More changes around here

Joseph is moving home. Yikes! Allyn and I are back where we started with two kids at home. We keep sending them out and they keep coming back.

To be fair, Joseph has been unable to find employment in the Chicago area and Becky, his roommate is moving back to Phoenix for personal reasons. And, the Waggle money tree has lost all its leaves. So they are making arrangements to have their belongings moved and will drive across the country in Becky's car and arrive in Phoenix at the end of the month just in time for her to start her new job on March 3. We'll meet Joseph in Phoenix and bring him home. These two desert kids are also a bit disenchanted with the mid-west weather, I think.

After Ashley finally moved out, and years later when Joseph went off to Cal, we made the two smaller bedrooms into guest rooms and I took over Joseph's larger room as my sewing/quilting room. Then Ashley moved back home and decided her bedroom was too small so we knocked out a wall and made the two small bedrooms one large room to give her space. I still had my sewing room. But, with Ashley's move home, it became "if I don't want it I'll throw it in mom's room" room; I have to find a path to my sewing machine. And now, it needs to become Joseph's bedroom again. So this weekend, Allyn and I are going to somehow find a place for my work table, sewing cabinet, two sewing machines, four bookcases, three file cabinets not to mention what's in and on those things, a closet full of crafting stuff, and a rolling rack holding unfinished quilting projects.

I'm wondering if this is some sneaky plan of my family to make me "get rid of so much stuff" they think I do not need. Of course, I love my kids dearly, but I think I'd prefer to downsize by having them find jobs and moving out on their own. And, Allyn and I would like to have our house back just for us, and Harley, of course. But what are parents for anyway?

Happy 2008

Happy New Year to all and my resolution every year is to Get Organized though somehow the year slips by and I'm still wondering why things look pretty much the same. This year will be different. How do I know? Because Ashley's home to "help" me...but that's a good thing because I need someone to nudge me along and with her here, I actually have a serious chance to Get Organized.

Joseph made it home for Christmas on Dec. 18th. His 10 am flight was cancelled (we never knew why since it was a bright, sunny day in Chicago and he had a direct flight) and he had to hang around O'Hare until the next direct flight at 6 pm. But we finally got to give him a big hug around 9 o'clock that evening. We stayed up late catching up and enjoying the family being together.

He's still here (upstairs asleep) appreciating our great weather while just reading about Chicago's temps makes us shiver. He will return to the freezing Mid-West on Jan. 8th and I know I'll miss him terribly when he leaves.

We're all praying very hard that once he's back in Chicago a J-O-B will immediately present itself. Hopefully, it will be a job he wants and will enjoy, but by this time, we're hoping for anything just to get him working.

Travel Day

Well, I'm all packed and just waiting for Allyn to take me to the airport. I'm flying to the Bay Area today to help my daughter pack up her belongings and move home. We'll be U-Hauling it back to the desert, and hopefully, we'll be home by Sunday. It's a very, very long drive and I will be glad when it's over.

Ashley's tired of the big city and just needs to come home, regroup, re-energize, and decide if she wants to continue teaching, go to law school, or do something else entirely. She's taught elementary and middle school for 11 years, five of those being in a Bay Area middle school and it's been tough, especially the last couple of years.

So the puppies will be home alone with Allyn checking on them as he can during the day. They'll probably sleep all day if no one rings the doorbell.

Wish me luck...my daughter is a task master!

Graduation Day

Today is graduation day for my daughter, Ashley. She'll be receiving a MA in Education from the University of San Francisco this evening. I am so proud of her. Allyn is there with her as is Joseph who flew in from Chicago last night.

And this is a picture of my beautiful children.

Unfortunately, for me, I'm home pup sitting. Yes, we'd planned to board them for a few days and have a small family reunion; however, 2 of the 3 had surgeries last week which could not be put off. Emma had a large tumor removed from her front right paw which went from the top of her paw to through to the bottom. Harley had 2 (more) growths removed, one from his hip and another from under his neck.

With both pups in stitches, we thought it best not to expose them to possible infection at our boarding facility, The Grand Paw. So the puppies and I are with Joseph, Allyn and Ashley in spirit as she walks forward to receive her MA. Graduation is to be in beautiful St. Ignacious Cathedral on the USF campus where Allyn received his BA so it's very fitting that he be there to watch his baby girl.

Congratulations, Sissy, I love you very much.

Welcome to my very first post on my very first blog. Since I don't yet have my own website, blogging seemed to be the best way to begin establishing myself in the world of teddy bear artists and collectors.

I recently joined an online forum called Teddy Talk made up of a group of collectors, artists and people who just love teddy bears. I've found great support and friendship with this group and they are always willing to answer any questions I might have.

As is my nature, I fretted over whether to blog or not to blog, but, holding my breath, I have jumped into this new arena, at least it's very new for me, and I hope you'll visit often as I learn my way around and develop a focus for my blog. I'm pretty sure my son, Joseph, a student at the University of Chicago, will read my blog as he tells me he may not have to call home so often.

I must acknowledge and thank Lisa of Twin Cubs, one of my TT friends, who offered to help me get started. She not only helped, she created the wonderful heading you see at the top of the page. Thank you so much, Lisa! Without your help I would probably have become too frustrated to continue.

In addition to Joseph, I have a daughter, Ashley, and I live with Allyn, my husband of 35 years, and our three Scottish Terriers, Talullah Belle, Emma Jane and Harley MacDavidson. Allyn and I have lived in the Southern California desert for 17 years which I find amazing as we only intended to stay in the desert a few years. Ashley teaches middle school in the San Francisco Bay area and she will be graduating from the University of San Francisco this Friday evening with a MA in Education and an administrative certificate. We are so proud of her.

Thanks for taking a look; I hope you'll stop by often.