A Quiet Tuesday Chat and To-Do's

You know what?
I'm worn out.

The last 4 months have been such a whirlwind.
So much time with all of our kids and grandkids over.
Even some with parents & grandparents.
(Hubs' side, mine have all passed.)
This has been a good side to all the madness.


Birthdays, Easter, Mother's & Father's Day, Independence
Day and many other family meals in between.  
It was great having the boys--that is to say--men home.
 All kinds of fun--yes!  But, whew!  Hubs and I
feel like we've not stopped once during it all.
Especially with the garden/lawn work at its peak.
Let me state:  I am not complaining here.
I am just acknowledging to myself how much I've
been doing these last months.  I'm one of those
people that has to look back at that once in awhile.
I don't like to admit that there are things I can't do,
that there is a point where I am human and, even more,
that I can no longer do all those things I used to do.
But it is okay to rest and to insist on quiet.
Heck, it's necessary!


We dropped our youngest off at the airport at 4:15 am.
And then the hubs and I spent the entire weekend together.
Just us.  I cannot remember the last time that happened.

~Spiked Basil Lemonade~
A great summer drink, best when lounging in pool!

We both got so many things done around here and 
still had time to relax in the pool and even watch some
movies.  How strange to have time.
The paradox of parenthood is something I think about a lot.
You want your kids around but then you need a break.
When they're gone, you miss them, feel guilty for wanting
those breaks and even wish them right back. 
You finally have to just let go and let God.
What else can we do but just give in to His plan?
Time flies anyway, and the holidays will be "tomorrow".

So this morning, I sit in an empty house for the first time
in months.  My mind wants to jump ahead to the many
things that need to be done but no--just breathe today.
Just accept that God is saying that we've done
our job, it's time to rest a bit, and it's okay.
"Rest up until the next whirlwind, You mean," I laugh back.
Because it's true, isn't it?
Parenting is never over.
And if we're going to be any good at it,
we have to take time to restore, rejuvenate, refresh.

Last week, Jenny of Elefantz shared so much of what
I've been thinking lately about keeping life simple.
I just skimmed that post the first time, marking it
so I could come back to it and read it slowly,
quietly over coffee.
I'm sharing it in case someone else needs that, too.

Well, moving on to quilty things.

Firstly, every time I sew up another batch of masks,
I insist that's it!  I'm never sewing another!
Yet there I was sewing 15 more this week, too.
That set me back a little.

#1 To-do:
I didn't get a lot of blocks done on my current quilt.


For obvious reasons, I wasn't too worried about it.
But anyhoo, the other 9 shouldn't take long at all.
They're cut out and laying by my machine.

My #2 to-do was to start on a/some West Point
table runner(s).  That didn't happen.  That might be
just as well because I realized that while working on
my West Point quilts, I'm very likely to come up with
scrap pieces that could easily be turned into table
runners--a great way to use them up.  We'll just
approach this to-do as it comes.

What else have I been doing?  Well, I finally tackled a
section of the flower garden in front of our house.
Obviously the front is the most important but it's the
one I avoid most because it's the hardest to control.


Of course, if I controlled it, it wouldn't be so hard!
Here are a couple "before" photos, btw.


If you zoom in you get a pretty good idea of all that
nut grass and other weeds completely neglected.


It's not perfect but I made a huge difference.
Right now it's all about just making it to fall.
The arrows point out my very-packed garden basket, 
completely overflowing with weeds.
Sadly, this is just one section but it felt good to get
that done.  Flower gardens take a back-burner to the
food gardens, what can I say?  I'm trying to work on
ways to make these easier, yet still retain some sense
of landscape that beautifies our home.  I'll get there.


It has been a weird year for the vegetable garden.  I have no
explanation but some crops have produced wonderfully
and others...just lousy.  I hear this from many others, too.
But we have plenty overall; I cannot complain.  Above is
just part of our very own produce section.  

  

How fun to shop at home for awhile, creating
our menu around everything we already have!
That should free up a little more time for sewing so
maybe I'll be more productive at quilting this week.

My one To-Do for next week:

Keep going on my WP quilt--that's it.
But I fully expect to get a lot done.
Definitely all those stars and hoping for
the log cabins as well--again.

If you hung in there for this whole thing,
you're a trooper!
Happy quilting.

Comments

Debbie said…
Whirlwinds do tend to come and go. Enjoy when you can and run with it when it happens. things are moving faster and faster in the world today. Glad to got to complete some projects and enjoy quiet time with hubs.
I have wondered why the virus has reappeared so strong in places.....forcing us to slow down again, maybe.
You're very lucky to have spent so much time with family these last few months - a lot of us haven't been able to do that. That isn't to say I am not in touch with my mom and my grown kids - just can't be physically with them. This, too, shall pass, though. Meanwhile your garden looks wonderful, and it really is lovely to eat your own produce!
Home Sewn By Us said…
Hi Cheree! I'm not a parent (just an aunt and great-aunt) but it seems to me that the breaks make the visits all the sweeter. The whole absence makes the heart grow fonder thing - it's nice to plan for the next visit and to anticipate it. And REST is definitely needed and to be cherished. That lemonade in the pool sounds just fab-u-lous to me. I long for our pool that we left behind at our last house - I really miss it this summer. Good luck with your WP quilt. You'll get there in good time. Thanks for linking up. ~smile~ Roseanne
piecefulwendy said…
So many good thoughts in this post. You never stop being a parent - my mom used to say that to me. Now I understand what she meant. It's good, but it's one of the hardest things I've ever done (but also the most fun). I need to do some weeding, but I'm in denial LOL. Enjoy a little rest!
Gretchen Weaver said…
My flowerbeds are much neglected this year, just can't seem to work up the enthusiasm to keep them weeded! Our oldest son has 7 children. I'm always so glad when they come to visit but then I'm so busy it seems I can't really enjoy the visit! Happy stitching!
Rebecca Grace said…
These are strange times, indeed! My sons are younger than yours -- Son the Elder is 19 and has been working at the beach this summer, and he will be coming home for two weeks on August 1st before heading back to college on the 16th. Son the Younger is about to turn 17 in a few weeks, and he has been making me crazy by staying up all night playing video games, then sleeping until noon, and dragging out the writing of his college application essay to the point that you'd think every word physically PAINS him. It is hard to believe that these teenagers of mine won't live under my roof forever, and in a few years I might be dropping my kids off at the airport, too.