Looking On The Backside Of 2011

“Don’t let the door hit your backside on the way out.”

If I could say that to 2011 I would.  This has been a “memorable” year and I don’t mean that in a good way.  Actually the last two years have been less than good.  I want to change that in 2012.  Some of it was waaay out of my control.  I lost two good, highly trained dogs to cancer, lost my job, and generally didn’t do much.  But I did get a new job, finished a couple projects and went to Stringtopia.

I’ve also planned some goals for 2012.  These are how I posted them on Ravelry:

1. Weave more. My looms have been too silent.
2. Knit more. Make more time for knitting.
3. Spin more. I havn’t felt much like spinning. Even when I was laid off, I did pathetically little spinning. Time to figure out why I’ve been so apathetic (other than depression).
4. Train more. Not just the dogs (who need it) but also others. I’ve been too silent with offering advice and observations.
5. Live more. I have a marker that shows how depressed I am. I realize now when I start playing solitaire, I’m sinking into depression. It usually starts with boredom. Seriously, there is a lot I can do to keep busy, but it’s easier to play solitaire sometimes.

How do I know if I’m reaching these goals? Well, I have to keep track and that’s something I actually LIKE doing. I love dates and spread sheets and paper binders. Statistics I consider a friend, not an enemy. I don’t have much of a baseline for the weaving and spinning, and offering advice, but I do for the dog training.

Speaking of dog training, we also have a new addition to the herding crew.

Meet Emsket’s Diamond In The Ruff aka Shiloh.  A dog rescued from neglect only to have that family have to give him up due to his fear of the children.  He’s still very much here on a trial basis.  He has a lot to learn to live in a household with other dogs.  We are happy to have another Aussie in the house, but not happy about some of his behaviors.

But for the most part he is a perfectly normal Australian Shepherd down to helping me geocache.  What’s that on his head?  It’s a head collar called a Gentle Leader and I’m using it because he pulls like a mule on lead.

I’m also learning to make cheese.  Yes I said cheese.

This is my first Gouda I made.  It’s now in the fridge aging.  It takes 3 months from when I make it to when I can actually try it.

This looks a bit fuzzy because it is a bit fuzzy.  It’s Camembert ripening.  It’s a mold ripened cheese and I hope it will be ready soon.

Tonight I will welcome in the New Year with open arms.  Come on 2012 and please don’t suck!

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