The Importance of Cheer/Wish Me Luck!

Lately, I have noticed how peoples' attitudes effect me. Personally, I like to feel cheerful and to cheer others as well. Many times I will sign off an email with "Cheers" and try to maintain a cheerful attitude. Maybe that is why I love the Christmas season so much? It's all that Christmas cheer?? The Merry part...;-) Sometimes it's hard though. If you are having "issues" to deal with, you can't always be your best, bubbly self. At least, I can't. But, I have noticed what a tonic some people are as I have been grappling with a health issue and a less than stellar health insurance situation. Some people would call it "being positive" but I like the word "cheerful" better. Nothing Pollyanna..I am a total realist. You can be negative around me, as long as you are cheerful about it...hehehehe I had to explain to my 40 year old son what a "crepe hanger" was. He had never heard the expression and that led to a big discussion about how language is passed down from one generation to the next. My children use expressions that I remember my grandparents using....passed down to them from yours truly, no doubt. I remember my grandmother using the term "crepe hanger."

One of the cheery things I did today was buy some roses. Three are expensive ones in pots and the other four are bare root. I live in THE rose zone. Across the river in Oregon, the city, Portland, OR is known as the Rose City and their summer celebration is called the Rose Festival. I used to have a rose garden when I lived east of the mountains and it was not easy, let me tell you! The climate was inhospitable for roses and in spite of the cattle guards, a stray steer or two would tromp around there. The deer sampled various plants in my garden too. So, I am thrilled to have a little spot to plant some roses that I can see from my sliding glass door. I do have my favorites, one of which is Tropicana, and I was lucky to find one today. Looks like I have some work to do too. The landlord loaned me a shovel and so far, I have one hole dug....slow...;-) The drainage is terrible and I don't understand how roses a mere 75' from my back door do so well but my little plot of land has really poor soil and doesn't drain. Roses do NOT like wet feet. Un petit problème?

I really wanted this blog to be just about sewing..nothing extraneous. But, life got in the way? I am scheduled for surgery on March 23rd. Please wish me luck. I have a wonderful surgeon who is one of those tonic people and is optimistic that nothing serious will be found.

I was hoping to get Matilda fit before March 23rd but it looks like she will have to wait because the friend who is helping can't come right now. She is still in her box, waiting to get out, fit for draping and pinning. Spunky the Sewing Assistant is going to be really bummed when Matilda is standing tall and the box is thrown away. That's ok...He will have plenty to do.... rearranging pattern pieces as I pin, chewing up the tracing paper, unravelling thread spools, etc. You know how he is.....;-)

Cheers, Stash