[Sarvi]

I would say that laptops and wine don’t mix but I’d be pointing back at myself, as they say. Fingers crossed for the tech guru!

It’s been a madhouse around here. Computer stuff here too, plus relatives traveling, birthdays coming up, kids with their social schedules. I liked having a dumbphone for a long time but now I’m really glad for having a small computer in my pocket. It’d be all work and no play otherwise, or so it seems.

[Nicole]

The phone is great for reading/checking for spam but not so nice for posting.

[Masha Richart]

I dreamt about the new O+S patterns last night. In my dream there were two of them and I was very excited but I cannot for the life of me remember what I dreamt they were … clearly sewing has been at the forefront of my thinking lately!

[Tamara]

Are you noting down all your interesting pregnancy dreams Masha? I didn’t, but then I didn’t have them.

Just got a message that friends of ours have had baby number three last week and we missed the whole thing – was planning a hosptial visit but they apparently are now at home. Number three is a baby girl which is thrilling enough in itself. I am trying to keep track of how many children will be in Chloe’s class and so far there are three girls including her. But this little girl will also be travelling on the bus which makes it even more special. We didn’t have this with Imogen as she had boys everywhere! So now I am off to try and find something nice to make baby Lacey to welcome her to this crazy wonderful world – after I type up meeting minutes!

[Nicole]

My new Macbook has arrived (skips and dances around the room)
Now I just need Hugo to get home from footy practice to set it up for me…..

Missed you guys so much!

[cybele727]

Sigh… I haven’t been able to sew since Christmas. I need it for my mental health. So much has happened in the past two months.

The wee one has been severely constipated since birth. I have tried every natural home remedy that was recommended by our doctor. Well she’s exhibiting symptoms of a blockage. So she has an appointment with a pediatric gastroenterologist to evaluate such blockage and find a solution to the constipation. The tests alone require general anesthesia. This is not fun.

Sick kids- with some kind of horrible thing that’s been going around, me sick, my mother gets pneumonia and is hospitalized. While in the hospital, they think my mother’s heart is failing but can’t figure out why b/c he heart is only beating 40 bpm.

While everyone is sick, the furnace breaks.

Last week one of our cars broke down in a serious way. The kind where you debate if it is worth fixing.

Then on my husband’s birthday we get a call from his family, which he ignores because he thinks its a bday message and he’s busy. So the next am I get a text from his step mother- call me asap.

I call, and his grandmother had a fall, hit her head, and has a subdural hematoma. We rush to their city 3 hours away to see her and come back. While we are at the hospital, hubby explains to his father why he ignored the original call, just thought it was a bday call and he was busy. His dad says, “Oh, when is your birthday?” #winner Grandmother helped raise him. It is a good Irish family and the generations lapped. His youngest aunt is only 8 years older than he is. His dad was only 20 when he was born, so GM did a lot of sideline raising.

The next day she dies. This being holy week (for non Roman Catholics holy week is the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday) no funerals can be conducted. So we have to wait until Easter Monday for the funeral. Suddenly, Easter for the kids has been moved to the in laws in a city 3 hours away. Kids ask if the Easter bunny will find them there. Sigh…

My poor hubby. His mother will want to know why he came into town and didn’t visit her on Easter weekend. We have the wake, then Easter, and then the funeral all in a row. You cannot underestimate the ill will between his parents. (For good reason… but that’s neither here nor there.) She will put pressure on him to see our kids, and he will have to deal with guilt and grief. (I won’t allow her to see the kids, but I won’t get into that-other than to say when I say why to people, they say… well I wouldn’t either!)

My son has his First Communion this year, and I was going to make him a linen suit. Well, the suit process just got moved up by two months due to a funeral, and I can’t make one in 3 days, so I had to go out a buy one more appropriate for a funeral than a First Communion celebration. I have given my son evil looks after he said, why can’t I just wear a t shirt and jeans. I told him if he asked me that again or gave me any problems about what he was wearing this weekend, I would never allow him to wear t shirt and jeans to school for the rest of his life. (He’s young enough to believe me.)

I get home yesterday, and my mother says, “Remember how my doctor sent me to a cardiologist last week after the pneumonia?” Don’t you love these loaded questions??

She goes on to tell me that she didn’t know if it was better to tell me after the funeral or before. She decided it didn’t matter.

Her heart is “failing” for two reasons… one- they were overmedicating her. That’s an easy fix. Just pull back on the meds. But they were over medicating her b/c they can’t get her BP down. Bad.

Why can’t they get her BP down? Oh because… here we go…. that pain in my abdomen and back? She says? Well that pain is my kidney and spleen and stomach not getting enough blood because those arteries are clogged. The BP is super high and my heart is working too much to get blood there.

(My mom is really thin… she has always had horrible cholesterol though- and she smokes… don’t go there with me… it is a lost cause.)

So they have a choice of stent or bypass. She doesn’t know which yet as she hasn’t had a consultation with the vascular surgeon. Did I mention that she has a clotting disorder? As in, she doesn’t. She could bleed out on the table.

This is all on top of a job that is very stressful. The people I represent in family court are ineffable- I cannot explain the depths of the social ills of these people to polite company. The stories I have are jaw dropping. Some of them make Jerry Springer episodes look calm.

I told my husband last night that setting up my sewing room is now a super priority and he must help. I told him if he wants me to have a mental health status as other than questionable, I need to sew to feel better, so I can do better, be better, and be more for everyone who needs me, him included.

Until then, I will be the person curled up in a ball in the corner crying. Move along… nothing to look at here!

Sorry to dump on you all. I just feel so tired and overwhelmed. I know it will all pass, as all things do, and we will get through them all. When you are in the thick of it, it is all so draining.

Oh and spring won’t apparently arrive here because the lake is so severely frozen from our harsh winter that they don’t know when it will thaw.

Anyway, thank you all for just “listening.” 🙂

[Sarvi]

Oh honey — that is a whole, whole lot of no fun at all. Wishing you a lot of courage and a few moments somewhere, somehow, for yourself. All I can say is that this too shall pass.

[Masha Richart]

Cybele – I am so sorry. What a lot to be crowded into such a short period of time. I hope that sewing room gets up and running pronto, in the meantime you and your family will be in my prayers. Hugs to you!

[cybele727]

Thanks. I didn’t mean to be a bummer. But dang, I feel overwhelmed. And I will get through it all, I just wish it was spread out in like annual intervals. 🙂

[sayiamyou]

Hugs and prayers for you and your family, Cybele. That is an awful lot on your plate.
I can appreciate your frustrations with work. A dear friend worked for Social Services in the US for while, but had to leave because it was such an emotional strain re-connecting children to parents she knew were not good for the welfare of the children. My heart goes out to anyone dealing with those types of people.

[with love Heidi]

Oh, No Cybele that’s a really rough couple of months, let alone adding the family difficulties 🙁
Pray for strength and peace particularly over Easter and the funeral.
And I hope you get your sewing room set up soon!

[Nicole]

Jenny, I am so sorry.

[Tamara]

Oh Jenny! I am a bit lost for words as to what to say. Its alot you’ve gone through – virtual hugs to you. Take a deep breath and hopfully you can get sewing soon (I completely understand the need to sew to keep even).

[Kerrilyn]

Oh Cybele so sorry it is being a tough year. Sending you (((hugs)))

[Anonymous]

Hugs from Colorado. Please don’t apologize for “dumping” on us. Sometimes just writing it all out helps at least a little. What a whole lot you have going on right now. I am the same way with sewing. It really helps my mind and soul to sew.