I'm back!

Why hello blog, nice to see you again!

It's been over a year since I posted anything.  Here's a few reasons why:

- Life got progressively busier, as it does for all of us, and I just didn't have time

- I kept waiting for a time when I could play catch-up and of course it never came

- I got stuck on whether to keep blogging or to just record things in my personal journal

(On that last one, I seriously can't tell you how many hours I've spent agonizing over all the different record-keeping options - journal, blog, photography blog, family photo books, facebook, instagram! - and trying to come up with a clear-cut plan of which I should use, and for what purpose.  Still haven't figured it out.  Gah.  My analytical compulsions often serve me well, but sometimes I think they just drive me even more crazy.)

But all of that aside, I've decided I really do want to start blogging again.  I have several friends with long-time blogs that I love to read.  When I look at their lengthy timelines and the plethora of awesome posts they've written, I think, "Wow! What an incredible treasure for their posterity!"  A big part of me wishes I'd started blogging earlier, and an even bigger part of me wishes I'd kept it up after I started.  

So I'm going to just start again, today.  And hopefully keep it up this time. :)

Ok!  Here's something I've been working on this week.

I love to create things.  But sometimes I struggle because I feel like I have to have a good "reason" or "purpose" for creating things (there go the analytical compulsions again).  Well recently I discovered an excellent excuse for me to pull out my sewing machine and hopefully do a little good at the same time.  

There's this really cool effort called "Days for Girls" where volunteers, like me, sew feminine hygiene kits for girls around the world who lack these items and consequently miss up to two months of school days per year.  I'm not a seamstress by any means, but I do love to sew.  This project is perfect for me because it's relatively easy and I just work on it whenever I have time.  As I've sat and worked with these pretty fabrics, it's been fun to envision the girls who will receive them.

(Side note: I got involved with this right after we moved to Oregon, in an effort to find something good to fill my time.  Well, my time has quickly filled with many things, so I really hope I can keep it up.  When I start my new job as a preschool teacher next week, free time will become especially scarce - more on that later.  But for now I'm enjoying this!)

If you love to sew but don't know what to sew for, check out daysforgirls.org to find your local chapter!