Slow days

Hanging out with the Wee Ones and the animals. I love going out of a morning, alone or with the kids, to feed and check on the animals; the chooks, the guinea pigs, cat, dog and bees. I feel at least the teeniest bit like a farmer's wife and that makes me very happy.

Sorting out our home and planning some painting and general beautification - as much as one ought be bothered in a rental!
I came home on Friday to see Abuelo mounting this gorgeous coat rack on the wall. He made it and put it up and now we have a Proper Entry Hall befitting of an old rambling Californian Bungalow. 

Like so many renters I have regular day dreams about what I would do to this place were it ours. I imagine it painted white, with honey coloured floor boards replacing the manky blue carpet, and a kitchen at the back of the house flooded with light and a view of the garden....It's very charming as it is, in its progressively dilapidated state. It's like a big ol' country house in the suburbs. We pay minimal rent for these times and we have great neighbours in an area that hasn't been over- gentrified (yet..). 

So whilst I also dream about a home in the country, living vicariously through the blogs of others (here, and here!), I am very grateful for custodianship of this plot and the likelihood that we will be here for a long time yet.

Marvelling at the sunset and the amount of water falling from the sky..

Knitting my Maeve Shrug, which is a long, patient journey on the knitter's Super Highway but fun never-the-less and the best bit is yet to come. Currently it resembles a Thneed, but as you can see by the pattern photo, it will soon be very clearly a gorgeous shrug. Carrie creates the most beautiful patterns; great for a relatively new knitter who loves a bit of a challenge. 

I have business to attend to. Ah yes. And so I shall. But not today. I want a couple more slow days yet. I also want to spend a little time thinking abut this new year. I will be making changes to the way I have been working. Last year I went out to all but two of my students which really took its toll on my family life. Too many late dinners, rushed evenings, missed time spent with children who are away from us far too much as it is. This year I have a lovely studio to share with a lovely friend, and from there I will conduct my private teaching. My choir is growing so we  need a new venue to rehearse, and my two bands though currently inactive, are so much fun and I'm looking forward to seeing my musical buddies soon. 

I volunteer a day a week at Abuelo's place of work and I am planning to spend some time painting Maytroshkas to put on my Etsy store, that has laid dormant for a couple of years. I think perhaps that is all quite enough for one lady.

 What are you slowly working your way through? 

What new plans do you have for this year?