Ponderings

 

Lately I've been thinking about what brings me joy. I revisit this theme over and over throughout the year and try to tweak my days so they reflect what fills my bucket. My challenge is that I have many many things that bring me joy and trying to fit all of them into my days is nearly impossible. I keep a track of the following in my planner: knitting, journaling, sketching/watercoloring, reading and cross stitching. I'm not strict at what I do each day I just like to see how I end up allocating my time.

Anyways, when I eat well and exercise daily I feel fantastic and that brings me joy. I keep track of those activities as well as daily meditation and yoga. Good health is a top priority for have a good day.

Keeping my creative pursuits revolving in and out during my days makes for a delightful existence! Since moving here I've been managing any perceived stresses (usually self generated!). I want to sit down at the end of the day and feel like I enjoyed the day, lived it fully and explored what I wanted to do. 

I am lucky that I have the time to be creative.

I've been pondering about using up what I have in my stash. This pertains to my yarn stash, book stash and now my stationery stash. I'm challenging myself to NOT save special wool blends or pretty notebooks or pens. Let's use them up and enjoy them. We moved an entire house last July and we moved items that we deemed were valuable and necessary. I have so much yarn, unread books and yes notebooks and pens galore. Oh and for some strange reason I have special soap bars saved up - I'm using them up as well.

What am I saving them for? When is that special time that I think is coming?

So what brings you joy? What are you saving for a special time? Is it yarn? paper? candles? soap?


Comments

  1. BonnyFebruary 11, 2022 at 8:12 AM

    Moving certainly opens your eyes about just how much stuff you have! We're packing up the MD house, taking loads to Goodwill, moving stuff back to NJ, and then trying to consolidate things in NJ. I didn't save stuff in MD (it was my "minimalist" house) but I have saved far too much yarn and too many books here in NJ. It's going to take a long time to clean out once we're all moved back, but I'd like to make this a minimalist house, too (or at least less cluttered)!

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  2. AsKatKnitsFebruary 11, 2022 at 8:24 AM

    I love this thought process... and have been doing something similar myself surrounding my word... full. And you are so right... what are we saving things for? I think we saved them for right now this very moment! :)

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  3. VeraFebruary 11, 2022 at 8:46 AM

    I agree. When is that special time? It's NOW. I discovered a bunch of fancy soaps in my linen closet...some were so old that they were no longer worth keeping. And, with age, I've developed "sensitivities" to some things so I can't even use some of them. Great thought process Karen. Happy weekend!!

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  4. LeftycrafterFebruary 11, 2022 at 11:27 AM

    I whole heartily agree. I stopped saving "special" things over a year ago and it does bring me joy to use those things for myself. I like your idea of notating the items that bring you joy in your planner.

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  5. MarthaFebruary 11, 2022 at 3:36 PM

    I love this post Karen. I don't save things for a special time anymore either. Every single day we have on this earth is a special time, we should use everything and enjoy it!

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  6. sustainablemumFebruary 11, 2022 at 4:30 PM

    I loved this post. I too save things for that special day which never comes, you are so right that we should be using them as we use everything else. I hope using all those special things that you have been saving bring your joy.

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  7. CathieJFebruary 11, 2022 at 6:05 PM

    I think what I tend to save are candles. I don't know why. I could probably burn them all day and not use up what I have for over a year. I enjoyed reading this thoughtful post. Enjoy using all those special items.

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  8. affectioknitFebruary 11, 2022 at 7:55 PM

    Hi Karen,
    ...what a sweet pup!...and I'm definitely with you...use them up...I'm still trying to use up both my stash of yarn and my stash of cloth...
    ~Have a lovely day!

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  9. MonicaFebruary 12, 2022 at 10:29 AM

    Absolutely wonderful post! Definitely gave me something to ponder! Why am I saving those wonderful homemade bars of soap?! Have a blessed day

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  10. kathy bFebruary 12, 2022 at 12:46 PM

    My hubby brings me joy. He is so understanding. My cats bring me joy. I 1ove when Fezzik s1eeps with me. My knitting brings me joy. I hope I can start again tonight. My hands were shaky on a new med. Other joys: mai1ing packages to my kids, O1ympics watching brings me great joy. and bubb1e gum brings me joy 1ate1y.

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  11. StefanieFebruary 12, 2022 at 3:43 PM

    I have yarn that yearns to be used. Most are single skeins though which is probably why I don't really use them. I should marl some together in pairs if I don't have a certain weight like DK. I bet they'd make an interesting visual.

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  12. StephanieFebruary 12, 2022 at 8:10 PM

    This makes me think. I have a few special single skeins of yarn; I should look for special projects just for them and go with it. Thanks for the inspiration!

    This is something that I've been considering for a while, using up the things I have before I acquire more. I have a bunch of cross-stitch patterns and material that I've both bought (second-hand, of course!) and inherited when my grandma passed, and I'm looking forward to digging through all of that soon and finding something new to work on. I have so many books to read (going to start on one from my shelves soon!). It's incredible, the stashes we build up, instead of focusing on the act of creation. :)

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  13. JaneFebruary 12, 2022 at 9:43 PM

    You offer some good food for thought. Interestingly my sister and I had a similar conversation on Friday. She said she had decided to just wear a shawl I had made her because she loved it. At first she was going to save it for special occasions but then decided she should wear it whenever she wanted and that certainly brought me joy. I happened to be wearing a pair of beautiful socks she knit for me and it was the same thing. I looked at them last month and thought why am I saving these for later. I try to be good about working from yarn stash but now and then I think I need a new skein of yarn.

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  14. MicaFebruary 13, 2022 at 5:36 AM

    I'm guilty of "saving" things for special occasions too - I really need to wear them more often and just enjoy them! I do it a lot with candles - I try rotate through all my scented candles so they last longer but it means I just have a shelf overflowing with partially burned candles, haha!

    Hope you're having a great weekend. I spent a lot of time this weekend at playgrounds with the kids! :)

    Away From The Blue

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