Busy, Busy

I've been neglecting this blog, but not exactly sitting around eating bonbons and reading trashy novels. We've lived in this house fifteen years, and it's time to do some major sorting and getting rid of my done-with books and no-longer-wanted fabric. I said to DH, "When I try to decide where to start, I get totally overwhelmed." He, in his wisdom, said,"Start in the middle." On the one hand, good advice. On the other hand, it means everything's a mess at once.

First, books. I have a small poster that says:

"The buying of more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching toward infinity, and this passion is the only thing that raises us above the beasts that perish."

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. However, one eventually has to get rid of some of the books on the shelves, to make room for more, if nothing else. So I've been sorting out which ones to donate and which ones to keep, and cataloguing the keepers online on Library Thing: http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php. Great program.

Then there'll be shelf room for some of the perpetual piles; I can't wait until I've freed up some space for these:

(Note the cans and jars -- these are the 'weights' I use to do my physical therapy.)

(Also note bags of yarn and knitting, quilt needing a label . . . stuff that doesn't have a home of its own. See sewing room clean-up, below.)

And the desk -- I haven't seen the top of it for a loooong time. It's a wonder I never lose my chequebook in that mess.

Then there's the sewing room, such a disaster I can't bring myself to take any pictures of it. Today I packed up three large boxes of dress-making fabrics and two smaller boxes of sewing patterns to ship to: http://FriendsofPineRidgeReservation.org/projects/ in South Dakota.

Here's what Chris from Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation replied when I inquired whether they still needed fabric:

"Oh gosh Susan, the fabric will NOT go to waste with the ladies at the Kateri Circle sewing group! They have such limited access to fabric and notions in terms of both funds and physical distance to a store where they can purchase fabric and they are really grateful for any donations. Thanks so much, it makes such a huge difference to the women and their families!"

This is a happy ending to my futile attempts to make clothes that fit. Every time I'd get a sloper perfected, five pounds would shift somewhere else, usually lower. Or appear from nowhere. You know how that is.

And then there's the physical therapy every day -- the routine keeps getting longer (and harder). But I am making progress.

(Here's some of the physical therapy equipment -- for the lying-down exercises. High-tech stuff.)

Add to this meetings at church, processing all the fresh veggies from our CSA share, helping the grandkids practice their instruments, visiting friends in rehab with hip, knee, valve and disc replacements and on and on . . . I'm very lucky to be the visitor instead of the visitee, so I'm not complaining. But I wouldn't mind a little goofing-off time. My summer vacation was spent in a drug-induced stupor after the shoulder surgery!

I do get in a little needlework here and there -- this is the right front of the baby sweater, nearly long enough. The back and the left front are done. This baby is growing faster than I can knit, though -- at five months he weighs 20 pounds! Good thing I started this as a size one.

Gratitudes:

getting a handle on my house

lots of books here I haven't read yet

patient DH