In a Nutshell

A handful of hats. Blissful monotony.

Soaps, soaps and more soaps.... And other stuff.

Exploring the mountains

Our new little brat

Well hello there. Nice to see you again!

February was the last time my fingers crossed this space, and it's been a long and interesting year. A year of additions, a year of loss, and a year of getting my butt kicked by just about everything this world could throw at me.

The quick points:
The blog is back to it's old name. It really just fits. Every thing around here comes in little bits, and sometimes slightly larger bits, all to make up the big whole. I'll slowly be fixing all the links, so if something doesn't work it hopefully will soon.

My sister gave birth to her two beautiful baby girls in March, 11 weeks early. Gave us quite a scare actually, but apparently that's how us women have our first babies now. After a long and (thankfully) boring jaunt in the NICU, they were home early this summer. They are perfect and gorgeous giggly little things covered in the most gorgeous dark hair. So many things to knit for them...

We've lost three family members this year,  including my grandpa, which was particularly painful and rather sudden for me. There is still a gaping wound in my chest, but time is slowly moving things around to account for it.

We added a shelter dog to our family. She is a very, very hyper and crazy chihuahua/dachshund mix, but is a sweetheart who loves to snuggle, and has been a really good addition for us, despite the fact that she drives me crazy sometimes. 

The twins started 2nd grade this year, and Duder is in Kindergarten. Munchie doesn't have an official grade yet, but is content to join us in most of our schooling. For the parts he doesn't want to join in, he's usually running around being a "Supie Hero".

Bumblewood boomed this year, with so many fun craft shows and lots of new and wonderful people met. Three stores are now carrying my products, which is really exciting.

And in the end.... I burned out. This year has been so rough on my soul for so many reasons. I hardly did any of the things I used to like doing. I hardly knit. I hardly baked. I barely gardened at all, and putting anything up in jars? Pssh. I was lucky to put a quart of berries in the freezer. I've battled depression. I spent most of my days with the goal "just get to the end of today". My mojo was gone and missing.

Over the past year I have really had to look at and examine myself. I couldn't keep going the way I was going. I couldn't be super woman. I couldn't do everything for everyone. I couldn't make everyone happy. I (and my house) couldn't be perfect.

And you know what? That's ok.

And since I've let go (mostly...), I've found my mojo in bits and pieces. I'm knitting again, simple things. I'm cooking again, in small quantities. I'm dreaming of next year's garden, a small one. And I have a ton of ideas for things I want to do/make/put up. Which is amazing, considering a few months ago I spent most of my time staring out of windows with no desire to do anything. I'm reading homesteading books and I'm excited about it again. I'm working on scheduling things so they still get done without making me crazy to get them ALL done at the same time.

And I've given myself permission to not freak out if the things don't get done. I've given myself permission to breathe. I'm not still not back to my old self, but I'm getting there.

Because it's ok. Life's to short to be perfect.

Here's to a better 2015.