Hey, ho, hi, happy Friday.
Blog posts feel like a lot of effort. Honestly, MANY things feel like a lot of effort right now. I don’t think I’m alone in this, and yet I do feel alone sometimes.
I am tired because I’m not getting enough sleep. I am digging myself out of overcommitments to quilting work and setting boundaries for the future. I am severely lacking in career-related motivation. One of my kids is having some behavioral issues that are stressful.
On the other side of the globe, a war breaks out.
I don’t think our brains are wired to hold or process all of the awfulness in the world at the same time. And so I engage, then withdraw, then engage, then withdraw, feel anxious and breathe deeply, remind myself that I am ok, and wonder what I can do, as just one person sitting here in my house in my tiny little microscopic corner of the globe.
It is overwhelming. I am overwhelmed.
But! Some good:
I traveled to Phoenix for QuiltCon and it was amazing. I saw some quilts, I won some awards, I gave a lecture and taught a workshop. AND I SAW MY FRIENDS. I have some local quilting friends, but I have many other quilting friends all over the country (and world). For the last two years, we have connected via Zoom and texts and Instagram DMs and I have truly come to love and value these crazy quilty people. Being able to see them all in person again — and some of them in person for the first time — was nothing short of amazing and heartwarming and life-affirming.
I was surprised and excited to win two awards this year. Unscripted took 1st place in the group/bee category, and Game Night took 3rd place in the fabric challenge category. Quilt shows and awards are extremely subjective, and I do try to maintain the appropriate level of perspective and not place too much value in awards. That said, I did have hopes for Unscripted, and felt it is a very strong group quilt entry. I’m happy to be recognized!
I do plan to write a QuiltCon recap post, hopefully soon.
While I was gone, the girls were living their best life with Jose. They went to Dave & Busters and Main Event, both for the first time in 2+ years. They had various snacks and treats and generally appeared to have a great time. It had been 2 years since either Jose or I had to solo parent for more than a few hours, and it was a relief to me that things went so well at home while I was gone.
Spring break is coming up for the girls, and we have big plans! With covid on the decline at the moment, plus the fact that we had it recently, we are essentially operating as if it is over. There’s a feeling of whiplash, having gone from being concerned about covid 2 months ago to being very much “over it” now. But I highly doubt we have seen the last of this virus…so I am trying to enjoy this respite while it lasts.
Cheryl says
You are most definitely not alone in the lack of sleeping and motivation. I am also optimistically going with “getting out there.” Congrats on getting to see friends and winning awards! Thanks for keeping it real.
Sarah says
Thanks Cheryl!
Misti says
It feels like things are zooming by! Glad you were able to get out and see friends and travel somewhere for fun! We are heading to Florida for spring break and I too am hoping to enjoy life a bit before have to buckle down again!
Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl says
Hooray for getting some time with friends and congratulations on the awards!
I used to think that life has seasons and ebbs and flows. Recently, it’s just been feeling a lot more like a tidal wave that isn’t done surging – the water just keeps rising. I hope that the boundaries you are setting help you feel more anchored (sticking with my metaphor, ha) and that you all have a great spring break. We are planning to get takeout and go to a beach tomorrow – the first non home cooked meal we’ve had since QuiltCon 2020! o_O
Sarah says
I saw your photo from your beach visit — it looked lovely and I hope the food was good too! I agree on the tidal wave feeling. Looking forward to spring break. Somehow I don’t think I can swing vacations every month but I could definitely use it. Ha.
Emily says
You are definitely not alone in feeling like the world is tough right now! What you said really resonated with me