Outside my windows

Yesterday felt like the real beginning of the new year. Mike went back to being a veterinarian (instead of my own personal farm-hand) and I am back to (sort of) being a shepherd. I'm not actually doing much of the feeding chores yet, but hope I will by the end of this week. My stitches come out on Wednesday and I'm hoping for permission from the surgeon to start pulling my weight around here again. (And I wish I had not made that reference to my weight. Oh my! Holiday foods and little to no physical exercise=not good.)

I've spent some time in the studio today, trying to bring about some organization and order. I have way too much paper. There are copies of patterns, articles to read "when I have more time" (and who am I kidding with that?), to-do lists, magazines, inspirational pictures I've saved from magazines, sheep records, financial records. It overwhelms me and I'm having trouble finding a way to get control of it all. When I feel like giving up, I sit down in front of the Vermont Castings, knit for awhile and look out the window at the sheep. The little girls are the most fun because they tend to interact with each other more than the adults do. They are in the pasture right outside the studio and I love watching them, especially when they are unaware of me, though it's difficult to catching them not watching me! (just in case I were thinking of coming out to give them some treats) Even the chickens are out busily scratching around, acting like they are finding real treasures amongst the brownness of our current landscape. The big girls are pretty sedate at this point in the year....resting up for the challenges of lambing, I imagine.

My friend, Lindy, is having a wonderful giveaway on her blog. Be sure to go check it out and leave a comment before it ends tomorrow. I know from personal experience that those socks are just the best for keeping toes toasty and the yarn is gorgeous....just what you need to knit up something special. Think of it as a late Christmas present to yourself!!