Every year we try to have our RV washed and polished. It's a job that is a bit beyond our skill set physical ability. I have enough trouble washing my tiny car, let alone waxing it. Also, I think that somewhere there is a law against ladies my age being on ladders and climbing up on the roof of an RV! (Although someplace I have a picture of me just a few years ago, on the roof of our RV with a storm approaching, madly changing switches on our satellite receiver - the Mister has not been able to handle heights since he had to get bifocals quite a few years ago!)
As I went out with the dogs I noticed a Mobile Wash trailer a few RV sites away from ours. I checked with the owner/boss, and he said he could postpone an appointment for the next day (he didn't really like working at this other RV resort, he told me) and work us in. Sold!
It turns out that we used to use this same company for RV washing several years ago when we wintered in this same resort. The guys are great, the end result is great.
We are clean and shiny and protected against the elements for another year!
I finished my audio book, and didn't have any left in my queue. I like to listen to something while I walk the dogs, so I began listening to various podcasts, some most of which were about quilting. As I listened to many words of advice, tips, tricks and favorite notions and tools, I thought about things I wanted to do.
Uh oh. Am I making long range plans?!!
Well, here goes my list of quilt-related projects, in no particular order:
I was having lunch with some of my quilty friends. We began passing our phones around showing pictures of projects we had made. Perhaps we were talking about gifts we had sewn, I'm not sure. I showed the ladies this clock that I made as a Santa exchange gift in 2024.
One of the ladies liked it so much, she told some members of our quilt guild about it.
One of them approached me about teaching a class in March to help others make a clock.
Yikes!
I had no pattern, or instructions.
I had simply seen one and decided, "Yeah, I can make something like that!"
and fudged my way through it.
Oh, and could I have a sample ready by our Jan 7 meeting?
Double yikes!
I grabbed the materials I had at the house, made a trip to Hobby Lobby for a few items,
made a trip to WalMart for some other bits and pieces...
and went to work.
I made a nine-patch block and put a border around it.
I put some interfacing on it, and glued and taped it to a square of foam core board.
I made another block with generous borders,
interfaced it and glued and taped it to a canvas.
I've written up the instructions. Well, most of them.
When I get home I will put in the hole for the clock mechanism
My blog friend, Doodlebugs and Rosebuds Quilts, posted a collage of her quilting accomplishments for the year. I had a lot of excuses for why I didn't accomplish a lot: packing/unpacking in a move to a new, house, renovating a lot of the houses, having limited sewing area for over half the year, enjoying a month-long European trip and surgery on my hand, yada, yada, yada!
However, when I looked back through the pictures, I realized that dang, I DID accomplish a lot! Here are pictures of quilting projects I touched in some way during the year. Some of the projects only needed the binding finished, others I only completed the 'flimsy' - ie it is only a quilt top and has not been sandwiched and quilted, yet others were finished from beginning to end. There is one that isn't finished...but it is getting so close, after so many years of stitching on it, that I had to include it. Maybe you can tell which one that is, and maybe next year I can showcase it as completed!
I have always struggled with long term goal setting, both personally and professionally. My most dreaded task at work was crafting the required annual plan. I much prefer just stepping out and moving forward, kinda like hopping on an escalator and seeing where you end up. However, I've been told many times (and have actually uttered these words to others - complete with a PowerPoint animated slide with a target and and arrow moving to the center), if you don't have a goal in mind, you won't know when you get there.
It seems that whatever media I tune into I hear about setting a goal, or declaring a resolution, or read about 'intentionalities'. I wonder how many folks actually stick to their plans. Hmmmm....
I asked Mr. Albert I-nstein and found out that only 8-10% of people actually following through for the year; with almost 25% quitting within one week, and just under 50% of the folks are over their plans by the end of January. That doesn't speak well for declaring resolutions, or making plans!
Yesterday I tuned into one of my favorite podcasts, The Sewcial Hour Podcast. I met one of the hosts, Audra, when she came to visit her mother, with whom I sew. She's a remarkable young woman and I like to tune into the podcast.
I liked a lot of what Audra and Bethany had to say. Although they didn't inspire me to write down any goals, I did like several of their ideas.
Being a concrete type of thinker, and being highly visual, I liked how they had several analogies. One being a meal. You have an appetizer, an entree, sides, desert, etc. Some of the things you like/want to do can fall into those categories; a big, large goal that you tackle after to have accomplished a smaller task that helps whet your appetite for the bigger goal. A fun goal that you save until the end as a reward for tackling and accomplishing the bigger idea. They also suggested the idea of 'palette cleansers' - cute, little things you can add in between larger chunks.
Another comment that hit home with me is dealing with failure, or with struggling in moving forward with a goal. I am often a victim of 'stuckness', and find it frustrating to keep banging my head against a wall, or feeling as if I failed. Audra suggested that when you feel you have met failure, consider it as failing forward. Use the failure as a jumping point to move on. In effect, pivoting in your path toward your goal, and coming up with a different solution.
I have read about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals through the years and from a number of sources, and Bethany & Audra brought it up in the podcast.The terminology actually was published in 1981. S.M.A.R.T. goals actually refer to those that are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. When I was teaching we were required to include much of this in our our plan. books writing objectives something like this: All students will calculate the area of squares and rectangles at the close of this lesson with an accuracy of 95%. I much preferred thinking most of that, and not having to use a lot of ink, paper and time to write it all down!
The biggest take-away from the podcastthat impacted my thinking was the 'why'. They suggested that you consider phrases like, "What feels most exciting about a specific task/project....and why?" Or, "What is distracting you from accomplishing X, Y or Z....and why?" Of everything they said, I think this might help shape my thinking more than anything else. And, knowing the "why" behind my actions, emotions or whatever may be helpful in moving towards a satisfying, empowered future.
What about. you? Do you set goals? Do you have a resolution for the year? How do you move forward...following a plan, or meandering along a path selecting goals as you go?
Waaaayyyy back when, in January 2014, we spent a few nights on our RV at the Ft Clinch State Park in northern Florida. We met a charming woman. Claudia, and her dog, Tater. We chatted a few times as we were often out walking our dogs.
In 2017 we visited RiverBend Motorcoach RV Resort near LaBelle, FL. While we were driving through the resort I saw a woman walking her dog. They looked familiar. I rolled down the window and called out, "Claudia?" She turned. She was the woman I had met 3 years before! Just another example of how small our world really is.
We bought a lot at the resort and over the next few years we became friends. We visited at the dog park. We enjoyed meals and Happy Hours together. Claudia and her husband revamped their RV lot and installed this fantastic 'rock' in the shape of a dog. Everyone loved it.
Last year Claudia lost a battle with cancer. It's hard to imagine that such a vibrant woman is gone.
Today, while walking around RiverBend, I saw the rock outside the dog park. Evidently Claudia's husband had it moved as a memorial. It's so touching. A plaque at its base says, "You're Forever in our Heart". The 'dog' has a collar with an angel tag on it.
Sweet memories of a wonderful woman who loved RiverBend and her beloved dog. RIP Claudia.
and men decked out in vests or suits with fun hats and ties.
We saw quite a few friends.
And, we even managed a few dances.
The evening was great fun.
We went back to the RV around 10. I took the dogs on a long, meandering walk through the RV park, hearing lots of celebratory fireworks. We saw the ball drop on TV before shutting our eyes.
Here's hoping the new year brings health and happiness to all.
