Sorting fabrics, yarns and life

    I seem to be needing to do a lot of sorting lately, donated fabrics that need sorted out as to what I can use them for, what needs gifted/donated and what’s just trash.  And my yarns need some sorting and put into more tidy order.

     But mostly I need to work on sorting out my life and my head, my priorities, my finances and my future direction and what I want/need as my life moves on.  And life does that, it moves on, even when we don’t want it to or just aren’t ready for changes or decisions.

     I did have my list for vacation scheduling so that went fast and easy at the plant this week, it’s a March thing every year and our vacation cycles are set by our hire date, not by the actual calendar or plant vacation scheduling deadlines.  So, my first eligible day for the new ‘year’ is April 1, and all my vacation time must be taken by the last day of March.  And as I will have 19 years in this plant at the end of this month I do understand that rhythm and make it work for my life, or make my life work with that schedule stuff.

    My attic studio space is not working well for me, I have a lot of floor space but those slanted areas mean I don’t actually have a lot of cubic space, my actual walls are the north wall with 2 windows and that’s also where my pegboards and thread racks live, and I need them and don’t have a better place to locate them, I sure can’t hang them on that slanted ceiling/wall stuff.  The south wall backs  that currant storage space that might someday become an upstairs bathroom,  and it’s my books, almost all sewing/knitting and such and I don’t have a better place for them and want them easily accessed and yes, where I can glance and see what I actually have so I don’t buy duplicates.

    That long built in ‘desk’ area worked great but I need more/different. The fabric storage underneath is not easy to see what I have or to get fabrics out.  There is not enough space on the desk area for sewing on big projects, or machine quilting. The cutting table is often a piled up mess and that’s totally my doing and a problem I need to work on, organizing is NOT my strength and it might be just something I rebel against.

     Raising the east ceiling is an awesome thought but it’s not going to happen.  If I had that sort of $$ to play with I would be tearing off the old front porch and it’s roof and adding a Four Seasons addition that I could keep warm enough to winter the plants and where I could now and then get some sun on a winter’s day.  But if that roof was the same elevation as the dormer I would have a lot more usable space… it’s not going to happen so I need to work on what I do have and how I can design/use it better and without adding a lot of cost.

      I do now have a 6 foot folding table so I can set it up to work bigger projects and it will fold and store in that future bathroom space and I have sure put it to good use recently, it was well worth the $55 I paid for it.  But I really don’t have a good space/location to set it up and use it, I made it work but as I look at long term, I want/need something more workable. And where I am not rapping my head on that darn slanted ceiling stuff.  

     The thought  of winters retired and not having a really usable studio to work/play in has me wanting to not retire anytime in the next century, I can see me going insane fast and beating my old head against walls/ceiling in frustration while trying to set up the layers of a full sized or larger quilt and get it ready to be quilted.  So, while I am working and making good $$ is the time to look to the future and what I can change, how it can be changed and no, moving my bedroom upstairs and turning the living room and my downstairs bedroom into my studio area is NOT workable, it seems to become a Vespa/Piaggio garage during the winter or at least it has been this past winter.  The Liberty moved out and even took me to work last Saturday and then winter came back, the new Primavera is still backed up against the front door. And yes, there’s still 2 scooters in the shop building so yes, I do have my share of scooters and yes, I also have your share too.  

     And I also have a new Baby Lock embroidery/sewing machine coming the end of this week, and NO, I am not getting rid of the 2 Bernina machines or the Viking.  Or the rarely used surger or a loom or spinning wheel…yes, I have managed to collect a lot of ‘toys’ and yes I earned the $ that paid for all of them too.

     But that doesn’t solve my organization and space issues, I will end up with graph paper, tape measures, rulers and looking for ideas and seeing what would really work, if there’s anything I would part with or that could be kept somewhere different.  And yes, I do realize my life is rich and blessed and has stability and comfort and safety that far too many women never have.  But I still want a more usable studio space so I can create and make and craft and enjoy what I have worked so hard to provide for myself.

Winter Blues!

 Winter Blues have hit, this is the worst roads/streets we have had in several years, a heavy snowstorm, production was called off for yesterday, that’s the first time in over 10 years that this plant has called off production due to weather.  But there was NO way trucks could have gotten into farms to load pigs and then got them to the plant safely.

Today’s production on day shift was slow, and a lot of people called in, but highways are streets here in town were not much better when I came home than when I went to work, and it’s a huge part of the USA that this storm has impacted.  Mail, FedEX and UPS have also been impacted…

I spent my Wednesday shoveling and sweeping snow, open kitchen door, sweep snow away, sweep snow from the landing, enough to get out safely and then start work with the snow shovel.  I didn’t count how many times I went out to remove snow, but for me it’s easier to deal with a small amount and go back later and remove what has come down while I was inside my warm house.

And so far the mail has not brought anything from Banquet Pension, that’s now just over 7 months behind, but I did call in early January and yes, they did have all the paperwork and everything is in order and I would be receiving a letter ‘soon’.   The last time they gave me that ‘soon’ stuff was in early August and it was mid-November when the remaining paperwork to be signed and notarized showed up, so, 3+ months that time. Guess I better work on my patience.

But on the plus side, the solar panels warmed up enough, despite all the snow coming down, we got over 12 inches, to slide that stuff off and produce power. It’s putting a small amount back into the grid almost very day, I think there have been 2-3 days that it’s not done that.  Not too bad considering it’s winter and we have had plenty of overcast and cloudy days.

I do have the hitch that will be installed on the car paid for, and the parts are in, so it’s just arranging to have the car there when they can do that job.  I did text Ben to see if he could take the car for me, just in case his schedule would make it easier, he’s now working in Mt. Sterling at Dot Foods and nights, think it’s 12 hour shifts and 3 days, some off time, then 4 days but I am not sure.  This Friday should be his 2nd full paycheck and he’s going to be able to start catching up on his finances soon.

Today’s drive to work, before daylight was more stressful than I anticipated, this is the first really bad road conditions I have driven that car in, 3+ years of ownership and we have just not had much for bad roads.  I am very glad I was able to put better all season tires on this past fall, the city street tires were in good shape, just not safe if there was any ice or snow on the roads.  

I do count my many, many blessing and know my life is good, finances are not where I want them but I know I can change that in the coming year, stable paychecks and some keeping a tight rein on my unnecessary spending will have those numbers improving every month.  My credit rating is still very good, but I am not comfortable with my current debt load.  I know it’s shrinking every month and I plan to work hard on making that happen faster.  I can go through my check book and see how much I spend that is discretionary spending.

And we will work Saturday, both shifts, in fact the entire plant will be working Saturday with many of us making overtime which will balance out not working Wednesday.  I didn’t have any plans and the roads will probably still be melting off snow and ice.  I can work and appreciate the fact that I have a good paycheck next Friday to pay bills with, every week has bills and I now make lists so I can keep all that debt and payments working in a tidy order.