No more resolutions

OK,  I made a couple of very simple resolutions--the main one was the one I thought would be easiest to keep. I was going to stitch five minutes a day.

HA!

Then I blew out my elbow, and for the last month, I haven't stitched at all. I've iced my elbow, and rested my elbow, and said mean things about my elbow letting me down, but I haven't bent it with a threaded needle in the hand attached to the arm that contains the elbow. For a month. A solid month.

I have also done some physical therapy. And that's where I lucked out.

My therapist's mother is a crazy quilter.

I should rephrase that.

My therapist's mother makes crazy quilts.

So my therapist understands that we stitchers can become obsessed with working on a project, and that we get involved in all-day stitching sessions, and that we will attempt to work through pain if it means we get to whatever goal we've set for ourselves.

She has given me exercises to help stretch and strengthen my arm--basically I wave my arms in the air--and tips to help avoid damage--and told me to take a couple of OTC anti-inflammatories when I "go into one of those all-day trances when you're working on a project and can't even remember to eat or go to the bathroom."

Her words.

In my world, that's Sunday. Or Saturday. Or a holiday. Or vacation day. Or any day I'm not at work or dealing with other obligations.

But, oh happy day, after the last session, she said I could go back to stitching!!  I have to be careful, but I can stitch again!!!

So this is what I'm working on at the moment:

This is Tricia's Spot Sampler. I took the f2f class from Tricia Nguyen about ten years ago at one of Jeannine's seminars. I was pilot stitching for a very prolific designer at the time, and had to lay it aside after the class. Then several years later, Tricia offered this and several other projects as part of her online goldwork class, and I took that, too. So I have two samplers, two pincushions, and a set of smalls from that class in the stash.

While I couldn't stitch, I thought I'd Marie Kondo my stash room. The problem is that everything I touched (except a mug with a plastic Aida insert that could be cross stitched--what WAS I thinking?) sparked varying levels of joy.  It was also like jumping into the Wayback Machine with Sherman and Mr. Peabody--I kept finding fascinating projects to stitch. This sampler kept calling my name, then I found all the other projects that were covered in the class, and the notebook with the information, and the next thing I knew I had pulled them all out and brought them downstairs.

And now I have them all lined up to work on. In fact, they're going to Williamsburg with me next week, since I'm attending a retreat there, starting Monday. I'm also taking Jackie du Plessis' Tsubaki, which also sparks joy. And maybe a few other things.

After all, I have a whole month of non-stitching to make up for.

Carefully and slowly with frequent breaks so I never have to go through this again.