Standing on my own two feet

Sadly, I have no pictures to show for my break and trip back to CA, but I got enough rest that I don't really care. I can't say it was the most blissful and idyllic of vacations, but it was good to be back home, to be with Someone, to work through some stuff, and end up feeling like I'm starting the year more or less on my feet with a good idea of where I'm going and how I'm going to get there.

All of my knit Christmas gifts went over well, which made me feel a lot better about having made everything. I don't know why I have this idea that handmade gifts are of less value and worth than bought things, I should know better by now than to devalue the work of my hands, but I still tend to assume that other people will see a handmade gift as something of less value. Everyone liked their hats and scarves and mittens and wine glass charm things, so that's good.

Somehow or other I've gotten inspired to weave for next year. I visited my favorite wool shop while I was at mom and dad's and they had some little woven rag rug coasters sitting on the counter which gave me all kinds of ideas. God knows I have enough fabric scraps to make a good pile of these for gifts next year. Maybe coasters, trivets, and table runners will be the project of choice. It's something different anyway, and will give me a chance to experiment with some new things.

I had two interviews for internships while I was out in CA, both of which went really well. One was with a company that does not actually have an internship program, but wants to try to put something together for me. Hurray! I really liked that group, by the end they were asking me if I wanted to come work with them and giving me all kinds of great tips for picking classes next term, so I think it went well. The best part is the office is about 5 miles down the road from Someone's house, which is convenient.

I've also been baking a lot of bread. Mom got me a great bread book for Christmas, which has been really helpful. I didn't have all the equipment I need at Someone's house, but I was able to apply some of the methods from the book and it improved the bread tremendously. I'm getting much better texture, nice crusts, and I think I'm starting to understand what's going on with the whole bread making process better so I've been able to adapt a few recipes quite successfully.

For now, it's back to school work, financial insolvency (where the hell is my loan refund check?! I have rent to pay people!), and the never ending battle to adjust to the weather out here, but somehow I feel like I'm able to stand again. The fear and terror of everything that I've been dealing with has been taking a toll on every aspect of my life, and I'm tired of it. As I was telling Someone the other night, we both of us have taken a huge leap, picking up and moving to new places and starting new and difficult things. We just didn't figure on what would happen when we landed in the new place, how broken and battered we'd be by the fall. I know it'll never be at hard as last semester was again, and that is a very comforting thought.