Well, this is almost like staring over!

Two and a half years . . . .no way to catch all THAT up in a single post!  LOL

Really had a lot going on in that time.  My health is stable now, but I was dogged with low energy and fair amounts of inflammation/pain the last couple years.  I found an Auto Immune Protocol diet to follow and it has helped a lot (when I stick to it!  But it is VERY restrictive).  The idea is to eliminate many, many foods that could be causing trouble.  Then reintroduce them one at a time, slowly, and try to figure out which ones are ok, and which ones are trouble.  Unfortunately for me, sugar is one of my biggest problems - and prior to all this Thyroid mess . . . . we were tight!  Like, I thought we'd be together forever!!  So, much like any other abusive relationship, every now and then I forget the damage it causes, and invite sugar back into my life :(  But I am getting better.  I have also identified Dairy as causing some nasal congestion, and I'm zeroing in on whether nightshades (potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, etc.) are responsible for some of the inflammation/pain.  It's a process, that's for sure.

But I can say, that the last couple months have been the best I've felt in ages!  And the anecdotal evidence supports this -- the house is tidy, dishes have been done every night for months now, dinner is getting cooked frequently, quilts are on track, and even the laundry is caught up!!  I've never know which comes first, the house & chores get messy and I feel bad, or I feel bad and let the house & chores get messy, LOL.

Speaking of quilts - I just finished a fun customer T-shirt quilt with all Harley Davidson quilts.  It has a neat flame print fabric for the outer borders and the backing, and that signature Harley orange for the inner sashings and binding.



I actually trimmed four quilts last night -- Harley Davidson, one for my mom, and two of my own that have been quilted for years . .  .just waiting on trimming and binding (how sad!) 



Next up is a vintage 9-patch for a customer.  His grandmother pieced it and it's in pretty good shape really.  I'll add a layer of muslin between the quilt top and batting to add just a touch more stability.  There are a few spots where the seams have frayed and opened over time.  I think this will quilt up nicely though and the family will have a treasured heirloom.

In my work life - it's a season of change!  I will be leaving my afternoon job with the Baptist church after 15 1/2 years - wow.  But the congregation has dwindled to about 60 on Sundays.  There aren't very many activities anymore and honestly, they just don't need me.  So I'll make a gradual exit over the next two months - using up vacation time in two-week chunks to give them a chance to tackle the stuff that goes on in the office.  Then we can tie up loose ends and see where they need my input to help them craft a plan to go "secretary-free".  I'm very excited about this and plan to do a lot more quilting in my afternoons.

Another thing that may get some attention in my afternoons is my MIL.  Her health has failed a bit in the last few years.  Finally in December last year, we received an official diagnosis of Vascular Dementia.  It appears to me, that we are not in the early stages, but closer to the middle years.  I've learned a lot about the disease in the last few years as I did a lot of reading and trying to find better ways to interact with her, suspecting that Dementia of some type was afoot.  The family will actually be meeting with her this Saturday, to talk about how we move forward.  The problem will be, she has no awareness of her failings and truly believes that she is "doing just fine!"  The doctor has said she is not capable of handling her finances any longer or her medications.  He is a little appalled that she is still living alone (as are most folks who know her and have seen her recently!)  My nephew is staying there, but as a young 20-something, he is gone with friends a lot more than his mom thinks he is ;)  Our goal is to keep her in her home, that is her wish.  But honestly, she does dumb and unsafe things that make this harder and harder each day.  We'll keep trying until we have no option but to find some other living arrangement.  Until then, I'm her ride on Monday afternoons to Doctor appointments, grocery store and other errands.

Wish me luck!