Monday 12 January 2009

Open studios, again

The seminar for joining this year's Open Studios scheme was yesterday. I didn't go.

I was all set to go, even cancelling a much-looked-forward-to day of spinning the day before, because I was still getting over a cold and needed to have one day of resting and taking it easy. But late on Saturday night, I stopped and reconsidered.

I have a habit of taking too many things on. My philosophy on life has always been "bite off more than you can chew, and then chew like buggery". It's worked for me, and I've acheived a lot of things in relatively short time spans. Taken to the extreme, it had me finishing a Ph.D., working in a research fellowship, undertaking an explosives handling course (then useful for my work), and learning a foreign language, all at the same time. I barely slept for two years and didn't sleep (literally, I only slept every third day, the other two I'd have a 10-minute nap) for the last six months of finishing the Ph.D. Since then, I've had to be more careful about how much I take on. When I do take on too much, my body just collapses in a heap - and towards the end of last year I started working too hard again!

Mr G. and I have already agreed that 2009 is the year of R&R and doing less, yet there's still a lot on. There's a lot of travel planned for this year, once he gets back. There's also, probably, the purchase of a house if the right one presents itself and the resultant renovations/restoration. The veggie garden. Cycling. I've already joined a committee to liase between my village and the local councils. I'm joining the local medical First Responders (first aid). My place of work undergoes a major restructure this year, and that and the project I've been heading will increase my responsibilities. Committing to Open Studios, and all the volunteering that involves, just seems one commitment too far. So it's put off until next year, which gives me more of a chance to move more of my portfolio from my brain to actual cloth.

As it turns out, when I tried to start the van this morning to go to work, a problem it's been having intermittently has turned into something that makes it undesirable to drive, so I wouldn't have been able to drive to the seminar anyway: clearly, it's not meant to be this year!

7 comments:

  1. Oh, I'm sorry. But you're right - it's clearly not meant to be! Next year, next year.

    Rampton was quieter than usual - not unpleasantly so - but BRRRR cold!

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  2. Thanks Alison. Next year, I'm fairly content with the decision.

    I was so sorry to have missed Rampton, but as I spent the day achieving little other than reading the newspaper, it was the right decision to take the day at home!

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  3. I know all about that habit of taking on too many things, I wear myself out and then wonder why I get ill and it takes weeks and weeks to recover!

    It's very sensible of you not to rush into this, on top of that long list of other things! Keep weaving a pleasure.

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  4. Sounds to me as if you are still planning on taking quite a bit on! Things have a habit of creeping up on you despite the best plans don't they? I applaud your decision however and keep meaning to do the same. I have resigned from one committee which I could rarely get to and was feeling increasingly guilty about. It's a start!

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  5. My goodness but you must be one of the busiest people I know! I think we all have to figure out what activity level suits us best. I know I hate being pressured with too many demands. An R&R year sounds like just the ticket.

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  6. Good for you. We should start a "2009 is for R&R" group. I'm feeling the same, though after a rather inactive, haphazard 2008, I'm not sure if I deserve to take it easy this year.

    Oh what the heck. I'm too old to go all gung-ho.

    Great to be back!

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  7. "Too old to be gung ho": that's the perfect summary.

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