Oh my, where did the year go? It's the last day of 2011, and boy, it seems 2011 just flew by.
This has been a difficult year in more ways than one. In some ways, I feel as if I've gotten nowhere; in others, I feel I'm a bit wiser this year than last year at this time.
So, the rundown:
--In January, I received Very Bad News at work, which kind of colored the entire year. It meant a longer commute for me, more money out of my pocket for me, and uncertainty due to threats of layoffs. This pretty much sums up the entire year, work-wise. And it also made me question my reasons for keeping this job as well. In January, I was writing the fourth portion of Darkfall and spinning on my spindles. I started destashing spindles, since I had too many of them and needed the money. "Needing the money" continued to be a mantra for me across the year as well; moving to a new office, the extra commute, and extra gas meant that it was May before I paid off my car. And if you mix in credit card company troubles with that, it was not a pretty spring.
In February, I started a sourdough starter (again. Notice a theme here?) I created the library out of my former formal dining room, after getting rid of the china cabinet. My desk is still in the same place it was in February, although that will change this weekend, since I'm (finally) going to move the organ (and eventually get rid of it entirely) and put my desk in its place.
In March, the Bad News continued abated. I didn't write much about that here, but rest assured, I'm still digging myself out from under it. There were many tears and many curses. And a couple of close saves. And I posted a lot of stuff on ebay that I felt I had to sell to try to save myself, and I barely squeaked past doom. But I made it, and I'm in a better place (if not a perfect place, unfortunately) now. My office moved in March. My opinion of the move and everything else remains the same.
In April, I mowed my grass for the first time (booo!) I bought two spinning wheels, but sold quite a few other things to pay for them. Gas rose to $4.15 a gallon. I literally sometimes had less than $5 in my bank account to last the week before payday. I ate a lot of PB&J sandwiches for lunch. The first Burlington meant the antiquing year was off to a good start. And floods closed the roads on the way home from work, so I had to alternate ways for a while.
In May, I paid off my car! Finally! And that will never, ever happen again if I can help it. I got two round bales of hay delivered to my house, and have not been able to park my car in its normal spot since (even now, they are still there. And to think I almost had him deliver the bales behind my car. To think!) I got my hair cut, I started in on the garden, I mulched quite a bit in my spare time.
In June, I planted my garden even though my tiller didn't want to work properly. I write the sequel to Capture, which is called Ruby. It was hot enough to have to sleep downstairs on my couch/bed, which was the whole idea of setting it up.
In July, I made ravioli from scratch for the first time. It was wonderful. I went to the Wilds with my family. I ate a lot of kale. I bought Mabel an outside pen, which cut down on my stress considerably, since she'd started chewing in the house and had been spending all her time in her crate. She remains outside.
In August, my next door neighbor's house caught fire. He eventually died from injuries sustained in the fire. I picked lots of stuff from my garden. I started reading some interesting literature that I'm still mulling over. It was quite hot and nasty outside. I took some pictures of the garden and started poking at Scarecrows again. I'm still poking at it periodically.
In September, I decided that I really should rearrange the library how I want it, but I couldn't quite decide how I wanted it to be. So I've been contemplating that for the past three months. Ack. I had a yard sale, and managed to sell quite a few things and make some money, too! I rearranged the Green Room, and made myself a workbench. I also decided to make a decision--that I could not continue the way things had been continuing. I had to make some changes. I'm still making those changes.
In October, I found not one, but two floor looms. I managed to get the smaller one set up and running, but the larger one has not been warped yet. I wrote a sort-of-fairy-tale, quite by accident. I turned on my heat. I wrote Jericho's story, which I'm now adding on to the end. I set up at the Appalachian Fest in Winchester OH. Capture was released. I sold a spinning wheel to a new spinner, too.
In November, I took a week off and actually managed to make my kitchen presentable. The bookcase that sat in church's garage for months finally made it into my library. I made challah for Thanksgiving. I purchased a Nook 1st edition ereader. I had one craft show, which was not so bad. And I made a decision for next year which will color every decision I make from now on.
In December, I bought another sourdough starter, finally warped the small floor loom (scarf-in-progress is still on there now), I bought a Penguin Quill spinning wheel, I tried out my pressure cooker and didn't blow up my kitchen, and I had a great Christmas.
For 2012? I have lots of plans, as I do every New Year's. And that will be a separate post.
This has been a difficult year in more ways than one. In some ways, I feel as if I've gotten nowhere; in others, I feel I'm a bit wiser this year than last year at this time.
So, the rundown:
--In January, I received Very Bad News at work, which kind of colored the entire year. It meant a longer commute for me, more money out of my pocket for me, and uncertainty due to threats of layoffs. This pretty much sums up the entire year, work-wise. And it also made me question my reasons for keeping this job as well. In January, I was writing the fourth portion of Darkfall and spinning on my spindles. I started destashing spindles, since I had too many of them and needed the money. "Needing the money" continued to be a mantra for me across the year as well; moving to a new office, the extra commute, and extra gas meant that it was May before I paid off my car. And if you mix in credit card company troubles with that, it was not a pretty spring.
In February, I started a sourdough starter (again. Notice a theme here?) I created the library out of my former formal dining room, after getting rid of the china cabinet. My desk is still in the same place it was in February, although that will change this weekend, since I'm (finally) going to move the organ (and eventually get rid of it entirely) and put my desk in its place.
In March, the Bad News continued abated. I didn't write much about that here, but rest assured, I'm still digging myself out from under it. There were many tears and many curses. And a couple of close saves. And I posted a lot of stuff on ebay that I felt I had to sell to try to save myself, and I barely squeaked past doom. But I made it, and I'm in a better place (if not a perfect place, unfortunately) now. My office moved in March. My opinion of the move and everything else remains the same.
In April, I mowed my grass for the first time (booo!) I bought two spinning wheels, but sold quite a few other things to pay for them. Gas rose to $4.15 a gallon. I literally sometimes had less than $5 in my bank account to last the week before payday. I ate a lot of PB&J sandwiches for lunch. The first Burlington meant the antiquing year was off to a good start. And floods closed the roads on the way home from work, so I had to alternate ways for a while.
In May, I paid off my car! Finally! And that will never, ever happen again if I can help it. I got two round bales of hay delivered to my house, and have not been able to park my car in its normal spot since (even now, they are still there. And to think I almost had him deliver the bales behind my car. To think!) I got my hair cut, I started in on the garden, I mulched quite a bit in my spare time.
In June, I planted my garden even though my tiller didn't want to work properly. I write the sequel to Capture, which is called Ruby. It was hot enough to have to sleep downstairs on my couch/bed, which was the whole idea of setting it up.
In July, I made ravioli from scratch for the first time. It was wonderful. I went to the Wilds with my family. I ate a lot of kale. I bought Mabel an outside pen, which cut down on my stress considerably, since she'd started chewing in the house and had been spending all her time in her crate. She remains outside.
In August, my next door neighbor's house caught fire. He eventually died from injuries sustained in the fire. I picked lots of stuff from my garden. I started reading some interesting literature that I'm still mulling over. It was quite hot and nasty outside. I took some pictures of the garden and started poking at Scarecrows again. I'm still poking at it periodically.
In September, I decided that I really should rearrange the library how I want it, but I couldn't quite decide how I wanted it to be. So I've been contemplating that for the past three months. Ack. I had a yard sale, and managed to sell quite a few things and make some money, too! I rearranged the Green Room, and made myself a workbench. I also decided to make a decision--that I could not continue the way things had been continuing. I had to make some changes. I'm still making those changes.
In October, I found not one, but two floor looms. I managed to get the smaller one set up and running, but the larger one has not been warped yet. I wrote a sort-of-fairy-tale, quite by accident. I turned on my heat. I wrote Jericho's story, which I'm now adding on to the end. I set up at the Appalachian Fest in Winchester OH. Capture was released. I sold a spinning wheel to a new spinner, too.
In November, I took a week off and actually managed to make my kitchen presentable. The bookcase that sat in church's garage for months finally made it into my library. I made challah for Thanksgiving. I purchased a Nook 1st edition ereader. I had one craft show, which was not so bad. And I made a decision for next year which will color every decision I make from now on.
In December, I bought another sourdough starter, finally warped the small floor loom (scarf-in-progress is still on there now), I bought a Penguin Quill spinning wheel, I tried out my pressure cooker and didn't blow up my kitchen, and I had a great Christmas.
For 2012? I have lots of plans, as I do every New Year's. And that will be a separate post.
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