Looking Back, Looking Forward 2012-2013

 

We might be a whole week into the New Year, but I'm still very much in a reviewing and sorting mode. My son and his wife returned to Canada on Friday after having spent a wonderful 10 days with me over Christmas and as I've been taking down the decorations and putting the house straight I've been thinking about the highlights of 2012 and making plans in my head for 2013.
So, the highlights of last year:
1. Top of the list has to be our family get togethers - both the Christmas just gone and our summer break in Devon, pictured above.
2. The quilts I managed to finish (I'm not even thinking about the ones I've started but haven't finished!):

 

 

 





 

 3. The gifts I made for family and friends (these were fun to make):

 

 

 

 

4. Then there was the UR Priceless blog challenge I took part in, Again great fun, but it started a problem with spam comments on my blog, which i just don't seem to be able to get rid of, so I'm not sure if I'll partake in any more :(

 

5. And finally, I have to include reaching 2000 sales in my LoveFibres Etsy shop. Thank you so much to everyone who bought a pattern!

 

 

So, on to 2013 and my challenges for myself are as follows:

 

1. Grow more of my own food, and incorporate more wholefood into my diet. I have already been out working on my veg plot as we've had an incredibly mild week and I have planted some (actually, rather a lot!!) of garlic and planted out some kale plants that were growing in pots in the greenhouse.

 

2. Get used to living on my own, as the one son who still lives at home with me is aiming to buy his own place some time this year. I can't be really be sad about this, as I only wish the best for him, for I really do love having a house full of young people!

 

3. Bust my stash - both yarn and fabric!! I may have placed this third, but I think it should have been at the top of the list, as I'm sure it's going to take the most time. Whilst I firmly believe that a critical amount of yarn or fabric is necessary to bring out the best creativity in someone (well, that is what I tell myself every time I get the urge to buy something!!) I find that as I get older I feel the need to free myself of un-needed possessions. Does anyone else feel this way? I remember that my Mum did. Whenever I asked what she wanted for birthday or Christmas, she used to say "anything as long as I can eat it, drink it or throw it away"-  meaning that she didn't need or want any more possessions - that happiness came from time well spent, not from materialism. So this is my year of de-cluttering. I have a lot of yarn and fabric - all oddments left over from past projects, and I have set myself a rather daunting challenge of using up as much of it as I can in the next year.

 

I will tell you more about this challenge in my next post.

I hope everyone is having a happy start to their New Year!