hitting "send"

I just took a walk where I concentrated on standing up really tall- stretching my spine and opening my chest.  The snow was deep and my dog was joyful and I was talking a walk. Because I had some time to. Because my sewing machine is switched off. Because Debra (my pal and co-author) is getting all 101 projects into the "finals" folder right now. Because we are sending the manuscript for our book today.

I had to write a little today right here.  I don't keep a journal.  I can barely keep my breath, these days.  I just worked harder than I have ever in my whole entire life worked and I am feeling good.  I'm not actually done, as only half of the finals are done, but the biggest push is over. Storey will have the manuscript in their virtual hands today and I took a walk (and mucked the pig pen, but that was not nearly as picturesque, nor was it a thoughtful time).

On my walk I thought about the creative process, as I have been pondering a lot lately.  I don't think I had any idea how big an undertaking this book would be, but as I developed and made the 101 sewing projects that I would  want to have in a book with my very own name right on the front, I eventually came to see what it meant. Do you know how in Chinese Checkers you sometimes make these fantastic moves where you go backwards and forwards and jump, jump, jump and then you get to your final spot all happy and smug and someone points out that you could have jumped once and gotten to the same place?  Well, where is the fun in that? I have found that sometimes I need the crazy circuitous route to figure out just how simple something can be.  I actually had that experience quite a few times while developing these projects.  I hope the end result is a simple project that has a big payoff.

So, I got to stand up straight and get warm this morning.  Now I will go sew in that inevitable posture.  I will not work for 12 hours today.  I will be smiling.

And, here is something to look at.  My boy in his Valentine's cashmere sweater I upcycled and remade to fit him.  Yummy boy. I'll tell you how its done soon.

silly