Sunday, December 28, 2008.... the rush is over: work, continuing education, family gatherings, travel and Christmas.... I love this season, but am thrilled when it is done. I am always in a mood for "starting over" after Christmas... how lucky am I that the New Year is only a week away!?!

So this was a good Holiday season. I really love my family... there is a real gift of hospitality in them: to Jacksonville Fl for Thanksgiving: my mom & older sister are there... this year Katie (niece) & Gracie (grandniece) were there (oh yes, stopped by Charlotte on the way down @ Sa's in-laws); 12/20 to Virginia to my younger sister's: all 8 grandchildren there... yes 8! 12/24 to my niece's, brother Lee & his extended family there; then 12/25 to Charlotte to be with my son's in-laws, who have warmly adopted me.

I find I am in danger of dictating my itinerary.... not very interesting.

So on a different note: I am planning my 2009 Christmas knit gift list... yes, I always want to make Christmas gifts AFTER Christmas! This year I thought, how is it that I do a whole year of handcrafts & don't have them for gifts? Two reasons: 1) Once done, I want to give them away immediately, and 2) (the ugly truth) I don't get them completed! I get close, can tell how it's going to look, or have learned some techniques, then want to move on to something else. Can a horse change it's colors an old dog learn new tricks? Well these days there is all this talk about the brain continuing to grow & evolve even into the latter years... so let's just believe change is possible! My 2009 motto....

"We must never be blinded by the futile philosophy that we are just the hapless victims
of our inheritance,
of our life experience,
and of our surroundings - that these are the sole forces that make our decisions for us.
This is not the road to freedom.
We have to believe that we can really choose."

Grapevine, November 1960 excerpted from the book As Bill Sees It entry # 4.

Handcrafts today

So this is a test.... My newest revelation is Ravelry.... completely absorbing. I've entered in most of my knitting library (they don't ahve verything listed & at this point we can't add if it isn't already in their database.) I've entered some projects and joined 3 groups... a LYS Knit Picky, Christmas 2009 group... yes 2009. I am always the most motivated right after Christmas. And one group to post stash yarn without a purpose to get help with ideas. And, I'll thank Jackie Jones, Salem's friend & co-worker, who encouraged me to join.

Followup posting, this didn't work like I wanted.... so on I go

Balance? Initial thoughts on blogs & on line community

I can see that I could get lost on the web.... in the past I limited myself because I could see myself spending hours roving around at commercial websites with nothing to show for it... not even an enriched understanding of life... and now I find myself facsinated by folks on the web... their ideas, blogs, use of words..... Not sure how I'll keep a balance.... But I'll worry about that later.

For now, I want to figure out how to have links in sidebar to further ramblings/photos/info about my thoughts, recipes, knitting patterns, quilting/applique projects... and not junk up the front page.... hmm... just noticed Labrels for this post below:

Getting started....

I'm thinking the thing to do is to really look at other's blogs... see what works. My son's friend, and likeminded knitter Jackie, in Apex, NC has a really lovely blog & she got me to join Ravlery... (GREAT on line place for knitters.) So as my resolution is to try out this blogging... I'm off to investigate.

In the Beginning

So, for 2009 resolution... see if blogging fits. I love words, have varied interests, need to journal to even figure out how I am feeling and am coming into the 21st Century... my son & his family gave me a digital camera yesterday for Christmas... I' ve learned how to download photos, so this seems like the right time.....