Knifty

I got to feed the crafy beast this morning *and* do work for my new job at the same time. Score! One of my fellow staff members will be running a knitting and crocheting class for some of our residents, and because we are a nonprofit, we reached out the the community for donations of yarns and needles.

I got an almost immediate response to my request from the lovely Jenn B. who offered a dozen skeins of yarn to the cause. And then she passed it along to some knitty friends who also came through. So, this morning I had to--twist my arm--make a stop at a really neat local yarn store, Natural Stitches. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Jenn B., meeting the extremely helpful and friendly staff at the store (with special thanks to Yvonne for making a donation of her own as well as collecting from others), and scored a lot of yarn and hooks for the ladies at the shelter and residential program. Plus, I had to get a bit of yarn for my own stash (yes, it was a necessity...shut up). And I found a sock-making class that I must attend in February. Really. Somehow in my head I'm not really a knitter until I make a pair of socks. And a project with that many needles requires more than a book with pretty pictures (for me, at least).

So, a fabulous morning overall. Many thanks again to Jenn B. for her yarn and for graciously tolerating the antics of the small one. And if any of you are ever in need of great yarn in a comfy environment with cool people, head over to Natural Stitches in the east end. I know I will be back!

Whirlwinds of change

I'm not sure if anyone is even stopping by here any more, especially given my extreme blog silence, but seeing as I don't want to give up the blog (and would like very much to start posting here more), I am adding "blogging" to the list of things I will pay more attention to in 2010.

My 2010 list is already a pretty interesting collection. To ring in the new year, I got myself a new job. I wasn't losing the old one, but I had definitely lost interest. Yes, I am grateful to be in a position to have the luxury to look for a new job out of want not out of need. There are far to many people in the "need" category these days. And with the job change comes a change in our perspectives on life, to a degree. As many of you know, I had been working in academia for years. Now, I am working in nonprofit, and the salaries are like apples and oranges. You can't compare them, really, because it's two different worlds. And, the new job gives me everything I wanted from a new job--flexible hours, a sense of making a difference in the world, doing something I really enjoy, working with a great group of people, promoting a cause that I believe in--but it can't stand up in the salary area. We are certainly not struggling--I would never take a move like that with two kids to consider. But we will have to be more careful. And I will be anxiously anticipating the removal of financial burdens--18 months till Mr. Moo starts attending public school, 2 years till the cars are paid off, and six years till we can burn our mortgage papers (that's one for which I will proably throw a party...seriously). But without question, I have made the right move for me. My stress levels have dropped dramatically and my outlook has improved immensely.

I have lots more to say about the job, but I'll save that as post fodder.

And I have more to say about 2010, but I'm in the middle of installing flooring in our basement. I've only been waiting to do something with that space for two years (and have had the flooring that long, so it's not a budget hit at all) and today's a work holiday, so off to the underground I go!