Working towards goals

I am not always the best at reaching long-term goals. I think most people can say that. We fizzle out somewhere in the middle, when life happens and the tunnel seems longer than expected. I have been in a recent homeschool boot camp group, and one of the things that has stuck with me is: never miss twice.

While this idea was about maintaining consistency in homeschool, I have been applying it to daily cleaning tasks. It has occurred to me to apply it to all my goals.  I should make better progress with them like that, and it gives me grace. 

I finished another book this week, and started a new one. I read How to Manage Your Home without Losing Your Mind by Dana White. I have read her blog for a couple of years and I read Decluttering at the Speed of Life in 2021. This brings my total to 9 books read this year. It's a bit slow. This summer should give me a bit more time to read, but I am making decent progress. I picked up Trejo at the library. I had an empty space in my Biography category, so this will fill it. 

I am trying to read more and finding pockets of time in my day has been fun, but I sometimes get caught up in the book and don't do what I should. That's a problem I haven't had for ages, and I think it's a good one. What do you think?

Thoughts from this week

A friend of mine passed away this week. She was a couple of years younger than me, and lost a battle with leukemia. She was a sweet, caring, loving wife and mother. It saddens me to know her two young boys will grow up without a mom. Their older brother has to navigate his adulthood without her guidance. Their father is a kind, loving, hardworking man, but a father cannot replace a mother. The two parents work in tandem for the best outcome. 

I started thinking of how my friend was viewed - and if the same could be said of me. She was a devout Christian, a loving and devoted wife, a dedicated and patient mother. She embodied hospitality. She was quick with a kind word, a hug, and a needed prayer, even when she was having chemotherapy. I hope people view me similarly. 

Weekly Check-in #15

It's been a few weeks - three in fact - since I last updated the blog. Several things happened. I had a birthday! Not a major one, but it happened. 

It was a good day, spent with my children and husband. We also were all sick (just allergies and sinus infections) that are still lingering. Easter also came and went, and here we are.

Here's my list of goals for the year:

Blog more.

Working on it...I am up several posts already.

Keep the food budget to $400 per month.

I haven't reached this goal yet, but I have made progress on it. We spent much less last month, and so far I am trying to use up what we have. This is connected with decluttering currently, as I am working on organizing the pantry, utility room, and laundry room (they're all pretty much the same space). There's still a good bit of tidying to do, but I have tossed expired food, labeled boxes and bins for current food, and have to rearrange a few more things. But it's a project that I have to do in small steps, due to daily duties.

Start a garden.

I need the garden area tilled. I have gone through my seeds and I think I have what I want to plant figured out. I just need the soil ready.

Pay more attention to my health.

The No S Diet is still working. I have been sick, but keeping fairly steady on this one. I have also stopped trying to fight the rhythm of the house, and just go to bed a little later and wake up later. It means I can get 7 and a half hours of sleep instead of 6, and I feel so much better. I get enough sleep cycles so I don't feel as tired during the day.

Read 50 new books this year.

I finished another book, bringing my total to 7. Here's the list so far:

How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time, Mystie Winckler 

Poor Richard, James Daugherty

The Empowered Wife, Laura Doyle

Fortress of the Lost Amulet, Michael Webb

Different, Sally Clarkson

Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe

The Convivial Homeschool, Mystie Winckler

I am not reading as often as I should. This is something I can fix, but I have to make it purposeful. Maybe I can finish 2 this week, bringing me up to 9, and then focus on another one next week. Since this is week 15, I have 7 books done with a goal of 50, I am behind by 8 if I read a book a week. Did you know that Theodore Roosevelt read a book a day? No joke! That's pretty impressive that he found enough time to read that much. Maybe we should all shoot for that goal.

Declutter our home and make it hospitable.

It hasn't been exactly what I wanted, but spending time in the pantry has been beneficial. It's one of those places that everyone uses, but hardly thinks about. I have so many places to tidy, clean, and declutter, sometimes it's hard to know where to start or what would make the biggest difference. I have a few other hot spots that need to be tidied this week, so maybe I can get that done.

Complete 12 craft projects in progress.

My sweater is still in progress. I split the sleeves, and added a bust dart. I tried it on, and it fits perfectly. I also made my own knitting cords. It was a fraction of the cost of a set, and it works well. That was a win. 

How was your Easter? Did you make any progress on your goals?

Weekly Check-in #12

This week was a break week for our homeschool, and I spent most of my time in the house. I didn't get as much accomplished as I wanted, but some things went well.

Blog more.

This was not happening this week. It just wasn't going to happen. But I am still ahead for the year.

Keep the food budget to $400 per month.

I am starting a new approach to this. We spent about $250 at Aldi, getting just the basics we use from there. I spent about $80 at Walmart, getting mostly necessary things. There are still a few things we need to get, but we might make it closer this month.

Start a garden.

I did absolutely nothing for this this week. It was cold and I spent my time inside the house. 

Pay more attention to my health.

The No S Diet is slowly working. I am down again, just a few pounds. This is a long haul kind of goal and diet. It's not going as fast as I want it to, but that may be a good thing over time. I looked over the past 3 months, and it's been really slow, but it has been a decline. If I stress my body with less sleep, it doesn't want to release the weight. I also started making sure I was getting either 4 or 5 sleep cycles a night, and that has really helped. I also found that some flavored water helps me drink more. I try not to rely too much on this, because it's hard to break.

Read 50 new books this year.

I finished another book this week, bringing my total to 6. Here's the list so far:

How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time, Mystie Winckler 

Poor Richard, James Daugherty

The Empowered Wife, Laura Doyle

Fortress of the Lost Amulet, Michael Webb

Different, Sally Clarkson

Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe

I am still working on a few others, and hope to finish 2 others before the end of the month. I have been trying to take a break in the middle of the day, with lunch, to read a bit. I also try to read a little in the mornings and before bed.

Declutter our home and make it hospitable.

I spent half my week cleaning and organizing the girls' room. I only got half of it done. It was that messy. It's still in process, but the shelves are up in their closet! That gives more storage space. I may try to do a little here and there, throughout the week, to keep some momentum going in their room. I pulled several small containers from the storage unit to sort and store small things. I am also getting a drawer unit from my in-laws' house for storage. I was at a standstill until I had more appropriate places to put things.

I got rid of 18 paint cans in the utility room as well. That was a huge help for space back there. I haven't fully organized everything back there, but that did allow for some tidying, which was really helpful. 

Other than trying to spend a few minutes daily in the girls' room, I think my focus this week will be our bedroom, bathroom, and closet. I will try to spend 15 minutes in there each day as well, doing something. It never seems like it's a lot of time, or that much can be done, but it always surprises me when I do it to see what happens. I have several pieces of furniture that I can get from the storage unit for our bedroom. Maybe I can make progress this week to get one to the house.

Complete 12 craft projects in progress.

My sweater is still in progress. I haven't quite made it to splitting the sleeves yet, but I am close I think. 

I have a list for tomorrow, and it includes several things I didn't get to this weekend. I figure I will have to spread them over the week, and maybe really catch up on the weekend. How was your week? Are you making progress on your goals?

Weekly Check-in #10

I am happy with my progress this week, and I want next week to be even better.

Blog more.

I managed at least one other post this week, so that's good progress. 

Keep the food budget to $400 per month.

I didn't get a breakdown done. I am thinking of yet another approach to this, in listing the essential things we always need/buy. Maybe I can back into a smaller budget number that way. 

Start a garden.

While I didn't do much outside, I started collecting some milk jugs to make some mini greenhouses to start seeds. I hope to start them this week, once I get a couple of things from our storage unit.

Pay more attention to my health.

Still following the No S Diet, but the weight went up and back down (just normal fluctuation). I noticed that if I take better care of myself during the day (regular self-care), I have more energy and I make better/healthier meals. I also move more. I drink more water. So, I am going to try one more month of self-care and the No S Diet before I completely switch gears.

Read 50 new books this year.

I finished another book this week, bringing my total to 5. Here's the list so far:

How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time, Mystie Winckler 

Poor Richard, James Daugherty

The Empowered Wife, Laura Doyle

Fortress of the Lost Amulet, Michael Webb

Different, Sally Clarkson

I am working on a few others, and hope to finish at least 2 more this month. I should be reading about 4 books a month to stay on target. I know during the summer I should have more reading time, as I won't be homeschooling. I will be filling my time more with home projects though. Speaking of...

Declutter our home and make it hospitable.

I made good progress this weekend. I got all the holiday decorations back into the shed, after sweeping it out. I swept off the back patio a bit, and am getting a couple of things from the storage unit to put on it. This will also help the garden some. I am keeping up with some basic cleaning routines too. The bathrooms are staying clean with a daily swish and swipe. The kitchen is staying clean as well, since I make sure to run the dishwasher nightly and wash any pots and pans. It sounds like a lot, but when the bathrooms take 2 minutes a piece and the kitchen takes 15 minutes, it's not too bad. And it's spread over the day (2 minutes in the morning, then 15 minutes after dinner, and 2 minutes again when I get a shower). These simple routines make all the special projects easier to accomplish, because I don't have to do intensive regular cleaning on the weekends. I also got some screws for another project that I was missing. My list for home projects keeps getting a little longer, as I find more small things that need to be done when I finish a project. 

Complete 12 craft projects in progress.

I am still working on my sweater, but I finished the short-row section I added to the back, and have joined the neckline (it's a top-down sweater). 

I'm not sure if using pantry items qualifies as home improvement or a craft project. I have several items I want to use up. What do you think?

Self Care

"You can't pour from an empty cup."

"Put on your own oxygen mask before helping someone else."

"Take care of yourself."

These are all trite sayings, but there is a definite truth in them. I started practicing more "self-care" recently. It's not selfishness, or at least I don't mean it to be.

As a stay-at-home mom, I do a lot for others. I cook multiple meals per day. I wash dishes. I clean all the linens (towels, wash cloths, sheets). I make sure everyone has clean clothes. I make sure the pantry is stocked with items for meals and snacks. I make whatever food I can't buy or can't find that tastes good. I find items that are "lost" (read: not laying in the middle of the floor with a neon light blinking around it). I scrub toilets and sinks and tubs. I make sure the animals in our house have water, food, and a clean place to sleep. I shop for all the glamorous things like toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, vitamins, socks, and craft supplies. I put all these things away. I make sure all the bills get paid and the checkbook is balanced (thanks accounting degree). I arrange for all maintenance work to be done, and follow through with it. 

As a homeschooling mom, I teach 3 children approximately 8 subjects daily. And plan all those lessons. I arrange for friends to get together, for lessons outside my wheelhouse, for doctor appointments. I make sure everyone gets there. I check work, do 3 math lessons a day, and help emerging writers. This isn't to say how great I am. This is to show how full my days are and how much time I spend doing things for others. 

As a Christian, I live to serve. I really do love it. I wouldn't trade this life for anything. I also know that if I don't take the time to center my focus and let God fill my energy, I will rapidly deplete what little I can muster. I have learned that if I don't make myself a priority, no one else will. Jesus went off multiple times during his ministry to pray. He left his friends and all the crowds to spend time alone with the Father. I need to do the same and follow his example. 

I finished a book this week, The Empowered Wife. It's a marriage book, and I read it with a group where we discussed it. In it, the author states her purpose of ending worldwide divorce. She introduces 6 intimacy skills to make better marriages. While my marriage is a happy one, we could all use some help and improve. One of her first skills is self-care. She tells the reader to make a list of 20 things that make you happy. These can be anything from a walk at sunrise to getting a pedicure to a great cup of coffee on your front porch. She also encourages to make the time to do one of them 3 times a day. While this book is not written from a Christian perspective, the principles transfer. In order to serve more effectively, we need to spend time with the Father. In order to do our duty cheerfully, we need a break now and then. 

I have been practicing this, and I'm happy to report that I have more energy, am more relaxed, and get more done. You saw my list of what I do - it's exhausting just typing it. Taking a little time for myself during the day makes a big difference. I start with my devotions in the morning, which includes a lot of prayer time. While I eat breakfast, I am listen to a podcast. Then during lunch, I read.  Sometimes I will craft a little during lunch. My children can find me and I can/will stop if they need me. But usually they have a little break and play, read, watch a little TV or craft during lunch. This also gives them a good break. After dinner, before I clean up (and some afterwards), I craft. Is it a time waster? Maybe. The work will be there waiting for someone whether I take time for myself or not. Instead of doing it with bitterness and grumbling, I am able to do it with cheerfulness and a smile. How do you practice self-care? Do you notice a difference?

Weekly Check In #9

Did you think I forgot? No, I didn't. It's just been a lot of the same stuff, keeping me busy. I look at it as maybe some of these goals will move forward in appearance faster. Daily small steps don't seem to add up to a lot, until after a good bit of time has passed. 

Blog more.

I don't blog as often as I should, but I am doing this more and it is on my mind, so there's progress. I should work this into a regular part of my week, so it gets done more often.

Keep the food budget to $400 per month.

While I limited myself more, there was the chance to stock up on pork and chicken this month, so I took it. This of course, threw things off again. I will try to post a breakdown of this later this week.

Start a garden.

Nope. Nope, nope, nope.

Pay more attention to my health.

I have been following the No S Diet, but this week, it looks like it all came back. Water weight maybe? I haven't been drinking as much as before, so maybe that's it. This is still the best way I have found to eat (for me). I have had the Carnivore diet and the Ketovore diet recommended to me. I am still researching these, but I never like the idea of cutting complete food groups from a life. 

Read 50 new books this year.

I finished 2 books this week! I managed to add more reading time in and finished the audio book of The Empowered Wife and the pre-release of Fortress of the Lost Amulet. The Empowered Wife is a great book if you want to improve your marriage. The second book, Fortress of the Lost Amulet, is being released on Wednesday. The author is a friend of mine from high school (way too long ago!) and he is an incredible writer. I highly recommend his books. They are great stories that are well written and appropriate for a wide range of ages.

Declutter our home and make it hospitable.

No progress made here this past week. Those boxes are still sitting in the kitchen. I did manage to move a few shelves around in the bathrooms, so there's more storage in both. I have also been working on small chores for daily cleaning, to keep things under control.

Complete 12 craft projects in progress.

I finished both the cross stitch pieces I had. 

I took a picture of another one I finished last year. They all need a good pressing and a frame. 

I am still working on my sweater. Fortunately, it's a lightweight silk yarn and really meant to be a summer top. 

I found a big box of fabric this weekend at a thrift store for $2. There is a lot of fabric, all different types and colors. I am looking forward to digging through and making things from it. How are your goals coming? Any words of wisdom to share?

Week #6 Check In

Here's this week's update. It's still a bit sporadic, but I am trying to keep moving forward.

Blog more.

I am still making this work, so not too bad. Momentum is key.

Keep the food budget to $400 per month.

This definitely didn't work this month. I am attempting to rework my plan, as posted earlier. I have to sit down this week and create a new plan for February to March. Some of what I bought was for more than a month. This time, I am going to limit myself more.

Start a garden.

I have more cardboard but haven't put it in the garden yet. I need to try to do this tomorrow (not raining) and I also need to start testing seeds this week.

Pay more attention to my health.

I have been following the No S Diet, and so far, I am down another couple of pounds. This makes about 7 pounds so far. Not a huge amount, but when there's a big goal, small steps don't seem like much at first. They add up though, so I am continuing with this.

Read 50 new books this year.

I still did not read like I should have this week, but I made progress on a couple of books. I have also decided to take the list I made of books to read and start reading one at a time from the list. 

Declutter our home and make it hospitable.

This was a mixed goal this week. I pulled a few boxes from our storage unit, in an effort to use the items we have. The boxes are labeled incorrectly (not my fault) so now I have big boxes in the way. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Because these boxes are not what I thought, I have a plan to go through them, pull what I need, then repack them (and label appropriately), before replacing them in the storage unit. 

Complete 12 craft projects in progress.

I reworked a project this week, my knitting one. I found I needed to add short rows to the upper back area, so I had to frog part of it. No big deal, really. I also started frogging another project, as I found I didn't wear it because it didn't sit right. I am going to fix that. I did finish one cross stitch project, and started the companion piece. There's a third that I am considering while it's on sale.

I also had 2 children fall prey to the crazy weather and get sick. This weekend was filled with some catching up, and I am sure next weekend will too. How are you progressing after 6 weeks of the year so far?

Grocery check in

I haven't really kept track of what we've spent EXACTLY on groceries this month. I do know we're over budget. 🙁 Part of that is food prices - stuff is expensive! Part of it is a learning curve. It's been a while since we've done this, and I'm rusty. 

Let's look at what and where we did buy:

Aldi - we buy a lot of staples here, because they have been cheaper in the past. This is still mostly true, but you have to watch carefully.

Walmart - this is the biggest store in our town, and while they offer a wider selection than Aldi, you still have to be careful about their prices. They aren't always the cheapest.

Ingles - sales are your friend here. But, you can get some really good deals, and the quality is usually worth a few extra pennies. 

Quality Foods - this is a local small chain (they have maybe 4-5 stores around this area) and can be higher on national brands BUT their sales prices are usually better than others. 

Strategy: This month, I planned, then looked at ads and shopped. I think I need to change this up a bit. While it's hard to predict what will be on sale in the upcoming month, using what's currently on sale for multiple meals and knowing what staples you need can help control the budget. Also, looking at holidays (March holds St. Patrick's Day, April holds Easter) can help predict a little. March usually has corned beef on sale; April has lamb/ham/roasts. This is harder during the summer and fall when there aren't as many holidays close together, but you can almost be assured there will be hamburgers and hot dogs on sale (and ice cream) close to July. 

Being sick hasn't helped, as it's made us want/need things not planned for, like popsicles for the children. 

Another new addition this month will be to take a pantry inventory (to use what we have better) and get our small freezer in there, so we have more freezer space.

Week #4 Check In

Last week, I had a sinus infection and it got worse, so Tuesday I had to get round 2 of antibiotics. Ugh. Sinus troubles - still better than COVID!

Blog more.

I think I am doing fairly well on this goal. That was easy. I just need to be consistent.

Keep the food budget to $400 per month.

The only thing we bought this week was eggs. I have some ideas floating around about working on this goal more, and once they gel I will share. 

Start a garden.

The garden area is about halfway covered with cardboard. I have to get more cardboard to finish this. I think I will head to the local box store and see what I can find lurking. Seeds have not been tested yet, but I think I can con my oldest into helping me with this, as he is taking biology and we're finishing the unit on plants.

Pay more attention to my health.

I have been doing this, especially since I have been sick. I have been following the No S Diet, and so far, I am down another couple of pounds. 

Read 50 new books this year.

I did not read like I should have this week, because when I am sick I just don't feel mentally capable of reading. Is that odd?

Declutter our home and make it hospitable.

Not much progress here, but I did manage to finally get the Christmas tree down. Yes, it was up through the whole month. I know, I know. 

Complete 12 craft projects in progress.

I worked faithfully on two projects this week, one cross stitch and one knitting. This is an easy thing to do with simple patterns and TV time in the evenings. It's a small thing I do for enjoyment. 

How was your week? Did you make progress on your goals for the year?

Begin...again

We are all still under the weather. Three of us went to the doctor and are on antibiotics. We finally succumbed. It's still better than last year, when we were sick with COVID for a month. 

I restarted my Saoirse.

I couldn't remember where I was, because I didn't keep track. So I ripped back and started again. This time, I am keeping track. Fit is generally an issue for me; shirts tend to ride up. It's hard to tell of it's because I need short rows at the back of the neck, or if I need a bust dart. I am thinking about adding both to this one. What do you think? 

Weekly Check-in

Goals for this year:

Blog more.

Already making good progress on this one - it's the third time I have posted this year! Woohoo!

Keep the food budget to $400 per month.

This goal is harder than I thought. I made a menu plan for 6 weeks actually, and ran the numbers on the items. Food is expensive! However, if I can trim a little, I think I can make it. I am shopping sales and comparing prices. I made a spreadsheet (yes, I am that nerdy - let me use my accounting degree!) to keep track of prices. That, plus keeping my menu plans (meal ideas at the ready for on sale items) should help going forward 

Start a garden.

The garden area needs to be covered with cardboard to kill weeds, and I am pretty sure I have found enough cardboard to cover it. I haven't yet, because we've been a little under the weather this week. I hope to do this tomorrow or Tuesday and then I can start testing seeds.

Pay more attention to my health.

Your health is hard to manage when you get sick. I'm not SICK sick - just an allergy flare-up that will hopefully be gone soon. It sure beats COVID from last year, but I still feel blah.

Read 50 new books this year.

I completed one book this week, so I feel confident in this goal.  

I am proofing a book by a friend, because he's a great writer and I got hooked on his first trilogy. I have a couple of others that I am hoping to make more progress in, and maybe I will finish one or two this week. I feel better mentally when I take time to read.

Declutter our home and make it hospitable.

Because of me feeling under the weather, and my children feeling bad too, Mom was in high demand this week for comfort and food making. I tried to just keep basics going, so I didn't make much progress here. Next week if I feel better, I should do better.

Complete 12 craft projects in progress.

I do complete one project this week. I wove in ends for these mitts. They're convertible - the thumbs and fingers fold back so then they are fingerless mitts. 

I have been working on another project this week too. 

Have you made progress this week? 

Food budget

I started my food budget. I planned all the meals for January and half of February. We make a monthly run to Aldi (about 45 minutes away) mid-month, so I plan that way. 

I divided up the days of the week into categories. I listed 5 meals for each category: Soups, Crockpot, Asian, Italian, Fast Meals, Comfort Foods, and leftovers. Then, I just plugged them in. 

I just put it into a downloaded spreadsheet template and then I am making a grocery list from this. I am also in the process of making a price book. This is something I used to do, sort of, but with inflation, it's more critical. 

Do you menu plan? How do you do it? What about a price book?

New Year Goals

After reading One Hundred Dollars a Month for several years, I have decided to take a page out of her book, and start listing my goals for this year here, to stay accountable. Is it major? Not really, but it will help me blog more and maybe it will keep me accountable.

Goals for this year:

Blog more.

This is step one for that. I can post here my steps towards my goals, and see what happens. 

Keep the food budget to $400 per month.

This goal is optimistic, but I think doable. The first step is to plan meals on a monthly basis. I already do this weekly, but I need to expand it. I used to keep a spreadsheet of prices for regularly bought grocery items, but haven't in a while. 

Start a garden.

This goes with the one above, and the house we moved to two years ago has/had a garden area. It was covered with fabric and mulch, and I have since removed that. It needs to be covered with cardboard to kill weeds, then tilled. I have seeds to test and then I also need to plan out the garden. The tricky part of this is 1) we have a dog and 2) I have a tendency to get sick when I spend a lot of time outdoors. 

Pay more attention to my health.

In connection with the above goals, I want to be healthier. This would include staying on my eating plan (The No S Diet), eating more veggies (hopefully from the garden), and exercising more (gardening). I also know if I am healthier, being outdoors won't make me as sick. It's great when goals all link together, don't you think?

Read 50 new books this year.

I love learning and I love reading. I have a LONG list of TBR books, most of which are on my shelves. Of those that aren't, many of them can be checked out from the local library.

Declutter our home and make it hospitable.

I started making progress on this last year, and the year before. I need to up my game in this area. We still have lots of boxes that aren't unpacked. We also have 2 storage units currently and I want to get it down to one. We have small home improvement projects that need doing. Little steps, my friends.

Complete 12 craft projects in progress.

I have SO many WIPs. I want to get 12 done. That's not a lot, really, but I want to get them finished so that I clear out my stash and more importantly, the crafts are usable. This includes sewing, embroidery/cross stitch, knitting, crocheting, and any other crafty thing I have dabbled in. 

Some of these may seem ambiguous. Maybe they are, and maybe they will get clarified more along the way. Sometimes keeping things loose helps keep your focus.

What are your goals for this year? Share them with me and help keep me accountable!

Home and Health

It's been so long since I have posted anything. I have had a long journey to this point, and I just now feel like emerging. The brief version is life happened. The detailed version (which I will try to keep somewhat brief) is I was never able to find the shawl from my grandmother, so it's gone. In July last year, my girls (and I) got lice. I never had lice growing up and it's an experience I could have lived without. August came and we started homeschool again. I had the first 6 weeks planned out and was going to adjust during a break week and go forward. In September, my mother had a stroke, which she *could* recover from, but that's a whole different issue. I spent most of October trying to find her a different rehab center, which turned out to be fruitless. November came and Thanksgiving went, then December was here. I spent so much time calling places about care and insurance, the holidays passed with minor celebrations. At the end of December my husband and I went down and tried to clean out my parents' house. That was a long arduous process. We just finished in January, and were struck with COVID.  January had us flat on our backs, as the virus was very exhausting. We barely managed to recover before we had another urgent situation with my parents. Then it was April. 

During all of this, my body decided to rebel. It was not happy with me and let me know it in no uncertain terms. It's taken me about 6 months to get back to some semblance of normalcy. I feel human again, and I am getting back to a regular routine. I am able to accomplish more things on a daily basis. Maybe this means more progress can be made, craft wise. 

Missing

 When my grandmother passed away a couple of years ago, I wanted a shawl I had knit for her back. It was never found, so I just resigned myself to not having it. Last night, I went looking through my patterns and found the pattern for it. I know I made it from a soft grey yarn, and it was lovely. There is no telling where the shawl actually went. One person said my grandmother must have given it to someone who admired it. Another theory is that someone else from the family took it. I guess it doesn't really matter. The pattern was from a friend, as a mystery summer shawl knit-a-long from a local yarn shop. The shop doesn't exist, the friend is in another city (we moved), but the pattern is still on my computer. 

From Ravelry: JennaCJ's Mysterious Summer Shawl

I think this is the summer of shawls for me. I have a scarf that I am working on from Miss Babs Book Club, and 2 other shawls that I am knitting up afterward. I have a couple more projects on the knitting/crochet front, but mostly this summer is organizing. We moved in September, and half the house is still in disarray. That's okay - life has been busy. Perhaps I should have taken 6 weeks once we moved everything from the storage unit and put it away, then moved everything from my in-laws and put that away, but instead I used my time differently. I focused on homeschooling and muddled along. Now, the school year has ended, and I can focus on letting my children have a summer and I can focus on putting things away. A mother's job is never done - and that's not a bad thing. We are always needed. While there are times when we want a break, everyone always wants to feel wanted and needed. 

I am looking forward to organizing some of the places in the house. My children's rooms are first on my list. Some of that will be enjoyable; some of it won't. I enjoy digging through the toys and remembering when we got them or how much they used to play with them. I am really looking forward to getting to my closet and alcove. The alcove will be my space - my craft space. It's not huge; it's a 5x7 room. But it will be where my patterns are and stash, my sewing machine, and hopefully my spinning wheels. 

I have a short timeline, as I want everything to be done by August. This gives me about 6 weeks to get through it all. While that might sound simple, having daily challenges of children and pets and interruptions, plus a week where I will be gone during the day, it will be harder than it sounds. However, since it will be hot and humid, being indoors will be a great place to stay during the heat of summer. And I can hopefully make it so we can have a stay-cation and just enjoy the house. There will also be a summer bucket list to check off!