I’m not going to make firm Resolutions. That just sets me up for failure. But this is a good time of the year to look at one’s life and see what’s good, what’s not (and the wisdom to know the difference) and decide what, if any, changes can reasonably be made. This is the time to point oneself in the right direction, being aware of past mis-steps, holes to avoid falling into again – and keeping firmly in mind what benefits would come from altering one’s course. I see areas that are not really “bad” but could certainly be improved.

1. I have “yarn issues,” and collect yarn with the fervent zeal that my husband has for movies, even for the dumbest movies ever made. As I am up to my armpits in yarn now, and have a lot of fiber to spin, thus creating  more yarn, I really need to stay out of yarn stores, avoid yarn sites, stop getting such a thrill out of the aquisition of more yarn and damn it, use what’s already bought and paid for. Expected benefits are that I will clear out the space all this yarn is taking up, put money to other uses that would be deemed more sensible/acceptable by said spouse and reduce my daughter’s inheritance substantially. (She’s a “yarnie,” too)
2. Stop buying more clothes when I already have more than enough to literally go weeks without doing laundry, with the exception of socks and undies. I thought about using the Reward system here, to keep me on track, like the way you give a puppy a treat when it pees in the yard. As I’ve gained a bit of weight over the past few years, I thought, Maybe I could treat myself to a new outfit or two if I lost, say, 20 pounds? And then I remembered that I already have almost a complete wardrobe 2 sizes smaller than I am now, from that past life when I didn’t look slightly pregnant which, at my age would be a horror or a miracle, depending on how you look at things.
3. Go through current clothing stash and toss what’s not being worn. You know, those items that seemed like a necessary purchase when in the store, but not so much after I got them home. Those items that fit rather close in the middle and thus act like a neon flashing sign that points directly to the figure problem.
4. Reduce the knick-knack clutter in my home. I do not like to dust, and they simply serve to advise anyone that comes in the door that this is so. Keep the ones that have very special significance, keep anything that is cobalt blue or looks like a sheep. Find another home for the rest – Kate, do you want the collection of 1980’s Artesania Rinconada figurines???? I’ve been hauling them around since 1981 or so!
5. Gotta get serious about the weight gain, gotta stop eating the wrong things, gotta quit an ugly old habit again, gotta realize that knitting and talking are not sufficient exercise, gotta “Move it, Move it, Move it” as they said in the cute cartoon-movie the kids used to watch.
6. Need to work on quality time in the marriage, as opposed to just sitting in the same room, me knitting or typing, him watching whatever on the TV. Maybe I could suggest a night or two a week without the TV on, but I better have him checked by a cardiologist first. It would also be required that I get off the laptop.
7. I’ve been reading more since I got my Kindle, and I’m enjoying it very much. Was always an avid reader, since childhood when I rode my bike to the library in the next town over (our little town didn’t have it’s own library then, and maybe still doesn’t!) and filled the bike basket with books every week. I’ve been a steady customer in the libraries of all the places I’ve lived, and always took kids with me.  I’ve done handcrafts, too, embroidery, cross-stitch, quilting and such over the years, but still kept up with the reading. The last few years, though, since I’ve been knitting so much, I slacked off on the reading. I’m glad I’m back into it, and wish to continue. Even created a page here on the blog with the books I read, and it’s somewhat complete. I forgot to note the names of the library books, and they are returned and now I can’t remember the titles!
8. I also slacked off on my photography and I miss it. Didn’t do as much this year as I usually do, money diverted elsewhere and not on getting out, seeing new things to capture as much as I’d like. Maybe I could combine this with the “quality time” issue listed above!
9. I need to learn more about Windows 8 operating system. It just seems so different, so odd, so unfamiliar, so annoying to not know exactly what to do and how to do it. I am flummoxed every time I boot up my new laptop.   (I’m back on the old one now!!)
10. There are some other areas in our lives that may have some changes this coming new year, and I’ll get into that if and when things actually happen!

Well, I’ve some ideas here, and a whole year to work on them. Have a lot of things to let go of, and many other things to hold close. And some challenges coming up.

Happy New Year to all.

May the best of all things come to all of us.

Got through the holiday break, and back to work, and it’s been a madhouse. For reasons that I don’t post, we’ve been horribly busy, and I’ve come home every night feeling like I was on the losing end of a prize fight.

The world didn’t come to an end, and apparently the Mayans just ran out of space on the rock. Glad I sent the mortgage out anyway, just in case.  Now to get the Visa back down after the Christmas shopping.

Best part of the whole week was a short visit with the grandtwins, who were up here to visit with their father, as required. A few hours, twice a year, is not enough of a “fix” with these fellows, who lived with us (with their mommy) for several years. They feel very much like my own, after all that time, and the separation is hard on husband and me. Fortunately, they are happy where they live now, and I knew this would happen when daughter married a man in uniform.

Me with the twins

They are fascinated with my Kindle, and sharing it with brother became an issue! The one on the left is 6 minutes older, and daughter claims she knit a pair of booties during the wait for the second one to arrive. While she is a most competant knitter, I think that’s bullshit. (But I was outside the delivery room, pacing, so I’m not really sure.) While part of me wanted to just keep them with me and run away, the more intelligent side of me realizes that I raised my kids when I was a hell of a lot younger, and there’s a reason for that.

Husband’s back is better, he’s not walking slowly with a cane anymore, and not in constant pain, so I predict he’ll do something stupid within the next few days and be right back where he started. (He’s already had one self-induced set-back!)  Pain is nature’s way of reminding you to go easy, and once it’s gone, well, it’s inevitable that he’ll twist or turn, bend or fart and screw it up again. We shall see how it goes.

I’m having trouble with my eyes again, with pressures up and eye drops twice a day until the next check-up.  I always remember the nightly dose but not so good with the morning one. And this is the second med I’ve been put on. The first one put me to sleep, or had me fighting the urge to take a nap. Doctor really wanted me on that particular one, and I struggled for days trying to work or drive or cook and nap all at the same time. Days went by that I really don’t remember, while I hoped that my system would adjust and learn to tolerate the med. After 11 days, I called in, advised my eye doctor of the problem (Oddly, it said on the box it came in that it “May cause drowsiness” and I figured somebody put the wrong label on it. Eye drops that put you to sleep?? Who ever heard of such a thing?? Uh, they were right!) Doctor called in another RX and this one doesn’t have that label or that effect. BUT it burns like acid every time I use it. I think I’ll go to using the acid one in the morning, and the one that makes me sleepy at bedtime. I’ll have less pain and sleep better, and hopefully, the pressures will drop. AND it’s altered my vision, so my glasses aren’t right, and my insurance won’t pay for a new pair earlier than February. Geez. Some of the computer programs I use at work have some pretty small text on them and it’s gonna be a rough January!

With all these eye/vision issues in mind, Paul got me the new upgraded Kindle Fire HD for Christmas, with its bigger screen with much better resolution, more memory (32GB), better sound, and I really like it. Haven’t taken it out and about with me, as the case I ordered for it was on back-order – could have gotten a black case right away, but I wanted RED, so had to wait. It arrived yesterday, and now that the device is protected, it’ll go with me everywhere. I got the screen protector right away, but that needs to be cleaned, as it has small fingerprints all over it!

Gonna go read on my Kindle and eat cookies, then bitch about the weight gain I’ll surely have.

It must be the  soon-to-be here holidays that are making me crazy.

I baked breads today, I baked those 2 batches of ginger snaps today. I went to the store today. I doled out pills to my husband, who because of those pills, can’t think straight. I watched him sleep, a lot.

And I finally quit at about 6 o’clock. Feet ached, back hurt and I realized that when I baked all those cookies, literally hundreds of dozens every year for like 3 decades, my back and feet were a lot younger. They no longer are, and are telling me so tonight.

But at about 8, I started thinking of oatmeal cookies. They have to chill for hours or overnight, so if I mixed them together tonight, well, I could bake them tomorrow after work (Damn, I have to go back in tomorrow) Seemed like a good idea to me.

So I went back out into the kitchen, threw butter and sugars, brown and white, into the mixer – and btw, I can’t give enough wonderful compliments to my Kitchen-Aid that’s been churning out very heavy cookie doughs for over 20 years now, toss in the salt and baking soda, and grab the flour and quick oats to measure out.

AND THEN,  I remembered that I need  1/2 – 1 cup of chopped nuts. I knew I had walnuts in the freezer somewhere and went on a search.  Now my freezer is full. Crammed full. Like, you would have to use a cannon to get another dinner roll in there. I haven’t used walnuts in I can’t remember how long, and don’t even remember seeing them in quite a while. Hell, for all I know, there’s frozen baby food in there made for the oldest one.  I unloaded 4 shelves and all the stuff on the door shelves before I found them.  Another hour of swearing wasted.

And now to begin again with the cookie dough. Then it dawns on me. And “Nuts!” wasn’t the word I used.

Yesterday was the day that the husband went through all my chopping appliances, trying to help me. He was out there “downing choppers” like he was back in the Army again, after going out on a weekend pass for over 40 years. What the hell am I gonna do without a chopper?

And why didn’t I realize this before I mixed all those ingredients together. Or before I did all that searching. I must be crazy.

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And I thought this story was over here, with my stupity hanging out for all to see, a mixer full of dough missing one ingredient, and me wishing I had just stayed on the couch, reading my book.

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He staggers out to the kitchen, using his cane to keep his balance, says not a word. Digs in the garbage, find the little mini-chopper, gives it a horrendous smack on the kitchen counter, and the damn thing worked.

Oatmeal cookies are chilling out in the fridge.