I will be the first to admit that standing for 5 hours at my longarm on the concrete floor yesterday was probably stupid. My knee and back were pretty ticked off, but nothing a good night of sleep didn't fix. As I move forward with making quilts I feel strongly that I am going to need to get an anti-fatigue mat or seriously plan for no more than a 2 hour stretch at quilting. And as I get totally lost in the creation process, the mat is probably going to be the solution. I hate to spend more money, but I don't want to lose my joy in the midst of pain.
Truthfully that is why I stopped sewing last night. The binding has to be put on by hand - at least for this one - and my poor fingers aren't very calloused right now, so they were hurting pretty badly. Add to that the fact that I sent a nut pick into my left thumb on Monday (the reason no knitting has been happening) and my fingers have not been having the time of their lives.
As I was finishing up the quilting yesterday, my mind had already moved on to my next couple of projects and prioritizing them. I am making a memory quilt for a dear friend, but she doesn't need it until Christmas and it will be a fairly quick project as it is only one sided and a twin size at that. So I think the next project will be my great nephew's quilt as he is due within the next month. That will also be a fairly quick one. It will take me longer to cut it out and to put it on the longarm than to actually make it. Probably a days work.
I've been lost in podcasts while working, nothing wrong with learning at the same time your hands are busy with mindless work. I'm currently deeply interested in homesteading sites. I would be lying if I said the out of control inflation wasn't causing me serious concerns. I am a bit of a planner, not enough of one if you want the truth, I'm still far to reactionary as opposed to being prepared. But I am working on that.
I talked a bit about the news from our natural gas provider, that started me feeling a bit on edge and unprepared. The fact that the shelves at the stores seem to still have huge holes has me a bit more concerned, and the way prices are going up... well... a bit of common sense never hurt anyone.
In fact that is how I ended up with a small hole in my thumb. We eat a lot of nuts, we cook with them, we munch on them... they are a staple of our diet. This past weekend at the farmers market we got a great deal on some nuts in the shell still, I spent the afternoon on Monday shelling nuts. I'm okay with doing a bit of manual labor to save a few dollars and put up some supplies for winter. The hole will heal and if I'm lucky I might even have a small callous to prevent that in the future.
I don't advocate for hoarding and the like, although if you were to look in my studio you might beg to differ, but I do believe in being prepared. I grew up on military bases, sometimes you waited a really long time for the supply ships to arrive and when they did, sometimes there was simply not enough stuff for all of the folks that had been waiting. I think it is one of the reasons I am fairly flexible about a lot of things.
I've decided that I will be a bit old fashioned. No surprise there, huh? I am working on planning out our winter stores. Making sure that I have enough of things we use, preserving or dehydrating things that will come in handy for us over the winter. I just feel the need to be prepared. To plan ahead so to speak. I don't know why, but this winter has me concerned. Maybe it's all the strange happenings. Maybe it is PTSD from the past 18 months or so. Maybe it's the way the cost of everything is increasing at a steady rate. And maybe it's all the people that appear to be absolutely blind to what is occurring with these price increases.
A bit of preparedness that I never need, sure beats the heck out of needing something and not being able to get it. I firmly believe life is about checks and balances.
I am also working on planning to teach some of these more basic skills. Do they even offer home economics in schools anymore? I am all about people being more self-sufficient.
Now that I have at least one of the three critical quilts almost done, I can start planning a soaping day. I haven't bought soap in years, I don't intend to start now. I will take an inventory of supplies, plan out my recipes and then get myself busy. It might be a two or three day process to get all of it made, but then it is off of my list. Some of the favorites are simple melt and pour soaps, but they are so wonderful to use. Others are more labor intensive, of course those ones would be my favorites, so they must happen also. I will also make some of the hot process soaps that so many of my friends like, my well stocked soap closet must contain Wild Sexy Man soap. Please don't ask me what the passion is around that one, because I only made it as a joke and it has developed a life of it's own.
I also have a few other projects that I need to get working on. I have candles to make, not that I am running low, but because they simply need to happen. I have boxes of supplies sitting around, time to make some magic. Any that we don't personally need I will sell or give as gifts.
I have also decided to brush off some of my old scouting skills and makes some fire starters for us. One can never have too many fire starters when you have a fireplace. And who knows it could be a cold winter for us if these big corporations don't get their business together.
Well, it looks like it's just another day in my wacky world. I love it. The only thing I would change would be bringing our family members closer. I miss my boy and his girl. I wish my sister in law was closer, same with my mom and sisters. I wish my dear friends were closer. But each of us has to live our life's journey, and theirs are not in my backyard.
I would love to have acres and all of us on it. Where we could all work together and support one another. I wish that I was closer to my sister right now that is trying to make miracles happen. I would love to be able to work alongside her and create those miracles. Instead, I watch helplessly from afar and wish. I simply don't know what else to do, I have tons of skills that would benefit her, I am just too far away to help.
I'd better get busy. Want to tidy up and shower before my friend comes over for a day of creating. I am looking forward to visiting and working side by side. I have discovered I truly enjoy time with my tribe, it changes up the pace and allows me to "people" on my own terms.
One of the ladies I am really digging into right now always says "stay busy"... I love that thought! Stay busy creating the life you want and crave on your deepest soul level!
love and peace my friends...
ps... I am seriously considering no longer sharing my blog on Facebook, so if that is the only way you know if I have posted and reading it is something you enjoy, please consider following it.
Good one as always! 381+
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