June 2, 2014

It was a beautiful day here on the Rosebud. Moderate temperature, clear skies and everything seems so clean and refreshed from the rain we got this weekend.  I made a star quilt for Whitney's 8th grade graduation, but I screwed up the machine quilting.  Now I am taking out the quilting and am going to hand quilt it. The quilt is just too big to quilt on my little home machine. Well at least I learned a lesson.....don't try to machine quilt a large quilt until you can learn to machine quilt better. LOL.

Work has been really busy lately. I am working on some projects and trying to get them done in record time.  I need to find out what the Criterion groups are doing and what I need to submit to NCA/HLC for a monitoring report.  I think it is just our audit.  Now we just need to get the Board in line and we will be in much better shape for accreditation.

Well, tonight I am going to work on unsewing the quilting on Whitney's quilt.  I still need to finish Mary's baby quilt.  I gave up on trying to knit....I'm just not "into" it right now.  I want to make some baby moccasins for Chris and Ashley's baby, but I have some time to do that.  The baby isn't due until August.

I am grateful that I have a job, that I have a family that loves me and that I don't have to cook supper tonight.

May 27 2014

It's been a month since I posted. This has been a busy month for me. I can't believe it is already nearly June. I'm really into quilting again. I finished a mystery quilt top this month and a star quilt top. I'm working on a baby quilt for Mary's baby. I'm still having problems at work. I guess I should be grateful I have a job. This is the mystery quilt I finished this month.

April 25, 2014

Thank God that yesterday is gone....I hope there are no repercussions for all the craziness that went on yesterday. SGU is really in need of some serious healing and a way for everyone to learn to work together to achieve goals. It is important that we give a voice to our staff and faculty and a sense of ownership. Everyone has to work to make sure that we are the best institution in the Tribal College system. I see an addictive system that is closed and has a major communications problem.  Triangular communication, secrets, rumors and gossip, all indicators of an unhealthy organization. What do we need to do to bring it back to life and to the glory of prior days.

I question my place in the organization. I don't have the same sense of belonging that I had in the past. I don't believe that Georgia is the right person to run the organization, but it seems that we are stuck with that decision. We have a job to do and need to get beyond this dissension to get the self-study completed and correct the deficiencies that are identified in the probation status. It may mean that we lay off people, which we all hate to do and may mean that I leave the organization. I don't really see a place for me.  We need to look at the organizational chart, reorganize, and decide what the priorities really are for the institution.

I will pray about it and see where it takes me.  What do I really want and what do I feel is best for me?  We need to switch the conversation from personalities and back to the institution.  What is the purpose of the institution and what do we need to do to strengthen it?

As far as quilting and my other crafts go, I have been working on quilts.  I have a mystery quilt that needs to be finished this week-end. I am also making progress on my hand pieced DWR. I hope I can get both done soon. I haven't been knitting at all although everything is within reach.  My poor moccasins are still incomplete.  Maybe that will be my week-end goal......finish my moccasins.

March 10, 2014

Whoa, it's been nearly a month since I posted here.  It's not that I'm not grateful everyday for all the blessings the Creator has bestowed upon me but just that since I got a Smart Phone and Tablet, I don't get on my computer all that often and have been going to bed really early because I am super tired at night.

I have been working on getting a quilt made.  I still need to put top borders on a star quilt I have been working on for the past two weekends.  Yesterday my machine broke so I had to borrow Sam's machine to work on the quilt.  I splurged and ordered a new machine this morning.  I am still going to take my machine in to see if it can be repaired. Hopefully, I will get the quilt top done this week so when my new machine comes I can quilt it on the machine.  I am determined to learn to machine quilt.

Working on all the rest of my knitting projects is kind of hit and miss.  I work on them occasionally and they are within reach when I get the urge to do something. LOL.  I still have to bead the toe of my moccasins, sew on a tongue and finish the cuff.  I might get those done in the next few days.

I really don't like daylight savings time.  It is an hour earlier today and my body feels it.  I don't want to get moving but know that I have a lot of work waiting for me at my office.

February 15, 2014

It's been nearly a month since I posted.  Not doing so well at getting on line and posting in my gratitude journal.  Today I am grateful for a three day week-end.  Last week was horrific at work.  I hope this week-end I will be able to spend more time preparing myself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually for the coming week.

I am working on several craft projects so I'm not finishing anything. LOL.  I am working on a knitted sweater, a shawl, a pair of socks and a pair of fingerless gloves.  I have about 50 quilting UFO's and I am working on beading a pair of moccasins and beading a bracelet. Hopefully, by the end of the three day week-end I will have finished at least one project.

It's 50 degrees outside, but it is windy today, so my allergies are acting up. I am so ready for warm and calm days. The wind really effects my mood. It makes me jittery and restless.

January 16, 2014

I am so grateful I work and live in a place where people are so generous with their knowledge.  Today I learned a new word in Lakota.....wijicapi....economics, get something in return for giving something, my paycheck.  Also the opposite....wicaju...pay for something....thanks to Duane Hollow Horn Bear and Lionel Bordeaux for giving me two new words today.

The wind has finally gone down.  It blew 50 mph all day and was LILA OSNI. Waziyata sure let us know his strength and power today.

I spent the evening playing Farmville which I haven't done consistently for quite a while.  I am trying to wean myself from the addictiveness of the game and only play to enjoy the game when I want some mindless entertainment.

I didn't get to sew, knit or bead today.  Hopefully, tomorrow I will get motivated to work on my crafts.

January 14, 2014

I am grateful for my warm comfortable bed. Tonight I am tired. I still have not worked on my craft projects for an hour a day.  I did work on knitting my shawl for an hour, but no beadwork and no sewing today. I started a crocheted scarf today.  I'm making up the pattern as I go, so I guess we'll see what it looks like when I am done. 

I have a lot of work to do tomorrow and need to be at work early so I can do it.  Guess I'll go to bed early and get an early start tomorrow. 

January 10, 2014

I am not doing such a good job of posting everyday, but then I guess I am posting more than I did in the past two years.  Today I am so grateful for my family; my children and grandchildren, my sisters, my nieces and nephews and all their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  I just love them all so much that it is difficult to put into words.  The babies are so cute and keep us on our toes. Guess our family is expanding even more this year....Jessie is having a baby soon and Ashley and Chris are going to have another baby. Can't wait to meet our new babies.

I slept late this morning (10:00). I never sleep that late. It made me feel rushed all day.  We went to Valentine and by the time we got back it was time to go to the birthday party for Hayden.  When we got home it was already after 6:00.

I haven't got in all my sewing, knitting, beading time this week and I didn't get it in today.  I'm going to have to get on the ball if I want to finish any projects this year.

January 7, 2014

Well, I already missed one day of posting, but I'm going to get back to it today.  I am thankful for being able to work with Mike Benge.  Mike is so stable and such an asset to our institution.  He is the balance wheel that keeps us going.....balances my radicalism (is that a word?) with Georgia's conservatism....has a sense of humor and knows how to work with what we have, not what we would like to have. I have seldom seen him stressed out, have never heard him rant, but I have seen frustration at times, that he seems to shrug off.  I like to observe different management and leadership styles.

I didn't get any knitting, beading or sewing done today.  I waited for Water Resources to come and fix our broken water pipe, but they didn't show up.  Hopefully, tomorrow they will come and fix it.

It is 17 degrees outside, but feels like -7 and we are having snow showers.  The road is a little icy.

January 5, 2014

Wow! It's been over two years since I posted on this blog.  I'm going to try to post here everyday and use this for my gratitude journal.  Today I am grateful for a warm home and plenty of food in the cupboards.  I am thankful for the talent God gave me to do beadwork.  I am grateful that my mother taught me to knit and that my grandma Carrie taught me to sew.  These activities provide me with entertainment and relaxation.

I am working on a knitting a sweater and another shawl.  I have started beading a bracelet. I am sewing a handbag with a star pattern.  I hope to finish the handbag today. I have a quilt in the hoop to handquilt and have not worked on it for months.  I think I may take it out of the hoop and machine quilt it to get it done.  I am trying to work on each of my projects for at least an hour a day.  Hopefully, I'll start to get some things finished this year.