A girl can dream though... On my hit list:
- Fleur de sel caramels
- Sable
- Croissants
- Quiche
- Pots de Creme
It's a terrific irony IMO, that I am working my fingers to the bone to create a beautiful garment that will not benefit, at least initially, from the canvas of a carefully-maintained form. Don't misunderstand, I'm not suggesting that I am a hag for two months of underfunctional self-care. But I feel so removed from myself in this state. My muscles don't tone to my skeleton in the usual way. My stomach is soft. My shoulders and low back ache. I find it practically daunting to stretch.
In case you think that a life of exercise, when put on hold, buys you exemption for any length of time, then you are obviously very young!
But what am I to do? How do I build this sewing skill (a veritable passion) and still work all day and help my kid with homework and give some well-deserved attention to my husband? How do I make sure the house isn't a grimy pit (it really could use an overhaul of basics from IKEA, not that it's in the cards for the next few weeks) and that I eat food that doesn't come out of a package and yet have an hour for yoga - yoga of any sort - never mind the kick-my-ass kind that this woman of a certain age could really use.
You can see why I won't be baking any pies this week :-)
So tell me: How do you manage to work sewing into your busy life? Or yoga? Or baking? Or parenting? Has your fitness routine hit the skids lately? Maybe we can comiserate...
Update: I just reread this bourgeois gumbo of a post and it makes me want to smack myself. Jesus. Is it not enough that I have the space and brains to sew? That I have the funds to make beautiful food whenever I decide to desist from one of my other fabulous personal pursuits? I mean, life is about making choices. I have chosen to ignore everything on the planet that will allow itself to be ignored in the interest of developing a skill I value.
So there. I've said it for all of us. Still, my back hurts and my stomach squishes. That's something everyone can relate to, right?
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You get to be frustrated and you get to vent. This is YOUR space, lady!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Sal -- there's always someone with enough troubles to make ours feel petty, but ours are the ones we have to deal with. And I don't see a bourgeois gumbo here (gorgeous phrase, btw) -- I see a genuine effort to think through all those calls on our time.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, my kids are raised, but when I get home from work--a day meeting others' needs -- I barely have strength to get spoon to mouth and push the DVD buttons. I'm pretty rigid about my running/Pilates routines because if I veer off that path, it's hard to find my way back. Knitting I manage because I can do it while watching TV; I gave up sewing years ago because it's too hard to do in left-over time (no brainpower) and I'm crossing my fingers that your back hurts and stomach squishes won't make you stop because I CAN'T Wait to see that gorgeous coat! Which, you know, will be keeping you warm long after you've forgotten the temporarily messy house, long after you've whipped that core back into shape.
it is very hard to find time for all. sigh. i am afraid that exercising is usually the first thing to go. wah.
ReplyDeletep.s. over the weekend i made homemade blueberry muffins. quite the treat! and i just froze them and savor one every now and again. or two. yum. baked goods take a while, but sometimes they are worth it all! except of course, now i REALLY need to exercise even more! :)
Boy do I know how this goes, but following your passion is highly admirable! I think people with passionate pursuits are always out of time.
ReplyDeleteI am *always* hoping for more sewing time! No matter what we have in our lives - work, kids, family, friends - it's hard to balance it all and feel successful. Don't worry! Everyone goes through this same feeling, of being constantly behind in life.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget, you just padstitched a coat! That's an accomplishment for sure! (And it's a garment that will be forgiving to body ups-and-downs.) Cheer up - you're not alone!
You're so good at keeping it in perspective. Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteSal: Thank you for that reminder!
ReplyDeleteMater: You've got me almost feeling positive again :-) Thank you!!!
J: Yum to the muffins. And you know, it really is exercise that gets the first heave-ho :-)
Susan: You may be right. Thanks for helping me to keep my perspective.
Tasia: Thanks for your comment! I know how hard you're working to pull everything together - you know what you're talking about...
D.: So nice to see your comment. I've missed you! Thanks. K