I hate when something stops my progress and answers are hard to find. I am now impatiently waiting for the shop to open, pacific standard time, if at all today, to answer a question regarding gib hooks. I definitely do not have patience today.
Ironically, I started that statement yesterday. But my lack of sleep, because I had been problem solving most of the night - I loathe an unsolved challenge, and my fussiness at not being able to complete my project had me highly irritated. So I didn't write. I kept problem solving. And spending quality time with an equally fussy Hubs. Good times!
I don't have all the answers, but I definitely have a plan b, plan c and possibly a plan d. Plus I will make another call to the shop. They were closed yesterday, as I expected. I will reach out to them in a couple of hours, as the folks I want to chat with are on Pacific time.
Hubs is working on a special project and honestly, it has him frazzled. If I could simply get him to relax and kick back he would be just fine. He's doing a great job! I am duly impressed. This is the first time he's tackled something like this, even though he has completed 4 other quilts. He has the skills, he's just over-thinking.
I'd enjoyed a peaceful morning problem solving. Although, I was fussy because no matter what I did, no matter how much research, I couldn't solve it. It didn't tamper my enthusiasm, it simply made me fussy. Hubs had slept in, unusual, so I know he was tired. We'd both stayed up way past our usual bedtime for two straight nights. Once for fireworks and once working on Sis's featherweight. We were simply engrossed in the work and couldn't help ourselves.
After we determined that I needed to reach out to the experts and also come up with plan b & c, it was time to move to my office and work on his project. First off, the pattern is poorly written. Great pattern, far too complexly written directions for such a simple project. As a result I have been focused on reading ahead and putting things in easier terms. Why the struggle? But you can't complain too much about a free pattern. You simply love it for what it is and practice gratitude for the gift.
His stress level is so high doing something when it feels like the first time, I mean it's been about 8 years, maybe a bit longer. That his fussy and my fussy were about to fight. I understood, completely. I get myself tied in knots when I'm working on a new type of project, or one I haven't done in forever. Block of the month anyone? (I haven't stopped working on those, they are saved in my recovery pile right now). We were both simply worn and in a space.
After a few hours, where I thought he was going to strangle me for speaking a "strange language" to him, we decided on a lunch break. Which was followed by him taking a nap. Gotta say that nap sounded so wonderful. I decided I might like to take one also, I even went upstairs and fully intended to do so. I had everything ready for a nap, until I walked into my sewing room.
It seemed to call me. I went in to make sure everything was turned off, no need to burn the house down while we slept after all, when Sophia started singing her little siren's song. A few short moment's later my fingers threw the power switch, I watched myself open a template I've been longing to try and my scrap bin came out.
Somehow in a daze I completed the block I was wanting to make. There was no sound in the room and I was able to be completely lost in my creative process. Almost two hours later, Hubs came strolling in refreshed and his normal sweetheart self. Creating had reset my emotions also. We chatted as he watched me do the final touches for the block I was working on. I even joked with him that he'd missed the magic when he went down to make us each a Bloody Mary (thank you eldest daughter - they were amazing).
I have 36 years of sewing experience - which is incredibly disturbing and aging now that I think about it. I asked him to not compare his skills to mine. Moments later he was whipping through his project and I did some finishing touches on mine and started marking the wall to hang the design wall. We only stopped when we'd enjoy the Bloodies a bit too much and were having trouble focusing.
As I was wrapping up my evening gratitude before sleeping, I couldn't help but remember the saying from "The IT Crowd", did you try turning it off and turning it on again. I think far too often we forget that same saying applies to people too.
Stepping out of the moment and into a restful state, allowed each of us to have a much better day. I mean as parents we know when baby gets fussy it's time for a nap or rest. Why as human adults do we not do this. Heck not even just adults. I remember as a teen stretching out on my floor and closing my eyes - just going to rest for a moment I'd always say - and then wake up disoriented and wondering why I was on the floor asleep.
Frankly, I think we as a species need to remember that sleep doesn't have to be in just an 8 hour chunk at night. And that rest isn't always about sleep. I worry that our world has gotten far too busy. That people aren't staying in a good place mentally, because most people never unplug.
Two hours of absolute quiet, focused on a project is not a "gift" I would have thought about giving myself a few months ago. I would have been far too focused on the list of chores waiting for my attention, the dreaded "to do" list was highly powerful then. Not so much now. And as a result my mental health and happiness levels are so much higher now.
Resting is so important. Time to do exactly what you want to do for yourself, without any interaction from anyone. Sleep, read, write, create, meditate or anything else that makes you feel whole. When you feel like you are giving from an empty cup, you have nothing left to give.
Yesterday ended up being such a relaxing, wonderful, creative and special day. All out of an ordinary day that included a bit of rest.
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