Happy New Year, Happy New Start

Yes, it will be a Happy New Year in 2010 even with 2 feet of snow surrounding our house since Christmas week! It doesn't look like it in the photo, but the snow reaches the top of where our front porch is supposed to be! Over 20 inches in less than a week. Fantastic!

This has been a tough year for us in many ways, with lots of major adjustments--living with a 16 yo, living with a different income, living with different jobs. But through it all we feel so blessed to have each other. Sounds corny, but it's true.

Personally, I feel as if I am becoming more "myself" once again--discovering a few swaps that really motivate me to finish projects, discovering other quilters and bloggers who struggle with the same balancing act as we try to create and nurture and love others.

So for 2010, I have a few goals to reach for (not in any particular order):

1. Focus on finishing more than a few WIPS (see the sidebar list).
2. Make quilts for MY family.
3. Make projects for myself, instead of always giving them away.
4. Try to follow through a project until it's completed (i.e. don't start something new without wrapping up a work in progress.
5. Cook & care for my family purposefully instead of reacting to events as they come up.

What this list means in real life is that first off, the sewing won't be taking over the dining room table so much of the time. I still get to sew but not when supper really needs to be on the table.

Related to that, we should have real food to eat most of the time (important for growing boys and parents who would like to stop growing), and we should be able to eat it together more often. I'm afraid this means both planning and actual time devoted to menus and cooking. It's not that I don't like cooking, it's that I get tired of thinking about what to fix.

Finally, I hope to have more of my creative life to show around my own house, rather than just the messiness resulting from my creative process. That would be finished projects!

I re-read this and think it sounds a little gloomy, but really, these goals just help give form to the priorities I say I have my life! I am excited to continue down this creative road to discover where it leads!

Gratitudes for 2009

1. Healthy, mostly happy boys who work hard and enjoy life.
2. A sweet husband who does whatever I ask, even if I'm being selfish or slightly unreasonable.
3. Jobs that keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies.
4. New possibilities on the horizon.