Fiber

I recently completed another Warm Fuzzy project, but I gave it to the intended recipient before taking a picture. This one was dark purple and I made it some pink bunny pajamas. The recipient is a fan of A Christmas Story. I'm sad about not having a picture because the ears were so perfectly adorable.

Another area I've been leaning into recognizing my talents in is art. I've been practicing calling myself a fiber artist. This summer when I was writing my whole life story I had a sentence that started "If I were an artist". I had to change it because what I meant was "if I were better at drawing". I wanted to be more respectful to myself. It's weird to say that.

I've been practicing fiber art for a long time. In childhood, I was taught to sew and many of my early projects were costumes for re-enacting the middle ages. Around middle school, I learned to do counted cross-stitch. I've made a countless number of little cross-stitched Christmas ornaments as gifts for my friends. I never took pictures of those as I didn't have a camera or the idea to record my work.

In college, I learned to crochet. I believe my first project was a black scarf that is about 10 - 12 feet long and entirely single crochet. Except maybe some parts where I forgot what I was doing and slip stitched. I think I also tried to figure out how to knit and I was unable to do so at that time. That was probably around 2001. That's 18 years of crochet.

Over the years I've learned all kinds of new skills. Usually I learn new sewing skills when I need something and have limited resources. Like the year Taryn had a big growth spurt right when it was getting cold and I didn't have any way to get her anything new. I went to the Airman's Attic (like a thrift store but free) and pretended I was looking at fabric rather than the overwhelming piles and piles of wrong sized clothes. I turned adult long sleeve Ts into leggings and too-large shirts into right-sized shirts. Button down shirts into dresses. It was kind of fun actually.

Yes, I'm a fiber artist. I take materials and apply my skills and creativity to form new things. When I ask Google to tell me the definition of art, it wants to argue with me. But I prefer the idea that every human is an artist and we all need to tap into our creativity and be encouraged to express it.

Bloggin

I guess I spend a lot of my life not being very confident about my talents and abilities. But for some reason, I really really know that I'm a good writer. I think that's why I'm so drawn to the idea of blogging. I just want to write. Some problems include, one day having many ideas of things to write and other days having zero ideas.

also stuff like this

I also get caught up in weird perfectionist problems. Like there's somehow a perfect way to do a blog and so if I don't do that, then why am I doing this at all? Perfectionism is something I'm fighting all day every day. I'm trying to get away from the all or nothing style of thinking.

Sometimes I think I need to come up with a more focused topic for this blog. I feel like I'm all over the place and there's no common thread to what I'm writing. But really, my audience is me, and I think I've done an excellent job so far of appealing to my audience.

I was trying to take a picture of my hair for some reason

So I guess I'm winning? I'm going to just keep doing what I'm doing and see what happens.

10 Year Challenge

So apparently the thing right now is to compare photos of yourself from 2009 and 2019. There aren't a lot of photos of me from that time frame because the girls were one and three and I was busy. I did sporadically blog through that year, so I can see how I got more involved and began building community around myself there at Joint Base Andrews. I joined MOPS and went on all kinds of field trips. I have lots of pictures of the girls in random places people introduced us to.

I feel like 2019 has been pretty similar. I had made some changes to my social circle and this year I've really felt like I've benefited from the new community I've been building. And I joined MOPS again. LOL. I've taken fewer pictures this year I think, but I might actually be in more pictures than I was in 2009.

I really feel like there is a lot going on that I want to write down, if for no other reason than to read it later and have fond memories of my life right now. But I don't even know where to begin. I did see a picture on the internet that really sums things up though:

Painting Party

So this is how we do. Jenny messaged me something like "I'm in town, want to do something?" And I'm like "I could get dressed." It's suppertime. Friday is my Saturday. Anyway. We drive out of my parking lot some minutes later and drive south down the road that just finally re-opened after months and months of construction. We haven't decided what we're doing yet.

We get to Aggieville and it turns out the painting studio was lit up and looked like they were ready for some kind of painting party. So we invite ourselves. Luckily it was a public event. This business has just changed hands, the new owners already had a painting business but in a less noticeable part of town.

So we painted. The guy was very encouraging and validating. If I had all the money I'd pay him to tell me nice things every time I want to paint.

Rules

Appointments

My first trip to Topeka for meeting a new doctor was a little traumatic. There had been ice on the road that morning which lingered on the overpasses and bridges, as it does, and caused a lot of accidents. Most of the accidents were relatively minor, but there was one that was deeply sobering. There was a truck that had obviously rolled over and came to rest on its top. It was partially blocking the left lane of traffic so we all had to move past very slowly in the right lane. The first responders were all in the ditch on the other side of the road and I couldn't see what they were doing.

Usually when I pass an accident, I pray that those involved are well and/or recover quickly. But this rolled over truck was so jarring, I couldn't even articulate a prayer and in fact, just burst into tears. Then I noticed this remarkable thing. Usually after passing an obstacle that slows down traffic, people are in a rush to speed back up so several cars will pop out into the left lane and zoom. But this time no one did that. I mean, for at least a mile ahead of me there was a solid line of traffic in the right lane gradually speeding up together but no one broke the line. It was like a funeral procession.

About the moment people shook it off and started changing lanes again, we had to slow down again for a more spectacular accident. That accident involved a lot of big trucks and it got all the press, but it didn't have the chilling effect of the previous one. I haven't seen any reports of fatalities, so I'm hoping for the best for all involved.

The doctor was thorough and quick. I've been poked and prodded and assessed. Some tests have been done which I should hear about on Monday. So now the waiting.