Paisley Happy

LOOK what I did...

SEWED ! ! !

... the side seams and cuffs on the Burda 7400 pants. The instructions called for a labour intensive method of sewing, turning, and hand stitching the lining to the seam line of the cuffs enclosing all the seams. I'm not sure that's necessary. The cuff seam is 3 1/2" from the bottom. A neatly finished seam allowance would have worked well too.

Last night, we started moving in Aryck's stuff. He is SO EXCITED and trying not to show it. The basement suite is really nice. Big. Bright. Large windows. Lots of storage. AND... I could not believe the size of the kitchen. It's at least three times bigger than mine. So unfair. Tonight, I'll unpack the kitchen stuff while Howard and Kyle help him move in the furniture. And then, we'll leave him there and he's officially moved out. They don't mention this stage in the baby books either. It's so happy sad.

Yesterday was my second to last shift at work which meant saying goodbye to some of the women I won't be working with tomorrow. One hugged me and then started crying, saying that she was going to miss me terribly. She refused to say goodbye. What a lovely way to be leaving a job - missed - as opposed to kicked out the door and good riddance.

On Monday, I mentioned a quote from Barbara Johnson that I've thought about a lot over the past few days. Here it is again - So give your ______ to God and then focus on getting your own life in order. Also keep in mind that you are not responsible for what you cannot control and that God has only called you to be faithful. He did not call you to be successful.

Once again, I am being forced away from a job I enjoy by things beyond my control. I will miss getting dressed up and going out, having coworkers to care about and who care about me, the customers, and especially the respect for my expertise. It's not often that I get credit for what I know about sewing in the general world. Missing that interaction had the potential to create a lot of stress and anxiety especially as next week is also the start of school and many of my friends who are teachers will be back working full time. I've been worried about what's next, about becoming depressed and lonely at home. That would not be good, which is why...

... I am VERY thankful to have the jewelry to focus on. My mind has been buzzing with ideas, the kind that wake you up in the night and cause vibrating energy. I sent emails to the galleries that used to carry my work to get feedback. Two have already said that they'd take the jewelry and I haven't even created a piece yet. It's fabulous to have that kind of belief in my artistic abilities however...

... I have decided to focus NOT on making jewelry for profit but on being faithful to my gift of creativity. In the past, I've struggled with what's the point because my focus was on financial success and the bottom line. This time, I want the point to be being faithful to the gift of creativity. I want to have fun, explore, create, use the products in my studio, see what I come up with, and allow God to decide what happens next. If I can manage to shift that focus from financial success to being creatively faithful, I will consider that success as well.

Lorrie asked about my first day of school tradition. It evolved over time however - by the end - I would take whoever was going to school that year out for breakfast and then to the school. The first day was usually short so after filling out forms and writing cheques - while they were meeting their teachers and catching up with friends - I'd go to a coffee shop and journal about my goals and plans for the next year and then go back and pick them up. That's why I can so easily shift it to the Fall Planning Session as opposed to the Back To School one. I - of course - start with a fresh, new journal. This year it's a paisley happy one.

In the past, my planning has often been about my business. This year, because I have no idea what's next in terms of paid employment, I'll focus on personal goals. In particular, I want to improve my health and attain/maintain balance and not get all wigged out in a new direction. It would be so like me to start mass producing jewelry and forget about walking and reading and writing and bible study and cooking dinner and... and... and...

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a focus on being faithful