What's important to you?

For someone who is rarely at a loss for words, sometimes it's just plain hard to keep up with bloggin'. I tend to think, "Why would anyone want to read my blog?" Especially this time of year, I'm very much in ROBOT MODE so life is pretty predictable and boring. My typical day: Look at the orders on hand, answer e-mails, send out fabric swatches, order fabrics for new jobs, delegate orders to my contract seamstresses, SEW, SEW, SEW, package orders, start all over! Oh, and every now and then, I need to make a trip to the grocery store. It's a crazy busy time of the year, and it will be even more so this Christmas season with our ad in Country Sampler Magazine. Thank goodness for Carol, who is handling the bulk of the sewing for the Virginia House Swag Curtains. I am SO-O blessed to have found her! Also Jan and Dee who have been a tremendous asset this year. I think we're turning into a very good team.

Anyway, today was one of those days that I planned to bury myself in my workshop. I'd already lost a day yesterday with attending a funeral and helping with the dinner at my church. I KNEW I had to grocery shop sometime, but hey, what's more important- getting orders completed or having food in the house? I got an early start and was making progress. . . until my DIL phoned. She was coming across town to shop at our favorite Food Outlet and thought we might hook up while she and Randy Gunner-man were in town. Sew? Meet Randa? Sew? Meet Randa ~ so I headed to the Outlet Store thinking I'd get there around the same time. 'Cept she wasn't there; she'd stopped at an antique/estate liquidation store down the road and was quite happy with what she was seeing. Off I went to the antique store, and was I glad I went! The owner was a sweetheart, and she even set up a video of Beauty and the Beast for Randy while Mom and Grandma browsed. Randa found a beautiful couch that will go perfectly in their living room! It was a great deal with a nice mark-down by the store owner. I also got a vintage set of children's dishes, cups, and pitchers - 31 pieces for $10.00. Randa said she had a set just like it as a little girl, and now Grandma can have tea parties with Natalie and Kaylee. After stops at the Outlet, Marc's, Giant Eagle, the post office, and The Olde Picket Fence, I headed back to JoAnn Fabrics for a few supplies. Finally got home, unloaded the groceries, made supper, and got a couple of hours sewing in this evening. I didn't get all my intended list done today, but I got to spend some quality girl time with my DIL, got the pantry stocked again, and still got two orders done and shipped. I feel really, really good about that couch too as it was much needed.

The moral of this story is: Remind myself to not let "things" or my "list" become more important than the people I love. After seeing the grief of a family who lost their 21-year old son in an auto accident, it puts time spent in perspective. I'm glad I made the right choice today.

Randa Yoak, my daughter-in-law