Not Much, You?

Things are about like you'd expect, here at Mary Scott Huff Hand Knitter International HQ:

Here's my In-Box (wall-mounted and 3-D!)  As you can see, there are one or two things going on at once.  And that's before we added a two-week bout with the flu, an exploding toilet (now, with authentic water damage!), and, oh yeah, Christmas.  Happy Birthday, Jesus; Hope you like Chaos!

But all that's behind us now, and things have settled to the usual dull roar.  Toilet shrapnel has been collected, insurance people contacted, and we managed to get well enough to drag ourselves to church.  And after the annual 4 parties in three days that is the Huff family Christmas tradition, I snuck into a corner with a mug of antihistamines and made these for the slipper book:

Not bad for a girl with one functional nostril, if I do say so myself.

Tomorrow is the 4th anniversary of my flight from the Cube Farm.  It's been quite a roller-coaster, to put things mildly.  I traded the security and dehumanization of working for The Man for the freedom and terror that is working for Myself.  In the last four years, I've been scared, confused, and even hungry.  I've also been honored, blessed and schooled.  I've missed deadlines, missed payments, and missed opportunities.  But I've also found deep reserves of self-reliance, friendship, and faith that I never knew were there.

Through all of that, You, Gentle Readers, have lifted me up, reminded me what I'm supposed to do, and cheered for me.  I have never felt alone, never unappreciated, and never at a loss for what to do next.  You, Knitters, Students, Readers and Friends, are my biggest inspiration, my toughest critics, and my staunchest proponents.

When I started out on my own, I thought I was going to be my own boss.  That turned out to be only partly true:  The real fact is that I work for YOU, Gentle Readers.  I have the ideas, but you make them a reality.  I make the designs, but you are the ones who really sell them.  I create the classes, but you get me the jobs.  The power you have in my life as the people who knit from my patterns, show my books to your friends, and request my presence at your events cannot be overstated.

Thank you, Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.  Without your encouragement, your high expectations, and your honest feedback, I could never have accomplished so much in four short years.  Which is a good thing, because you won't believe what I have planned for the next 4.

Happy New Year, Dear Ones!