What a difference a day makes...

Enjoying the winter sunrise...

Just 24 hours ago I was sitting here sipping coffee, enjoying the lights on the tree that had been up far too long. 

Now I am listening to cars racing past outside, sitting in my living room that has been "spring" cleaned.  Tree down, dusting done, room rearranged, although the ever present Neeko shred is on the freshly vacuumed rug. It's so quiet and different feeling.  Didn't realize how much that glow changed perspective.

Today I will haul more boxes downstairs and finish picking up the house.  I still have laundry to tackle, unless we opt out of wearing clothing for work this week. And frankly I am afraid that would not go over well. For anyone. So after doing the laundry that will mean more ironing.  I am not a fan of ironing, really I am not, I am less a fan of wrinkly clothing.

At the start of the day yesterday

Yesterday managed to allow time for the completion of a full sock, the last set took me a full month.  I have a basic pattern that I simply adore.  It is sweet, uncomplicated, with just enough stretch and give that it is a joy to wear.  This set is in Spring Fling and yet again it is not for me.  The upside of the KAL I joined is that I am getting a lot of socks knit, the downside is that I keep deciding they would make a great gift for someone else.

Before bedtime yesterday...

I am trying to use all the sock yarns that I have in the house before buying anymore.  I have a slight addiction to pretty yarns and will often buy them when they are on sale, whether I have time to use them or not.  I might, not saying I have, but I might have bought quite a few skeins more than I realized.  So far I believe I have enough for at least ten pairs, maybe more.  There are yellows, blues, roses, browns, cheery bold colorways, soft muted colorways, I still have a full skein each of the Vintage Rose and the Spring Fling.

I have several skeins of my favorite Happy Feet, that I bought for me almost two years ago and haven't found the time to use. This makes me feel insane, especially since I absolutely love the one pair that I already made, and will wear them even if they do not match my outfit of the day.

Before I cast on the next sock today, I have a small project to finish for my son, I want to get it in the mail today.  He'd requested something back at the beginning of the month, it needed modifications and with the chaos of the month, well that didn't happen yet.

I also have some mending to do.  It feels weird to say that, does anyone else "mend" things anymore?  I love the feeling of saving something, instead of trashing it.  I think it is one of the reasons that I love natural fibers so much.  They have the ability to be repaired, some of the others not so much, "fake" fibers shred.  I have some buttons to reattach - my dryer loves to eat them and then spits them up. Hubby has a couple of pairs of pants that he feels are a tad too long, so I would like to find time to get those hemmed.  And one of his work pants has developed an issue with a pocket.

I hate when you buy quality clothing, or at least it is advertised as quality and for what it costs it should last forever, and it fails.  It really makes me quite angry.

I have needed this weekend, it's been busy, my muscles are hurting badly (to the point that sleep is starting to not happen) but mentally... Mentally its been like a fine wine after a long day.  I feel a bit more centered, organized and like I can tackle the world.

I prefer slow living, that is how it feels to me.

I was sitting here working on that sock yesterday, pondering, because that is what I do when I knit. I was reflecting on conversations with people and things I have observed lately.  I am not a fan of the rush, rush, hurry, hurry, distracted world we live in.  Everyone is so "connected" that they have become disconnected.  Several times in the past week I have gotten frustrated with Hubby and others, because we are mid-conversation and they were checking their phones or computer.  Oh I am guilty too, I think most of us are. We are all so busy multitasking, that we are accomplishing less and are losing touch with actual people.

Everything is one stop shop, toss it out, no connection to anything.  Everything seems made to last a minute and be replaced.

I treasure my hand knit socks, the warmth, the softness, the beauty.  I have the first pair I made years ago.  I had not even gone to St. Louis to work yet when I made those.  So they are almost eight years old.  I wash them with care, I lay them flat to dry, I don't go running around outside without shoes on with those precious socks on my feet.  I use care, because they have value. They are simple socks, but to me they have value.

It seems that too much is losing value today.  I wonder if that is why people look at me strange when I say I need to mend things.  Why not just toss it and buy new?  I guess I simply am not made that way.  I want things that last.

Gator enjoying the simple things in life hanging out in my garden beds...

This year I am working on slowing down, I am working on giving my life and everything in it value. So I am going to keep knitting, mending, cooking, planting.  The extra work is worth the value that it gives my world. Sometimes I wonder if I am insane...