StitchinByTheLake

I hate New Year's Resolutions because I can never keep them. I think maybe when God gave out will power I thought He was serving liver and onions and only took a tiny serving, just to be polite. So this year I didn't make any. Not one resolution. I gave myself permission to forget that whole process and it was quite freeing.

However, I do think that everyone should have goals.....things you want to do, things you dream about doing, things you know you ought to do but haven't quite achieved yet. The difference between goals and resolutions is that goals are always changing - they're never stagnant. For instance, a resolution you might make at the beginning of the year would be to lose 50 pounds this year. A lofty resolution indeed. One that would take a miracle to achieve. You might as well have wished for world peace. A goal would be more like....I'm going to eat a healthier diet so that I can lose weight and feel better. It's not a line drawn in the sand. If you eat healthier that doesn't mean you can't have brownies. If you have to lose 50 pounds, well then brownies are definitely not gonna happen. Ok, it's a fine line but work with me here.


I decided that this year I would set goals each month. And then I decided that, to hold myself accountable, I would post them on my sidebar. What was I thinking! That means I have to report my progress. That means you are all going to know about my will power and the connection with liver and onions. But during that brief brain freeze I went ahead and put them out there so now I have to belly up. What the heck does that mean...belly up? I've heard it all my life and I still don't know but it sounded good here, didn't it? Anyway, here goes.

1. Read The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw. Done. Finished. I know this is a really old book, relatively speaking and that I probably shouldn't tell you I've had this book for nearly five years. The copy I have was a gift to my Dad many years ago. I'm not sure who gave it to him but after Dad died I brought it home with me with every intention of reading it right away. I knew he loved it and I thought it would help me through the grief process. Wrong. This book is a collection of interviews/stories with and about men and women and their roles in World War II. My dad was a very, very proud veteran of that war and reading these stories was like reading about him. I started the book right after his death and had to put it down. It was just too hard. But this time when I started it I was better. I could read it and nod my head, thinking oh yea - that's just what he would have done. It was.....nostalgic but soothing. That might not make sense but that's how it felt.

2. Finish one block of Botanika. Botanika is an applique quilt top sort of like a Baltimore Album if you've ever seen one of those quilts. I started it one year ago, or was it two? I got two or three blocks finished and I was working on the next one when I laid it down. And didn't pick it back up. For a long time. I was feeling overwhelmed by a rediculous number of UFOs (unfinished objects) and by several other quilt tops I had started with my guild. I determined I would start again this year. The nice thing about goals is: they aren't written in stone. They can change. Excuses, excuses. Ok, here's the truth. I not only didn't finish a Botanika block, I never picked one up. I think I might know where they are. I might not. But I could find them in a hurry if I needed to. Sigh. This goal will be moved to my February list.


3. Finish Butterfly Quilt Top. Another one bit the dust! I don't remember when I started this quilt but it was at least a couple of years ago. I saw one similar to this one on Alex Anderson's quilt show that used to be on HGTV. I downloaded the pattern, which I didn't understand at all so I ignored it. I did, however, use the pattern for the butterfly as a base for my pattern. I used Steam A Seam Lite to iron on the black butterfly, then to iron on the slightly smaller floral butterfly, and then to iron on the body. I think there might have been an easier way to do this but if there is don't tell me. I added the sashes and the corner posts and....done! Well, sort of done. It still has to be quilted of course. I haven't sewn any on the butterflies and plan to stitch around them as part of the quilting.







4. Finish Redwork Christmas Stocking. The Redwork is finished! but the stocking isn't made. This is the 10th redwork stocking I've made and, I hope, the last. I might finish the stocking in February, but it isn't going on the goals because, heavens I don't need it for 11 more months!















5. Lose 5 pounds. On December 26th, the day after Christmas, I got on the scales and, well let's just say I wasn't happy. I knew it was time. My weight was at an all time high, my blood pressure was going up and down in a way that flashed warning signs, my arthritis was doing a number on my hips and I was having trouble breathing and walking up a flight of stairs at the same time. Not good. No, not good at all. I'm happy to say that on January 31, one month (plus a few days) after the weigh-in, I am down 6 pounds. I regret to say that on January 26, one month exactly after the weigh-in, I was down 9 pounds. Which means I added 3 pounds back in those few days. I blame that on my Bible study class having dinner together. Because of the homemade cornbread muffins and Italian Cream Cake I lapsed in my determination. But I'm back on track and shall forge ahead. I'm also going to physical therapy two or three times a week, either working out on the torture devices they call exercise machines or exercising in the pool. And I found a great DVD (Leslie Sansone: Walk At Home) that I put in my computer and that I can walk with in my bedroom. It has five miles on it in one mile increments. And even though I'm still at one mile I plan to add a second mile soon.

6. Make one charity quilt. This is another finish. A friend in my quilt guild is going to Peru in May and wanted to take some quilts for children with her. A couple of women in the guild decided to help out with that and have now collected 50 kids quilts! This Noah's Ark Quilt is going to Peru! It's just a quilted panel that I put the binding on but it's a quilt and some child will love it.

7. This wasn't listed as part of my goals but my ongoing determination to finish some UFOs I got out this Easter Bunny I embroidered last year. I had already put the borders on and it was just waiting for the quilting. I'm happy to say that I did some free motion quilting on the borders but I'm unhappy to say that somehow the center panel ended up wrinkled. I'm not sure how to fix that unless I do some really close quilting in the unembroidered spaces. Any suggestions?

So that's my January goals report. Some accomplished, some not. Those nots will go on my February Goals list along with a few new ones. One thing I've learned from this little adventure is that when you post something on your sidebar you really do feel responsible for doing what you say you will do and, if you're anything like me, you'll feel guilty for those you didn't manage to meet. I am the Guilt Queen of America and can manage to feel guilty about most anything!