Time for some bragging. Y’know my cousin Mai?
I knew you’d remember her.
Well. Y’know Mai’s husband, David Bernz?
Right, that’s the one.
Well, Pete Seeger won a Grammy award for folk music, for the CD
Pete at 89.
David Bernz, my cousin’s husband, or as I’m calling it cousin-in-law, was the Co-Producer of the album. I think that’s pretty cool!
Posted in Me Me Me, The Outside World, The Porch Swing
Tagged David Bernz, Folk Music, Grammy, Pete Seeger
I really appreciated the kind thoughts yesterday.
The headache itself wouldn’t budge, despite a combination of advil, Fioricet, and Hydrocodone. Tough l’il dude, that headache.
However, in the middle of the night, I did some thinking about knitting and realized that I’ve let it become somewhat stressful, which is absolutely absurd. I have a tendency towards worry and anxiety, and in the realm of knitting I’ve become a bit tense about silly things. I would really really like to know if I’m the only one who, without even being aware of it, has become tense about things like this:
1. Too Much Yarn. “Oh no! I have too much yarn! I’ve spent too much money on yarn, and not only that I have yarn for which I have no plan! I have single skeins that I only bought because I liked them! I have yarn I bought online because the person selling it seemed like she could use a boost! I have more yarn than I can ever use up! SABLE!!
2. Too Much Yarn, II. “Oh, no, my-too-much yarn is a symptom of larger character flaws! It’s just exactly why the economy is in trouble, because we all buy material things instead of enjoying what we have! It’s analogous to overeating, or drinking, or any other compulsive, impulsive behavior! My too-much-yarn is the reason we will never be able to retire! It’s an example of my general imperfection as a human being!
3. Too Many Projects. Shame on me for starting so many projects and not finishing them all! I knit most of a sweater last summer and decided I don’t like it and I’ve never put it together! I made both pieces of a bag that lacks only a strap and never finished it! I have a bookmark, a sweater, and two scarves partly done!! I have yarn and a pattern for the moonlight stole in the Christmas Vogue Knitting, I have yarn picked out specifically for the Must Have Cardigan! I have started a Louise Harding sweater, last summer!! The entrelac scarf from last fall that got to be two feet long before it burrowed into the bottom of the basket! I have not one, not two, but THREE gradience collection scarf kits from Unique Sheep, just because I like them. How awful!!
4. Too Many Projects, II. What should I do about the too-many-projects??? Am I allowed to pass them along to someone else? Is it a Grave Character Flaw not to Stick With It until they’re all finished? What if I just get bored with a certain scarf? Oh no, I just remembered the lace scarf I started in Gali’s class – another project! What if I got rid of some and had a fresh start? Would that be shameful, like declaring bankruptcy when it’s all because of your own credit card debt, or would it be sensible? Or both? Am I Morally Obligated to finish every last thing before starting anything new??
5. Not Enough Finished Objects. Despite all these projects, the thing I really want to knit is a couple of sweaters, etc. for myself. And I’ve never made myself one sweater!
6. Not Enough Time. I’ll never ever have enough time to post all my yarn and books on Ravelry! I don’t have time to check my friends blogs! I forget to check my email! I drive an hour each way to work, I work, and I’m tired out when I get home. When the hell am I supposed to be knitting???
7. Stupid Competition. Why come all these other ladies are able to master lace, to finish complicated sweaters, to post gorgeous photos of tricky things involving entrelac, lace, and cables all in one original design? Meanwhile I barely manage to finish a ribbed scarf in bulky yarn! I’m losing the (nonexistent) contest! I’ll never amount to anything in the knitting universe!! (so what?)
8. Night-time knitting. Every night I try to get in some knitting. But, oh no! a lot of the time I’ve had a glass of wine and end up having to rip out half of it! Other nights my husband goes to sleep and my knitting is literally messing up my love life! And the light in the front room is too dim! And I don’t have another one to replace it with! And sometimes I’m watching a show and can’t knit anything complicated – but, wait, I want to knit something complicated! I’m so conflicted and ambivalent, help, help!!
9. Random Knitting Anxiety. I should be knitting for the Common Good of Mankind! Does knitting with lace yarn hurt my eyes?? Will it cause arthritis, or cure it? Could I succeed at running a yarn store? I have over fifty knitting books! How did I end up with so many?? Why do I spend too much time and money on sending/giving things in a yarn swap? Is it a deep seated need for approval? Or is it just that I’ve always had a “gift for gifts”? I need to straighten the knitting & sewing room, it’s a mess! Am I in too many Ravelry groups? Not enough?
10. One last Knitting Issue. I’m dying to start a Ravelry group where it would be okay to discuss anything related to knitting. Or not related to knitting. Because, sometimes I have a question or thought or curiosity that doesn’t fit into my groups. I really want a Ravelry group where the common theme is just “here we are, some women with a sense of humor who discuss life and yarn” as opposed to being from a certain community, having a particular favorite show, being a mother of twins, etc. What should I call it? All Strings Considered?
String Theory? The Whole Ball of Yarn? Ruby’s Random Roundtable?
Okay, I feel much better having aired these lurking concerns because, having exposed them to the light of day immediately reveals them to be monumentally silly. However, one feels a bit exposed admitting to such dumb thoughts. Does anyone else ever have these foolish anxieties?
Recent Events:
November 4:
Regime Change – Yes.We.Did!
My boss did not get re-elected but, luckily, one of
the incoming judges hired me. Yay!
November 7 – 20:
Bellingham, Washington, helping Nora with stuff.
Coming soon to a blog near you, a post about Bellingham!
November 21 – 26:
catching up on work, etc., etc.
November 27:
* burp *
Thanksgiving at my sister’s house.
November 28 – today that is.
Posted in Me Me Me
I believe one should thoroughly enjoy one’s birthday. I relish the one day a year to be feted, wined, dined, and legitimately the center of attention. I find an excuse to tell every stranger and sales clerk that it’s my birthday. Yesterday was a lovely birthday day for me. There were flowers waiting at work, along with a once-a-year-is-okay chocolate cheesecake, cards, and a gift. After work Staples, Evan, and I ate at Flying Burrito, a Local restaurant and long-time favorite.
Before the Flying Burrito opened, it was the site of a combination convenience store & laundramat where I used to do law school homework while waiting for the dryers to finish tumbling. Sometimes my contracts professor, Walker Blakey
was also there, maybe doing his laundry too? 
He lived in the apartments across the street, so it was possible. Anyway, ONE DAY, as I backed out of the parking space in front of the then-laundramat, I was looking back and not paying attention to the front of the car and scraped the car next to me. It had never occurred to me that you had to look front when backing up, and I remember that as the moment I learned this important driving lesson.
Well, last night as I backed out, carefully looking both front and back, I realized that the parking spaces in that parking lot are too narrow and the rows too close together. Hmmph.
Uh, where was I? Oh yeah, lovely birthday and no car scrapes!
Posted in Me Me Me, The Porch Swing
Why would someone abandon a beautiful hand-knit sweater to the not-so-tender mercies of the Thrift Shop? There must be a story behind this. Or should I say (warning: groaner) there must be a “good yarn” that explains the crazy act of giving away a sweater that took someone untold hours to knit. Here IT IS btw. So, what’s the backstory here?
Posted in Me Me Me
It has to be January. Everyone I know is down in the dumps, appliances break, budgets are in disarray. And, worst of all, I had to cancel a trip to see my dad while he’s in Florida. Discretion prevents me from airing the reasons for this change of plans.
Posted in Me Me Me
The Norabird has flown west again, where the sun is now setting at 4:30 p.m. which is, believe-it-or-not, 15 minutes later than sunset three weeks ago. Evan goes back in a couple of days.
So, I have seamlessly switched from holidays busy with visiting parents and grandparents to holidays occupied by having big kids visit us. Whaddya know.
Posted in Me Me Me
It’s Christmas Eve, time to watch the movie Love, Actually my favorite Christmas movie. But first, we have a spate of mix-ups and problems to get through. Nora came home for a week, arriving at the Greensboro airport this morning. Unfortunately, after the Official PickerUpper left to get her, I told him to go to the Raleigh airport instead . . . and then said “oops! Never mind!” So back he went (another 2 hours) to Greensboro. Meanwhile, Aunt Emily in Atlanta has gone to the emergency room with a possible concussion . . . stay tuned.
Posted in Me Me Me
It’s December, the time when relentless advertising urges us to buy expensive gifts for everyone we know, and churches implore us to experience “the true meaning” of the holidays. And, everywhere are images of a *perfect family* enjoying a *perfect Christmas* where the only problem is guessing which neighbor is getting the Lexus with the big red ribbon.
Where does that leave the rest of us? – you know, the real people in real families, where people have faults, where family history includes disappointments and secrets as well as singalongs, and mom and dad can’t afford a new Lexus? It leaves us in a world of hurt if we don’t watch out.
In December all the chickens come home to roost, including birds you thought you’d kicked out of the barnyard years ago. Ancient resentments and problems jump on a Greyhound in time to sneak into your house by December 10 or so. Their battle cry is a high-pitched “It’s not fair!” And, it isn’t. It’s not fair that Christmas is hard for you because your parents divorced, or the kids are bratty, your brother is an alcoholic, your mom is always criticizing, you have to hide your real life from your family, or dad likes your older sister best. It’s not fair that your family will never go to church with you, or that they insist on going to church five times a day, or that you have to go to the other grandparents this year, that it never snows, that Santa isn’t real.
So okay, things aren’t fair. But, we deal with life’s inequities pretty well all year. Why do we fall apart in December? I think it’s because from infancy we’re brainwashed to think that in some mysterious way our lives and families will (cue twinkly harp music) become *perfect* at Christmas time.
In fact, the opposite occurs. As far as I can tell, everyone gets weird at Christmas time, and the overall level of agitation and anxiety enters the red zone. So, possess your soul with patience. Take a deep breath. Cut yourself a break. Forgive your nutty relatives, friends, and co-workers. They’re doing the best they can, and they’ll be back to normal in January.
Posted in Me Me Me
Many Happy Returns 