This is something that I’ve hesitated to write about for a while, but it’s been coming for quite some time. In the summer/fall of 2004, I started teaching rug hooking and selling wool at Simply Fibers. I was so full of energy and ideas and the students came and they learned to hook and they bought my wool and the group grew and grew and grew and I loved it.
I loved it so much that I decided to venture on-line and start selling my wool on eBay and brought along my friend, Renee, to join in on the fun. Once again, the customers came and they bought and they bought more and I loved it. Skip To My Ewe was born.
…..then one day I woke up and it was just too much. Working full-time in nuclear medicine, dyeing wool and teaching at the store as well as dyeing wool and taking pictures and writing ads and shipping wool for the ebay store. So, I decided to scale back and leave the eBay, “Skip To My Ewe” store, to Renee and she has done remarkably well with it…..and I didn’t miss it and I threw myself more into teaching and dyeing wool for the customers at Simply Fibers.
Jump forward to November 2009……I started feeling overwhelmed again, so I decided to scale back and take a break from teaching and dyeing…….wow, all of a sudden I had all of this extra time….I wasn’t chained to the dye pots every day that I had off from work….I wrapped all of my Christmas gifts instead of hurriedly stuffing them in bags, I took on another home remodeling project, the den this time around…..I started cooking at home most nights….okay, maybe 3 nights a week….now I’ve started re-designing our living room and next is my little studio room.
Yes, there has been guilt along this new found path…..my inner voice:
“How can you leave all of these people who have depended on you for wool?……You got them hooking and now you’re just going to up and LEAVE them?…..What about how nice Carol has been to you at Simply Fibers?…..Where are you going to put all that wool that was at the store?……and on and on….”
I thought I would get the “itch” to resume all of the dyeing and teaching, but the truth is…..I’ve grown to love my life without all the stress I had been putting on myself to “have it all”. If you’ve followed my blog you know I have always been searching for balance. I’m getting it, I feel more balanced because I’ve shed a lot of the plates that I was spinning in the air…..while it was a good act while it lasted, it exhausted me…..I didn’t realize just how much until I took away several of the plates.
Carol has been wonderful in keeping my wools that I have left at the store and just condensing my space down as it sells and when I leave later this summer I will most likely have a sale on books and patterns and MAYBE some wool…..I’m still planning on hooking for myself, but let’s be reasonable….right now I have enough wool to hook until Jesus comes.
(photo from Words of Randomness)
So for now I’m “hanging it up” with retail sales and teaching…..will I ever start back up….possibly….I’m just trying to do what “feels right”.
Will my blog continue on? Certainly
Will the name of the blog change? Possibly
Well.... don't hook it all up, cause I'm going to be in need soon. Oh yeah.. I still owe you $36! Anyway, I'm glad you're so relieved, we know what too much stress (and when it quits being fun, it's stress) can do. Hope we can get together and hook soon. I'm just beginning a new bag for fall, and very excited about that. Can't wait to see you're new living room!
ReplyDeleteGo with what's in your heart Tammy - it won't steer you wrong! Good for you and feel no guilt!
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ReplyDeleteI say congrat's on making the choices you have. Love reading your blog, and hopefully we'll see a rug that you are doing for "you". Life is too short.. enjoy it. Never know what it has in store for you down the road!
ReplyDeleteTammy ~
ReplyDeleteIn years past I purchased wool on Ebay from you and it was wonderful!
Follow your heart ~ life is just too short to fill it with too much stress! (I need to heed that advice, too...lol!)
I love reading your blog and will continue to do so. I hope you have found your "balance" and if so, hooray for you!
Pug hugs :)
Lauren
"Don't run faster than your guardian angel can fly". I can picture a quite frazzled angel, out of breath saying "FINALLY I can stop and breathe".Enjoy a calmer life for a bit!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to 'never say never'!! I give you credit for knowing what your limits are and accepting that you are enjoying life without selling and teaching!! So many of us drive ourselves crazy trying to do it all!! Enjoy your journey!
ReplyDeleteWe all need to sit back and re-assess where we are and what we need at various points of our life. Good for you in taking the time to do that for yourself. Being honest with yourself isn't always an easy path.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new freedom.
Tammy,
ReplyDeleteJust got caught up reading your blog.
I think you are one intuitive lady who knows herself and what you want. I wish I was as good as you at "listening" to my body/brain as you are! And the cool thing is you are young enough to know this! Oh, you already sound like a kid at the first of summer, ready for wherever life takes you. Don't be guilty, just be you. I am so happy for you! Love, Jeanne L.
I totally understand where you are at and I support you 100%..and I will always be your friend! I hope you will keep me up to date with where the next hook in or get together is (or someone will). I love and appreciate all you've taught me! If I owe you any money ~ please let me know. Blessings!
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