Tying Up Loose Ends

Okay, for some reason last time, I wasn't able to publish all my trip photos, who here are a couple more from the trip. First, a photo of us in front of the famous Harrah's Casino on the strip. The only thing that makes Vegas affordable for us is that we don't gamble or drink - so it ends up being a pretty fun, inexpensive vacation.

And then, I visited the yarn Shop in Vegas and got this specially dyed Harrah's colorway:

Now speaking of loose ends, here is the shawl I finished for my Mom:

And here are the socks I finished just in time for the upcoming Fall - these are for Emily and they aren't supposed to match. They are "Patchwork" socks made up of several leftover sock yarns.

And my gray roots are showing even more this week - or is it my imagination? Surely hair can't grow that fast.

I've been playing "catch up" all week - trying to unpack and get back up to speed on work and home projects.

Haven't had a chance to do any crafting this week, but have been in a frenzied organizational mode - moving my summer clothes to the spare closet and bringing over my fall wardrobe into the main closet. Also sorted through a lot of old clothes this weekend and will be bringing a big donation bag to the charity shop. Have a great week!

Vegas Was A Blast - Return to Reality

We just returned from a vacation in Las Vegas. Lots of fun. I'm a rather strange Vegas visitor in that I don't drink or gamble. So what is there to do? Lots.

We stayed at Golden Nugget because they have some really good rates, and we rented a car, so we wouldn't be stuck downtown but would be able to go wherever we wanted to explore the city. The nightlife there on Freemont street is pretty crazy, but it's a good chance to people watch, and hearing that wonderful saxophone player, Carl Ferris, is always a treat.Carl Ferris,

Renting a car is a good idea if you're staying downtown, because that way, we were able to get around to the strip plus drive all over the city, including into exploring into some of the mountains and foothills.

We saw several shows. My favorite was MJ Live. The guy who impersonates Michael Jackson and does a whole concert in that personna was eerily like the "real thing." He doesn't lip sync, but sings and dances. I loved that show!

I also really enjoyed The Mob Attraction. It's not just a fantastic interactive museum, but has holographs that come out and talk to you, mobsters who interact with you, and it's just a blast. You are a participant, not just an observer. You can stay there and linger as long as you like, and we were there three hours. Loved it!

A visit to Las Vegas wouldn't be complete without a stop in at the local knit shops, and my favorite by far was Sin City Knits. Debbie, the owner, was originally from Kansas City - small world, eh? She recently opened this shop and it was great. Had all the best yarn, PLUS she has roving and dyed yarn in the colors of the city. So tourists like myself can pick up Harrah's roving, or Welcome to Las Vegas sock yarn! There are even dice stich markers and here's the project bag I couldn't resist. Great shop. I'll definitely pop back in there the next time I'm in Vegas.

Going Gray

I've decided to no longer color my hair. This may sound trivial but is a BIG step for me. Since I've colored my hair various shades of auburn, red, and strawberry blonde all of my adult life, it's going to feel a bit weird being gray or silver.

Growing it out will be the real pain. I'll probably end up with very long atrocious roots. But I figure that since so many people in our society have multi-colored hair, that if I pick this time to grow my hair out, it may not be as noticeable as in times past, where it was a strict "no no" in grooming terms for a woman to have noticeable roots.

Actually, it's exciting to see what my "real" color will be now. Seeing my real hair color grow in will be exciting and a bit scary at the same time. But since I'm in sales, I may not be able to have really long unsightly roots, so I may eventually have to go with a stylish wig for a while. Not thrilled about that prospect, but heh, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

There is a "Growing Gray" group on Ravelry which is really supportive for those who want to ween themselves off the bottle (the haircolor bottle) that is!

My Mom, Emmy and Bob are all turning "thumbs down" on the idea of me letting my hair grow out, but I hope they change their mind once the ugly growing in part is finished. Who knows, I may not even like it myself. Not sure yet. But if I hate it, I can always go back to coloring it whenever I get the urge to do so.

Since I've over 50 now, I just feel that it's about time I got a glimpse of my hair as it really is . . . . I'm downright curious. How does the real hair I've been hiding all these years look with the face which is starting to show some age. What would the "real me" look like? Does that make sense?

I don't want to be one of those 80 year old ladies that still has carrot top hair. And I'm noticing that many women those faces are showing more mileage than their artificially pristine hair . . . that sometimes that can be more aging than gray/silver. So this is my personal experiment and to show you that right now, I'm just at the beginning phase - here is the current photo I snapped from angle at the top of my head.

Fiber U Recap

First of all, take notice that my craft room is shaping up. Crates are appearing on walls . . . . full of yummy fiber. My loom and spinning wheels are set up. And my Grandma Fernie's weavings hang above my loom.

I have a card table that can be folded up or used, depending on what projects are underway. It's nothing fancy, but it is actually becoming a usable, relaxing room and I had a chance early this morning to sit down in there and spin as well as play with my new hackle. More on that in a second.

Well, last weekend and all this week have been a total whirlwind. Once again, Luann and I went to Fiber U in Lebanon, Missouri. It is perfect place to learn how to spin, dye, weave, knit or do any of a NUMBER of crafts better. The teachers are fantastic, the vendors amazing. Best of all, in this excessive heat we've had, the event is air conditioned and in a nicely spacious civic center. So we don't have to swelter, but shop, relax, stay cool and even the concession area provides delicious, inexpensive and HEALTHY foods.

Where else but in Missouri can be find a TON of extremely nice people, nice fiber, and nice accomodations at such a reasonable price? Nowhere but here.

This year, I took three classes: Blending Fiber with a Hackle, Advanced Rigid Heddle Weaving and Making Boucle Yarn. My favorite class by FAR was the hackling one. And guess what? I came home with a wonderful hackle from Diane Wallace she sells a very affordable hackle that makes fiber blending a breeze. Granted, it looks like a Medevil torture device, but she taught us how to use it safely and I couldn't be more thrilled. After getting rid of my drumcarder last spring, I am happy to have a good way to blend fiber without a huge expense - this hackle takes up very little space in my craft room and can be put away when not in use.

Diane's class was so fun - she made it a blast! I learned to diz effectively, as well as what types of fibers work best on this hackle, and how to throw fiber on there without maiming myself. It's always important to cover the teeth/tines when not loading fiber on there. Even if you are just sitting there, you should have it covered if not actively adding stuff to it. One awkward slip, or accidental touch of the tines can be dangerous. I went to the doctor and got a tentenous shot before taking this class, believe it or not. Since I've been working with raw fiber, it's a precaution.

What amazes me each time we come home is that Luann and I get so involved in having fun that we forget to take pictures, so unfortunately, there aren't any photos of the event itself. Sorry! Next year I will try to do better.

A (Craft) Room of One's Own

I first got really into knitting in 2003, and when my craft interest expanded to spinning in 2008 and then weaving in 2011, I've expanded and broadened my interests, but also my equipment and supplies.

At first, I purchased a lot of commercial yarn, but in recent years, since I started to spin, making my OWN yarn is what has given me way more satisfaction and pride in my work than anything else. So the wheels, spindles, looms, not to mention fibers etc. have been growing in closets, spaces, and areas all over the house. In fact, my family sometimes rightfully comments that my crafty stuff has taken over spaces in nearly every room of the house. But I've had no centralized place to keep it all, not to mention work with it in an easy to access place. I longed for a pleasant, calm place to just hang out and find my tools in a neat, organized and pleasant central place.

So in the past year, I've been destashing stuff I don't really love or want to work with, and focusing in on the things that are more of my craft focus. And I'm at a stage in life where I have space to have my own craft room. So during the past two weeks, we've been clearing out the guest room to make way for a craft room of my very own!

Isn't that great? I'll still have a cute little twin size daybed for sitting on and for a guest to visit. But I finally have a room just for my craft stuff and I'm so excited! We painted the room a beautiful light shade called "Lavendar Mist." Then we bought a rug on sale and things are slowly but surely coming together in there. Yay!

I'll post a photo when I have everything set up. It's still a process, but an exciting one. Eventually, we want to sort, organize and make every room of our home more useable.

I'm Still Here . . . . Slowly Spinning, Knitting and Hanging Around

Wow, Blogger has totally changed their format. I've been avoiding getting back on here and figuring it out for a month because I wasn't sure that I still knew how to use it with all the changes and didn't want to take the time to learn it. I'm too busy learning some other new software at work and sometimes learning one more thing is just too much. Glad I finally bit the bullet and got on here, though. Like most things in life, it doesn't seem as bad as imagined. I am currently working on a shawl for my Mom - boy, it's taking forever. I'm getting so sick of it, but I think she will like it. There are all shades of green, some handspun and some glitzy commercial yarns.

Also working on some Patchwork Socks using some Blackthorn DP needles

- love those. They are made from carbonated steel, I believe? I am getting a kick out of using up a bunch of different sock yarn and making my own funky socks. There is a Patchwork sock knitalong going on right now over on Ravelry.

It occurred to me that . . . do I even need to blog anymore, or is it an outmoded form of communication? I've decided to continue, because I get a real satisfaction not only in communicating this way - but it's an electronic journal, a way of keeping in touch with others, and myself, without getting overly personal or introspective. Hopefully you all still occasionally enjoy hearing from me . . . and as long as I enjoy it, I will probably continue. I'm not into Facebook, so this is my way of reaching out. Now I'm going to try to publish this and see how it works.

Franklin Was Here

Every two years, our Sunflower Knitter's Guild has a big knitting event - conference, vendors, classes and all-round fun event called "Knitting in the Heartland." This year we were thrilled to bring in Franklin Habit, whom I have long admired in reading his blog.


Well his classes filled so fast that I only managed to get into one of them, which was "Lace Edgings" but I had the privilege of hearing his keynote address on Friday night as well. He is really into knitting and deciphering historical knitting patterns. As he pointed out, what other place but an event like "Knitting in the Heartland" could a group be held spellbound on a Friday night, listening to tales about nupps and how to fix forgotten yarnovers?


He brought along his knitted Victorian sleeping cap, and Pineapple bag. Things that if anyone else had pulled out of their knitting bag, I would have walked away shaking my head and thinking "o-k-a-y" . . . . but with him, he is so charismatic that he makes you want to go immediately download the pattern. And I did . . . . but I didn't get so far as actually pulling the yarn from my stash and casting on. No. Why? Because I was inspired by so many other projects that people at the event were wearing that I might have more immediate ability to replicate and actually wear. But still, Franklin inspires, is fascinating and greatly expands one's knowledge, curiousity, and he's absolutely funny and brilliant in that zany sort of way that is always refreshing. Being inspired by him leads me to get off the beaten knitting track and try some different things than I normally wouldn't consider.

The class on Lace Edgings was amazing. I was so rusty on lace knitting that I forgot how to read a chart, so the start of the class was rocky for me, but I just watched my Saundra sitting next to me, and eventually caught on to most of it. All I can say is "wow!" Franklin really knows how to take a plain baby sweater or bonnet . . . and jazz it up with some lace embellishments.

Taking this class caused me to hanker, once again, to read Nancy Wiseman's book called, "Lace in the Attic" . . . . a beloved notebook of Victorian lace edgings that she was given and transcribed into modern day instructions. Reading this book is any knitter's fantasy . . . of finding an old knitting journal in a historical home's attic . . . . and then actually sitting down and deciphering the stitches . . . (heavy sigh).

But all the talk of lace this weekend is drawing me even more to attempt the Aeolian Shawl that I've had in my knitting queue for 3 years and I just keep putting off making it. But at the vendor market, I got this lovely seashell colored silk from a vendor called Lost in the City that is luring me to try lace once again. It's been too long.

Oh shoot, do I really have to go to work tomorrow? Much rather stay home, start a lace shawl while listening to a Jane Austin novel on Audiobook.

Oh well , back to reality. At least the weekend was idyllic.

Trying Some New Stuff - Three Projects Started

Well, after finishing a big project like my Garter Stitch Cardigan, I always feel a bit at "loose ends" especially since that project involved spinning AND knitting together.

It took me a few weeks to get my craft mojo back and to focus enough on what I want to do next. Those "wannas" turn out to be not one but THREE projects.

My trip to Jeff City and my class with Carol Rhoades on Shetland Spinning for Fair Isle Knitting made me want to knit . . . . well, you guessed it, Fair Isle. Particularly the Fair Isle Vest that I've been wanting to knit for several years. But after being inspired by Carol's carding and spinning lessons, I want to dye, card, spin and knit the cardy, so that one may not be an immediate "get it done fast" project.

So what to do with my needles in the meantime? Well, I got that figured out today. Again, I want to knit with handspun and dyed yarn . . . and I've been wanting to make a shawl for my Mom in green, so this weekend, I started gathering up on green yarns I've spun, little bits and bobs of spinning experiments I've done these past couple of years. And I will probably need to dye and spin even more. But I've found the perfect pattern to make - the Spinner's Simple Shawl. I will post more on it later and get some pictures up once I have a chance.

Finally, the third project is one for my 24" Kromski Harp loom. I wanted to warp that thing and make a vest -- maybe even try to make the fabric and then sew it up. Am I getting overzealous? Only time and effort will tell. But I've warped the loom with some beautiful pink Cherry Hill yarn my Mom bought and stashbusted by giving it to me a couple of years ago. It's called "Cherry Blosom." Beautiful multi shades of pink! Yum. I am both warping and wefting with this lovely stuff and hope to come up with something wearable in the end. It would be a real tragedy if I goofed up this project because the yarn is nearly as beautiful as the blossoms it is named after.

Well, it's been a busy relaxing and crafting weekend. Happy Easter everyone! I'll write later about my progress on these new projects.

My New Matchless . . . .

Like I said last time, I really REALLY wanted a Schacht Matchless wheel and so . . . . .

within a week, less than a week actually . . . . upon my return from the retreat, I sold my Merlin Tree Roadbug travel wheel, my Fancy Kitten drum carder and my 7' triloom to get this. I am thrilled.

It's been a satisfying end to a busy week. But I'm glad I made the switch. While I will miss my Rhoda the Roadbug, I didn't use the drum carder enough to justify keeping it. I may eventually replace the drum carder, but the tri-loom and I just weren't hitting it off at all. Since I am NOT a detail person, that triloom was driving me crazy. I like rigid heddle weaving much better. And so . . . my equipment went to excellent homes and will bring much joy to the new owners, while I am pleased as punch to have my new wheel. I wanted to get this wheel before they made the changes . . .and raised their prices. Good trade all around. I wish all life changes could be arranged this easily.

Jefferson City Fiber Fair - Catch Up Post

Oh gosh, each year it comes . . . and each year it goes . . . and each year I come back with my head brimming full of ideas, new favorite patterns, new friends and renewed acquaintances. The Jefferson City Fiber Fair didn't disappoint.

My friend Luann and I went together and met our friend Sue there. It seems to get better and better each time we attend. This year, our classes were: Rigid Heddle with Jenny Senott (spelling?) and we have a Spinning Shetland class with the acclaimed Carol Rhoades from Spin Off Magazine. Both were absolutely wonderful classes. We learned SO much.

One thing it always does, too, unfortunately, is expose me to spinning wheels and equipment that I WISH I had, and the latest is the Schacht Matchless. Ahh . . . . that wheel is my "to die for" wheel. And before I even left the retreat this year, I already was mentally cataloging which of my equipment I could sell on Ravelry to get a Matchless. Especially when I heard that they were soon raising their prices . . . and changing some aspects of the wheel. Hmmmm. More later on that!

This year, in addition to seeing my friends, I always want to wear a newly minted spun or knit item - and this year was no different. I finished JUST IN TIME, the Garter Stitch Cardigan. This is a 3 ply sweater that I first spun then knit, and for once, I got the gauge/sizing right! I purposely made it loose enough to cover my bust and large stomach and hips. This turned out really well. It was heavy, more like a coat than a sweater, but that is what I was trying to create. Also, like past years, I finished this project just in time for Spring to arrive and so this new addition to my wardrobe will have to go in the closet until next Fall, but there's a real feeling of satisfaction knowing I created this garment myself and much to look forward to for future wearing.

Leap Year - Wonderful Leap We Made

It's leap day - the day that only comes around every four years. Today I had a WONDERFUL day. I found out that my husband is going to be able to return to Missouri and live with us again! He's been commuting back and forth, and mainly being gone all this year. But he's coming back. And he didn't have to even change jobs. He loves his job and they love him, so they are allowing him to work from home. I feel like a prayer has been answered.

So happy. If leap year days are this lucky, I wish they'd come every year . . . but this one is special.

Being Content with What I Have and What I Can Do

You know, I didn't undertake a word/theme this new year. And while goal-oriented, I'm managing to reach work goals, but because my work is both so emotionally rewarding and so demanding right now, I'm giving myself a break on the personal goals. The problem is, my work is EMOTIONALLY rewarding, but not financially (yet). I'm hoping this improve for us financially eventually . . . . but for right now, our family is broke because of living separately due to the bad economy. So we're trying to dog paddle . . . keep our heads above water.

Because of all the financial and family stress, and so much of our lives out of our control, I'm focusing on using my personal time to relax, enjoy and unwind. For once, I'm giving myself a bit of freedom and slack to just BE during my limited time off. Also am relieved that the spinning wheel and weaving equipment mode that haunted me last year has eased off quite a bit in the past 5-6 months, largely because I no longer have the chance to obsess about new equipment, and no longer have the time or money to pursue the perfect wheel or loom. Instead, I'm just enjoying what I have and appreciating every spare moment I have to do crafts of any kind.

The spinning is still the most enjoyable thing in the world! I no longer even PRETEND I'll finish a dozen projects in a year. Heck, I'll be happy to finish one or two completed projects the whole year of 2012 -- the current project is a sweater from my handspun yarn. But even if I never finish it, just spinning and knitting on it has been an utter joy. It doesn't get any better than that - just spin, knit, admire and breathe deep.

New Year's Introspection

Well, as always, this week between Christmas and New Year's is my FAVORITE week of the year. It's the week of my dear husband's birthday, and also, the week I start contemplating a brand new year. New goals . . . . new possibilities. How exciting!

The photo remins me to clap for myself and others and be grateful for what I've achieved.

Usually I try to come up with a word/theme to guide the year, but I'm giving that up this year. Instead, I have created a few reachable, doable goals that will be fluid with my life and will evolve as my year does. I've included three goals and three affirmations and am carrying them around on a small index card in my purse. I am recopying, and meditating as well as visualizing myself achieving these goals each day during my meditation time. That's my plan anyway, and I've successfully been doing it for the past two weeks to test the plan out to make sure it works.

Last year, 2011, was crazy and unexpected in mostly good and just a few bad ways. I LOVE my new job and am making good headway with it. I liked my old job a lot and was so worried that I'd made a crazy decision by changing jobs in the middle of a bad recession and especially when that change involved an initial pay cut, but gues what? Surprise, it was a really good move. I'm meeting my sales goals at work and loving what I do. I'm still not making quite as much income-wise as I did at my old job, but it's all going to work and eventually, I hope the money will follow.

On the other hand, Bob's career has involved long distance back and forth much of the time. I really miss having my husband home all the time - but we are working our way into a better situation where we can balance being together and apart -- while still keeping our careers and home life as balanced as possible. He's now able to telecommute much more, so hopefully it will be easier. I think we're doing as well as can be expected given the odd career ride we've both had the last few years.

Holding it together is important - and we've done that. So in many ways, 2011 feels like a year where we made good with whatever was thrown our way.

I've given up even GUESSING what 2012 might hold, who knows? But instead my focus is going to be on doing the best I can with whatever comes my way.

How about you?

Have a Happy Jolly Christmas

I'm not stressing . . . at least not about the typical gift giving and running around crazy like a chicken with my head cut off to buy just the right gift for more people can I can afford to buy for yet feeling obligated to do so. In fact, for several years now, I really have let that go entirely. This year even my Mother and I have agreed to the "no gift" thing - we have decided we have enough STUFF and we're going to just be together during the holidays and try to be a gift to one another in our presence, not our presents. The only person I'm buying an actual gift for is my daughter, and she's told me what she wants, so that's no sweat - something reasonable and affordable.

I can't believe what a difference it makes not worrying about the gifts. Now keep in mind, I have a small family, and no little kids in the picture. In fact, most of our relatives are middle age or older, and frankly, they don't want more 'stuff' anymore than I do!! It's the phase of my life I'm in - and one of the real perks to being in a life phase where I can "pause" more and step back, having a chance to experience the joys of the holiday without the obligation.

Now is the time to address some Christmas cards . . . listen to some music while drinking an old hot spiced tea favorite of mine from childhood. So where you are stressed or not, buying gifts or not, having lots of guests coming over . . . being with friends and loved ones, or being by yourself, you can do whatever holiday rituals truly make you happy - and one of mine is reading Truman Capotes, "A Christmas Memory" and then drinking some Christmas tea from my childhood. Maybe you can make some too? Or if you have to buy gifts, you can package this up in a little sandwich bag, into a Christmas mug and it makes a cute, inexpensive gift.

Hot Spiced Tea

1 1/2 cup of Tang instant breakfast drink

1/2 cup instant tea

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar or artificial sweetner

Enjoy!

The Kindness of Strangers . . . .

I have been busy with the new job, as well as tons of personal changes. I won't get into all the excuses . . . and there's no need to apologize for not blogging in a while.

I'll just move on to the fact that I do indeed have MANY blessings . . . and chief among them is warm friends, loved ones . . . . and the reaching out of strangers to help on things in a serendipitous way.

For several months, I've been trying to figure out how to do triloom weaving on the 7' triloom I bought early last summer. Well, the first two attempts were a bust. After trying and failing twice to work on a shawl for my mother, I was about ready to give up and sell the loom. Couldn't get the hang of that darn loom.

Well, I was complaining about it over on Ravelry, and low and behold, this wonderfully nice lady named Sheila from over an hour away, volunteered to come over and help me sort it out. Since this loom is huge, you can't exactly meet at the local coffee shop - it's just not a portable kind of hting.

What a nice lady. She set me up by marking the loom with tape notating the nail count, showed me that it's much easier to have the yarn hanging from the TOP of the loom's frame, so you don't have to trip over the yarn on the floor. She also showed me how to check religiously to make sure there are no floats. Gosh, she had so much patience, and thanks to her help, I'm now working on a shawl once again - this time in emerald green. I'm still keeping fingers crossed!

Rewards of Decluttering

Well I've been really trying to do a little bit of decluttering each day for about a week now. I have begun to make small strides, but each drawer, each bookshelf and each shelf full of clutter cleared away has made me feel really proud of my progress. I'm trying to simplify my life. Eventually, this may include me downsizing and moving into a smaller, more compact home, but for the time being, I'm just releasing (giving or throwing away) things that no longer than a use anymore. Trying to create a more simple, less chaotic environment so hopefully my life will reflect my surroundings.

While sorting through my nightstand, I was dumbstruck to find a set of notes that I'd carefully kept for YEARS (since November of 2000 to be exact) but hadn't been able to find in so long that I'd mistakeningly thought I accidentally threw it away or lost it some time ago. What a lucky find!!! It was a one-day seminar on handling conflicts with others, by being more understanding of the differences between each of us that makes us unique. It really was a big mind opener and has helped me deal with coworkers, loved ones and friends in a much more realistic and peaceful way over the past ten years. Imagine my happiness and suprise at finding these notes once again! And they resurfaced at a time in my life when I'm experiencing some turmoil again - so I'm grateful to have found it.

Sometimes when I find something that I long ago cherished, it feels like the greatest gift. I look forward to more things surfacing as I continue to dig, pitch, throw, and and reclaim.

Ask Yourself This

I am trying, really TRYING to get a better work/life balance lately. With the new job, it is going very well, but seems to take every ounce of time, energy and focus that I have out of me. My boss had warned me that in the beginning, I'd be extremely busy and putting in a lot of hours, which is understandable since it's a totally new sales field for me - and the first time I have down outside sales entirely. Always before, I was inside sales, with a bit of outside client interaction and a lot of tradeshows and company events - but now I do everything myself and I'm on the run all day - and work on my paperwork and proposals and prep work late into the night. Luckily I've been having some success - I've sold two accounts recently and have several more that should be happening really soon. I'm doing well, but need to learn to do well in less time so that I have time and energy left for a life.

All work and little play is making me a dull girl!! I haven't been reading, crafting or interacting with my friends as much. Gosh, I haven't been to knit group in so long. Haven't had time to knit, weave, or even spin very much.

So this week, I decided to go to a Unity class at night and it's a weekly group of 12 people that will meet one evening a week for seven weeks. We will be studying and reflecting on the book Ask Yourself This by Wendy Craig Purcell. The book isn't a typical "how to" book that tells YOU how to find your spiritual self. Instead, it gently guides you into asking questions that will lead YOU to find your own answers and your strengthen your own relationship with the God of your being. The questions this week, in the first chapter were: What do I know for sure? How big is my God? How wide is my circle (How open am I to being open to meeting and interacting with new people and those different from me?) How much room do I give God to work it out? Is faith or fear guiding my decisions?

The group of people I'm meeting with are doing wonders for widening my own circle and I have enjoyed them already! The first week with them gave me a chance to reflect and share other people's spiritual insights, which is refreshing.

I'm still doing that focus on my Consciousness Raising affirmation that I linked to last time. Rebecca and Martha, thanks for joining me on it! I even posted my affirmation in several places - in the car on the visor, in my cube at work, and carry it in my purse. By affirming it several times a day, I think I've raised my own consciousness and hope that it is contributing to raising the well-being of all.

This week, I'm committing to asking and answering the next chapter in the book, and the next set of questions. I'm also committing to giving myself and my family more time and focus - easing up, at least a bit, on work.

I'm affirming the best for all of us - keep your chin up everybody. It's going to get better - and for me, it already is. I just have to focus more on gratitude for the things that are good and recognize the good for what it is - have faith in things that seem out of kilter or unfair, because it all will be okay in the long run.

People Coming Together - Campaign for Consciousness

I've been feeling irritable, lonely, negative and disconnected lately - it's easy to feel that way - with the economy being so bad, and in my personal circumstances, Bob and I are away from each other so much (not by choice, but circumstances). Sometimes there seems to be no obvious light at the end of the tunnel, not only for us personally, but the whole country and beyond seems to be a compilation of nothing but "bad news." So I decided to shake myself out of my doldrums today and go to church at Unity (my spiritual home) - where I always get a positive lift. I was afraid they were going to have a sad and depressing 9/11 service, but instead, the service touched on 9/11 - but on the courageous acts and sense of oneness that came from it. So instead of the service being a "downer" it was a reminder of what is best in ALL of us. I felt really really uplifted and so VERY glad I went.

They have a brand new minister there, who just started last week, and she is SO inspiring. She's both amazing musically and in communicating her message in a way that really touches your heart and makes you want to take ACTION to bring about more good in the world.

One thing she read aloud to everyone is the Scott Heiferman, Meetup CEO, his message for "Fellow Meetuppers" on how Meetup first got started. Did you ever hear that story? If not, go read the September 9th blog entry on the link attached and be moved. If you don't want to go there, I'll summarize by simply saying, way less eloquently, that the phoneomen of Meetup started because Scott Heiferman was inspired by the sense of community that he suddenly felt amongst all his previously "go in the house and ignore your neighbors" mentality in his own neighborhood. On the event of 9/11, he saw his neighbors transformed, at least for a while, into caring REAL neighbors who talked with one another, who waved when they went into the house, who stopped and talked to one another outside in the yard for a change. He decided to launch a website to get people AWAY from their computers and into meeting one another in PERSON.

So I feel really uplifted today - and much less sorry for myself - wondering what I can do to be more active in my community. I started by staying after the service to meet people, and to sign up for a class that is a group of church members meeting together each week to study a book called, "Ask Yourself This" by Wendy Craig-Purcell. I've been doing way more bellyaching lately than praying and meditating. It's time that I start doing the things that give me hope in myself, and in the world, again. That's my commitment - to lift my vision higher.

Also, I am participating in the Campaign for Consciousness - 40 days of Daily Affirmation which goes from September 10 through October 19th - it will be forty days of lifting the consciousness for the benefit of the entire world. "Transforming the world one thought at a time." If you'd like to join me, go to the link, print out the three paragraph affirmation and recite it every day for the next 40 days.

Thanks to all of you who are part of my life - either in person or through the internet, and may we each lift up our thoughts to support and sustain one another. My thoughts ARE with you.

Gads is it September Already?

Fall is moving in. We had an absolutely lovely and cool, sunny and exquisite Labor Day weekend. With the lowering of temperatures and the coming of Fall, my mood automatically becomes more upbeat. Life seems crisper and full of more possibilities with the departure of the constant heat wave of the past few months. It's been a hot, horrible summer, for us as well as most of the country.

My new job is going well. I still haven't sold anything, but am getting close. Yay! I've been getting appointments and seeing lots of people, so eventually the sales will start coming along too.

My calorie counting and exercise plan aren't going as well as I'd expected, because I keep getting sidetracked by the busy-ness of my new schedule and taking clients out to lunch is hard on the waistline! I need to get in better control of myself.

I just finished reading a charming little book called Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, a british novel by Allen Bradley, which I would highly recommend. A perfect light, end-of-summer novel that is part coming-of-age novel, and part cozy mystery, with the heroine being a mentally sharp 12 year old girl named Flavia De Luce. There are a few books in the series. Very cute.

Still haven't been crafting much, but hoping to get back to it really soon. I miss spinning, knitting and weaving.

Feel free to post a comment. I hope to be back in the swing of things here soon.

Just Checking In

Not much new to report - I haven't been doing hardly any crafts, just an occasional spinning session here and there, because I've been busy getting my head crammed to overflowing with the new job.

I love the job, but am still in the learning phase. Took a big test last Friday. If I passed, I can start working in the field with actual clients. Can't wait! The training was very thorough though and I am liking the job - the glimpse that I see of it right now. Won't really know what doing the job is like until I actually do it, ya know?

But thanks for all the folks who have wished me well and commented, both on here and privately. I love to feel the love, doesn't everybody?

If I owe you a visit or a phone call, just reach out to me and we'll make "catch up" plans. I really miss my crafts and hope I can get a more balanced focus soon. But I really NEEDED this change and it is a welcome one.

I'm hoping that good things come to all of you too.