'Progress' and updates

Progress!  

I don't make New Year's resolutions.  I never have.  I know myself well enough to know that I'd break almost every resolution before the end of January.  I don't like to set myself up for failure.  But....  I've been reading several blogs about 'words for the year'.  I thought about this, and, one word kept popping into my mind, 'Progress'.  I've had enough things 'happen' in my life, just in the last year, to know that if I say I'll finish X number of projects by X time, that something will happen to keep me from finishing on time.  But...  if I make 'Progress' on some of my projects (both sewing and non-sewing), then, I WIN!  So, this year I have a new word, (can you guess what it is yet???).  PROGRESS!  If I finish my projects, then, GREAT!, but, my goal it to make progress on at least a few of them every month.  Progress, I can do!

I started off my new year with some 'progress'.  I don't have a 'sewing area' at my home.  The basement is FULL (at least until oldest son graduates and gets a job and apartment).  Oldest son's room still has his stuff in it, too, in case he doesn't get a job after graduation.  Besides, his room is dark.  I need LIGHT to sew by.  I have to keep the guest bedroom for guests (it's being used now, more about that later in the post).  The only way to sew in there would be to take the bed apart.  The dining room just doesn't work well.  I already have my quilt frame set up between the dining room and the living room.  If I set up machines, then, everything has to be moved when people come over.  The kitchen table just isn't big enough for a group, and we have groups over too often.  Every time I clean off the dining room table of my quilting stuff, stuff gets LOST!  That just doesn't work well.  That leaves youngest son's room.  He's off at college, and doesn't want me to take over his room, BUT, he told me I could SHARE it while he is gone, as long as I move out when he comes home.  Well....  guess what!?!  I cleaned (yes, son, CLEANED) his room (not sure when that was done the last time) and moved in.  Yipee!  I now have a sewing room, at least until the end of April.  I'll take what I can get for the moment. 

My temporary sewing space!

I moved the TV and DVD player from the basement into the room.  I have an ironing board set up behind the door (far right), and the table doubles as a cutting table and sewing machine table.  I hung my new sewing machine cover on the dresser drawers.  Now I can see it when I sew.  'Progress'! 

Updates:

First, Katie, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the bum knee. 

Katie

Katie is surviving her restricted movement.  She ISN'T happy about it, but, she's surviving it, so far.  It helps that both son's were home for most of this time, and helped with her care.  She sleeps with oldest son, since she doesn't jump off the bed with him (she jumps off the bed with me).  He just picks her up and carries her all over with him.  She's loving his attention.  Unfortunately, he leaves later this week.  Her knee is better, but, it will never be well.  It was messed up when she was just a puppy, when the older dog ran her over on the way to the front door to greet people.  I don't think she'll have to have surgery at this point, but, she'll be restricted much more, from now on.  This may be harder for us than it is on her.  It means much more work on our part to keep her from running around and jumping on stuff. 

Second update:

Guess who is back?

Khristina and Glenn

Khristina and Glenn, my Australian blogger friend is back.  They head out to California on Tuesday, before heading back home after 3 months in the States.  You can read about their travels here.

I'll (hopefully) have more Progress to show you in the next week.  I'd better, since I have Quilts of Valor sew-in on Tuesday, my Thursday sew-in (on Thursday, of course) and a guild sew-in on Saturday.