that makes me pause...

Today is my oldest sons'  birthday #44.

Somehow I never pictured  my own children reaching their 40's....yet here they are!!
That makes me pause, and ask myself, "how come, ( as their mother)  that fact  makes me sound a lot older than I actually feel?"

Well, luck, some would say, has a good deal to do with having that feeling.
I am still able to work at doing things I enjoy,  and receive satisfaction from, such as
sewing ( which I love)
shopping (fabric, grocery)
cooking (when it suits me) and caring and sewing  for my 3 favourite little girls.
reading, watching movies, and working at my part time occupation as healthcare provider, and the list goes on.

Several years ago I did indeed feel much much older...I was unable to walk without the aide of a walker, while I waited for hip surgery. That was a very valuable life lesson for me,( although I have gone through many other surgeries) the inability to walk was super awful and really depressing. When I could later walk, dance, bend, and even get down on the floor, to play with my little niece and later my grandbaby.I thanked God and modern medicine.

It occurs to me that we shouldn't wait for special occasions to count our many blessings, even when our kids do reach their 40s...maggielucia

Nana and her little sweetie!

Just practising my blogger skills ...enjoy!

~ tonight  I just wanted to let you know that..

I didn't sleep well last night.  I stayed on my comp waaay too long into the little quiet hours when the rest of the house was fast asleep, but when I finally called it quits, I had a real doozy of a headache !

I  noticed that I was  clicking on "help", in the program I was using, way too often, and I just kept getting more and more confused, so I finally  decided to pack it in, at last, and put myself to bed.( smart person) good plan.

        of course by the time I actually got "into" bed it was around 1 oclock.
        I tossed and turned for 3/4 of an hour before I decided I really should eat something!! so I got up and went to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal ( what else does a person eat at 2 in the morning?)  well,  long story short,  I got a maximum of 3 hrs sleep ..TOTAL ! And it wasn't like one of my usual get up at 9 a m and live in my jammies 'til noon either ...i had a very important early morning interview, so that meant hair, makeup, clean clothing,  and mouthwash AND deodorant !

Well, I managed to grocery shop,  mail a letter, and recycle some huge plastic bags full of gallon size milk jugs. You know how that is?   You are out anyway, so you might as well make it productive, right? well the day wore on, and it was not a total loss.

of course I promised myself I would stay off the computer tonight, watch tv and fall asleep early, but.......

 I suppose I am no different  than anyone else (isn't that something you think about?)   so here I am again, but it is earlier, and I really want to learn how to do this blogging thing correctly you know....God knows I am no techie...and I would like to make it pretty, and interesting and fun,  so I need to  learn how to create links, post photos  ,mine and other more creative peoples' stuff and......

........well,  tonight I just wanted to let you know that !


        

       
       

inspiration and other stuff..

I don't know how  other crafters/sewers/bloggers,  get inspiration for their projects.

Yesteryear, my ideas came from movies, Sears' catalogues, a few old standbys like Good Housekeeping and McCalls magazines, and whatever paper patterns  were  available in department stores.

Today,  my inspirations can come from anywhere in the world, literally. The internet has certainly become my latest (and greatest ) source of ideas.. talented people from every country,  exhibit their wares and creations,  and a click of your mouse can transport you into any studio you may want to visit.

Take Etsy for example...a worldwide marketplace that a simple, homebased crafter like myself  could never have imagined , even 5 yrs ago .. exhibiting, and offering for sale, her often flawed and occasionally beautiful handmade items.

When my boys were small, I turned out cozy pyjamas, sturdy and functional pants/ shorts, and interesting  shirts,  although the fabric  choices  available to me then were very limited.    That old (back then  it was considered very high tech) Necchi sewing machine was my ticket into the world of fashion at the time, when Twiggy and Carnaby Street and hippies were in vogue !

I sported Nehru collars and cuffs in bright paisleys,  wide flared maternity pants, canary yellow jump suits and appliques on torn bluejeans...yes I said bluejeans!
I taught myself to sew (at least more creatively) after learning to sew the obligatory apron in home economics classes in high school.

My younger readers here,   are going to say "huh" to this post and regard me as a relic of the stone age, even though I am  more than 2 decades and less than 10 decades old.

And yes, I still love to create and sew,  ( on my much newer machine and even newer serger)  and I no longer sew for my boys, but now turn out beautiful clothes and other goodies for grandbabies,
nieces and grand nieces .   ....  until later Lucia

when we were little girls

my sister Sheila and I were left to fend for ourselves a great deal.  Let me tell you that those  were the days when we did not own a television.  When we did eventually get one, it was one of those tiny, black and white jobs, and our first really riveting programs were Red Skelton (1953) I Love Lucy (1953/54 etc) and our scary late night favourite..Alfred Hitchcock...(1955) meaty and frightening fare for a couple of very young girls.

We lived in a number of basement suites in those days, the " father knows best" image,  that later was popularized, on that little black and white tube of a television, didn't exist in our house.
What did exist was an absent, (thankfully) father,  and a hardworking mother,  who tried her best to manage 2 jobs . One of those jobs kept her away late at night.   I remember this being pretty scary for 2 kids with endless energy,   and unlimited imaginations.

For some reason, and for most likely a monetary consideration, there was never a sitter. 
This of course, allowed us free rein to indulge our passions, which for the most part, were games
that encouraged us to create costumes, out of whatever was at hand, or found in our mothers' dresser drawers.
I am positive there could not have been,  more fantastical or beautiful creatures, anywhere in the world, to rival our make believe ballerinas, or princesses!

There is an unmistakeable message here, in my remembrances, and my memories, that speaks to me of
that unfettered spark of creativity that caught fire here, and blazes still in those two little girls...Lucia

a place to keep my stuff

This last few months I have been distracted by thoughts/ ideas/worries/ and seeing visions. I know....your first thought is ...she really should see a reputable specialist in that particular field !  right ??
  
Well no,  let me explain, and simplify that statement.  I love to make stuff. I have always loved to make stuff !
I have of late decided  that I need a space to keep my stuff ( not an extra closet or any real physical place) I  decided that I really haven't anyone I can discuss my stuff with: you know, bounce those ideas/thoughts/worries and visions with ....so I decided to put my stuff in here ....in a blog !