Self Sustainability

If you show up for yourself in your life, the universe will show up for you.

In talking with a friend I realized that I am the last one on my list which goes like family, friends, house, fun, creativity and me.  Why am I always last?  What would happen if I was first?

So I am trying being first on my list which then allows me to be more present with my friends and family....to have more energy to devote to the house...to be more centered to be creative...to be more immersed in my fun.  

I thought that if I put myself first then all these other aspects that are important to me would somehow have less of me.  I've always put myself last and I took whatever was left.  I'm not sure why or how it came about but I recognize it now that my friend who has always held space for me said it without judgment or accusation.  It just was the truth of my words in a way that I could not see them.

So as much as my friend sees me as being there for her, she, in turn, has always been there for me.

Since I have been working from home, I have been putting me first in practice, just maybe not in the space in my head that I see my importance.  I journal to hold space for myself.  My journal does not judge me but allows me to reread the words I've written which often changes their meaning for me.  My journal is my place to plan my day, my goals my hopes, my challenges and the things I don't want to forget.  It is also the place I am grateful, I record my successes, I celebrate my goals and I find pride in a day well-lived.

I am creating a sustainable routine.  This post has been full of buzz words and sustainable health is going to be another one.  I believe in a routine that creates an environment for yourself that nurtures and allows for future healthy growth.

Sustainable means to me:
If I get sick and miss some workouts and then I can get right back on track because a healthy body bounces back quickly.  
I know how to eat for my body and I can go out to eat without sabotaging my diet.  
I have a positive relationship with food.  
I am working towards making muscle and creating better mobility on a total body level.  
I get enough rest so that my body can recover and revitalize. 
I listen to my body/mind/spirit and have downtime to meditate, contemplate or journal.
I go easy on myself on rough days.  
I get back up after I am knocked down.
I smile and laugh as much as I can.
I have fun every day.
I do this for me. Not to be thin or a certain size, but to take care of myself.  This is my self-care routine.  This is what putting me first looks like.

Most of the things I am incorporating are things you have undoubtedly heard before here and there over the years.  

Disclaimer:  This is what worked for me.  These things made sense and were sustainable.  I can see myself using them forever and that was important to me.  They may not work for you.  You may not agree with them as needing to be on a sustainable list.  And that is okay.  Everyone has their own process.  If some of them ring true, then see if they work for you.  But again, this is what worked for me and some of the things that I found out when researching these points. 

Push water throughout the day.  The body is 60% water.  It needs hydration to function.  Headaches, sleeplessness, fatigue, cravings of sweets or salts, brain fog, impaired mood or brain function, digestive problems and allergies can all be symptoms of dehydration.  On hot days, I make it my priority to drink more water during the day to stave off dehydration.

Have a consistent sleep routine.  Sleep is when your body renews and repairs itself, it grows and heals and it allows all those muscles to rest that you use every day.  It is vital to good mental and physical health.  

Have a good breakfast.  After a night of your body resting, my bodily functions need nourishment.  This meal sets the pace of the whole day.  I focus on making it full of nutrient healthy food.

Try to slow down when you eat: meals are a celebration of bringing nature into your body to nourish, heal, energize and renew it.  Meals are not a race.  I enjoy food; I love to experience the texture and the flavors in each meal.  Chewing thoroughly before swallowing helps the entire digestion process.  

I also incorporate into my meal the act of thanks from the elements of nature that formed the food, to the people who grew it, to the people who packed and processed it to the prosperity that allowed me to buy it to the family that I eat it with.  This grace is an important part of my meal.  Having an "attitude of gratitude" is essential to my spiritual and mental wellbeing.

Follow the 85 /15 rule.  This means 85% of my food is whole and healthy and 15% is not.  This means I can have a snack or junk food if I really want it as long as the rest of the day I eat healthily.  I try and have one "treat" a day.  Some days it is really healthy and some days it is one scoop of Ben and Jerrys'.

Eat fruits and veggies.  Fruits and veggies have all those nutrients that my body needs to function and thrive.  Most of them are antioxidants in their own right.  Every member of the edible plant kingdom has some health benefit that contributes to your wellbeing.

Eat nuts (unless you are allergic).  Nuts are one of those superfood powerhouses that provide protein, fiber and good fats.  They also are filling and chock full of vitamins and minerals.  Almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, pecans, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts,  hazelnuts and peanuts are the nuts that pack the most punch.

Move as much as you can.  When I was chained to my desk, moving was hard.  I would swivel and twist in my chair to give my core a workout.   I would hold my feet off the ground to engage my core.  I would do whatever I could to move a bit even though I was sitting for hours on end.  Belly circles are another thing I would do that no one could tell I was doing.  There was always something I could do.

Now that I'm not chained to my desk, it is relatively easy to get up every hour and do something.  I can do chores in between work and I've made time to work out.  But I understand, in this case, not everyone can do that.  

I know this can be hard.  It is always hard for me.  That is why I am going for a sustainable process.  I want to create changes that you can keep doing that allow you to reach your goals within the limits of your lifestyle.  Sometimes that can be as easy as parking farther away from the supermarket or setting a timer that gets you up every hour during the day.

Don't forget doing chores is moving.  On laundry days I am amazed by the number of steps I get.  There is a lot of movement in cooking or doing dishes.  Don't sell yourself short, those chores really add up to creating a healthy lifestyle.

My DH wanted to walk more.  The only way to do that was before work when he has the energy and drive and time.  So at 6 am we walk and catch Pokemon and talk.  It has become easier to get up and get going over time.  I really wanted to do it for him and then I realized that wow!  this is really great for me too.  I get so many steps and time with him and I am out in nature watching the world wake up.

I get that just going to the mailbox can be a walk.  I was there once and I remember that feeling of if I can just take those steps...if I can just do this one thing then maybe I could take more steps and create a healthy life for myself.  I have always had the support of my friends and family and that has been huge for me.

Do things that bring you joy.  I am always doing things that bring me the most joy.  Laughter is so healthy.  It lowers stress levels, strengthens your immune system, diminishes pain and boots your mood.  Just smiling can activate those healthy properties in your body.  

So this time, it is not about a number on a scale.  I'm not focused on that.  If I create a healthy lifestyle and diet then those numbers will reflect that.  I'm not worried about what I want to look like in the end because there is no end.  I am focused on feeling good in my own skin, feeling healthy in my own body and feeling happy in my process.  

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Week 2 of Tracking Back Basement challenge

I feel like I have reached a good pace with this goal.  I am moving and or cleaning things daily.  As you can see the stuff on the doorway table, and the table itself, has been moved.  Bins have been achieved and are starting to be filled with bagged yarn.

This week is all about moving the yarn on the left side of the room and cleaning the hanging drawers that the mouse lived in.  This is the part that I am afraid of...how much yarn has been destroyed?  

Fear and doubts are a big hurdle I always have to overcome.  So I made this little mantra that ties into my light cleansing mantra I say each day.

I release fear and doubt and transform them into wisdom and light.  I am the light.

I memorized this quite easily and have been chanting it throughout the day to quell those doubtful daemons that pull at my soul.  Each time I chant those words I feel a little more at peace with my inner self.  

Wisdom helps me to see that this week's task may be filled with uncertainty but it is also filled with discovery.  Why focus on the bad that could happen?  I very well may discover some amazing yarns that I forgot I had.  Really, that is quite likely.

***************

So, I feel at this point it might be important to talk about the hantavirus.  Certain mice can carry a virus that affects the pulmonary system in humans.  It is found in urine and mouse droppings which can disintegrate and become airborne when they are disturbed.  The virus can live in droppings and urine for up to a week at normal room temperatures found in the house, in direct sunlight the virus degrades at a faster rate.

It is a horrible illness.  Infection may occur up to six weeks before symptoms become apparent.  Initial flu-like symptoms from hantavirus infection can include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and stomach upset. Respiratory symptoms occur later and may progress to pneumonia that requires that patients be on a breathing tube in the intensive care unit, to secondary bacterial infections, and to multi-organ failure. 

I am pretty sure that my mouse visit happened in the spring and during that time I already disturbed everything when I freaked out, so if I was going to get infected it would have happened.  But, I am still using a mask, wearing gloves and not vacuuming just to be safe.  I am spraying the droppings with disinfectant and mopping them up after five minutes just to be cautious.  

This takes time, but I feel that it is important to dispose of the mouse waste products responsibly.

***************

Sorry, no knitting progress.  But I have found plenty of new yarn to play with!

Happy crafting,
Ruinwen

Tracking Back

In cooking, it is easy to track something back to its point of origin.  The cooking time and the prep time is all laid out for you.  You just have to follow the time backward from your serving time and voila, you have your starting time.

Anything can be treated with this trackback mentality.

If you know the time/end date of a chore or activity then you can trackback from that date and create steps for all the days that you have in between your starting date and your ending date.

It can be something simple as having prepared hot tea for a guest to redoing a room.

In my case preparing tea goes something like this:

• Heat the water
• Put out tea or tea bags
• Put out spoons
• Put out honey
• After the water is hot, steep tea for five minutes to allow flavors to deepen.
• After five minutes, strain or remove the tea bag
• Add honey
• Stir
• Serve

All in all, this process takes 15 minutes. I have it down to a science, or ritual if you will.  I try and imbue my tea with love, light, and happiness as well.

These kind of simple tasks are easy to trackback.

But what about the long-term projects?  They are harder to judge because unforeseen things can sometimes happen during long-term projects that make them go faster or slower.

So, I have a long-term project which I could never get the mental energy to tackle.  Mental energy is very different than having the physical energy to work on a project.  Mental energy involves emotions like; happiness, confidence, focus, willpower, motivation, and productivity. And those were things I was severely lacking or couldn't maintain for a long time.

Back in August 2013, I had a knitting room.  It was amazing and organized and I loved it so much.  The room just seemed to radiate with color.  

In October of 2015, it was flooded when the dishwasher repeatedly cycled water for four hours.  They had to rip out my new flooring and the kitchen got moved to the knitting room and in truth, I have never had the mental energy to clean it.

Then last year, a mouse made his/her residence for the winter in my knitting which was ruined so it added another mental layer of avoidance for me with this project.

After I quit my job, I gained some positive attributes to my mental arsenal.  Just having this time to rediscover myself and heal has changed me in ways I cannot even express.

So as of today, this is what my Knitting Room looks like.  Yeah, that is what I thought too.  :(

In the spirit of tracking back, I thought I would offer my Knitting Room up for an example.  This is going to be an emotional roller coaster for me.  Every project, every yarn has a story and a place in my heart.  I don't know what I will find.

And here we go.

My goal date is October 31st to have everything out of the room and sorted so a new floor can be put down. Every skein of yarn has to be checked and then bagged before going into a mouse-proof container.  There are shelving units, drawer units and closed box units full of yarn.  There are baskets and boxes full of yarn.  There is a lot of yarn in my knitting room.  I hope most of it is safe.

• My projects which the mouse shared a house with will need to be disinfected, washed and reblocked.  

• Everything in the mouse area has to be washed, disinfected and possibly destroyed.

• Tools also have to be sorted and or cleaned.

• My spinning wheel needs to be moved.

• Any trash needs to be cleaned up.  Any debris needs to be disposed of.

• Move kitchen items back to the kitchen.

• Wash blankets and pillows on my knitting chair.

Okay, it will be a lot of work but let's block it out and track it back.

There are eight full weeks and five extra days.

Week 1:

Wash / disinfect personal knitting.  Reblock any items that need blocking.

Clean off the little table in the doorway.  Wash / disinfect table cover.  

Move little table back up to Kitchen area or find a new home for it elsewhere in the house or move to the Garage.

Move yarn that is in the doorway to safebox.  Make sure everything is bagged.

So that will get me in the door.

Week 2:

Clean up the hanging storage areas where the mouse lived.  Disinfect them and store them in the Guest Room.  

Go through and clean / disinfect everything that the mouse touched.

Go through all the yarn and clean / disinfect everything that the mouse touched.  Move all the hanging storage areas on the left side of the room to the Guest Room.

Week 3:

Clean up stuff on the floor and relocate or get rid of.

Move all yarn and project-related material from the storage shelving on the left side of the room to the safe box.  Make sure everything is bagged.

Move storage shelving to the Guest Room.

Move any written notes of pattern creations and such to pattern hanging file after reviewing.

Week 4:

Focus on hanging shelving on the right side of the room.  Move / clean /disinfect all yarn.  Make sure everything is bagged.

Move all hanging shelving on the right side of the room to the Guest Room.

If the safe chest is full, get a second chest.

Week 5:

All the hanging shelving should be put away with the brackets and everything by now.  If not, finish removing the brackets and hardware.

Clean off the knitting chair.  Check for mice activity in the yarn.  Move / clean / disinfect all yarn.  Make sure everything is bagged.  Move to the safe chest.

Clean the chair itself and all the blankets on it should be washed.  Move the chair to the Guest Room.  It is getting quite cramped in there by now I suppose.

Start moving/cleaning / disinfecting surface of the tabletop.  Throw away any junk.  Relocate any items that don't belong in the Knitting Room.

Week 6:

Move all yarn and project-related material from the storage shelving on the right side of the room to the safe box.  Make sure everything is bagged.

Move storage shelving to the Guest Room.

At this point, everything should be off of the floor level.

Week 7:

Have them come in and do an estimate on the work to be done.  Ask if I have to take down the rest of the higher shelving.

In the meantime, go through all the higher boxes, which are sealed and should have been safe, for any holes.  Clean off the boxes.  Dust everything.  Clean everything.

Move any items that they request to be moved.

Week 8:

Knitting Room Floor is repaired.

Goal Achieved.  There is much rejoicing...

Going forward...

Since it took 8 weeks to get to this point.  Don't be disgusted with myself if it takes a few weeks to get everything back on shelving.

After the new floor is put in, slowly put everything back.  Reorganize.  Make sure everything is in bags and safe from possible future mice.

Move knitting that has been stored upstairs back down to the knitting room.

Whew.

So that is the plan which will go into effect this week.

I will take pictures and keep a record of where I am to be accountable to you all and myself.

Thanks for reading,

Happy crafting,

Ruinwen

:)

As of Wednesday morning, which is when I post my blog, I have already:

• Staged the Guest Room for storing everything
• Moved the yarn safe box down to the Guest Room
• Washed and disinfected my personal knitting
• Started moving some of the yarn that was not touched by the mouse and is already bagged to the safe box

Here is my personal knitting after disinfecting and drying.  Two of the lace projects felted even though I tried so hard not to felt them.  Otherwise, no colors bled and everything is still wearable.  So, yay!

You can still see the lace when you hold it up to the light so it wasn't totally destroyed.

Today...I Saw a Blanket

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
and what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
and rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
By the Muppets 

I have a problem.  I saw this and fell head-over-teacups in love with it.  So what's the problem you say?

This...

I just spent the weekend organizing my yarn, work-in-progress (WIP) projects and designing projects.  I gathered yarn from all over the house and found a home for each skein, cake, ball and hank.  I was so happy to see it all together in my new room and I still am.

I realized how many things I have started and then abandoned for one reason or another.  I was flabbergasted at how many working projects I found hidden in bags or bins.  So how can I even be thinking about a blanket of all things?

But I am.  I am thinking of...the rainbows that I made with my sister in the hose in the Summer sun, the blues in the ocean tinged with green and how marvelous our family vacay was this year, the hues of fall and smelling cider mulling on the stove and fresh gingerbread baking in the oven, Kermit singing in a swamp and my Mom loving him for it, sitting by the fire with my Dad at the cabin when I was younger and the chakras and how wonderful this blanket would be to use in healing or balancing the energy centers in the body.

Yes, that is without a stretch, the way I think.  One glance at something and I can picture myself enjoying it: and all the reasons why I should buy it wrapped in pretty bows.

I know that these Knitpick kits go fast and I've missed out on quite a few of them for waiting.  So what do I do?

The obvious answer is to knit like the wind and finish things in my drawer of WIPS but that is not going to happen since this weekend I agreed to help a friend finish a 5' shawl in two weeks.  I have a foot done.  Her hands are bothering her and she should not be knitting and it is the least I can do.  But that means all my projects are on hold.

I am an Aries...I have these moments of must-start-something-new and it eats at me until I give in; which, if you look at my WIP and designing drawers you will see proof of this malady I have. But this blanket is so neat how it uses 10 yarns to form all the colors of the rainbow in this beautiful progression of hues flowing into one another.  I have been looking at these kind of patterns for a while now and hemming and hawing because it was a lot of yarn to buy.

But when would I have time to make it?  I mean really?  After I finish this shawl I need to go back to my sister's scarf and while we are on my sister...I need to work on her sweater.  I have Yule gifts from two years ago that I never finished.  The logical person in me...and there is one...is saying that I don't need to buy this kit.

But the little kid in me that will always think a rainbow is the most beautiful of nature's creations, is not ready to give up the dream.

Happy crafting,
Ruinwen
:)

Edited to add:  My friend that I am helping out by knitting the shawl for, has gotten the kit for me for Yule this year.  Problem solved!  I get to knit the beautiful rainbows after I have made a good dent on my WIPS!  Yay!  :)

The Fullness of Time

“No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”

-- Source Unknown

I've had this dream for a while now of having a room for my yarn, patterns, books and everything knitting related.  When dreams come into being it is an amazing thing.  

It will take me a while to get it all organized in these bins but wow!  I can't believe how neat and orderly everything has become.  

My mind has been as cluttered as my yarn lately with moving everything into one room to do the floors.  But now as I start to weave spaces into my house as things are put in their places; I feel much freer...airier even.

It really is no surprise how much yarn I've accumulated over the years.  I never seem to have the right fiber for the project I am on so I had to buy more.  Really...

I'm feeling the itch to design something...but it hasn't gelled into an idea yet. Usually, I dream about a project and then it consumes me for a while.  I'm open and ready.  There is more space to let the ideas in and I love to create new things.

Lately, I've felt this shift within my being that allows the day to flow from one thing to the next in this harmonious way.  There actually seems to be more time to do things; when in fact it is my perception of time that has changed.  I think this happens when my stress dissipates.  it is such a rare occurrence that it seems strange to me.

But since Florida, it is strange to me to feel stressed.  Everything changed on vacation and I have not lost the serenity that apparently hopped into my carry-on and followed me home.

I used to laugh when I would ask spirit for a time frame and all I would hear was "in the fullness of time."  I know what that means now for time is full and fruitful and you can flow with it or fight it.  You can be thankful for the things you were able to do and allow the things that are not yet done to be for another day...or you can fret about all the would haves, should haves and if onlys.

It is almost like I found out this amazing secret that was all around me all these years but I am just seeing it for the first time with new eyes.

So I'm not just going to shove all my yarn onto shelving; I'm going to take time to savor it and maybe I'll remember some of the reasons I bought it in the first place.  Maybe it will take me back to a time that I spent with a special friend or a wonderful class.  

Instead of thinking about all the projects I haven't started...or finished...I will reminisce on the journey that I have taken and each project and skein will be used...in the fullness of time.

Not much to show you right now.  I'm still working on the Pointelle Scarf for my sister.  This has been a tough knit for me.  I originally was making one for my sister and one for me in the colors of spring and cherry blossoms.  My goal was to have them to wear through the tough times in Mom's illness.

Cherry trees used to line the streets of our childhood home and it would look like heaven for a while...it is a cherished memory for both of us.

But a week after I got the yarn, Mom passed away and then I was going to try and hurry and make them both for the funeral but I just couldn't knit.  I really wanted to but I kept making errors and ripping back and I finally just gave up.

I've knit this scarf on and off now for a while.  I'm back into the knitting groove again but I'm trying to keep with the flow of my day as well so the other little things get balanced in there.  My thought on this is it is better to do one repeat a day than to wait for time to knit.  If I do just one repeat a day then the scarf will grow by almost an 1" each day; that is 7 inches a week.  That means that if I can do a repeat each day I should have this done by the end of October at the earliest.  If I bring it to Knit Night, I can whip out a foot or so...if I'm not talking all night.  That will bring my day count down considerably.

My goal is to have both of them done by the time we take Mom's ashes to Hawaii.  Speaking of Hawaii: have I shown you the Guest Room yet?  I got these awesome prints and the whole room just radiates with calming vibes.  I still have to put the net over the drop ceiling and fill it with shells...but the light needs to be fixed...replaced? first.  I really adore this room.  I hope it blesses all who sleep there with that feeling I had in the middle of my vacation where I no longer felt stressed...at...all.

Happy Crafting,
Ruinwen
:)

Where Did the Summer Go?

“I will not say, do not weep, for not all tears are an evil.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien

Everyone is different and my grieving experience is going to be totally different from yours.  This summer I tried to start celebrating life more and that's what I've been doing.

Here is Dad's Memorial flag, medals and patches.  I love this box so much.  It fit the flag perfectly, which is what it is supposed to do.  But it made me all kinds of happy.  :)

This year I did something that I have not done in six years, I left my home and went on a real vacation.  We toured Lego Land and then chillaxed at Ormond Beach in Florida and it was the best vacay ever!

Lego Land was indescribably amazing!  There were Lego critters hiding behind every bush, in trees and amid the flora and fauna.   The park was full of things to do and see and everyone found something to enjoy.  They even had allergen-free food fare so I was able to eat.  And the food was delish.  Fresh spit-turned chicken and zucchini and squash with potatoes all cooked in oil, not butter.  We took two days so the second day we could spend getting soaked in the water park which is separate from the main park.  Boy did I get wet...yep totally drenched.  But it was a welcome thing to be wet in the hot Florida sun so I didn't complain.  I had put my entire purse into plastic bags so everything was safe even when I went in the wave pool.  There were places to build and play.  It is built on top of the old Cypress Gardens so the gardens are still there and they are just lovely.  There is an old banyan tree which has the most beautiful energy surrounding it.  Lego Land had something for everyone and we all came away tired but extremely happy.

Next was relaxing at Ormond Beach where we stayed at the almost tropical resort The Lotus Boutique.  This hotel was just beautiful.  Our room faced the ocean and was steps away from the hot tub, fire-pit, cabanas, and pool area.  We stayed there for 8 days and I was so relaxed by Wednesday that my stress all started to melt away.

I confided in my sister about my terrible panic attacks and other things that I was afraid that she would think less of me for and you know what?  Since I have the best sister in the world she loved me all the more for opening up to her and letting her know so she can understand me better during those times I'm making no sense.  Love my siiiiiiister!  :)

It's always ourselves that we find at the sea.  E. E. Cummings

I dragged knitting and stuff across the US to do when I came here and relaxed.  But in relaxing I realized that I wanted to be with my family and nature and enjoy the ocean.  I love the ocean, I always have.  But this trip was different.  Maybe my eyes were open in a way they haven't been before but I felt at one with nature.  The ghost crabs scuttled along the shoreline if one knew where to look; I could have watched them for hours for no reason at all.  A dolphin swam along the sandbar scooping up fish right new to the shore.  Those fish were a silver ribbon as they danced around us in the water.  Pelicans flew in formation and then dove for fish right by us as we bobbed up and down in the surf.  The sea was alive and it spilled into me and refreshed me in a way that nothing else could have.

It was such a glorious vacation but all things must end and when we got back we had a super surprise waiting for us.  My BIL and his kids who have been there for around eight years had moved out.  I was so happy that we could provide the stepping stone that he needed to get his life back on track but it was glorious to have our house back too.  :)

A lot of time has been focused on the house.  We had it painted in color.  My husband and I love color and we picked our hues very carefully for meaning and feeling.  If we had our way there would be no white, no cream, no ecru anywhere in the house.  So getting the entire Basement painted with all the hallways and rooms was such a huge blessing for us.  Next came the floors.  The Basement still had carpet and carpet, in my opinion, is much harder to clean than hardwood. We all have allergies and if we had our way the whole house would be hardwood.  

I love my new Basement!  The Guest Room is a reflection of the ocean and has pictures of Hawaii on the aqua walls.  Eventually, it will have a net over the drop ceiling filled with shells and starfish.  I even got a porthole cling that looks out on an oasis.  This means that my sister can have a safe and dark place to sleep when she comes over and I won't end up on the couch!  Yay!  It also means that my Nana and Pop Pop have a room to stay in as well when they come to visit.  We still need to get a futon or something so they both can come; but hey, this is a work in progress.  

My son is creating a Lego room.  This means all the Legos that are bursting out of his room now have a home.  I know that all of us are happy about that!  Hopefully, this will also allow him a place to film his stop-motion videos that he has been wanting to create.  It will be great to get all of his Legos in one place and I think a bit scary to see how much he actually owns.

Note: this is not all my yarn; this is not even a fourth of my yarn.  lol
But speaking of scary...all my yarn in one room.  Eeek!  I am so happy I will have a Knitting room to store and create in.  I have been gathering skeins, and balls, hanks and cakes from all over the house to be lovingly placed on the easy-hang we will buy this weekend.  I really want to organize everything as I go so that I don't loose stuff.  I need to update my Ravelry stash page since everything is moving too...that will take time.   But it is all happy time and the work makes me smile.  

Everything really has been making me smile.  Having a place for pans or organizing shelves.  Finding something I haven't seen in a while.  It all make me smile.  I love the floors and walls and the other day we had friends over in our Basement and played Catan and it was the happiest moment since in the past just walking in our Basement was an accomplishment.

I think it will take a year to clean up everything...let's not talk about Mom and Dad's stuff in the Garage...but it is a happy thing to make space and let the house breathe again.  :)

I have been knitting but it has been mostly on prayer shawls and this is really all I have to show for all that knitting.  The recipients of the shawls have all loved them though and that is what is really important.

Next week is Knitter's Day Out and I am excited and scared all rolled into one.  My wonderful sister is going with me for moral support and I am so thankful for that.  I know my stuff...I just need to get over these inconvenient fears that crop up.  But when I talk to teachers we all have them because it is a human thing.  So c'est le vie and all that.  I am blessed to have this opportunity to teach and I am honored to be there with such great knitters and teachers.  

So I don't have a bunch of summer knitting or projects to show but I am relaxed and happy and blessed in so many ways that it seems a great trade off.

Have a Happy and Safe Labor Day!
Ruinwen
:)