I’ve never chosen an over-arching word/theme/idea for the year, being much more given to extensive annual lists. But the idea of the word came up recently and as a thought exercise I pondered what mine would be – though having no real intention of selecting one.

I considered and discarded many, many words that were almost-but-not-quite right. And then the flash of inspiration hit: my word of course is Penelope! And so my over-arching theme for the year is to be more Penelope – who is everything I aspire to be.

Much of this list is about my attitude and mindset, so is therefore completely subjective and mostly un-measurable. Definitely not SMART. I am very focussed on not choosing items that are about restriction and abstinence – it’s time to bring in the good.

♥

01. BE MORE PENELOPE!
The over-arching theme! WWPD?

02. Half arsed is better than no arsed
The eternal quest for a cure for Perfectionisting. I miss out on quite a lot because of this. 60% good can often lead to 95% satisfaction.

03. Disrupt the routine (monthly)
I default to doing the same thing over and over. I would benefit from getting out more and mixing it up.

04. Choose the loving action (be kind to self)
Quiet that Inner Critic!

05. Financially support creators I believe in
Carried over from 2022. I find this very satisfying.

06. Share more of what I love or find interesting
I get a huge amount of benefit from what others share, maybe you might like what I’ve liked?

07. Use the things or let them go
Be realistic about where I’m at now and what I like to do now. Pass on what no longer serves me.

08. Morning experiments
Assuming I continue with the thyroid medication after mid February blood test. I have 30 minutes between taking my meds and being able to drink my morning coffee. I spend this time mostly doom-scrolling. There must be a better way!

09. Monthly hike (or equivalent)
Loving the recent hikes! Would love to build to a multi-day hike!

10. Yoga with Adrienne in January
The daily video release time this year is not terribly convenient for me. It will be interesting to see if this makes a difference.

11. Build physical strength
I am as weak as the proverbial thing that is weak. My skeleton carries me around. I need some muscles and to use them properly.

12. Complete 5 items from the 60before60 list
Another list?! Yes, another list … within a list.

13. 6 films at Golden Age Cinema
It is the coolest tiny cinema, they play a wonderful mix of films.

14. Read 12 fiction books. Limit all self-improvement books
I have really enjoyed the books I’ve read recently. Sometimes hard-line positions (on Amazon, for example) really get in the way of enjoyment – and don’t actually achieve anything.

15. Achieve next big financial goal
It’s big.

16. Wean self down to 1x coffee per day
Not for any withholding of Nice Things. My innards aren’t really entirely thrilled with 3 cups per day.

17. Travel: 2 overseas trips + 1 local trip
Europe, here we come! And maybe Adelaide?

18. 1x new craft class (that isn’t book binding)
I’m thinking weaving, if I can find a weaving class. Penelope would definitely weave.^^

19. 3x book binding classes + 1 open day session
I have a long list of 7! I don’t think 3 will pose a problem. The open day session, might be slightly more difficult.

20. 1x skillshare class
This is one of those instances where Past Me had such belief in Current Me by signing up. I’m going to repay that faith.

21. Blog every day in January
I’m enjoying being back here. And I offered to keep IINRL** Friend Carmen company on her 31 days of blogging challenge.
And there is no point in hoping for a personal blogging resurgence if no-one is blogging.

22. Spend money on myself without guilt #treatyoself
Another ongoing battle. I will buy All the Penelope-Blue garments immediately and not dither over them until they are no longer available.

23. Bring in more joy!
Do my very best to sprinkle some magic and fun into my days.

♥

** Imaginary Internet Now Real Life

^^ you see what I did there.

I said last month that had resolved to refrain from 23for23, but I have been persuaded to change that intention – more tomorrow.

22for22 was reasonably successful. I did most things I’d aimed to, and was not too sad to miss those I didn’t get to. I lost all momentum mid-year – I think this was a combination of winter and post-covid wretchedness (or possibly that sluggish thyroid).

I’m kind of thankful I finally documented the crafting, which made me aware of just how much I had done in 12 months. Before this if anyone had asked what I’d been up to in the year, I would have answered “not much”. Is there anything regular blogging can’t do?

On with the wrap up:

♥

01. Use the things!
✅
+ used 5+ year old Xmas paper to help Joe/Frank wrap his gifts
+ completed reading Rattled which had been sitting on the shelf un-read for months. Wouldn’t recommend – it started very strongly, but lost its way.
+ Donated a very lovely, but unflattering dress

02. Put my feet in the sea
✅ Completed April.
I was quite close to the sea in December on a couple of occasions, but feet did not enter.

03. Buy more indoor plants
✅ Completed: March | April | May | August | September | October
I may have to institute a plant ban in 2023, it’s becoming a little out of hand.

04. 30 days of Yoga With Adrienne in January
✅ Completed January.
Signed up for January 2023. You should totally try it!

05. Achieve Big Financial Goal
✅ Completed August!
Next big financial milestone: December 2023

06. Use my dremel.
✅ Completed May!
Posted here

07. Choose the loving action.
✅ I did not use the festive season as a reason to eat All The Treats. I did not use mango season as a reason to eat All The Mangoes.
I’m absolutely not trying to deprive myself of delicious goodies in any way, I just didn’t feel any need to eat them. This feels hugely transformative.

08. Try/learn one new skill each month
NOPE! No new skills learned this month.
Unless you count the not-gorging-self-on-mangoes skill? Or watching a ton of furniture restoration videos on youtube a skill?

09. More music through speakers in ThePalace(OLove) on working days.
❌ ABANDONED!
I did listen to some of my new purchases (below) on one work day, not counting it though – because I’d already abandoned this item.

10. Show support financially to creators I believe in
✅
+ Continued support on Patreon for Fran Meneses, A Small Wardrobe, Gittemary Johansen, The Last Homely House and DAS bookbinding.
+ Bought 18(!) albums on the excellent bandcamp

11. Take myself on an adventure in the goget (car share).
❌ ABANDONED!

12. Attend another sound bath
✅ Completed March | June | August

13. Take a photo of the sky every day.
✅ 31/31! YES! FINALLY!

19 november: 8:35pm

14. Stay in the country for a weekend
❌ ABANDONED!

15. Update supportive footwear.
✅ Completed January | August

16. Have a serious crack at meditation.
NOPE! I did not use the meditation cushion I bought in November, but I thought about it.

17. Go for a morning swim in the local pool
✅ Completed February.
Quite likely to happen in February 2023, hopefully sooner.

18. Have a Reiki session.
NOPE! It seemed like a good idea when I set it.

19. Disrupt the daily routine at least once a week.
NOPE! Routine not disrupted, apart from the Xmas break – which I don’t really count as something I had agency over!

20. Cultivate a healthier relationship with work
✅ YES! Possibly somewhat influenced by factors outside of my control by the removal of some quite toxic elements.

21. Get a haircut/trim
✅ Completed February | June

22. Experiment! Tiny experiments with all sorts of things!
✅
+ Blogged every day for over a month!
+ Did not visit any news sites during the Xmas break. I’d gotten into quite an unhealthy habit of doom-scrolling news at all times of day. It has been brilliant without it. More of that in 2023.

I’m not entirely certain why I keep forgetting that I’m not at all good with having acres of unstructured time.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, I assume I’ll transform into some sort of free spirit, flitting about from one deeply satisfying creative endeavour to the next as the mood strikes me.

It will come as no surprise that I have not been transformed. I’ve now taken myself in hand and compiled a high-level list.

The very last binding class of the year was Flexible sketchbook in mid-September.

I have no real need for a sketchbook – flexible or otherwise – I just wanted more binding in my life. This was a one day class with different experience levels. Lots of fun and a vibey group – someone even brought cakes to share. Book-binders are nice people.

I used a rather more sophisticated palette than my previous efforts, but I think I respond better to loud and bright. Once again neatly attaching the covers to the text block was my biggest challenge. The end-papers are quite crooked, more so at the front. I might take it to one of the weekly member open days and see what, if anything, can be done to redeem it.

On with the pix pix pix!

♥

Stitch pattern and stitching. This stitch pattern allows the book to fold over on itself.

Stitched over tyvek – (from memory) this gives stability and won’t rip with the repeated folding over.

♥

Delighted by the neatness of these corners!

♥

Innards

The covers are designed to be much longer than the block, to give you a solid surface for sketching in the wild.

♥

Front and back

♥

I may have to take up sketching as one of those middle-aged-crafting activities.

My penultimate binding class was Level 3 Rounded and Backed Case Binding in early September.

We made one large book, covered with paste paper and leather. We made our own end bands and used a leather parer and a hammer! Exciting stuff! Some of the participants were from my Level 2 class, which was fun. Lots of good energy and many laughs. I really adore the bindery.

I still have an issue with my end papers being too close to the fore-edge, but they didn’t need ripping out, so that was a win. I think a challenge for me in 2023 is to practice my binding techniques. Being a fairly confident sewist, I sew the text block quickly, but the covering takes me forever – because perfectionisting. Then because I’m out of time, I race to case-in and errors ensue. I’m really keen to do level 4, which is over 3 days and mildly terrifying. I’ll definitely need to hone the skills before then.

On with the photos!

♥

Sewing onto 3 tapes. I love the look of the French link stitch – a shame to cover it up.

♥

Rounded! Not shown – hammering it into shape!

♥

Paring leather! On the left is the skiver, it is very sharp.

♥

Two-coloured end papers. Techniques getting fancier as we move through the levels.

♥

Inside the book

Outside – pretty!

♥

Perhaps another 2023 challenge is to find a use for all these books I’ve made.

We lost power for a few hours this afternoon. It was immensely strange.

+ It was very quiet – ThePalace(OfLove) seems to have a kind of low level background noise that I was hitherto unaware if.

+ It’s astonishing how my default “I could do X”, “I could do Y” tensd toward requiring technology.

This is quite possibly the only Xmas tradition we have remaining!

Commenced with Bessie and Hansel this evening – they are both very efficient puzzlers and made extremely short work of sorting the pieces.

We’ve dropped down to 1000 pieces this year which I think is probably less likely to do us a puzzle-related injury.

One would think with all the maps puzzles, I’d know exactly where various countries are located. One would be very wrong.

Don and I celebrated Xmas with a hike in the Royal National Park. It was an absolutely gorgeous way to spend a few hours!

And I cannot say enough good things about my hiking poles – it makes such a positive difference for form and stability. Before poles I’d experience a ton of dodgy ankle pain and swelling after any long walk. After poles, nary a twinge.

I think this confirms the suspicion of the lymphedema specialist way back in April 2021 that my troubles are musculoskeletal. I need to learn how to walk properly – I’m not sure taking my sticks everywhere with me is an option!

The end of July saw me back at the bindery for lidded box. It goes without saying that the group was wonderful and the tutor excellent.

We constructed one box over 2 days. How hard could it be to make a box, you ask? Pretty hard and very precise!

The box is designed to hold a book, it’s made from book board and covered with wallpaper samples and book-cloth. I was after something quite bold and contrasty, though the end product didn’t quite realise my vision. I’m reasonably pleased with it. Another one of those techniques I would benefit from practicing.

On with the pix!

♥

Process – lots of right angles, straight cuts and precision fitting

♥

Finished box!

The base is covered in book cloth and lined in wallpaper. The lid is the reverse. The wallpaper was much more forgiving and easier to use on the corners.

my morning pages journal shoved in for illustrative purposes

Another object I have no idea what I will do with, but looks nice on the shelf.

In retrospect I would have made the lid as a single layer of box board because I think it is visually unbalanced and too heavy. But I could certainly drive a car over it and it would remain unscathed – which is apparently the test of a well-made box.

My adventures at the wheel are another lesson in making assumptions about activities you’ll enjoy. For the longest time, I’ve had visions of spending my retirement throwing pots and otherwise elbows deep in clay.

The studio I attended for my wheel lessons is a fabulous space and everyone is very lovely, but I found the whole experience very structured, efficient, optimised and, dare I say, ever-so-slightly corporate. They churn through dozens of classes a week – it’s a sizeable operation.

Shortly after my first 3 lessons I bought a pack of 10 practice sessions in a burst of enthusiasm – keen to have a real crack at it. But after 5 sessions and quite a bit of soul searching I donated the remaining 5 back to the studio. I just don’t think it’s the right place for me. I need an older cohort, a slower pace. And honestly I’m now not super-sure pottery is actually for me at all!

After this short dabble, I ended up with 4 pots: threw 5; trimmed and glazed 1 that I didn’t throw (the studio has pots for this purpose); and discarded 2 due to solo trimming failure.

On with the process pix!

♥

Throwing

My very first pot

My second pots

♥

Trimming

Second pots

Once your pots are leather dry, take your cylinder, make a foot ring and trim the sides to make a bowl shape. This is quite challenging and all sorts of things can go awry.

when you accidentally dig out a chunk of the rim with your nail (left)

♥

Glazing

First pots

Glazed before second firing. The glazing recipes are shown on little ceramic cards. The pot on the right is the one I didn’t throw.

♥

Completed pots

My favourite is the front left from the second set of pots. I don’t love these pots anywhere near as much as Japanese pottery I made last year. I’m still excited about those pieces.

I’m now considering whether to have a crack elsewhere or to abandon the pottery journey entirely. I certainly don’t love it as much as I love making books, or sewing, or concrete, or fuzing glass, or …