A fairly quiet start to the New Year last night, with some family friends and a horde of bell ringers, who all disappeared at 11.15 to ring in the New Year at the cathedral.
I've got some "unofficial" resolutions, some of which I don't want to share. Some are just ideas of things I want to do, which might not happen this year but sometime in the future.
So, the things I'm thinking about (for public consumption) are:
- to improve my driving and become more confident. I think driving is a fairly essential skill (well, I couldn't do my job if I didn't!), and I'm a reasonable driver, but I would like to be much better. I would encourage others to do the same - my mum has come across a large number of people (mainly women) at her bereavement group who let their partner do all the driving. Some have now had to move house to get near to shops or a bus route, or depend on friends for lifts, making it much harder to be independent. So, after a discussion with a neighbour (who's in the police) I'm going to join the
Institute of Advanced Motorists sometime this year. Not just yet as my cash flow needs to improve after having time off sick in November and December! I have made quite a lot of progress in the last year as I've done so much more driving for work - a year ago I'd hardly ever driven outside Lincolnshire!
- to spend considerably less time online! I mean when I'm at home. Wireless broadband is dangerous as I can be online anywhere I feel like. I'm now going to attempt to keep my laptop in the study and use it much much less! And this should mean I have more time to go out and see friends, or relax with a book or whatever. So expect to see a lot less blogging this year.
- I've also decided to start the process to become a
Chartered Librarian. I didn't think this would be possible as I'm self-employed, but it is, it's just a bit more long-winded and complicated to get the necessary work and formalities completed. The organisation I usually work for is supportive, but the work will have to be done in my own time because I'm freelance. I'm also not sure how long the process will take, but that doesn't really matter as long as I keep up with it. Again, spending less time online and more time doing this will help!
- and I'm signing up for
Knit From Your Stash 2007, first seen on
Sue's blog and now various others have signed up too! This is partly because my stash is getting big and I don't want it to be, and partly to save money.
These are my "guidelines", adapted from
Wendy's:
1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 1, 2007 and run through September 30, 2007 -- a period of nine months.
2. I will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:
2.a. I joined the
Fyberspates sock club last month, so some yarn will arrive from that, but it's already paid for!
2.b. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that I really and truly do not have the yarn for, I may buy yarn to knit that gift.
2.c. If I'm knitting something and run out of yarn, I may purchase enough to complete the project.
2.d. I get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card -- we are each allowed to fall off the wagon one time. For me this will be
Skip North in March.
3. We are allowed to receive gifts of yarn.
Have a Happy New Year everyone and see you sometime in 2007! I'm not back at work until next week but I'm going down to London for a few days in the meantime...
Totally amazing. And did I mention it's only 15 miles from me?! I did buy three balls of yarn there, but without breaking my yarn diet! Haven't had time to take pics of them yet though.
And I returned home to find an RAK from Carrie Anne in my postbox! It's a little ink stamp of a ball of wool & two needles, think you can just make it out in the pic. She made the card too, isn't it fab? These will be on sale soon, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say where, so I won't just yet! ;-)
That's all for now. I was going to do a much longer post with loads of pics, but just haven't had time. I'm not sure when I'll next get to post as the next few weeks are quite busy. And sorry if I haven't commented on people's blogs for a while, I've hardly had time to read any in the last fortnight (that's not bad going, I'm about 4 months behind with podcasts!)
