MID SEPTEMBER ALREADY

Well here it is Thursday morning already, half way through September!  As I visit around in blogland, I read that many of you are well into weather changes, and summer has faded away.  Here in So. California September is one of our very warmest months usually, and it is no different this year.  We are still in the high 80's or even mid nineties, and last week-end it was even into triple digits!  But! a change is still in the air.  It is cooling off way down into the 60's at night, and the days are shortening.  The kids are all back into school, and women's group is starting back up etc.  I think I was soo sure I was going to be having knee surgery about now, that I am having a hard time getting my head around the fact that I still have some free time.  I have not received the approval for the injections yet, so still waiting on that.  Surely I will hear soon. Meanwhile I have a couple more doc appointments this week on some other issues, and life goes on.

These last several days have found me totally consumed in a personal family crisis concerning my oldest granddaughter.  My heart has just been overwhelmed with it all.  She spent a few days with me basically pouring our her little heart, and revealing things about her life that no grandparent ever should or want to hear.  I was glad she felt she could talk to me and did my very best to encourage her to make different and better choices with her life, but I am not sure she REALLY heard me if you know what I mean.  I would so appreciate your prayers for her as she struggles with growing up and making life decisions.  For those of you who have followed me for a while, this is the grand daughter who lives with her maternal grandparents.  A LONG story as to why, but one that has made my heart heavy for a long, long time.  God can handle this problem I firmly believe, so I have put it in His hands where it belongs, and will continue to pray for her.

On a lighter note, I am working on quilting my second Christmas runner.  I decided to do this one a little differently, and it is S L O W but going well.  I did some echo stitches in some areas AND free motioned some small stars in another area, and I am working now on the borders.  The echo stitches were really easy, but the free motion work is somewhat nightmarish.  I couldn't get my stitch regulator to work right...actually it wasn't the stitch regulator that had the problem, but the operator of that stitch regulator, haha.  I popped by the store yesterday to ask a few questions, and it went a tiny bit better after that.  In the past, we were taught to NEVER EVER touch the tension on a Bernina machine.  However, that is no longer true, and the tension has to be adjusted occasionally when switching back and forth from regular sewing, embroidery sewing, and machine free motion quilting and the quilt regulator....sigh.  I was terrified to touch mine for free I would REALLY mess it up, but it was actually really easy to operate, and I finally got it to work right with the stitch regulator.  I am just REALLY not good at it, haha.  My stars are somewhat crooked and my stitches look a little funny.  I need to get some quilting gloves, or just some simple gardening gloves, as I really think that would help too.  I am resigned to the fact that this is just going to take time, and there is no way to get better at this besides practice, practice, practice....I am soo anxious for the day that I am laughing at these early attempts, mistakes, and confusions, and free motion quilting is something I do to relax and enjoy.  But for right now, I am feeling somewhat stressed when I sit down to quilt, haha.  I figure I can always do this by hand (how I admire people who do!) but I really WANT to do it by machine.  And so I guess I will just have to press on.

CLOSE UP ON ECHO STITCHES

SEE MY STARS THERE IN THE WHITE AND GOLD?

SEE IT A LITTLE BETTER ON THE FLIP SIDE!

Well, I am off for a doctor visit, and running a few errands.  Hope you are all having a good week.  I have not been around as much visiting with all that has been going on here, but hopefully soon I will get caught up. Wishing you all God's best blessings!

Debbie