I've been asked to make a quilt by my colleague for her nephew a while ago. It needed to be ready by mid-december... and it was going to be.... 

That's when i realized i can never say "no" when people ask me for help or a favour.... indeed, i find myself with tons of things that i must do for others... and no time to do important things for myself, such as studying for my Masters!

"Would you mind finishing it for Sunday, as i would like to offer it on Monday?"

That was on Thursday evening at work, when i had to go to University from 8 am to 6 pm the day after, then go to my painting lesson, then sleep to be able to attend more lectures at University the morning after (8-12 pm), and be back at home to give my neighbour an English lesson at 1:30, go shopping for food and more material for the quilt... indeed HAVE SOME REST too because i had worked full time this week on top of that!

After that, i got a phone call on Saturday afternoon (while i was actually teaching)... "Claire, could you please translate this, i need it quick, before the end of the week-end, bla bla bla bla bla bla..." "Well... i do have a lot of things to do.... but i guess, if it is not too long, yes, i'll do it"

I mean... Don't people understand that during the week-end I actually want to have some time off for myself? That they should not expect me to spend ALL my time off to do things for them? It's not even like i'm getting money for what i do for them, i thus believe they should be more lenient to me, and less insistent! Now that i think of it.. it makes me wonder whether i have special skills that no one else does (which i doubt) or if people ask for my help because it won't cost them any, or at least, much money? I guess i should consider having a business!

I used to have the feeling that i lead a double life, actually triple: work, studies, husband... (and i never give him as much time as i should and would!)... But now i have even more!

Gosh! I need a break, and i need to be able to work on my paper, because my husband and my studies should definitely be my priority!

So now... i'm done with the quilt... it is 1:15 am, i still need to make the translation (it is a short one, but the person who wrote that in English cannot speak it! So i need to take a guess on what they meant!)... and i'm left with the feeling that i am too "nice" a person (i wonder if being "too nice" ever gets back to you anyway), that i should learn how to refuse to help when i can't,  and that i need to get my life back, QUICK!

So... anyway.... here it is, i mean, the quilt, just to keep track of what i made, after it's gone...

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