by Kat | Jun 7, 2009 | General, Words
I survived, now where is my tee shirt?
A new chapter unfolds and now the work begins in earnest to get things ready for Heidi to head off to college in the fall. Therefore, I went to work in earnest to earn money to help pay for this new endeavor! Overtime, FTW!
It was a big week at Casa Del KatKnits, and last week was, in my not so humble opinion, an historical week for the world. A week which holds promise for finding common ground with those who differ greatly from us in some ways, and have more in common with us than we care to admit.
It started when my President said these words in Cairo, “And I’m also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: Assalaamu alaykum.” It profoundly struck me how very appropriate these words are. In fact, his entire speech was profound, un-political, and heartfelt.
Calm words echoed by his calm demeanor, coupled with his forthright tone resonated loudly across the world. How amazing to have our nation represented so eloquently to the watching world.
It saddened me to see someone post something on a social network in anger about President Obama’s speech and how “they had killed over 3000 Americans” and that he was a “traitor.” I however strongly disagree with those statements. I think we have spent far too much time being students of fear and hatred. Indeed, there has been too much justification of prejudicial attitudes that encourages the world to continue on the course it is traveling – a journey that for many will be the very last one they take. There has been enough bloodshed, with far too many lives lost.
After all, if we focus on those things that we have in common, how hard can it be to overcome or overlook those things we do not have in common. Moreover, I believe that is where Barak Obama began the journey last week, and he is calling to each of us with encouragement to look at what we share with the world around us rather than focus on what makes us different.
Change unfolding before us with someone encouraging us to step forward without fear or trepidation. It is almost as if we are all at our graduation and unknown possibilities lay before us.
Exciting times, don’t you agree?
by Kat | Jun 4, 2009 | General
Well, it is over.
Finished.
Kaput.
The fat lady has sung.
Heidi has graduated from high school and she did so quietly on Monday night. It was a beautiful graduation ceremony – the speakers were inspiring. How incredibly refreshing to hear young people speak with such passion about getting out of Holland, Michigan, doing something for the world around you, and to look for new things to learn each day. I shall miss my relationship with Holland Public Schools – you have been a constant companion in my life for the past fifteen years and I am not sure I can do this cold turkey. No more report cards, no more parent-teacher conferences, and no more orchestra concerts – this will leave a huge void that I am not sure I will know how to replace.
Although, I have been trying by working some extra shifts at work and that is not exactly the replacement I was looking for but my pocketbook is enjoying the overtime pay!
I am still working on plugging in the links to your blogs on my “recommended reading” page. Bear with me – I will get you there!
On the fiber front, I have been knitting up a storm – and seem to have caught a good case of Cast-on-itis! My newest itch to cast on is another FLS! It was a great knit, and I want to knit another one. This time I will knit it with some hand-dyed yarn from my friend Rita at Yarn Hollow!
It is indeed turning into the Summer of Sweaters here!
I am looking forward to the summer and August in particular. My vacation requests have no conflicts with co-workers with more seniority so it is clear sailing for my dates. What do I have coming up you ask? Well, I am planning to attend a conference of the League of Michigan Weavers at Hope College and then it is the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan. My goal is to have my new Indigo Ripples skirt finished and some spinning to enter for judging! I am Jonesing for a ribbon, so look out!
I am also going to be trying out a Fiber Sample pack from the Spinning Loft and I will be sharing the process with you here! I have never washed fiber and have not spun many of the fibers that will be included in the sampler – stay tuned for my reviews, my systematic guide, and my level of success!
Enjoy your weekend, I am off to find that darned housekeeper and put her to work!
by Kat | Jun 1, 2009 | General
Hello and welcome to the new home of As Kat Knits!
First off, I need to thank Steve for all his help and his willingness to spend a couple of hours on his weekend tweaking this place to my preferences and answering my questions without complaining once – and I had plenty of tweaking and questions!
As you can see, he is a genius when it comes to web development and beyond that is the best friend a person could ever have.
You will find things here that were not on my old digs, and you will find some things that were there – but all are improvements, in my opinion. First off, you will note that my preferred reading now has its own page! Watch for updates to that page as I finish importing your blog links. If you want your link added, please let me know!
So, get a cup of coffee, look around, and please do not forget to update your rss feeds with my new address!
Happy Monday everyone!
by Kat | May 26, 2009 | General, Words
Wow.
Just wow.
January 20th was truly a day of incredible change for America. Finally, we have a leader whose face is a true representation of the face of America – the WASP image fading and in its place; a richer, more vibrant tapestry was slowly taking shape.
America is a vivid and diverse tapestry, but our leaders have not been a true reflection of that diversity. President Obama has been working on revealing the lush image in an amazingly and incredibly intelligent way. At long last, we have a Hispanic selection for the nation’s highest court, one that Mr. Obama described as a candidate with empathy for “people’s hopes and struggles.”
Wow.
Empathy in a justice, what a novel idea.
I am more than impressed with her and him!
I would say that the naysayers would have a tough time taking her down.
I have a feeling she well knows how to rise above the fray, with her eyes fixed on the prize nothing could get in her way.
Let the Republicans cry foul, I think you more than measure up, Sonia Sotomayor!
So, Gentle Reader – I Sotomayor, do you?
On a side note, I have done some remodeling here at Casa Del KatKnits; there may be more so stay tuned!
by Kat | May 25, 2009 | General
The past several weeks I have felt decidedly lacking in a plethora of areas in my life. I have not been able to put my finger on just one thing that seems to have me “off my game” but rather a flurry of things seems to have put me off track. It appears that my usual snarky self has gone into hibernation to some far off place and is refusing to return until I get my proverbial “poop in a group.”
In an attempt to woo my quick witted, cunningly cutting Mistress of Sarcasm back I thought a bit of cathartic writing ala Elizabeth Edward’s might do the trick.
It seems that the past few weeks have been all too anticlimactic since Erin left; there was all this hype building up to our meeting, and the time we spent together seemed idyllic in a Camelot kind of way. Now, do not get me wrong, things have not tanked between us, but it is somehow not the same talking on the phone or emailing each other. However, I have honestly felt that something is missing since she left – namely her!
Yes, I know that I need to be more removed than that, but somehow that is no longer possible and when I remind my selfish self that I need to remember my place – not surprisingly, Miss It’s All About Me showed up in full force when my snark checked out.
Now, Gentle Reader, for those of you who are mothers clearly understand that when you become a mother it is no longer ever all about you, but rather all about someone else – namely your children. I know this well, having raised three of them and in the few instances that I somehow foolishly forgot that fact; they rapidly reminded me!
I feel a bit like a Mother-in-law and transporting myself back to a lovely frank conversation I had with my soon to be Mother-in-law – she said she did 2 things well; wearing beige and keeping her mouth shut! My friends, I can only tell you that I do not wear beige well, nor am I well versed in keeping my mouth shut – so it seems a Herculean task to bite my tongue and let Erin direct our course. It reminds me of the patience of Penelope keeping hearth, home, and entertaining the enemy all with a cool aplomb while Odysseus was off on one grand adventure! I just need to find some of that patience and cool aplomb!
The school year has also been winding down and it brings the end of my Heidi’s high school career, which I am having a decidedly difficult time with. We have had a semester of “lasts,” which I have to confess make my usually unfailingly cheerful self decidedly blue. A friend even asked me if I needed a “hormonal tune-up” when I had a mini-break down when talking with them. I wonder if there is such a thing as a 50,000-mile tune up for the hormonally challenged. Yes, well, I will add a call to Barb to my ever-growing list of things to complete once Heidi’s graduation is over! I think it will fall in to slot 273,456,988 – that means I should be able to get that appointment scheduled sometime after the year 2012 arrives!
As for Heidi, she is doing her part all too well in “Operation Move Out From Home Soon” – and I alluded to in my last blog post, I vacillate between a melancholy mother yearning for that little girl that I could draw into my lap to cuddle and the Joan Crawford rendition of Mommy Dearest. I begin, at times, to have an inkling of understanding on why animals eat their young! Suffice it to say that, yes, I am indeed the most unintelligent person on earth – unless it happens to be a day when Bank of Mom is needed! I am thankful that she has managed to find work at our local Payless Shoe Store, however I am just warning you all that I have a budding Imelda Marcos in the making here – someone want to alert the Philippines, please??? Do you all see the correlation in the increase in attempted withdrawals from Bank of Mom? Yeah, I know I do. When she smiles and turns on the charm, I just want to have one tenth of Ebenezer’s Scrooginess!
For years, I have muttered under my breath – “thank goodness for Sam” foolishly believing that he was the “easy” child. I was so looking forward to him being around all summer long, however I did not consider the challenged job market in West Michigan and his trying to add to his college fund and the only job he has been able to find thus far is up north. This news almost did me in, truly. So, practically overnight I will go from a Nester to an empty Nester! This was not good news at all until I realized that I would need to increase my daily fiber requirement once I fall into that category – and with that, visions of Masham, Polwarth, and Wensleydale began to dance in my head!
I guess I will have to work on finding a cottage-like place up north to rent for a week and bring Bria along so we can get our “Sammy Fix.” There could be worse things, right?
by Kat | May 22, 2009 | General, Words
Who is excited besides me that there our President gave the commencement speech at Notre Dame last week?
Well, I am off the charts excited for a number of reasons!
No, I have not become a closet Notre Dame fan – but, I am utterly enamored of our President and the calm confidence that emanates from him and surrounds him like an aura.
There in the audience were protesters – yes, in the audience.
Protesters.
Speaking freely.
Protesting.
No government officials had relegated them to a “sanctioned site” some dozen blocks away.
They were there, in the building.
Moreover, our President handled them with gracious confidence.
Democracy in action… just a few miles south of my house.
It almost makes me giddy!
Last week was a banner week – not only were there protesters, our President actually mentioned Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers. In a sentence that actually made sense! In the 8 years of the Bush Presidency, I do not believe I heard him mention the civil unrest there once.
It is refreshing to have someone in office that cares about what is going on in the world around him.
Very refreshing.
Adding to all this excitement are what have been a month of “lasts” for my household – as in Heidi’s last classes, Heidi’s last concert, and Heidi’s last day of school – a momentous week to be sure. I have been unexpectedly melancholy about her graduating. I have shed a tear or two, vacillating between wanting to wring her neck and wishing she was just starting high school. Fortunately, the feelings of wishing she was just starting high school have been winning – so she will live to graduate on June 1st!
In addition, there was knitting…in case you were all wondering. FLS is off the needles and on the body and I love it! Pictures coming soon, I promise! I would knit this again! It is the perfect sweater!
This just might become the Summer of Sweaters – I am breezing along with my other summer sweater. Sleeves soon to be cast on…
Also, just to keep things interesting, I have cast on Indigo Ripples II – I have about 3 inches and knitting! Last time, silky wool, this time a little denim-y number!
All this in a week with overtime! Okay – So just, do not expect a well dusted home… seriously.
Anyway, I am off to bed – have a good holiday weekend all!
