KnittingZen

And so it begins…

Well it's the first of November, and it's time for NaKnitSweMo to begin. I'm doing something relatively easy project the Fairly Easy Fair Isle from SnB Nation. Now before you call me a cheater or a slacker... remember that I have a kid that sometimes doesn't nap, and a part time chiropractic practice, and, and, and. (yeah I'm sure 90% of the people participating have stuff going on, but hey this is MY blog. ;) ) I chose this sweater because...1) I've never done fair isle, so that will be a challenge. ((yeah yeah yeah, it's easy, whatevs!)) and 2) I need a comfy bulky sweater! besides, I had all the yarn in my stash, so not only am I knitting a sweater in a month (or less, since we're traveling to MI for T-day and I'd rather not knit a big bulky sweater while traveling... I prefer to wear it!) I'm using all (i think, I may need an accent yarn) stash yarn (some of which was purchased at the craft thrift store)! go me!! Anyway, it may not be 50K stitches, but it will still be a challenge for me to finish it. I have several other things on the needles (knitting ADD has struck again) and xmas pressies to make, AND am participating in a craft swap mid month... so yeah, it's a challenge.
My friend Adina is doing this also.. and is also participating in NaNoWriMo. She's attempting to write a novel in the month of November. Maybe someday I'll think about trying that.. but quite frankly I'm no where near capable of that right now. However... in a stand of solidarity I am going to try to write more this month also. I don't know if I'll blog everyday, but I'm hoping to actually post more of the things that go through my crazy head during the week. We'll see. My true pledge is to try and finish my blurb book from my pregnancy, and (if I'm really productive) Ruby's first year. I figure if I spend 30 mins a day, I can finish one of them this month, right? I mean, I was only pregnant for 10 months. Ha. ha. ha.
Well... So the sweater has been cast on, and the latest version of blurb has been downloaded. I'm going to go knit for half an hour and then if I'm not asleep, maybe spend some time on the book. I hope November is productive and fun for you too!

Good lord…

When did I become such a bad blogger? Oh yeah... when I went and had a baby. ;) I also used to think about interesting things, knit and read books. hmmm... I still think interesting things, but most of the time I get distracted and start playing peek-a-boo instead. I still knit, but only about 3 stitches a night instead of 3 hours. Books? well I just went back to the library for the first time in over a YEAR... and then I picked up my new copy of Harry Potter! So some reading has happened during naps and after bedtime. Ah, reading till my eyes are heavy is one of my favorite ways to fall asleep!

So... compacting... let's just say I'm off the wagon. I haven't cleared any clutter in MONTHS. And just yesterday I looked around and felt like I needed to. (I'm not saying my house/office didn't need it, but I just started feeling it closing in again yesterday). I haven't had much time or need to go thrifting. I have bought a few new objects, but not many. I had a slew of birthdays last month, and while I usually make gifts, I didn't have time or energy, so I did do some birthday shopping. I shopped locally, and tried to buy gifts that were renewable/reuseable. Camping gear, books, gardening stuff.

My baby girl had a birthday. We had a fun little party and gifts were kept to a minimum. I made her a secret bunny. It's a softie with a pocket so that each year on her birthday, i can put a note/treat/gift inside for her to find. Just thinking about her future birthdays fills me with glee and tears all at once. Imagining her as a 4 year old, giddy with excitement for her birthday morning... it's things like that, that I live for. Her daddy made her a ride on toy (also in the pix) that she has yet to ride. I think she's still a bit afraid of it.

So June was taken up by birthdays and camping and just being... not a bad way to spend a month, eh? July has been more of the same, including lots of berry picking, jams, pies and cobblers, a trip to the beach and many afternoons in the sun in the back yard. Another good month. I'm sure August will bring more of the same, and who knows when you'll see another post here!

I don't know about compacting goals... I'm not feeling any desires to shop, as I've never been a huge shopper. I need to clear more clutter, but don't have a burning desire to clear it. so... who knows where that will go from here.

Crafting... I've finally gotten back to the sewing machine, and have finished a few more pairs of shoes. I have decided that I need to craft to feel balanced, and why not make a little $$ at the same time? If I can make enough to feed my craft habits (or the habits I used to have!) it will be worth it. So... in the near future I'll be opening up a little etsy shop for shirts, shoes and other baby trinkets. Stay tuned.
I've gotten some knitting done also, but nothing to show just yet. I have cast on a new dress for Ruby, similar to the anouk, but a dress, not a pinafore, and I'm changing a few things. We'll see how it turns out. I also have a soaker on the needles and a soaker skirt/pants that needs to be finished. I'll get some shots soon, hopefully.

As far as balance in my life... I've realized how i need to swing more balance back toward my family, and I'm taking steps to get there. I decided at the end of may that leaving my baby three times a week to go to work and see patients sucks. I miss her. I want to hear her squealing with delight over the cats tail, and snuggle her when she falls. Since I can't quit working (unless we win the lottery) I'm doing the next best thing. We're going to renovate our basement (yes, I'll try to give a blow by blow, complete with pictures) and I'm moving my office home. The plan is that I'll have a nanny with Ruby during my treatment hours, and I'll be able to work just as much as I do now, but since I won't have any overhead, I'll actually make money instead of just break even. I can pay my student loans and even put money in the savings account. Most of all, I'll spend less time away from my precious nugget. I dont' think this will be any less stressful than what I'm doing now. In some ways it may be more stressful... but I think in the long run, it will make more sense for my family. And isn't that all that really matters?

Goals

So, in keeping with my two inspirations for this blog change (Adina and Kara) I'm going to start by listing my goals for 2007. I'll work on my official 'pledge' next but for today, some rough goals.
I'm not one for resolutions, they seem to never work out, but when I have clear simple goals, they can be attainable and satisfying. So with that in mind, here we go!

1. Clear the clutter I have overflowing closets and drawers, with clothes that don't fit, clothes that I'll never wear, and things I'm just too old for. I have a kitchen filled with items we'll never use, and that end up falling on my head when I open a cupboard. I have a craft room filled with endless possibilities that I'll never get to. I have a basement with a lot of junk in it. So....Out it goes! Goal #1 is to clear 500 items of clutter a month. (whew, that is scary to type, but if they can do it, so can I!) Things can be gifted, sold, donated or just plain trashed. Obviously not contributing to a landfill is my #1 goal, so trash will be the last option.

2.Save money Financially, we are doing alright. Saving money isn't so that we can pay bills. Saving money is so that after the bills are paid, we have space to ENJOY life, and to plan for our child's future. All of the tenets of the compact will lend to putting more money away, and less in the system.

3.Grow my own foodIn our first house we had a huge garden, and enjoyed fresh veggies all spring and summer. Once we moved three years ago, getting the yard managed was a huge task we just couldn't seem to tackle. First it was a money issue, then the depression of infertility that seemed to keep us huddled indoors all summer. Finally, last year we invested in an amazing landscaper and had the yard mostly finished (mostly - except the veggie garden). So...Grow it! This will entail getting Ryan to build the beds and help clear the space for the berries/fruit... and then we get to growing. I'd like to think that by next fall I can learn a little about winter growing, and keep a cold box (or is it a hot box) with something in it, but I'm going to keep this goal reasonable and just use the long growing season of the PNW and grow as much as we can. I think we'll join a CSA in the winter, depending on how our friends experience with it is. (and then maybe, if our garden is rocking, they can take the summer with CSA off next year, and share in our bounty!)

4.Keep a clean house(Adina, you have good goals, and I'm stealing them) I've (with the help of a great partner) been able to keep a tidy space, but with all the clutter, it feels like we are tidying all the time. People always say our house is always clean when they come over, but that's because I just cleaned it before they showed up. I'd like to keep on a regular schedule of cleaning so that it doesn't feel overwhelming, and that it becomes routine and easy. I bought a simple calendar that lists chores etc, and so far its helping... although SOMEONE I know has something brewing, and I'm going to be a test case.

5.Enjoy life What good is any of this if we don't enjoy life? I need to take time to knit, craft, write and expand my brain. I need to get out and walk in the sun. I need to meditate and stretch. I need to socialize with other mamas. I need to see the world and play in all it's wonders. This is a goal I try to achieve regularly anyway, but I like writing it. My goal around this is to do something AT LEAST ONCE A WEEKthat fills this need. I'm thinking I'll change that to once a day in a couple of months, but like I said before, attainable goals make for a happier mama.

So there are my rough goals. I may flesh each of them out more specifically later. But for now, I'm going to go work on my pledge. :D