WOW! Almost a year - seriously!

I have been out of it that's for sure.

So much has been going on, that most days I don't even get to decide when I will go the bathroom much less sit down and write a blog.  I am working on journaling for my business, but that is hand written and I have the luxury of taking it with me where ever I go.

2019 has not been very kind to me - unfortunately.  I am seriously looking forward to 2020!

Highlights

1.  My oldest found a congenital issue with his kidney.  The ureter that comes into the kidney kinks.  He already had one stent put in and it kinked again, he is on his second stent right now, but if it kinks again, he loses that kidney.  The chances are high that he will lose that kidney.  He is only 23 years old.

2.  ALSO, that son had a MRSA infection in his hand that was hours away from his getting his hand amputated.  It spread so fast - 48 hours.  As it stands now, he has his hand, but the nerves will always be a little off.  THEN, he got a staph infection in his elbow.  Antibiotics took care of that one, but this guy has been through the ringer this year. 

3. Four of us went to England in June. We stayed in Southwark, but traveled by train to Liverpool since my youngest son is really into music.  It was not as great as the first time my husband and I went, but my kids got to experience international travel and my daughter is already planning on going back with a friend that that has family there.  The reason for the lack of excitement is that I was bleeding for 60 days straight.

4.  The heavy bleeding led us to find out that I had a very early stage of uterine cancer.  The bleeding was not a symptom of it, but the research helped us find it.  I am severely anemic from all the bleeding this year.  I just had a hysterectomy 2 weeks ago, so trying to build back up my red blood cells, but it is slow going. I have always struggled with anemia.

While in surgery, they found a cyst on one of my ovaries.  The doc said - no wonder you were in pain.  So, the surgery took care of that too.  No pain and no bleeding - I am in. 

5.   My business was doing great, it was building and people were loving it - I was having fun doing it.  Busy, exhausting, but great.  Then, July 25th, an update completely wiped my inventory online and on my register.  It has been a nightmare even since then. 

I have over 3,000 items and to reconstruct them all is a daunting task!  We switched systems and that was worse.  Then, we switched systems again and that did not work either.  This business is very nichy and finding an all in one system that links the on-line inventory with the in-store inventory is non-existent.  Who knew!  It is a completely custom thing apparently.

SO, we are still NOT back on track - 3 months and my store is closed (mainly for my recovery) and the on-line is awful.  My whole recovery time is spent on the computer trying to get this system working.  We meet with our tech guy tonight again to try to figure something out.

6.  My daughter is now a driver!  Thankfully!  It helps so much. 

7.  My shy, anxious youngest son is now in choir!  He sings - on stage!  The teacher and voice coach found out he has a gift.  We knew he was perfect pitch (not a great thing if you ask me), but I had no idea he had a voice.  He can sing in 5 octaves. His normal is bass and is the lowest singer at the school.  Lower by 4 notes than any of the others.  He is in driving school, so just 8 more months and all my kids will be driving!  WOOHOO!!!

8.  My husband's Dad has dementia.  He is solidly in Level 2.  Very sad, last time we saw him, we noticed the changes.  -D is freaked out that he is going to be that way.  We have started talking about end of life things, home health care insurance etc.  He will be 50 next year.

9.  Which leads me to - It is our 20th anniversary next week!  WOW!  It does not seem like we have been married that long.  It feels like we are just getting started and we need more time! 



That's about all. I hope you all have been doing well.  I keep up with Carla and Sharon on instagram - if you are on Instagram - I am @threadedlines.  It is mostly about my business, but I post some personal too.  I am not on Facebook much anymore.

Enjoy your weekend and I will be lurking a little more - maybe - I am not sure how things are going shape up.

Take care, I still think about you often!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I hope you are having a day full of love and gratitude!  With lots of goodies and full bellies.  A long walk and long talks.

We are waiting for our older boys and doing Thanksgiving tomorrow.   They are spending the day with their father's family and their grandfather is dying, so I felt it was important to spend as much as time possible with him.  Our dinner can wait.

I am working today on all these quilts - I am down to 8 to get done by Christmas (down from 12). Between the business and kids, I don't get much time to sew. 

To add even more to my plate - I am doing a crazy sale tomorrow - 40% off everything!  Threaded Lines if you want to check us out.  So, tomorrow, I will be filling orders in the morning, then Thanksgiving in the evening.  I will hopefully finish filling orders on Saturday.

Not that in itself is a bad thing - it is part of business.  The quilts are seriously holding me back.  Not long now though.  I have to be done by Christmas, so it will happen.  This week I have made a lot of progress.

I digress though - this was supposed to be about Thanksgiving!

What I am most thankful for today:

1.  My family - as cliche as it is.  I have truly have the best husband and kids.  They are so thoughtful, supportive and just all around wonderful people.

2. Being able to live in the trees.  Every single day I look out, listen to the birds, the frogs and crickets.  It is truly where I want to be.

3. My planner.  I know - simple pleasures. 

4. The sun today.  It has been so rainy and cloudy here, every little inch of sun is like pure energy!

Happy Thanksgiving - wishing you all the love possible!

Yes, Yes, I am still alive

I did not name this blog Absolutely Sweet Chaos for nothing!

Not much has been going on really of note.  I am working like a mad woman - quilts, fabric store, chauffeur, shows, accounting, marketing, etc. etc.  And the cutting - I cut fabric every single day - every day.  Not for anything, just cutting into smaller pieces - 3 yards, fat quarters, 1/2 yard, 9" x 12", you name it, I cut it.

The kids are doing good at school.  Theater for my daughter is something to be desired.  Makes us long for the other theater with all the problems.  But academically, they are doing really good.  We just finished the 1st 9 weeks and all As and Bs.  I could not ask for more.  The transition from homeschooling was pretty smooth.  Our son still wants to homeschool, but he understands why we are doing this.  That is the only real problem, he is struggling to find friends, but this has always been an issue of his.

Work - Work, work, work, work.  I have 9, possibly 11 quilts to get done by Christmas.  This is still what is left from "finishing up".  Lord, I cannot wait to be done with these quilts.  I have refused more than I count.  No, I do not want to do it as business no matter how many I can get.  It is just too much work.

The Fabric Store is slow going, but building.  Designers are blogging about me and a few others link me in their "where you can buy" area.  I am going to be sponsoring a Quilt show in Dallas and here close to me at the beginning of next year.  Lots of marketing, like most of my time is spent marketing.  Writing, take pictures, thinking of new and interesting topics.  It is WORK!  I have a whole new respect for those in advertising and marketing. 

It has done nothing but rain here.  Like every day.  We have had almost no sun and it is getting to me a bit.  I feel a little down, but nothing a bout of sun could not help.  I need to start taking my Vitamin D.

Anyway, I have stopped and started a million times.  I will post pictures of my little shop soon. 

I am on and reading from time to time.  Love you all!