Well, hello there!
I sure have missed this space even though I’ve hardly posted in a year. Life is going well for me and, sadly, that provides little fodder for blogging.
I’m more than halfway through my first year of teaching and I adore it. I must have the sweetest first year teaching gig ever. My colleagues are simply outstanding, the kids are fun, and I’m old enough to feel confident and poised. I still struggle with stuttering – and some days it’s hard to get the words out – but the kids are patient. In fact, my colleagues say they don’t even notice. I’m learning that while my stuttering feels awful, I’ve managed to figure out how to minimize the impact it has on my actual communication.
Craftiness is still a substantial part of my life. I’m finding bits of time for knitting. I have two blankets in progress. A friend gave me her old (nice) sewing machine which I had tuned up and it works like a champ. I’ve been toying with making skirts and small bags. I’ve also picked up candle-making. I’ve been buying cute old tea-cups from our local thrift store and making them into “tea lights.” I’ve also picked up the fiddle again and finally have a reliable fiddle teacher. I’m getting competent enough that my ears no longer bleed during practice. 😉
This is mighty boring and please accept my apologies. Life has just settled into a nice rhythm which is something I’ve wanted my whole life.
Things aren’t perfect by any means. I’m exhausted most of the time. My oldest kitty is getting older and needs more medical interventions each year. But she’s still my sweet babe and she has a lot of life left in her; however, her care is gradually becoming more complicated (and expensive). I’ve begun seeing a new therapist and she’s component, although she’s no M. The winter has been long and excessively cold. My anti-anxiety meds have made me gain weight which is hard (read: nearly impossible) to lose. Thus, many of the “teacher clothes” I bought last year don’t fit. This has made my work wardrobe restrictive. Also, the meds frequently give me “brain zaps” which are unrelenting and unpleasant. Speaking of unpleasant, I was diagnosed with osteo-arthritis in my neck last November. I’m learning to manage the pain, but it’s put a major kink in my lifestyle.
Alas, all the complains are minor. Life is sweet these days. I finally feel like I’ve shaken some mean demons and I have a life throughly worth living. ❤
I hope to check in again soon – perhaps with some pictures of lovely hand knits or a recipe to share.