Cell phone ponderings

Technology can be a wonderful thing, but some days I question whether or not it’s a good thing. This morning was one of those days.

I live in the country, by choice, and going to town is going to town. My husband travels for work quite a bit, so he’s not here much. I drive an old pickup truck (1993), by choice, and am aware of the potential for breakdowns at any time. So, I carry a cell phone with me.

And here’s where the story begins. Last night, late at night, while working in the studio on fiber postcards for the MQR exchange, my Bernina stopped working. As my cell phone was closest to me at the time, I called my husband on it to ask for advice. While we were talking I found the problem, thread around the flywheel, and started to unwind it. Got it fixed and back to work and stayed in the studio until around 2a.m.

Fast forward to this morning……I got up late, after a 2 a.m finish who wouldn’t…at 25 I could function on 4 hours sleep, at 35 I still could…..these days, just give me a minimum of 6, 7 is good, 8 is wonderful!!!! (I did mention I have a bad habit of being easily distracted didn’t I? But I digress, this morning I had to meet a customer in town. I got up, got ready, have her quilt packed, dogs taken care of and I’m ready to go…. wait, I can’t find my cell phone!!!!! Simple solution, call it and listen? Well, that doesn’t work when I set it to meeting mode on Tuesday night and never changed it back.

On my way into town without my cell phone, I found myself thinking extra carefully about how I was driving. I didn’t want to end up in a ditch somewhere, how would I call someone for help? I didn’t have my cell phone. On my way home, I found myself enjoying the drive and the scenery much more than normal….I wasn’t talking (with a headset only by the way) on the phone with family or friends. But, I came straight home, because I didn’t have my cell phone in case I broke down.

So, I ask, technology, is it a very good thing or a major distraction? Or can it be both at the same time?

Oh and when I got home, I called my husband, asked him what I was doing when I called him on my cell phone last night. I remembered I had called him on the cell last night, I just didn’t remember why or what I was doing at the time! (Did I say I have a short memory? LOL). He told me, I looked where he said I was (by the Bernina) and there sat my cell phone, plain as day!

Oh, I finished the postcards. The next time I go to town I will mail them, and I’ll finish shopping for my Secret Quilter exchange. And I might start my holiday shopping as well. I’ll be able to, I’ll have my cell phone with me in case I have vehicle trouble.

How I spent my day

First I spent the morning working on some drawings. Nothing to the picture stage yet, it’s a slow process for me.

Afterwards, I decided it was time to bathe the dogs, all 4 of the inside ones. I started right after lunch, and it’s now after 7 pm. Yes, it took all day to get them to this point.

First the oldest, looking pretty good for being 15 and in poor health. This is the most activity I’ve seen from him in a week. He’s in that aging slow down stage now.

Then the little king, Mr. Bear, Mr. Little Bear in his mind….no make that KING LITTLE BEAR…..LOL yes, this one has a high opinion of himself…..you might recognize him as the little critter in the header as well. He doesn’t mind getting his pic taken, but was distracted by the skittish one running from the camera.

And the skittish one…..it took 7 pictures to get one where he wasn’t running away! But I finally got one, well almost, at least his body was still even if his head was still moving……

And finally, the time-consuming one. When I got her, nobody told me the silkier and less curly a cocker’s fur the more it mats. So far today 3 brushings after her bath and she’s still not entirely done…….sigh……. and knowing her as soon as they get let outside she’ll go roll in the mud!

She turned her head on me, the little stinker, she did not want her picture taken again. She will sit still as a stone for Mike when he takes her picture and she turns from me as soon as I pick up the camera?

Not exactly what I had planned to do today, but a productive day, in it’s own way, I guess?

Holiday Memories

One of my favorite things to do at this time of the year is to put up a tree. When we lived in Canada, we didn’t put the tree up until about a week before the holiday. Since we’ve moved south, I’ve put it up earlier and earlier every year, BUT I REFUSE to put it up before Thanksgiving. One holiday season at a time please! And lately every year I fuss and bluster that I’m not going to put up a tree this year, but every year I do. And every year, on the day I do, I take a trip down memory lane. I think I continue to put up a tree specifically for the memories.

Memory Lane is a good place to visit. We’ve downsized the tree over the years, so now every ornament on the tree has a special memory associated with a person or a time in our lives.

I hope you enjoy my trip down memory lane:

Small but special, the village underneath is a North Pole grouping that I painted many years ago.

My baby boy, so tiny back then.

One of my favorite ornaments, 1987 was a VERY good year! (To be topped off in January 1988!)

DH’s memories and mine mixed.

Candle holder from Dad, and beaded ornament from Gramma Rose

What would the holiday be without a group of reindeer?

Or two?

And I ran out of camera batteries just BEFORE I could take a picture of the mess I made of the living room doing this today. Impeccable timing! Aren’t you glad?