It's been 2 days of 3am wake ups.
Monday night wake up was caused by some random rainstorm causing a power outage at 3 am.
Power goes out, and seconds later the generator kicks on causing printers, appliances et all to do their communal bleeping letting us know that they are once again alive.
Thanks for that.
When I'm up at 3am to 5am because I can't get back to sleep but finally drift off again, it's a rude awakening at 7:45 when I finally DO return to the living to discover that I am once again late on the job. My whole day short sheeted.
But I did get some blocks laid out yesterday in between loads of laundry and making the inn ready for today's TaDa Quilters arriving from Erie PA this afternoon.
I think this puts me about half-way. Maybe.
The object is to use up as many blue strings as I can to give some breathing room to that bin.
In the not-so-interesting office side of things -
I've had a new desk computer sitting in the box in my back entry since December I think.
Why is it still sitting there? Because I hate the whole process of changing computers and updating everything.
The old Windows 10 on the office computer isn't compatible with the new Windows 11 update so I've been pussy footing around with this job for a while now.
I've moved some documents to Drop Box. Some to external hard drives. But I'm just scared I'm going to forget something.
And then there is that whole thing of having to reinstall stuff. UGH.
Things like EQ need to be deactivated on the old computer before it can be installed on the new one, and all EQ files need to be also saved.
Do you feel my pain??! I hate change so much. Why do they have to mess with my life this way?
Now, this change over won't happen until I've finished up the Abundance pattern writing.
The PDF copies of the templates are already made. Our release date is set for August 13th, just a week away.
Do I need a computer change THIS WEEK!? No.
But I do need it before I start doing anything with this year's mystery. So...this new computer switch over is likely to happen sometime after next week.
And I keep dragging my feet on moving all of those files. UGH.
At any rate...stay tuned! Abundance is all paper pieced. There are templates for the main block, the sawtooth sashings, and the border blocks.
And because it was all paper pieced - I could make SOMEWHAT of a dent in this:
I said SOMEWHAT.
This month's gift-away will include 2 Notable Neutrals fabric rolls from Cotton to Quilts. I love the neutral rolls. They make the backgrounds of my projects sparkle and are so great as a stash enhancement.
I also want to let everyone know - especially those waiting for my Essential Triangle Tool to be back in stock that they have reached the warehouse and should be shipped to me soon.
This is the first time I've ever had them out of stock and I hope it doesn't happen again any time soon!
I'll let you know when they have arrived and are available.
Housekeeper Susan zoomed in and caught this photo of Tulalu making herself cozy on top of the lawn mower as quilters packed up wagons of supplies and wheeled them to their cars in the loading zone.
She is such a great little supervisor!
If August is the sunset of summer, it certainly knows how to put on a beautiful show!
Between the lawn mower, Tula and these Brown-eyed Susans I feel some fall color changes coming on!
I added some of that golden orange to my current hexie motif in progress.
I didn't get very far - that 3am wake up Tuesday morning had me dreary eyed by 9pm.
And then last night....2:45am. Don't ask me why.
I sleep fine until the wee smalls lately and then I'm up for a couple of hours.
Is this normal for aging bodies? I cut out caffeine after 5pm. I take a melatonin and magnesium before bed. I'm still waking up at stupid early times.
Today - eye doctor. YAY! Fingers are crossed. Along with everything else.
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
Speak less. Listen more.
Though sometimes an echo chamber of complete isolation is preferable!
And maybe I'd get some sleep!
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
53 comments:
Oh I certainly sympathize with your
changing over computers... I rarely use mine, I always mostly use my phone for stuff. Changing phones is no picnic either.
Hope all goes well with your eye doctor today..have Dave treat you to lunch afterwards.
Your blue string top is sew pretty...as is Abundance top too.
Tula is precious sitting prettily on the tractor seat.
I often wake up at 3:00 am, I mostly go back to sleep if I can.
I'm going downstairs to cut fabrics for Bear Patch..
Have a wonderful day 🌹
Blessings 🙏💞
Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold. (Speaking is silver, silence is gold).
I liked your thought of the day today and appreciated that it is posted on a picture of a Double Wedding Ring quilt. After 53+ years of happily married life, I can attest to the wisdom of your words. :)
Love reading your blog every morning! I recently read an article stating that indeed, aging bodies melatonin production wanes half way through the night. I have gotten into the habit of keeping a sugar free melatonin gummies by my bed and if I wake at at 3 am, I just pop it quick. It has been working wonders! Sweet dreams and many thanks for all you do!
hi Bonnie, have you considered getting one of those huge external hard drives and just copying everything over to it? They are not expensive (Walmart has one for $12 with 6TB (terabytes which is much bigger than gigabytes), although I would go with a name brand like SeaGate, available at BestBuy, Staples, etc. as you are running a business. Treat it like a USB/flash drive. I'd get as large as you can because your files are probably huge, but 4-5 TB should keep you going for a long time. (https://www.staples.com/seagate-4tb-external-usb-3-0-portable-hard-drive-black-stgx4000400/product_24601064 is one example).
Hope this helps, and best wishes for a successful outcome to your eye doctor appointment, Lynne
2:00 AM seems to be my magical time to wake up lately. Sometimes I can go back to sleep other time I read. I really like the blue string quilt. I have never tried string piecing. Is that one of your patterns? Serena
Not only do you have to do all the saves, etc to change computers, but the new Microsoft 11 is a bear to work with. I have had it for 6 months and I hate it. Good luck. Wish I had better news.
Yes, all normal for aging. I'm in one of those 'cycles' now - and took a nap yesterday...and likely will again today. I also take melatonin (5 mg) and magnesium, and turmeric, multi vitamins, high blood pressure meds...the list goes on and on! As I get older that list continues to grow. I think in my case I need to get out more for a walk, amongst trees and greenery...but it's going to be nearly 100 today so that isn't going to happen for at least a week. I've a couple of baby quilts to finish today and tomorrow, so that should keep me busy. I really feel for you with the computers -- I miss the old days when we didn't have all that to deal with. But then again, I really enjoy the blogs I follow (yours is the top of the list) with my morning cups of tea....enjoy your day! Deb /No. Calif.
My sleep/wake patterns have changed also; I've been blaming the cat! Ellen Thompson
Oh I know your pain! We changed over my old laptop to a new one last week and I'm still finding things to update/install, etc. I am grateful for my smart hubby!! Tula looks so comfortable in the seat. I'm certain she has been a joy at the Inn.
I sympathize with so much in this post! I,too, wake up anywhere between 2 and 4 and then cannot get back to sleep. Mind all over the place! I take melatonin, or occaisionally Zzquil or I switch off and use 1/2 of a Tylenol PM....just rotate them around as needed....sometimes works, sometimes not.
As for the computer thing...I'm the computer person in our family so any moving of files, updating things, etc....ugh...falls to me.
Love the blue strings! Thanks for all your inspiration!
I'm about 3 years older than you. The last 4-5 years has seen several mornings that I'm awake by 3 and can't go back to sleep. I feel your pain.
I feel your pain! It seemed after I turned 72 a good night's sleep is a thing of the past!
I don't expect to live long enough to actually implement the wise words in today's quote - so sad - - - lol
I don't feel so bad. I've had my new computer since end of November and am still not using it - I prefer my old one but I have the same windows problem you do.
I feel your pain on having to change computers. I recently had to do that, and it is a royal pain to do. I hope you manage to do it without stressing too much.
I'm rooting for a great eye dr appointment for you today! My eye appt is at the end of this month. We need our eyes to quilt! Although, I did tell my husband that I could take up wonky quilting if my eyes take a turn for the worse...
Sorry you've had some early morning wake-ups! It sure makes the day difficult.
Hope you get your new desk computer up and running--Good Luck. We'll have the same problem because our perfectly running desk computer can't accept Windows 11 either. My son-in-law says we need a new computer. :-(
I agree with the Quote of the Day so much! Jenny
I am sorry about the Early wakeup
and change of Computer. I dread the upgrade to Windows 11. My main computer reminds me it's coming in October. For me it's getting up to use the Bathroom. I am OLD. Chiropractor for me today. I had eye dr last week and had to order new glasses. Losing my eyesight is a worry I don't need.
Happy Hump Day.
When you wake up in the middle of the night put on a pair of blue blocker glasses. Keep them beside the bed. Even if you are just getting up for a potty break, put on the glasses. Blue light in your eyes tells your brain it's daytime, the blue blockers will stop this from happening.
Are your blood sugars okay? That is the typical time diabetics with sugars too high consistently wake.
I have to get a new computer this year also. Surprisingly I have had it since 2015. I feel your pain. Good luck. Hope everything transfer well 🙏
I feel your pain. Just bought a new printer and I can’t bear the thought of trying to get it connected to our computers. I hate techie stuff. I take an occasional Tylenol PM or Advil PM which is a big help for a good nights sleep. Fran in Washington State
I share your pain and frustrations with the waking /sleeping issues - and don't get me started on the technology headaches that an upgrade to a new computer brings. You are not alone and I'm sending good vibes for a smooth transition to the new computer. It should be faster than the older one, so keep your eyes on the prize.
yes, mid night get up is something to be expected a bit more. the other night I had a couple of those cool aid pop frozen sticks, well, up most of the night and some zinging the next day. crazy. hope that is not what you did. Good for energy in the mid-day.
Oh, it's so good to realize that it's just not me waking up in the wee hours of the morning, bright-eyed and busy-tailed.
*I've cut out drinking liquids a few hours before going to bed so I don't wake up to use the bathroom;
*I've taken melatonin;
*purchased blue-light glasses;
*tried using a light therapy lamp;
*and even jumped on the Oura Ring fad to understand my sleep schedule.
Nothing helps, so you know what? As long as my DH doesn't mind me reading in bed with my eReader then I'm good. I read for 2-3 hours and then go back to sleep for a couple of hours when I feel sleepy again. I've never felt tired during the day so I just go with it as a part of getting old!
Oh, it's so good to realize that it's just not me waking up in the wee hours of the morning, bright-eyed and busy-tailed.
*I've cut out drinking liquids a few hours before going to bed so I don't wake up to use the bathroom;
*I've taken melatonin;
*purchased blue-light glasses;
*tried using a light therapy lamp;
*and even jumped on the Oura Ring fad to understand my sleep schedule.
Nothing helps, so you know what? As long as my DH doesn't mind me reading in bed with my eReader then I'm good. I read for 2-3 hours and then go back to sleep for a couple of hours when I feel sleepy again. I've never felt tired during the day so I just go with it as a part of getting old!
Bonnie, I understand those early wake calls. I stopped taking melatonin, because it certainly helped me get to sleep but not stay asleep. When I first starting waking up sometime between 2:00-4:00am, I heard my mother's voice saying...get up, go to the bathroom, and have a sip of water. Most nights this helps me get back to sleep but not always. Love the quote for today. It's so hard some days to hold my tongue.
Oh, yes, I've been having 2AM-3AM wakeups pretty consistently for the past couple years. (I'm 52 and it seems to be one of the many curses of perimenopause.) If one more medical professional asks me if I've heard about sleep hygiene, I may scream at them. And getting used to your technology when it insists it has to be updated even though you're quite content is a real hassle! Ok, enough complaining for one day - keep on keeping on!
I have the same sleeping problems. My doctor said no caffeine after twelve noon and that means decaffeinated drinks too. I can only have caffeine-free drinks past noon.
I also had trouble with sleeping, but simply concluded it was due to me being a 60+ year old female. Then I read an article on grounding mats/sheets and how beneficial they were for lowering inflammation and reducing stress... bought one on Amazon for about $20 (@50% off--lucky me!). It works like a charm, big improvement in sleep quality!!! I sleep on it every night and swear by it. The one I have is soft fabric that has extremely small silver wires running through it and is washable. It came with a tester to verify that it is in fact grounding.
Love the double wedding ring quilt behind the quote. It is the one pattern I absolutely want to make...but haven't started cutting yet. I have the scraps and templates but.......the time will come.
Yes I often wake up at 3:30 or 4 and struggle. Then when the alarm goes off at 6 for work I have just fallen back to sleep. I do think it is aging. I am retiring soon and figure I will have to adjust my sleep schedule somewhat. I did cut out caffeine after noon, and that helps some. I love that deep orange of those flowers!
Yes, I felt that same pain 3 weeks ago and the tweeks are still on-going. It is not fun but I am capatable of doing it so I smiled and did. Well, OK...maybe a swear word or two along the way. Susan S
Like you I am up at those same hours for the past three days 😱 it is sure getting old having that happen too many days in a row!
I totally relate to the sleeping issue ( computers, too, but hubby takes care of that). Sometimes I can't get to sleep for hours (sewing time if I don't have to think too hard), & other nights I wake about 2:30am & can't get back to sleep. Old age??
Try not having coffee after lunch, or at least early afternoon. Coffee stays in your system for at least 6 hours. After going through this same thing I found that worked quite well.
I want to thank you for adding the listen button to your blog. I have developed vision issues and being able to listen means I can still follow your blog. My sewing has definitely slowed down as I struggle with central vision loss but I still love to hear about all the quilts.
I love my essential triangle tool. I use it for my Bonnie Hunter quilts, but it also empowers me to be able to do things I don't think I could do without it. I m currently making one of those temperature quilts and I ve used the ett every step of the way!
I've had the same problem waking up between 3-4 and not being able to get back to sleep. A friend told me about Nature' Bounty Sleep 3. Drug free. It has 10mg melatonin. So far it's working great!
I sympathise with you having to change your computer. I've had to do it several times. It makes it easier if you keep all your files on an external drive, you don't lose any of them. You still have to reinstall everything, remembering what you had, but it's still much easier. Plus if the computer crashed, your files should be safe. That's too much time and hard work to lose.
I do wake up at least one night a week and can't go back to sleep. I usually read and if I am still awake in another hour, I take Tylenol. It helps me to relax and go back yo sleep.
Silence is golden :0).....love the log cabin quilt, can't wait to start Abundance! Another beauty Bonnie! Yes the older you get the hard good sleep is to find....I'd give anything for a solid night sleep of 6 to 8 hours!! Happy Sewing!
Your photo "wiring under the desk" has to be FAKE! LOL Not a speck of dust, crumbs, pet hair - what's with that? Facing all those unpleasant dirty things under my desk, or sewing machines, is what keeps me awake at night! Arghhh! Congrats that your space is so CLEAN - that's half the battle!
I just love the quote of the day, & the double wedding ring that it's on. Just perfect. I feel your pain on the changing of the tides, so to speak. Fingers crossed that everything is okay with the eyes!
I got tired of restarting my computer so i put a battery backup on everything in the office. it is so fast that I don't even have to log in! Love, love my generac. For Microsoft 11, I decided to retire the desk top and the laptop and go to a NEW laptop and 2 docking stations. but switching over is a real pain.
Consider using PCmover software for transferring programs and data from one computer to another. It makes life much easier.
I've been waking up in the early hours for several years now (I retired 15 years ago) but instead of worrying about it I use the time to do some quiet enjoyable,or necessary, things until I feel sleepy again. Sometimes I go back to bed, sometimes I stay up - go with the flow and don't worry about it, you'll catch up on sleep when you relax, meantime maybe you can do something useful, enjoyable and quiet..........thanks for blogging Bonnie - no matter how tired you are you seem to be like the Duracell bunny - just keep on going. Love, Elaine in UK
For better sleep, consider getting a grounding sheet/mat. They work!
I found a focus technique in a book that has helped me get to sleep easier and return to sleep after waking, and for ages I've found my overall sleep is way better. I can't remember what it was called in the book, but "body scan meditation" pretty much describes it. Maybe it can help you sleep better too. 😊
I understand your computer update hesitation! Mine is a Windows 7 hard drive with no room to update to even Windows 10. I've been dragging my feet for almost a year just thinking of the hassle that comes with switching computers. I've even had to switch to paper bills on a couple of my online accounts because I can no longer access their sites. Ugh! Wish I could just twitch my nose like Samantha on Bewitched and have it over and done with.
Yup, two hours, almost to the minute, from the time I go to sleep I wake up. Then I’m awake anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Celebrations occur when I look at the clock and see that it’s been 3 or 4 hours. Annoying part of the aging process.
I love the blue strings. I’m about to do a big reorg on my scraps so I can find enough to make one.
Love today’s quote! I remember my mom reminding us to engage our brains before our mouths! All so true and yet so many do not!! Waking between 2:00-3:00 am is my routine and I’m awake for at least an hour. So frustrating when I feel my body is so tired but my brain is wide awake. I stay quiet in bed and try to just rest and let my mind race around the days activities. I tried reading but found the next day I’m clueless as to what I read! Frustrating when you are reading a good book but have missed content of three chapters!! I’m 78 and believe it’s an age thing, part of life.
Best of luck for your eye appointment.
Blessings, Dawn, Central Valley
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