i’ll be honest, i’m not coming back to flat hill farms feeling as refreshed as i’d hoped after a week off. i’m still dancing the fine line between being overwhelmed and pleased at what i’m accomplishing…and it is a very fine line.

but i found that over this past week instead of sitting down each afternoon and planning out the next day’s entry, i was instead doing stuff. stuff i liked, no less.

i actually knocked off some things on my christmas list. trying to give handmade (or at least local) gifts seems like such a do-able option in october…but once november starts flying by, well, that’s when i start to panic. but the fact that i’ve gotten one or two things accomplished thanks to a blog break is a happy spot in my heart.

i also picked up my knitting needles for the first time in a very, very long time. and i was happy to discover that it’s really like riding a bike after all-it took me a bit to find the rhytm of it, but once i did, i realized my fingers had never forgotten it.

and, of course, i’ve been working on meatbagz. this saturday we’re going to a local craft show, we were selected to be in poppytalk handmade’s holiday show which also starts this weekend, and we just got a request for more bagz from a local art gallery who has been selling them on consigment. and what does the shutter have to do with it? well, that’s our latest display-i’m making some folding screens out of them to hang our bagz on.

so, here’s the thing: i’ve really enjoyed having some extra time in my life, so i’ve decided that i’m going to release myself from the self-imposed quota of posting 5 times a week…for the time being. i’ll still be posting, probably 2 or 3 times a week, it just won’t be as regularly scheduled. and i’ll still be taking a gazillion photographs (approx. number) so everything will filter through eventually, it will just take a little more time to reach the huddled masses (ie, you).

but please don’t desert me, and stop in every now and again to visit. i’ll be back in the saddle again soon, i think, but right now…right now i’m going to have  a cup of tea, go work on some meatbagz, and i’ll come back later.

this last week has been killer. i’ve spend more time in more doctors’ offices than i care to, and while this week includes less of that, it still includes some. i’ve got a crazy school schedule to deal with this month with random days off, early dismissals, teacher conferences, not to mention keeping the house somewhat sane and preparing for thanksgiving. oh, and did i mention we’ve got a craft fair to get ready for? yep.  and a virtual one too (although that at least takes less setting up of displays).

in short, i’m burnt out.

so, i’ve decided that this week i’m going to take a little break, and hopefully come back next week refreshed and, even more importantly, sane.

hey, stranger things have happened. so wish me luck.

it’s been an unusual week. what with the sickness, numerous doctors’ appointments, visitors from out of town, and an overall crazy schedule, we haven’t had a single meatbagz meeting this week.

heaven help us.

and aside from serious tea withdrawl, it’s been frustrating since the shop has been inexplicably quiet. but no worries, we’ve still got a lot in the wings.

we’ve got a lot of our new holiday designs DONE, both on bagz and on kitchen towels, which is exciting since we have a craft show fast approaching. and whatever doesn’t sell at the show will be appearing in the shop immediately thereafter, so we’ve got what we like to call a “back up plan”.

inventive, we know.

in preparation for said craft show we have a couple of projects to take care of for our new display ideas…and while i’ve done the majority of the prep work for them, i’m missing a few key ingredients before i finish them. and i’ll tell you more about them when i do.

but in the meantime, i’m feeling restless without my weekly meetings. we need to jump start the shop, damn it, and make a few sales. and if people don’t like our new bagz (and they’d better!), i guess it will make my gift giving that much easier…

everyone will get one of these guys.

white chocolate and cranberry scones. tara, i’m not sure if i should thank you or curse you for passing this recipe on, but darn it…i’m in love.

november is national novel writing month. every year, the folks over at nanowrimo sponsor a program to challenge people to sign up and write a novel this month.

crazy?

yes.

but also fun.

william and i both did it a couple of years ago, everyone in the family promptly got sick, and i dropped out before completing the challenge of 50,000 words.

so this year i’m trying again. will i make it? very probably not, but no matter what, i’m going to try-and have fun doing it.

so if you feel like you’re up for a challenge, check out the site and sign up. it’s not too late to start! and if you don’t quite make the goal, don’t worry-you’re in good company (aka me).