Stitchin' and ... the word that rhymes with it

The past couple of years in my life have been big, and while I had grand notions of sharing all of that via another blog, it petered out after half a year. In short, I moved home from university, bought a house with my boyfriend, started a teaching position I knew very little about, made my boyfriend my fiancé, adopted two doggies, had a near meltdown, took a part-time teaching job this year, jumped into the world of substitute teaching, and started planning a wedding. Oh, and I began running seriously - or seriously running - a year ago this month, which has been the hardest and best thing I have ever done for myself.

2011 and 2012 were a little too insane for my tastes. I like a good book and a cup of tea. Solitude. Tranquility. Stress-free. Unfortunately, I chose a profession that allows for none of that. Ever have 23 needy little people encircle you and begin talking all at once because nothing else could ever be as important as what they have to say at THAT VERY INSTANT?? Goodbye solitude. Goodbye tranquility. Hello STRESS. 

STRESS is a big issue for me, because I become stressed over very little things. I become stressed when the house is messy, when I've misplaced my keys, when I drop a stitch in my knitting, and when the dogs get themselves wrapped around a tree while tied outside for five minutes. STRESS is waiting for me around every corner. It happens when my comfort zone is rattled, or when something doesn't go the way it should. It tends to build up all day at work while I'm with those 23 VIVACIOUS LITTLE PEOPLE and then EXPLODES as soon as I walk through the door at home. I hide it well in my professional environment. I do my job and I am always trying to do it well. I'm pleasant to other people. But, sometimes my STRESS level is to the point that if one more person had said, ''Oh, you're so laid back,'' I might have bitten their head off Ozzy-style. 

I started running seriously when I joined the local Learn-to-Run group. Since January 14, 2012, I have run a couple of 5k races, the 10k Bluenose in Halifax, the Valley Harvest Half Marathon, and the virtual Goofy Half Marathon for Leukemia and Lymphoma research. I'm aiming now for the Bluenose Half Marathon in May. 

Running eases the physical symptoms of STRESS that creep into my everyday life; no headaches, no tense neck and shoulders, no clenched jaw. But, I was still waking up in the middle of the night and worrying about the next day. I was still STRESSing over little things and making life hell for Jason and the puppies. I needed an outlet for my mind. 

For some people, running is the outlet for their minds. Not for me. Running time is time to think, but when I have time to think, I STRESS about all the things I should be doing for tomorrow, or the next day, or the following week. I can let my body relax, but I can never flick the off switch to my brain. 

Then, one day over Christmas, in the midst of a million knitting projects and making grapevines wreathes for the wedding, something clicked: 

Creating things eases my mind. 

When I make something, the logical left side of my brain screws off for awhile and surrenders itself to my artsy-fartsy right side. Time is a non-issue, my patience reappears, and serenity chases STRESS out the door with a knitting needle or a hot glue gun. 

Teaching is the cause of my STRESS, but I still do believe that it is one of the noblest professions on the planet (it's also the one that everyone seems to know how to do without stepping a foot in today's classroom - so, if you're a hater, keep on walkin' by this site). If I'm going to be my best for the kids, though, I've learned I need to be the best for myself. Sometimes that means having a meltdown on the way home from work, or at home after work, or Sunday before I go back to work. Usually, though, it means sitting down with my knitting needles or going for a run. STRESS is still with me, and I'm still not perfect, but I'm trying to be better. 

Hence the reason for the blog.