Sunday 11 January 2015

January Plans


Hello.......... I love this time of year full of plans and ideas for the year to come, everything seeming so fresh new and shiny


I love starting new diaries and journals, making lists and plans. This year the lists are even bigger as I have special plans to make for a important Birthday year.



So now the Summerhouses winter guests have gone home it's time to unpack the crafts supplies and get ready for the year to come.


With a new craft to learn for a New Shiny Year,


and also a huge pile of WIP's to get around to completing, so I'm out and proud with my WIP's hopefully this year I'll be dusting some of them off and getting to some Ta-Dah moments, for some of the projects have been languishing since before I started this blog eek, there I've said it now....


Blankets and bunting started but never quite finished, and long forgotten stitching projects, hopefully will have new life breathed into them.


Just like the bulbs waking up in the garden, so lovely to see on a cold winters day.


There will be bulbs in the house to, which I planted up yesterday, I can't wait for them to flower.


There are other resolutions too, I've been told to exercise by the Cardiologist to try and improve my POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) which is not a easy task with severe ME, as overdoing things and relapsing can put me in beds for weeks.  I'm waiting to see a specialist Physio, but in the mean time I've made a start. 

It's hard to find the balance so I'm starting off with two minutes of floor based stretching designed for people with ME, while monitoring my heart rate and then resting, at the moment I can only manage that once a week, so it's going to be a slow old process.


I also have musical plans this year,  Here I am  performing at a Mid Winter Folk Festival last weekend.  Not very POTS friendly as the sheer terror of performing in public is not that conducive to keeping my heart rate low. I really need to learn how to master the art of playing and smiling at the same time.  

I find music and songwriting keeps me going during the tough times, even if I can only play for a few minutes at a time and  a lot of  days not even that. Performing at the local folk night, is wonderful but usually puts me in bed for about a week, so I can't really manage to go that often, that's the thing with ME there is always a huge payback from doing anything.  


As I mentioned earlier this year I'm having a birthday with zero, so I've started making a list of 40 things I'd like to do.  One of the things I've come up with is to try and read 40 books, and here's my first one 'Tender is the night' by F Scott Fitzgerald.

I'm putting together a list of books if anyone has any recommendations it's going to be a mix of classics and modern reads, so far I've been taking inspiration from book lists like 100 books to read before you die and also the top 100 holiday reads. 

I'm sure you'll be hearing more of my 40 things as the year passes....



and of course I've be crocheting, as....
It wouldn't be the Summerhouse by the Sea without yarn and a hook.

I've recently set up a Facebook  page for the blog so if you fancy popping over for a chat, I'm generally about.

Happy Crafting and a Happy New Year

Clare xx

20 comments:

  1. Wow, its lovely to see bulbs sprouting already, I noticed some in my garden this morning. Some wonderful WIPs, good luck with finishing them. Looking forward to seeing your list of 40.

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  2. All lovely things that I hope you will enjoy working on as the year passes! xx

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  3. Love your crochet, such lovely colours! I hope you get the POTS under control this year x

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  4. Two kinds of yarn.

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  5. Your crochet is lovely. I love it when I find long forgotten unfinished projects. It's like finding a head start on a complete project!

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    1. That's such a great way of looking at it
      Clare x

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  6. Can't wait to see all your creations!!

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  7. Found your blog via attic 24 , who posted about your winter wreath.Wishing you better health in 2015.I have had ME/chronic fatigue for many years but gradually regaining some energy.Am aiming to improve my crochet skills this year.Lots of lovely ideas on your blog. best wishes

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  8. You have lots of good projects for the coming year, Clare. While I do not have the same challenges as you have, I am challenged to set myself reasonable boundaries and expectations. I am still cheering you on to reach your goals and hope you will cheer me on to set goals for myself that I can reach, too. xx

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    1. Thanks Gracie and a very Happy New year, good luck with the goals
      Clare x

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  9. I think you have great plans for 2015. Is that bird stitching a bunting? It is fabulous. Read an article about Laura Hilderbrand the author of Unbroken, she has ME and it is amazing how she writes as she has days, even years she cannot leave her house. the article was in the NY TImes, I bet you could Google it.
    Hugs to you,
    Meredith

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    1. Hi Meredith yep it's a birdie bunting or hopefully one day it will be, I read the article about Laura, it's terrible what this illness steals from people, but shows the resilicence of the human spirit, through creativity, like many others it has lead me to explore my creative side, I read another article she'd written specifically about her illness and it just was heartbreaking. Clare xx

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  11. Hi Clare, I think, considering how ill you are, that you get an amazing amount done. To perform like that, gosh I would be petrified. I hope though that the joy from achieving things outweighs the exhaustion etc afterwards. Re the books - my must reads would include Captain Corelli's Mandolin, The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window (or something!), The Time-Travellers Wife, and the Philip Pullman His Dark Materials Trilogy. Can't wait to see what you decide upon :)
    Love the colours in your WIP blanket :)
    Jillxo

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  12. Well now, I am celebrating the big 4 0 this year! I like your idea of 40 things. Hmmmm... Books well some of my favourite reads are kind of obvious but I love The Hobbit, Huckleberry Finn, books by Diana Gabaldon and Philippa Gregory. Have a great year. Love your projects. x

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  13. I hope this is a wonderful year for you! Your works in progress are all beautiful. You always use such a beautiful palette. I love that you write songs and play the guitar. Learning to play is on my bucket list.

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  14. I hope you are having a great year so far. Your determination is amazing and I'm so happy yo get up and do things and don't let the ME beat you. Great ideas for 2015 and great crafts to finish. Hope you find lots of great books to read this year.

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  15. Wow you are one amazing woman! So many talents to share. I love your idea of 40 things to try. Heres hoping you get to do each and every one. I also a bit of a list person so very much enjoyed this post. I love that you are still going ahead with your music despite the downfalls. Music is so good for the soul. Blessings to you. Sending love and healing vibes your way. Happy crafting!!!

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