Quartet Christmas

Pepper, the sewing cat, helping me with my projects

We met at Sue's house for Quartet last week. We had dinner (salad and lasagne) and then sat around the fire in her stove fireplace and had cheesecake left over from an earlier event at the Box Factory.

In December we exchange simple gifts with each other and I decided to make decorative pillows with a photo image of the sign on the side of the Box Factory, which my husband, Tom, took several years ago for a poster. I made a pillow for myself too, and it's on my sofa in my writing studio.

I thought it was an especially fitting image, because we all met through our connections to the Box Factory and it means a lot to each of us, especially Ali since she's the executive director here now and logs a lot of hours in the joint.

It's a fun place to hang out, surrounded by other artists of all kinds, who are there to talk if you want, but will leave you alone if you need to concentrate. It's a place for creativity and expanding visions. And it's a pretty cool building too - 103 years and counting!

It's good to get out of the house to work and clear the cobwebs out of my brain - after all I can't stay at home sewing with kittys every day!

New Goals

Every year I set new goals. I don't like to call them resolutions - that word just doesn't seem to have enough oomph to it. Now, "goals" that's some serious stuff!

Usually I have way more plans than I have time or energy to accomplish, but I figure if I can do even a portion of them, I'm in good shape.

For next year my goals are simple to state, but hard to do. I'm going to concentrate on getting my heath back. I'm going to get my knees fixed, my weight down, my strength and stamina back.

To do this I am cutting activities and commitments left and right. That's not so easy to do, I'm the original "I'll do it" girl. But I know in order to accomplish what I need to do, I have to have time and peace.

That's the gift I want in 2012. And I know I'm the only one who can give it to me.

Nolan Swims

Grandson Nolan and Daughter-in-law Sarah

Last night Tom and I went to a pool at a nearby high school and watching our grandson, Nolan, take a swim lesson. He's not quite 2-years-old and on the way home Tom mentioned that it was our first time sitting in the bleachers watching him do an athletic activity.

It's a territory we know well.

All three of our children played multiple sports and all of them started fairly early - at 4 or 5-years old. From preschool all the way up through high school we hauled kids to sports activities and tried to never miss a game or match if we could help it. I liked it because it gave me a chance to stare at my kids, without seeming to be obsessed.

When our daughter finally graduated from high school a few years ago, we thought we were ready for a break, and it didn't take long before I started wondering how I ever found time for all that bleacher sitting.

But it also didn't take long before we were missing it too. What's a summer without a baseball game, what's a fall without football and soccer, what's a spring without tennis, a winter without basketball? We've had four years now to find out and sometimes it has been a little boring.

So, we are looking forward to Nolan participating in some form of sports - I think he's pretty destined to do something because of his excessive love of balls of all kinds! And his unusual skill (I think) in accurate throwing.

We'll be bleacher bums again before we know it. I can hardly wait!

Weekend with the "Irish"

This past weekend Tom and I went to South Bend, Indiana (only about 45 minutes from where we live) and treated ourselves for Christmas. We had lunch, went shopping, and then checked into the Morris Inn on the University of Notre Dame campus. I've included a photo of their lobby.

That evening we went to the restaurant at the Inn, Sorrins, and had a delicious dinner in a beautiful setting, then to the performing arts center to see the choir sing the "Messiah." After the performance, when we were tired after such a long day, it was nice to drive only a few blocks to our cozy room at the Inn and snuggle down for a long almost-winter's nap.

The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast at the Inn, then went to Michigan City to finish our shopping.

It was a simple outing, but one we would not/could not do when we had children at home. I guess there is some advantage to being an empty-nester. At any rate, it went a long way towards renewing my Christmas spirit, which has taken a hit ever since I became a grown-up and responsible for so many things at Christmas.

Now, I feel I can sit back a little and let other people run themselves ragged!