Oh CRAP, I did do that!

I am not a creative person at all. I can draw stick figures, barely. At one point I was in 4H and Girl Scouts and learned to sew, knit, crochet, embroider, and needlepoint. I might have won a 4H ribbon or two but they were given to all entries. That phase of my life changed around Junior High when I moved on to more esoteric pursuits - boys, figure skating, etc.

A few decades later, my brother and sister in law started having children. She, my sister in law, is a very crafty person. I enlisted her help in picking out yarn and a pattern to make a baby blanket for her second child - my nephew who is now 14 and nearly 6' tall. That baby blanket was never finished and now would only be of use to him for his children in another 15 years or so. It is now in a bag somewhere....

Then I got married, life got chaotic, I got cancer and I guess I was annoying my friends so much while I was home dealing with chemo, that one of them, Judie, said to me 'you need a hobby'. I agreed, calling friends while they are at work, reading bad novels, and watching bad reality television wasn't going to get me through chemo any easier.

I went back to crochet. I got some yarn and a few crochet hooks. Then I got more yarn, some knitting needles. I discovered the evil benefits of the sale section of yarn stores. Everyone in my family got a scarf for Christmas that year. Then all my friends got a scarf for their birthday.

Then I discovered I am addicted to yarn and knitting and crocheting. I have bags of finished products. I have more bags of UFOs (unfinished objects). I have even more bags of yarn (an unofficial member of SABLE - Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy). I have switched to larger projects to slow down my production as I have enough scarves and cowls knit for a couple seasons of holiday craft shows.

I am finishing a knit crazy child's blanket where I will sew together a multitude of triangles and finish with a pale yellow edge. I am just starting a patchwork blanket for our bed which will be in squares of the same yarn knit in different patterns sewn together. This should take me most of the rest of the summer.

I like knitting and crocheting - its relaxing and non-fattening. 

Some where along the line I would often see information on creative arts classes to help people with cancer heal and cope. I would say that is so not me as I only draw stick figures. Besides I am not someone who feels the need to scrap book, decorate my house with handmade 'what-nots' (or dust collectors). I am not creative. I don't need those classes.

Slowly it has dawned on me. CRAP, I did do that. I did use creative arts to help heal and cope. And I didn't need a class for it. I just need more yarn stores for more yarn to fuel my addiction and increase my stash.

Unplugging

It is the easiest way to fill in free time these days. Go online, watch TV, read your ereader, text/call on your smart phone. I know I do it.

I come home from work and am exhausted so I sit down on the couch, turn on the DVR and watch one of my many recorded shows, sometimes I even play games on my ereader at the same time or text on my phone. Three pieces of technology at one time.

I go to the gym to destress and exercise and either bring my mp3 player or my ereader and watch TV while listening to music or read during commercials. I grab my ereader for waiting in doctors office where I used to bring a book. My husband one time laughed at my in the car as I juggled my cell phone, GPS, and ereader all at once on my lap.

In the morning we automatically turn on the television to get caught up on the news and I boot up my laptop to catch up on blogging, email, facebok, twitter, and anything else that crosses my mind.

How much technology is too much? That's too much.

I want to step away from technology. I spend too much time on the computer, ereader, DVR, phone, GPS, and TV.

I am working on changing my ways. I am back to reading more books in book format. I actually went to the library this week and took out four books. I have read most of one already (and then I got an email that books I was waiting for are now available so I downloaded three more on my ereader.)


So, I pull out my knitting and sit and enjoy it without the TV on the in the background. I read books with no noise going on. I 'forget' to bring my cell phone places. I leave technology behind. And I find I like it that way. I will do more of it.