TC

2025: I think I can finally start rejoining some swaps! YAY! I'm having two eye surgeries in early June, but I am prepared to work around those. Otherwise, I'm trying to whittle down my quilting and sewing projects at home. Life is (mostly) good, just busy.

I'm currently reading "Dust" (Book 3 in the Silo Series), by Hugh Howey. Recommended if you like post-apocalyptic stories and good writing.
Other recent reads are "The Art of Gathering" and "Tim" (biography of the late EDM artist, Avicii).

I like

• ocean colors
• coffee, the occasional hot herbal tea, and chai lattes (made at home)
• lilacs and tulips and bluebonnets
• interesting typography
• Craftsman style architecture; Mission style furniture
• stories about time travel
• podcasts, mostly about true crime, theology, sports/sports science, or cults
• outdoorsy things and nature and anything around water (beaches, rivers, and lakes). I hike and kayak, and one of my bucket list items is to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.
• Outdoor activities. I completed another bucket list item, running a marathon, in March 2020, just before the world shut down. Now I just walk 3 miles a day and run the occasional 5K race. I love being outside, unless it’s cold, wet, and windy.
• Sports, as both a participant and a spectator. I'm a big ice hockey fan, and also keep up with news in the world of running. My college degree is a B.S. in Exercise Physiology, because of my combined love of science and sport.
• Cats. I have 1 barn cat (a very fat tiger kitty) and 2 house cats (a lynx point and a tuxedo ragdoll). I think dogs are wonderful, too, but I no longer have the time to parent a dog. In the past, I've had black labs, pugs, golden retrievers, Brittany spaniels, and assorted mixed breeds.
• Birds, especially North American songbirds and penguins.
• Universal Studios theme parks in FL. I hope to go again in 2025 and purchase an annual pass!
• Homesteading. I'm not a full-on homesteader, but I do raise cows and previously had chickens and turkeys. I make my own yogurt, bread, and soups, and dabble in vegetable gardening. I sew about half of my own clothes. My home is heated in the winter with only a wood stove.
• Travel. Bucket list locations include Iceland, the British Isles, Hawaii, and Australia & New Zealand. (I've visited 48 US states, lacking Maine and Hawaii.)

My long term part-time job ended in 2021 (thanks, COVID), so I "retired" for 6 months until a dramatic change in circumstances sent me back to the full time work force. I'm not able to be as active on SB or spend as much time on crafts as in the past, but I pop in as I'm able.

I make it a habit to rate promptly, on the day the swap arrives. I don't think it's fair or courteous for sending partners to be left hanging while wondering if their swap was received. IMO, if you're too busy to rate (with or without a comment), you are doing too many swaps.

I tend to send close to the swap deadline. I keep my dashboard pretty light. I'd love to swap more, but with the cost of postage, I'm choosing to be frugal.

• Sewing and quilting. I also teach sewing to kids, and taught myself basic sewing machine maintenance and repair. I try to rescue vintage machines that are otherwise destined for the garbage heap. I have enough fabric and trims for 3 lifetimes, please don’t send me any.
• Paper crafts. With rising postage costs, I stick to ATCs and other small, 1-stamp domestic swaps. I downsized a lot of my paper stash this year; please don’t send me any as extras. (Obviously, if I sign up for a swap that involves sending paper goods, it's fine.)
• Baking. Pies and cheesecakes are my specialty. I gave away a lot of my cookware over the last few years, as I minimized my meal routine. The cookbooks are going next.

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