At the beginning of the year I took the time to sketch out some projects that would go with the Historical Sew Fortnightly themes. As the year has progressed, I hit some road blocks. (Projects that took longer than expected. Supplies for projects getting ordered but not showing up.) And then there was the drop in my own enthusiasm.
I had started to feel more intensely that I was making items I didn’t really want at this time or making items in strange orders (accessories before outfits, for example) so that I could match a challenge or really stretching the parameters of the challenge to make something I wanted to only to rush through it to meet the deadline as reasonably as possible.
Don’t get me wrong! I loved doing HSF! It did exactly what I wanted it to, which was motivate me to get started on projects AND actually finish them so that I could build a wardrobe for costume events. Now I have a huge wardrobe. I have actually reached the point that it is to big! I have more outfits than I can wear in a year. Several of which, I am no longer satisfied with.
With those thoughts and feelings in mind I decided a few months back that I would finish the HSF year out and next year I would change my way of doing things. First I’d pack up the outfits I no longer love. They’d go into storage until I reached the point that I could part with them. Then I’d limit my creativity for the year to finishing UFO projects (the vast majority being modern knitting) and limiting myself to one costume, which I would take great pains to choose, to shop for and to sew slowly and carefully.
And then life stepped in. There is actually a lot going on but the primary stepping has been done by my doggy. This is her last Christmas. Lookin’ fine!
She has been slowing down lately and I thought “hmmm, old age is kicking in”. But within a few weeks, old age seemed to be running her over with a truck. Here she is lookin’ not so fine. And starting to have accidents in the house, which she has never done!
I took her to the vets a couple of weeks ago and the old age turned out to be diabetes. We are early into the treatments (strict diet, twice daily insulin shots) but already we are seeing a vast improvement! It is like having a young dog again!
Mom! Stop takin’ pictures! We are playin’ here!
But, keeping her this way means I have to do some changing. I have fast forwarded my plan to back off of the HSF challenges (though I intend to watch and be amazed by the work of others!) Not having the deadlines takes some un-needed stress off of me. And I am vowing that any future projects be either UFO or at least 80% stash busting thus freeing up some cash to support my insulin junkie’s new habit.
Who knows, I may have to start a blog about my life with a diabetic dog!
Wanda B Victorian 
So glad that the vet figured out what is wrong and that she is responding to treatment so well and quickly! 😀
There have been a few bumps and I’m thinking we haven’t reached the correct food to insulin balance yet but hopefully we will get that resolved before the summer is out.
Oh hello sweet pupper! My life got thrown into the wringer last year when my cat became diabetic, so I definitely know what you are going through! (I am not a morning person… but I got up at 6:30 every morning to give him breakfast and insulin to keep him on a schedule that also worked with the rest of my life, but I did have to give some things up because of him) I’m so glad you were able to find the reason and that it’s so easily treatable.
I can’t say it has been easy to treat. It seems cats adjust to this easier than dogs (from what I hear) as there seems to be fewer complications and cats can sometimes recover (it’s the nine lives I’m sure!) I hope that as we get to the point that her sugars are stable and we all get used to the process (needles included) it will feel easy. I hope your cat stays happy and strong for her full cat life!
I’m VERY lucky in that it was relatively easy to treat, he is SUCH a good kitty, and he went into remission after 3 months of insulin. I pray your pupper will respond well!
3 months! Lucky! For dogs it is a life time process. 😦
Poor dear doggy! I am so glad to hear the treatment worked. What a sweetheart.