For the past six weeks, I have been trying to write/edit/manage a post about my “Triple Tangled Tartan.” My pictures kept coming out blurry and I was unable to figure out how to fix the problem so I set it aside, time and time again.

In the meantime, we’ve been focused on our house, trying to get it ready to put on the market. We met twice with realtors and started working on some of the projects they recommended: the fireplace screen, a new bathroom floor and vanity; stripping the last vestiges of wallpaper in our house, repairing and repainting walls and ceilings.

At the same time, John has been working through financial issues related to retirement, insurance and taxes. I have been working 2-3 days a week, with an occasional week off. I also have been cleaning, packing and purging, little by little. We had hoped to list the house in April, but have recently decided to wait until we return from New Zealand.

But every Thursday, I set aside most of the day to visit The Chicago Weaving School, where I am getting close to completing my tartan weaving project. Class time is four hours and the commute is almost an hour each way, so it is a full-day endeavor.

I work mostly on my own now, weaving back and forth, and frequently changing my colors to follow the sett or pattern. I can catch mistakes more quickly now, and fix them with relative ease. I’ve figured out some of the idiosyncrasies of my loom and learned how to work around them. Each week I inch closer to the end of my warp, closer to the finish line.

Maybe all that neatness or order is helping me cope with the tangled life at home, helping me envision the day when all will be set right and we will be ready to move on to the next home, next season of our lives.

Maybe.