Declutter day 8/??

Had a bit of a realisation this morning, which is that my hobbies have gotten completely out of hand. Extra money and extra time with the girls getting older has meant that I am able to hoard crafting supplies and I have gotten into the habit of busying myself with making something, usually crochet, at every available moment. I think one of the biggest reasons for this is also that we no longer have a large garden that takes a lot of my time in the day, and a lot of thinking and planning at other times. Although it sounds like a positive thing in some ways, being busy with crafts, I don't think it is because it has led me to be so much more sedentary. It has also led me to be buying and producing more Things, not all of which I need. It has given me more to think about, and apart from being a distraction and times of enormous stress, which I am glad for, I think it is more of a taker in some ways. It takes my time and resources. I'm not sure what to do about this because I need to find something, or several things to exchange it for. Exercise is an obvious one, which I both need more of and enjoy, but for the last couple of years, or since lockdown derailed my life really, I have found it difficult to find routine and structure in my days. 

I think having a really serious cull of my craft and art supplies and thinking about how I actually want to use my time on earth is going to be a good start. I don't look back on the year of evenings I spent making jumpers with much satisfaction. I go to a knitting group on a Wednesday evening which I really enjoy and will keep up with. Perhaps what I need to do is limit my crafting to that evening and perhaps one other in the house. Or just picking it up for 10-15 minutes as and when rather than sitting down in the evening with my crochet, and not moving until bed time. 

My mind keeps returning to those first few months in Cwmgors when we owned our own home for the first time. We really didn't have very much money at all, things were hard, but it was a new start and a time of so much freedom and trying new things, and becoming this whole new person really, someone who lived in the countryside and had Skills. And I got to have so many skills and life was so rich. Since moving life has become rich in different ways, ways that Cwmgors could not provide, but this part of my life, the essence of what I am, who I am, and what I do when I am not busy, that has gotten a bit lost. Something to think on I think. 

IN:

- Ordered kitchen timer. Could do with one for the kitchen anyway, and a couple people now have recommended I get one to help me with time management while I am in this dreadful depression

OUT:

- Big lagenlook-type blouse (Didn't wear this winter)

- Purple winter dress (didn't wear this winter)

- Summery trousers (don't wear trousers)

- Tunic thing (sleeveless)

- Homemade trousers (don't wear trousers)

- Jersey wrap-around dress (too short)

- Summery cover-up thing (I had two, you only need one)

- Lovely green summery dress (too big)

- Knife sharpener

Dropped of 5 bin bags of clothes etc at the recycling centre today. Feel lilke the house is already starting to look a bit emptier. It's taking a lot of my spare time sorting out like this but it will be so worth it and will save so much time for future me.