Mood rings and maps

Where did I put that Mood ring I found the other day?

I need to know...
Good Mood,
Bad Mood.
Blue Mood.
Happy Mood?

The past few days I have been moody.
I have been all over the mood map.
Actually, I wish there was such a thing as a mood map.  Then I could plot my own mood course.
Maybe I should google mood map and see if it exists...
Hang on....

I was surprised that several articles and images actually popped up when I Googled 'Mood Maps'
According to Huffington post,  "Researchers from the Northeastern University College of Computer and Information Sciences and Harvard Medical School have developed an innovative way of tracking the nation's mood using tweets."

But that isn't exactly what I was looking for.
I want to know where to go when I get moody.
What causes me to be in a blue mood this time of year?
How do I get out of this and how do I get in a different space?

Heck, I wish I knew what mood I am currently in and when it might change again.
I am sure the other people in the house would like to know as well.
Having 3 teenage moody girls under one roof is enough.
The men in the house don't need a moody mother as well.

If I am to be fair to myself I will acknowledge that over the years I have gotten better at recognizing when I get moody and I work hard at not imposing my mood on others.
I focus on getting back to my own normal by trying to do normal things.

But when I get in a mood and it develops into a funk, I tend to isolate myself.
I withdraw a bit more,
don't listen as well,
become more self absorbed,
and I disappear into my own thoughts.
The family notices.

I think I just need a nice, warm, sunny day where I can put the top down and go for a drive.
A drive along the gorge to Multnohma falls might do the trick.
Or perhaps a drive south along the coast to Newport or even further south, maybe Florence.
I haven't taken Highway 101 south in quite some time.
Maybe I'll just keep going on to Coos Bay and find my favorite beach and gather seashells.

But I won't.
The temptation to keep on going south would be too strong.
That and
Gas is $3.30 a gallon right now and I am too practical to waste money on my funk.

I do have other options.
I don't need to go anywhere.

Maybe I need to paint something.

Paint the kitchen?

Paint the bathroom?

Maybe a different color will help me have a different mood.

Perhaps I just need to get busy and work on the quilt I started this week.

The laundry needs to be done.
I haven't dusted in a while either.
Normal activities might bring on a more normal mood.

And if I have all the work done, then when that warm, sunny, day comes,
I will be ready to take that drive and go exploring.

But for now...
I think I will design my own map.
Now where is that mood ring?



Steppin' out with DWNTWN
DWNTWNimages.me

On-Demand Quilter

18 months I purchased a large 2 headed dragon print cloth at our local World Beat Festival.

My youngest daughter just HAD to have it.
The price was reasonable and she was next on the quilt list.
I thought at the time this would be an easy piece to try a Whole Cloth Quilt with.


I don't fancy myself a
REAL quilter.
I don't seek out quilt shops.
I don't stop at every small town quilt store.
I don't have several quilt projects on a shelf or in the closet in various stages.

I consider myself an ON-DEMAND quilter.
I make quilts as they are demanded of me by my family and friends.

I've lost track of how many quilts I have made.
Counting my 8 kids, 2 grand kids, large extended family, and a few friends, I can remember a couple dozen plus quilts designed and completed.


I say designed because I have never bought a quilt pattern.
Nor have I ever belonged to a Quilt of the Month class or program.
My quilts are ... on-demand.
I say on-demand because I don't know what else to call it.

I make quilts for a specific person, purpose, or cause.
The quilts take on a life of their own, a meaning all to themselves, and are quite personal.
They each present challenges in various ways and always kick my ass when I have to do the math calculations.

This latest quilt was no different.
What at first thought was a quick and easy Whole Cloth Quilt has turned out to be an 18 month,
thought provoking,
fabric hunting,
design search,
process of finding the answers to my daughters on-demand quilt.

To understand my dilemma I should let you know it began with my daughter's love of all things Japanese.
Where this love and passion of hers has come from, I have no idea.
I was born and raised in Kansas.
She was born and raised in Nebraska, (at least until the last few years.)
We think of ourselves as small town, meat and potato, kind of folks.
We haven't traveled the world.
Heck, outside of driving I-80 to and from the plain states to Oregon,
we haven't traveled much at all.
I didn't even own a passport until 6 months ago, and I have yet to use my passport.
None the less, her love and passion is strong and I want to design a quilt that will please her.

After explaining what a whole cloth quilt was, she was less than thrilled with my idea.
She wanted to pick out fabrics, have me cut them up, and sew them back together again.
At age 11, she had an idea of what she wanted for the 'other' side of the dragon piece.
So we went to Fabric Depot.
I tried to steer her to fabrics I imagined would compliment the piece.
I tried to encourage,
guide,
persuade,
and strongly suggest particular fabrics.
Clearly, I have raised headstrong, determined, no nonsense young women.
We walked out of the store with the most puzzling, challenging pieces of fabric I have yet to work with.
As anxious as #8 was for me to get started, I was uncertain of even how to begin.
So I sat on the project for a while.
A very long while in the life of a young girl.
I think she had just about given up on me when I told her I was ready to start her quilt.

2010 was a difficult year and is behind me.
My youngest daughter is now 13. 
With 2011, I have a renewed determination and energy.
One of the first things on my list was to make time to be creative.

Being creative is easier for me when I step outside of my routine and comfort zone.
So I went north to my sister's house where we could both get serious about being creative.

In the past 26 hours at her house,
I came up with a design,
tried to figure the math,
had a couple glasses of Merlot,
slept on it overnight,
reworked my design,
recalculated the math,
cut fabric,
and finally took to the machine.

I arrived back home with a nearly completed quilt top seeking my daughter's approval.

I think she is delighted with it.

Now the real work Hand quilting an odd size 68X104 Asian/Dragon quilt begins.

The hand quilting is what I enjoy most.

It is also where I add the love that goes into each On-Demand quilt I design.

Life's Adventure

My oldest child celebrates her 30 birthday today.

It is hard to believe 30 years have passed, especially when my memories of her being a toddler are still so vivid!

She is 1,534 miles away  -  Only 1 day (with traffic) according to the maps app on my iPhone.

I wish I would have left yesterday. 
If I had, I could be there now to give her a hug, take her to lunch, and wish her all the best as she ventures into this next decade of her life.

My oldest daughter is the most energetic, engaging, caring, wise, & talented high school history teacher any student could ever have.  I know this because I have been to her school and seen her in action!

At the same time she is an understanding, compassionate, 
patient, fun-loving, 
mother of two onery little boys.
 
She wears the role of working mother well. 
And she is a delight to be around.
 
I miss being near her.


Amazingly, I miss having all my kids under the same roof.  
At the same time I recognize, if that were the case, we would all be crazy!

Just days ago my teenage daughters were chatting about favorite baby names they hoped to use when they have children. 

(interesting topics seem to come up on car rides).

They asked me, "mom, when you were our age, what names did you think you would give us?"
 

Wow!
I wondered, "How do I answer this question?"
I didn't set out to be a mom at age 20.
In fact, I didn't plan to be a mom at all.
I answered honestly thinking my kids already know this about me.

"Well, if you remember, I didn't think along those lines when I was your age".
#7 remembered, "oh that's right, you were going to work for National Geographic and then you met dad."
And I smiled.

Life has a funny way of taking me down paths I never would have dreamed of going on my own.
In high school, I never dreamed of starting a family at age 20.
I never dreamed of having any kids, let alone 8.
Today, I can't imagine my life without them!  

This afternoon I head north 50 miles for a girls sleepover with my sister and child #4.
We will all be thinking of my oldest, 
celebrating, 
reminiscing, 
and doing 'girl stuff' in honor of her.
Mine may not be the life of adventure I imagined as a teenager, but
It's a wonderful adventure just the same!

What did you dream about being in high school?
And where has life's adventure taken you?

Being Practical

I am practical.
Quite practical.
Some might even consider me to be too practical.

My teenagers...
NOT practical!
In all fairness I should say my teenage girls are not practical when it comes to fashion.

I was up early this morning as the teens here at home are heading back to school.
By 6:50am I was awake, dressed, contacts in, shoes on, and keys in hand.
I was not alert. (a dangerous time to be driving, I know!)
I was only half aware of my surroundings because

we were halfway to the middle school before I realized my youngest child was not wearing a coat.

And it was cold out!
At least cold for our neck of the woods.
When I asked her where her coat was she said, "I'll be inside. I won't need it."
I asked, "What about the bus ride home?
What if there is a fire drill and you have to stand outside?"
She just said, "Oh mom! I won't be cold."


I arrived back home in time to send the next two daughters out the door.  I wished them a good day back to school and told them they looked cute and then let out a bit of a shriek.
#7, the sophomore, was wearing flip-flops.
(we called them thongs when I was a kid.)
I asked, "Why are you wearing flip-flops? Its cold outside!"
She looked at me as if I was the idiot and said,
"Oh mom! Shoes don't go with this outfit!"

I will admit my daughters all looked delightfully fashionable this morning.
I don't.

I am practical and dressed for the weather.
They aren't.

Now some people might attribute this to age, to wisdom, or perhaps to just plain ole common sense.
But I think it is worse than that.
I have been practical as long as I can remember.
I was a practical teenager.
I bought my levi's from the mens department because they were cheaper than ladies Levi's and I could buy the inseam length I needed.  Women's jeans come in short, regular, or tall.
And why should I pay more for denim because I am a female?

I will always be practical.

And with a little luck (and my continued 'shrieks' on cold winter days)
my daughters will learn to be a bit of both,
fashionable and practical.

Look Forward

We all look forward to some time, some thing, or some trip.
I look forward to many things throughout the year.
Recently I recall looking forward to: payday,
A daytrip to the coast,
My adult kids visiting,
A long hot shower,
Camping in the mountains,
Clean sheets on my bed,
A trip back to Kansas,
Christmas break,
And a Home cooked meals at my sisters to name a few.

I'll be honest, 
In the last 3 decades I don't recall looking forward to a particular YEAR...such as I can't wait for 
1984, 1997, or 2012.
I haven't thought to myself,
I can't wait until 2017.
Do you think like that or is it just me?

Recently I heard my daughter say,
"I can't wait for 2011! I thought it would never come."
I looked at her quizzically and she looked at me with certainty. Until the light went on for me.
Oh! 
She is a high school senior this year. Now it makes sense!
The day she entered kindergarten she learned about counting down the years and looking forward.
Since 1998 she has looked forward to the year 2011.
Since 1998 she has looked forward to THIS year!
 
I never really gave it much thought.
I suppose I gave some consideration and looked forward to the year 1999.
Partly due to the whole Y2K hype. (Remember Y2K?) 
And partly due to 1999 being the graduation year of my oldest daughter.
I love my eight children. 
Not just love them, 
but I REALLY love them. 
Admittedly though, I am not the best mom in the world. 
Having 8 children lends itself to lessened enthusiasm at times.
I have had 5 children go through their senior year.
I wish I felt as enthusiastic with number 6.
I wish my feeling of excitement was as intense now with #6 as with my oldest.
I suppose the trade off is a bit more wisdom.
I may not be as excited, but I also am not as fearful.

What I can say is... 
I am now more aware.
I am now looking forward to 2011 as much as my daughter.
And I will now share in her enthusiasm for the year to come and all that brings to a young woman in her senior year of high school.

What are you looking forward to?