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When is a setback an opportunity? When we decide to make it one.

This week I suffered a minor personal, physical setback. While I was working out on Monday morning I tore the ACL (one of 4 ligaments) in my left knee. I may have also damaged the MCL & meniscus – we are waiting for MRI to know the full extent. I’m now on crutches.

On one hand this is a big disappointment. It will slow down my training and I will probably need surgery. It may take 6 months or more until I am fully rehabbed.

On the other hand, I am gaining new insights from this experience that have stimulated exciting new sewing and quilting related ideas. I have a whole new perspective.  Hopefully, these are  “worthy” project ideas that I will be able to share with you this year. AND…since my wings have been clipped so to speak, I have more time each day to develop them.

In the end, I know my destination and I have confidence that I will make it eventually. I am not in a competition. Each day I  remind myself that I need to savor each step of the journey and explore the insights and richness found in the opportunities as they come.

Time is the most valuable resource we have.  How we spend it matters. Once it is gone, we can never get it back.  Not for any price.

How about you? Do you have a setback that you can turn into an opportunity? Tell me if you’d like to share.  I’d love to hear about it.

Throughout 2009 I have worked diligently on achieving a more healthy, active lifestyle.  Thanksgiving 2009 brought our family a new tradition:  The Hobbler Gobbler 5K walk/run.

The event started a little after 9AM on Thanksgiving morning.  It was maybe, barely 39 degrees.  But it was sunny and we were feeling fine.

We did not participate in the timed race. For us, this was just a family event for FUN.

Full of energy and ready to go!

Jeff and I split up to go with the boys at their pace. Jared & Jacob had never gone more than a mile before so they were a little worried about finishing the distance. I went with Jared; Jeff went with Jacob.

As we walked/ran, the boys talked to us about things they love and the time flew. We were done before they realized how far they’d gone. It was an AWESOME start to the day.

Jeff & Jacob coming down the last hill before the finish.

Jeff and Jacob cross the finish line -- feels *SO* good!

The keeper of my heart -- early, late and always. Happy Anniversary Jeff! November 29, 2009 marks the most fabulous 12 years of my life!

Do you LOVE making fabric yo-yos using the new Clover Quick Yo-Yo Makers?

Here’s a great gift idea! If you have the JUMBO and Large size Yo-Yo Makers, you probably already have everything else you need to complete this project.

Yo-Yo Placemats are a sure fire way to add color and interest to your table. Make them totally scrappy; or contrasting 2 color; or single color scrappy; or any way you may dream up.

Yo-Yo Placemat

Click here for the FREE PDF project sheet*.
*NOTE: You must have a recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to open and view this project sheet.  If you experience difficulties, please update your Reader for free at http://www.adobe.com.

The Quilt-O-Grams display in the C & T Publishing Booth at Quilt Market was very popular! Check these out – click images to open larger image in a pop-up window.

Monday was pajama day at school. Jacob had been waiting for me to make him new PJs since summer.  I had a plan to do them with him, but the best laid plans sometimes don’t work out.  I was feeling really guilty and bad about it.  NOW…it’s pajama day at school…so this was my chance to make it right.

Jake had picked out KWIKSew pattern #3042 over the summer.

Now that Fall is here, I needed to upgrade him to the pants instead of shorts, but he still wanted the short-sleeve top.

Jared only needed new PJ pants, opting to wear them with a comfy T-Shirt.  This was a very GOOD thing because I whipped out those pants in just about 1 hour–literally, RIGHT before they walked out the door for school!!!  Want to see how they turned out?

Here are my sweet boys in their new PJs (click the image to open a larger image in a pop up window).
Jacob is on the left; Jared is on the right.