Well, what do ya know?

I think I managed to go a full year without actually sitting down and blogging. I'd rather DO the things I want to write about: knit, rubber stamp, read, etc. I used to be pretty good about it, but no more.

Maybe it is a function of getting older but I have less focus. Good thing my livelihood does not rely on my blogging skills.

This winter has slogged on-lots of snow and very very cold. Everyone is complaining, but I try and remember it is part of our weather cycle in this state. We don't have hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes and relatively few tornadoes. So I don't really feel bitching about the cold is good karma.

And then I remember days like June 15, 2013. What was so special about that day? The weather was GORGEOUS. When people ask "It is so cold/windy/ugly/gray/rainy. WHY do we live here?" I can say "June 15, 2013. THAT is why we live here." That day and days like it. Sure, it gets humid. Sure, it gets cold. And gray. And rainy. And windy. And ugly. Gotta take the good with the bad people.

Now, off to do at least a little exercise so I can get these pounds that have crept back on, OFF. Walking outside has become a habit (at least until this last cold snap) but when it is too cold or treacherous to walk I have to cultivate the habit of doing a DVD or something. Otherwise the scale punishes me no matter how good my eating has been.

Thus ends a somewhat disjointed post. Happy 2014, all!

Fall 2012

Well here I am again wondering where the time has gone. An early, beautiful spring gave way to a hot, EXTREMELY dry summer. Fall has been better but my seasonal anxiety has set in as usual. I feel like I am handling it better, somewhat.
Knitting and stamping (when I can get to that) still are immensely helpful in dealing with all this anxiety and powerlessness.
I've lost 50 pounds since May!!!! I splurged on myself and signed up for Medical Weight Loss. Of course, I had to stop getting my allergy shots in order to be able to pay for it, but so far no ill consequences. And having the weight off has eased up my neck and back pain, which makes having given up the chiropractor so Sanna could go more bearable. Oh, to win the lottery!!
I keep thinking of how my mother (how I do miss her, so very much) would say it isn't a 'splurge' to take care of oneself. Thanks mom, you are so right.
Well, I guess that will be all for now. Will try to catch up more later. Time to take on the day, better or worse. Hoping for better.

Last day of spring, first day of summer

Wow, I'm on a ROLL. Feeling some creative energies flowing, even though I haven't had a whole lot of time to express them. It is nice to see my muse poking her head out.

I've lost darn near 20 pounds (that's 1/3 of the way to my goal!), and feeling darn good about it. Even went for a walk this morning before it got hot and got in a trip around the pond with the dogs. My foot was so sore yesterday and still today, so I was nervous but with good shoes and socks on it was fine. Still wish I knew what I did to it to make it feel so bruised.

Headed off to Forma this afternoon with a friend to get yarn for my Christmas knitting. I always say I don't DO any Christmas Knitting, but I do. I just don't pressure myself much about it. And Jan has been wanting to get up to Forma and we both have time, so off we go. He has a lovely site in the woods of northern Ann Arbor.

After I get home, dinner will be something easy and I'm going to try and get into the basement for some decluttering and maybe some stamping. I have a package to get in the mail to my friend Susan. She generously knits me socks so I send her yarn whenever I can. I wanted to get a card ready to go with it and finally got it finished the other day. Now to wrap up the box and get it sent!

Now that I've stated my goals in my little blog, I'm hopefully more likely to follow through. Now, back to my to do list at work. It includes two of my least favorite tasks....ugh. At least it is cool in here.

Until next time!

(Very) Late Spring 2012

This must be a new record. Two posts not only in one year, but within the same season!

I've got a little of a handle on my 'take care of me' problem. I signed up for Medical Weight Loss after hearing umpteen ads on the radio and knowing a couple people who have had success. It is sort of expensive (don't believe those $3/week ads for a second!), but hey, I'm worth it. I have a hard time believing this but it is what I've been told. I know my mom would approve.

The cost was the first discovery. I honestly can say I didn't think it was going to cost $3/week. They couldn't possibly make any money that way. But I went for it, and I'm glad. So far I've lost 16.5 pounds, in just over a month. I'm never hungry, the nutrients are very tasty, the people are super friendly & encouraging. It is all good!

The second discovery was that I had more weight to lose than I thought. Or, to put not too fine a point on it, I was fatter than I realized. Ick. So, my goal is about 50-60 pounds total. Mary, the woman who signed me up, says this is do-able by SEPTEMBER 1 if I do what I'm supposed to. Holy Toledo! So I am very motivated between having spent the money, seeing fast results, and a goal date that is so tantalizingly close.

The third discovery was really more of a confirmation of what I knew to be true but was really hoping wasn't. I was going to have to exercise, at least a little. For the plan, only 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Really, that is nothing, but I make it into a big something in my mind. Especially this spring when I've felt so frazzled and overwhelmed. Ninety minutes of KNITTING time....for what? To take care of myself? Pshaw. I'd rather knit.

So I'm still working on that 'knit while I walk' thing (I really don't think I can make the 'knit while I bicycle' thing work, except maybe at the gym. Not sure I can take the stares there).

Now that I've got most of that down, in two blogging sessions, I am going to go refill my coffee and knit for a while before I have to get anyone up to go anywhere. I have so many lovely projects swirling around my brain, and plenty of yarn in the stash for most of them. Naturally, I start to obsess on projects I don't have yarn for, and I'm going to a local, out of the way shop next week. The purpose is to a: hang out with my friend Jan; and b: get wool for 2 pairs of Christmas slippers for my nieces.  The temptation is to 'stock up' for these other projects swirling in my brain (Corona, Sexy Vesty, Thermal sweater, Simple Summer Tweed, 3xChic, to name a few). I may need a chaperone for my check book. But for now, the cuff of 'Rhombus' looks lovely in a red Heritage Paints yarn.

Time's a tickin', so I'd better get to it. If you see a woman walking and knitting at the same time, don't laugh. She's just trying to fit it all in.

Spring 2012

Believe it or not, I've actually tried to post a couple of times recently. For some reason I wasn't able to sign into this blog. The internet nymphs conspired against me. But the notion struck here at work (where I should be working) on a sunny Saturday in early April so here I am.

I tend to use this as sort of a journal, but not too personal since it is, after all, the internet. Even with only 2 followers, it is still out there. somewhere. Bwaaahaha. Life lately has been....I don't know. I'm happy, generally, but over all unhappy. I'm going along, raising beautiful daughters and doing the best I can in my work. (Well, sort of the best I can, since I'm goofing off right now, blogging at work. ) I don't feel like I am at the place in my life where I thought I would be at almost 47 years old. I feel like I'm taking care of everybody BUT me. Though if I had time to do whatever I wanted, for me, I feel like I would fritter it away like Frankie did on 'The Middle' one Mother's Day.

I want to do what is bad for me but get the results of doing what is good for me. Why can't knitting burn enough calories to negate the Milky Way 'Simply Caramel' bunny I just ate?

I guess the long and short of it is, I take care of everybody. But if I didn't have to I wouldn't necessarily use the time wisely. I'd still be fat and out of shape.

I feel like I'm waiting for the destination and not enjoying the journey. Not good. How to change it?

Mitzvahs, cards, knitting, canoes

Well, they don't seem to go well together, do they? The last 2 weekends have been full of those things and lots more. I keep waiting for a 'do nothing, relaxing weekend'.

Last Saturday at 9:10 Sanna asks if the rest of us are ready to go to the Bar Mitzvah. ??? Nope, we forgot all about it (even though I just thought about it the day before) and managed to get ready in record time. No time to make a card however. There was also a Bat Mitzvah Sanna attended several months ago that the card & gift keeps escaping me. So, this weekend those cards WERE getting made. It is now 9:10 and I've managed it, thanks in part to the extra hour that comes with the time change.

So, that covers Mitzvahs and cards. Is 'Mitzvahs' even an acceptable pluralization of Mitzvah? Since there was both a Bar & a Bat Mitzvah involved, I'm hoping so.

Knitting, always knitting. The first half of the bedspread is done and we're loving it. All other projects on hold, pretty much. That said, I'll sum up the 'canoes' part and go knit.

Last Sunday was consumed with 'Art on the Farm', a local artisans show where Doug has shown his canoes the last 2 years. He didn't sell one (we didn't really expect him to, canoes at that price aren't really a cash and carry item) but I did sell quite a number of knit items. I was thrilled and hope to have more to show next year. When I wasn't talking about canoes at this show, I was talking about his steam engines, also on display, and felt quite a bit out of my element. The rest of the time I was talking about knitting, which was much better.

So far November has been lovely. My mood will likely stay good as long as the weather does. I'm also applying for part time jobs. Blech. But more on that next time.

Fall fun!

I've been cooking again, and believe it or not, stamping a bit. Halloween got me going. While I'm not spending more than a little bit of time every few days, it does feel good to get inky fingers.

I'm also knitting just as much as usual. Switched to the 'hell bent for leather' (what does that even mean, and where did it originate?) mode for finishing the baby blanket. Came to the realization today that just because I 'could' keep knitting until I'm out of the yarn, I can also just follow the pattern and finish in about 26 rows. Which, when I count in the row of 'knit in the front and back of every stitch' and the following 7 rows of K1P1 ribbing, and the bind off row, amounts to ......drum roll....about 11968 stitches left, give or take.

So, that said, I'm gonna get on that. Updates to follow.