Happy 2014 and other stuff

Alright..so much for my actively and regularly updating this blog. It is now three days into the new year, 2014, and this is my first post in well over a year. I managed to skip right over 2013 entirely. To say that I was busy last year would be an understatement.

 Last year was the year that I decided to tackle one of the biggest, and longest, unfinished projects of my life. Back in the mid '70s, I started my college career pursuing a bachelor's degree in theater. After the fall term of 1978, I left college without a degree, and it has been one of the only major regrets that I have had throughout my life. So, during the fall of 2012, I decided to finally apply to, and got re-accepted at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, to finish what I started nearly 40 years ago. I began classes, completely online, in January of 2013 and I have now completed six classes, maintaining a 4.0 average. It has been a ton of work, all being done while working full time and continuing to design costumes for all of the school productions where I work. And I tried to simultaneously have a life.

 Right now I am taking a well deserved, in my opinion, winter break from classes, although they do start up again on January 21. Until then, I am trying to catch up on knitting, reading and mindless television watching. And, in my usual manner for the new year, I am trying to organize my life in some ways. I spent a good part of an afternoon organizing computer files on my school laptop. I got as far as buying a couple of plastic bins to try to manage the yarn monster that is my stash. (Once again, both myself and my yarn purchasing are on a strict diet for the foreseeable future). I have been trying to finish up a Rhinebeck sweater that is on the needles which was started in September but was obviously not finished in time to wear to this year's New York Sheep and Wool Festival this past October. I am aiming for the Knitter's Weekend which is scheduled for January 17. I think I will make it. I also have several KAL's which I have insanely signed up to do, which will probably be additional UFO's, but I am motivated to at least start them before my classes begin. I have managed to finally finish the summer reading book, Defending Jacob, only three months late. And I have only a little bit left to read in Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children which was started last spring. So, am I making progress? I think so.

 This year is going to be another crazy one, with a full plate of classes and work and a huge costume musical, Wonka, to attack by April. But hopefully, it will all work out..fingers crossed. And once again, I hope to faithfully chronicle some of it here in this blog. No one may be reading it..but that is ok. I think the act of writing it is helping me to remain accountable, and that's a good thing (sorry Martha).

 Happy New Year!