Monthly Archives: January 2013

It’s below zero today in Minneapolis, something that happens less and less these days, which means I love it even more. The winters of my youth just don’t happen these days and I miss it. I want lots of snow, and lots of cold. So when I have a day like today when I can wear two pairs of wool socks I am happy. These is just something about the cold. It clears my head and gives me an energy that I just don’t have in the summertime. I know, a crazy idea to most of the world, but I do love it.

The best part of being a northerner is that we get to wear the most wool! And since I have some Christmas gift money to spend I’ve decided it’s time for a really nice new sweater to knit. I’m torn between two patterns, what do you think?

Both are from Brooklyn Tweed (and I’m treating myself to his yarn too!)

  Fairfield        or      Tilda??

  I do wish I could knit both……which would you pick? I’ve always wanted a classic cabled sweater like Fairfield, but I do love the simple details on Tilda. 

It’s the weekly Yarn Along! 

I am plugging along at my brother’s Christmas present. He was the one who got a ball of yarn this year for Christmas, which he knew exactly what to do with: hand back to me so I can knit him something. When finished, it will be Windschief by Stephen West. I also need to finish a cowl for The Skeptic. 

Which reminds me. I took no pictures of  my Christmas knitting! And I knit some seriously cute stuff for my niece…..

Anyway, my book is The Power of Less by Leo Babauta. I mentioned him in my previous post and I am finding this book pretty inspiring.

Funny…when I was taking this photo I kept thinking that there was a glare on the book, blocking out the end of the last S in the title. After 5 minutes of trying to take a glare-less picture, I realize that the end of less is faded out! (Get it, less??? I’m a bit slow today!)

Happy New Year everyone!

I love a new year. Just like the first day of school, it has always been the time of fresh starts, reflection and  hope. While I don’t consider myself to be the type to make official resolutions, (I am so not the “lose 10 pounds by March 1st type) I do like to reflect set some goals, and begin anew.

However, I am the “try to do too much, get overwhelmed and freak out” type. My dearest friend Annik and I were chatting over the noisy play of our children on New Year’s Eve.  I was listing off the various “21 Steps to This” and “10 Steps to That” and the yoga and the no more gluten and this e-book ad that e-book and…..She very calmly said “That sounds like a lot of anxiety.” And I paused, because she was right.

So later that evening after Annik was home, all my children were sleeping soundly and the poor Skeptic was stuck working at yet another New Year’s Eve concert, I thought  little harder about it all. And I realized I would never do anything I wanted if I couldn’t chill out and get a little focus. Trying to do 10 different e-book programs all at once is just not a good idea. And my Feedly stream has been full of them the last week…all of them sound great, all of them promise me a clean house, a calm mind,and balanced budget, lots of time to play with my children and never wondering what is for supper again. But all of them together would probably just give me a stroke.

I figured out there are two things I need to do:

• Calm my mind down, paying more attention to the great things in my life with less worrying about I am not doing.
• Clear out the clutter and busyness that has built up over ten years of being a parent, and try to get some organization and simplification in my life.

So rather than take on a piles big books dealing with everything all at once, I returned to my three favorite blogs:

• One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp: She has written one of the most beautiful, honest and life changing books I have ever read by a mother raising a family. No matter what your faith might be, I highly recommend it.
• 52 Changes by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits:
• One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler by Tsh Oxenreider

So, I have three things to write down every day, and two new things to try each week. Not too crazy or overwhelming, is it?  I have other things I’m interested in, and some helpful links to share, but less is more, right? That’s for another day.

In the meantime I’ll leave you with one powerful short article about time by my favorite writer, Anne Lamott. And I would love to know your thoughts on the New Year!