Lions and Tigers and Bears!

Oh My!  Or in my case it is more like Needles, and Thread, and Beads!  Oh My!  (You can't imagine how difficult it was to type Bears not Beads in the title.)

My life is pretty much consumed by beads and related items right now.  I am frankly more than a little out of balance.  Beads have pushed several things out of my world for the time being and some of it is not good.  I look forward to getting back into balance after the Bead and Button in June.

There is no hope before June, as that is my book deadline, as well as the various Bead and Button requirements deadline.  So right now, I work on kits for B&B, I work on a book pattern, I advertise some other bead event or prepare a proposal to each elsewhere.  I work on some special material for my Meet the Teachers Table at B&B, then I edit some more, and simultaneously try to create a couple new things for the book, for Trendsetters, and for my local stores.  In the back of my mind, I keep thinking, what am I going to have ready to submit for B&B 2018??  So much of my new work is going into the book.  Then I pack up and travel somewhere to teach or bead.  I'm not complaining really.  I love my beady life.  I really do enjoy all the travelling.  I just miss a few parts of my other life.

What is missing?  My exercise routine is a disaster.  My house cleaning is a disaster.  My continuous de-clutter process is mostly on hold.  My gardening just isn't happening.  Any visiting with family or friends happens only in conjunction with beads.

I miss my bicycle.  My only peddling is on my stationary, under the desk, bicycle.  I've gotten pretty good at peddling and typing but it is pretty hopeless to draw a line on a diagram and peddle.  I've tried.  I want to get back on my road bicycle, that will be a part of restoring some balance.  I used to go to a gym too, carving out enough time to get my exercise back in balance is a priority.

My daily morning walks are more like weekly.  I missed the spring chick season entirely.  I look at photo's and remember how really cool it is to watch them grow.  I love early morning walks.  It cleans out my mind.  It is also when I am the most creative and able to do my most productive work.  Yes indeed, work.

Cleaning happens a little, with 3 cats and allergies, it has to.  I can tell when it gets too bad, my asthma kicks up.  I'm not complaining, asthma hasn't bothered me in almost 50 years.  I am very thankful that it took this long to come back.  Somehow in the last few months it has re-surfaced.  Could that protective layer of dust on things combined with dust curls and cat hair be part of the cause?  I long to spend days cleaning, tossing out, and de-cluttering.  Don't worry, I find good homes for most things, particularly the beads.  I have hit critical mass on the need to clean, simplify, and organize.  I've lived here about as long as anywhere, almost 12 years.  You know, moving is a great motivator to de-clutter and clean.  It has been too long, two of my three cats have never moved.  Of course they would hate it.  I'm not ready to move yet, but I need to do an imitation of the process to really clean out.

One way I de-clutter is to follow a principle learned decades ago while working for the Army reserve as a civilian.  In short, I try to follow the NUMS-IT principle.  Things must meet that criterion to be saved.  I must truly N = Need it; U = Use it; M = Maintain it; and S = Store it.  I can be pretty ruthless to dispose or donate items.  I'm trying to tackle that a little bit, a teeny weeny bit, each day.  I look forward to some major clean out this summer!  Clutter, as it grows,  really starts to pile in on me and depresses my creative spirit.  Out Out damn spot (clutter).

Organizing is in sore need of a major overhaul.  My desk top is a pile.  Some major sorting and putting things away must happen soon.  I long to find the top of my work space.  Good thing right now it is quite nice on my porch, I gather things and work out there during the day.....that is when I'm not in front of this keyboard working on patterns.  Yes, working, yet, I'm retired?

Needless to say the diet part of my life is another disaster.  It also needs a major overhaul.  Good eating habits gone to fast food is not a good thing.  Where is my afternoon fruit and green mix smoothie?

As the book and show deadlines approach, the stress increases.  I don't know whether this book will be a one shot wonder or something I may do again.  Time will tell.  For now, with only weeks to go, I think I must have been totally crazy.  When I pass off the manuscript, projects, and other material to the publisher at B&B, I will breathe a big sigh of relief.  But of course, I know, at that time, it won't be over......edits will commence won't they?   Right now it is time to work on a project for the book again.  Yet, I'm supposed to be sort of retired.  This is all a bit much, I think I'll go for a walk.  Don't expect to see another Blog until mid June.