Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Finding Peace

Not feeling great, I'm in the need of some inner peace these days.  There have been some slight detours in the usual path and more to come. In the Art of Racing in the Rain, the dog Enzo referes to the statement, "That which you manifest is before you." 
So, I make a new batch of bread dough.














I wind this lovely yarn to cast on this for a bit of selfish knitting in the midst of holiday knitting














I finish one and start the other














Listening and loving The Avett Brothers

I light a candle













I finish some gifts but of course am not posting as the receivers are readers

I bake some cookies for my girls as that is what I do when I go to visit them



I love up my pups

And the evening is finished with dinner of spaghetti squash, bread, a pint of stout, the last of Danny Ocean and gang, and of course a cookie or two

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Honors

Last night, Audrey was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, an Honors Society for two year colleges.  Of course we made the trip to see the ceremony.  We don't miss these things, things, as this is the norm for us.  Our children are achievers.  I don't mean this in a boastful way, though I am proud.  Our children have been raised in communities, school, spiritual, and home, that lift, support and encourage achievement.  Not everyone has that kind of support and encouragement.  Audrey was a minority last night, in her race, in her age, and possibly in her ease of achievement, though that one I don't know.  Somewhat disorganized, typically boring yet not without that anxiety, excitement and pleasure that comes from being called by name, the ceremony started.  After about 30 minutes, two older women showed up, so they stopped the ceremony, read their names, allowed them to walk across the stage, then continued.  I was a bit irritated at the lack of puntuality,  but I realized that might not be it, especially when a gentleman appeared at the very end and the same thing occurred.  Some of these people come from completely different backgrounds, unable to take off work, or have families requiring care, or lacking support from family and community, or college is a luxury rather than expected.  What was apparent, regardless, was the honor of this achievement, the desire to be recognized, the respect of oneself and the respect of others in this achievement.  So I cheered loudly for my daughter when her name was called and for every other name called that evening.

Isn't she something?  That Audrey.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Refresh, Restart, Reload

Somewhere along the way, I lost the desire?, ability?, need? to write about the everyday, the ordinary, the mundane and focused on the extraordiary or didn't focus at all.  Today I refresh the screen, reload it and restart my journaling.  I am longing to stay in today, with endless cups of lemon ginger tea, sweats, Oceans 11, 12 and 13 and my knitting.  Walking the dogs was not a pleasant task in horizontal rain and wind that pushes, add to that a dog that is terrified of wind and won't do her duties for what seems a terminable long time.  Agonizing over what to wear to my knitting luncheon as jeans was not an option after last year, and feeling lumpy, I called Li'l Sis, ready to stay home and watch endless George Clooney and drink endless cuppas.  She advised go funky, can't go wrong and so here I am funky, still lumpy but feeling much better about it.  This might take a while to get back into practice.
My Boggs rain boots, brown cotton jersey skirt, long sleeve cotton t, my cool belt from Dad, and the shrug I knit. 

And, no, my room is not messy, just clean clothes and shoes in the frantic pursuit of fashion or funk.