Back in the swing of things

Things have improved substantially over the last couple of days, and I’m basically back to my usual cheerful self again.  The effectiveness of minor tweaks in medication make me wonder occasionally what is really going on in the brain – whether emotions and personality really are all delusions of brain chemical soup – but I went through that particular phase of psychological questioning a long time ago, and have no real reason to revisit my conclusion.  It was pretty simple, and sliced the Gordanian knot of metaphysics quite neatly: without medication, I’m a basketcase.  With medication, I’m a lot happier.  Anyone who would revisit bipolar depression for philosophical brownie points needs immediate medical treatment (in more ways than one!).

At any rate, I now have a couple of projects percolating away:

• Making candied cherries for the fruitcake.  I am now on the third day of the candying process, and the cherries taste terrific.  I’m having a hard time not eating them all.  Five more days of candying to go!  I’m not sure my self-discipline will last that long.
• Constructing a cardweaving “loom”.  It’s pretty simple, not dissimilar to this one.  I’ve bought the various bits, cut the pieces of wood this morning, and will be assembling it tonight, if all goes well.
• Weaving the yardage for the dress (the main focus of this weekend, I think – I want to finish as much as possible before flying out to Laura Fry’s next week!).
• Making sun-cooked sour cherry jam.  I was fortunate enough to find an affordable source for sour cherries!  Berkeley Bowl West has them, for only $3.39/lb, so I will probably buy 10-12 pounds over the weekend and make myself a big  batch of sun-cooked sour cherry jam.  I think it will taste marvelous.  I might make a cherry pie, too – B. and I both love cherry pie.
• Reading through Peter Collingwood’s Tablet Weaving.  It’s extremely well-researched and comprehensive – though it doesn’t help me with my immediate question, which is how to design the double-happiness symbol as a tablet-woven band.  I’ll probably read more of the book on my way to Laura’s place next week (!!).
• Exploring the possibility of changing industries and becoming a textile designer!

That last requires a little more explanation…when I was up in SF last weekend with my mom, we went to Discount Fabrics for some buckram.  I explained to one of the people in the shop that I was weaving fabric for my wedding dress (which fascinated him), and we got to talking.  According to him, it’s definitely possible to make money in the textiles industry designing fabrics…so I am going to have brunch with him sometime soon to brainstorm about what I could do in textiles and how I could transition into something like that.  Nothing definite, and it may or may not pan out, but if it does, how delightful!

Off to finish my cardweaving loom!