It was a really cold week. We are finally getting up in to the double digits and able to get out and clear the snow. I slipped a little and twisted my knee on the extra icy , sub zero snow while getting into my car. This week has been bleak, cold and very non productive.

What I have noticed is that this month I have been very low energy. Not a lot of creative daily moments but a few bursts of it on days off from work. I have been long arming and not even any crochet this week. I have been spending a lot of time writing. I realize that is creative and “should count.” I have felt the need to do more writing. Maybe you will see me blog more. I have had questions about the value of social media and want to move to spending more time writing here on the blog this year.

While I was icing my knee, I realized that I have worked my butt off this month at my day job and that is why my battery is low. In addition, it has been super cold and low sunlight. I have taken more time to rest, snuggle under quilts, watch football and show. I have done other self-care things like really fussing with my plants so they stay warm, watered, humidity is correct and dusting their leaves. I have a most dramatic Calathea that will fuss if any of that is off by curling the leaves, drooping and occasionally looking like it will die. It is happier now and all freshened up with the extra heat and attention. Since moving the plants to my enclosed porch with a grow light, heat source and humidity monitoring they are flourishing even in the middle of winter. I normally lose several plants over winter. Not this year!

One thing I need to do this weekend is go to the thrift store to get a button up shirt for a tote bag project at quilt guild this month. I have 6 weeks to long arm two of my black, white and a touch of color quilts to hang in the library for quilt month. I am feeling the pressure of the time crunch. That is a creative squashing thing for me, too.

I have decided to try to do a different craft to get the brain sparking in the creative process. I want to make these little rooting jars I saw on Facebook. Easy to make, just need the supplies! I watched a video on wire bending and I think I can do it!

I also got my quilt along blocks finished on time! You can see the blocks and read all about it here!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vicki Holloway (@vickilholloway)

Lastly, I had to dig into my emergency coffee. I ran out of my beloved Tim Horton’s coffee. I purchased a bag of inexpensive coffee at Menard’s to try. I saved it for an emergency. I had to order some Tim’s coffee on Amazon and I ran out. The Menards coffee just didn’t cut it for me. It’s not strong enough and I had headaches, plus I had to use so much coffee to brew a cup it didn’t save any money. So I had a celebration yesterday afternoon, My Timmy’s arrived and I brewed a real cup of coffee. Now I am worried about the cost going up if this coffee falls under increased tariffs for Canadian imports. Sigh a conversation I don’t want to get into here.

So my beloved Tim Horton’s coffee is finished pressing and ready to drink. I am going to get long arming this weekend. The weather is supposed to be warmer and make a run to the thrift and craft store for some spark to my very dull and uncreative brain at this moment in time.

Be Creative!

Vicki