Is anyone there?

Is anyone still out here?  Is anyone reading?   

Reading what????? you ask….. I know, it’s been almost forever since I’ve written.   And I have excuses…..

the dog ate my homework computer ….. okay, maybe not.

the cloudy rainy weather has had me down ….. yes, that one’s true, I am not a rainy cloudy person, I NEED my sunshine and we’ve had plenty little of it these last few weeks.

the time change has kicked my butt……. oh boy is that one true, especially since I am not a morning person to begin with and this week required me to be one….. sigh……

I’ve not been quilting much…… or I’ve not been accomplishing much that I’ve remembered to take pictures of to show. ….. yes, that’s true, I’m bad at remembering that picture thing.   Maybe I need a BIG SIGN posted on my forehead….. oh wait then others could read it, but I’d still not see it……

What else has had me a bit off-kilter…..well……a few weeks back we (DH and I) received an audit letter for his business.  A THREE YEAR AUDIT of our IFTA/IRP records (mileages, license and taxes).  That period happened to contain the time frame when I was extremely sick and not functioning well.  So, I stressed……. I pulled records, I moved filing cabinets to make them more accessible, I pulled more records, I tossed and turned at night….which led to lack of functioning during the day.   I stressed myself right back into IBS and ulcer attacks …… did I mention I stressed?

This week was the audit, first day went okay…….C who works with us said by 2 in the afternoon I was panicking and turning green with stress (she’s probably right, I could feel myself getting shaky), but that first day was the audit on  the time frame that I was sick….and he was finding errors.   Not intentional errors, just those darn number reversing, fingers not typing what brain told them to errors. You guys who knew me back then know what I’m talking about.   Nothing “major”, but still errors and I don’t like errors.  NO, I am not a perfectionist, I just set high standards for myself.  I don’t particularly care what standards you set for you, but I set them high for me….whoops, I digressed.   So first day, end of day, I’m a bit shaky.

Next day auditor comes back and things are looking better, but I’m still stressing…….. and stressing….. and stressing….. and trying to quilt a custom quilt while I’m stressing.  Now anyone who quilts knows you have to be calm and peaceful to do your best work….and I was stressing….. so it was slow going.

And that’s how my week has gone…… until this afternoon when we got the final audit report.  It wasn’t as bad as I feared…..(hmmmm, imagine that!)… and it is now OVER OVER OVER!!!!!!!

So what did I do to celebrate…. I went out this afternoon and got a long overdue haircut!  Yep, an hour of somebody pampering ME!!!!!!  And it looks so much better without those dried ends and with that shaping back in it…. and I feel so much better now.  Audit over, sunshine and a haircut….what could make a gal feel better than that!!!!

Tonight I’ll go to the “Meet and Greet the Teachers” reception at Quilters Loft.  I’ll bring in my class samples that I somehow managed to get all pulled together this week.   I’ll talk and have fun and tomorrow morning I’ll go back to work.  Seriously back to work, stresslessly (is that a word) back to work and life will return to normal!!!!!!

So, if anyone is out there, still popping by for a chat, still hoping someday they’ll hear from me again, that someday they’ll see new art and new quilting and customer quilting….. all I can say is YES!!!!!  You will!!!!!!

And I’ll even show you a picture I took the other day that I’m going to use in a piece as a representation of my stressed out end of winter season:

Did I mention it’s been rainy and gloomy here lately?