I May Have a Problem...

...Or not. Maybe "problem" is too strong a word. I'm cleaning out my office, and I realized I have more books than shelves. 

For a stark moment, I said to myself, "I think I have too many books." Wow... Never, in a million years, would I ever have thought I could have "too many" books. That's just not possible. I mean, how many is "too many" -- I have yoga books, knitting books, writing/editing books, reference books, reading books...

When Hubby put the "office area" together, he lined the walls with bookshelves, as I said before. And I promptly filled them. And then some. He, to be fair, took up a shelf or two. 

Over the years, the area got a bit "disorganized" and it didn't help that the room is at the back of the house. It kind of naturally became a "hiding place" or "dumping ground" when we needed to stash stuff. Right now, I'm in the process of cleaning out and getting things into boxes for the next church rummage sale. 

I'm going to at least categorize the books into stacks and then figure out what to do with them. I started doing that, got distracted, and now - I'm bound and determined to get this office into shape. I want to have a place to actually work... 

My mom has a nice system; she recycles her books at the used book store. They give her a credit and she's able to buy more books, which she turns in and then gets a credit and buys more books... It's kind of like the library without the return dates! I have a lot of paperbacks which I've read a couple of times, so I have no more interest in reading them a third time. I could turn them in to the used book store. I already gave them to my mom and she read them and returned them. So it's time to figure it out. 

I still like a "real" book. I have my Kindle, and I use it a lot, but I need to think about what to do with the fiction that I've been reading. There really are only a few books that I'd keep. I have probably a dozen that are signed by the authors, which I'll keep. Yeah, I know - paperbacks have nearly zero resale value, even if they're signed. But it means something to me, particularly since a few of those signed ones are inscribed to me. Which, I know, makes those books even LESS valuable (seeing as I'm not famous [yet])... 

I know I want the yoga books close; I also have to find some space for the essential oil books. The reference books over the top of my desk can just stay there, but I have to clean up that area. Too cluttered. 

I will have to move the music downstairs. I have the file cabinet room; I can even double-check and make sure the music is out of the closet and in the cabinet. I have to figure out how to get the maximum space and minimize the clutter. 

It's not about "what gives you joy" and if it doesn't, then pitch it. I'm not that much into minimizing. But I do have to watch what's going into that room. I'm on the cusp of something here, and I need to "get my house in order." Perhaps I don't have "too many" books.

I do, however, have too much yarn. I have yarn that I can't find the pattern to. I'm serious, this time, folks. YARN DIET. Speaking of which... 

Knitting...

After finishing the socks, I am once again plugging along on the Close to You Shawl. 

I'm actually in a kind of quiet place this weekend, which I need. I need to finish my final exam from the yoga training, and I need to keep plugging away at the office area. 

But in the meantime, I really want to work on this shawl. I have about 6 reps of the "points" - which are 7 rows per point. So I'm about half finished, as far as I can reckon. 

I'd truly do this one again. Maybe twice more? 

But on to the "yarn diet." I went through the bags on the office floor. I matched up most of the yarn with patterns, but I have 4 balls of Magnolia (wool + alpaca) that I cannot for the life of me figure out! I mean, I really don't remember why I got it. There's a pattern somewhere...I just have to find it. I packed up a large bag of sock yarn (that's a whole other kettle of fish...) and I stashed the "baby bag" (which has all my yarn + patterns for the "usual layette" already stuffed in there, so I don't have to scramble) above the totes. Somehow, I have a plethora of eyelash yarn...I'm sure I meant it for scarves, and I can easily whip those together - who knows, maybe a fundraiser in there somewhere. 

But yeah. It was brought home very clearly to me that I have a significant stash and I really haven't even gone through the totes in the basement. That is - the totes that survived a cull which resulted in a huge donation to our church's Prayer Shawl ministry. Maybe I have to do another cull, but I think I've actually ditched all the Homespun yarn. I may have 6 more skeins, but that's piddly stuff. I can grab that and bring it for this Sunday - it'll give Judy something to knit with! And at least it's not blue -- she griped that I had given her "too much blue." This is beige. 

Why Is This a Thing...

So one of my friends posted a "three finger challenge" and apparently a number of people had trouble getting their fingers into the appropriate shape.

It must be a specific talent. Anyway, I can do it on both hands. 

But why is this a thing? 

Maybe a bit of a silly escape from all the crap going down. There's grief in the DNC about Hillary and Bernie, which is once again dividing the party. Here's a clue, folks: Get your act together otherwise we're stuck with what we have...

And then Joe Biden called out the Tweeter in Chief and basically said, 'grow up and stop tweeting.' And Joe's not wrong. 

The State of Illinois has failed to pass legislation against bump stocks - you know, those things that make your gun basically an automatic weapon. Heaven knows why, but I want to read up on what happened. That was a no-brainer.

But then again, you'd think reasonable gun legislation is also a no-brainer. And it apparently isn't. 

The threat of firing the special prosecutor kind of pales in the light of the "diplomatic" trip to Asia...wherein Tweeter-in-Chief is not interested in diplomacy, but in "destruction." 

The threat of the draconian (and that's mild) tax "reform" which will pretty much kill off the middle class, but hey - it'll benefit the upper 1%... There's that, too. 

So maybe that's why the "three finger challenge" is a thing. Oh, and I can do the Vulcan salute with either hand, too. 

My Morning Routine...

Every shower. Special thing. Young Living Essential Oils has a really nice shower gel base. You can pick your favorite scent, and add about 15 drops to the shower gel base. Shake it up, and you have a "customized" shower experience. 

I used our Envision blend. Then, out of the shower, you take 3 - 4 drops in your hand, rub the hands together and then massage the oil into your arms, shoulders and the back of your neck. Around your heart center. Across the tops of your shoulders. Wherever you can reach. Then pat dry. 

Oh, and don't forget the "hair diffuser." With that extra essential oil on your hands? Run the fingers and palms through your hair, allowing the oil to transfer to your strands...It doesn't weigh down your hair, and you reap the benefits of the oil - and you smell good! 

I'm doing a "make and take" event, and I'm working on "shower bombs" where, if you don't have a tub you can really soak in, you can put these on the floor of your shower, which will allow the water to hit them, and they diffuse right in your shower. 

These oils have changed the way I view what I put on my body. Being a yoga teacher, I'm already tuned into what I'm putting IN there. What I want to put ON? Just as important. Interested in living a less toxic life, and removing extraneous toxins from your home? Let me know. I'll be happy to walk you through. Doesn't matter if you're in my back yard or across the country. We can talk! 

Random Picture...

The other day, the sunlight came through the church windows so beautifully. I especially liked this center part with the flowers. I needed to bring the "real" camera, so I can zoom in better. The windows are old. I don't think they all survived the fire that nearly destroyed the church in 1903, but they look like someone really tried to replicate them. 

I have to find the church history. We have a piece of the doors from the fire, and the plaque from the family who donated the original doors. I don't know if they were red...many Episcopal churches have red doors. The doors we have now aren't red, but they have stunning iron work on them. I'll have to catch a picture of them for you to see. 

I love the old buildings. They creak. They have character. I'm pretty sure the church is haunted. I've been in there and there've been steps down the main aisle when I've been the only human in the building. 

So, when I'm in there by myself, I always wish "God and the ghosts" a good day. You never know Who is listening!