Needles and Pens

Have you heard about Moda Fabrics' Just One Star Challenge to piece, quilt and bind 100 Quilts of Valor quilts in 100 days? I had heard about the challenge before I got sick, and had started to work on a few blocks. The plan was to make "just one" for Moda, and a few more for my friend, Linda, who has made it her personal challenge to collect blocks and donate a completed quilt. Appropriately enough, my first foray back into the sewing room after being sick for a month, was to finish "just one star." If I could manage that much, I knew I was truly on my way back. Success! It felt so good to be sewing again, even if only for a few minutes at a time. The next day, I managed two more blocks, completing a set of four for Linda: Small steps... but things are definitely looking up! I even managed to cut out a dress for my daughter to wear for Easter, a project I had given up on for the most part. Now, I think I just might be able to get it done, little by litt...

Just when I felt like I was really getting things accomplished... life threw me a curve ball. I've been laid up for the past 3-4 weeks with a combination of back problems and never ending bronchitis/sinus/inner-ear crud. Suddenly I'm not only behind in all of my sewing projects, but completely bewildered by everything else that needs to be done in the coming weeks. In the midst of all my health problems, I decided to give up my job at the fabric store, which has relieved a lot of stress and may be the key to finally feeling a little better now. I'm not fully recovered yet. Still on antibiotics, still waiting for my ears to unplug, still visiting my chiropractor almost daily and hoping for a breakthrough that will relieve the shooting pain in my shoulder and arm. But there are signs of improvement. Here I am, sitting at the computer after all. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. One thing I have managed to get done this week was a trip to the post office. I...