Reflections at the end of 2019

It is always interesting to look back at what one has actually accomplished during a calendar year. My husband writes an annual letter that is sent out electronically to our friends. While writing this letter he asked me what I had made this year. I usually take a picture of each thing I have either sewn or knit, so we went through my pictures and counted up what I had made. It surprised me that I had actually made so many things. Many were gifts for others (such as sweater, shawls, or toques). Some were for our home (such as curtains or place mats) and other things were clothing items for ourselves (such as shirts, socks, or sweaters).

He also put into the letter what changes had been made to the house this year, such as installing a central vacuum cleaner and installing new inside doors. He had been busy too, even though we both looked at all the things that hadn’t been done yet, especially large projects that had been started but not yet finished.

Sometimes we are too busy looking at what we haven’t done instead of looking at what we have done. It is actually the latter that is most important. For quite a few years now I have been writing a diary. I have even started two separate small books where I write down what has been accomplished on knitting projects and sewing projects, as these sorts of projects often go over several days, weeks or months. Using these books I can see how long a project has taken and they help me plan future projects better.

Though there is an occasional day where I don’t do much at all, by writing down what I have actually done, I see that my day has been full of practical, useful things that keep me a healthy person. I also have a chart that I fill out every day where I note which regular activities have been done. Here are some of the things that I think are important for me to do every day.

• Working on learning a new language (at the moment Italian) and refreshing my knowledge of French, both using Duolingo (an online language learning website). I have now been working at Duolingo every day for over 1000 days in a row.
• Working on my craft projects, either sewing or knitting.
• Reading books, either fiction or non-fiction.
• Getting exercise, usually by walking, preferably outdoors. When it is dark or the weather is bad, we live in a house where I can walk around in circles indoors.

Other activities that are not daily, but I keep track of are:

• housework, such as laundry and cleaning
• social activities outside of the house
• time spent gardening during that season (basically April to October)

As the start a new year approaches, I realize that I have had a good year in 2019. I have accomplished a lot. I have made things that are visible. I have spent time with others. I am looking forward to another good year in 2020.