Jul 21, 2017

THE KELLY BUNDY METHOD

My brain operates on the Kelly Bundy method.  For everything new that goes in, something old has to come out.  If I'm not careful, all of this new stuff rattling around in here is going to cause me to forget my middle name and Social Security number, and nobody needs to do that more than once in their lifetime.

LAP STAND: Thank you for all the links and suggestions.  The best advice, though, was to slow my roll, since I don't know the actual logistics of dialysis yet, and whether or not I will be able to even stitch at all.  In the meantime, I have several things I can do to help Buzzy not get so sore...namely move him around a bit every now and then instead of keeping him bent up for hours at a stretch.

SEWING MACHINE:  Problem solved.  I grabbed my sisters's machine from the house and hauled it over here to CS2 and used it like a boss.  But when the time comes for my sister to ask for it back, I have several great options at the ready.

GUILT, SHAME, AND BITCHING ABOUT HOW MUCH STUFF WE'VE GOT:  Kids, can we put a moratorium on apologizing for our stuff?  I have been watching Flosstube like a crazy person and am continually amazed at the lovliness of each and every single stitcher I've ever met.  Take it from somebody who knows this first hand:  Stitchers are the nicest, most generous, least selfish, smartest, funniest, warmest, kindest people on the planet.  But we seem to be the guiltiest too, since every introduction of one's latest haul or parade of WIPs or showing of stash is precluded with a "I really shouldn't have" or "I'll never get this finished in three lifetimes" or...insert sense of guilt and shame here.  You know what?  Every single one of those purchases or acquisitions should be viewed in a positive light.  If we stop buying, shops close, designers retire, and the world tilts off its axis.  There is no such thing as having too much stash...you are simply enriching your passion and your time with something you love and that will keep you out of trouble, the depths of idleness, and pessimism.  I personally think that having several hundred things going is a sign of good luck...you need to stick around long enough to make a dent in it all while simultaneously increasing your luck by building the pile higher and higher.  Unless you and your children are starving in the street because you spent the rent money on Dinky Dyes...go for it, buy all the things, and come show them to me every chance you get.

(That entire diatribe could have been put thusly...life's too short.)

SUNSCREEN:  My old lady bathingsuit arrived from the big old lady store, so I decided that I might try a dip in the pool this weekend.  But I also figured that I might want to get some sunscreen (which is something I have never once purchased in my life), since I haven't been in the sun in about 15 years and really don't need to do anything silly like get a massive sunburn on top of everything else.  When did sunscreen get so darn complicated?!  I stood in that aisle for a good half hour trying to figure out what to get, and ended up with a 45 lotion and a 70 spray.  Good grief, Charlie Brown!  It will probably take me longer to wedge myself into the old lady bathingsuit and get the bloody sunscreen on than it will to determine that it's too hot outside and come back in, so wish me luck!

DR. MELFI SPEAKS:  I saw Dr. Melfi yesterday and confessed that I told all of you that I see her.  And she said something pretty brilliant in my opinion.  She said that the stigma of seeking help with one's mental heath is baffling to her, because she sees people who are working hard to be the best version of themselves...not people who are crazy or weak or lazy or stupid or whiny.  After all...we maintain our cars, our furnaces, our teeth, and our pedicures.  Why wouldn't we maintain our ability to navigate the world?  

(You just have to love that about her, don't you?)

WEEKEND PLANS:  I am going to try to finish Bobbin Garden and then play with whatever else strikes my fancy.  I might sit on the floor in the cube room and re-organize a few bins, or I might just pull out a WIP or two and see if I can gett jiggy with something fun.  I also want to get my groove back on with an "on deck" basket for Fall, but that might end up with an obsessive planning session or (Heaven forbid) the implementation of a rotation!  Yikes!  But first, I need to go water plants at CS1 and then think about a nap.  I didn't sleep at all last night for some reason, so my heiney is dragging.

That's the report from the steamy confines of CS2 today.  I hope you have started your weekend with a cold beverage and a hot project in hand!  Don't forget to show me all your stuff and to enjoy every bit of it!

23 comments:

  1. I have fond memories of visits to Mt. Baldy, Coni. Sunscreen wasn't that complicated in those days! Keep up the keeping up!

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  2. May I just say Coni - you have found a winner in Dr. Melfi!!!!

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  3. Good planning on waiting until you have had your first few sessions of dialysis to better understand the procedure & what you will be able to do. I will be pleasantly surprised if you can move your arm around that much to stitch. On the Dr. Melfi front - I just had a conversation with Elizabeth B. from Needlepoint Now completmenting her on the article by the 2 of you in the last issue of NN. I told her how inspiring you are to all of us. The fact that you opened up about seeing Dr. Melfi really opened and dialog with your readers and allowed a large number of people that have been seeking their own therapy. How it is not a shameful thing as it once was perceived back in the 1800's when I was growing up! It is okay to talk to someone that (as Dr. Phil says) doesn't have "dog in this fight" and can be completely unbiased with their opinion for help. Just another example of how you help hundreds of us navigate through life! Make friends around the pool - maybe a high school kid to help you carry your groceries up the stairs until "Buzzy" gets removed and your health is in a better place - thats of us depend on you girl! Have a great weekend!

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  4. Regarding buying stash... it's part of my retirement planning and it doesn't spoil. My attitude is that if I'm ever told I only have x amount of time to live, I'm going to pull out every project and start it! So much to stitch, so little time :)

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  5. Coni, I love that you're doing the bolstering this morning and telling us all what to do! You get advice ad infinitum (and ad nauseaum, I'm afraid), so to hear you telling us to Get On With Life is refreshing. I'll go get my big girl panties and climb into them :)

    Dr. Melfi is a keeper, btw.

    Enjoy your day in the pool. We're hot, humid and sticky in the Valley in AZ, so I totally understand. Hugs and prayers, friend. :) -p.

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  6. Dr is a keeper for sure. Maybe if you search bins you will find your Glendon place chart!!!

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  7. The doctor is spot on with their assessment. Sunscreen 30 or 45 is good; just re-apply after time in the water. Enjoy your Friday and your weekend, Coni!

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  8. I don't fret about my stash as long as I have room for all of it; when it started to outgrow the space, I donated some and felt really good about that. But, like your Dr. Melfi, my crafts are an investment in my mental health, and I will not apologize for them.

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  9. Bravo Dr. Melfi! She is 100% right !

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  10. Ditto...Bravo Dr. Melfi! She is 100% right!
    I think every one of us could use help, from time to time. Who is entirely secure and content every single moment, every day of their life? No one. The social stigma is silly and completely out of date.
    Did she mention the glories of embroidery stash as being a positive thing? We all know already: it certainly is!!

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  11. Coni - you just get smarter every day!! Good job. I'm so glad that getting your stitching groove back is going well, I know that's part of what "ails" you! I wish I could figure out how to insert a picture here, but I don't know how. So I guess I can't show you what I have been working on --- darn!

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  12. Coni, good for you on getting on with things. One note on the spray sunscreen...under NO circumstances do you spray it inside! It will go every where and make a mess!

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  13. I love Dr. Melfi! So glad you have her!

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  14. Your Dr. Melfi is a treasure and I suspect by osmosis she
    will become our Dr. Melfi with her sage advice.. Just love her and what she means to your welfare. Never apologize for obtaining and surrounding yourself with real beauty... what you absorb you resound to life....
    Bless you for the beauty you are hooked on and share.

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  15. Dr. Melfi sounds like she knows what she is talking about! Definitely a keeper! And I hope the bathing suit and the sunscreen don't keep you from enjoying the pool!

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  16. I am reading your blog while in Paris for two weeks - I brought Coppertone Waterbabies Whipped sunscreen SPF 50 with me. I know I am not allergic to the Waterbabies sunscreen and the new whipped formula is so much easier to put on - no sunburn here, so far.

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  17. Oh my! Give Dr Melfi a hug and ask if she can squeeze me in. She's a keeper!!

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  18. Keep on keeping on!!. Dr Melfi sounds like the twin of my Dr L who is,smart, compassionate, and kind. I am glad that she is a part of your life and this journey you are going through. You are doing a great job and you have won the prize for 'grace under fire'.
    Hugs to you

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  19. Spray the sunscreen about an inch off your skin for the best protection. It turns into a liquid that you can spread around and rub in for the best protection. For your face spray it into your hand and apply to your face, avoiding your eyes.

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  20. I have anxiety attacks in the sunscreen aisle...that just ain't right. Also, LOVE what your doctor said about maintaining ourselves and totally agree!!

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  21. I wish there was a floss tube for needlepoint.

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  22. I just lover everything about this post!!!!!!!! Sending you tons of good vibes!

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  23. Coni, Dr. Melfi is right. I've been hearing these commercials lately on the radio for (I think) Via Mindfulness or Vaya Mindfulness. The commercial basically asks when "you" last checked in with your mental/emotional wellness and states that good physical health often springs from good mental/emotional wellbeing. I think it's great that this attitude is becoming more widespread. Hopefully the stigma that is attached to depression and anxiety/panic disorders cab be lessened by awareness. I work with patients in an optometry office. Not too long ago as I was asking a gentleman about his medications, which included one for depression, he asked me if his situation was unusual. First, let me say that I thought it took great courage for this man to open up to me (a virtual stranger) and was honored that he felt safe enough to do so. I told him that no, his situation was not unusual, that many patients that we see struggle with depression and anxiety, including myself. I hope that by just talking to him without judgement (sp?) that maybe it lessened his burden a little. Keep fighting back, Coni. You are an inspiration!

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