A quick hello...and a book review.

So, it's been a while.  And it's been a while since I've needed to write that pesky little sentence.  It's been a fairly crappy couple of days weeks here.  And while I have been trying to live them gracefully, I am worn the heck out doing so.  I've been getting migraines basically everyday for the past...well, nearly 8 years, if you must know, and the last six months have been really taxing.

Because of this health-forced hiatus from all things crafty, I have resorted to reading and watching TV.  I hate TV.  Let me be a little more clear.  I hate commercials.  I yell at them, bad mouth them, and pretty much make watching any sort of program with me very uncomfortable for any and all innocent bystanders.  I don't mean to.  But because of this, we don't have cable.  I watch TV with Netflix and Hulu.  I know, Hulu does have commercials.  I can deal much better with one to two commercials per break than six or seven.  The anger scale stays within tolerable levels.  As does the yelling.  And my marriage is saved.  Which is good.  I like being married.  Specifically to Jon.  But he only likes me when I'm not yelling at commercials.

So, watching TV, I have discovered Downton Abbey.  It's a great period piece set in turn-of-the-century England.  The costumes are amazing, and the acting isn't bad, either.  I'm also not allowed to watch period piece with other people, but that a different story, all together...

I've also been reading Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's book Knitting Rules.  It's hysterical.  She does an amazing job of making me feel creative even while I'm wasting away hours watching Netfilx.  I highly recommend her blog as well.  The Yarn Harlot.  Her writing is amazing, and her sense of humor seems to be what gets her through her roughest times.  Which is very familiar to me.  If it weren't for my sense of humor, the past eight years would have ended me.  Or, I'd have ended me.  Either way, not so good for the crafting.

Speaking of crafting, I recently found The Master Hand Knitting Level I correspondence course over at TKGA.com.  I found this a couple of weeks ago, and just signed up for it two days ago.  I'm so excited I could run around the house like an amped up on sugar two year old singing at the top of my lungs.  Fortunately -- for my marriage, and sanity -- this is not possible given the current fibro-flare.  Maybe this is a blessing in disguise?  I'm going with that.  Yeah.  That's it.  A blessing.

So, I received the course requirements via email yesterday, printed them all out -- after searching for twenty minutes for the ream of paper I knew we had -- and ever-so-gently put them in a binder I had lying around from my college-days.  Now, the task is to create daily/weekly goals so as to actually finish this program in the year I'm given.  Sixteen swatches.  In one year.  Plus loads of other fun stuff.  I believe I can manage.  Yup.  Can't wait!!  Now, back to the running and singing.  Even if it is all in my head.

Happy Crafting,
~j.b.