Busy Beaver

 

While the beaver is not unique to Canada, it has come to represent Canada in a number of ways.  

"Busy as a beaver" is a well known phrase I heard frequently throughout my youth in part because if you know anything about these busy rodents, you know they work steadily to keep their homes secure.

This morning we woke to smoke again (still!), which is slowly getting worse.  The desire to hunker down and not leave the house is at odds with the fact I really should go to town and do a few errands.  But it's also Friday, the local mall I prefer is currently under siege from a huge flock of gulls as their fledglings learn to fly, but can't quite get off the ground and their parents try to protect their babies from the metal monsters prowling the parking lot.

Trying to decide if I really do need to go there or if I can stay home, inside, with the air filter on high.

And the books.  The books are in town.  Not sure if they will get delivered today, but they might still make it onto a truck and come this afternoon.

That means I really do need to start writing up the mailing labels.  I ordered more padded envelopes last night because it occurred to me I don't have enough!  They will arrive Tuesday.  I have enough to begin shipping books - just as soon as I can get them signed and packaged up.

There are also things that I've promised to do for the local guild, first and foremost replace the aprons on the rest of the guild floor looms.  I expect I will get to those next Wednesday when I meet with the vice-chair about refurbishing the big old Leclerc that sadly needs work to get it back up and running.  Once we get the first four shafts weaving, we'll look at installing the other 8 and then the guild will (might?) have a 12 shaft loom for members to use.

I have an eager student wanting to dress her rented guild loom (yay!) but wants some 'adult' supervision while she works through the process after a hiatus.

I have agreed to teach a 'beyond beginner' workshop, called Mug Rugs and More.  I'm thinking that since I have to re-edit the drafts for that workshop I should do it with an eye to perhaps publishing the drafts on my ko-fi shop for my subscription members.

And then, who knows, I could maybe build on those?  

In the meantime, the yarn I ordered from Brassard should be here in about 10 days, while I still have enough yarn for two more white warps.  And right now with the smoke, the heat and the general malaise, I'm lucky if I manage one towel a day.  :(

Since I only have so many spoons in a day (and the number is variable, depending on my pain level) I try to use up every spoon available.  Because I never know if tomorrow there will be more - or fewer.

When my expectations of productivity are simply unrealistic, I have to learn to adjust my expectation to meet my supply of energy and stay in gratitude for what I *did* do, not beat myself up because of what I *didn't* get done.

A hard lesson, but necessary, in order to keep going.