This blog entry is long and has lots of text and no pretty pictures. I don't blame you if you don't read it.

I know that my loyal one or two readers are probably just dying to know what I've been up to. Well, I have completed or nearly completed a few projects, but I haven't had time to blog about them.

I even took a few pictures of things I wanted to blog about, but now that I have a spare moment, I'm at work (er ... don't tell. It's Sunday and slow) and don't have access to my camera/photos.

Coming up on the blog:

1. Latest quilt: it doesn't match my living room, but who cares!
2. Mother's Day sock disaster: How many months can I spend knitting only to screw it up?
3. Quilted List Taker: A cute and useful way to use up scraps of great fabrics.
4. Paper that turns into wildflowers: Seriously! You just plant it and water it.
5. New and improved herb garden: OK, so forget the seeds. But will I remember to water it?


Work was really hectic last week. For two weeks straight, I only have one day off. Last week I also switched from my usual swing shift at the paper to earlier shifts (10:30 or noonish, depending), so that threw my schedule way off. I had no time for sewing this week, and may not have any next week. I'm thinking of refusing to make plans on my day off next week so that I can finish some projects.

Upcoming projects:

1. Finish Eiffel Tower top
2. Make black skirt to go with it
3. Start secret gift quilt
4. Make more List Takers for gifts
5. Think about making one of the other zillion patterns I got on sale a few months ago.
6. Think about submitting something to the State Fair this fall. I was thinking about a sweater I've knitted and maybe something I've sewn. I really wanted to design a dress from scratch and make it out of this golden butterfly brocade I have, but it's a project I set aside several years ago.


So, back to the topic of work. I usually don't discuss my job on my blog because I think that's dangerous territory. But I will talk about what's going on just a little. I am a copy editor, and my department is called the copy desk. We are the last line of defense before stories are printed, and we edit stories and write headlines and proof pages.

With the newspaper industry in dire straits, newspapers all over the country have folded or had massive layoffs. We are lucky that we started cutting back several years ago and only laid off about a dozen people. We also don't replace those who leave.

The other day it was announced that the copy desk is nearly being disbanded, and we will be divided up and inserted into various departments. Still mostly copy editing, but with no copy desk leader, so it's a really big change. We don't know what hours we will work or what our exact jobs or days off will be. It's scary. But it's also something different, and we must flow with the tide. Things are changing, and change can be good. They have assured us that they plan no layoffs right now, so at least I have a job, right?

I'm just not sure what I want to put in for my department preference request, since it could completely change my days off and work hours.

Phew. Done with the downer talk. Next blog will have pretty pictures and happy talk of crafts! Yay!