and well! I am so glad to have online friends, makes this social distancing a little more bearable.
Hi Yvonne, I am glad to see your report about how you are managing with our current challenges. Isolation isn’t terribly hard for me since we have the internet and Face Time. There is always something to do about the house to keep me interested, quilting for one. For me this is similar to Brer Rabbit and the briar patch! :). I like the picture of your parents babies. They are wonderful. Stay well. Wanda. 🙂
What a fun name for the new kitty!
Glad ‘good’ mail came your way. 😉
Love seeing all the versions of your Push-Pull quilts!
Have a good day!!
Look at all those stunning versions! And I can’t get over how cute OC is! Perfect name too 😉
We are not “pet people” but that picture could make that change. I’ve enjoyed seeing all the Push-Pull quilts and the wonderful fabric combinations. (That has always been my favorite part about link ups!) I’m happy that your technical editing has picked up recently. It’s wonderful to be able to do what you enjoy. I fell that way about teaching classes; and I look forward to being able to do that again soon.
Since March 15th, I’ve been out of the house once (a medical appointment for my husband, followed by a quick trip to the grocery store); and while I miss seeing my family and friends, I am happy to know that I am keeping us all safe by staying home. We are fortunate to have access to video chats with children, grandchildren, friends, etc. Without that, this isolation would be quite challenging. This time has allowed for some productive sewing/quilting time, long and meaningful conversations with my husband, and bouts of much-needed self-evaluation. I have rediscovered a few projects that had been pushed aside to make room for “deadline projects” and I’m happy to have the time to work on them now. I’m enjoying the time with my husband, as it was always easy to get sidetracked before and put our discussions on hold. As for the self-evaluation, it’s going well and not nearly as frightening as it may sound. 🙂 Thank you and be safe!
Such gorgeous photos from your QAL. Stay safe!
I suffered the mental fog last night. My daughter chuckled and told me to go to bed. We vacillate between uber consciousness, and totally fogged in. Some days I find everything very interesting and other days, nothing sparks my interest. At this moment, I am thinking that this is a worldwide study on human behavior.
Life certainly is much different. Just as Wanda said, the quarantine hasn’t been too bad on me either. I always can find something to do. I yak with friends over the phone, I’m learning to bake my own bread (although not too successful yet) and I could easily spend a whole day at my sewing machine. I’m currently working on a commissioned piece for a friend and having a lot of fun with it.
My poor sweet hubby on the other hand, is getting stir-crazy. Even though retired, he was still working part-time and felt good about it, plus he was able to enjoy his favorite pastime – golf. Now, despite the occasional (gloved and masked) trip the grocery store or the bank’s drive-through, he stuck here and once in a while driving me a little nuts. He and his buddies have petitioned to have a few local golf courses opened now that the weather’s warming. I’m praying they are successful because it would be very easy for golfers to stay more than 6 feet away from one another and not touch one another’s equipment. It would help him SO much if he could just golf one day a week! Golf is his passion as sewing/quilting are mine. I pray that this awful scourge will soon die out and we can return to our normal lives. And I am most grateful for every day we are given.
Please stay well.
LOVED the dog and cat picture!
I was shocked to see Rosie and OC on your blog! So glad they brought a smile to many!!
Wow, there are some really lovely quilts coming out of your quilt-along. I am glad you are okay, though it is very strange being inside all the time, isn’t it? We’ve just completed our second week but as yet have no idea of how long we will have to do this. I am missing the exercise too.