A Time For Everything

The weekend was spent wrapping and buying presents. Now I have to wrap the additional ones I bought. And I only have today left to get everything done since I work half day tomorrow and then prepare to hit the road.

But what's left?

I don't have to cook--we're going to my in-law's house.

I don't have to clean for company--we're not having any.

So just wrapping and a bit of driving. And I may not even have to drive. DD says my driving makes her crazy and since the Brown Eyed Girl is gonna be with us, perhaps the sisters can sit up front and I can read in the back. Yeah, sounds like a great idea.

Yep, just a few more to address.

Today, were talking crafts. I used to do crafts. Not many (in terms of different types), but I did them. I sewed, cross-stitched, rubber stamped, and occasionally did very simple toll painting. I miss doing those things and sharing the fruits of my labor with others.

So I'm going to start crafting again. First thing on my agenda, sewing. My girls want to learn and I need some summer outfits. I have patterns and I have fabric.

I have some cross stitch kits floating around as well as booklets and pamphlets with patterns in them. I can finish started projects or design new ones like ornaments and samplers. Like I used to do. Way back in the day.

Crocheting is not my favorite, but I can make simple scarves and blankets. Back in August I was going to try my hand at following a pattern and making a ruffled scarf. I started, but never finished. I'm not sure what's going to happen with it. Maybe I'll finish it and donate it to my writing group as a door prize. I guess I'd better finish it sooner rather than later however, so the recipient can wear it before winter's over. :)

With the rubber stamping, I can create birthday cards and get better at sending those out. Two birds with one stone, so-to-speak. I like it.

I also really enjoy the painting. Of course, I'm going to have to figure out things to paint.

On a side note, there's a new member of our household...


Her mother calls her Doodle Bug, I call her Princess, Sonshine calls her Kitty, and DD calls her Bug.

Are you a crafty person? If so, what are your crafts of choice??

Happy Friday friends!

I'm glad it's Friday, but it's going to be a long weekend. I'm working the Cotton Bowl this afternoon but without the band director. Meaning I'm in charge. EEK. Tomorrow's all day writers group transition meeting will be more fun, but still tiring--especially after not getting to bed until after midnight. Sunday will involve grocery shopping and taking down the Christmas tree. Not much me time. I imagine I'll be in bed and dead to the world on Sunday by 9. :)

But today we're talking about goals. Another item on my list is to read more. I realized sometime in the past three/four months that my writing has suffered as a result. So I've taken up the Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge and have pledged to read a book a week. I'm sure you saw my little widget to the left. My books read list is on the right. First week in and I'm on the second book already, but not much writing going on. I'm going to have to learn to do both. Previously it's been either/or.

More about my goals next week. Right now, I've gotta get some work done before I have to leave for home and then head to Cowboys Stadium.

Have a great weekend!!

The men will be home some time today and life will return to some semblance of normalcy, but things will be different too.

On Monday, I shared some of my goals. In nothing more than a few sentences I mentioned those last 20 to 30 pounds I need to lose. To that end, I get back on the eating and exercise wagon, starting today. Yes, you've heard it before, and not so very long ago, but I wasn't in the right frame of mind at the time. I need to be now. And so I have begun. My general feeling of well being has degraded and I have come to feel blah and achy and suffer continuous lethargy. And I'm tired of feeling that way.

In addition to that, I've been suffering with an almost continuous headache for the last month or so--ever since I began to over-indulge my love of of sugar. As of yesterday, my sugar intake has been reduced to the minimum requirements--just from the honey in my morning oatmeal and fiber bar and whatever occurs naturally in the other healthy food choices I make. So far this morning, the pain is barely a blip. Thank goodness, though I imagine it may ramp up as the day progresses.

I went back to my regularly scheduled breakfast this morning and have returned to my little habit of short rounds of calisthenics throughout the day. Later, daily trips to the post office will resume as well. Lunch will be healthy salads and dinner will be protein and vegetables (mostly green ones).

I hope your new year is going well so far. On Friday, I'm going to address another of my goals--more for my own benefit than yours--but the accountability will be helpful as well just putting my plans in black and white so that I can refresh my memory and keep myself on track.

Have a great day!

So it's the last day of 2012, which overall wasn't a bad year. I'm writing to you this morning from the wilds of central Texas where our fireworks store is located. I came down last night to help out if necessary. They probably could have done without me, but that's okay. We broke $10K for the season last night too. DH was pleasantly surprised. The major expenses haven't quite been covered, but today will bring in enough to cover the rest and then some. If we can manage to pay off the guy we bought the place from, then come 4th of July all profits are ours. Finally. After four years. It wasn't supposed to take so long, but governments and economies happen.

But enough of that--last week I said we'd talk about goals for the new year, so...

My goals for the new year include reading more. At least a book a week for a minimum total of 52 books for 2013. I've probably amassed a good chunk of those already from all the free Kindle books I've found over the past couple of weeks, and I'll probably be visiting the library more often as well.

Another major goal is to lose the last 20 to 30 pounds to reach my target weight. After that, it'll be all about toning and converting that flab to muscle. Which, yes, I know will weigh more. But that's okay.

I'd also like to get back to doing crafts. My girls want to learn to sew, and we've already gotten started on our projects. But I'd also like get back to cross-stitching and rubber stamping. And I'd like to do some basic toll painting. Many years ago, I wanted to put together and decorate a doll house. I got one, but we were really too poor for me to do it justice. It's not an inexpensive endeavor. The houses themselves can cost hundreds of dollars. Then you have to put them together, paint them, decorate them. They take time, money, and space.

And there's writing of course--several times in the past half-dozen years I've gone through a bit of a crisis if you will. Do I want to write for publication. Of course, these days, I could bypass all normal channels and self-publish my work, but I know my writing is not quite as ready for the big time as it could be and should be. I love writing, I really do. I love to learn about writing and love working to improve my writing, reading other people's thoughts on various aspects of it and taking classes, but I get what I need from writing from writing fan fiction and from the feedback I get when I post it in fan fiction venues. I also love to beta-read and critique other's work and I've wondered if that's really what I'd rather be doing.

So the goal I guess is to figure out my career path. If I decide to pursue the editorial aspect, I still have much to learn. I may even go back to school and pursue a 2-year degree in English.

One of our financial goals last year was to put some serious money aside and considering our history, we did pretty well. So I guess we'll continue on and try to do better this year by not only putting money aside, but by paying off a debt or two as well.

So those are a few of my major goals.

How about you?? Care to share?