Things have been crazy since I started the new blog site, so crazy that I haven’t had time to post, my son was here visiting until the first week of December and then work projects heated up as the Holiday Season approached leaving me mentally exhausted at the end of the day, then I got really sick and everything just became overwhelming, life is at a little lull today, but I have another busy 6-8 weeks ahead with a vacation-as-dangling-carrot on the horizon come April. With everything moving at a pretty solid pace I had to think about this “unhappy” thing and figure out what, if anything, needed to be done about it because that really cannot become a habit.

I’ve been having nasty tension headaches over the past few weeks, they leave me frustrated and foggy which makes me impatient and less quick which makes me more frustrated and tense… see the cycle? I was in the midst of that when I sent the text message and by the time I was home to make dinner a hug relieved the last of the headache and I was fine and happy again. These headaches are the real culprit but they’re just a symptom of the real problem which is the unsuccessful why I manage stress, A-ha!

My conclusions are these… I’m pretty damned lucky that the phrase “I’m really unhappy” coming from me took me aback, I’m sure there are a lot of people who aren’t so unfamiliar with that phrase. Oooohhh, Shiney! That thought right there was enough to lighten the stress level several notches. I really need to take better care of myself, meaning more time spend doing fun stuff, and I need to return to practicing meditation more regularly – those things make me feel good and “unhappy” is a word that just doesn’t look good on me at all, Really!

I’m so happy, I’m going to be able to start sewing for my new American Girls dolls (that I also won in a giveaway). The prize was 5 patterns and this adorable dress is just one of the patterns I picked.

Thank you, Liberty Jane.

One of my new favorite toys, um…addictions is the website Pinterest. Pinterest is a great way to keep track of all those super cool links and ideas from all over the inter webs. Last weekend was was Sarah’s birthday and Pinterest helped me find a bunch of great recipes to make her day special. Currently the site is invitation only but I’m sure everyone knows someone cool enough to have a membership and an invitation to share with you.

I’m sure my fellow crafters and seamstresses will appreciate this little feeling of success. I had been wanting to try converting one of my favorite doll patterns to Build a Bear size and I wanted to document it for a tutorial. So, my first time sewing in the new space would mean utilizing both the regular sewing machine and the serger, space for taking photos, and trying to find all the tools I haven’t used in a long time.

The photo shows the sewing table with both leaves opened (I can’t believe I almost gave the table away when we moved – thank you, again, Eric!), my serger is sitting on one side facing the table’s handy scrap catcher, my pressing pad fits on one leaf, the cutting pad on the other, you can see my computer desk in the background with, all the way to the left, my embroidery/sewing machine. Just above the sewing machine I have a tool caddy attached to the wall with all my sewing dodads.

I won’t include much of the sewing details except share that as I finished the test pattern I realized that I had not once had to stop to search for anything I needed. Everything was within arms reach the entire time I working and I never felt pressed for space. Happy Days! people, Happy Days!!

We could talk about the unusual snow fall of the last few years, but I liked the snow. Yes, there’s been tornado’s and the major lightening storms and those I’ve not been too afraid of, maybe I should be, after all a building a mile away from our apartment burned down after being hit by lightening. I’m just a sucker for the rumbling, boom and crash noises. Tornado watch? Duh, stay indoors, I say.

At this moment we have a hurricane heading our way, Irene will be the first big one hitting the East Coast since I became a resident. We’re not expecting more than a windy rain storm here in my county, even so, when I tried to sign up for Renter’s Insurance this morning Progressive wasn’t issuing policies. Just an hour and a half away they have issued mandatory evacuations – the first since we moved here.

We live in a safe place, we shouldn’t have any problems… so why then, am I freaking the hell out, struggling to hold back a major panic attack?!?! I get that the very nature of a panic attack means that logic is not in play. Panic isn’t rational. I’m writing this post thinking it all through so I can feel better, do something constructive with all this energy.

I understand I have an over-active fight or flight response. There is nothing for me to be freaking out about. Please, can someone make my adrenal gland understand that the real worst case scenario is that I have to take a cold shower on Sunday morning, and, my boyfriend’s* street gets flooded so he “has to” stay with me a few extra days this week?

(sarcasm on) Because, that would be terrible! (sarcasm off)

Okay, now I feel a little bit better.

*He was the one who made sure we have flash lights and canned/dry foods and water in case the power goes out for a few days, because he’s AWESOME.

Note: this is a repost from my previous blog site Thorn Chronicles.

• All the gorgeous trees were one of the primary reasons for my wanting to move. My office is in the middle of a little forest, and I love being surrounded by nature.
• Fall when the trees go from green to yellow or orange overnight.
• Snow! I love the snow as long as I’m not stuck trying to drive on ice.
• A smaller town vibe where you can chat with people at the grocery store and no one assumes either party is trying to sell or steal something.

And the food:

• Sweet tea and hush puppies.
• Tip Thai Restaurant where I go to have an occasional quiet splurge dinner on my own.
• Anohka Indian food that tastes like they’ve put an upscale California spin on it. Not quite a homey spiritual meal but dang good.
• Ray’s Ice Cream might have been worth the move all by itself, Ray’s Rocket made with Watermelon Italian ice and delicious vanilla custard is addictive.
• Five Guys with their seasoned fries, reminds us of Sam’s Burgers.
• CheeBurger Cheeburger is tied for best burger, with so many amazing toppings and incredible onion rings.
• Galaxy Diner with their oreo pancakes is a nice place to stop when we’re in Cary Town (which is not quite as cool as College Avenue but still fun).
• Can Can Brasserie for upscale dining and service, we always say we’re going to order the crepes but we always find something else on the menu to tempt us.
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts VMFA a gorgeous, huge museum, free to the public and just as enjoyable as SFMOMA.
• And last, but not least by any stretch of my imagination, El Toro Loco on Staples Mill Road which is our “comfort food” hangout. This is the one place guaranteed to serve us a satisfying meal (with left overs to take home) at a great price with friendly service.

I’ve met some great people and am looking forward to building more new friendships as time goes on, and, I can’t express enough thankfulness for the journey that led me to Eric.

Note: this is a repost from my previous blog site Thorn Chronicles.

• California Fresh Foods: Sourdough bread, Salmon & Dungeness crab, gorgeous produce at the grocery store that lasts a long time when you take it home.
• Rockridge Market Hall and the wonderful shops along College Avenue
• Lacis Costume Resource
• No humidity – for instance today is a gorgeous day, but if I went outside it’d be like sitting in a sauna (gross!!)
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art SFMOMA, Sarah and I spent many happy birthday’s there wandering through the galleries then walking across the street to ride the carousel and the Yerba Buena Center.
• Monterey Bay, with Robert Kincaid’s amazing cooking and the happy memories made there.
• The proximity to Las Vegas – who doesn’t love Vegas?
• The Oakland Zoo where I kept a family membership while the kids were small, peanut butter and jelly with the elephants and cookies with the chimpanzees, and always a walk past the sun bear to say hello.

Favorite Restaurants:

• Sam’s Quarter Pound Burgers the little drive thru on Hesperian that served up burgers the old fashioned way.
• The Elephant Bar restaurant specifically the Tempura Salmon Roll.
• Val’s Burgers on Kelly Street in Hayward with their milkshakes to die for.
• Banchero’s Italian Restaurant where you could order “family style” and the YUMM just keeps on coming, lovely soup, bread, antipasto platter, salad, your entree with amazing collard greens, and a scoop of spumoni for dessert. There was always enough for lunch the next day.
• Siam Palace my favorite lunch spot, where the sound of the fountain would de-stress even the most stressful day.
• Our family favorite Indian restaurant Raja Indian Cuisine on West Winton in Hayward where the service was strange and the food was amazing.
• World’s Fare Donuts on Hesperian in Hayward, perhaps the place closest to my heart because of the many memories tied to the delicious handmade treats.

I think moving gives you permission to look at your old things in a new way. Wouldn’t it be interesting, if you’ve lived in one place for a long time, to pack all your things as if you were moving and then move in all over again? I’m sure there are ways to attach this idea to other areas of life. Do you have thing stagnating in your life that could use that kind of refresher?

“Don’t be discouraged by a failure, it can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some.”
- John Keats

Perseverance is hard work, but you have to know in your soul that it’s worth it. Believe that trying “one more time” is going to bring you that longed for result.