The New Year Is Upon Us

I know, I know--we all make resolutions each new year and we mostly mean to keep them. Every year I am convinced that I will actually be organized enough to start on Christmas present making and shopping around January 5th and my good intentions maybe last three weeks or so--until life just happens and all of those good intentions fly out to the great beyond.
Dare I say that this year will be different? I sure hope so because I'm running out of opportunities here. BUT, this year my resolutions are going to be somewhat different. With the economy the way it is, many of us have been forced to rethink what we have and how we use the things that we do have. I don't think that I'm alone in being guilty of purchasing somewhat expensive "toys" and then putting them aside for some nebulous time in the future when events in our lives won't be quite so busy.
So, I've been thinking--a lot--about what "toys" I have and just when I'm going to get around to using them. Most of my under-used things center around the computer and, thus, I have chosen that area to concentrate on this year. I bought the Viking Embroidery software almost 2 years ago and got frustrated with it right away--mostly because it was so different from the Bernina software I had used. I haven't used it any more until this Christmas and now I have made a real commitment to become proficient with it--which means that I will pretend that I do not own the Bernina software and thus will not use it as a safety mat when I want to do something easily and quickly. I've also signed up for classes to help me improve.
Along with learning the embroidery software, I will also be spending time with my unused Corel Draw software and the new version of Photoshop Elements. I've been producing my own quilting patterns for a while now and these two programs will make them a better product. (I'm getting ready to do a pattern on quilted mirrors!) And, hopefully, by the time Christmas 2009 rolls around I'll have learned a lot--including more discipline in carrying out my resolutions.
So, wish me well on my new resolutions and I'll certainly do the same for you.
One last bit for 2008. I opened my mail box the other day and looked down into the drawer and saw my quilt looking up at me. I knew this was coming, but all the same, it took me by surprise. What an honor to have my quilt, Magical Thinking, on the back cover of the NQA Quilt Journal.