There wasn't much stitching happening last night.
All of the emotions of the past many many months were rolling off of my shoulders, and my burden became much lighter.
I'm a worrywart. Always have been, always working on it.
And 99% of the time when the situation is resolved or past, most of that worrying was really a waste of time. Do you find that to be true too?
Ivy's like "I told you so!"
I've been carrying around a huge knot in my stomach the size of a boulder. The kind of anxiety that makes deep breathing hard.
But as of 3pm yesterday afternoon I was deep breathing with a sign of relief that could be heard all across these mountains.
The Wallburg house is no longer ours.
It now becomes someone else's permanent address.
Dear Wallburg House -
You were good to us for the better part of fourteen years.
I know you will continue to be a place where happy memories are made with your new family.
I will remember the good, the bad, the ugly, the hard as well as the fun - and all of the growth that happened through the love that lived here.
Oh, and we got all the way into closing before we were asked if we knew that there were still dishes in the dishwasher.
I hope that they were clean. LOL!
It's a weird feeling knowing that I won't be walking through that front door anymore. But it feels so very right, and now we can concentrate on fully being Virginians.
How does one celebrate a house closing?
By cleaning out all the dead bugs and webs from the overhead light fixtures both here at the QPO Studio, and in the Quilting Quarters at Quiltville Inn next door.
It had been 2 years since installing these fixtures and it needed to happen.
This is happening next -
I know it is a holiday week. But sometimes projects take several days of vacation time to get them done.
The trailer is full of blow-in insulation to add to the attic space at Quiltville Inn in hopes of keeping heating bills a bit lower all the way around.
Since there are no retreaters this week - it's the perfect time to do it.
It was 24 degrees when I awoke this morning. it is DEFINITELY time to do it.
Today everything will get moved into place, and tomorrow morning when son Jeff arrives for Thanksgiving, they will get this blown in before celebrating with turkey dinner.
And no - for the first time in I don't know how long I am not cooking.
Our little Corner Market Café is serving up Turkey dinners, and I'm calling it easy this year since it is just going to be the 3 of us. I may make pie. Or maybe not.
For the first time in a long long long time I don't want to do anything more than just BE. Does that make sense to anyone?
I truly wouldn't care if my Thanksgiving dinner was a doctored up frozen pizza at this point. If I can just catch my breath this year, maybe next year I'll feel like doing a production meal - but only because I'll want to, not because I have to or it is expected of me.
I puttered around at more of this in between everything else yesterday.
There may be more of this happening through the weekend.
And yes, I've been working on Part One of Rhododendron Trail behind the scenes.
Questions have come in asking when to come looking for the post on Black Friday 11/26/21.
Clues will post by 9am Eastern time. It may be earlier. But it is safe to say that 9am is as good a time as any.
Don't set your alarm. It will be there when you wake up.
And I'll have more to tell you about some things on Friday morning within that post.
We're going to have a great time.
It's a mystery. Just go with it.
And if you are feeling that knot taking up space under your ribs keeping you from breathing deeply, remember that 99% of the things we worry about turn out to be no problem at all.
Exhale. And drop your shoulders just a bit further away from your ears.
After all....Stressed is DESSERTS spelled backwards.
It's nothing that a little pie can't fix.
Now give me a smile. It's all going to be okay.
LAST DAY!!
I have placed the printable PDF pattern for Pine Tree Point at 25% off - only $9.00 in the digital pattern section of the Quiltville Store. Sale price good through 11/24/21 when it will return to full price at $12.00. No coupon code required.
It's time to pull out those languishing holiday fabrics and sew yourself into the holiday spirit!
I made the runner in blue, too! Good for having out all winter long!
Sale ends tomorrow: THANKGIVING MORNING - so don't miss it!
And while you are at it - don't forget to enter the November '21 Quilty Box Gift-Away!
It's full of fantastic goodies you are going to want to get your hands on. Enter to win On That Post. Drawing to happen Saturday 11/27/21.
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
Before speaking (or commenting) hold your tongue and ask yourself if your words are coming as a sharp rebuttal or from a place of love and attempted understanding.
That is all.
Happy Thanksgiving Eve, folks!
35 comments:
Happy Thanksgiving Bonnie. I am glad you can breathe deeply again. I will do the same next week when I get off the plane in North Carolina. We are moving home! The picture of the Wallburg house feels just like the last picture I took of my Chapel Hill house 5 years ago. It brings back all the feelings. I wish you so much happiness in your life as a full on Virginian now.
I'm glad you're going to be able to relax during the holiday weekend. Love your brown and turquoise blocks.
I know the mixed feelings of not being able to walk through the door of a house that was home for years. We sold our family home this past July and it had been "home" for over 50 years. I may not have lived there all those years but that was where we went in good times and bad, when we needed a safe place for a while and when my dad took his last. It was trees and lots of yard, a garden that we all enjoyed the fruits of but not so much the work involved ( I still hate hoeing potatoes!). For several of my siblings, it's the only home they remember. I was 10 when we moved there and it was my 3rd home, although like my siblings, I don't remember the first.
So, it was time as none of us wanted or needed the big old house and the family that bought it is doing the work that has been needed for years but Dad was comfortable with the way it was, so never got done. It's strange to drive by to pick up the mail from Dad's PO Box but it makes me happy to know that some trucking didn't get it to park their brokedown rigs on, to rot away.
Celebrate the memories and be happy. It is time to move on. Hugs from Illinois, Anna
Ha. You made me realize that I need to clean some dead ladybugs out of some light fixtures, too. More of 'em up there than I thought, and a couple still wandering around.
Those turquoise star blocks are lovely! Going to look smashing alongside the brown blocks. Exciting seeing this one progress. Congrats on the Wallburg house sale being done!
I am a worrier also and find it was just a waste of time and energy when things are resolved. I really have been trying to not let things worry me but I think it is in my blood, so I just try to stay busy and focus on the now and what I can control. I am happy for you that your house sold so quickly and can’t wait to see Rhododendron Trail.
I share your anxiety and nine times out of time Ivy is right. I'm not cooking either(going to a friends) I asked her to keep it simple: peanut butter and crackers would be just fine. There are so many times in our lives we just need a break, we just need to breathe--nothing more nothing less
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I am headed back to the kitchen this morning to cook for the 2nd day of 3. LOL Family is gathering this year and I love to cook their favorites. My DIL is gluten free so I make special dressing, Mac and Cheese and Apple Pie for her. She deserves special treatment. No quilting but Grassy Creek is quilted and ready to pick up at the LAQ when I get back from Texas retreat next week. Can't wait to see it finished.
So did you get the dishes from the dishwasher? LOL I can see me doing something like that. Have a great holiday ! Glad your son will be joining you pam
Happy Thanksgiving
Sorry you were worried... and mostly you do a fabulous job hiding that you are/were concerned... I knew it would work out... look at how things are unfolding, with the retreat house and even with Covid, you & himself making it work, and managing to stay ahead of the a"fix-its" -- and the cost of everything? yeah, babe, it's all coming together, because it's meant to be... take a deep breath, drop those shoulders, raise the chin and carry on... Looking back it might have been a symptom ofyour deep concern ifyou consider your falls and mis-steps... they were probably your anxiety tripping you up, since, you are basically such a positive person; whew, so glad that's all over... Happy Thanksgiving, you are on top of my gratitude list, there are thousands of us chomping at the bit for Friday!!! Oh be so blessed, and happy, you and yours... Ivy, too, says be happy and let's share our love... lookit Zoey... you make happy kids... just can't help it... be happy, be healthy, be kind, especially to yourownsweetself, I know you are to the rest of us... Blessings, Cats in Carlsbad CA.. yippee one big thing off that to do list!!! Must be a tad bittersweet, all those wonderful years and memories... hugs.
I am so glad your burden has been lifted. We have sold a couple of houses and I know that feeling well. I am excited to start my first mystery quilt! I am getting a long arm in the middle of it, so there will be lots of learning, for the LA and the MQ!
I saw pearl onions in the freezer section of our grocery and thought of you! Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're feeling happy and thankful this year. I'm busy with my pre Thanksgiving baking!
The new owners have a legacy home!! So much history. Not as much as the Inn but Quiltville lived there. I remember the Quiltville flag that flew. Dishes, lol i forgot to add the soap to my Dishwasher last night. Water bill going up...eating out= no Dishes. Get the pie in a round piece and to Go!!
Baby, you got my smile! Not only is it all gonna be ok, it all IS ok! (Even when it doesn't go the way we want). Thank you so much, Bonnie and blessings for BEing. Love and hugs!
Congratulations on the house sale! I am a worrier too so I understand that anxiety. I too am not making dinner this year. There are just 3 of us also so we are ordering out and picking up our dinner today. Tomorrow will be leftovers and I decided not to make pies. Normally I make 2 pies, a pumpkin and an apple since son doesn't like pumpkin. With me cutting sugar out of my diet this year I decided 2 pies for 3 people won't work. I bought some frozen puff pastry so I think I'll be making apple turnovers. Thank you for the mystery quilt! I was going to sit out as I kind of lost my quilting mojo but yesterday I started pulling fabric and then went to a shop to add a little more yellow to my stash. When I told my husband last night he smiled and said he thought I would be joining in again. :)
Supporting a local business and taking it easy in cooking is a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving! Have a great weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving , Bonnie ...Know you have many, many things to be rejoicing for, and to 'worry' about some things, I feel is human nature...I was also a 'worrier', with so much going on with family, etc......until my beloved niece sent me a plack, that reads " WORRY IS A MISUSE OF IMAGINATION'...After a few minutes, and rereading it a time or two,,,,I discovered she /it is so true !! Sometimes, we just have to know someone bigger than us, will handle it.... Thank you so much for all you do for so many !!! Much Love !
Mortgage paperwork burning party! Lol
Yes, I'm a worrier. Since my husband died suddenly a month ago, my anxiety levels are through the roof. So many unknowns and things to do. I'm joining a quilting buddy and her family for Thanksgiving and, yes, we're hitting the easy button and having take-out turkey dinners. One day at a time.
"Only because I'll want to, not because I have to or it is expected of me." Dude. Thanks.
Congratulations on the quick house sale! I am finishing the border on Tulip Time and am cutting pieces for the Pumpkin quilt. I just got my Jan/Feb issue of Quiltmaker in the mail, so I am also lookingforward to that and this years Mystery quilt as well. Thank you so much. I find my stress is greatly reduced sewing up your patterns :) I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgivng!!
So happy for the house closing. So much pressure off those shoulders. Celebrate Thanksgiving with joy with your family. You're are so blessed Bonnie as many of us thank you for all your endeavors and give us something to look forward to every day and year. Celebrate.
I'm so glad you ae close to me, settled and full of gratitude! Happy Thanksgiving!
One Thanksgiving we were shingling my husband's shop, so we have fried egg sandwiches and chocolate malts for our T-day dinner. We were able to get back on the roof without need of a nap or a crane! Bonnie, you enjoy your day and don't worry about the what you eat.
Happy Thanksgiving! Glad you have a break from the cooking! You deserve a party. Hope the insulation project goes smoothly. Looking forward to Friday - bobbins are full, light bulbs are changed (LEDs), and ironing/cutting station are cleared for action.
Very pleased for you, enjoy the relief. And those stars are gorgeous! Happy thanksgiving, so much to be grateful for, enjoy.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING.......Just BE.. I haven't cooked in at least 7 yrs. I also buy my dinners at my local cafe. They are great and there is always plenty of leftovers too. I took them to my daughters home in 2016 "in my containers" and they never knew the difference. That's how good they are. I'd rather watch football and sew.
I lived in my last house for 31 years. It was the 1st house I bought. I sold it for cash which gave me the money to buy my "new" house free and clear (and put money away). Nothing from the old house would fit into the 'new" house. so it truly was starting a new life, and I love it. I've been here for 17 years now. and it's still like a breath of fresh air when I open the front door and walk in. All we can do is bring the memories with us--physical stuff is not important. What you carry in your heart is
Bonnie, when my family and I were moving out of our house in IN, our Thanksgiving dinners consisted of whatever we wanted from the frozen section of our market. There was Chinese, Mexican, Pizza, Salisbury Steak, etc. We each had a dinner and that Thanksgiving is one I will remember with joy. Because we were thankful, excited for our upcoming travels in the RV (My dh, 3 kids, 4 cats, a dog, and me) and feeling blessed in general.
And I'm thankful for you, Bonnie, for the inspiration you given us through the years. Happy Thanksgiving.
Blessings,
Worry is a misuse of creativity.
Bonnie, I so, so get it. You have had so much to do-clearing out the old house, getting it ready to sell, and that's just the physical work. The emotional aspect was hard work too. And spending Thanksgiving how your family needs and wants to do is peaceful and necessary. I wish you the best of days and hope your enjoy the fellowship and comfort at your gathering. I know you will!
We're hard wired to worry. You are not alone. Now, your shoulders are down from your ears and you're able to breathe deeply. Lie down and consciously relax all those muscles. Enjoy your holiday with Hubby and Jeff.
I am so excited for the mystery this year! It will be my first. I have wanted to do one of your mystery quilts for many years. After seeing ones completed by quilter friends. I tried starting one before but I started late, and quickly found out I was not ready. But after 2020, I sew regularly, my skills have improved, I am comfortable with my machine and its moods. My fabrics are pulled, sorted, neatly sitting in an organized basket. I loved your advice that I dont have ti fully finish the first instructions... before moving to the second. But at least do a little of each step as it is released. It seems logical, but my linear brain needed that permission! Thank you Bonnie for what you do sharing with us. I pray in the midst of busy, you have a season of rest for your mind and body. Happy Thanksgiving!
Glad to hear you took it easy this year for food, especially since you had other projects going. Hubby and I had Digiorno Pizza as a double celebration of Thanksgiving and anniversary, so don't think you're the only one who likes to take it easy when there's just a couple people. I hope you had a very nice Thanksgiving, and see you here in a few hours for our annual fun time.
Congratulations, Bonnie!! We will soon know that same relief. The closing on our old house is scheduled for next week. Thursday can't get here soon enough!!
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