Backing away from the shiny, slowly.

It's 2 days before my next paycheck.  Man, I have so many ways to spend it.  New Boots, a new coat, Spanx, tights, briefcase, shoes, food, yarn, clothes, and oh, yeah BILLS!

I've gotten myself into trouble the last few months, moneywise.  I've had to re-evaluate the budget after the housegust moved out.  Budgeting...well, I'll write them - but they are NEVER followed. 

I started thinking about The Compact.  I started thinking about all the crap my house has filled up with in the last 2 years.  I started to think about relearning how to sew, in order to alter all the school teacherish long wool skirts my mom gave me into something cool. 

So, I'm laying down a challenge to myself.  Other than BILLS, food, household goods, and a few pairs of patterned tights, and some craft supplies (cloth, thread NO YARN!!) no more spending.  Nada. Until the end of the year.  Gifts will be created or repurposed items.  Waste reduction measures will be under taken. 

Should be interesting.

Fits and starts

Last night in Western Ny it was incredibly windy, rainy, and cold.  Perfect weather to pop a stew in the oven, wrap up in fleece from head to toe, and knit on my Tangled Yoke cardigan.  I have so many projects lying around the house, just begging to be finished.  So, I joined Fran's 10 minute ruleon the KR forum.  I need to now come up witha  list of everything that needs to be finished.

The baby sweater for the baby that was born 8/25

Socks for the same

Bibs (2) one needs buttons and weaving and the other needs to be knit on

The bathmat - Center down, 2 strips to go

My fuzzy feet that I started when I bought the house - 2 years ago

the mohair sweater in the round

Banff

the Green Mohair Cardi

Tangled Yoke Cardi

Socks

That is 100 minutes a day of knitting - if I only do 10 minutes on a project.  Good thing I live alone, people might start to talk!  I need to clear all of this stuff off my plate so I can start working on hats, mitts, scarves, stuff I need for the winter.  I'll try this system for a week and see how far ahead I get. 

Football and sock knitting

A couple of weeks ago I scored some tickets at work to go see the University of Buffalo football team play University of Pittsburgh.  Sunny day, yummy hotdogs and sock knitting.  Happy happy!

Alone again

On the knitting front, the usual.  Too many projects, no finishing.

Cooking - homemade granola, chocolate chip cookie bars, blueberry muffins, bread dough for the week, yogurt sitting in the crockpot.

Baking is my way for taking on the furnace wars.  No heat until November!

I've never been alone like this.  For the last 30 years I have lived with my parents, roommates, or lovers.  Or had lovers while maintaining my own apartment.  But this constant of knowing that I'm going to bed alone, with my laptop, 2 demons masquerading as felines, and a book is new.  No one to say good night to.  No one else here to talk to in the middle of the night when I can't shut my brain down. It makes me sad, and lonely, and scared.  What if this is all it is?  What if the comment a boy made to me back in collage, that I wasn't marriage material, is true?  That voice, quiet for so long is back, telling me that I'm too....well everything.  Too fat, too hard, too giving, not enough, never enough.  Humph. 

Happiness is

Fresh baked bread

BLT's using the bread and an heirloom picked up at the Elmwood farmer's market this morning

Going to the library to pick up 4 books they had for me and finding 8 more had come in!

Wrapping up on the loveseat, reading and listening to the rain.

The start of the Furnace War season