What do you do for you

[linda/IL]

Took a lot of fortitude to do it, but I made it back to WW this morning.   Talked to one of the gals I enjoyed being with at the old meeting that closed.  She hated the night meeting so switched to another town.  She gently pushed me to join her on the drive along with 2 other gals from the old meeting.  The 4 of us had a good time.  Never knew any of them until WW.

It was out of my way to go with them and killed the entire morning but I enjoyed their companionship and I only gained 4.2# since Nov. 12.  Not too bad considering the holidays & the stress of Brian's health issues & DH's surgery.  Truthfully, I had gained a couple pounds at the Nov. meeting but I'm not focusing on that.  I would not be watching what I eat today if I had not gone with.  I need to remind myself I am worth this extra time for myself.  Taking care of my family, grandkids, and DH is so important to me I am never #1. 

How about you?  Do you do anything for yourself?  By yourself?

[Kay/NC]

I am on a hiatus from TKD, but that was always " for me". The gym has largely substituted, especially the personal trainer, so that is my new " for me".

Doing the recent health emphasis and serious supplements is very selfish. I feel so much better, I know I am a better wife, mother and MaMa, so maybe that is partly for them, too.

While Winn and his Mama are gone, I plan to get a much- needed mani-pedi with the gift certificate the kids gave me fo Christmas. No one benefis from that but me....

Here is the really big " for me" stuff right now: Mike offered to put a wood boiler on the house next door, for me to be comfortable there. He agrees that I can have a small lean-to greenhouse against the south wall, which will be heated with a later loop and exchanger/ blower. If I really enjoy glassblowing, too, we can heat that workshop with the same fire, adding another loop. Super nice thing he did for me...love that man!

Doing my glass is an activity that really works wonders " for me". Cannot do it in the cold...hot soldering iron plus cold glass equals shards!

Finally, I wrote earlier this week about being excited about getting back onto my land to farm it this year. Mike and I started shopping for a few pieces of haying equipment, starting with looking at some auction stuff last Saturday. That evolved into a full-fledged shopping excursion on Tuesday.

We had talked back with one of the dealers, about a tractor and baler, which they came down on enough to make us go for it. He left to go see/ really nail down his decision about the baler v just the tractor earlier today, while I was going for supplies at Sam's. Just talked, and he had found a good used discbine, too. (

I know this may sound dumb, but if I want to farm my place, we needed to drop some cash into equipment to do it safely and well. It really tickles me when I see him excited about finding things he wants us to have for farming. In truth, whenever we have made a decision like this, I feel so happy to have the kind of husband who wants to work with me, who would invest this much into our future.

[turkey feather]

This will probably sound quaint and silly but I really enjoy sewing but had not done any for a long time untill about eight years ago when I took a quilting class. I find it relaxing.  I worked on a hand pieced quilt for about five years before it was done. I would take the pieces in the car and get them out while DH was doing other things and once took the sewing camping and even once to an auction. My next one is to be a Christmas quilt. I finished a scrappy quilt recently.

Another project I really enjoyed and I want to get back to that is 'Little Dresses for Africa'.  It began as a way to cloth little girls who needed clothes.  A pattern was developed using pillow cases with draw string ties at the shoulders. It is a simple process and much less expensive to buy fabric and not use pillowcases.

[lawinkle]

For me? Photography is one of my passions. But mainly I like travel photography so that is on hold for a while.

I love spending time in my craft room. Whether its a project or simply spending time organizing, the time I spend in that environment that I created just for myself is wonderfully relaxing.

Other than that, not much time these days just for me.

Glad you found a good group of gals to go to WW with, Linda!

[Kay/NC]

The wonderful thing about crafting is that there is a niche for every itch. I have so missed the design and execution of my projects, for almost three years now. Have hit or miss here snd there, but nothing substantial. There's just a rhythm of scoring and snapping pieces, grinding and fitting, foiling and refitting them. Soldering is like surgery.

I was never as at - home with sewing as you are, but I have watched women soothe themselves with the click of their knitting needles. Tread,ing a loom and throwing the shuttle is very peaceful. Watching you pattern grow gives a sense of accomplishment.

Why else would we bother to make things just because they are beautiful?

[linda/IL]

I so wish I was better at sewing/quilting..  Took classes but my quilting a weekend always took 6 months.  LOL. And I have never learned crocheting or knitting although I like the soothing reputation.  After tax season I would like to try again.  Maybe now that I have no chores I would do better knowing I would not be pushed for time.  I think everyone needs a satisfying outlet.

[Steakmaker]

We have a bike trail that starts in town and goes a short 5 miles into a state park. Last summer a couple times when there was a full moon (or close to it) I left the trailhead on my bike at about 11 at night riding just by moonlight. It was pretty cool.

[Kay/NC]

When I was a gradeschool girl, my mother taught me cross stitch ( the oldfashioned stamped kind, not counted), crochet and knitting. I have abused those skills for layettes and a few small sweaters, knitted in bulky yarn, so they could get done before the child outgrew them.

I took up crewel in early adulthood. Although that seems to have fallen out of vogue, I enjoyed the variety of stitches the most, and still think it produces the most realistic " pictures" of objects, because you aren't restricted to a grid like in counted cross or needlepoint. I picked up both of those for a while, plus candlewicking.

If my family had to really stay warm by my needlecrafts, we would have to move much farther south. Most of the truly decorative ones were ladies' entertainment, while their menfolk smoked and ran the world for them. Since all of us have that much luxury now, maybe that explains why we aren't as accomplished at them, you think?

[Kay/NC]

Under a full moon once, on a very deserted coutry road, Mike turned off the headlights. Things were instantly transformed. The blacktop glowed like a cobalt river. We just glided along. It was magical.

[Steakmaker]

Unseasonably warm here, snow might be gone from trail. Getting close to full moon this weekend, might be able to ride by moonlight Saturday night. that would be awesome.