Day 45 - Time spent learning, growing and cherishing every moment

Today I finally made it to Woolworks and was struck by how although it's been so long since I've been able to spend time with my friends there, it felt like coming home. There were new relatives to meet and although they are now the regulars and I was the 'new one' to them, I still felt completely at ease and happy. Such lovely new people. I miss that time I used to be able to find for me. I'm determined to find that again.

Jen was so gracious and patient with my learning process as she taught me how to 'set in' my sleeves to Nanny's sweater. Unlike the old days when I would happily let her teach me by doing it for me, today I needed to understand every step and do it myself. She was great about helping me when I was afraid to do it wrong and so wonderfully patient when I constantly asked "is this right?" It is so important to get this one right and to settle for mistakes today is not an option. At one point, I'd realized I'd done something wrong and it wasn't a problem to rip it out and do it right. I really feel like I hit a new level of understanding today. And not just about the sweater! I have about 5 more ends to weave in and then tomorrow I will lovingly knit the collar band and the button band on both sides and I will be done completely. When I try it on with the sleeves all done, I am so excited. I think Noreen would have been so please with this use of the Christmas gift money! I think she would have been proud to see that I'd actually stuck with it and finished it! I wish she were here to celebrate when I finish it.

It is amazing how things turn out alright in the end. Through today's wonderful endevors, I met some wonderful new friends, refreshed my harried state of mind with good friends and good conversation and ended the day with a wonderful meal at Olive Garden with the most wonderful husband and children. I so enjoyed the day. It reminded me how much the time spent with those you love has got to be the priority in life. It is not enough to be so busy building careers or networking for advancement. What matters most is people and relationships. I am blessed to have won the lottery in that respect. Some interesting conversations today made my future endevors even more appealing too so that was an enexpected bonus!

Tomorrow I will post the finished sweater project and celebrate!

Small steps for the formerly disorganized!

Today starts another day that does not completely belong to me.  Does any day when you're a Mom?  ;)  Of course I wouldn't have it any other way, but sometimes I dream of a day or two when I can just get done what's on the list without interruptions, finish early and feel no guilt about sitting down and relaxing a bit!

Yesterday, I was able to get a good deal of purging, sorting and organizing in the new office/music room.  I had to rearrange the furniture to make it work which in return caused the room to lose that extravagant feel it had about it.  This arrangement is decidedly more efficient, but leaves me a bit saddened.  Perhaps when I finish hanging the pictures and the diploma on the wall I'll feel differently.  We shall see.

Anyway, this room has multiple purposes which makes it so challenging to organize.  I don't want to spend anymore money than I have to and thus need to get creative!  It will be used for work and so it needs to be really beautiful so that after a long day working with teenagers, I actually WANT to go in there!  It will also house my private lessons when that gets going so needs to stay professional-looking.  Finally, it is the place I'd like to kick my feet up and knit in, work on finally finishing those quilts I started years ago and do some scrap booking!

No wonder it seems crazy-hard to organize in a user-friendly way!  Oh well, I will not be daunted by this.  Today, I will hang up the wall items and remove the pictures that will eventually be hung in the hallway.  I will finish emptying the two boxes that have been sitting under the piano bench since we brought them over from the other house and I will get it all done before Sean and I leave for the AC Milan/Inter Milan game today!  Lots to do today!