On Gaining a Balance in Life:

Today I am off from making 38 Kevin’s Mittens in 38 days. I’ve made five pair and four singles, waiting for their mates, checking sizes and yarn choices. And so far fourteen mittens in eight day’s is too much for my hurting hands and why I didn‘t pledge to making a pair a day in the first place. I don’t feel guilty because I’m now almost a week ahead of my stated goal and my writing has been being neglected.

Other then writing out the pattern for the mittens in multiple sizes and doing my blog, I haven’t written a word for a week. Not a list or a note, not a grocery item or post card. My hands hurt and my brain is screaming for a break. (Those of you that have been reading my blog from the beginning know I don’t do one craft for too long at a sitting each day because it hurts my hands. So I usually knit, write and craft for smaller amounts of time before going back to work at all of them in turn again.)

Characters have been vying for attention, standing on their heads and doing tricks to recapture my time. ‘Write about me and I’ll make you rich and famous.’ they each say, while trying to elbow the other out of the way. I’m seriously thinking about getting a better voice recognition program so I can sit and exerbike and knit and write all at the same time. Not wanting too much from my day am I?

So today I’m sitting and doing nothing but writing. Nothing but writing and going out to buy a new washing machine because my 35 year old Maytag that faithfully washed very many of Mountain Man’s muddy jeans and socks over those years finally bit the big one. So today, nothing but writing, buying a washer and straightening up around here, because I’m ankle deep in all kinds of yarn for mittens and there is dishes and dust and dog toys and the indoor wood pile needs more wood…

Okay I’m going to have a mitten free day and write some more of my stories while getting caught up on everything else I have to do. And maybe I’ll just finish off that one thumbless mitten sitting waiting to be done. But not until I’ve finished a chapter or short story first.

Don’t you dare laugh. I have to have something to do in the car when we go for the washer you know.