What are you addicted to?

There are so many thoughts going through my head this morning. I heard some disturbing things yesterday. You've been in this situation - you might have been on a train, at the grocery store, in the airport, at the dinner table, and what is everyone doing? 

They are on their phone! And what are they doing? Endlessly scrolling through countless Social apps -- Facebook, IG, X, Pinterest, Facebook, IG, X, WhatsApp, X, Pinterest. It's ENDLESS scrolling. 

The sad thing is that you are devoting YOUR PRECIOUS hours left in your life to being entertained by total nonsense! What are you thinking? 

Do NOT YELL at me for that because you can't deny it! I have basically turned off notifications on my phone—it is a completely SILENT device. The phone rings? I don't hear it. A text comes in? I don't hear it. Do I care? I do NOT need to be connected to the world until I am ready to be connected. Before you yell at me - I get it that some people may need to be connected because of health issues, family matters, or whatever. But do you need to respond to every text message immediately? 

I will admit that from time to time I get caught up in watching reels, but after a couple, I remind myself that most of them are AI-generated, have ZERO point, and are a complete and utter waste of time. 

I hear stories from my friends that they meant to look at Pinterest for five minutes, and hours later, they are still scrolling. Or they just spend an hour checking out Social media platforms. 

What I don't get is why we are so interested in OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES and yet we don't care about our own? You could have been stretching in that hour, you could have been having a phone conversation with a family member or friend (GASP - does anyone do that anymore?), you could have been tidying up your house, learning a new skill by watching a YouTube video, or reading a book, or any other multitude of things. 

I totally get that these apps are addictive, and guess what? They were created that way! Those reels with their 1-second intro and enticing titles. They are made to grab our very short attention spans. But what many people don't realize is that this addiction to your phone is as bad as an addiction to ANY OTHER substance abuse addiction. Yep --- it's an addiction. Remember when the iPhone first came out? Many of the bigwigs in Silicon Valley, including Steve Jobs, would NOT allow their family members (or maybe just their children) to have one because they built it to be addictive. 

We're going to have to start the 12-step program for phone use. 

Sometimes people say they are bored, so they reach for their phone. Did you know that being bored is a VERY GOOD THING!!! We need to be bored; our brains need to have a break from the constant barrage of information. And then we wonder why everyone is so anxious and impatient these days. Yep --- "If I don't get instant gratification for anything, I'm not happy." 

Our world is quickly becoming a very sad place. Trust me, I'm not perfect, but I have greatly reduced my screen time - no TV since 2010. I confess I haven't even watched the Olympics, aside from the Opening Ceremony. I only have two social media accounts - IG and Facebook. I might check them a couple of times a day, but I'm probably in each account for a maximum of 10 minutes a day, unless there is a special event, like Quilt Con or the Olympics, in which I spend a bit more time. 

I'm not wired any differently than anyone else, but I have made CONSCIOUS decisions to not get addicted! I'd really like to remember who taught me Grade 7 Social Studies, because whoever it was, that is the class I remember the most. We were taught all about how companies market to us and try to suck us in. Gosh -- I wish I could remember more about that! But that fact has remained with me for years, and I still live by that. 

But all that brings me to the current book I'm reading, called The Brain at Rest by Dr. Joseph Jebelli. His research has led him to believe that our brains are so overworked that we are heading to significant issues with our brains, which can lead to breakdowns, forms of dementia, stress, anxiety, and many other ailments. He equates those little things like forgetfulness (not to age, not to dementia), but to overloading the brain so that it can't handle the small details of our lives. 

He talks about just sitting and doing NOTHING -- not even with a cell phone, which is an onslaught of verbal and visual diarrhea to your brain. Open and empty your brain every day, meditate, forest bath, or whatever you need to do, but our brains need to rest! That is how people rejuvenate, and often after a rest period, you come back to your desk, with a new perspective and filled with ideas. 

Hmmm --- not to toot my own horn, but I do this EVERY SINGLE DAY and most days - I do it twice, once with the girls and then on my own. I don't listen to audiobooks or music. I just look at my surroundings, I let my brain just wander, and I've had so many exciting things happen on those walks. 

Why don't you try it? Turn off notifications on your phone, then schedule a time once or twice a day to check your social platforms. Can you do it? I dare you!!!! The predominant use of my phone is the CAMERA. I will NOT get rid of my phone, but I refuse to let it dictate my life or waste my precious time. 

OK --- after that rant! Let's see what happened yesterday. 

Another call from Microsoft - at least they call when they say they will. But not fixed yet. More information gathering, and the support rep will go back to their engineering team. It's all about two big kids who can't play well together in the sandbox! 

I have to update the BIOS on my HP computer, and then there will be another call from Microsoft on Tuesday. 

Look at that roof of ours. Yep --- that peak in front is an issue. Is it the valleys? The pitch of the roof? What causes the snow to not melt quickly? I'm not worried - the ice dam is gone, but I need to follow up with the insurance and an engineer this week. 

Still snow in the roof valleys

OK -- I was trolling Facebook (on my limited allotted time) yesterday and spotted this. Isn't this a nice thing? 

YES --- we need to do this!!!

 

What nice thing have I done for others recently? Well, in my Colour My World class, I know a few people are struggling with timing issues -- they may have a health problem, be moving, or whatever. I have offered to give them a few extra classes (for free) after we formally finish the class. I want them to be successful in completing their quilts!!

Speaking of Colour My World, here's what my quilt looks like to date! 

My version of Colour My World

I've used bright batiks, and I absolutely LOVE the quilt. It's coming together nicely, and there has been some seam ripping along the way, but for the most part, it's been amazing to work on. We still have a lot of work to do before the final reveal in June, but I am confident the class will succeed. 

Here's an interesting situation that has happened to me. I've been a quilt teacher for 25 years and have enjoyed meeting all the students, seeing their creativity, and listening to stories of how I have helped and inspired them over the years. What I particularly like is seeing the students and their skills grow -- I push them hard sometimes, but when that lightbulb goes on, that is what teachers live for! 

I wrote an entire story about this, but I think I'll condense it to this. 

As a teacher, what is better: 

Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day?

OR 

Teach a man to fish, and he eats for the rest of his life? 

My job is to teach them to make, sew, and design blocks, NOT to give them a pattern, unless there is an absolute failure with the patterns/instructions from the designer. I'm just there to guide them. 

Whatever will I do with that, Miss Murphy? She thinks the entire house, especially Studio B, is her sleeping spot. I often catch her around the corner in the stash room, completely happy to be by herself. However, when she needs attention, she DEMANDS it. I think she knows that she has to turn her brain off every once in a while. Maybe she has been reading my book! 

Fast asleep in the corner of the stash room

Then last night, I had to lay my quilt on the floor because the design wall was full. This is what happened. 

MOM - are these for me to test?

Oh yes -- she got even cosier as she stretched out in full. So the quilt rows 1, 2, and 5 have been assembled, and I'll have to do 3 and 4 this afternoon. What a silly girl!!!!! 

I remembered to take a picture of the painting that Cynthia painted of our dogs. This was not a favor; I commissioned her to paint the picture. I love supporting artists because that is how they make their living. 

This is Little Sammy on the left, and the detail Cynthia put in the tail is incredible, and it's exactly like Sammy's tail was. I gave her photographs of the forest and the dogs, and this is what she painted. The only artistic license she took (with my permission) was to paint the background sky. You can't really see the sky in the forest. 

The dog on the right is Miss Lexi, and the dog in the back is Sparky, who had already crossed the Rainbow Bridge at that time. Miss Murphy hadn't arrived at the time. Sammy passed before the painting was done, but we knew it was imminent. 

The girls BEFORE Muprhy

I'm sure that Murphy is miffed every time she looks at it, which must be often since it sits on our fireplace mantle in the family room!!

I have lots more to share, but I've run out of time. 

There is a Virtual Retreat today, starting at 3 PM. Here's the link. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89869001291?pwd=h57kT9axwTnd2xtJvuO0z2UOmUo45w.1

Meeting ID: 898 6900 1291
Passcode: 136711

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!