How much Joy?

Today I was in a storage unit at 20 degrees sorting through the fabrics I am taking for a quilting retreat next weekend. And in spite of freezing fingers I found myself happy to be doing it. Anticipating the way I will stitch together the bright cheerful scraps into some planned and unplanned spontaneous projects. Anticipating time spent with other women friends chatting, laughing, oohinh and ahhing over each other's efforts. 
This supporting and loving and gentle weekend brings me a great chance to be fully in touch with the creative side of myself. I do find myself wondering though how much longer can I just fit these times into the cracks of everyday life before I simply must make them a priority.
Seriously, how long?
Every time  I get close to figuring that out I scare myself with numbers. But numbers do not translate well into things like enjoyment and happiness and peaceful sense of fulfillment.
I tend to undervalue these things and I need to make them the center of my life rather than the bits and pieces I slip into the edges and gaps. 
Finding things that give me joy and finding things that fuel my passion has been my mission through this chapter in my life.  And like all the missions in all the chapters I have lived thus far it is a scary thing to do.
Becoming my own person was one chapter. Escaping the routines of always being seen as someone's sister, cousin, daughter, grand daughter or niece was a revalation. Having the realization that I could be anyone I wanted to be when I was with people who did not know me, had never known me and had no prejudgements was exciting and scary. I was in charge of my own life. 
Developing my intellectual side was another chapter. Going to college, getting a degree and starting a career based on that education were all parts of this cycle of growth. 
Then came Alaska and discovering and developing my female side. Who I was as a woman and sexual being brought me many ups and down. interacting with men at a level I had never explored before. I found my husband in this stage. But I had to go through the other stages before I was ready for this one.
Since then I have been in a less than exciting phase. working full time, being responsible for the day to day living of life, without quite as many moments of excitement and pure growth. And so I think I am approaching the next chapter, but I feel a need to define a bit before I go forward. Maybe my first question should be "How much joy do I want in my life".