And my tummy is UNHAPPY. Dan picked up some sort of stomach bug which started on Friday - and I didn't get sick until this morning. He is still sick as a dog, so I don't have very high hopes as far as my own productivity this week goes.
Last week I shared the location of my blog with my Facebook friends, and promptly stopped updating. I have this tendency to fail at things as soon as I put pressure on myself by making a big announcement. Before I met Dan, I would date a dude for a few weeks, decide I might really like him, tell my friends about it, and after that it was basically jinxed. He'd dump me in the next few days. I repeated this cycle at least three times. But, obviously, I fixed that pattern and I'm going to fix this one too. Which brings me to today - blogging while sick.
So. Where was I last week? Here. Nowhere. I just really didn't have anything worthwhile to say - at least that's what I was telling myself. The truth is, I was in a bit of a depressed funk for most of the week. I've been "behind" on housework and my business tasks that need to get done if I'm going to grow. I've been whining forever about my crummy photography skills, and I know of a few "friends of friends" who are photographers, but haven't worked up the courage to ask for their help. My spring cleaning project is stalled for the moment - I cleared out the next area I was going to showcase, but I haven't placed the new pieces of furniture into it yet. I can blame part of that on the fact that Dan was sick and unable to help me, and today I got sick and was unable to do much myself.
The one plus of my little lethargic spell was that I crocheted like a madwoman, finishing one wool blanket set and one cotton blanket. Pictures to be posted when I take them. Don't hold your breath.
Anyhow, I wasn't feeling motivated, and now I am feeling it but can't act on it. Which is a little bit frustrating. What I have managed to do is make a list of daily to-dos, which hopefully will lead to a schedule to get me into a routine where I actually get things done that I need to do.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
CPSIA Update
So enforcement has been stayed for a period of one year. The upshot is, testing won't be required now until February 10, 2010. The crappy part is, the law is still on the books the way it stands. Poorly written, devastatingly vague. So, while I'm not going to be going out of business anytime soon, the work to fix the law is still not over. We just have a bit more time to work with. It feels like a relief, but also a hollow victory.
Spring Cleaning
Well, I have no idea whether the groundhog saw his shadow yesterday, and it's "frickin' freezing Mr. Bigglesworth" in my world right now, but somehow I'm still feeling the spirit of spring. Maybe it's cabin fever. I confided in a friend recently this urge I've been feeling at odd moments lately, to just run away and scrap all my material possessions and start fresh in a new place. Of course I would never actually just disappear like that--I love my family too much to just run. Nonetheless, the urge to purge has become part of my day-to-day. I just need to let go of some of my past.
Regardless of the motivation to do it, and since I am stuck in the middle of a lease, I've decided to fully de-clutter my apartment. It's gotten a bit ridiculous lately. To keep myself honest, and to motivate myself, I decided to catalog everything in my living spaces on film. To that end, I've just taken 43 snapshots of my apartment, room by room, and will eventually post before-and-after shots of the results.
Image #1 is of my couch and coffee table. So here goes:
Update: Almost finished with this space, aside from the need to add a framed poster of some kind - the area above the couch is really quite bare. Considering hanging a quilt or some sort of fabric as a curtain instead.
Regardless of the motivation to do it, and since I am stuck in the middle of a lease, I've decided to fully de-clutter my apartment. It's gotten a bit ridiculous lately. To keep myself honest, and to motivate myself, I decided to catalog everything in my living spaces on film. To that end, I've just taken 43 snapshots of my apartment, room by room, and will eventually post before-and-after shots of the results.
Image #1 is of my couch and coffee table. So here goes:
Update: Almost finished with this space, aside from the need to add a framed poster of some kind - the area above the couch is really quite bare. Considering hanging a quilt or some sort of fabric as a curtain instead.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Crafting for charity? Or, The best laid plans...
More late night madness from me. On Friday and Saturday nights Dan and I have a tendency to stay up very late at our computers, goofing around, reading and playing games.
Today I made a pair of baby booties that I originally intended to donate to a local charity. At the beginning of this year I made a small resolution to craft at least one charity item a month this year. The first one was a small blue cotton cap for the Knit One, Save One campaign by Save the Children. Unfortunately I didn't notice until I was looking for the address to mail it to, that I had missed the deadline. Even more unfortunately, I missed the announcement on their website that the deadline had been extended until about one day too late. So, I'm not off to the greatest start.
I had some really cute leftover baby yarn that is green with rainbow flecks, in a nice soft washable acrylic, so I thought I'd try making these booties for the unnamed local charity. I figured what the heck, it's a nice short project and I have the yarn and the time, why not?
But once again, not thoroughly researching the charity in question has been my downfall. Part of the reason I haven't mentioned their name is that I've discovered that they support a local "crisis pregnancy center" which is another word for an anti-choice non-medical clinic designed to frighten and coerce pregnant girls and women (who are already terrified enough, if they are going to a crisis center) not to have abortions.
Now, I'm not for or against abortion itself, but I am of the opinion that it is up to each individual human being to make that choice for herself. (Either way - I'm against women being forced to continue pregnancies in countries where abortion is illegal, and I'm also against state-ordered abortions like in China.) What is more disturbing about this particular propaganda center is that on their website they list in their "topics to discuss" something about when birth control is abortion. Which is another way of saying that the birth control pill, and emergency contraception, are abortions. Which is medically inaccurate, because hormonal contraception can not terminate an existing pregnancy. These are the sort of people that believe that women do not have the moral agency to decide when and whether to bear children, and who see all unwanted pregnancies, regardless of the circumstance, as a positive thing. That all young women should be compelled to start popping out babies as soon and as often as possible. That contraception should be illegal or at least inaccessible. (I'll get off my soap box now.)
The upshot is, I'm not going to give my cute little green booties to this particular charity. My cousin is having twin boys this spring, so I'll probably make a set in green and a set in blue and give them to her. And maybe make a little green hat to match the little blue hat, so they can have those too. I guess I don't feel too terrible about things, since taking care of one's family is as noble a cause as any. But I'll definitely stop and do my research, the next time I decide to make a charity project, before I start stitching.
Today I made a pair of baby booties that I originally intended to donate to a local charity. At the beginning of this year I made a small resolution to craft at least one charity item a month this year. The first one was a small blue cotton cap for the Knit One, Save One campaign by Save the Children. Unfortunately I didn't notice until I was looking for the address to mail it to, that I had missed the deadline. Even more unfortunately, I missed the announcement on their website that the deadline had been extended until about one day too late. So, I'm not off to the greatest start.
I had some really cute leftover baby yarn that is green with rainbow flecks, in a nice soft washable acrylic, so I thought I'd try making these booties for the unnamed local charity. I figured what the heck, it's a nice short project and I have the yarn and the time, why not?
But once again, not thoroughly researching the charity in question has been my downfall. Part of the reason I haven't mentioned their name is that I've discovered that they support a local "crisis pregnancy center" which is another word for an anti-choice non-medical clinic designed to frighten and coerce pregnant girls and women (who are already terrified enough, if they are going to a crisis center) not to have abortions.
Now, I'm not for or against abortion itself, but I am of the opinion that it is up to each individual human being to make that choice for herself. (Either way - I'm against women being forced to continue pregnancies in countries where abortion is illegal, and I'm also against state-ordered abortions like in China.) What is more disturbing about this particular propaganda center is that on their website they list in their "topics to discuss" something about when birth control is abortion. Which is another way of saying that the birth control pill, and emergency contraception, are abortions. Which is medically inaccurate, because hormonal contraception can not terminate an existing pregnancy. These are the sort of people that believe that women do not have the moral agency to decide when and whether to bear children, and who see all unwanted pregnancies, regardless of the circumstance, as a positive thing. That all young women should be compelled to start popping out babies as soon and as often as possible. That contraception should be illegal or at least inaccessible. (I'll get off my soap box now.)
The upshot is, I'm not going to give my cute little green booties to this particular charity. My cousin is having twin boys this spring, so I'll probably make a set in green and a set in blue and give them to her. And maybe make a little green hat to match the little blue hat, so they can have those too. I guess I don't feel too terrible about things, since taking care of one's family is as noble a cause as any. But I'll definitely stop and do my research, the next time I decide to make a charity project, before I start stitching.
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