Teach Your Children Well

Can you hear and do you care and 
Can’t you see we must be free to 
Teach your children what you believe in… 

It’s that time of year! School is starting. I love the ‘new’ associated with school. There’s smiling, polished faces dressed in their new clothes carrying new backpacks filled with wonderful new supplies. It’s a new year, most likely with a new teacher. It’s time to renew old friendships and begin new ones. It’s time to learn.

For the first time in a long while we had a new first grader at the house. She was excited because we were excited. And she couldn’t believe the bus would come all the way up to the house to pick her up!

First day waiting for the bus!

All of the Littles except George are in school now. It’s bittersweet. I love that they are growing and learning but I also long for the time when they were babies, no worries or cares, wanting to sit in my lap. We could do nothing together and have a good time. We still enjoy each others company, when we have a chance to be together. But schedules, both mine and theirs, activities and life in general make those meetings few and far between.

Now we have one in Kindergarten, two in first and one in fourth grade Time seems to pass so quickly.

I asked each of them about school this year. Starr, moving into a new state, besides a new school, has some cultural factors to overcome. In Texas, where Spanish is a common second language, she’s hearing words she’s never experienced before! The morning of her second day, before she was ready to get on the bus, I asked her what her teacher’s name was. She thought for a while and finally said, “Mrs. Tomato”. I laughed because I thought she was playing. She was serious. But when you’ve never heard Maldonado before, Tomato is pretty close!

She's really paying attention!

Belle is our kindergartner. She’s 5 going on 20! Her mother says she’s a lot like me because we have common interests: shoes, clothes, pedicures! One day last year when Callye was getting her ready for pre-school she burst out crying. “What’s wrong?” Callye asked. Belle, between sobs, told her the problem. “I don’t have any diamonds on my jeans!”

When I talked to her the other day, in her grown up Belle speak she told me she’d already gotten in trouble. “Oh no,” I said, “What happened?” “A girl was shaking me in the bathroom and I shaked her back and it got me in the OOPS can!” she said breathlessly. “Did the other girl get in the OOPS can too?” “Yes, she did!” she said. And without remorse I said, “Well good!”

Caleb is our little dinosaur expert. Except the other day he was Spock. He’s got varied interests which he seems to have inherited from his uncles. He can recite information and whether it’s correct or not, convince you! He is comfortable playing with a group of kids or he is perfectly content being alone. When his mom asked him last year what his favorite thing about school was he said the cafeteria! She told me he rubbed his belly and said he really liked that place! He also had a crush on his teacher last year. He liked her so much he was going to marry her! He didn’t have a lot to say about school so far this year. All he told me was that his new teacher was pretty! Hmmm…I wonder if she’s going to replace last year’s crush!

 

Evan is a big kid now. He’s into listening to his music, dancing and just being a cool kid. He’s getting to the age where he can throw a little attitude to and fro, much to his mother’s chagrin! She had an interesting conversation with him when he came home from his first day of school. “Mom,” he said, “My teacher is old fashioned. She called earbuds headphones.” She said, “Well that's what we called them when we were young.” And he, in his fourth grade superiority voice says, “I can't believe they had earbuds when you were young.”

I figured out their graduation years. That was an eye opening experience! Evan will be the class of 2022. Caleb and Starr will share the distinction of being in the class of 2025. And Belle will graduate exactly 50 years after I did. WHAT?? She’ll be the class of 2026. And they’d better watch out!

And feed them on your dreams 
The one they picked, the one you'll know by. 

Here’s the Quaker Yarn Stretcher blocking.

It really grew with the blocking!

 

I liked it so well I'm making another with this yarn. It’s almost finished! 

Fun with Brenda’s handspun yarn!

Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry, 
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

I Can See Clearly Now

…the rain is gone, 

I can see all obstacles in my way. 

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind, 

It’s gonna be a bright, bright Sun-Shiny day. 

My friend Lynn posted a note on Facebook the other day that really hit home. It went something like this.

She was in a hardware store waiting on her husband in the gardening department. An older man and his grown daughter walked by. They laughed and pointed as they walked by. Their childish display astonished her. As she waited, more customers passed by, acting in the same manner. Feeling self conscious, she checked to make sure all was okay and decided to move on and find her husband. As she walked away she saw more people snickering and pointing as they sauntered by where she had just been.

When she turned to look, sitting right behind where she had been standing, was a young man, fully reclined, sound asleep! With his mouth wide open, drooling, he was slouched down in a hammock type lawn chair. He looked like a commercial for the furniture, showing how comfortable the chairs were! She began to laugh at him, but mostly at herself because she thought it had been her people were staring and laughing at. She said she was reminded of an important life lesson; never take anything personally. She said she laughed at herself for thinking she was important enough to have been laughed at to begin with! She said, “It ISN'T always about me!!!”

I have to admit, I would have thought the exact same thing she was thinking. I’d have wondered if my hair looked funny or my zipper was down. I would have naturally assumed it was something I had done. I would have thought it was all about me!

I always thought that ‘all about me’ meant you considered yourself to be something special, something better than the average bear. After reading her note I realized it works the opposite way, just as well. People are self centered. Most people think ‘it’s all about ME’, when in reality nothing others do is because of you. People say and do things that are a projection of their own reality. You are just a character in their personal soap opera!

I tend to take things personally. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Apparently I give permission freely because I let people make me feel inferior quite often. I need to remember that when I take things personally, I’m not focusing on what someone said or did but more on how I feel. I replay the situation until I agree with whatever negativity they’ve chosen to bestow. Instead, I should focus on that person.

Perhaps this person is negative to everyone. (yes) Perhaps it’s supposed to be funny or it's a bad day. (365) Perhaps they have much insecurity. (myriad) Perhaps it’s just poor communication and emotional management skills. (tirade) Perhaps I should find compassion. (patience)

I need to remind myself that I don’t need anyone’s approval. If I get a compliment I need to remember that it’s the other person’s viewpoint. The same goes for an insult. It’s how the other person sees it and that may or may not be accurate. Compliments don’t make me a better person and insults don’t make me worse. When someone compliments, it makes them better because they're taking the time to be supportive and encouraging. If someone isn't happy with you it doesn't mean you've done something wrong. In most cases it means that person isn't happy and they want you to feel as bad as they feel.

Life can be far more pleasant by not taking things personally. I have to remember that sometimes it is all about me. Most of the time though? It ISN'T about me at all!

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone. 

All of the bad feelings have disappeared. 

Here is the rainbow I’ve been prayin’ for. 

It’s gonna be a bright , bright, 

Sun-Shiny day. 

I still don’t like blocking. But I did it! I blocked the shawl for my sister and now just have to send it on its merry way!

Close up of edge

Probably medium sized

I restarted the rainbow scarf too. It's almost finished.

Where's the pot of gold? :)

I also started another plain old cowl. This is a shiny yarn and will be okay being just plain. The groundhog said six more weeks of winter but I have a feeling it’s going to be warmer than scarf weather soon. That’s a shame as I really like wearing them now. It’s surprising how just that little bit around your neck can keep you warm!

Cast on 150, join and knit, knit, knit

 And to be in the spirit of February, here’s a few hearts from a great pattern over at Cornflower Blue Studio.

Cute little guys!

Our Creative Spaces is back up. Head over there if you want to see some really cool things!

In the meantime just remember, you’re okay just how you are. And I’m okay too! Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Look all around, there’s nothin' but blue skies. 

Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies... 

It’s gonna be a bright, bright, 

Sun-Shiny day.

Today I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything...

I just wanna lay in my bed.  

Don't feel like picking up my phone  

So leave a message at the tone. 

Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything… 

Well, not anything I don’t want to do. How about that? I’m tired! I’m not tired like a normal tired. I have no energy for anything. By the time I get home from work I could just go to bed. Add fixing supper, cleaning up after and other little chores and I’m exhausted. I’ll look at the computer for a bit, knit some if I’m lucky and go to bed. It’s as early as 10:00 pm on some nights. That’s not like me at all!

The past two or three weeks have been really busy. Lots of travel, a funeral and the everyday fun at work makes for long days. I decided to take all next week off. Of course I’ll spend most of it getting ready for Thanksgiving, but at least I can start and stop when I want. No 5:30 am for me for a whole week! One thing that irritates me though is that now Tuesday is an early release day. Those going to work get to leave at 1:30. So I take one of my comp days, worth 8.5 hours and I feel cheated. It should only count as a half day off. But work isn’t fair. And it never will be. I’d have to take the day anyway because I have to go to the doctor with my husband for one of those “turned 50” procedures. Life isn’t fair. And it never will be.

We had a trip planned for Thanksgiving, to the mountain house. It’s pretty there and there are actually ‘seasons’. It would be nice but it’s far. We’d have a great time and we’d put off coming back home as long as we could. It would lead to starting another week being tired. So we will stay home and have family over to enjoy the day. There’s a lot to be done to get ready for the holiday but I’m comforted in knowing I can do it, at my own pace, without having to report to anyone. I don’t even have to get out of my pajamas if I don’t want! I can have a glass of wine. I can knit a row or two. And what if I decide to take a nap in between? Heck, I might just do that!

No, I ain't gonna comb my hair 

Cause I ain't going anywhere 

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, oh… 

I have a bad habit of keeping things in the plastic store bags they were placed in when bought. And if I don’t already have them in a bag I tend to put them in a bag. So today, while rearranging some of these plastic bags I ran across a couple of projects that I finished knitting but never finished.

Remember to check out Our Creative Spaces to see some great projects!

They need the ends worked in and probably would benefit from blocking. But the knitting is done!

Montego Bay scarf

Couple of dishcloths.

Chianti shawl

Something with a ruffle...I forgot what it's called

I know there are more, some I’ve probably even forgotten doing, and I’ll find them…eventually. Then I’ll have a big blocking party. Who knows? If I got to it before Christmas I might even have some shopping done!

I'll be lounging on the couch, 

Just chillin' in my snuggie… 

I’ll be watching corny Christmas movies, knitting and relaxing. Because today, I just don’t feel like doing anything.

Yes I said it. 

I said it I said it cause I can. 

Today I don’t feel like doing anything...

Two Tickets to Paradise

I've got two tickets to paradise, 

Won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight…

Haven’t you heard stories, on the news or maybe even read about people who just disappear? Someone might go to work then never come home. Or maybe it’s time to go to the store or school and that’s the last time you’re seen. Some, I know, fall victim to mean people who kidnap or kill then hide the bodies. Some are in bad situations and have help to vanish so they can live. Some are just people who don’t want to be where, or who, they are anymore.

Surely it’s crossed your mind. What if you just kept driving? What if instead of getting on the plane and coming back to reality you decide just to stay wherever you are and start another life? What if? What if?

I’ll admit it’s crossed my mind. I wouldn’t mind just being somewhere else. Maybe just for a day or even a week. Or maybe just being someone else. Sometimes I just want to go where there are no worries and no cares. Paradise.

 

Out of curiosity I did a search on the Internet. There are actually instructions on how to just fade away, vanish, without a trace. No records, no identification, no history. Is that how people do it? What would it feel like to have no history? No background? Probably wouldn’t be much fun. Or maybe it would be a lot of fun. Who knows? 

Really, I have nothing to complain about. I have a good life, but it’s been one of ‘those’ weeks. Wait…I mean months. I’m ready to go. Where is Paradise? I don’t know. But I have two tickets. Would you like to join me?  

I'm gonna take you on a trip so far from here, 

I've got two tickets in my pocket, now baby, we're gonna disappear. 

We've waited so long, waited so long.  

I made a Citron a while back. Probably a long while back since I tend to make and not block things. It was small and I was a little disappointed but I dug it out and decided to block it to see if I could make it bigger. I wet it and pinned it out and decided I’m a sloppy blocker. It stretched but the Citron is supposed to have these little puckers and I stretched some of the puckers. It’s still not big but it’s okay. It looks fine folded up like a scarf, too.

In progress

Back of Citron

Kind of cute as a scarf!

I am in awe of the people who stretch things out meticulously. I don’t have the patience. Actually I think I don’t have the knowledge. That would involve measuring and math, both of which I’m not fond. But it’s done now, even with the ends worked in!

Half-a** blocking. And it's not red, more maroon and pink and brown!

I’m ready for it to be fall. I like the colors and I found a little felted bag I made out of some yarn from our trip to Vermont a couple of years ago. It will be perfect for keys, I.D. and such when you just need a couple of things. It will fit inside a bigger bag then I’ll have what I need but I won’t have to carry all of it everywhere.

Felted bag. Fall colored yarn!

And finally, I’m almost through with the Halloween blankie for the littles. It’s not big either but it will be fun. I made some giant hairy spiders out of old chenille yarn I had hanging around. They have a buttonhole so they can be buttoned on to things. I had some odd orange buttons so I sewed them to the blanket and buttoned the spiders on. That way they can take those off if they want and play with them! I still need to make two or three more spiders and it will be done.

Hairy spider! Tarantula or Black Widow?

Halloween blankie for the Littles!

I think I’ll go pack. Some clothes, some yarn and I’m set!
 

Got a surprise especially for you, 

Something that both of us have always wanted to do. 

We've waited so long, waited so long. 

Won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight, 

I've got two tickets to paradise…