Today was a great day....just love days where you feel good - physically, mentally, all of it coming together in harmony. As corny as it sounds...
This morning I had some time to sew...along came my helpers. Liv, first, comes to help me trim threads then Vi joins in.....well, because her sisters was there. She just likes to put the presser foot up and down. At one point I left the machine to iron and when I came back the presser foot was up and I just didn't understand why I would leave it up. She looks at me innocently and says, "I did it mama." It was so matter of fact I had to laugh. Then there was the arrival of the little man at the side of my chair....I can sew with one hand....go figure. Mom was in the studio helping me out with some step-outs for a Quilting Arts TV program that we are taping early September. She looked at us and said no wonder you get so much done.....just keep working. I love that they enjoy being in the studio and that it isn't a bad place or a place that takes me away from them.
My mother is awesome....she watched the kids for me for an hour, so that I could go for a run. I am finally taking my body back. The cycle of pregnant or not pregnant is over, the not pregnant option for me. Thank you very much!!! Anyway, I have 20ish pounds that I would like to lose to get back to my before baby size. Granted I am sure some things will never be the same. I can at least lose the extra "baby Love" that I have. For the past couple of weeks I have been working out like a mad woman...and eating very healthy and just watching my calorie intake. I had a great run today because it finally felt like my body was kicking in....running doesn't hurt as bad as it did two weeks ago, it feels more effortless.
I wake up in the morning with the I don't want to work out conversation...but the other side reminds me that I am not going to reach my goal if I don't work hard. I am a strong woman I can do this. So, off I go....running down the street to the trails....I love to run the trails in Sisters. They are awesome.... Peterson Ridge Trail (aka PRT)...it is a Mt.Bike trail also so it has lots of fun movement to it.
I only go about 4 miles on the trails and then back to mom's house. It was wonderful......Felt good and wow it was nice to just be by myself in my own head.....does that make sense? The kids and I had a great afternoon while Daddy-O was out golfing with his brother. There was just something about today everyone was in a good mood....and just enjoying what ever we were doing. ...I love these Sundays!
Now, I must show a rare photo of our deck....
With the beginning of summer I had these grandiose ideas for our deck - create something so we could have a table and chairs with a little cover from the sun. Living on the canyon we get a lot of wind and it is also summer in Central Oregon....we get wind. My idea was inspired by an article in Sunset Magazine - west coasters will know the magazine, it is regional. Anyway, they had a backyard that used pots and bamboo poles and canvas with table underneath and chairs. Well, I thought it would be awesome to have something like that on our deck. I got the pots planted and used wood poles that I stained a bluish green color then painted the canvas. Oh, I can't tell you how excited I was to put this up and sit outside with a glass of wine and shelter from the sun while the kids play in the back yard (just of to the left of the photo).
It was a great day when I went to put it up....no wind....at least that is what I thought! Wow, just a little wind and my pots were almost toppled. I had successfully made a giant kite. I pouted for quite a few weeks....Quilt Show came and went, along with most of July before I tried again. A friend of mine, Rob Appell, suggested that I cut holes in it to create flaps so that the air could move through it.....Brilliant!!! Just before the big Birthday party for Andrea, Vi and Myself was to start I decided to put it up and see what would happen. OH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH it worked....I did a serious happy dance.....unfortunately it only lasted for 15 or 20 min when the wind picked up. I did get to enjoy every second that it was up...I sat in my chair with a sangria and smiled...... Next year I am getting bigger pots to put the posts in and I think I might take cable between the posts diagonally then put those little circles on the canvas to run the cable through....I really want to be able to make this work....some day. Just not this month with the deadlines that I have.....Well off to bed for me.....
Good night.....
XOXOX
Valori