Progress

I've spent lots of today working on various projects. Mostly some little ones that have to be done by Sunday. But I did finally find the missing yarn colors so I could go back to work on the Big Project, and get some of that deadline fear off my back. I have all these wicked wishes to go off and work on new projects just for me, but I'm being good. Mostly.

I worked upstairs in the study on the Big Project a bunch. I took the CD player up there with me. It's *nice* having music while I'm working up there. I need to do that more often. I love my Nickle Creek album, and I enjoyed one of the Smithfield Fair albums, and played my Echo's Children album. Ahhhh. Got a nice chance to really listen to some of those songs that I hadn't before.

Tomorrow I need to do a lot more work on the Deadline projects. And even after that I have other projects I want to do for other people - stuff without a firm deadline, but I do want to do it. But oh, I have got to get some time to do stuff for myself! It's hard to do that. I want to be nice to those who are special to me, and do marvelous things for them, but there's not enough knitting time. I am sneaking in more knitting with the kids around, as Jamie gets older it should keep getting easy, but the really complicated stuff won't work that way.

Another busy Maggie & Mama day

So I was going to go out and run one errand today. Then I'd be back home working on more present making.

Then we had the idea of me taking Maggie along for the errand. And oh, there was this other errand I should do. And maybe we'd have lunch. And maybe one other stop.

This trip ate the whole day. We had a good time. We went to Hobby Lobby, and got the stuff we needed there. We got into Jackie Leaf's line so we could say hi to her. Maggie was quite good, and helped carry the basket. Then we went off and had lunch at chickfila. I pointed out a couple of uniformed policemen to her - I'm trying to teach her the lesson about that's someone you can go to for help if ever you're lost or in trouble, but don't go in anybody else's car if you don't know them. I told her the story about bkseiver and the policeman, and the newspaper article that resulted. (Hey, Mom? You oughta scan that in and post it. And do you have that song anywhere? I need to start teaching her the songs.)

Then we went to the bookstore, the B&N at the shopping center off University Dr. They had open carriages pulled by a pair of horses giving rides around the parking lots. 3 sets. Maggie wanted to, and I was telling her no, it would cost money and we couldn't afford it - but it turned out to be FREE. So we did our shopping, then took the bag back to the car and got my wool cape (thanks again, Mom, I love that cape) and stood in line. We got to ride in a white open carriage pulled by two chestnuts with white socks and blazes. We rode with another lady who had two boys, one several years older than Maggie and one a bit younger. Maggie enjoyed it. We wrapped her up in their blanket, enjoyed the clop-clop of the horses, and had fun looking at all the decorations.

Then I tried to go find a present for Jamie - that didn't work out. Toys R Us was a disaster, and when I gleefully remembered the nice little toy boutique off Camp Bowie instead, and got there, found out they'd closed at 5:30. It was 5:45. Who closes at 5:30 the Saturday before Xmas? Oh well.

Anyway, I could have done all these errands more efficiently by myself, but Maggie and I got nice together time, and Jamie got to have some time with Daddy when he wasn't having to fight Maggie for attention. So it worked out well.

I *still* have to do the rest of the present making and tagging for stuff being given to people tomorrow. And I need to practice some choir music. I was playing it on the piano, and realized that although I'm no pianist, I'm better at casually playing melody than I give myself credit for. I really want to learn to play piano well at some point, and I want to get back to my harp music. I was realizing today that when I do get time to work on my fiber arts or on music, it makes me a lot happier and I think about the time I spend doing it a lot and feel better.