A New Year Begins
9:36 a.m. - 2008-01-01


I usually am awake at midnight to stand on the porch and make some new year's noise with a pot and a wooden spoon, but this year I was asleep. I got my first full night's sleep in months, so I will take that as a good sign for the new year. Creativity-wise, I am starting to fee the urge to work in clay again, making beads and pendants, and to sew more. All that Christmas sewing made me want to sew even more. And clean up the sewing room, which has definitely gotten out of hand.

We have had long-standing electrical issues with the lights in the family room since the raccoons got up there in the ceiling, but we have put off fixing it for two reasons: no money, and couldn't find replacement light fixtures we liked. In the meantime we just stopped using those lights and were waiting until we found some fixtures we both liked. On Saturday we took a drive to Modesto to a store called Phillips Lighting, and what a spendid store that is! Huge, lovely, and best sales staff EVER. The lady who helped us was wonderful, and we found a lovely light fixture, bought two and ordered one, and now we are just waiting for the extra one to arrive so that we can call the electrician. Stupid raccoons. The creative vent cover my spouse invented has kept the creatures out ever since, though.

Other good things happened this week, too. The spouse got the urge to dig up the garden, and it looks very nice out there, unlike its usual December self. I think fall digging should be the norm now because with tax season and all, he usually does not otherwise get a chance to dig it up until mid-April. We threw out alfalfa seeds to see what happens, and we will turn it under in the spring. Next spring will be the first time I get to use my new cold frame to start plants. We already set up the base for it. It is a sort of pop-up device that folds out of the box into a very long cold frame. Should be great when all set up.

I went to the sale at JoAnn's and got some great patterns. Melissa came over and said I was '5 for 5' in the patterns I bought, which included a purse pattern, hat pattern, and three tops. Now all I have to do is get sewing. I am also beginning to get interested in pattern drafting, since I have read that it is possible to get great fit if you have a sloper drafted to your own measurements. There is also an article in the latest Threads about drafting a pair of pants that are supposed to be the best fitting pants ever. In addition to all this, I found a copy of the Dorothy Moore pattern drafting book at the used book store, and she uses the Japanese method which I have seen these many years in my Dressmaker magazines. So we shall see what happens.

It is finally sunny today but still very cold. The spouse has gone to see the EG's to discuss matters pertaining to Pastor B's estate, so I have the morning to goof off. I should start the new year right by doing my exercises.