June | 2016 | Texas Lady

Vegetative State

No sewing lately. All I’ve done is embroidered 1 book bag. I’ve created a lot of designs but my emotions have prevented me from accomplishing much at all lately. Again, life has kept me too busy and when I catch up I’m too tired to sew. Lately I’ve been buying and upgrading laptops. My brand new, still-under-warranty laptop died one night…just like that!!! One minute I was typing a reply on a sewing forum, the next minute the screen was black, the buttons were no longer lit up…nothing at all. And no matter what trick I tried it would never restart. All my information was still on the hard drive but it was returned to the vendor……which left me without a personal laptop…again. Wah! So I wrapped it up and delivered it to FedEx. Bad day at Black Rock! I loved that computer! So, I bought another, different one from somebody I’d bought from before and hope this is the ONE! It’s due to arrive next week. In the meantime, I bought 2 used laptops from Ebay–one for $89 and one for $139. I’ve upgraded the HDD on the first one and maxed out the RAM. Currently updating to Windows 8.1 then to Windows 10 and it’ll be ready to loan/donate to anyone who needs it. The other cheap one will be here next week and should need less upgrading. That’ll give us 2- 14″ laptops for whoever needs them. Can’t beat that!

Diva canvas book bag

I’ve had some health related issues and am transitioning off the sleeping pills lately which means sleep is at a premium and I go to bed when I fall down because I don’t sleep naturally anymore. I’ve never slept well and 35 years of shift work have done their number on me. Now that R and I are both retired I’ve decided to try to just stop trying to normalize with the pills and see if my body can learn to sleep again without them. It’s a painful process though because I lose a lot of sleep every time I try this. I’m committed to doing it this time. I am. I am! And my depression has had me in its clutches, too, so motivation has also been at a premium. I’ll figure it out. It just wears me out emotionally and with little to no sleep, it makes me an unhappy, grouchy woman. Who would have known? LOL

Where?

…Have I been? I have gone through another burst of crap, too busy doing living stuff to do any creative stuff. But there is light at the end of the tunnel (I hope).

My sister needed a computer; the one she brought for me to fix wasn’t worth the money to fix so I’m giving her the 11″ laptop I had recently bought for my sewing room and ordered myself another one from Ebay. Before it got here I talked myself out of it and ordered another, more expensive one from the same vendor on Ebay. When the first one arrived I never opened the box, just printed out the mailing label and dropped it at the post office. So, that is 1 computer worked on not worth fixing and another I reloaded fresh for my sister. Third computer went back to the vendor. Fourth computer arrived and I have spent the better part of 2 days customizing it and reorganizing my filing system from the Alienware (which I put in my sewing room) and the new Envy in my office. So that is 5 computers I’ve worked on.

Then yesterday someone hacked a website I manage so I’ve spent the better part of the last 48 hours on the phone with security people and reorganizing website and account details. Cost about $200, too. And SUCKED!

Before that I started making tote bags. I also did a turquoise webbing tote with a peacock on it but I’ve given it away. I have approximate 17 more to make (5 on my work table and 12 more ordered online but not received). I also bought rose-colored napped fabric to make envelope cushion covers for 2- 18″ throw pillows. And I just got in fabric I ordered to make hammocks for bearded dragons. I’ve also just committed to make some beds and sleeping envelopes for them. And when I find the time I’m going to make me a summer purse. I hate the one I have now (too dark) and I can’t see buying one when I have the fabric to do it myself (and I like my own better, too–they don’t fall apart and always have the exact number of pockets I require).