Dreary January

The dreary, wet, and depression weather here in the lower mainland of British Columbia is doing a number on my mental outlook. Last Friday my dear friend, Karen and I went to our favourite yarn shop, 88 Stitches and she tried to get me to be more positive. I was mostly whining and complaining. Finally the rain stopped and I actually saw some blue sky. After eating lunch and seeing more blue sky, and having fun at a big Loonie store, I ended up laughing and could feel my negative mood was lifting.

Granted it didn't totally go away as the dreary weather has continued, but at least it has been fairly dry so I could get Millie to the dog park. We now have a regular routine for dog park days. She gets muddy, I put her into the car, she waits at the entrance in the house until I tell her to head upstairs and she will now on most days jump into the bathtub. With the handheld shower, I'm able to hose her off with warm water. Then it is towel time for drying. She is a very patient dog or maybe she doesn't like all the mud on her.

My knitting mojo flew out the window after Christmas, and isn't really coming back. I keep casting on projects that I think will help, but I do a few rows and call it quits. On the other hand, I've been cleaning my house more and have been doing some reading.

On Ravelry I've joined the 2010 Shawls in 2010 group and am working on the Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West out of two skeins of Verdes Malabrigo that I had in my stash. I'm trying to reduce my stash by searching it first before going out to buy more yarn that I don't really need. Team Cindy on Ravelry is another group that I'm involved in and I've signed up to finish three WIP during the Olympics. I may have to change it to two, as one is a shawl, one a scarf that isn't mindless, and a Baby Surprise Jacket for my second grandbaby that will be born in August.

Trying to keep my sanity with this dreary and dark weather has become my main focus lately. I'd prefer snow and sunshine or even just snow instead of this mild weather, no sunlight and of course a very muddy dog most days. Millie now goes to doggy day care at Bark 'n Lounge one or two times a week and she has a lot of fun there, I get a break, and she doesn't get muddy.

I didn't make any resolutions for this year, except to try to live one day at a time, which I've been trying to do for years now. Also, spending time with positive friends helps me now as I've never felt this down in January. It could also be that my eldest son, daughter-in-law and grandson have found a place to live and since they've been here for almost one and a half years, I don't have space and as much time to myself as I was used to. I'm grateful that they will still be close by, but they need their own place and I need my home back plus I'll be busy sorting all my crafty stuff back in my old craft room.

Focusing on the positives helps me to cope with this weather. And this weather isn't very good for the Olympics that will be here soon.

I plan to work hard to finish at least two WIP during that time.