So, Enough with Winter, Already!

Here it is, February 4, and we're expecting another 1-2 inches of snow today. The temperature is in the low 20's and it has been overcast for days. I have no motivation to do anything, whatsoever. These mid-winter blahs are just getting me down.

Not that I don't have some creative ideas. I do. It's just that the weather is causing me pain in my hands and it's hard to force myself to work when they hurt so much. I've got pain medicine that helps, but it's so strong that I end up in a fuzzy state for most of the day. (Case in point, I took a pill about 30 minutes ago and it's starting to kick in. I'm trying to finish this entry and my breakfast before the fogginess kicks in.) Fuzzy states are not really conducive to being productive.

And I really have some great things that I want to work on. I took one of my "jelly rolls" of Moda fabric (a wonderful group of colors called "Allspice Tapestry") and have designed a simple, but unique, quilt top. The first step of the process is sewing four strips together before cutting them into blocks. I have the fabrics all sorted and put into groups, but I have only managed to get one group sewn together so far. I'm going to try to get the other nine finished today, then I can iron the seam allowances and cut the blocks and arrange them. The pattern is a simple "Warm Wishes" type with a slight design change and, if I wasn't feeling so blah, I probably could have had it finished in a day. But here I am, a week later, and no closer to being finished than I was the day I started it. UGH!

I've also laid out the designs for a couple of wedding jewelry sets. I know that I have all of the materials that I need to make them, but every time I think about starting them, I rub my hands and think of what all that fine workmanship will do to the pain level in them. So, there sit the idea layouts, just waiting for me to get to the motivation to actually make them.

I've also started thinking about what I want to enter into this year's county fair. It's only five months away, so I need to get started on those projects now in order to have them done in time. And while I'm pretty sure about what I want to make, I just haven't been able to make myself get started. Knowing me, though, I won't really get into production on those items until May, which means that I'll have to work like a demon to get everthing ready before the deadline. Ah, well.

Like I said, I've just got those mid-winter blues and I sure wish the sun would show up soon. Even opening the living room blinds doesn't make it any brighter in the house. It just let's me see just how miserable it is outside. SIGH! I really hate winter.