Time

There's just too little of it!  And I'm finding that the more I try to follow some scheduling or time management system, the more things get out of whack and the more stressed I get!  Though I do feel like I am getting the paperwork and bill paying aspects of life a bit more under control.  I recently read an article by Kacy Paide, who isn't really trying to push any particular product, she was just advising that you need to have a "catch-all" basket or place to put the critical mail and paperwork that needs to be addressed timely and set up a schedule for processing it.  Once I go through the mail, sort out the junk and recycle it, and identify the important stuff, I then go and just put it on top of my keyboard.  That way, I'm not tempted to do other, fun things on the internet first, I have to take care of those bills!  Kacy focuses on office organization (The Inspired Office is the name of her website), and she offers her services in the Washington DC area.  I haven't tried her services (yet), but her website and weekly email tips are helpful.  In fact, if I had more time, I'd be following her tips way more than I've had the chance to!

30 Hours a Day

That's how many I think I need in order to actually do everything I need and want to do!  But, if there were 30 hours in each day, could we still get away with sleeping only during 8 of them?!  Well, why bother even contemplating because, unless the earth goes spinning off its axis, my dream of more time per day is not happening.

I need the time because I have so many project ideas going through my head and want to work on them all but the mundane things in life keep infringing on my creativity ;-)  I guess my beef with time is no different than everyone else's, but I just had to get it off my chest. 

So, I am making the best use of my time by concentrating on my Ravelry account and trying to post more and more crochet tips on http://www.crochet.lifetips.com/.  I've added a new section on Books and Magazines, hoping to be able to share my views on the various resources out there.  I did notice today that the Crafts section in the Barnes & Noble in downtown DC seems to have expanded, and there was a better-than-usual selection and variety of crochet books.  I had to stop myself from picking up any new ones, considering I have a shelf-full at home that I still need to access.

Anyway, just a quick post to rant and give you a preview of what I'm working on.  More to come as always, stick with me :-)

Today's Thought:  Speaking of time, using an egg timer periodically to time how long it takes you to do certain tasks is a great way to prepare yourself for those times where you're bemoaning the fact that you've got 10 minutes "to kill" and don't think you can get anything done in that time.  It's amazing how much can be accomplished in 10 minutes -- time yourself and see!

Hearts Aplenty

Ah, how the days are passing! Since my last posting, I've been quite busy finishing the dog sweater and figuring out whether I'm going to come up with specialty items for Valentine's Day. I do have this great heart pattern that I'm using to make a baby blanket, but I could make some sachets with it as well. I really haven't concentrated on making special holiday-oriented products, but I'm starting to think that I'm missing a boat somehow by not doing so. Well, maybe I'd better get out my pink and red yarns!

Today's Thought: The Wii. Never did I think I'd become so obsessed with a video game system, but this one is great. There are many games available for the small white console that are all about skills and eye-hand coordination, not just war games or shoot-em-ups. The "cross-bow training" game that comes with the Zapper, a device that turns the remote and numchuk into a machine gun, lets you practice shooting at bull's eye targets, pottery, scarecrows, and gorgons for points and more complicated levels of play!