Gift of RA

I promised this post would be continued.

When I got out of the car, my friend Patti was there.  I was going to pick her up, then I had to be back here by 2 so we just came in separate cars.  I brought my wheely walker with me, I need somewhere to sit at certain points.  We went up to the 5th floor to check out where the breakfast was, plus I had to register.  Unfortunately they couldn’t find me, but Thea figured out what was happening and gave me my badge holder and breakfast ticket.  They don’t have kitchen facilities at that particular location, so they asked that we each use only one plate for everything.  They gave us quite a good breakfast and there were some awards given as well.  The fashion show was about some of the apparel from several suppliers to give us an idea of what is new.

The breakfast was supposed to be until 10:15, then the Showcase started at 10:30 – they finished at 9;30 which gave us an hour to wait.  Patti and I made sure we used the facilities before going on the show floor.  I also brought my wheely crate – I am my own traffic jam.  This time I hung the tote bag from Bagmakers on one handle of the walker and my purse on the other – my crate I kept folded up and on the seat of the walker and catalogs on top.  There were four aisles with booths on each side – I found I had to have a sit down at the end of each aisle.

I had a couple of clients I was looking for things and ideas.  I realize now I would have smarter to have a notebook to write down the ideas and from what supplier so I would remember them.  I noticed people doing that and wished I had thought of it.  By then I was halfway through and had already couldn’t quite remember which booth I found what or what ideas.  I learn something new each time to make my time more valuable and efficient.   In some ways I feel as though I have been away for a long time and I am now starting over in some ways.

I saw familiar faces and met some new suppliers as well as  distributors I know.  I don’t see as many familiar distributors the past few Showcases.  I ended up with a lot of catalogs and samples, plus some are being sent.   It’s one of those times when the eyes glaze over and the mind goes into neutral.  I did better this time and although I was tired at the end, I went up and down all the aisles and found it was about 2:30.  Turns out my appointment with Brigh for 2 was moved to 4, then moved to Thursday and  finally cancelled because I wasn’t ready to have things sell.  when Alyssa comes, she will have cash and want to buy on the spot.  Monday I will call to get this show on the road.

For three or four nights I looked through my catalogs – halfway through it hit me that I need to put a sticky note on things I wanted to remember.  Usually things sit for a while until I feel rested enough.  Thursday I went to Apple for the group training – Eddie’s newsletter is ready for him and he started with some stories, that meant I had something show and see if I needed to make any changes.  I had time so I started working on my book – I had to start from scratch because my book is on this computer, not Eddie’s lap top.  I put it on a USB drive I got at the show and I will use that when I go on Thursday.  Yesterday Eddie was working on his newsletter and was frustrated –  it’s not the template, it’s Eddie.  He isn’t great at typing and wants everything work perfectly all the time.  I told him not to worry about it, I can fix it later.  He is already wanting to put pictures in but that is the last things to do.

When I came home from Apple, I started taking pictures of things – jewelry, dishes, furniture, etc. and then uploading.  I haven’t really put any description, just pictures.  Seems as if that is all I have been doing for several afternoons.  It takes longer than I thought, but I have put a lot on the blog.  Who knows what I will find when they come to help clean out and price.  I saw Mom on Friday and read some more of Candy’s book – she started to fall asleep after about 30 to 45 minutes.  Actually, she was fast asleep when I came that morning.  Then home for more pictures and uploading.  I will admit to starting to feel I was really beginning to slow down.  Thank goodness I have been sleeping pretty well.

Luzma has been busy in our yard – she is a whirling dervish with her weed whacker.  She did along the drive and up the side of the garage, then the overgrown bed where the rose bushes were by the garage and now she is working her way up under the two cherry trees and around the fig tree.  I don’t know if is part of her grieving process for her cat Lady – they found her dead and it looks as if something living in the canyon was too much for her.  Eddie keeps telling her she doesn’t have to do it, but she seems to want to do it.  She even told me she dreams at night about it and how beautiful it will be.  We are blessed with great neighbors on each side of us.  The Allen’s on the other side are planning to pave their drive again and wondered if we wanted to do it as well.  So we need to get an estimate from them – John and Luzma first said they were interested but now they aren’t.   I just take it as it comes.

It will be interesting to see what happens this coming week.

It looks as though I have more energy that I realized – or is it that feeling of close deadlines and no time to dawdle around?  I’ve decided it is a combination of both.  I think the meds are slowly kicking in plus I have been doing some Youtube chakra clearing and other videos.  I read somewhere that having hot lemon water first thing in the morning is beneficial, so last week I was able to combine that with Youtube meditations before starting the day.  Now, if I can work it so I go straight to sleep when the light goes out and get up at 6 every morning so I have that first hour for lemon water and meditation, I’d have it made.  Baby steps so far.

I feel as if I have been  going several places a day or doing something for the past week or more.  I finally found someone to check out the furniture, etc. and he also does house sales.  I would like to have found him earlier since this is the best month to do a sale and to have fairly good weather.   Then I would have had more time to go through stuff and see what my sisters want.  I have been taking pictures of furniture, jewelry, dishes, etc. and putting them on a new blog – just what I need, another blog – so my sisters can see what I have found.  Unfortunately it is such a rush and I feel a bit badly about pushing so hard.  I have been in limbo for the past year and it is long past time for us to move forward with our lives.  I feel as if I have been taking care of everyone else’s affairs while mine are on hold.

Monday last week I had my chiro appointment, stopped at the library to download some of Candy’s new book, then stopped at Burien Press to give Brigh a coffee gift card for coming out to the house the Friday before to check out what we have to sell without his usual fee.   Then I went home to create the new blog,  which took me longer than I planned.   Then Tuesday morning I had a doctor’s appointment with my primary care doc.  He was pleased with me and doesn’t want to see me for 3 months – must mean I am doing well.  Right after that I went to visit Mom.  I took some of the pages of the book to read to Mom, plus bring her cookies.  I read the first 20 pages or so aloud to her and later found Judy had been listening as well.   Mom was alert for most of the time, then she started closing her eyes.

On Tuesday afternoon I was going to the pro D in the afternoon for the NWPMA Showcase – they do education the first day, then the Showcase with suppliers the 2nd day.  I was all set to go when I found out Ami Simms was going to be in Seattle for a few hours and she was looking for lunch companions.  Charlotte offered to pick her up at the airport and then another lady named Becky was interested.  I saw it on Facebook the week before and put in my 2 cents worth.  So after I saw Mom, I met Char and Becky at Southcenter and we drove to the cell phone lot at the airport to wait for Ami to call.

Ami is a well known quilter and create all kinds of patterns and techniques.  Back when I lived in Bethlehem, I took a class based on her book about photo to fabric – I made a hanging with pictures of my cat Muffet.  I have enjoyed Ami’s blog and so for me it was a real treat.  I wanted to do Pro D as well, but I wanted to meet Ami more.  We had a little trouble finding her at baggage claim because we were at Delta and she was at Alaska.  Becky went to check inside and then Charlotte called Ami and found she was walking towards us.  I got out and went to meet her and I saw her coming.  We hugged and I showed her where Char was parked.  Then I went into baggage claim to find Becky but didn’t see her.  when I came out, Char said Becky had called and she arrived at the car when I did but from the opposite direction.

We went over to Southcenter and went to a Pho shop I had gone a while back.  We all had the soup and we all enjoyed it very much.  Ami is such a delight, the minute I met her, I felt I had known her for a long time.  She is very down to earth and genuine, so easy to be with.  We all had a wonderful time, talking, laughing and generally enjoying our time together.  I think they all felt the same way I did, I was sorry when it was over.  Ami had been in Alaska doing a class and had gotten up very early that morning.   She had a 10 hour layover before she was finally able to fly home to Michigan I think.  After lunch she was ready to  wind down and relax before her flight.

Wednesday was Showcase day.  First there was the breakfast at 8:30, then a fashion show before the Showcase itself opened.  They held it at the Tacoma Convention Center – very modern building and I think it is fairly new.  I wasn’t sure where the A parking lot was – the accessible one – plus my other trips down that way often included a lot of traffic.  So I was there very early, although I had to go round the block 2 or 3 times to find the garage entrance for the A section.

To be continued.