Balance in 2021: September

Like many of you, I am finding it hard to believe that it's the last week of September already; it seems to have flown by -- and, at the same time, seems to have been a very long month. Thanks, as always, to Carolyn for hosting our once-a-month link-ups on our words.

It has definitely been a challenging month for me as far as Balance is concerned. The Jewish High Holy Days fell on weekdays this month, which meant I took the days off from work and then was constantly confused about what day it was. Work also ramped up a lot, leaving me scrambling to get things done and leaving not much room for the pastimes that usually help me to relieve stress. And I had additional synagogue board demands on my time that were a frustration, as it's become increasingly clear to me that most of the other people who are involved either don't work (either because they're retired or don't need to) or have much more flexible schedules than I. Suffice it to say that much of this month has been stressful, and at times it's been a struggle to maintain the balance between work and life, between obligation and choice.

I know that many people have been eager to return to in-person work because they find that it's difficult to maintain the boundaries between home office and home; there was a time when I thought that would be the case for me. After all, when the only difference between working and not working from home is whether or not you're logged in to your email and you don't actually have to leave an office to go home, it can be very easy to let work time bleed into home time. But I really focused this month on maintaining that division. I may have stayed "on the clock" a few minutes past 5 on a few occasions, but for the most part, I logged off when the end of the work day arrived. I also made sure to get my walk in every day, because I know that not only am I given a lunch break every day but the exercise is also helpful in keeping my stress levels under control. It did seem for a while that there was no end in sight with the work that was coming in, but I kept reminding myself that in reality it could not go on forever, and indeed there was a break. This is very much the nature of my job -- it tends to go in waves. So I've ridden this wave and made it safely back to prepare for the next one.

My 21 in 2021 list is winding down, with one big item crossed off this month:

1. Bake challah for shabbat DONE
   
2. Run a 5K straight Walk the length of the UK DONE
   
3. Learn a new knitting technique DONE
   
4. Sew a project bag DONE
   
5. Knit a sweater out of handspun DONE
   
6. Spin for a sweater - DONE
   
7. Read a book outside my comfort zone DONE
   
8. Try making pastry
9. Knit or crochet a toy DONE
   
10. Design a crochet pattern
11. Read a biography/autobiography DONE
    
12. Spin the oldest fiber in my stash DONE
    
13. Knit five items for charity DONE
    
14. Finish my WIPs from 2020 DONE
    
15. Knit a sweater for Rainbow DONE
    
16. Knit socks for my brother DONE
    
17. Read a book of poetry DONE
    
18. Read a book by a Native American/Indigenous author DONE
    
19. Try three new meatless recipes DONE
    
20. Go for at least three bike rides - one complete
    
21. Read a book Rainbow reads for school DONE

In the first week of the month, I surpassed the number of miles walked equivalent to the length of the UK. As of this past Saturday, I've now walked nearly 1,213 miles this year. I may continue to track my miles, just to see how many I walk over the course of the entire year, but it feels good to have met that big number.

I've also completed one of my three bike rides and hope to do the other two in the next month or so. That leaves just making pastry (which I'm determined to do in the next month!) and designing a crochet pattern. I didn't specify that I had to publish that pattern, just come up with something without using someone else's instructions. I may count my pierogi from earlier in the year for that one and make another amigurumi toy for my nephew, and that would take care of the two crochet items on the list. It feels good to be almost done with three months still to go in the year!

I look forward to hearing how your One Little Word has shown up in the past month, and I'll be back tomorrow with a reading and crafting update!