The Changes

 Every year, I do a workshop called Your Best Year Yet. It is about figuring out how to make more art. So as usual, I signed up, then I started journaling/filling out the worksheets. 

I do not fill everything out in one sitting. I come and go. Insights often come during this process, but they usually happen when I am away from my journal. So I write a bit, go to other stuff, write more in a day or two.

This year has been a bit different because I realized I could make some ideas happen.

They aren't new ideas. I had the ideas a long time ago. Years ago, in some cases. It's more like I just all of a sudden saw how to do them.

Years ago I had a Spoonflower shop. This is the company that lets people design their own fabric. 

I have been wanting to make a Celtic knot quilt. I have already made one large art quilt with knots that has been in a couple of shows, and is currently in Mobile. It just suddenly occurred to me that I could design some Celtic knots, print the fabric, then make my quilt. Then I realized I could design several fabrics for quilters. 

And I realized I could print other kinds of fabric. I could design fabric with dragons, animals, and moon phases. I kept having ideas. I had so many ideas, I started writing those in my journal. I stopped doing the workshop stuff. I just keep having ideas. 

2023 is the year I design fabric. My main goal is to design for myself. I am willing to show my designs to others, and if they want to buy my fabric, that's great, but I am designing what I want. This is a departure from what I normally do. I try to make what I believe will sell. I do not want to get stuck with something I don't like. This means I often make things I don't like. 

I reopened my Spoonflower shop. I have not uploaded any designs yet. I started drawing. A lot came out of the first session, but none of it was exactly what I wanted to do. I need to start over with strict limits to stay focused. I have decided to design in the afternoons after my daughter's lessons. I have been sewing during the lessons. Mainly, I get her started. She is more or less self-sufficient. She is much easier to home school than the boys. They needed constant attention. 

Other changes:

Still using the treadmill. Still hooping. Have not noticed any changes in weight or blood sugar.

Did go to the doctor, it was a new person, and I really had to argue my case. I don't think she gave me a steroid shot because I am still itching. Not as bad, but definitely not the wonderful, obviously better reaction that I had in the past. I asked for something stronger than Benadryl. I had to argue with my pharmacy, so I am not sure if they gave me the right dose. I have to take them four times a day, which is about what I did with the Benadryl, so I do not see how this is an improvement. My mint died in the hard freeze. I decided to start two mint gardens, one her and one at Homestead, and I intend to eat a mint leaf daily because that did work. I'm tired of the rashes, and I'm really tired of no one listening to me. 

The pony got out again this morning. I decided to bring the chain link pen back over here. We need an actual fence and a barn. My husband believes an electric fence will do. It shorts out every time it rains. It rained last night. I'm tired of arguing about it. 

I have been organizing my studio. I am nowhere close to working out there. But I'm doing the work. I decided to set up my altar in the studio. I have a list of spells I want to do once the altar is in place. I still have my altar in the bedroom, and I still use it. I am just becoming very aware of how limited the space is. I need more.

I had another screaming fit about laundry. The boys still aren't washing their clothes. They had no clean towels this week. So I screamed, and they still didn't wash all their clothes. I screamed some more, then my husband started screaming. The boys put still damp laundry away. So I screamed again. Now everyone is unhappy. The laundry still isn't done.

Youngest son is lactose intolerant. Last night, I walked into the kitchen and saw him pouring milk. I told him not to drink it, so he waiting until I was reading my daughter a bedtime story to guzzle the glass down. This morning he woke up with a stomach ache and a swollen throat. Both me and my husband got on his case, forced him to take medicine, and I took him to school later in the morning. I am beyond annoyed that he continually and deliberately makes himself sick, just because he likes the taste of milk. I am going to cut back on the amount of milk I buy. No more gallons of milk. Maybe a half gallon. Or maybe I will buy a pint whenever I bake cakes. 

For my birthday, I went to Pappadeaux. I haven't been to Pappadeaux since I was 18, and that was in Dallas, TX. There is one in Birmingham, and every time we pass it, I say I want to go to Pappadeaux. We had to drive to Marietta, GA, because that was the closest one to us. It was divine. My wine was excellent. It was expensive, costing around $170 for the whole family, but I thought it was worth it. The boys loved it. I think my husband liked it, but he would not say so. We had the nicest waiter, so I tipped with the credit card, and then I tipped him in cash because I know it takes a while to get paid with cards. He seemed very surprised that he got two tips. I don't know if the restaurant makes the employees pool tips. I wish waitstaff made a decent living wage so I wouldn't have to worry about it. 

I have't done much with my Etsy shop since I decided to do all this other art project stuff. I feel like that will resolve itself eventually. If I keep making art, I will have more to sell. I have been photgraghing my products outside, but I saw a video on making a product backdrop. That will be my next goal. And I think I will put Magick into it. I can add some prosperity runes. 

I am going to make Celtic knots now. I will be back on Wednesday with a Tarot card. Blessed be, my dears. Stay safe.