I was fiddling around this morning, checking stats in my blog, when I found out that yesterday marked 4 years to the day from when I published my first blog post. It was quite short, the bulk of it is below, and I thought I’d share it with you so that I can admit to what I have – and have not – accomplished in that time.

“As I now must admit I’ve passed one milestone in my life and have a nodding acquaintance with middle age, and am approaching another as I near completion of my studies in graduate school – finally! – it’s time to start doing some of the things that I’ve either said I would, or have envied others for doing. Improve my photography skills enough to win local awards, and perhaps be published; not miss sending anyone a birthday card all year long (no, really!); start my novel; write a blog (thank you Diane Henders, for a little push, and a lot of inspiration.)“

I was pretty ambitious when I started this, and was sure that blog writing would inspire me to get off the dime and get my novel written, but as it does, life got in the way. Since that first post I’ve had hip surgery, changed jobs, lost my job and started a new one, lost a family member, taken up old hobbies and started some new ones. What I haven’t done is written my novel or won any photography awards. But maybe that’s ok, because I’m having fun, and finding inspiration in the world around me.

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I’ve started quilting again, and even took on a part-time job in a quilt fabric shop last fall. Right now, I’m scrambling to finish up a quilt for “Quilts of Honor”, which is an organization that collects quilts with patriotic themes, which are then donated to veterans who’ve been wounded while on active duty. Specifically, the group I’m working with has requested ours go to women vets this year, and they will be given on Veteran’s Day this fall. Here is the top of my quilt, and I’m hoping that by the end of this week I’ll have it all stitched with the batting and back so I can get to the binding.

I’ve also been knitting a lot and have found I really enjoy making socks! If you’d have asked me when I first started knitting again (I first learned in high school) I would have told you I probably would like larger needles and thicker yarn better, but I’m finding for some reason that I do enjoy making socks on small, circular needles. Maybe it’s because it’s a small number of stitches, and seems to go fast.

I also took up rock painting over the past few years, which I really enjoy. We found no shortage of rocks in the dirt in our yard as we mucked about with planting new shrubs and plants, and when we found some that were suitable for painting (i.e. smooth surface, interesting shape and a large enough surface), we’d set them aside (and by we I really mean my husband who did most of the digging!) and then washed ’em up. Now I have a lovely free collection, along with no shortage of ideas thanks to Pinterest.

I’m still not so hot on sending out birthday cards, so if you’re waiting for one from me, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you could be in for a letdown. I do try, really, but apparently my brain is just not wired for it. Consider yourself really lucky if I remember to send you an email. At least I’m not sending you a rock!