Hi, everybody. Have we all safely made the crossing and landed on 2026? My Day 1 is nearly over. And I've had some thoughts. (EDIT: I wrote this last night, but didn't have any idea for photos, so I'm posting on Day 2, and I'll get into the paint after I post this.)
I quit "Resolutions" a few years ago, if you remember, but I still have some... guidelines? for the year, something to keep in mind before rushing into,out of action; not very different from the last few years', but then there have been very little changes in my life, so that's the way it goes.
The two main guidelines are: finish projects I've started, and continue "decluttering". I've put in some effort in both areas in recent years, although intermittently and at a blind arthritic snail's pace. I get great satisfaction from finishing projects, (being a great starter but poor finisher, finishing comes far less often,) and anything I'm not too keen on, I have culled them over the years. So what's still left is worth pursuing.
I quit "Resolutions" a few years ago, if you remember, but I still have some... guidelines? for the year, something to keep in mind before rushing into,out of action; not very different from the last few years', but then there have been very little changes in my life, so that's the way it goes.
The two main guidelines are: finish projects I've started, and continue "decluttering". I've put in some effort in both areas in recent years, although intermittently and at a blind arthritic snail's pace. I get great satisfaction from finishing projects, (being a great starter but poor finisher, finishing comes far less often,) and anything I'm not too keen on, I have culled them over the years. So what's still left is worth pursuing.
Decluttering; I don't like this word, because to me it's like tidying, while what I need to do is to get rid of stuff; shedding; discarding. In this day and age where everybody seems to have too much stuff, it's hard to give away old stuff some old lady saved for many years, unless they are rare/vintage/antiques. But I hate the idea of increasing rubbish, (around here they get buried in the ground,) so they sit in our house until we have a better plan.
I started selling books online last year, and I've had a modest success selling some old weaving books, but I have many more, not to mention mountains of non-weaving books, so I have a long way to go. It's still nice to send them to folks who want them. In Nelson I have the option to donate them to Founders Book Fair and over the years we have donated boxes and boxes, with a few more boxes to go in the next couple of weeks, but if I could get some money to go towards last year's roof repair or dental implant, all the better.
Other guidelines are familiar ones; exercise; eat healthier and in reasonable proportions; read more books; and a new one: write (more). I've gotten out of the habit of organize my thoughts and editing/revising them. Many times, even in replying to emails or to blog here, I find the task overwhelming and can't be bothered, mainly because I haven't been living an interesting life worth recording/reporting. Sometimes it's far easier to pick up a knife and make a jar of pickles, or get my sewing box to mend items that's sat in the ironing basket for months.
20 or 25 years ago, I made a decision to simplify my life, to make it smaller and not busy so I could devote myself to learning to weave. Growing older, having less disposable income, and the Plague all helped, to the point I'm now living a teeny tiny life. I like it, I'm quietly satisfied with this simple, plain life of an oldie, concerning myself with littlest things immediately surrounding me. At the same time, I'm reading much too much about politics on screen and not enough books with good content; I don't socialize in person much, so don't have many real conversations; and I don't write, so I never organize my thoughts, so I don't have interesting/funny things to say. I've become a boring person.
I ran into someone in the supermarket, and later went to a small gathering, on New Years Eve. I repeated myself and brought up matters like digging out oxalis bulbs from a patch we hadn't used to grow veg in a decade; and sorting paints, stains, and oils to prepare for household projects we hope to tackle this summer. And I didn't tell them in a funny way!
So there you have it; that's another guideline for the year: don't be boring!
