The days are getting longer

And I'm feeling better. I don't know how much of my low grade depression to assign to seasonal affective disorder, but I am not a happy camper in December. Anyway, welcome back, sun.

I went downtown here in Fayetteville for the Women's Rally on January 20, the one year anniversary of last year's march. It was organized by the local chapter of NOW, a diverse and interesting group of women. There were about 75 people there, including some folks from other groups. A reporter took a number of photos, and we made the paper the next day. I was very colorful in my pink pussyhat and pink tank top, and they published not one but two photos of me, one of which ran on page one of the metro section.

I have gained a lot of weight in the past couple of years, and while I can look at myself from my best angle in the mirror, in the newspaper, I got to see what others see. I'm 50 pounds overweight, and the bulk of it is around my middle, an unhealthy place to have it. So I'm back to watching what I eat. It'll take a long time to get it all off, but off it must go. The day before the March, I got the results from my bloodwork at the clinic, and my cholesterol is up, and whatever the number is they use to watch for diabetes is up (slightly) from last year. My father has adult-onset diabetes. It's nothing to mess with. I need to stop it now.

My New Year's resolution is to make more stuff. To that end, I'm planning to take more fiber arts classes. I just signed up for Shibori Dyeing in March. It'a Japanese technique of resist-dyeing to make designs. I'm going to hear a talk about it from someone else tonight at my weavers' guild meeting. I re-joined the guild in Chapel Hill, too. I have a warp on the Saori loom right now.

Recently, one of my co-workers asked me how old I was when I discovered I was creative. I said, "About 50." Here I've been, cranking out creations for the past 25 years, thinking it's not creativity because I was following a pattern. I'm claiming it these days. I have made some cool stuff. I'm looking to weave some yardage on the Saori, and make some clothes out of it.

Excelsior!