Month in Review

Well, a month has come and gone--and I am knitting again!


Woo-hoo!  

My Dr. Who Scarf is calling my name!  Yipee!

After resting it for a month, my wrist seems to be as good as new.  I am still taking it easy, of course, but I have been doing some exercises and everything seems to be working properly.  Hurrah!


Still, I am a bit thankful (in hindsight) for my break from knitting.  


There are things that I have done this past month that I would not have done,  probably, if I spent all of my time working on my yarn-crafts.  And this leads me to...




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What I Have Been Doing This Month:
Four Things That Do Not Involve Yarn


1.  Learning How to Program


My husband is a computer programmer.  It's not just what he does for a living--he loves computers, he loves programming, he loves tackling problems and solving them logically.  He started using a computer when he was 2, wrote his first program before he was 10.  Although he would argue with me, I think he's a genius.


So, this month?  He's been teaching me how to program in a language called Clojure.  (It's a dialect of LISP.)  


It's been an adventure, certainly.  I have a degree in Anthropology and Humanities--not computer science.  It's been fun to learn, though--seeing the creativity in tackling problems, the elegance in well-written code.  I'm actually enjoying myself.


And, I am proud to present:

Those highlighted lines?  That's code that I wrote.  Seriously!

Oh, look!  Here it is again!
Yes, it's the same code as above.  :D

That's right!  I've written Clojure code!  What's more--I know what it means, and I could do it again.   Will wonders ever cease!?




2.  Sewing


For the first time in years, I have set up my sewing machine.  How wonderful it was to find that I still remembered how to thread it, how to change the bobbin, how to adjust the stitches.  It was like running into an old friend.


Of course, I had forgotten just how much sewing is a test in patience.  I was hoping to show pictures of what I have been working on, but there have been a few setbacks.  (My ironing board broke--had to get a new on.  My sewing machine needle broke--had to get a new one. I couldn't find my seam ripper--had to get a new one.  Sensing a trend?)


So, here--have another shot of my fabric!

Such bright and happy colors!

I am also hoping to make a skirt out of a pair of my old, well-loved jeans.  I have cut them up into squares, and picked out some matching fabrics...  I'm making up the pattern, so we'll see how it goes!  

I absolutely love that blue map fabric!

3.  Baking Banana Bread


My grandmother was famous for her banana bread.  How famous?  Well, while she was living in Japan, she made it for the Emperor's brother.  That kind of famous.


So, I have been following in her shoes, and making banana bread.

Sorry for the dim photos...  the lighting in my kitchen is not
conducive to photography.

Two loaves, about to be baked.

Two loaves, fresh from the oven.

The same two loaves, ready to eat!

I must say that it is quite nice to have banana bread as a reward for Clojure code well written, or a seam well sewn!

4.  Doing Nothing

I have a hard time sitting still.  For some reason, I always think that I have to be doing something productive, whether it be cleaning or baking or knitting.  I manage to take tasks that I enjoy doing, and turning them into chores.  


This past month has shown me that if I'm not doing something, I get antsy and stressed--and I feel like I'm letting people down.  I find too much self-worth in being productive, defining myself by what I do instead of who I am.


And so, this month I have been taking time out of my day to relax... time to do nothing.

I find it much easier to do nothing when I am
surrounded by trees.

I have been reading, I have been watching Mythbusters, I have been watching my husband play video games, I have been doodling, I have stared out the window while my mind wanders.


Of all the things that I have been doing this month, this has been by far the most difficult.  And it also has been the most rewarding.  


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This world puts a lot of emphasis on productivity and being "perfect"...  Do you have things that you like to do to unwind and let your mind wander?