Struggling this week...

... because I have been doing those headaches again. Who knows why. If I was really serious about getting things done I would just stop having those headaches I think! So, no sewing done (Although I did go visiting teaching and gift some ornaments.) and no decorating for Christmas done either. (But we did get our piano delivered from the prison they call storage this week. I personally feel the piano is really just an oversized Christmas dekky. Christmas tunes, singing around the piano...) Last night I was pretty much over the whole headache thing and decided to just do something and pretend I didn't have a headache. The something that I felt I could do was painting, so I dragged out my easel out of the garage and my acrylic paints out of the cupboard. Actually it was an episode of Australian Story, "When William met Sarah", which is about actor William McInnes and his producer wife Sarah Watts who recently lost her battle with cancer. She was a remarkable woman, which got me to thinking about women in general. Most of us are pretty remarkable. Most of us are also remarkably hard on ourselves. We need to be kinder to ourselves! We are remarkable! (More on this theme here from President Uchtdorf.) Anyway, so I painted a little last night and plan to paint some more today. I haven't painted for sooooo long, I thought my paints may have dried up and been completely unusable, but they were fine. So the list for today so far reads:

1. Paint
2. Sew
3. Decorate
4. Clean house
5. Wash clothes
6. Change rooms around

A snap I'm sure! Oh. And the "change rooms around" relates to Miss 19 who is coming to spend the summer with us in Melbourne. Woohoo! Happy dances all round here! (We can't wait!)

Sewing and a headache.

I have had a headache all week. Every day I wake up with it and every day it is a little worse than the previous day. Last night it was impossible to sleep so I did a lot of tossing and turning and wandered around quite a bit. Today I got up and sat in front of the sewing machine for a couple of hours before giving up and going back to bed. Then I slept and slept and now at midnight I am quite awake. My head still hurts, but not like last night so hopefully tomorrow will be a better day! I came out to the sewing machine again at 9pm this evening and had a lovely time playing with theses squares. They are in the improvisational style of Malka Dubrawsky of A stitch in Dye. I love her work! And it was so fun to do. No measuring. Just the fabric, a pair of scissors and a sewing machine! I have something in mind for these, but will keep it to myself until I see if it works.

Yesterday I sewed this glasses case. I have struggled to get anything done during the week of the headache and this just came to my mind as I searched my scrap box for the brights I needed for the improvisational piecing. Using up my scraps has been a lot of fun!

A pair of rompers I managed to finish this week for granddaughter. Rompers must be a terribly old-fashioned item of clothing because none of my kids could make out what I was sewing when I worked on these.

Me: They're rompers.
Them: Right.
Me: For a baby.
Them: Right. (long silence) So who are they for?
Me: Granddaughter.
Them: Right. (long silence) So will they fit her?
Me: Yes, I measured her.
Them: Right. (long silence) So does her Mum want you to make them?

So, here they are finished. And yes they do fit her and will be a great thing to wear on a hot, hot day. Which we have't had many of so far this summer (She said whilst listening to rain on her roof. Most unusual for us. Adelaide doesn't usually do summer rain. One day at the beginning of the month we had our entire month's average in one afternoon!), but I'm sure those hot, hot days will come.

Remember this? I finally worked out a closure for this honeybun bag. The pattern used velcro with a button on the front for decoration. I'm not a huge fan of velcro. I used the snap machine to put a couple of snaps on the front. The idea came to me as I was putting snaps on the rompers. Anyway, I must get some sleep! Don't want to tempt the headache into returning with a vengance!

As the light ebbs out of today I am grateful.

I am very glad that this day is nearly over. Even with such a pretty sight as this visible from my verandah I have had enough of today. My week has been busy and long and seemingly unending. I haven't done much of any consequence. Taking Miss 23 to the hospital each day to have her wound dressed was tedious. Fortunately she doesn't have to go so often now. I have spent most of the week doing migraines. (Why? I'm not sure. I should have chosen not to do the headaches I think.) I am so glad when the sun goes down because light hurts my head so much. I should be more cheerful than I am because all the kids and my Bradley have helped me out all week. They have cooked meals and cleaned the kitchen. Vacuumed and picked up aroud the house. Washed clothes, hung them out to dry and brought them in again. Pain seems to make me be an ingrate! Fictional girls seem to learn so many more lesson from pain than I do. Both Cousin Helen and Katy from "What Katy Did" were much better people after having studied at the school of pain. I, however, just seem to whinge! Of course there is an upside to having a dreadful week. Next week can only be better, and I am looking forward to it! We weeded the garden this week and now we are thinking about what to plant in the garden beds in place of the weeds we grew so professionally. I am also planning to grow some fruit trees in pots. I love planning and thinking about the garden. Roll on next week! It's got to be better!!!