January 08, 2018

Winter Plans


So far January, like many of the month that came before it, is not looking the way I had imagined. Which, as it turns out is exactly how life works. Things like puppies, arctic weather patterns, frozen pipes and broken dishwashers sometimes conspire to turn your plans upside down. It has been exceptionally cold. The kind of cold that has you drawing the curtains to keep drafts out, has you wearing knee highs, leggings and cozy sweaters. The kind of cold that has you hosting your best friends in your pajamas for lasagna and a movie. If you've never hosted friends for a pajama night, I highly recommend you do it.


Partly due to the weather and partly due to the chaos, I have so far refused to take down all of the Christmas decorations. I have left just enough to keep the spirit of the holidays alive. As I write this, I'm sipping my evening chai latte and looking out of the studio windows where I can see the warm glow from the lights still hung on the front porch. It's hard to get motivated to take it all down when it requires multiple layers of clothing just to step outside.


As a planner, it can sometimes be hard for me to adapt to the unexpected. Right now I'm struggling with the basics of keeping the house going, let alone figuring out a new schedule and getting things in ship shape. Organizing my junk drawer has literally been on my to do list for over a month. It is January 8th and I've yet to finish putting my 2018 planner together. My brain is full of ideas and things I want to accomplish but the truth is that trying to find a new normal with the demanding schedule of a puppy and the lack of time and energy left from that, is no easy task. I've struggled a bit with losing my Sacred Day and am just now, a month later, figuring out ways to work creative time into my life. I'm having to shift my thinking and as always, I have to process a big change for awhile before I can adapt and thrive.


While I look forward to getting back to having a full day to spend as I chose, my reality now looks more like a couple hours here and there during puppy naps making it that much more important to be intentional about my time. It's hard enough fitting in all the things I need to do during her nap times, let alone finding time for the things I want to do.  Golden Retriever puppies require a lot of supervision. Maybe it's that way with all puppies, I've only ever had Goldens. You can't take your eyes off her for a moment!


So while it's taking me a little while to figure out how to make my days look the way I want, I am still finding time to knit more socks to add to my basket of socks that I made last year, or do a little embroidery and a fair amount of reading since I discovered that with the help of a weighted bookmark, I can actually read while I'm knitting. This may be how I spend my days until the spring thaw. This discovery has been one of the best things to have ever happened to me!


We have a brief warm up headed our way this week and I plan to make the most of it with lots of puppy walks and maybe even find a few minutes to take care of that junk drawer. I hope you are staying warm and dry and finding lots of moments to do things that make you happy.


16 comments:

  1. My daughter said it has been really cold where you all live! She had a couple of balmy winters there so was surprised by the snow and cold factor this year. lol She thought she had left that behind in Wisconsin. Wrongo!

    I hope your time settles down and that you can block out some real "me" time. I hope the new puppys trains easily and that you can soon free up some time that way.

    I hope you have a blessed, wonderful new year. xo Diana

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  2. Jen, love the idea of a weighted bookmark. I have often said if I could figure out how to read and knit at the same time I would be one happy lady. We have the frigid temperatures, but no snow. I am hoping for a few snow days this year. Stay warm. Happy New Year! Bonnie

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  3. It's a good job she looks such a sweetie! Enjoy these snug January days (though I have slight snow envy)

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  4. Oh, Jen_ I have so much to comment on, you've nailed me in so many ways. All in all, we have to give ourselves permission to take time in the things we need to do, and ALSO, the things we love to do. You are multitasking by knitting and reading at the same time! No harm done, but I feel your anxiousness. :(

    Winter gets very depressing, and we read blogs where everyone is cozy and sipping cocoa. I have Christmas decorations everywhere. We only disposed of the tree because it came a fire hazard. I have that nasty virus rearing it's ugly head, and I've actually slept 16 hours in a row over many recent days. This tends to make me feel like a sloth, but I'm trying hard to think it's the only remedy and it will pass.

    Puppies require a lot of care and discipline. If you can delegate the going outdoors bit-do so. I've also found that limiting the time outdoors when 'potty training' makes them know exactly what to do. Play can come later---like May! lol!Keep the water to a minimum...they won't pass out!

    All the best, Jen!

    Jane

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  5. I listen to podcasts and crochet but don't think I'd be able to read while crocheting. We are having a mild winter which is fine with me. I'm donning layers and extra thick socks even when it's only 50 degrees outside, but that's because we live in concrete buildings with no insulation and no heat. Gets pretty cold in here but thankfully 70 degree temps during the day is just right. :) Your photos depict lovely images of a cozy, creative home. I haven't had to train a puppy in 30 years but remember coming home from work and finding the house in total disarray each and every day. My son in Colorado would like to get a dog but I told him the best thing to do is to adopt a shelter dog. There sure are a lot out there that just need someone to love them. Happy New Year!

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  6. This is such a cozy post, and I like your idea of hosting a pajama night. I love socks. Socks are my favorite things in the world. Your basket of socks look so pretty, and I also love our embroidery! Stay warm.... I know the puppy needs walks, and hopefully the weather will moderate this week!

    xo,
    Ricki Jill

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  7. I am trying to settle in to our new home and for the first time, it has been a struggle. We moved into it just a few weeks before Thanksgiving and have several guests already. Now the decorations are all put away, I am trying to nest. Pajama night sounds like fun! I want to see pictures of the puppy please :-)

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  8. On Sunday it was -21 here in my small town in northern Vermont. With the wind chill, it was more like -35. I'm used to this kind of a winter, but the extended cold weather has been crazy for so many here. I kept up a lot of my lights and a bit of sparkle, to help get me through the winter. And as for puppies, good grief, I had the Devil Dog from Hell when my Bishop was a puppy. He's now 6, and a very good citizen, but it took so much work. He was so happy to see me in the morning, he'd latch onto my pajama pants and just hang on. Or take a running jump and attack the minute my feet hit the floor. It took me several sessions with a trainer to be able to read his little devil mind enough to know what he was trying to tell me. And now, I don't know what I'd do without him. Your little Clover will come around... it just takes some time. Bon courage!

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  9. I just found your blog through the great, Nana Diana. She has the best blog roll. Love your sweet blog and your writing style. Your photos are just gorgeous. Blessing to you in 2018. I'm a new follower. I can't wait to read more. Your pup is a cutie.

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  10. I've actually been in an organizing mood and have indeed tackled a junk drawer - plus my desk drawer and files. I've never had a puppy but I understand they're like having a toddler in the house again. Girls pajama night with lasagna and a movie? Sounds dreamy. xoxo

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  11. I love all of your socks. I started to knit a sock and it turned out the size of a Christmas stocking. And that is how I came to have 5 knitted Christmas stockings.

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  12. Also still have Christmas decorations up and truthfully -- nearly every drawer in my kitchen is a junk drawer --need organizing help asap! Puppies are like newborns and need lots of attention -- hang in there! Love your socks and all your plans! Stay warm sweetie!

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  14. Love all your colorful socks! I have never been able to wear socks like those (I get too hot...lol) so I appreciate seeing others make and wear them. :) I must say, all my Christmas is down and I feel ready to take on the New Year. Good luck with the puppy and pretty soon it will all work out. It always does. :) Take care, Kit

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  15. Maybe you need to get like me and just leave the lights up all year....I just unplug them, which I did today. Of course, they are up by the roof line and my house is barely visible from the road, so I guess I get away with it, ha ha! Puppies are challenging, no doubt, but worth all the training after it's all said and done. Little Miss Molly still needs to be watched, although she's much better than she was when I first rescued her. But she'll still eat odd things and then throw them up if I don't watch her closely - yesterday I think it was a scrap of wood from the woodstove, which got thrown up on my white dining room rug! Oh well, I love her so much...and no doubt you love your new baby so much also!

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  16. Hi Jen, so happy to hear you are feeling better and sorting out what you enjoy doing. I know what you mean about puppies. We lost both our dogs four months apart and had one for 14 1/2 yrs and 16 1/2yrs. I said that I was done. That lasted five months. I purchased Yorkiepoo Sisters in October of 2016 and forgot how much work puppies were. They are out of same litter and one is 5lbs and one is 10lbs. Each one if different as night and day in personalities but are extremely close. At my age (75) its been extremely tough. I know when training gets done it will be different - I hope I live trough it. Love your new puppy - Clover is such a sweet name. Your socks make me smile and wished I could make them. LOL Just take one day at a time and enjoy it to the fullest. The big stuff in life is we are born - we die - all the stuff in between is small stuff. Sending you (((((hugs)))

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