Monday, March 08, 2010

Beautiful Blogger, Beautiful Blogs

 


A couple weeks ago, Julie honored me on her Floribunda blog with this award and I have been remiss in thanking her, following the rules and humbly accepting the lovely compliment. Thank you, Julie. I am honored.

To accept this award, here are the rules: 
  1. Thank the person who gave you the award. Check.
  2. Paste the award on your blog. Check.
  3. Link to the person who nominated you. Check.
  4. Tell 7 interesting things about yourself. At the bottom of this post. 
  5. Nominate 7 or 8 blogs.  Coming right up. 
  6. Post links to those 7 blogs. Ditto.
Here are some beautiful group authored blogs that I especially enjoy, that might not already be on your list: 
  1. ColourLovers - a place to find color palettes inspired by just about anything and other interesting discussions about color.  The blog is part of a larger site which is a great resource.

  2. Fast Friday Fabric Challenge - monthly themes are interpreted by quilters with interesting results. The latest theme was landscape + manipulated fabric.
     
  3. Illustration Friday - while there is a blog associated with this site, it is the weekly topic and response by artists in many media on the site (which is linked) that inspires me.

  4. Sew Retro - sewer/authors share a love of vintage patterns, vintage fabric, vintage style.

  5. The Civil War Bride Quilt - quilty eye candy provided by authors who are making this incredible appliqué quilt.

  6. Twelve By Twelve - a collaborative art quilt project  wherein 12 quilters create 12" square quilts in response to a series of themes.  This year's effort is based on color.

  7. Wardrobe Refashion - designer/authors take a pledge to refashion, renovate and recycle instead of purchasing clothing for the length of their commitment. 

Here are the required seven things that you probably don't know about me:
  1. For the past two months, the states of Michigan and Texas have been playing a shell game with me, assuring me of one thing, telling me to "wait at least a month" before following up and to ignore the automatically generated US Mail I have received, and mostly telling me to contact the other one . . .  with no regard to what they are doing to me.  After patiently waiting and then following up, two different people in two different states have told me today exactly the opposite regarding unemployment benefits than I've been told for the past two months.
     
  2. I have yet to receive any of the benefit to which both Michigan and Texas have assured me for months I am entitled.  I have spent hours and hours just trying to get through on the phone (before the long wait in the queue to reach an actual person) at both Michigan UIA and the Texas Workforce Commission. In the meantime, the deadline for applying for extended unemployment benefits is fast approaching.  I fear that by the time Texas and Michigan sort it out, it will be too late to apply.
     
  3. I have begun to dream about becoming homeless, even though I know it's completely irrational.

  4. My fears about the future have me stopped in my tracks creatively and in other ways, too.

  5. I have never felt so alone and unwanted in my life.

  6. I resisted responding to this award because I just couldn't put on a happy face for my friends in blogland and create a funny list of interesting things about me. Maybe it's just time to come clean about just how bad things are.

  7. I know that certain malicious people follow this blog and will delight in my circumstances, immediately e-mailing their friends, with their added nasty commentary.  I never understood women who treat other women so viciously or those that delight in another's hardship  . . . and probably never will.
Maybe I should have just blogged about the dresses at the Oscars today, huh?

    14 comments:

    Kristin said...

    While I can't say I've "been there" when it comes to unemployement, I completely understand that sometimes life sucks regardless of what you do. I've found that acknowledging and accepting the crappiness is generally the first step out of the crappiness. (Believe me, I've had more than my "fair share" of crappiness.)

    You are in my thoughts and I hope that get better.

    - Kristin

    Christine Thresh said...

    I am so sorry that you feel alone and unwanted. I can't think of what to do for you by long distance.
    I do want to see your creative efforts bloom.
    I guess I'll just keep on sending positive thoughts to you. I hope this situation gets resolved very soon.

    Candace said...

    I've been following your blog for a long time, and hope things are better for you soon. I have been laid off before and know the scariness of it. If prayer and positive thoughts help, and I know that they do, there are some coming from here, and I'll bet that there are many coming from other places, too.

    Susan @ Blackberry Creek said...

    Dear Sophie: I'm keeping you in my heart and in my prayers. I know God has better things waiting for you. I'm so sorry that this difficult time has come into your life. Hang on. Things will get better.

    lj_cox said...

    *hugs*

    I hope things get better, and fast.

    Also love the twelve by twelve group and especially their latest reveal, awesome!

    Goblinf said...

    It's weird isn't it how one can be feeling so dreadful, whilst at the same time, someone else, completely unbenownst to us, finds us an huge inspiration and gives us a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

    Which is what's been happening to me. I've been unemployed pretty much since last May (bar 6 weeks work before Christmas), I'm also not terribly well and was finding that in general I was paralysed into inaction and a lack of creativity by the way life was going. I found your Blog Lotto and your Sophie Junction blogs and have followed various links into places like Patchwork Times, and as a result I've now been inspired to reorganise my house so I can actually do creative (or other stuff) without having to clear up first, and have started to make and sew again. Yes it took my idle browsing to find you in the first place, but the re-sparking of my creativity is entirely down to you and the places I've gone as a result of your blogs.

    I'm really sorry you're having a hard time (I was under the impression you'd moved to Texas for a job and was stunned by how much you were achieving as well as working); I find that eventually there's always something that comes along to make life worth living (even a little thing) - I hope you do too.

    Well done for being so honest on the blog, it must have taken some guts.

    I don't know how you'll feel about God in general, but do you mind if I add you and your situation to my prayers?

    much love
    Goblinf/Lois

    Goblinf said...

    That first paragraph got a bit involved - I think the second 'us' should have been a 'them'.

    Whatever, I think you're amazing, and will continue to do so regardless of how you personally feel about that.

    sophie said...

    I believe my faith is what has sustained me. Prayers, good vibes and crossed fingers are much appreciated.

    Cyndee said...

    Sophie, I read your blog and think of you often. I know you are going thru really rough times but I also know that you are a talented, creative, highly intelligent, wonderful and loving friend. Please don't give up on yourself and don't worry about what others may be thinking. I miss you here in Michigan and I will continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers. You will never be homeless...you are a quilter and any quilter is welcome in my home.

    Barbara C said...

    Dear Sophie,
    I'm sorry you're having a tough time. It sucks to feel like totally irrational entities have power over our lives. Keep the faith in yourself as a valuable, creative person who deserves love and respect from the world. I'm keeping you in my thoughts.

    Zegi said...

    I hope things turn around for you quickly. My general philosophy in life is that things happen for the best, even the most tragic things. We cannot know God's plan but we can trust that he has one. Good luck & may many blessings soon be on their way.

    Entre Nous said...

    Bureaucratic Bulls--t is the worst. The only way to get through it is start threatening to call the AG's office in both states if you don't get results fast. The only way these state agencies get their butts in gear is the threat of an internal investigation. Trust me, it wors.

    Joni

    Entre Nous said...

    Bureaucratic Bulls--t is the worst. The only way to get through it is start threatening to call the AG's office in both states if you don't get results fast. The only way these state agencies get their butts in gear is the threat of an internal investigation. Trust me, it wors.

    Joni

    Moira said...

    You're not alone! Wish I could tell you how to deal with TX and MI but that is something beyond me. Hope it all works out to the best for you.

    Hugs,
    Moirs

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