No Resolutions

I don't make new year's resolutions.  I haven't in a long time.  I do, however, set goals for the year.  

Just not this year.  This year, it's more like a hope for the year.  And one of my hopes for this year is to somehow rekindle the  passion I once had for my piano.   Oh, I still practice every day, even if it's just for a few moments, but right now it feels like I'm just going through the motions.  

I want the passion back that I had when I first decided to take up piano again, when I couldn't wait to get home from work to practice.  I want the passion I had in 5th grade when my teacher had to call me out because I was mentally practicing my music on my school desk.  

I want the passion I see in Jon Schmidt's face when he plays, 

or when Professor Knight plays during my classical music course. 

 

Or the pure joy when I see these two guys playing.

Now, don't misunderstand.  I'm not talking about talent, or skill level.  I know I'll never have the ability to play to their levels.  I'm talking about the pure joy, the love of making music.  That's what I seem to have lost.  I didn't even enjoy playing my Christmas music this time around, and if you know me at all, you know I love my Christmas music.  

If I'm being completely honest, this last year has been rough on me.  I don't know what it is, but I haven't really had the passion for anything for quite some time.  It was one of those years that all I did was to make it through.  And that's OK, but I just want more. 

So, one thing I'm changing is where my piano is.

And before you get all pedantic on my, yes, I know it's technically an electronic keyboard, and a relatively cheap one at that.  I'd love to have a real piano, but where would I put it in this house where I'm already bursting at the seams?  

Anyway, I usually turn it facing the wall like that when I put up my Christmas tree, because it's the only way everything will fit in my tiny living room.  Last year, I left it like that all year to save space in my living room.  I don't know why, but having like that made me not want to practice.  Sometimes, all I would do is run quickly through a song right before I went to bed.  So today, I turned it back around, facing the middle of the room.  

I'm hoping that will inspire me to practice more -- maybe I can multi task while watching TV.  Not the best way to practice, but hey, it's better than not practicing at all. 

One thing I did not do was to make a resolution to not buy new yarn, so I definitely bought new yarn. 

This is more of the Red Heart Bitty Stripes in the Rainbow colorway.  I'm loving this yarn, I'm telling you.  You will also be pleased -- and impressed -- to know that I finally, at long last, seamed up one of my baby surprise jackets that I knit way back in...April?  May?  Whenever it was....

It still needs buttons, but that can wait.  

Yarn:  Red Heart Super Saver Bitty Stripes

Colorway:  Rainbow

Pattern:  Baby Surprise Jacket, by Elizabeth Zimmerman

Needles:  I don't actually remember, it's been so long.  

I have one more to seam up, which I'll try to get to later on today or tomorrow. 

While I was in the store buying yarn -- and a few other essentials -- I took advantage of the clearance sales and picked up few more things.  This cookie dough was marked down from $5 to $1.88, so I got two.  

I've already baked them up, vacuum sealed them, and put them into the deep freeze for next year.   I also thought I'd bake up some more fruit cakes and put them into the deep freeze, but I checked the expiration date on my candied fruit-- 2028.  

 

"Oh!"  I said. "I'll make them next November, when it's fruitcake weather!"  I put them into the back of the pantry, and now I'll have to put a reminder into my phone or I'll forget they're there.  

I hadn't planned on buying any more Christmas cards since I still have so many already, but when I saw these Norman Rockwell designs, I simply couldn't resist.

Nor could I resist when I saw this little Lincoln Logs ornament.  

I immediately thought of my younger brother Scott, and how our grandpa would buy him Lincoln Logs and our mother hated it.  She didn't want us to have things like that...Lincoln Logs, Legos, Play-Doh, Lite-Brite.  I'd have killed for a Lite-Brite, but Mother wouldn't allow it.  

"You'd just lose all the pegs," she'd say.  Or make a mess, or whatever. 

Scott was probably too young to remember the absolute fury on her face when he opened those Lincoln Logs, but there really wasn't anything she could do about it.   One year, my cousin gave him a Kentucky Long Rifle cap gun, which mysteriously disappeared.  Until I found it one day hidden in the back of their closet and gave it back to him.  

Good thing she never found out that was me, or she'd have beaten me black and blue and bloody.  

And finally, this unseasonable warm weather has the trees all confused.  Just look at this: my Dollar General tree is blooming already!

 Each one of these seed pods can grown up to 30 Dollar Generals!  Be on the lookout for new sprouts near you.