She's A Lady

Well she's all you'd ever want,  

She's the kind they'd like to flaunt and take to dinner.  

Well she always knows her place. 

She's got style, she's got grace, She's a winner. She's a Lady.  

Whoa whoa whoa, She's a Lady. 

I was reminded the other day how fortunate I am to have a daughter like mine. A situation came up, a questionable situation, involving the use of a design with no credit to the original designer. She was the designer and saw something from her blog, recreated on the cover of a magazine.

If I saw something I had designed, on the cover of a magazine or anywhere, I’d know they’d probably thought of it themselves. In her case however, it was almost a sure thing that her design had been the inspiration for their cover. She’s very well known in the blogging world, especially in the baking blogging world. There were many similarities in the picture on her blog and the cover picture. In fact, the magazine admitted their error and sent her a formal letter of apology.

Sweet Sugar Belle and the magazine...

Throughout this short lived ordeal, emotions ran high from people on both sides of the issue. The magazine had a Facebook page. Some of Callye’s supporters asked the magazine to credit her for the cover photo. Others attacked like sharks. It was like they were waiting, circling the Internet watching for traces of blood to appear in cyberspace. Callye was the blood. And she hadn’t done a thing.

I don’t know how others see me, but I think of myself as fairly easy going. I try to avoid confrontation. But like most people, I can be pushed only so far before I’ll fight back. For years I watched my mother be walked on like a doormat in various situations. Without even realizing it I vowed I wouldn’t be that way. I wouldn’t let people push me around. As I’ve gotten older, the push limit has become a lot shorter. It still takes a lot but when that last straw has been reached it might get ugly.

Sweet Sugar Belle

I read the comments and the attacks and the accusations towards Callye and I tried to keep calm. I thought it best not to be involved, mainly because I didn’t want anything I did to hurt her or her blogging success. As the day went on and people were ruder, my resolve weakened. Callye, however, didn’t say a word to address any of this. She said, "Mom, the best thing is just to be gracious".

Graciousness is about how you make the people around you feel. Francis Bacon said, “If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world”. It’s important to learn to respond graciously to criticism, especially mean-spirited and angry feedback. Responding in kind is not the solution. It brings no value to the situation and often causes more animosity. It’s tempting, though. It might even make you feel good. But that’s only for a moment. In the end, there’s no winner. Nothing positive is gained.

I’d like to take credit for her graciousness. But I’m afraid she didn’t learn it from me. In fact, the other day when she had a ‘microphone experience’, (another blog post), she said, "Mom, I’m just like you. I said something bad and they heard me". Yes, I wanted to say something bad, especially to the haters bashing my little girl. And I did comment in a couple of places on that Facebook page. But I went back and deleted them. I stayed away until late that night. Then I went back again. One lady had taken it upon herself to personally attack Callye. Another joined in. I replied.

On the Martha Stewart Show

I was rethinking what I’d done and was going back to delete what I’d typed when Callye texted me a little after midnight to let me know the magazine had come through. That was when she received her formal letter of apology, the guarantee of a nice gift and the promise of being featured in a future magazine. Besides that, the mean, spiteful comments were deleted from their page. Mine were attached so they were gone too. Even a magazine can act with grace.

I’m proud of my daughter for so many things. I'm proud of her success. I’m proud of her for not acting like me. I’m proud to be her mother. I’m proud of her for being a lady. I hope someday I can learn to be as gracious as she.

Well she's never in the way 

Always something nice to say, Oh what a blessing. 

Whoa whoa whoa, She's a Lady. 

I went to a fun class today. They called it paper clip weaving. You don’t really weave on a paper clip but they are incorporated into a loom.

Paperclip loom, warped

Side view of loom

It’s weaving, like normal, but the paperclips make it so that there aren’t a lot of warp threads to weave in at the end. There are some limitations, as in length, but it’s a portable project that looks like it’s going to be fun.

Warped loom ready to weave

This will be a bracelet when it’s done. I’ve only worked on it about an hour and it’s coming along. I’ll post a picture of the finished project soon. If you want to see some finished projects and great ideas, head over to Our Creative Spaces and look around.

The start of a bracelet

I finished the ivory cowl, too. I don’t have plans for it and may end up gifting it.

Plain cowl--ivory yarn with a sparkle

Rolled edges on top and bottom

I saw a t-shirt once that said, “I knit so I won’t kill people”. It struck me as funny but really there’s something to it. It does keep my fingers busy so maybe I can’t type rude things. And if I stick yarn in my mouth maybe I won’t say rude things! One of these days maybe I’ll be a lady.

Well she never asks for very much and I don't refuse her. 

Always treat her with respect, I never would abuse her. 

What she's got is hard to find, and I don't want to lose her.

Yeah yeah. She's a Lady.

Talkin' about that little lady, and the lady is mine.

May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose

I heard him say as I made my retreat, 

"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose…” 

Would you be suspicious if someone who doesn’t speak to you suddenly comes by and chats you up for about ten or more minutes? Yeah, me too. And I don’t know where it came from, but after it was over I had an overwhelming urge to say, “May the bird of paradise fly up your nose!” I didn’t. But I thought it. And I also thought that it would probably be most painful if a bird flew up your nose. And if it did happen I’d much rather it is someone else’s nose than mine.

There’s a funny thing about birds. They can do all sorts of things. They can tell secrets. When I did something that wasn’t quite on the up and up, some dumb little birdie always told my mom. But that’s to be suspected when they have that bird’s eye view of things going on. And all the while I thought I was free as a bird turned out I was just a sitting duck with some stool pigeon reporting all my moves. I never did figure out who it was. However, after she got over being mad as a wet hen she’d let me fly the coop. As I got older I realized she really was a wise old owl.

Check our Our Creative Spaces for all kinds of inspiration!

My grandmother always told me she ate like a bird. That is, until I told her that birds eat constantly and sometimes eat up to twice their weight in food, daily. I guess she didn’t want to know that as she gave me the old eagle eye the rest of that day. To prove a point, (I suppose anyway), there weren’t any snacks that day until supper. As my stomach growled, I really felt liked I’d cooked my own goose!

Speaking of grandmother, I guess my sister and I weren’t always good little girls at her house. Grandmother insisted on being called Grandmother. She wasn’t a mam or a nanny or even a grandma type person. But one thing she definitely hated was to be called granny. Granny was what they called my great grandmother, my granddaddy’s mother, or her mother-in-law. Now, I can understand. Anyway, my sister and I, sitting naked as jay birds in the bathtub, would call for her when we were ready to get out. I don’t know why we had to wait for her. Seems like she was afraid we’d fall or maybe she wanted to make sure we’d washed with soap. Whatever the reason, we would call out, “Granny, we’re done!” Well, maybe it was just me who’d call out while my sister giggled. There would be no answer. Birds of a feather that we were, we (or I) would try again. In a voice sweet as a nightingale I’d cry out, “Granny, we’re done!” Nothing. Finally, shriveled and shivering in the cold bathwater, one of us would call, “Grandmother, we’re done!” Quick as that old roadrunner, she’d dash in, grab us up with a towel and all was well. Meep Meep. She was a sly old bird!

I may just start saying “may the bird of paradise fly up your nose.” I kind of like the sound of it! I can have a “Pretty Woman” plan in the eaves. You know, I almost peed my pants, Pirates of Penzance. Most people just ask how you’re doing to say something when you pass each other in the hall or on the street. They don’t listen and they most likely really don’t care. So if I answer with “may the bird of paradise fly up your nose”, would they even notice? Probably not, but in case they did and asked what I’d just said, I could say, “hey, I really like your clothes.” Or maybe “you’ve got something on your nose.” Or how about “that’s just the way the day goes,” or “good, except for the run in my hose.” And I can just smile, like the cat that swallowed the canary. Yes, think I’ve got it covered!

May the bird of paradise fly up your nose… 

May an elephant caress you with his toes. 

May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose. 

May the bird of paradise fly up your nose. 

I’m on the downside of a pretty powerful cold or something. It zapped every bit of energy I had. I didn’t miss work, except for one day, but by the time I got home I didn’t want to do anything. Two full weekends were spent sleeping or just laying around. I didn’t even want to knit. I still have the cough but I feel okay so it’s time to dig out. I did get the shawl sent off. I didn’t have daylight to take a picture of it after the blocking but maybe my sister will send one. I made some more of those cute little hearts but now that I’ve missed Valentines, I guess I’ll just keep them for later.

Being the bird brain I am, now I have birds on my mind. I have a stained sweater I saved to make an owl. The plans are in my head so there’s a big chance that the finished product won’t look anything like my mental picture!

And I ran across this cute little bird pattern, on Attic 24’s blog. I want to make some of them too.

Birdie decoration. DIY on Attic 24's blog.

Valentine’s day is sweet Belle’s birthday. We went over to help her celebrate. She was in a poofy pink dress and told me I had to call her princess because today was her birthday and she was four. She’s so funny.

My princess on her birthday.

The princess and her pinata.

Finally! Candy!!!

 We lucked out and got some Sweet Sugar Belle cookies for Valentines! We even shared with co-workers. Funny, the people I gifted don’t want to eat them. They say they are too pretty! All I can say is the love bird, or bluebird of happiness, your choice, tasted mighty fine to me!

Valentine cookies from my daughter, Sweet Sugar Belle.

I heard him sayin' as I turned to go, 

"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"

I Get Knocked Down

But I get up again.
You're never going to keep me down…

Things happen. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s bad. A lot of time there is no reason for something to happen. You’re going along, minding your business, trying to better yourself and wham…you’re blindsided by some insecure, jealous individual.

America seems to be content with mediocrity these days. Maybe nothing has changed and it’s always been that way. I saw it in the classroom. When I was teaching I could give an assignment with a rubric to calculate the grade. A rubric is just a fancy name for what you have to do to get to a certain level. For simplicity, the student had to do 5 things to pass. If the student did 6 things she was above average and if she put out any effort whatsoever and accomplished all 7 things she got an A. I don’t know if the students were lazy or just complacent. It was seldom anyone ever put forth the effort to achieve the A. Passing was good enough.

http://sweetsugarbelle.blogspot.com

That’s all fine and good because passing is passing, and that is the goal. What I didn’t like, though, is the fact that if a student wanted to excel and put out the extra effort, she was met with jealousy and sometimes even hostility from her classmates. It seems the more successful you are the more jealousy and resentment you deal with from others. It’s not fair. Why would anyone want to do better when mediocrity passes?

Picture from http://wealthsuccesssolutions.com/Mediocrity-The-killer-of-dreams.php

Jealousy is a natural trait. It stems from mediocrity. It’s the offspring of competition. We see it with kids all the time. We’ve all heard the watch me, look at me, from a toddler. Young kids compete with each other for attention from their parents or grandparents. Competition isn’t bad. Healthy competition can drive one to excel. We measure our success against the success of those around us. But when the success of one over the other gets out of balance, jealousy ensues.

It’s natural for us all to be jealous or envious at some time or other. We might be envious because our neighbor got a new car. We might be envious because our friend lost weight. It’s okay to be envious. It can lead to improvement. It’s when the envy turns into resentment or jealousy that the problems start.

 

Sometimes jealousy comes up for seemingly trivial reasons. Of course, if it happens to you it’s not trivial, no matter what the situation. I recently heard a story about a cookie caper that brought on a fit of jealousy… from someone. There is an excellent cookie designer in a little town in Texas. Her cookies are works of art, each with minute detail making the cookie a masterpiece. The cookies taste good, too. They melt in your mouth and the icing, sweet, caresses your tongue. But as it happens when someone excels, the green eyed monster, jealousy, creeps in.

http://sweetsugarbelle.blogspot.com/

Coincidentally there is another baker in the same town. The other baker has a bad reputation. It’s been said her cakes taste as bad as they look. Her cookies look as if they were decorated at an elementary school party. Both the cookie designer and the other baker started the same way, working from home. When people liked the cookie designer’s cookies better than the other baker’s, she felt threatened. She became a green eyed monster and wreaked havoc. She wasn’t content to tear down one. She tore down many.

But the cookie designer is strong. She knows how to deal with jealous people. She knows the jealous baker has a small heart. She knows that the jealous baker lacks imagination and sympathy. She knows that the jealous baker is self centered and insecure. The cookie designer, on the other hand, has a warm heart. She is sympathetic and ready to help her friends. If the jealous baker had asked she might even have helped her. The cookie designer, with her big heart, does everything bigger. She’ll get the credit she’s due, even for the small achievements. The jealous baker with the shallow heart will manage to spoil everything, even her own achievement. She’s given up. Instead of trying to better herself, she wants the reward without the work. It is so much easier for her to tear down others instead of trying to rise to their level.

 

The cookie designer will continue to make her beautiful cookies. The jealous baker will continue to make her mediocre cookies. She’ll continue to bake her tasteless cakes that no one will eat. The jealous baker will finally give up because it would take too much effort to improve. And the cookie designer will live happily ever after. Because she’ll get up again.

http://sweetsugarbelle.blogspot.com/

Jealousy will eventually find us all. We’ll be on the receiving end and we’ll be on the giving end. Dealing with the jealous people won’t be easy. But it’s doable. The secret, regardless of which side of jealousy you’re on, is to get up again.

We'll be singing,
When we're winning.
We'll be singing…

I’m hanging in with the knitayear. I’ve got a couple of other projects going too. I finished two pompadoodle blankets so far. I have two more to go. Easy, no brain knitting. My favorite! I also used a magic ball I’d had for a long time. I made a diagonal scarf. It’s all kinds of black and gold yarns, some with sparkles. I like it. Nobody said anything though so maybe it’s just dorky.

On October 23, I was feeling pretty calm, undisturbed by whatever was going on. I picked rust silk yarn. It was day 206 and it was a good day. On day 207, October 24, I did a lot of things, the things that you have to take care of, whether you want to or not. It was a pretty active day with washing and the like. I picked turquoise wool, something called kaleidoscope. The color is bright and pretty. Not sure exactly why it stood out to me but that’s what I picked. October 25, day 208 was another industrious day. I had a planned meeting and a surprise meeting. I wasn’t really prepared for the second but because I have great people I work with, across the state, managed to pull it together. I chose dark green homespun yarn. It reminded me of pine trees and the forest and the saying, you can’t see the forest for the trees. I felt like I couldn’t get it all done because I was looking at the trees but when I figured out it was a forest it all fell into place. Day 209, October 26, was a casual, catch up day. I had time to do some paperwork and plan the next meeting and trip. I picked blue variegated ribbon. It changes from dark blue, intense, to white, a lighter time. Day 210, October 27, I was again busy, consumed with details and trying to remember them all. I found a raspberry colored cotton that appealed to me. I don’t know why but that color seemed calming. I think it would be a nice color for a room. Green is really my favorite color, but the green eyed monster can stay away. But I’m ready, if I come face to face. I know what to do.

 

I get knocked down,

But I get up again.
You're never going to keep me down…