lifelong knitter

Cicada hatch....

I saw an amazing event today.....the emergence of a cicada. Not just ANY cicada, mind you....the MAGIC Cicada....

Do you remember what you were doing during the last cycle of these natural musicians?

Summer of 1998.

They won't be back until 2024.....

enjoy the night music!

xox

Attitude adjustment...

I REALLY appreciate my new chiropractor.

I have been feeling this *stabbing* pain between my shoulder blades for a couple of days now and knew I had an appointment after work today, so I was literally counting the minutes until my adjustment.

She has this unfailing ability to put her finger (literally) on the pain and KNOW what is causing it. She adjusts me and almost immediately I feel more like myself again.  Then we talk about everything that is going on and she gives me exercises to do (mostly stretching at this point) and I leave feeling grateful and relaxed and well adjusted.

She is really smart and kind and caring and supportive....

When I mentioned that I was going to DO the Race for the Cure this year instead of just helping out afterward, she said "OH! I should introduce you to my Mom. She's a knitter and she's always into something interesting and her best friend's name is Greta, too." She paused slightly while she processed my payment and then she said "I actually was really confused when you came in for your first appointment because I was expecting, well, you know, GRETA."

Hmmmm, now I am really curious! I wonder if I get to meet her Mom if I'll also get to meet the Other Greta.  After reading Will Grayson, will grayson....it seems meant to be!

Blessings to you and yours,

as always! xox

Easter Blessings.....

Such a gorgeous day today...almost 90 degrees this afternoon!

I went for a long walk before it really got HOT and was able to make some good progress on my 3rd Pay it Forward project.  Normally I am not a big fan of knitting with cotton (it really hurts my wrists) but this Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton is delicious to knit with on the Addi lace needles.

Didn't check my work email AT ALL this weekend. I'm sure that contributed to the two nights of 9 hours of sleep.  I'm getting so much better at understanding what gets my brain all wound up and keeps me from sleeping deeply. 

Got to talk to lots of friends and family and wish everybody Easter Blessings....

Hope you and yours had a delightful day as well.

Blessings to you, as always.

xox

xox

 

The Plan.....

Starting May 1st, I will be doing the Couch to 5K program in preparation for The Race for the Cure.

I helped with some of the cleanup after last year's Race, and it was an amazing experience to just BE there.

I know that I will only be in Week 7 of the 9 week program, but none of the people I know who have had to go through chemo or radiation have been truly READY for all that entails, and the whole point is to raise money and awareness for a CURE.

Even if I have to walk the whole way, it is that many steps toward a worthy cause.

I'll keep you posted.

xox 

An NPR moment....

Yesterday, I heard a book review on NPR, about a YA time travelling adventure....

Today I went into my local, indie bookstore and told the bookseller about it.  Except I didn't really remember the title, because I was driving at the time, but it had something to do with astral projection and rescuing a younger brother who had disappeared....he started typing in keywords, looking quite nervous, and said "well, she'll be back in a few minutes, she just went to get some lunch..."

"Who will be right back?" I asked, totally confused.

"Our Young Adult book expert. She'll know what you are talking about..."

I said I would wander around for a few minutes. I looked at Sarah Vowell's new book about Hawaii. On the list, but NO, I really wanted the book about astral projection and...

"Oh, here she is now!"

I waited while she put her soup down in the employee lounge and I started my story again. "I heard this book review on NPR yesterday..." She googled, and called me over to the screen. "THIS review? "Yep, that's the one. "Wow, that's pretty amazing because he's speaking, right now behind that curtain over there about HIS new book. He's got SUCH a great RADIO voice, you know?"  I nodded. She looked for the book, not in stock. I asked if she could order it. "Certainly! Have you ordered here before?" I nodded again and gave her my last name. "OH. I see...wow. you, um, read a lot of interesting books!" She entered the information and said, "you know, there is another book I think you'd like, if you want that one....oh, wait... We don't have THAT in stock either...but, hey, let's go LOOK for something else for you to read...."

I told her I was feeling about TWELVE, and I needed an awesomely magical book to transport me to some other place where people have some sort of SUPERPOWER.

She actually BLUSHED and said "OH! Well. I think I have JUST the book for you. It made me feel so good, like anything is possible, you know? I hope you LOVE it."

and I DO.

I have only paused to feed and walk the dogs and then it got too dark to read, and I realized I'd better come in here and post, because I have this wonderfully delicious feeling that I will read straight through the night and it will be the best thing in a very long time.

My VORACIOUS reading mojo is BACK.

Thank GOD for NPR.

xox

Two more days of Retrograde....

I am SO ready for the Retrograde to be over.  Delays, misunderstandings, technology of all sorts flaming out in spectacular ways....enough, already. I STARTED my day by spilling coffee all over the front of my WHITE Brooks Brothers shirt, which I was wearing because I had a Meeting, which promptly got cancelled AFTER I washed the shirt in the office restroom. The phone system cut out RIGHT in the middle of a conference call of MAJOR IMPORTANCE and none of my spreadsheet updates appear to have been saved in the latest version emailed to the participants of the afternoon Meeting, which was (wait for it) also cancelled.

Went to pick up the Boybird to take him out to dinner and he had JUST left to go to the Y. Got gas, washed the Mommymobile, returned to pick him up and got stuck in a monumental traffic jam with no apparent cause. (Except the Retrograde, natch.)

One of the reasons I am not posting about my Big Plans just yet....must wait for Retrograde to go buh-bye.

Waiting is not my best skill. Not by a long shot. I am so much better at it than I USED to be, but that really isn't saying much.

Is it over yet? Hunh? How about NOW?

sigh.

In yet another rather dramatic example of the current retrograde debacle, I seem to be completely unable to post any of the brilliant pictures I planned to insert in appropriate places in this post. Well. We will just have to use our imaginations now, won't we....

Imagine, if you will....the lovely yarny fumes coming from a FULL box of kureyon which arrived today from WEBS. TWO fabulous colorways, plus a skein of navy Cotton Classic...destined to be Lanesplitter (unless I am overcome by the urge to knit a mitered crosses blanket FIRST, of course).

I think I shall press PUBLISH, now.

Before anything ELSE goes kerflooey....

xox

Wednesday....already?

I am not exactly sure where the time is GOING lately, but it sure seems to be rushing by quicker than usual.

I started reading Running for Mortals by John the Penguin Bingham last night, in part as a tribute to Grete Waitz. I have never really considered myself a *runner*, mostly because I haven't had the patience to train in a sensible manner without hurting myself. Too far, too fast is NEVER a good plan.

I am going to try one of the couch to 5K programs beginning in May. I am hoping the pollen has settled down by then. Breathing is a rather important component of the Running Plan.

This morning, I watched the PINK Moon set behind the trees on the way out on my early morning dog walk, and as we circled back, the PINK Sun was rising on the other side of the pond. Such a lovely place to be, between the Moon and the Sun, with the birds singing and the idea of Running percolating in my brain.

Blessings to you and yours,

as always.

xox

Project Spectrum is BACK!

I have thoroughly enjoyed every version of Project Spectrum over at Lolly's blog, and today she announced that the latest version will launch on May 1st!

This exploration of color is always a great source of creative inspiration.

I hope you will join in the FUN!

I am trying to decide which of the blog feed readers I want to use for the iPad.

Any reviews, welcomed!

 xox

Inspired

One of the VERY best things about the blogosphere is all of the INSPIRATION I get from my knitting peeps!

Thanks to Norma, I am about to jump on the Clean Eating, Chi Running, one l short of Normal bandwagon. New SHOES may be involved.

Sandy is the reason I am posting again. Her new project is amazing and empowering, and I am cheering her on!

Claudia is always a source of excellent information and she has been my heroine in the *nearly blind in one eye but out there RUNNING anyway* department. Plus she knits on the back of a tandem bicycle while raising money for worthy causes!

Rachael is writing and publishing best selling books while holding down a job as a 911 dispatcher.

Maggi has been a friend from the beginning....

I used to have a LONG list of blogs that I read everyday for inspiration and conversation and knitting mojo.  When Bloglines stumbled and almost fell down, I stopped participating and mostly kept up through tweets, Ravelry, and Facebook updates.

I'm ready to start the conversation again in earnest.  Send me your blog recommendations, your favorite can't-start-the-day-without reads...

Please?

Also, in knitting news, I've finished the *size  matters* technical challenge for NerdWars.

I'm on Team Tardis, of course.

xox

A new Beginning...

So many things have come together in the usual synchronistic ways, urging me to WRITE again, get back to the blog...

I have missed the writing, the conversations, and the documentation of life as it hurtles by.

Yesterday our little world was rocked by the wrath of tornadoes. 62 of them, by some counts, raced through North Carolina and wreaked havoc.  I was knitting, watching the weather alerts, and poised to flee to the basement with the poodles when the map indicated that the storms would pass within 4 miles but not strike directly in my neighborhood.

Relief, and then I watched the qualifying show for the Long Beach Grand Prix (my brother is doing the Versus coverage this year...he's Professor B...) and was transported to another place and time.

Took the doggies out for a lovely walk in the sunshine amid the debris (mostly small tree limbs and fallen blossoms, LOTS of pollen washed into strange yellow puddles) and counted my Blessings.

I checked the local news page and was shocked by the devastation. It so closely mirrors the feeling of sadness and guilt and family drama associated with my sister's illness that I KNEW I had to start writing again.

I'm just getting my writing *legs* back, so you'll excuse the lack of flow here...I feel compelled, as Holy Week begins today, to step away from the crowds waving palm fronds and going along with popular opinion, to be still and look deeply INWARD.

Where do I want to be in the midst of all the swirling uncertainty?

On the road less travelled, of course, as is my way, but I want a better sense of my True North.

As a result of the Sleep Study, I have gained much insight and have made major changes which do indeed allow me to get the sleep I have been deprived of for so many years.  Quieting the hamsters of busyness (thanks so much for that image, Gina...) has left me with an empty place to contemplate.  I am making small steps to expand the zone of calm and set new boundaries for those who would violate it for their own purposes.

Learning to say NO, to not participate in the drama and the negativity.

The harder part is learning to say YES to the parts of me long suppressed in order to put others first. It feels selfish and wrong to follow the directions to put my own oxygen mask on before helping others....I feel guilty counting my Blessings when there are so many suffering...

So I get up every day and do the best I can to encourage and love and support everyone I know who is struggling, and in the process I feel some reflected encouragement, and so on...

I hope you will join the conversation and let me know what has worked for YOU.

Blessings to you and yours, as always.

Namaste.

xox