Fun For The New Year

Even if the old year wasn't dreadful, I always look forward to the new year.  I don't get too superstitiously crazy on New Year's Eve, but I do make sure the house is at least tidy (laundry put away, trash taken out, no dirty dishes in the sink...), all the bills are paid as best we can and I have black eyed peas and cabbage ready to cook the next day.

The next morning I make sure I get up early, eat a healthy breakfast, go out to the barn to check on everybody, do my chores and proceed to do lots of other things throughout the day that I think are important and enjoy and want to do for the rest of the year.  Much like I do almost every day :-).  

I interrupt this blog post to tell you that the stunning full moon has just crested the front field and I am watching it from the office window.  I love watching the moon rise.  I think it's interesting how last night it rose more towards Stella's house and just as I was finishing evening chores.  Tonight it's closer to the road and  it waited until I was settled in the house.  If I hadn't been sitting right here, I'd have missed it!  

I understand the general principle of the planets and moons rotating, but I'd like to better understand the route or schedule.  Or specifically, the route of our planet and moon as it appears here in my backyard.  Maybe I'll put that on my list for this month.  I have to think there is probably an online animation that would show me that.  Or maybe there is some place like a planetarium to visit in one of the bigger cities around us.

So, my list for this month...  This is my new year's "plan".  While 2017 as a year was actually pretty good to me, the ending was incredibly awful.  An entire chapter, probably the biggest one, of my life ended.  Nothing to look forward to.  No warm back to at least go sit on to welcome the new year.  I still cannot fully grasp this.

In an effort to cheer myself up I started thinking of little fun things I'd been wanting to do, but putting off, for whatever stupid reason, assuming I had all the time in the world.  Nothing grand or life changing, but lots of little things I could put on a list, cross off, add to.  Or maybe not one big list, but a new small list each month.

I would like to finally make my Maggie Rabbit, knit a handspun sweater for my beloved first teddy bear, knit a stuffed animal, learn to count sheep in the "old way", try to take some of those beautifully arranged Instagram shots I keep seeing, try backstrap weaving, learn about the moon in my backyard!

Maybe I'll make a cartoon graphic for the side bar to remind me or keep "score".  Cartoons are fun.  I'd like to create more cartoons.  More sketching and painting in general would be fun.  Maybe work on a short story or a farm story.  Or a Lamb Camp photo book.  The possibilities are endless and it can be new year's day every day.

By the way, the yarn above, in my first attempt at one of those art-y IG photos, is a Voe hat kit from Brooklyn Tweed that I got for Christmas.  I'll hopefully share more about it tomorrow because THE YARN ALONG IS BACK :-D.