Positive Thinking for 2013

[Deleted User]

All you new knitters and crocheters, well done on getting to grips with a tremendous hobby, it really is down to practice and training your arm muscles and brain. Well I am finding the same with spinning, I never thought I would improve from that first day when I just had to learn to treadle and even the simple drop spindle was hard to master but the weird thing is that you do get better at it. I am still hooked, I mean addicted, I love the new hobby and just made a gorgeous useful hat yesterday from my own spun yarn. You can get fab fibres for spinning eg worldofwool do custom blends and I have ordered a blend of 50% of the finest quality merino, 25% tussah silk, 12.5% cashmere and 12.5% baby camel. They blend it how you want it and that 500g should be enough for a short sleeved summer cardi plus a matching short sleeved top. I am not starting on it yet though, not until I can spin fine yarn all the time and even then it will take me weeks but wow!!

New tall bookcase came today and I have managed to empty the study floor and completely clear a shelved glass doored top on a dresser. Also more dried foods to the food bank, all in date but I was so daft with my stockcupboard. It is almost ready as my crafting room now, I just have to make enough wine to fill 36 empty bottles stored in there, I`ll do it asap starting with elderflower. I like making wine and it tastes really good but the equipment takes up a fair amount of room

Hezzawithkids

Okay time for another bump!

Feeling very positive this week and it's going to be a short working one, just 4 days. We're off visiting family on the coast this weekend so I've taken Friday off, the weather forecast looks reasonable so I hope we get out and about for lots of fresh air. Looking forward to some quality time with the folks.

Next week is also a 4-day one as I finally get my op on Friday and I've got the following week booked off as medical leave.

Last week my DD got an offer from her first choice uni so we're all delighted about that, and she is especially as the grades they are asking for are lower than the ones she is targeted with. Over the weekend I had a couple of 'moments' when I realised that it means my baby is leaving home later this year and I had to swallow down some emotions, I only have 8 months to get used to the idea... The I finally managed to find a venue for her 18th birthday party in May. I've been searching for weeks and calling in favours all over the place trying to find a venue but so few places locally will allow 18th birthday parties so I'm relieved to have finally found somewhere. Its a pub in walking distance from home that has a private function room with its own entrance (don't know why I didn't think of it sooner); the landlady was a bit reluctant at first and she has laid down some strict rules but all quite reasonable and she and the staff will be on hand to supervise so I'm quite pleased and DD is delighted! The landlady is going to lay on some nibbles and had booked a DJ and has said that if anyone wants to buy booze at the bar they have to show ID which is great as it means that things won't get out of hand like they have done at some of the house parties DD has been to lately.

All in all a good weekend and I'm looking forward to the next one!

Have a great week peeps!

[Deleted User]

I am very pleased for you hezza, so nice to have dd happily set for uni

It`s been another positive week really, lots of bits of sunshine to say that spring is not far off now. Seeds sown today, tomatoes and leeks, leeks a bit early but they did very well last year. Just at 20 degrees for both, so easy to get going and worth it for the summer harvest.

I frogged :cool: a jumper that I had just made but `hung` too big on me and I had washed it, so the yarn was very curly. Remedy: wind around back of a chair to make hanks, tie in 3 places then soak in warm to hot water for 5 minutes. Don`t rinse in cold, only the same warm/hot temperature or you will get felt. Hang up to drip and you will find it will be straight. Only applies to pure wool, so all wool was rescued

New jumper now being made but `top down` and with some waist decreases for shape. I did what I have put off for ages and delved under the stairs on hands and knees to get my dress form, padded but decently covered in a hm covering like a pillow case. It now stands in my craft room which is no longer a junk room

Spinning is going fantastically well and I so love my new hobby, keeps me moving albeit gently and stops me nibbling

Another positive is re breakfast cereals and we have finished stored packs so hm granola is now cooling and only very good stuff in there. Food clear out still goes on and several bags of sugar to food bank, also couscous and so on. AF jars of seafood sauce down the drain as hated the contents esp after the food stories. I LOVE getting my food store down to what it used to be, which was wholefood based

Stay positive my friends, a little bit here and a little bit there, it all adds up

Hezzawithkids

Driving down to the west coast on Friday morning I noticed some daffodils poking their heads out on the roadside which cheered me up as it made me realise that Spring is on its way. Just had the most fabulous weekend away with my family, everything about it was perfect and I felt quite tearful last night as it will be Thursday before I see them again. Then I cheered up because I have next week off to recover from my op on Friday and OH & I are going to use the time planning our summer break. Then we are into Bank Holiday season and lots of long weekends/short weeks in prospect! :j

Have a great week everyone!

his_missus

his_missus wrote: »

Hi everyone!

Hope you're all well.


jackie n hezza i'm still plodding on with the knitting. Onto square 3 (it's a work in very slow progress ) knit one row, purl one row. I'm glad other creative people struggle with crochet, makes me feel better that I can't grasp it. I used to x-stitch but even with a day lamp it would strain my eyes in an evening after an hour or so.

16 days later and I'm still on square no.3:eek: Life has been manic though so I've barely touched my knitting. Noticed a poster for a local knitting group and htey have aSat morn session (most are midweek afternoons) so now need to pluck up the courage/motivation to go along and have a nosey...

Going4TheDream

Was having a think today about how the year is turning out and this thread popped into my mind

We have been toying with the idea of moving into a smaller place. The house is huge and we are always doing work on it! a smaller place will be cheaper to run and maintain, and easier to clean! but we still want a good size garden to be able to grow our own.

It will make the transition from fulll time work for me into working for myself easier in the future being in a smaller more economical house....

I just wondered as we are now a 3rd of the way through the year whether everyone is still as inspired as they were at the beginning of the year?

his_missus

Going for the Dream, you made me wonder what my first post on here said...

his_missus wrote: »

Hello all!

It's not often I wander into the OS forum these days, much more focussed on DFW and I get lost when I follow so many threads but I like the positivity of this one

I'm feeling very positive about 2013. This is the year I'll become debt free for the first time in 10 years. I turn 40 in June which I'm looking forward to - partly because I intend to be debt free by then, partly because it's a jolly food excuse for a big party and partly because we've booked ourselves a posh cruise (well posh for us) in Sept as Hubby also turns 40 this summer.

I signed up to a facebook idea that was doing the rounds where you do something creative for 5 people and they agree to do the same etc. Was surprised a lot of my friends didn't seem into it as they didn't want to return the offer to their friends but my mind is buzzing with things I can do for the first 5 who liked my post.

Also want to learn to crochet this year as I've seen something amazing I want to make my bessie for Christmas.

I will also lose inches (more so than focussing on losing weight) and be more active instead of slobbing on the sofa every evening. I've set up a craft table in the spare room to encourage me to craft more as it's such a faff setting everything up/putting it all away each time.

I also want to end 2013 with savings in the bank - saving - what's that?

First job on my list though is to declutter my wardrobe!

Well, I'm now debt free, earlier than planned too. The big cruise is paid in full. I gave up the crochet idea but am perservering with knitting, slowly. The being more active has slipped a bit but I can focus on it more now I'm not focussed on debt repayments. Oh, and that facebook thing.... hmmm... better get my thinking cap on !

Rowan9

what fab news!! I love this positive thread.
In fact - the rain outside is positively helping all the plants grow! I did think the park was really dry yesterday - and that's saying something up here!
Off to light my candle and put on some lovely music ...and think positive thoughts:)

[Deleted User]

[QUOTE=Going4TheDream;61025483

I just wondered as we are now a 3rd of the way through the year whether everyone is still as inspired as they were at the beginning of the year?[/QUOTE]

oh yes and even better than I hoped. Spinning and knitting is going awesomely well and I will soon be learning to dye fibre that I carded from raw fleece. I am loving my new hobby and cannot knit fast enough. Allotment is absolutely great too, easy and set according to my plans, with produce still being taken to feed us.

I have gone back to wholefoods again, this started 40 years ago and sometimes it slips but not often. Tbh approved food was the downfall and I accumulated too much (rubbish) food, so bit by bit that has been going out either to the food bank or the bin. Last week was a lot of chocolate sponge mix. Breakfast is now absolutely gorgeous hm granola made from buckwheat, seeds etc dehydrated and eaten with hm almond milk. I feel so healthy and cheerful

Two of our 3 have moved house and we have been able to give several £000 to each, we made our wills last week and it does concentrate the mind, so we quietly help our children when we can. The pension pot, which I took over and have managed from 2005 is going up daily and is now 60% bigger and the positive thing is that I don`t charge to run it

Our house (downsized ie easier to run but not smaller) is eco and very light, airy and cosy and everything is done so almost all we have to do these days is days out, relax with books or hobbies, exercise on the outdoor communal gym, visit children and so on. In fact we are loving life

Goldiegirl

Goldiegirl wrote: »

Great idea for a thread, Jackie.

I'm going to make sure I count my blessings in 2013.

I appreciate -

My lovely husband

The fact that we live modestly but comfortably.

We can afford to go on a cruise each year.

My good friends.

However, I do have a tendency to worry and get stressed. The main thing that causes this is my job. I enjoy the work, but it can
be very busy and pressurised.

However, I only work two days a week, so I can escape from the pressure. In order to help me manage the stress, I'm going to make sure I remind myself of why I'm working. I've already got a pension, and for the time being I want to earn extra for savings. My husband retires in Oct 2016' and I will stop work at the same time, so just want to get some extra saving done before then. I'll be 56 when I stop working, so I'm going to focus on the fact that I won't be working for ever.

I think that will help keep me positive.

Above is what I said in my first post.

Five months later ......

I'm appreciating my husband, in fact as time goes by I appreciate him more and more

Very happy with the way we live - day to day we are not wildly extravagant, but we have treats which we like. Last week we went to London to go up The Shard and tomorrow we are going to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. Also have been continuing with the de-cluttering, my loft is really looking a lot better. It's very liberating to get rid of 'stuff' that is no longer required.

I enjoy seeing my friends - we usually meet every three week or so to catch up

I have my cruise booked for later this year, like his missus, who posted earlier in this thread we'll be away in September.

So everything is going well ...... Except for work!

I tolerate it, but I don't really want to be there! It's kind of an inconvenient interruption to my otherwise pleasant life! But as I said in my first post, it's only about 3 more years to go, so I will continue, to help save for retirement.

Overall, I think I'm mostly positive about life, but as with everything, I can still improve