Obligatory Post

Ok, so here's what I can tell you today: I don't have anything profound to say because I have been busy. Most of it I have brought upon myself. I can't stand it when people whine about how busy they are, how little time they have for themselves, etc., when they are the ones who agreed to do five oil changes, buy groceries for their deadbeat brother, pick the neighbor's cat up at the kennel, wash the car, and make bread, all before lunch.

I found this picture today on b3ta and it cracks me up.

See? Share the work, share the joy.

This weekend I did very little housework and I felt like I was on vacation. I had what I like to call a "come to Jesus meeting" with my mother last week about the sour, miserable mood she's been in and it really made a difference in my life. The last straw was when she manipulated me with guilt to make me trim the hedges, which for some reason gives me an instant sore throat. Apparently I'm allergic to juniper. So she helped me with Lily this weekend. On Friday I got to go out and have dinner with other adults, in public. I was in the car by myself. . . after dark!I got to spend time with one of my favorite people Friday and Saturday evening, which always puts a smile on my face, and it's nice to have Mom watch Lily while I enjoy that special adult time. I knitted part of a scarf that I'm going to felt and turn into a glorious neckwrap that won't be a gift and won't be for sale. I haven't made much of anything for myself lately, especially anything knitted, other than the very basic neckwrap I finished a few days ago.
Yesterday morning the sitter came and I posted five new things to Etsy, did the Winter Market order for the co-op, and made a great new peacock sword fascinator.

My mom used to have this country-decor, watercolor-embellished poem framed in the kitchen with a line in it to the effect of, "if the doorknobs don't shine then their eyes will shine instead." It was a little hokey, but there's a certain amount of truth to it. If I had made myself crazy cleaning the house to a high shine, Lily would have missed a lot of quality playtime with me, and she would have gotten underfoot often. I was able to create stuff for myself, too, since I wasn't obsessing about the dishes and laundry.
That being said, though, if I don't do it the vast majority of it will not get done, and this is far too small a house to tolerate clutter. It was sort of like a mini-vacation, letting the drudgery go for a while. That keeps a person sane, I think.