Monday, September 30, 2013

Weaving weekend

I still like reading magazines such as Inc and Fast Company, they have lots of good information for small businesses. An article they had in common recently was about the concept of distractions, and how we actually tend to distract ourselves. We can't blame it on email or the phone or people poking their head through the office door. We mostly just have a really hard time focusing on any one project long enough to get it done.

I find that a lot, especially on weekends like this one, where I have four distinct "to do" lists.

  1. One was for the farm - the angoras need to be sheared, and I don't like the current milk barn layout, so I wanted to move it. 
  2. Winter garden - I want to plant spinach, chard and kale and find what is left of the summer garden under the bermuda grass.
  3. Common Threads - weave, weave, weave and maybe dye some fiber, spin a little yarn... Since we decided to do Artisan's Market on the Square again this year, I've got to get some more stock made. 
  4. Household - Make cheese, pear sauce, decide what to do the the muscadines, check the persimmons, do laundry, sweep, kitchen counters and start finding my winter clothes.

So, as I focus on the current shawl on the loom, one that Lena says I should call Cucumber Melon, though I'm not sure that's a shawl name, I have a pot of pears bubbling on the stove. The mozzarella took one hour of complete focus, but I managed it and it came out great. I got a beautiful white warp on the rigid heddle in the 4 hours before daylight yesterday morning.
Now I have 3/4 of the last day of my weekend. I won't get it all done, though the laundry is caught up for this week. I really want to plant at least the spinach, and I want to go visit a friend. So, I'll go buy some fresh seed and visit a bit.
How can I focus when my life is blessed with such an abundance of wonderful things to do?
This shawl is almost ready to come off the loom.

This Dapper Dan rug is almost done. 
These two Fantasia rugs and a Demi rug are half way through the felting process

This white Herkimer rug will take a week or more to finish

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Time wishes, not bucket list

At conference I recently attended had big sheets of paper with questions written  in big letters on the top of the page, and markers for anyone who wanted to write their answer below. 

During breaks everyone wandered about to see what the questions were and write their answers one any they wanted. This generated some great discussions. 

One was "What's one thing on your bucket list?"

I thought and thought. I don't have a bucket list. I am blessed to have a life that is full to overflowing. I have a farm I love; a busy career that keeps me entertained; an art the gentles my soul; and family and friends that love and care for me. 

I grew up around the world as an Army brat and I get to travel a lot for my job. My parents always told me I could do anything I set my mind to and worked toward - and I have. 


I don't have a bucket list, but I do have an "Only if I had more time... list. "

If I had more time (or more energy within the time I have...) -

I would paint my bathroom cerulean blue. And tile its floor, and move the cabinets. 

I would be getting my winter garden ready. 

I would participate in NANOWRIMO. 

I would spend time getting together with and visiting my neighbors. 

I would write more thank you notes. 

I would get raspberries to grow. 

I learn what it is like to have a day without a to-do list. 

This list could get very long - and then it would look like a to-do list. 

So, enough musing, back to the whirlwind of my very full, very wonderful life.