In the Beginning...

Today is the beginning of a year-long new project. Daily, online journaling with photos and words. I can do this....I think I can, I think I can.......Ok maybe not DAILY but REGULAR posting is the goal.

Starting with this photo, a representation of my mood. The boys are back at school. I close their bedroom doors for two reasons. One is practical, no need to heat two rooms that aren't being used. The other concerns my state of mind. 24 hours and I miss them already - by closing the doors I'm trying to trick my brain into thinking they're really home, behind closed doors, playing video games. This photo also will represent a challenge for the new year. I've been wanting to paint the hallway for quite a while, just haven't been able to get up the energy to tackle that project. Seeing it here just reinforces how badly it needs to be done. Time to get rid of the picket fence, use a different color, and definitely get rid of the black marks all over Andrew's door. Where do they all come from? Ya think it has something to do with temper tantrums? Hmm...

It's still cold here but not bitterly cold like it was last week. Tiger is enjoying sleeping in the basket in front of the fireplace. I am so thankful to have the warmth but it is quite frustrating to have pellets scattered everywhere. I figure by the end of winter we have wasted about a half bag of pellets. 

Speaking of winter, I usually leave my Christmas village up until we have snow, something we get a little of each season. Last week was the week. We didn't get very much but enough to close schools for a day. For us the story was more about the temperatures than the precipitation. We had a solid week of lows in the low teens and highs below freezing. So I say - enough of winter, this village goes back in the box today!

The cold temps are wrecking havoc with my electric bill. December's bill was "whoa! big." January's will probably send me over the deep-end. Dale was complaining about the draft coming through the front window. There are no curtains,just blinds, so I improvised by hanging a quilt across the window. Pretty trashy looking but actually quite effective! 

Please, enough winter already....send warmer temps, thank you very much.

Today has been a kind of ho-hum day. Did a little bit of housework, still very thankful that I have a working washer and dryer. This time last year we were mired in septic problems. Thank goodness that has been rectified; going to the laundry mat in January was not fun! And how can we forget having to space out toilet flushes?! Again, thank goodness for a working septic system. 

I've spent a good bit of the day on the computer, trying to figure out this blogging thing. I really need to stop and go on to other things....specifically my felt work. I've got a couple of partial pieces done 

and need to get started on a special order bag for my friend Delores. She wants one for her kindle and has suggested something "booky" for the appliqué. Right now I'm drawing a blank, hopefully I can get to it soon. It seems that the special orders usually are the hardest for me. I guess it's because I know that the customer has preconceived ideas of what to expect and that puts pressure on me...or rather I put pressure on myself. 

This bag was made to hold Ian's girlfriend's Christmas gift. 

Time to get to it.