So things went a little kablooey towards the end of 2007. The new owners of the complex starting making all sorts of noises and things got real rocky for a while but we survived. Not without sacrifices, though.
Among some of what was sacrificed were my crafts. Almost everything. Gone. No more sanity saving projects to help fight off the boredom of being a stay-at-home mom trapped more days than not in a box with no way to leave except walking, and nowhere close enough (or safe enough) to walk to. No more creative outlets. No more... mom fun.
It was hard. It still is on some days, but the husband bit the bullet and signed up for a store credit card at Best Buy and bought me a laptop for Christmas. He got it for me on November 26. The day after my birthday. It's not top of the line, it's bogged down by Vista, I can't increase the RAM (it's already maxed out at what the system supports), I can't print from it, and I do miss my number pad, but it's a great little computer. I do love it. In fact, after using it for a few months, the only thing I would change is the RAM issue and the printer issue. (Yes, I'd even keep Vista. I have hopes for it.) If I could increase the amount of RAM the computer would support, I would. Just because Vista hogs so much of it that installing (let alone running) ANYthing else is nearly impossible. I've already pushed it as close to the line as I dare, and on some nights I do have to start shutting things down because I'm running out of memory. And it's just a matter of time before the printer has drivers that will work with Vista.
Having the laptop gave me back at least one creative outlet. Writing. It gives me the opportunity to NOT be tied to the desk (in a chair that was killing my back) and still write, whether I'm sitting at the dining room table, on the couch, or sprawling in my bed. I can even go outside for a few hours. I can't do graphics and such on it (again, Vista hogs all the RAM, making it all but impossible), but I can write. And surf the internet. And do other (simple) computer stuff. Like blog. I even coaxed my baby to load the Arachnophilia program I use to make web pages so at least I can do the basic html coding on new pages and update some existing pages. I still have to go to the desktop for the more intense graphic side of things.
Lately, we have been trying to incorporate other creative outlets back into my life. Small projects. Simple things that will give me hours of release without taking up too much space for the supplies.
Recently I picked up a pack of watercolor pencils. I can't draw, but I like to try. I'm enamored of the colors. And while I really haven't used the pencils yet, I'm looking forward to it.
I also picked up a little beading kit out of a dollar bin at the craft shop. It's a simple little kit and I will need to find the box my pliers are in, but it'll keep me amused for a few hours. It'll give me that sense of accomplishment when I finish making whatever I end up making with it. Not to mention when I show the finished piece to the kid and she "ooh"s and "aaah"s over it before begging for it to be hers.
Both the pencils and the beading kit will save my sanity and give me a sense of alive-ness... a sense of living... that is so often missing when there is absolutely nothing for me to do beyond read a book, clean the apartment, and cook for my family. I am more than those things, and I enjoy the feelings I get when I'm being creative.
Another project - though less creative - that I've been working on is house hunting. We desperately need to get out of this apartment before it destroys me. But more on that another day. I've already maxed out my tolerance for house-hunting conversation for the day.
All in all, it's been a rough and crazy time. But we've survived. I've survived. And with agonizing slowness, life is getting back to what we like it to be. What we want it to be.
Now if we only we could find the right house...
Among some of what was sacrificed were my crafts. Almost everything. Gone. No more sanity saving projects to help fight off the boredom of being a stay-at-home mom trapped more days than not in a box with no way to leave except walking, and nowhere close enough (or safe enough) to walk to. No more creative outlets. No more... mom fun.
It was hard. It still is on some days, but the husband bit the bullet and signed up for a store credit card at Best Buy and bought me a laptop for Christmas. He got it for me on November 26. The day after my birthday. It's not top of the line, it's bogged down by Vista, I can't increase the RAM (it's already maxed out at what the system supports), I can't print from it, and I do miss my number pad, but it's a great little computer. I do love it. In fact, after using it for a few months, the only thing I would change is the RAM issue and the printer issue. (Yes, I'd even keep Vista. I have hopes for it.) If I could increase the amount of RAM the computer would support, I would. Just because Vista hogs so much of it that installing (let alone running) ANYthing else is nearly impossible. I've already pushed it as close to the line as I dare, and on some nights I do have to start shutting things down because I'm running out of memory. And it's just a matter of time before the printer has drivers that will work with Vista.
Having the laptop gave me back at least one creative outlet. Writing. It gives me the opportunity to NOT be tied to the desk (in a chair that was killing my back) and still write, whether I'm sitting at the dining room table, on the couch, or sprawling in my bed. I can even go outside for a few hours. I can't do graphics and such on it (again, Vista hogs all the RAM, making it all but impossible), but I can write. And surf the internet. And do other (simple) computer stuff. Like blog. I even coaxed my baby to load the Arachnophilia program I use to make web pages so at least I can do the basic html coding on new pages and update some existing pages. I still have to go to the desktop for the more intense graphic side of things.
Lately, we have been trying to incorporate other creative outlets back into my life. Small projects. Simple things that will give me hours of release without taking up too much space for the supplies.
Recently I picked up a pack of watercolor pencils. I can't draw, but I like to try. I'm enamored of the colors. And while I really haven't used the pencils yet, I'm looking forward to it.
I also picked up a little beading kit out of a dollar bin at the craft shop. It's a simple little kit and I will need to find the box my pliers are in, but it'll keep me amused for a few hours. It'll give me that sense of accomplishment when I finish making whatever I end up making with it. Not to mention when I show the finished piece to the kid and she "ooh"s and "aaah"s over it before begging for it to be hers.
Both the pencils and the beading kit will save my sanity and give me a sense of alive-ness... a sense of living... that is so often missing when there is absolutely nothing for me to do beyond read a book, clean the apartment, and cook for my family. I am more than those things, and I enjoy the feelings I get when I'm being creative.
Another project - though less creative - that I've been working on is house hunting. We desperately need to get out of this apartment before it destroys me. But more on that another day. I've already maxed out my tolerance for house-hunting conversation for the day.
All in all, it's been a rough and crazy time. But we've survived. I've survived. And with agonizing slowness, life is getting back to what we like it to be. What we want it to be.
Now if we only we could find the right house...
