Tag Archives: remember

A Thankful Pledge

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ScannedImageI know that this is the time of year that many reflect on what they are thankful for, yet it is something that I try and remember every day. It is easy to sit down and make a list of things that you are grateful for, a time to not overlook the things we take for granted. However once a year doesn’t seem to truly make a difference in my life, I try to take stock a little more often.

Now I will not say that I have a gratitude book that I write in daily or anything, but I do focus on the simple things in life, I do not necessarily remember to tell those that make a difference in my life how much I appreciate them, but I reflect upon it…often. I think that this may be caused by my early realization of my morality. I remember growing up attending a funeral annually, sometimes more than that, and the deceased were always a variety of ages with deaths for a variety of reasons. I guess it set a foundation in me not to completely overlook the daily interactions.

I never part ways with my family without saying “I love you”, even if it is a quick run to the convenience store. I apologize when I lose my temper, even when I think I am right. I do my best to listen to all they have to say, even when my mind is racing with my “to do list”. I try and remind them that they are important to me with the simple actions in life.

With this season where everyone is listing that they are thankful for health, home, and comfort, I am thankful for these now and the everyday, and I pledge to keep the thankfulness alive daily. I only wish I could find a way to express my gratitude to those that I do not interact with daily…so maybe this is a good time to say thank you for your support in my crochet journey, it keeps me going, it inspires me, and it is so very appreciated. My wish for you is that you recognize your blessings and understand their value in your life daily.

Documenting the Past -Looking Forward

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ScannedImageI found a little trip down memory lane today when my kids were pulling out photo albums. When I was a kid growing up, my mom use to create oil paintings. I have a couple in my home now, but they were and still are almost the only things on the walls of my parents’ home. She had been paining long before I was born, and I remember as a child flipping through a small photo album that she kept of all the paintings she had created, in a way it was her portfolio.

My first afghan

My first afghan

When I was in my late teens and early twenties, someone had asked about all the afghans I had made. At this point I was already over a decade of stitching and had made many finished items to my credit, but I thought about my mom “portfolio” and picked up my camera to document some of the work I had done. I was probably consistent with this for a few years, and since designing it has become important for me to do such. However when my kids pulled out my little “portfolio” photo album it was a little journey for me.

I know that not every piece is in that album, but the ones that are brought back memories. There were many wedding gifts, and baby showers, many birthdays, and thank yous. I knew where most of the afghans had found homes at, and a couple I could not quite place.

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35 different baby yarns make up this afghan of scraps and memories.

In a way it is amazing to look back and realize how prolific I have been in my creating. This little book may only represent a couple of years of work, but it fills many pages. I have a scrap afghan that represents this as well; it is a full size afghan made out of baby yarns. These baby yarns are the left over yarn from the numbers of baby afghans I have made, and if I even wonder how many babies have been wrapped in a blanket I made, I can get a starting point with the 35 different colors in the afghan. Even that was created nearly 20 years ago, so I know the number would have increased since then.

I guess as a maker I need to keep my hands moving and my mind designing, I guess it has always been a part of me, but it is only in looking back that I can see that. Only in taking stock in where I have been can I better see my journey forward.

Little Thing to Remember

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ScannedImageUsually for me the hardest deadlines to keep are the ones that I have set for myself. I have no problem stepping up and meeting deadlines set by others, no matter how unrealistic they might be at times, but keeping a simple deadline for myself can be a little more of a challenge. Mine get pushed back for various reasons; other peoples deadlines, kids activities, sleep, family, sometimes even just that next chapter of the book I am reading.

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Out with the kids…

Why is this? Do I not value myself as much as everything else? Or could it be that I am simply being a little too hard on myself.  In my other work lives, I was able to leave work at work; I came home and started my other life. My time was measured, I could see the productivity of my day in the hours I was at my job, but now that model is on its head.  I would love to say that I have set work hours that I dedicate to crochet, separate time scheduled for house cleaning and grocery shopping. That does work occasionally, but then life happens and they overlap and mush together more than I thought they would. I have late nights, as the late afternoons and evenings are family time (okay, they are fight about homework, fix dinner, get ready for bed times, but who is judging). Mornings are reserved for getting everyone out the door, so I have mid-morning until school lets out, plenty of time. But then I have to go into town to ship some packages, and since I drove all the way in I should stop by the grocery store, well now I have, a couple of hours before I pick up the kids….

I need to find a way to focus more on one task at a time, and quit multitasking as much, but I also need to remember that I am allowed to have free time. I often find it easy to beat myself up about what I should have gotten done, instead of looking at what I have accomplished. This is a little thing I need to remember…life is more then work.