I am home again after a fabulous weekend at the Beach celebrating my 50^th birthday with my family.  A great time was had by all!  We ate, drank, laughed, danced, played on the beach and climbed on the rocks – then ate, drank, and laughed some more.

I came home with delightful birthday gifts – including 7 books that I had requested.  I seem to have bought 2 more books at one of our favorite little bookshops in Newport.  And just before we left, I received 3 books that I had ordered from amazon.com.  Tomorrow, I fully intend to order one more book.

And you thought I only stashed yarn!

I have always been an avid reader (absolutely voracious in my youth!).  And I have always been one of those “keep a book handy in case you have a few minutes” kind of readers.   In recent years, however, I have been reading less – as I have been knitting more (and as I tend to keep knitting, rather than books, at hand).  I always have a book going, but it takes me a long time to get through any book because I really do not spend much time reading each day.

So, as I neatly stacked my new books next to the old books in the bookcase I devote to “books I have not read yet,” I decided that, good heavens, I could make time for reading in my life.  Surely, I can read for 30-45 minutes a day.  I mean, actually sitting down for a long chunk of time specifically to read.  Like a civilized person.  I bet I could double or triple the number of books I read in a year by doing so.

So, now I am writing “Read” on my daily to-do list — right up there with “Shower” and “Check Email” and “Knit.”

And “Knit” reminds me of the second Resolution I have made as I embark on this new decade.  I have decided to knit the projects I have going, to knit the projects I have been planning to knit, to knit the yarn I have.  (I have to give Sarah some credit for this particular Resolution – it was her idea, even though she is not embarking on a new decade until next year). 

Any project I choose to pursue is worth the time it takes to knit it.  Really and truly.  And it will take as much time as it takes.  Honestly, it will. I think I am ready to accept these two points and take them to heart.  Which means letting myself finish projects – without feeling compelled to jump into something else “because I should have been done with it by now and should be moving along to something new.” 

Of course, the best way to carry out this philosophy is to finish what is at hand before starting something new.  And the best way to finish what is at hand is to work on it consistently.  And the best way to keep at it is to make progress.  So, perhaps I need to make knitting time a higher priority – as in actually sitting down for a long chunk of time specifically to knit.  Like a civilized person.

Soooo, I guess I will be spending more time reading and more time knitting (sounds good!) and less time….hmmm…well, I may have to ponder that out.  I think I will just start sitting down to read and sitting down to knit regularly – and surely whatever else I would have done during that time will not get done (without my having to ponder it out!) and maybe I won’t even miss it!