Since I've had an opportunity to be without work for a while I've given great thought as to what I should actually "DO" with my life. I haven't come up with a hard and fast idea yet, but I'm thinking really hard. In the meantime I've gotten some wonderful time to spend with my family just being a wife and mom.
I didn't realize that I'd sort of ditched my family to put them in line behind whatever my newspaper job required. For newspaper people it's an occupational hazard; you're listening, but with one ear tuned to hear things that could make an interesting story. "I'm with you but walk along with me because I'm heading over to whatever it is I think is REALLY important." "Is there anything that you're saying (child, husband, friend, shopkeeper) that could be the next best article-du-jour (that will earn me a pat on the head at my real job)." Like that. I hate to sound cliche' but it's true - I've gotten to spend time reacquainting myself with what's really important - my family, my real life.
My efforts lately are on my clay, knitting, painting, cooking and trying to get my Etsy shop seen. And, trying to find a job that really suits me and can keep me gainfully employed. As usual, my timing isn't the best. I'm not seeing any jobs that are interesting so I'm going to try to make my own and teach art/craft classes to children. Posters are in progress to slap up on my local utility poles and I'll have a sandwich board style sign in front of my church because I've pretty much gotten the okay to use our Sunday School classroom for my class. I'm really hoping that I get great response. It will be great fun to meet for a couple of hours a week and be creative.
I'll let you know how that goes as it's going. In the meantime, I've been knitting scarves for my practically all adult children, pictures attached.......I can knit....only a long rectangle, but I can do it, and evidently they like it because with each scarf I knitted, the other kids wanted to know why they didn't have one.
And I've been painting, picture-not-quite-done is also attached here. I've been invited to show some paintings at a salon show Feb. 12 so I've got much to do in finishing and framing. And I do really well when I'm down to the wire. I wouldn't recommend THAT to anyone, but I tend to thrive that way.
I'm off for now... helping decide on a Valentine Dinner menu, creating the tickets this morning to have them proofed by this afternoon, finishing knitting a scarf and baking a chocolate cake for my youngest young man whose birthday is today. Later I'll post some terrific websites I've found for really cool bags (that I amazingly do NOT want to try to make myself) and some wonderful resources that I'll be using in my artsy/craftsy curriculum.
So long for now,
Kate
