. . . Nay, don't race . . . to the end of 2020. The week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day presents a unique opportunity if one allows it, something akin to when as kids we were home on school holiday with no commitments or homework. And I was reminded of it when I ran across the following:
I realized I'd already started on that list. Christmas Day was an especially peaceful one for me. No interruptions, no frenetic rushing about, perfect easy to fix meals, listening to one Christmas cd after another until capping off the evening watching an old black and white movie like my late husband and I were often wont to do and noting that the promised late night snow had started to fall. And I especially enjoyed starting a knitting project with the yarn my cousin picked up for me on her New Zealand visit. Every year I think I am going to do this on Christmas Day or at least the week following because this is one of my favorite memories from my teens - mom, dad and I sitting by the fire with candles and Christmas lights and Christmas music playing, they reading and me knitting. But every year I "run out of time" as I fulfill other activities I deem important to my day and the week following. Not this year. This year I settled in to start a mobius scarf for myself and will knit a little on it each day.
I also hope to carve out time for some journalling I've been putting off (that's the "sit quietly in front of your life" part). The current journal is nearly full so I may need to pause to make another one if I have lots to say. The fabric is picked out and it would be a nice end of the year, get the new year off to a good start project. I have a new mug to try out, more suited to tea than hot chocolate, but no doubt the hot chocolate will get made too (with a dash of brandy). The weatherman thinks we'll have a few cloudless nights this week so I'll have to step outside to check out the stars (missed the great conjunction because the skies were overcast, but have seen the planets close on either side of it). And of course, I'll read as I am in the middle of a tale of circumventing Ireland with a donkey!
Won't you join me in keeping these remaining days of a year most would rather forget, really quiet, thoughtful, enjoyable, and magical? Time enough for plunging into another year - see you there!
5 comments:
I'll be with you, albeit a few miles to the south. Winter weather is in the forecast, a quick run to top off the pantry, and then I'm done. I spent yesterday spiffing up the chaos in the girl's fort. It's ready and so am I. I have nothing scheduled until 1/12. I'm sure I'll have to fix some meals and shovel some snow, but otherwise, my time is mine. I have sketchbooks ready in the hopes that I'll finally, this year, be able to get into the practice of working in one if not daily - weekly. Fabric is cut and ready for stitching and I have new boro, sashiko, shibori books to read. I'll think of you as I sip my coffee and just be. Wishing you a very happy New Year. 2021 cannot get her soon enough.
Good idea!!!
So lovely to hear, Jeannie. Your line-up for the new year sounds much more ambitious than mine, although you are reminding me that I've let my daily drawing practice lapse for well over a month and I too have sketchbooks to be filled. In fact, I made a resolution to a fellow urban sketcher who has been posting lovely houses in her area that I would get out even in the cold and start adding to my architecture sketchbook as I sit in the car! We'll see how that goes . . .
The goddaughter had her baby the day after Christmas and now that I know it's a boy, I can start pulling fabric for the design mostly worked out. It will be a fun way to get back into sewing in the new year. I'll be thinking of you too with your handwork and your free time. Happy happy new year to you as well!
I have no plans outside of home until January quilt retreat begins on the 7th. My project will be a quilt made of strips from a necktie collection for my friend's husband. So, in the meantime, I'm deconstructing (I call it 'gutting'!) 72 out of a couple hundred neckties they sent me & ironing on stabilizer. It's a very rote process which allows me quiet time to think...like "WHAT am I doing???? WHY did I say I'd be HAPPY to make this quilt????" Wishing you a healthy, happy 2021! It's coming ready or not! Stay well! Jan in WY
LOL Jan! I know JUST what you are going through, having done my share of taking silk ties apart and ironing stabilizer to them. So worth the time since it makes the silks so much easier to work with (no fraying, don't have to worry about straight of grain, makes different weights behave more the same) but boy is it time consuming! And you're doing this for someone else? Indeed you will earn some sainthood in the end! But once you get past this prep part, I'm sure you will then become happy to be working with these.
You are reminding me I really should dive into my own silk tie collection (bought at Goodwills, etc) which numbers around 100 ties now, and work them into a project. They call from the closet every so often, such beautiful designs and colors, but it's that "gutting" and stabilizing process that holds me back. Maybe it will happen in 2021. Stay well yourself!
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