Amberism

Could it be true?

I haven't been for a run in almost two weeks. Nothing really to report except that we were all sick, and I have a lot on my plate and once you skip one or two, it is pretty easy to just stop bothering altogether.

Yet, last week was probably one of my more unproductive weeks, and considering the amount of work I have to do, being unproductive isn't really a good thing.

Could it be? Could exercise really be making me more productive? Because that? That is annoying. Now I feel like I have to continue going through hoops just to get in a run, so I can be productive, to do things I really could care less about doing when you look at the big picture.

The most annoying thing about it all is that if I were a man, there would be no hoops to leap through. You just go for a run. Just like that. No schlepping children, no trying to fit it in around everyone else's schedules, no must-do-never-ending chores. Why is that?

Speaking of the big picture, Steve and I have to spend some time writing out our goals. We did this years ago, and over time that list disappeared, as lists are apt to do. Steve mocked me and tormented me the last time I made him do this, but I think in the end it is a very worth while exercise. Not that I really have time for it...

I took out the cross-stitch I'm working on and I have to say that I really do prefer to knit. Cross-stitch is incredibly slow and time consuming, I had really forgotten just how much. I don't find it nearly as meditative. About every 5 years I do a big Christmas cross-stitch for a family member, and this is the most recent. It hasn't been 5 years since I started, so I can very easily put it back in the box and return to it later, but now I feel some sort of sick obligation to finish it. I really don't know why I do that to myself especially considering there is any number of other creative ventures I'd rather be doing. Some of them I'm dying to get to just so that I can post about them, and they are certainly far more interesting than a cross-stitch!

But I am off to bed, hopefully for the entire night since for the last, oh, 5 nights, CLAIRE SLEPT ALL NIGHT.

Let me repeat

CLAIRE SLEPT ALL NIGHT

There is always something worth celebrating. I should throw a party.

bonds

I have a lot to post about, but no time to post.

They're cute, though, no?

The storm

It has been insanely busy around these parts for a certain someone. That someone being me. Feel sorry for me. Although with the copious amount of sorry I feel for me, you probably don't really need to because there's already a lot of sorry being tossed around.

I've started back to work on a part-time basis, the busiest week so far being this week where I only logged 12.5 hours, yet it feels like I'm working full-time. By the time I get the kids packed, dressed, fed, out the door to my Mom's house, and home again it's been 2 hours. Usually I do some sort of household chore (dishes, dump the diapers in the laundry) and then I get down to business. This business is a struggle for me as I re-learn the software, and dive into an industry I hadn't worked in before. I know that this initial curve will be short-lived and before long I'll be back into the old groove, but man, right now I sort of feel like I'm drowning in the stupid.

On top of that, I have a project on my plate that I've been responsible for with the group I volunteer with. This project may end up paying some money as well, and it needs to be complete by Monday. My weekend will be spent right here, staring at this monitor, day and night, until Monday. Sleep be damned. I'm so excited. yeah.

Shall we add some more to the woe? Let's. We're sick. All four of us are sick, and miserable, and snotty. Ok, the kids are actually in fine spirits because the snotty just doen't bother them, kids are just troopers like that. Steve and I, on the other hand, aren't such good sports about the snotty. We're down right whiney, at least, I am.

This past week, though, I did manage to finish up some craft projects for a fundraiser and although I wasn't pleased with the distinct lack of product I'll have on sale, I was pleased with the product itself. A bakery of felt cupcakes! hee!

I did my usual embroidered embellishments, and skipped the beads and buttons for safety as I thought they would appeal to a wider age group then.

And I tried a little something new, and made 12 event/seasonal cupcakes for teddy bear birthdays, valentine teas, christmas desserts, easter, and of course, St. Paddy's Day!

I had really wanted to make some cookies, but with starting work and the volunteer project I just couldn't get them done on time. But I did manage to whip up a couple of little pin cushions with shrinky dink breast cancer pins! Silly, but fun little stocking stuffers!

The best part about all that crafting is that it is largely recycled materal, too. The cupcakes are made from a thrifted horse blacket (that was washed, of course), thrifted white scrap felt, and about 50% of the embroidery thread was thrifted. The stuffing is from a pillow that was no longer wanted. The cushions are bottle caps, scrap material, and again, thrifted stuffing. hee!

Hello New America

...and just when you're ready to write off the majority of Americans they surprise you!

The world is impressed. (well, ok, I'm not exactly in a position to say the "world" but I'm impressed!). It's going to be interesting to see the change. Let's hope there's change, anyway.