this and that, on another Thursday

Having a space set up to sew

has been so good for me.

the view sure doesn't hurt anything, either!

I didn't realize quite how badly

I needed one

until I had it,

and found I could breathe again.

~

I've been keeping up with the BOtheD,

and am slowly amassing a fun little forest

of Christmas trees.

I also finished a major hand-quilting project

and just yesterday

I started on the machine quilting.

About an hour or so later,

I started on the seam ripping, too.

(my straight stitching wasn't terribly straight....)

and so it goes...

~

Even though I am no longer

 in a constant state of stress,

I feel like I am just really floundering.

At pretty much everything.

I am a day late,

when I think I am a day early.

sigh.

I did manage to get the taxes filed

before the very last 

last minute, though.

I guess that's something.

~

photo by Lex'

Lily turned 11 a few weeks ago

and we had an 'invite friends over' party

for the first time in about 15 years.

I admit I wasn't keen on the idea when she asked.

I mean, really?!

We are in the middle of moving

and we are still building the dang house!

She did all of the planning

(because she wanted to)

and most of the making,

here, they are making a helicopter rental hut at Jungle Air.
Tyler and Jeremiah cut a maze through our field that never got mowed a single time last year
so the grass and brush was about 5 ft tall. They hid some little dollar store treasures here and
there in the maze (whistle, compass ring, helicopter things, etc) so it would be more fun.

and it turned out to be a fun little party for everyone.

She invited home schooled friends so we could party

during the afternoon

and not have to take up and evening

or a work day.

~

Speaking of giving up a work day,

I just found out that there is a quilt show up in NWA

tomorrow and Saturday!

I was about to decide

 that I really don't have time to go;

we've had several obligations on Saturdays recently

(and have more in the coming weeks)

which really cuts into house progress.

office/music room is now finished except for window and top of doorway trim ~ woohoo

Then I thought about how much I enjoy going

(going last year with a friend was especially fun!)

and decided that the benefit of going

would probably outweigh 

whatever work I'd manage to accomplish

by staying home.

So - I'm going!

~

We went from snow flurries on Saturday

to temperatures in the high 70s yesterday.

Crazy Arkansas weather!

I am loving watching everything green up

before my eyes!

~

I am also loving having a truly functioning kitchen

right in my house!

Having space to work is a gift.

As is having plenty of light!

Ah - light is so lovely!!

And oh my goodness,

having a dishwasher!!

There is still plenty of work to be done

before the kitchen is finished,

but even unfinished

it

(and the whole house)

is sooo much better than the old house.

~

Last week,

the kids and I boxed up a bunch of books

for storage

since it'll still be several months 

before we have somewhere to put them.

They found so many books they wanted to read

that they packed a box to bring in the house

for reading now.

It was as if we went to the public library -

silent house and kids lying about

reading.

~

I have done a little reading myself,

mostly on the Kindle,

when my body isn't up to working.

Interestingly - 

I can finish a book

and not know the name of it!

That would never happen with a physical book!

One book I thoroughly enjoyed

(and do know the name of)

was The Sewing Machine

by Natalie Fergie.

At $2.99

that's kinda pricey for an e-book for me,

so I got the free trial

(or something like that)

and before I'd even finished it,

I knew I'd be forking over the three bucks.

It had a bit of a 

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

feel to it

and it was another book that I didn't want to end.

~

I discovered (quite by accident)

that there is a fabric line

appropriately called

Guernsey

that was inspired by  the book!

Needless to say,

I want it.