On Thursday I will be going to the university to start planning out my degree with an academic advisor. This is getting real. I am so excited and empowered and ready to get started! The next few months are going to FLY by.
I am disappointed in myself a little. I had lofty dreams of hammering out this novel before school hits me. Without some seriously focused time and energy in the next little while, it's just not going to happen. I'm slacking on my writing commitments and I'm not happy about it. I have been writing, just not nearly as much as I would like. I have gotten some great progress into the novel. But it's still floating around in pieces and not quite pulled together yet. I've written some new poems and done a fair bit of journaling. Still, I'm miles away from a daily writing habit.
Whats worse, is that I often have reasons why I can't write. This endless list of things that are more important for me to get done first. Too often, those things don't get done either. I won't say that my time is wasted, I'm getting some very important stuff done at the same time. It just isn't flushing out quite the way I intended it to.
Although I haven't finished my novel, I have taught Angel Baby a lot about reading and writing. Her vocabulary has grown immensely in the last few months. Her social skills are changing and growing. She is going to be more than ready for kindergarten. I'm not writing books, but I'm teaching her to read them and love them. That is important.
I've been really slacking on laundry. I give it one day a week for washing and drying. Sometimes it doesn't all get done and sometimes it sits in baskets in the laundry room for several days. BUT the kids have clean clothes and I have been on top of their needs. I didn't throw in that last load because we were sitting down to enjoy a movie as a family. Do you know how many movie nights I've spent folding laundry in the middle of the floor while everyone around me was stretched out on couches munching on popcorn? Too many. Sure, I could get everyone to do their own. That would work. But it's really not necessary. It doesn't take long to fold and I don't put the kids stuff away, they do. When I fold it, I can catch the rips or tears or stains that I might not have seen before. I can keep my kids looking better and in clothes that fit better. I just stopped feeling bad if the baskets sat longer; it is more important to enjoy the time with the family.
I've been reading.... oh man, have I been reading. I have had two or three different books on the go at all times for several months. I love the escape! I do need to stop staying up way too late reading a good book but I often just can't put it down. My Dad says there are therapists out there than can help me with my addiction. You know what? A year ago, he might not have said something like that. You know why? We didn't talk much before. We do now. Several times a week in fact. And I'm not distracted when we talk. I am focused on him and our conversation. He's getting to know my family all over again. And THAT is important.
Macboy is changing into such an amazing young man. I'm attentive and present. I ask questions and we talk often. I'm engaged with my son and I try to take an interest in the the things he likes. He's actually quite a good teacher. He's thirteen now. This might not last a lot longer. I hope that it does, but I'm not naive enough to think we'll always be this close. Teenager years are beginning and I will do what I can to keep this open communication with him. Because that is important.
Art... Oh, ART. He's just a ball of constant energy! He always has a thousand things to say and a million more to do. It's hard to connect with him, but I do. It's important.
So, rather than sitting here and complaining that I'm failing to meet my own goal, I am going to take pride in the fact that I am doing something important. Not everyone will agree that my focus is in the right place (including my trucker at times) but I am not wasting my time. I will not have this time back ever again. I'm making the most of it.
And I am getting these other things done too, even if they are not quite when I mean to.
One other distraction that I have lately is my love of my sewing machine. I've been working on a new quilt for the trucker. His request and challenge was to make a Peterbilt quilt for him. It's not an easy project but I am certainly enjoying the challenge!
Here's my pattern, though the details change as I go and this is just a loose guide more than anything:
And here is the current progress. The truck will be one solid piece across the middle of the quilt with a solid top and bottom band to frame it. There is a lot of work going into this project and a lot more hand-stitching required than any project I've ever attempted before. I am sure I could speed some parts up, but I don't really want to do this twice, so I'm going to make sure it's all done right. The wheels will be added once the truck is complete, applique, possibly puffed out a little for some texture. I haven't decided quite yet.
As always, I apologize for my long absences between posts. If you join me on Facebook, you will find out more as I'm often posting there. And of course, I'm on Twitter too if you want to join the conversation (Or start one!). I'm so glad you are here!
