292 and waiting...

These are my 292 sections for Roll, Roll Cotton Boll, just waiting for tomorrow when the next set of instructions come out. I've only done one other mystery or BOM in real time. I've always waited until it was over and then set out with all the instructions in hand...and a picture of the finished product. But, I really enjoyed the mystery I did a few years ago, nice and simple with just a few steps. And, I'm sitting with anticipation, waiting for the next steps on this one. I have no more pink in my scrap bins and am cutting from yardage now. I didn't have much pink to start with and that gave me an excuse to buy a few yards last weekend. Unfortunately, Sydney isn't interested in pulling from my pinks anymore. Now, she wants into my purples...and those are harder to share.

My roman shade is still moving along. I worked on the mystery pieces last week, while I was waiting for quilting inspiration. It finally came and I found the perfect shape to quilt in the blocks and am progressing well, both adding the new shape and pulling the old shapes out of blocks I experimented in.

The family is having a hard week. The holidays have always been difficult with my family of birth, and are especially difficult this year. I've drifted so very far apart from them over the 25 years that I've lived in another state and it makes gift giving very difficult...imagine giving a gift to someone that you see once a year for a few hours in a single weekend, and that it needs to be the right gift or feelings will be hurt. That's the pickle I've gotten myself into and can't get help out of it, because feelings have already been hurt. Hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt. And, that's why the holidays are difficult. Happy Christmas, and a big bah-humbug.

And, my family of choice has had a difficult week. Being a teenage girl is tough for all of them. Our teenage girl seems to have it a bit tougher than most. But, I've been very proud of us as parents, with our empathy and understanding and willingness to stand beside her in a difficult situation...well, Rob stood beside her. I think they were afraid I'd lose my voice there yesterday, too and so he handled it. No matter why, I really appreciate his willingness to bring a level head to a bad time and help limit the amount of pressure I find myself under. It was a great day for me to talk about voice because he was inspired by what I wrote and went into the encounter with more confidence and an assurance that his voice was enough.

So now I'm just sitting in the eye of the storms, enjoying a bit of peaceful respite. I've made my apologies for getting out of control. I've shown myself to be a good and understanding parent. Now it's up to others and I can rest for a bit and move forward with my life and the stuff I need to do.

Take care and have a great Thursday. I think they'd call my mood today "neutral".

Lane