Maintaining the balance

I am working hard to maintain the balance of family, friends, full time job, being an adjunct instructor at PSU, running a pediatric treatment study group, participating on a couple of boards, quilting (including bees, quiltalongs, PMQG, etc.), reading, exercising, and spending an appropriate amount of time at the beach (which to me is as much as possible).  And those are just the highlights.  But, we are ALL very busy, and we ALL have the same amount of time in the day (not enough).  No matter what we let go of or say no to, we all manage to fill our lives up.  The trick is to enjoy the ride.  Here are a few things I'm doing to thrive while maintaining the balance.

Exercise:

A friend gave my husband a guest pass to the Nike Employee Store.  We've been given passes before, but this is the first time I've gone along.  I was so overwhelmed at first that after choosing a new pair of running shoes, I just pretty much enjoyed watching the rest of the family filling carts.  After some encouragement from my husband, I added some running socks, shirts, and jackets.  And then, my new favorite toy -- 

Nike + iPod.  

I seriously thought after this morning's run/walk that I would find out that I hadn't gone as far as I thought, but I was wrong! I actually went father than I would have guessed.  Now I can use my running app, listen to music, and track my stats all at the same time!  Does that count as multitasking?

I can almost feel my butt improving already (smile).  Check out the Improv(e) Your Butt challenge to prevent or treat quilter's butt today.  And if you're using a Nike + iPod or involved in the IYB challenge, I'd love to hear about it!

Sleeping like a baby:

Or a cat on a quilt.  Hmmm.  Must be all that exercise.

Spending time with family and friends:

-- especially if it involves sharing a meal together.

Lots of prep work:

I love my grad students already, even though I won't meet them for two more weeks.

Being inspired by fellow Portland Modern Quilters:

Elizabeth presents on fabric dyeing.

My friend, Tobey, shares her version of Kate Conklin's Wonky Donkey quilt.

My friend, Violet, shows off her beautiful quilt and fabulous label.

Check out the Portland Modern Quilt Guild blog, where I just posted all the latest from last Thursday's meeting.

Are you involved in a local modern quilt guild?  How's it going in your area?

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan