January 1 2007

It's time for my annual post....which I plan on making a weekly or more habit in 2007.

It will soon be 2 years...TWO YEARS....since I left a mortgage paying job to enjoy my life. And I am.

In 2005 I still had a severance payment every 2 weeks or so, so money wasn't a big concern. But I tracked every penny I spent. That's how I learned I can spend a bundle in Target and Barnes & Nobles! I continued to work parttime and that paid to increase my yarn and book stash.

In 2006 the big money stopped but I continued to track money spent or wanting to be spent, learned that not going into Target and B&N everytime I went grocery shopping doesn't stop the world, health insurance is expensive and the big lesson....I can live on a lot less than I had been.

2006 also brought the relationship I have with my mother and siblings to a new direction. I stepped away from the decision making for her and let my siblings handle it. My Sunday's have become much quieter without the phone ringing every 20 minutes questioning why I had chosen X over Y. My siblings now have to do the research, make the decision and carry it through.

In 2006 I jumped into knitting pattern design. I knew I wanted a "theme". But what? Working with knitters I saw the direction most were taking after the Years of Fluffy Scarves was into simple pattern work. So after a few false starts I decided on scarves and shawls. Thus was born "The George Family Book of Scarf and Shawl Patterns" (that's the title in my mind, nothing formal yet). In the works (with 3 published) are a collection of scarves/shawls designed with one of my mothers siblings in mind. I'll write more in another post about them.

This past November I was re-elected President of the local Guild

And because of a disagreement with a neighboring Home Owners Association, I'm STILL Secretary of my HOA.

I'm still working and teaching part time at Ewe Knit Kits & Yarn.

Bailey, my very large Chihuahua, turned 13 in December. He and I are both turning grey at the same rate, but he sleeps more.

And I bought myself a digital camera for all of the holidays I usually buy myself a gift (birthday, Christmas, etc.) Now I must figure out how to use it!

I'm not sure how I'll use the blog now. Putting up pictures sounds like fun. I don't think Bailey will appear in many though. He usually turns his head or puts his ears back when his picture is being taken which gives him an "I'm bored" look.

So, here I go. Back into the world of blogging.