Chapter 21 What the wind blew in

We had a real bad wind storm on New years eve and into the first. When I went outside to survey the damage, I found some one's Christmas wreath on my porch. I asked all the neighbors, but no one claimed it, so I brought it in. Amanda and Nicholas had to ham it up with it, so I took a few cute pics. So even though it is after Christmas, I have to post the pics.

I started the New Year with my knitting. I am really working on finishing the yellow baby sweater. I finished the rest of the front, so now I have the back, the front and about 1/3 of the first sleeve done. I am hoping to finish it by the middle of January. Then I only have the multi colored baby sweater and my sweater thing to finish. I have promised myself I will not start any new yarn projects until I have finished these three. Man that is hard to keep. LOL I have also decided I would like to create a band sampler to help me work on my crazy quilting. I really need to improve my embroidery so my seams look better. have been doing a little bit of searching on the Internet and have found a few sites that help explain the band samplers and stitches. I am hoping to start that in February. I really want this to be the year I finish some UFO's. I also want to really improve my knitting and embroidery skills. Aunt Marie cot me a cross stitch kit for Christmas, (which I can add to my other 10 kits LOL) and I am hoping to finish at least 3 of them this year. lofty goals. But then, if I replace some of my mindless eating and stuffing myself with working on these projects, and spend more of my free time keeping my hands busy, I could get a lot more done. I really feel the need to "connect" to my ancestors. Which in my family involves "woman's work" such as knitting, crocheting, embroidery and cross stitch. My earliest memories of the women in my family all center around these. I can remember sitting in my great-great-grandmothers lap when I was 5 and helping her pull the floss through as she worked on embroidered dish towels. every Sunday afternoon into evening we had a family dinner where everyone gathered and the women all "retired" into the other room and worked on hand work. As the older generation has passed on, the tradition has slowly disappeared. Although both my aunts still knit and crochet for some strange reason they never taught their daughters. My grandmother is legally blind so she can no longer see to do embroidery. I still call home each Sunday and talk to them (they are in CA and I am in MD) and usually My aunts are sitting around my grandmothers table working on their handwork and talking. Oh how I miss that. I don't want to lose those memories. I want my step kids to learn and hopefully pass on the craft to their kids. I want my grandkids to learn from me.

Chapter 20, An eye opening experience

I had one of those "standing outside myself" moments today. I was cleaning out the fridge, throwing out things that were green and fuzzy, and grumbling because there is so much stuff in it, when I felt like I was watching someone else. Here was this person complaining about having to deal with having what so many others want. food. I have cupboards full of canned goods. A deep freezer full of frozen meats and veggies, I could easily and honestly cook for a month and my family would eat well. all based on what is in the house right now. I stood up and looked around my home. True, my house needs a lot of work, but it has heat and running water. I have more fabric, yarn, thread, and craft supplies than I will be able to use in the next two years. I have a back bedroom stuffed with clothes that I have not even looked at in three years (when we moved into this house) and here I was complaining when there are so many people out there that would be thankful for just a little of what I have! It made me realize I need to rethink how I look at my life and what I have. I need to make better use of what I already have, and not worry so much about "wants." I end this year just as I started it, plenty of good intentions, to much food, to much stuff, to worried about what i want. and yet, maybe not. at this moment, I recognize the greed and thanklessness I have, and am already trying to improve my attitude and re plan what I will do this upcoming year. So maybe I end this year more aware of myself and others than when I started. And that must be a good thing.

Chapter 19, A New Year

Well, tomorrow is New Year's Eve. I have been thinking and thinking about what "resolutions" I want to make for the upcoming year. I have decided I need to break it up into a few different groups. 1. Health, 2. Creativity, and 3. Self-Improvement. There are so many things I want to accomplish. LOL but I know myself well enough to know I can't possibly do all the things I think I want to do. I have also been wondering why we make resolutions. What drives us to try and change every year? How many people actually do change? How do I go from being one of the "masses" to one of the few who do succeed? Okay I just finished working on my goals for the said bar. I have two more I want to add to it, so will go back and add in a few minutes. Here is to the upcoming New Year, and becoming one of the few who succeed.

Chapter 18

Almost a new year. Just a few more days. This year has gone by so fast. I have been thinking about my "resolutions" for 2009, and wondering how to do better at keeping them. I usually do great for a week, maybe two. Once I made it almost to the end of January, but that is the best I have done. Sighs. This year I want to do better. This year I want to create and accomplish so much more. I want to explore and expand my potential. I hope to sit quietly with myself tonight, after Anthony goes to work and think about what I want to tackle this year. Hopefully I will post again tonight, just to make myself accountable. oh and just for fun, I think I will try and add a new picture of my wonderful Reesie Pieces.

Chapter 17, Peacocks, parots, flamingos and tulips

Wow, two posts in one day!!! Well. Grandma has asked for a crazy quilt with peacocks, flamingos, parrots and tulips, and an iris or two if I can fit them in. LOL not sure how I am going to do this one. oh, and she would like it by mother's day. talk about pressure. Not sure how I will do this one. I was just proud of myself for getting the four ornaments done. This one will be a challenge, but one I will tackle. I am hoping to get it started during Christmas break. maybe get most of the piecing done, that will leave me all of January, February, March and most of April to get the embellishing done. If I do 12 squares, (three of each design) there is a small possibility I will get it done. sighs. If I don't get it done by Mother's day, then she will get it when I make my trip to CA in July. Now, if I can just figure out how I am going to do this one...

Chapter 16, the first four crazy quilt orns.

well hopefully here they are. The first four attempts at crazy quilting. I am already hooked on it. I was hoping to have a few more done by now, but this cold or ick or whatever it is that I have had for over 2 weeks has really knocked me out. I have spent a little bit of time looking at pics of other peoples orns and I feel kind of silly being so proud of mine, but then everyone had to begin somewhere! I will improve, and I am still proud of them. The plus side to crazy quilting is that Reesie gets to sit in my lap as I work on them LOL which is his favorite place to be. I will have to get Anthony to take a pic of it soon. We will be getting the carpeting (1/2 of my Christmas present) at the end of January. That is the next time someone can be home to let the carpet guys in. The furniture should be in by February. Oh, and my fluffy butt baby goes to the groomer Tuesday and will once again be a beautiful pommie!!!! Anthony laughed at me when I was talking about how nice Reesie will look on the new furniture and carpet LOL.

Chapter 15 Getting ready for Christmas

Well, it is December 2. I have the tree up, but no lights or ornaments on it yet. I have finished 4 crazy quilt ornaments and I am going to bake dough ornaments with the boys tomorrow at work, so I am hoping to have the tree "trimmed" by Friday night. I really want the house to look welcoming for the Holidays. We are starting our Christmas shopping next week, so I will get to place a few gifts out then. And I have to get some stuff for their stockings. But I have until the 18th to get that stuff done. I love the feeling of Christmas. I missed the First Sunday of Advent. I am not sure what it is, but I will have to do some research on it. This going to Mass and holidays is all new to me. I have class tonight, so maybe I will ask them about it.