A New Venture for Me!

I love Pink!  It comes in handy as a breast cancer survivor, but long before that I loved Mary Kay Cosmetics.  I love the colors and how all of the products work together.  I decided last week that I would join the ranks of ladies in pink and begin selling this high quality product. I love the Golden Rule service, I like the 100% guarantee but mostly I like how it makes me feel and look.

Did you know you can also have a virtual makeover online?  A few years back I uploaded a photo of me without makeup (brave I know...) and found many ways to blend colors and technique, trying before buying....check it out!  And, if you don't have a consultant, you can shop 24 hours a day! Visit my  Mary Kay Web Site  http://www.marykay.com/mgrayhek

Choose to be Happy Now...not when you have accomplished your goals...

The time to be happy is now.  I am not sure who said that but now is the time to choose to be happy whatever my circumstances.  It works for me to "choose" to be happy.  I have been a slacker, on and off again successful with my goals.  The result is a slow effort and I mean slow to achieve my weight loss goal.

I have also slowed down on my exercise, which means I have lost some of the muscle I gained before. 
I can make myself miserable now for not meeting my goal or learn from my mistakes and forge a new path with manageable goals. First off is an examination of my heart and the goals I want to achieve.  Not having the right goals sets me back whether it is eating, exercising, getting enough sleep or having fun sewing my multitude of ideas that wait in the sewing room. 

Yes there is so much to do and so little time but planning and paying attention to my goals offers so much more for me to accomplish. In the process, I choose to be happy along this path.

Planning and Creating....

 I will be posting pictures of the Dinosaur Quilt later this week.  In the meantime I have been playing with techniques on my serger.  I have taken the machine down to my Pfaff dealer.  I have unlimited classes for five years because I bought my Serger from them.  They know and I know that I have exhausted that time but in the past year I have become more and more active in my serging hours!  This past Christmas my sweet husband let me order all of the extra feet and accessories still available for my model.  The wonderful Donna, who works there is as excited to teach me as I am to learn how to use all of these feet.  The time spent is companionable and I look forward to going each time.  The lesson learned are priceless.  Soon I will post some of these projects too. Pillows are fun to make and I have two in the works using techniques from my serger. 

Tomorrow night I am going to my second Modern Quilt Guild meeting.  Our group is a newer group and it is going to be fun to get to know everyone and learn from each other as we get acquainted.

Easter Aftermath....A good one for a change....

"You will never find time for anything. You must make it."
_Charles Burton

It is easy to say I will do it when I have time.  How important is my weight loss goal to me?  Why do I say I will work on it when I have time?  When I have been successful, I put these goals ahead of everything and still found time to do things for my husband and family.  Now...I don't know what to say.
Easter was great.  I had three pieces of candy only!  I am not sure if it was because I had wrapped candy and the easy access of mindless grazing was deterred or if I just didn't think of it. 
The family brought wonderful choices and I tried everything, but not too much.  I am pleased that I was not stuffed but satisfied.  I didn't miss out on anything and today I feel great.  I believe this is a good aftermath of a day full of unhealthy choices I could have made over a lovely array of sweets!

Today I am going to put healthy goals first by making the time!

Holy Thursday

Easter is coming Sunday and for the next three days I will be reflecting on Jesus.  Tonight I will remember the Last Supper.  Tomorrow is Good Friday, a day when our world changed forever when Christ was crucified.  Sunday brings the resurrection and new life.  As it snows here, I think of winter, not the coming celebration that is long associated with spring.  No matter, Easter will still come.
Growing up the days between Thursday and Sunday morning were long. My mind was on coloring eggs and the opportunity for a lot of candy.  Nowadays, I wonder how many will think of the real reason we celebrate Easter.  The mall has an Easter Bunny that children can have their pictures taken with.  Just like Santa.  When did Easter become a holiday of gifts and Easter trees and life-sized bunnies?  I long for the days we had our candy and colored eggs; we went to church and had ham for dinner.  We kept it simple.  Perhaps when my grandchildren are adults with families of their own Easter will become just like Christmas; commercial and overwhelming,

Wednesday....April 20, 2011 Back to the Norm

Last week I took a trip to Washington D.C. on behalf of my Komen Affiliate to participate in Lobby Day.  We walked all over the city, and of course saw most of the monuments.

We took to Capitol Hill to meet with our members of the 112th Congress and our senators.  Our cause is universal: end Breast Cancer.  In addition to getting buy-in to sign on to renew the resolution that allows access to care, we asked that the Breast Cancer stamp be reauthorized.

You may encounter someone in the year to come that will ask you to sign a petition for this renewal.   I ask that if you are asked please do so.  Do you know that purchases of the stamp have raised $72 million for Breast Cancer research?  It is the most popular stamp that is sold for .11 cents more than standard postage. $72 million is a lot when you think of that .11 cents!  70% goes to research and 30% goes directly to the National Institute of Health.  I cannot think of a better way for people to support the cause in a very simple way.

What an adventure I had and although it was fun, I welcomed my own bed, my own pillow and the warm and welcoming hugs from my dear husband.

Going Pink this weekend!



 

I am the Pink Ribbon!

A wonderful sculpture made by an inspired young woman who wanted to make a visual impact on Breast Cancer Awareness. She created, welded and powder coated this ribbon to honor survivors and those who now wear angel wings. It is now exactly one week to Race Day where the streets downtown will become a sea of pink. As I don my pink baseball cap I will be remembering and honoring those before me and those yet to come. If you would like to support me in my race, click on the running ribbons in the sidebar and it will take you to my race page!







Spring Rain!

Spring Rain

Spring rain

leaking through the roof

dripping from the wasps' nest.

by Matsuo Basho

Rain, wind, gray skies, and the chill it brings will keep me inside today. I will cut strips, sew strips and bind my quilt project.  Busy and industrious projects keep my mind off the dreary weather outside and remind me that I can find joy in other places of my life. I am imagining the satisfaction of finishing the quilt and laying it out to photograph.  Every stitch in the binding will be sewn with the love I have for my grandson.  He will treasure this keepsake for a long time and I am happy in the memory of choosing and cutting each fabric piecing it together and seeing his delight at the progress of this quilt. In my heart it is a very sunny day.

Whimsical Wednesday....

Today I am feeling a bit whimsical. I am spring cleaning my sewing room. That sounds good for March doesn't it?  I am slower at it today as I feel pensive, thoughtful and positively intense about what it will look like soon. I want it to convey a spirit of creativity where I can just readily sit down and pick up my project and supplies without stepping over or needing to move a catchall item. Oh...what this room really needs is respect and honor of its worthy place of haven and status of studio.  Along with a trundle daybed for the odd sleepover! Well, I better get up and put these dreams into action.

A Celebration of 40 years!

Today is the 40th anniversary of the day I married my high school sweetheart.  I feel blessed to have married someone who I love more today than ever.  When we were talking about it and saying how we would each do it over again, right down to the vows, my husband said that it has been a very real learning process.  It has been for both of us. No matter that we had some rocky times, we emerged each time loving each other more and our relationship that much richer. What is a secret for a long lasting marriage?  We both say that hanging on and not giving up on such a rewarding investment. Marriage is a commitment that has made us strong. We could not be celebrating our happiness if we had not had our shares of struggles too. We still have much to learn as we watch my husband's parents, who will celebrate 65 years in May. They, like us, are still crazy about each other. What wonderful role models they have been for us!

A Sweater for the New Baby!

I crocheted this sweater for my new granddaughter. She is due to arrive in June and we are so excited.  The sweater is still waiting for the perfect button and to have a few loose ends woven inside.  I got the pattern from the Lion Brand website and the yarn I used this time is Bernat Baby.  I have made this sweater three other times using a larger pattern and Lion Brand yarn. It has proven a reliable, simple pattern each time and looks very cute on little girls who received them as gifts.  I find crocheting is a good hobby that is portable when I am not able to be at my sewing machine. I was crocheting a matching hat from this yarn when I got hit with the soccer ball...you can take it anywhere for any unsuspecting activity.