Changes All the Way Around

So many new experiences on the horizon for all members of the family. Today we take Julia to college. After more than a year of very boring college on-line in her bedroom, she finally gets to be in person again. She chose to return to a new university though. This one is 350 miles from home, as opposed to the 55 mile drive to her previous school. That is a big change. She won’t be coming home on weekends so easily. But I think this is the right choice for her. The school has a very different vibe, has 18,000 students as opposed to 35,000. The town is wonderful and it is just a few miles to the beach so the weather is much better. All good things. She is feeling nervous and excited, as are her parents.

Ray and I are taking a couple of days to relax after we settle Julia at school. We haven’t been to the coast since pre-pandemic and are excited to do this. No indoor restaurants or shopping though. Just a few hikes, sleeping in and reading books. Sounds like heaven to me. The air shouldn’t be smokey and the temps in the low 70’s – oh my gosh, I cannot wait. I am not bringing my laptop or iPad so won’t be blogging or reading blog posts for the rest of the week.

My shop is done! I put it on vacation mode which means it is closed but I have the option to use it again. I don’t want to lose the name. I believe if I truly close it with Etsy, I would not be able to use the same name again. It is best to leave my options open. What a strange feeling. My usual morning was to check in when I first woke up to see what orders came in during the night. Then make the coffee and head downstairs to prep any orders needing to be packed. This weekend I felt I was fumbling around not checking my phone for orders or customer questions that needed my response; it was so strange. But I am grateful and excited for this next phase.

Because of the shop, I spent a fair amount of time with Facebook and Instagram. But as most people know, that habit becomes a huge time suck. Look at one thing and down the rabbit hole I would go, wondering where that 30 minutes (or more) went when I resurfaced. I deleted FB and IG from my phone – at least for now I am going to stay away from social media. By the way, I don’t consider this blog, or the blogs I follow, as a form of social media. I love them and will continue to participate. I am unsure why, but social media has been annoying me lately; this means I need to take a break.

OK – that’s it for now. The car is packed to the brim – I hope Ray left a spot for me to squeeze in!! We will get our youngest moved in and then feel happy/sad while she moves a little farther from us (metaphorically and physically). I hope she is happy, makes some lifelong friends and learns all the things she wants to learn. I hope she loves, or at least likes, the three girls she is going to have as roommates and experiences all the fun college has to offer. She told me last night she is just excited to hang out with people her own age. She has been has been isolated with her parents and grandparents during the pandemic and really needs friends younger than 60. Haha.

I hope you are all doing well. If you have a second, I would love to hear your thoughts on Instagram and Facebook in the comments. (I won’t respond right away but promise to in a week or so.) I’ll be back in touch soon but until then, go make something!

26 thoughts on “Changes All the Way Around

  1. Angela J Short

    I like quilting blogs & a few other blogs but I’ve not ever been on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. I probably spend too much time online reading about sewing/quilting but I usually learn something new. Have a safe, fun trip. 🦋🌻

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  2. Barbara Esposito

    Oh Bernie! so so happy for you! Yes ditch IG and FB. I have and what a delight it has been. I did miss the “good” parts of IG – the friends I made, the ideas I was able to glean. But I find that the peeps I really appreciated still keep in touch with me by text or email. My time is mine now. It is amazing how much was “wasted” on IG. Rabbit hole indeed! I think you will find, Like I did, that the folks you love will continue to keep in touch, you time will be better spent, and over all you will enjoy not being aggravated by all the negative things that came up from IG. It was a great place to be at the beginning, but just like FB it became a place for people to complain, bully, argue…As the song says, “Let it go!”
    Wishing you and your family all the best!

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  3. Quilt Mouse

    Change is both exciting & frightening, but often good. Yes FB, IG can be all consuming and it’s often full of people either sharing false information or feeling free to expressing opinions that are best kept to themselves. I wish more people followed this – whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think (speak or write) about such things. On the other hand I do enjoy the fellowship of quilt groups on social media. That’s were I met you & a number of people I consider quilty companions. Enjoy your time away. Allow yourself time for the transition and discover new adventures.

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  4. Wendy Tuma

    If it weren’t for the Facebook quilting groups I’m involved with, I’d be done with ‘Facebook. It has changed so much, and my feed is basically a bunch of ads and other junk, with a few (very few) posts from friends or blogs I like to follow. Instagram is a time suck, but I like the short exchanges much more than posting on Facebook. I wish all the best to Julia – I hope she has a fantastic year! Enjoy your break with Ray – you’ve earned it! Let’s catch up after you’ve had time to catch your breath!

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  5. Carol Westover

    I don’t do Instagram or Tik Tok (??) but do use FaceBook and it’s the way I keep track of my kids and grandkids. I see what they’re doing and when we need to have immediate feedback, we’ll message one another. I try to avoid the political stuff, but do use the community-based FaceBook groups. They’re very helpful.

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  6. Janice Smith

    I have never been a part of Facebook; frankly, it scares me. 🥴 I do follow Sue Spargo on Instagram, but that is it for the most part. Another huge time sucker is Pinterest, but I don’t spend much time there.

    I have been blogging since 2010, and I love reading other blogs, including yours! There is more time and effort needed to write a blog post, and so they are usually worth reading. It’s fun to read about the lives of others from all over and specially those who enjoy quilting, hand stitching, photography, etc. . . . My interests are too numerous to mention. It’s a bit like dropping in to have a few words with a friend you have never met in person.

    Have a great getaway, and I wish Julia a wonderful year ahead in college.

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  7. Kathleen McCormick

    Lots of changes for you, and all good. Good luck to Julia in her new school and you and your husband as you adjust once more. The time away and unplugged will be good. Yes, Facebook and Instagram are a time suck. I loathe each for their own reason: Facebook for its unregulated content that is just plain lies and Instagram is just annoying to use. I prefer blogging and real interactions, but yes, I spend way too much time on both. I’ll be curious to see what you think after some time away from them. Facebook is used by a bunch of groups I like and that makes it hard to give it up, along with some family & friend connections that don’t happen elsewhere.

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  8. Roseanne

    Safe travels, Bernie! WOWEE. All of you have big changes and some trepidation as to what the future may hold. Only good things I pray! A break from social media is a good thing – every now and then I step back, too. They do require huge time allotments that sometimes we just don’t have. What a fabulous idea to put your shop in vacation mode. Very smart!! You never know . . . {{hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne

    Here’s to the first day of a fabulous future!

    Reply
  9. Tu-Na Quilts

    Hi Bernie, Enjoy your family time together. It is one thing you can’t ever replace. Change is good. A lot of people are afraid of change. I’ve learned to embrace it. It means growth. And growth means being alive. Enjoy your new adventures ahead. The pandemic zapped energy from a lot of people. Some of my favorite bloggers have quit their blogs. They’re setting priorities; something which I could learn. I’ve been enjoying my new fabrics that I ordered from you this summer. Your service was very fast! Thank you. Karen

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  10. Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl

    I hope that Julia has a wonderful year at college and with her lovely personality, I’m confident she will make some wonderful friends. Hooray for being near to the coast and having better air quality. I hope you and Ray enjoy your down time as well. As far as IG and FB? Yeah, they are not my favorite way to spend time. I’d much rather interact through my blog, but Bloglovin’ isn’t showing my blog posts anymore and my blog readership (and comments) are way down. So overall I’m feeling pretty strung out and weird about it all. It is what it is, and I’m trying not to stress about things I have no control over.

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  11. Deb E

    Congratulations both on your retirement and helping your last chick leave the nest and get settled! It leaves a big hole, and especially since you’ve basically made two very major life adjustments at the same time. Glad you’re taking time away to start the next chapter of your life, its exciting realizing that all that open time is now YOURS to do with as you/both of you wish. Enjoy!!

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  12. Sandra B

    Have a wonderful trip, and enjoy just unplugging and relaxing after you get Julia settled in….
    Looking forward to seeing where this entirely new chapter of your life takes you, and what new avenues you will discover, or re-discover, as the case may be!
    Safe travels!!!

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  13. Laurie Lasala-Tuttle

    Such great news Bernie! The fabrics I purchased just arrived, quickly & well-packed as always, thank you again! Enjoy your trip, and so glad Julia made changes that are better for her. ❤

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  14. Quiltdivajulie

    I left FB and IG a while ago and have not missed them (aside from businesses that ONLY operate on those platforms – so I just don’t do business with them). You will find yourself feeling lighter and more creative without that time suck! Hooray for Julia being able to be on-campus – may she LOVE the experience. And best to you and hubby as you adapt to your new normal.

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  15. Jay

    Your mini retreat sounds wonderful, Bernie! Heaven.
    I removed myself almost entirely from FB about 5 years ago. It felt toxic to me, so I just stepped away. I didn’t delete my account, but removed as much personal info as I could. I belong to several groups there, so I do visit them occasionally, but do not wander around or even check into my timeline to see what’s happening. As for Instagram, I check that out periodically, mostly when one of my kids tells me there are new pics of the grands. I mostly follow other quilters and artists, along with fun stuff like Chunk the Groundhog and Cheap Old Houses. I very much enjoy the quilty blogs I’ve subscribed to. Otherwise, I’m pretty disconnected. I have other stuff to do! Hope you enjoy your retirement. You’ve earned every minute of it. xoxoj

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  16. Sandra Walker

    I’ve never been a FB user; just had it to keep in touch with one dear friend in NY, and then for when I was a part of Island Batik. I like, not love as I used to, Instagram, mainly because of the changes where you have to pretty much fight to find your friends, like you(!), and also because I know what you mean about the rabbit hole. For me, it’s news that takes a toll on my mental health, and so I go ‘dark’ for a day or two or longer, even hitting “off” on my radio when the hourly news comes on CBC. That helps me a lot. Have a wonderful time on your mini vay-cay!

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  17. Rebecca Grace

    I am RIGHT THERE WITH YOU about FB & IG. Like you, I feel obligated to have a presence on those platforms because of my business. But I don’t feel like I make the personal connections with other makers through those forms of social media because you get to know someone so much more through their words and their stories versus just a couple photos and a caption. Half the time, scrolling through IG, I’m not even aware of who posted which photos. Enjoy your unplugged time and your new freedom! I hope your daughter (and my sons) have a fabulous “almost normal” school year!

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  18. Mari

    Congratulations on your retirement! I will miss your fun shop, but I know this will be a good move for you. And best wishes to Julia, too. I’m sure she’ll do great. The empty nest will be an adjustment (especially after all that time in lockdown together), but it actually is great. As for social media, I keep FB to keep in touch with the very large family, including nieces and nephews, and I have a few friends on there too. I love scrolling through IG and seeing everyone’s pictures, but I seldom post. I don’t have either one on my phone. I do still love blogs, though, and I’m sad about those who aren’t blogging any more. I miss them. Enjoy your lovely vacation! It sounds wonderful.

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  19. Jan Ochterbeck

    Congratulations on your retirement! I’m not on FB or IG so I can’t comment on those, but like you I still like blogs. We bloggers have stories to tell about our quilt projects, and quilty knowledge to share. I’m glad you’ll continue to post, and I’ll continue to visit regularly. Enjoy your new-found free time!

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    1. Linda

      Happy times Bernie! I feel your relief about your shop, just as I am contemplating a real start at Etsy – ha! I’m so happy for Julia. I feel like she’s a niece or someone I really care about, because of your posts about her here on your blog. She is a delight, and I feel she will be happy and make others happy in her new surroundings.
      I quit Facebook a long time ago and now I loathe its regulatory censorship. But I do maintain a very protected profile with an obscure name just so I can sell on Marketplace. Frankly I like IG because of the cats I follow LOLOLOL! Enjoy your vacay – you deserve it. ☺️

      Reply
  20. JanineMarie

    What an exciting time for you and Julia! I wish her well in getting back to a campus lifestyle and hope you and Ray have a marvelous time on the coast. I have a limited presence on FB, primarily to see photos of my grands. I have two Instagram accounts, a non-quilt one for friends and family that is private and then my public quilty one. I’m frustrated that I seem to get mostly ads and “suggestions” on these rather than seeing posts from people I want to see. I think a lot of us have gotten a little tired of posting this year, and maybe all the extra stuff is intended to fill the gap. I do want to keep blogging and reading blogs, but I know I’m missing a lot ever since the email notifications were changed on Blogger. It’s all a little overwhelming right now. Or maybe it’s spillover from an overload of issues related to Covid and the current political climate. But sometimes lately I just want to sew. Oof! Anyway, I’m glad you will still be blogging and I promise to keep reading.

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  21. Cheryl

    I hope your daughter loves her bed school. Congrats on closing up the shop and taking a break from social media. I look at as a necessary evil and try to limit my time on them. Have a great trip!

    Reply

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