Chasin' those dark clouds away...

Today absolutely, positively did not start out great!  I don't do high pressure well, I don't like to feel rushed and out of time.  I cannot stand to feel like things are out of my control... when I have a stack of work that I am not getting completed and feel like things are rapidly spiraling down the rabbit hole, my mood gets darker... much darker...

Its early... hard up against serious deadlines... blacker and blacker.... By lunch time... stress level was so high I was fairly sure that I had lost my smile...

My dear Betty was trying desperately to bring me back to center.  Poor dear was a bit under the weather and more worried if I was going to have a melt down. 

Typing through lunch, calculations raining down on me, numbers, more numbers... interruptions, quests for help, more and more stress... feeling that spiral closing in...

Tick, tick, tick... will I ever get it done? My brain was swimming, sick of numbers, needing to be done...

Suddenly, it's three, it's done.  It's almost five... it's almost time...

There is a light, I can see it... almost five thirty... the ladies are starting to come in... the excitement and chatter is starting.  Beautiful fabrics, sparkling eyes - the vision of projects coming to life, the colors...

Sandy's last project, beautiful!

Houndstooth with black lining... cannot wait to see this!!

Sweet B, she's new to this whole thing, she is working on a very special project... she is learning in baby steps... I cannot wait to see it come to life. "A" is another newbie to our class... first quilt, sewing for many years, beautiful fabrics and pattern... another exciting project. Brenda is back... and she has such a beautiful spread of colors, simple pattern, beautiful texture, so exciting! Sandy, my seasoned quilter at this point, is moving away from quilts, her pup needs a new jacket to warm her against the coming winter.  I cannot wait to see it! Hubby has started another project but work is keeping him too busy to spend much time on it...

Sandy working on the coat

Sweet B is concentrating so hard... she's doing wonderful!

Brenda is off and blending colors

The sounds are soothing to my tattered nerves, the hummm of the machines, louder than mine at home beautiful just the same.  Snip, snip of scissors.  Zip, zip the soft slashing sound of the rotary cutters.  That special rustle that comes from fabric and the steam of the iron.  The soft sounds of conversation and creative dreams.  That is my realm.  That is where my heart softens, that bubble where nothing bad can creep in, where life slows... where the magic of creativity chases all those clouds of stress, darkness, frustration and temper away.

"A" is plotting the color scheme's out...

Pushing the clouds away, it makes the world a better place... I cherish Tuesday nights, I cherish the time with the gals, I love the energy and power that flows from them... I am thankful for the time spent with them...