Strange Times

And Happy 2019 to you!  A little late, but ready to share a toast of champagne!

I started out writing this blog, thinking of it as a way to talk and share about the process of transitioning from the life that I have lived for 48 years.  That's about the time that I graduated from High School and began my first real job, even if it was seasonal.  And I've really been working ever since, excepting the times when my babies were newborns.  That didn't even afford me real "time off", since maternity leave was a token 6 weeks then, and we all know that care of a newborn is no kind of vacation!
​Well, there has been very little time for talking and sharing up till now!  My job as manager of Bear Patch Quilting Co. has kept me very well occupied.  You see, we (meaning myself and the owners and a few others) came to the decision that it was time to close the doors of the store in favor of retirement and moving on.  This is not just any old store, it really is a hub of activity for many people who love to sew and quilt.  And they are a part of the store in so many ways.  Announcing the closing was an emotional and difficult period of time.  And it became a lot of hard work!  Our last day of business is January 31.  In addition to all of the thousands of items of regular merchandise, there were at least 5 storerooms/backrooms/basement to clean out of 21 years of accumulation!  We did find a few things that were forgotten gems!  And lots and lots of items for display and props.  Antique doll beds.  Scarecrow.  Roughly 100 baskets.  Tables, chairs, shelves.  Lots of stuff!  Lots of dusty, dirty stuff!  Lots of decisions to make about what to do with the stuff!  This might be what it will be like to downsize at home, when we take on that task!
I didn't have any concept of the time and energy that would be needed!  So that kind of left me spinning and grappling with the idea of what happens next!  We (Bob and I) do have a plan, but that has long seemed far out of reach.  The distant future.  In a galaxy far, far away!  Suddenly, it's within days!
I am so excited to be coming to this point in my life, and making changes to create a new lifestyle!  I will certainly be trying to show up here much more often! In the meantime, here are a few odds and ends: