7/12/12

Making connections

Okay, I get it.  No man is an island. 

I have been very remiss.  One of the things I like to do is check out the blogs of my followers.  At some point, I got busy and lost time to go out and do that and I got behind and never caught up.  But, now I am catching up and subscribing to a lot of your blogs, so if you see my picture suddenly show up, you'll know why.  If I didn't subscribe, it's likely because it's been months since you posted or in the case of one lady, her blog just said "I give up.  I don't have time to blog.  Thanks for following, but I'm outta here." 

Okay.

I haven't gotten to everybody yet, so give me a few days to keep going down the list.  I do like to hear what other people are writing about and was already following about 30 blogs and now...I'm not going to say how many. 

I don't always comment.  But, I do when I can and when I think I have something valuabble to add.  And, I try to read every day. 

I'm also tentatively stepping a single toe into facebook again.  When I first joined facebook, I had a bad experience.  It was just too overwhelming to hear from all these people I didn't know, who wanted to be my friends, and I didn't know why, because not knowing somebody seems kinda like the antithesis of the word friend, right?  And, if I haven't heard from them in 30 years, then they can't know me because I've changed baby!  I've changed a lot. 

I did find the facebook help center and did some reading up this morning.  My basic impression is "this is poorly designed" because it seeks to suck you into some void of spending your life on facebook so you can understand the ins and outs of facebook, which seems the antithesis of actually having anything to post on facebook.

See why am I only stepping one toe in?  I am way too skeptical to trust something that I don't understand fully and way too busy to spend the time to understand it.  But, it is the future and I heard a story on NPR this morning about a lady that's 101 years old and uses facebook and lots of other technology and credits all of it with keeping her mind sharp and allowing her to enjoy and be active.  She says if you don't keep up, you fade away.  So, I'm thinking about keeping up cuz I'm not ready to fade away.

And, I do have something quilty to say today.  This morning, I put the Pond Mountain Quilt in the Singer 301. 


I promptly wound the thread around the thread spool (twice) and broke a needle and had a tension problem.  So, in my total 30 minutes of sewing time today, I managed to actually make three clamshells, replace a needle, rethread the machine about six times, and realize that I'll have to use a thread holder for this particular spool of thread.  Yay, me.  Another overachievement.

I seriously considered skipping the workout and just quilting for an extra half hour because I could tell everything was about to start going right.  You know that feeling; like when the clouds open and sun shines down around your picnic?  But, I was also feeling pretty stressed this morning and was extra frustrated by thread issues, so I knew some major stretching and then a walk with the dog would be just the ticket for the rest of the day. 

Hope everyone is having a great Thursday.  I am looking forward to the weekend and my second quilting class.  I can already tell it's going to be different.  I hope to focus more on putting the sandwich together, which I don't think I did a very good job of last time, and deciding what to quilt that will work with the piecing.  I want to spend less time on the background filler.  Dense background filler is fun...at least it is for me.  But, there's so much other stuff that has to be considered before you get to that.  And, for me anyway, the hardest part about background filler is deciding which one to practice and use.  It's not something where everybody needs to be able to do every filler.  Just pick a few faves and "take 'em to Carnegie Hall" (practice, practice, practice). 

The other thing I want in this class is laughter.  Last class was so serious.  The owners of the LQS kept coming back to the class space to check on us because we were so quiet.  It's because I was so uptight and serious.  But, I like teaching and want to relax, which should make the class relaxed and easier and more fun to teach, which will help me continue to enjoy teaching.  And, you know what?  I'm a darned funny guy.  There should be laughter wherever I am. 

So, that's it for me.  Be well and be kind.

Lane

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I had to smile when I read, "practice, practice, practice," When I was whining about something, my father would always ask me, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" Haven't heard that saying in a long time.

I am a facebooker. I visit a few times a day and comment when I find a need. At times I post more than others. I am not one of those crazy folks who think I must have millions of "friends" Honestly, how can you relate to all of those people? I pick and choose who I want my friends to be on facebook, just like in life! I won't even friend my sister-in-law because she puts disgusting things on facebook and I don't want folks to associate me with that!

Looking forward to hearing more about your class this weekend! I am sure it will be better than the last one, although I am sure the last one was good!

lw said...

I tried Facebook, but when I read the fine print (i.e., my relationships belong to Facebook) I logged out. It didn't help that I carefully set my privacy settings when I started and in the space of a month, had them deleted (in the name of "improving" Facebook) and had to reset them again and again.

After I get the ceiling fan installed in my sewing room, it's off to Carnegie Hall. Wish I could take your class.

Kath said...

Lane, I was delighted to see that you have signed up as a follower at Hillside.
As we live so many miles apart I cannot invite you to visit my home, but you are welcome to call in to the blog whenever you are passing, just as if we were neighbours.
I look forward to your humorous comments and your down to earth wisdom.

Bianca said...

Great to read a 'new' post. Being a regular blogger myself (LOL) I like to read every day all the blogs I follow. Some haven't written in months and than I'm done....
Well, also great to hear that I'm not the only one struggling to get some quilting done, due to all kinds of machine-troubles. I'm known for my impatience temper and my husband is waiting for the moment my Janome goes through the window.... THAT will never happen, because with quilting (and my cats) I have the patience of an angel.... But sometimes......

Would love to invite you to my house to chat live, but you too far away (or am I?) In what part of the USA do you live??

Have a great weekend. I'm a few hours ahead of you and will be having the weekend sooner than you. (but also sooner monday also)
Have a good one!
Bianca

Bubbles said...

Thanks for coming to check out my blog!

Kim West said...

I hear you about not always commenting on blogs; I wasn't able to even look at the blogs on my reading list (I use google reader to keep track of those I read) until this morning and there were over 350 posts to read. I am now down to just over 100. I get something from each blog I read, I just don't always get to comment on it.

Anonymous said...

Yes, you are a very funny guy! lum

Carla said...

Okay here's how far behind I am in my blog reading. Your face showed up on my Followers list. Glad you visited and hope you enjoy my rambling.
I too read but don't always comment but I do read and tend to get something out of each one I read. I also won't tell how many I follow. LOL.
Take care and be safe.

Vesuviusmama said...

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who falls behind reading blogs (as she comments 2 weeks later...)