For those keeping track of such things, you’ve probably noticed a whole lot of quotes from Thoreau ’round these parts.  And Emerson, though they’re fewer at the moment.

I (heart) the transcendentalists.  I come at them from a slightly more Quaker-inspired view of them (I mean, really now…what’s an Oversoul if it’s not God, right?  And now, we pause for Thoreau to spin around in his grave a few times at the comparison, but hey…), but ever since I found them back in…*cough, cough*…my junior year in high school or so, I’ve kept a copy of Self-Reliance on the bookshelf, where it’s been highlighted and dog-eared and drawn in.  My mom gave me a small hardcover copy for Christmas that year, and it’s one of the few books that’s never left my side, no matter how many moves I’ve made, residences I’ve packed, or philosophical changes my brain’s gone through.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams….

How can you not love that?

* * *

With the week moving along swiftly, as weeks tend to do, the number of red checkmarks on my FINISH EVERYTHING NOW PLZTHXBAI 2009 list is beginning to outnumber the number of un-checkmarked items.  Granted, I don’t think the list is complete yet, but things are going, and going quickly.

I have a friend who told me once that, in this world, it used to be that the big fish ate the little fish.  But now, it’s the fast fish that catches the slow one.  It stuck with me, and piggybacked on Jason’s (37 Signals’) idea that ideas have an expiration date…well, it stuck.  Stuck big.

I’m aiming to never let an idea rot on the shelf.

* * *

Speaking of ideas, y’all need to see this:

Remember when I said that Joy was doing the Chroma thing, only with her particular talent (which, as you can see, is jewelrymaking)?  This is the first one — based on that same pencil name from which the Lobster Bisque scent and sock pattern was also made.

She’s got one already for Mermaid’s Dress, too.  It’s every bit as gorgeous.  Clearly, I need to get moving on the third one, lest she get bored.  :)

Play along, if you’re so inspired.  Make an ATC or a journal page, write a poem or a short story, make a video or film project, come up with a recipe or knit something….  Whatever your talent is, it’d be awesome if you wanted to play along.  Inspiration loves company!

*  *  *

Speaking of the Chroma thing — when I mailed out everyone’s patterns on the day before Christmas, apparently, I got branded as a spammer.  (And, by the way, anybody need any male enh@ncement drugs or got a credit card number they wanna give me via my agent in Nigeria?  Ahem.  Kidding, kidding….)  I’m working on an alternate delivery system as we speak.  Hold tight — I’m on it.

(In the interim, if you want a plain text file in the body of an email to hold you over, just email me.  I’d be happy to send that on until I can get you the pretty version.)

OH!  AND AND AND….I got the Ravelry thingie sorted, so as soon as this is delivered into the hot little hands of those waiting, I’ll be popping these two patterns over on the Ravstore, which means that they’ll deliver it and this shouldn’t happen again.  (Well, until I give the next one away with purchase, which I can’t do on Rav, I think.  I’ll figure it out.  I think I’m smarter than your average avocado.  Sometimes.  Depending on the caffeine level in my blood, at least.)

(/end administravia geeking)

*  *  *

One quick, personal note, too:  While I was going through my list of this year’s ups and downs (and hooboy, were these ever interesting times, in the chinese proverbial sense), it occurred to me that I never would have made it through this year without some of you.  For varying reasons, of course, but seriously…?  Thanks.  Thank you.  Thank you big.

You have no idea how much I appreciate the lot of you.

“A friend might well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.”
(Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Go figure.)