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Happy New Year!

How we spend New Year's Eve now is pretty different from how we spent it a decade ago. For one thing, Kevin is at work. The boys and I are home playing, crocheting, eating too much sugar, and making mean faces for no reason. I taught Cormac the word "cannibal" and then pretended to eat him. He didn't think that was funny. :D

In 1999 Kevin and I weren't married or even engaged yet. My grandmother Helen had just died that fall. We lived in a weird apartment in midtown next to the Fireweed Theater. We had no dog but still had both cats, Mac and Frost. Those kitties are gone now. I showered more frequently and never had spit up all over my shirts.
We spent New Year's Eve at the celebration in downtown Anchorage with Debbie Wong and her roomies. This year, when Kevin gets home from work, we'll watch "2010" and eat popcorn and cookies.

Cormac and I played Lincoln Logs but he was not at all happy with me taking pictures of the whole thing.


I did finish this big ol' granny square today though I'm not sure what to do with it now. I also, obviously, need to block it because it's completely wonky.

I've been spending too much time at the Attic24 blog the last couple of days and admiring her use of color but I added some brown to my square. I love brown.
But look at these blue eyes.

Ahhh, so sweet. He played Lincoln Logs with us. :)
As did Red.


I started a little star

and even took a picture of the big yarny mess I have to clean sometime in the new year.
My resolution for 2009 was to learn to knit and I still haven't really made much of anything. I have 5 1/2 hours left in which to knit something so I had better sort through things and be successful for the year.

Prince Caspian and Battlestar Galactica

You've got to love Netflix for sending all kinds of fun stuff in the mail.
On Saturday, after Cormac passed out from his cold, I watched the series premiere of Battlestar Galactica, not the 70's series but the new one on SciFi. I remember watching it on television when it first premiered but then we got rid of a lot of cable channels and I never watched it again.
I'd forgotten that the humans are tryin to get to Earth, that's the premise of the show. Of course the Cylons are after them, with various clones infiltrating the crew, but Earth is to be the salvation of these 50,000 refugees.
It was very dark and disturbing and reminded me of Terminator because the non-human creations take over and destroy everyone with no remorse.

Kevin got "Prince Caspian" in the mail and we watched all two and a half hours of it over the course of the day on Sunday. I read some of the C.S. Lewis books when I was young but haven't seen the first Chronicles of Narnia film. It was long, but pretty interesting; I recall not enjoying the series much when I was a kid and wonder if I'd like it now since I enjoy fantasy novels more and would get the religious allusions C of N is known for.

Steve Martin obsession continues

with his new banjo album, "The Crow."

not quite Ahhnold

but I started working out at Powerhouse. With a personal trainer who is in bodybuilding shows. Whoa.
Joining Powerhouse saves us $50 a month over the Alaska Club and, I swear, the median age is about 10 years younger.
While I was on the treadmill a bodybuilder was lifting weights and making sounds like he was giving birth. I laughed very very quietly to myself.
So, I am making this commitment to work out at least 4 days a week for the next six months. It's not an option. Cormac won't be thrilled about losing the time with me but I will make sure it all balances out in the end.

things to start doing sometime soon

macrobiotic meals
reusables
read the Elgin book again, taking notes this time
declutter more books
switch to bar shampoo

My favorite Superbowl ad

Last New Year my resolution was to learn to crochet and I started that very day by teaching myself basic stitches and made myself a scarf, a hat, and some other small things. This holiday season our family wanted to start saving money so I made about 90% of the gifts we gave and then many of the other ones were handmade but pruchased from Etsy.
Above are the scarf I made for my mother-in-law last week for her birthday, the hat for my grandfather, Chas, for Christmas, and Cormac modeling the hat I made for his friend Kaden's birthday.
I also joined a site called Ravelry which is an amazing resource for knitters, crocheters (because I don't wish to call myself a hooker in writing ;)), weavers, spinners, etc. I get so inspired looking at the projects people have posted and am so excited by all of the free patterns.

Simplicity stuff I already do

recycle
garden
used cloth diapers & wipes
use vinegar to clean
use vinegar instead of fabric softener
making gifts instead of buying
taught myself to crochet so I can make cute stuff
use a clothesline in the summer
buy used clothes
upcycle/freecycle/donate old things
buy little processed food (within reason because I also work full time and do other stuff)
read a lot
use reusable grocery bags
have a solid, working budget
bring lunch to work
compact flourescent bulbs

Voluntary Simplicity Action Plan

Okay, I started this course on Voluntary Simplicity. I read and annotated the readings and am now attempting to come up with my action plan.
Here's what I have so far:

1) update this blog once a day - use time in the mornings or in the evenings instead of wandering aimlessly around Facebook
2) sell one item per week on Craigslist
3) get rid of cable (done!)
4) challenge self to continue making all gifts with increasingly difficult crochet patterns
5) clean stuff out! (started with the medicine cabinet and now need to progress through all cabinets and small, cramped storage areas)

These will help with mental clutter (1, & 3) and physical clutter (2, & 5) as well as giving myself a fun goal. Wish me luck.