when there are nine

Weekly Roundup – Week 2

Welcome back! The plan I think is to cover both what was accomplished last week and set up goals for this week (what a delightful way of doing things). I’m continuing to daily track in my planner (Quilter’s Planner – I love this thing, highly recommend, not an affiliate link) and while I missed Tuesday’s daily tracking because I was out of the house for most of the day, sitting down early Wednesday allowed me to write down what I accomplished at the very least. So, here goes!

Last week’s planner spread

Goals:

Career/Life:
I found another job and applied for it on Wednesday! I’m going to keep looking, but I feel mostly okay about it, mainly because they’re looking for someone bilingual which gave me the opportunity to submit my resume in German and the writing in English.
As far as blogging goes, obviously I continue to be on track. M is looking at redesigning my site, which would be a big win for us both – something he can use in his portfolio, and a facelift here. Stay tuned, if it happens, it will be an interesting shift I think.
This week: I need to apply for another job. I’ve started looking at new themes for the blog – my job is content and design, his job is making it happen. This feels like a bit of a long burn, but we’ll see.

Sewing: I needed last week to finish one cow and baste one quilt, and if I did both of those I was allowed to cut out a new one. Well, not only did I finish one cow and baste one quilt, but I quilted that one and bound it off yesterday. It’s hang drying now and I’m REALLY happy with it. It’ll be off to its new home this week!

I finished up the fourth cow in the nine cow series, and she was in honor of Justice Sonia Sotomayor. I’ve continued to worry a bit about how this might be interpreted, but the reality is that they are meant to honor and not mock. So far, we have cows honoring Florence K. Murray, Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and now Sonia Sotomayor. I have 5 more to go and we’re starting to get to the point where I can start assembling rows. I’m excited to see how this quilt turns out!

The quilt I finished this week was a retirement gift for a former boss and friend. I used the pattern “Homecoming” by Lo & Behold Stitchery and checked out the hashtag on Instagram for some palette inspiration. I chose a teal, yellow, and grey palette because I wanted something reminiscent of the organization where we both worked without being blatantly those colors (they will forever remind me of middle school, and pass). The effect was absolutely perfect. I quilted it myself on my Bernina 570QE (aka Bettie) using straight lines. The long sections are quilted at 0.25″, 1.25″, and 2.25″, the offset sections are quilted at 0.125″, 1″, 1.625″, and 2.375″. The corners are echo quilted triangles at 0.5″ intervals, and the two tiny grey sections have offset 0.5″ lines and 0.5″ echo quilted squares. I think this might be the first time I’ve actually sat down with a ruler to mark quilting lines and while it still wasn’t perfect, it came pretty close! I do anticipate that I’ll be marking lines for quilting more often, and I am definitely hoping to break out my Bernina Stitch Regulator at some point soon to practice, since I think the cows might get more of that one!

Homecoming quilt – ready to baste!

This week: I’ve cut out a Grow quilt (pattern from Suzy Quilts) and am hoping to get at least the blocks pieced. I am working on cow number 6, and I am planning on doing the backing and basting of another quilt – the Knitted Star I finished in December. The little one it is for is due in a couple weeks, so it would be nice to get it out soon!

Reading:
Ahead of schedule! Depending on how well I stick to this goal, it may have to turn into its own post. I have a page dedicated specifically now to a quick update of rating each book and where you can pick up a copy. Note that I don’t have affiliate links, and I’m going to try to stick to independent bookshops for links.
I finished “The Alienist” by Caleb Carr on Tuesday and I highly recommend. I found it extremely gripping and surprisingly not as graphic as the show (was it a TNT show?). If you love a psychological thriller, this is a book for you, and apparently it’s a series, but I haven’t picked up any of the other ones.
Thursday’s finish was “Step Aside for Royalty” by Eileen Parker. Another recommend – I was correct that it was going to be a quick nonfiction read. This is a memoir from the wife of HRH Prince Phillip’s private secretary (Mike Parker) and goes up to about the conclusion of the Princess Margaret-Peter Townsend affair. It’s notable that most of the scandals from The Crown are absent here, but there is significant detail about other pieces of royal life that surprised me. Overall a good, light read and worth the few hours to get through it if the British royal family is something that interests you.
This week: I’m reading “Mr. Murder” by Dean Koontz. I’m enjoying it – it is unsettling in a good way!

Exercise:
Mostly on track! Monday: 30 min power zone ride, Tuesday: 10 min restorative yoga, Wednesday: 45 min power zone ride, Thursday: 30 min power zone ride, Friday: Stretch, Saturday: nothing, Sunday: 45 min power zone ride.
This week: Week 3 of Discover Your Power Zones program. I also want to maybe try to run one day.

Non-Goal Things:

M came home Thursday afternoon sicker than I’ve seen him since his second dose of Pfizer. And possibly actually sicker than that. He stayed home Friday and was starting to feel significantly better Saturday, so we ran out to the bakery and did a couple errands before coming back home with a paper for me. By Saturday afternoon I was starting to feel sick (mainly dizzy, but also queasy) and there is the reason I missed a workout. Fortunately, it did not turn into whatever he had but it still knocked me out Saturday afternoon and evening.

Because he’d been sick, we skipped fun dinner this past weekend and are hoping to pick it up this coming weekend. We’re planning on a cheese ravioli with a fancy meat sauce, so we’ll swing through the farmer’s market and the Markthalle this week to get the good stuff for it!

We’re also working on finalizing details for our trip to Dubai next month. We have our flights, we’re looking for a hotel, and then we need to finalize our plans for what we want to do and when. We’re not super structured on vacation, but when you travel with celiac, you do have to do some significant planning ahead for meals. We are hopeful that the…more well off clientele in Dubai means that I’ll be able to get good food, but we’ll see. Fingers crossed this isn’t a France situation.

Once we get home from Dubai, we’re hoping to get a pup and then plan a trip to Italy in March with said pup. I’m going to apologize now for the absolutely ridiculous amount that the pup will likely feature in photos once we get one. He’s going to be adorable.

Weekly Roundup

Welcome to the first week of my new attempt, and our first run at format. I’m not going to lie to you, this might be rough. As I mentioned, this whole daily/weekly writing thing does not come naturally for me. I’m hoping beyond hope that by scheduling my posts, by forcing myself to write out a daily to-do list in my planner (I’m using the Quilter’s Planner) and by forcing myself to look at that EVERY DAY, I can improve. Here’s hoping it works, and it lasts.

Goals:

Career/Life:
This week, we’re focusing on job search. I submitted an application last week and heard back that they’ve received it and will be in touch. As much as I hate cover letters in English, cover letters in German are worse. I know they’re important but they are not a good example of my professional writing ability. Hoping to find at least one more job and apply to it.

Sewing:
I’m working on cow #4 for “When There Are Nine.” I’m also planning on basting 1-2 quilts this week – a Homecoming and a Knitted Star. If I can do all of this, I’ll cut out a Grow quilt.

Reading:
Currently reading “The Alienist” by Caleb Carr. This is definitely better than the television show. Highly recommend. I’m about halfway through, and I think my next one is a quick nonfiction read – “Step Aside for Royalty” by Eileen Parker.

Exercise:
Currently working through the second week of Peloton’s “Discover Your Power Zones” program. Woof. I missed a workout last week (I made it up) because I wasn’t feeling great, which means I had to quickly cram the last 3 workouts in rather than getting a day off between. I had hoped for some low impact/fun non-program rides this week, but I think given the way my legs are burning, I’m going to stick with some barre and dance cardio on my off days. Challenge progress (to bronze): 10 miles running, 28.2 miles on the bike, 7 days, 4 strength workouts. Winter launch challenge on track, Annual challenge is 885 min to my first milestone.

Non-Goal Things:

Last week, M and I decided that we need to go back to cooking together. We used to make a point of at least once a week finding a fun recipe and turning it into us time. It’s not really a date night, but it’s fun. Sunday we made a poached salmon with rice wine butter sauce and rice pilaf from Alex Guarnascelli’s book “Cook with Me.” The book was a gift for M from me for Christmas last year (2020), and I regret that we haven’t used it as much as we hoped. I think in our defense, between the wedding and the move everything fell by the wayside.

We’ve found a great butcher and a great fishmonger here, and we’re finally ready to resurrect the weekly cooking time. Sunday was our first run, and M picked the recipe. It’s my turn this week (I guess I need to start taking pictures of what we turn out with), and as much as I’m craving a whole fish recipe I think we’re going to go with a pasta. Maybe a make-our-own pasta night. Maybe ravioli? Something to look into!

Yesterday I also managed to call for a new prescription, which turned into an impromptu doctor’s appointment. Apparently it is standard procedure here to take blood and run an EKG? Well, the blood freaked me out. I was not prepared for it, I was dehydrated (having gone pretty much straight post workout) and hadn’t eaten, and I was by myself. Basically, it should have been the perfect storm for a fainting episode. Except I didn’t pass out! The lovely nurse was gentle, she was sweet, and even without talking to me and also needing to switch arms, I ended up being okay. So I guess I have a new doctor! Here’s hoping for continued progress on all fronts this week.

New Year, New Goals

The new year always makes me a little hopeful. I mean, how could it not? 365 fresh days to get off my bullshit and be better. That’s never how it ACTUALLY works, but it’s worth a try. So, what are this year’s goals? Maybe putting them out into the ether will help me actually stay on new bullshit. Either way, I set a bunch, and I’m hoping a monthly overview and roundup at the beginning/end of each month will be helpful for staying on them! This year’s goals are broken out into a few different sections: career/life, sewing and blogging, reading, and exercise. Let’s get into it!

Career/Life:

Guys, this is the scariest section here. Three months ago, I (kind of) quit my job, M took a new job, and we moved halfway around the world. I applied to grad school, where I did not get in – and we’re holding on to the fact that I was working in English, the exam was in German, and said exam took place at 4:30AM – and the deal was that I reapply this year. The application opens April 15 and then I will have 2.5 months to retool my essays and reapply. Assuming I make it through Phase 1 again, at least the exam will be at 10:30AM instead. OH. And I need to get a job. It doesn’t need to be a big career move (it almost definitely won’t be, considering we aren’t in Frankfurt or Berlin or Bonn), but I have to have something. Working 2-10PM has been killing me slowly, as much as I thought that would be fine. I’ve applied a few places, but we’ll see what happens – I definitely need something soon though, and speaking more German more regularly will also be helpful for the grad school process! On the more fun, less existentially terrifying side of things, M and I are hoping to (finally) get a puppy this year. We’ve been talking about it for a long time and my therapist was encouraging it and trying to get our landlord on board before we moved. We pushed hard when we moved in here for language in the lease specifically allowing a pup, and we’re hoping to find one soon after we get back from our vacation in February (‘rona willing). Next month’s vacation is the only one we’re planning where we can’t travel with a pup – God bless Europe, their love of dogs, and their willingness to let the dogs go everywhere.
Goal Breakdown: Get a job, apply to grad school (and get in!), get a puppy

Sewing & Blogging:

HA. This one eludes me every damn year. Really. I’ve been paying wordpress $99 a year for this site for years, and we can all see how much work I do with this blog. I think the goal here is weekly, at least to start. The plan is to draft on Mondays and post on Tuesdays – apparently that’s what you’re supposed to do, schedule your writing/posting. I don’t know, it feels weird and not at all organic, but I’ve also always been terrible at keeping a journal/diary. Ultimately, this comes down to something M said to me before we moved. He suggested I really make a go at this, see what happens. And we’ve moved, and I can make excuses about being depressed and grieving, but the reality is that it’s HARD to sit down and write about sewing when I’ve been struggling to sew. So, maybe this isn’t a sewing blog sometimes. Maybe you’ll get travel recaps, or recipe recommendations, or I’ll spend a page bitching about whatever. Maybe if I sit down and write once a week, this will get easier. And this feeds into my sewing goal (again, encouraged by M) – I have a massive pile of UFOs (list for our next post), and I would like to finish some projects so I can maybe work on some of the rogue projects floating in my brain. I also am hoping to submit the “When There Are Nine” quilt for the 2023 QuiltCon Show, which means I need to finish it.
Goal Breakdown: Blog once a week, sew down the UFO pile, submit “When There Are Nine” to QuiltCon 2023.

Reading:

I came SO CLOSE to finishing this one last year but didn’t, so I’m keeping the same book goal of 24 books. I’m expecting our weekly post to include a “what I’m reading” section to keep track. I managed 19 books in 2021 and am using StoryGraph and Goodreads to track my progress as well. I know, I know – Goodreads is owned by Amazon, and they are trash, but I’ve been tracking with them for so long that it feels wrong to not update what I’m currently reading in their app. StoryGraph is doing a January pages challenge where you just need to read one page a day (and track it) and I’m hoping this helps me stay on top of my reading.
Goal Breakdown: Read 24 Books in 2022

Exercise:

Well, we bought a Peloton bike. We made it our last dating anniversary gift to ourselves. M has been trying for the last two years to convince me that we need it and I’d been extremely resistant – I was going to Pure Barre and running with friends, a bike seemed a silly purchase. And then we moved, I lost Pure Barre and have no running friends here yet, and he started using the app. So when Black Friday rolled around, we took the plunge. Our bike was delivered at the beginning of December and I rode something like 177 miles through the month. It’s been really good for me, and I’m hoping to keep that going. I’d also like to add more strength training back in – I desperately miss barre classes, and Peloton barre is not what I’m after. To make sure I don’t hurt myself, this goal has levels. At a bare minimum, I’m wanting to do SOMETHING every day. 5 minutes of yoga or a full body stretch is great. At slightly above rational, I want bronze in every Peloton monthly challenge – 10 miles running, 50 miles biking, 10 days of activity, and 5 strength workouts. The insane level is working out every day and using low impact rides or barre classes as recovery, which is unrealistic and very probably not safe, so we’ll keep focus on the Bronze/daily activity thing (getting a pup and adding 20-30 min walks 2-3 times a day will help also).
Goal Breakdown: Do something every day (5 min yoga or 10 min full body stretch is great!). Bronze in every monthly challenge: 10 days of activities, 10 miles running, 50 miles biking, 5 strength classes.

And I think that’s the end of the annual goal writeup. In a wild twist, I’ll be back tomorrow with January’s bite-size goals and first post of this once a week attempt – that’s right, I’m not counting this one! I’ll be playing with what a weekly post will look like, since most of the time this whole themed stream of consciousness that most bloggers do is not something that keeps me on track. Maybe I’ll get there, but I think I’ll need something structured for a while. Long story short, if you’re going to read, hang in there while I work on figuring this out!

Happy New Year!