Ellen Bass | As Kat Knits

Friday Finds | 9.15.23

by Kat | Sep 15, 2023 | Finds, General

Friends, we have reached the halfway point of September. I know, it makes me sad too!

I have some finds to share with you this week…so let’s get started!

First up, I really love Kym’s monthly activity share that she focuses on. I actually try and add them into my daily routine…sometimes successfully even! That’s right, I am very vested in my Squat-ember squatting and every time I engage in my daily squat I remind myself that this will make planting the plethora of bulbs the tiniest bit easier! That’s my story… and I am sticking to it (not that I think planting a plethora of bulbs will be easy… at all! HA!)

Anyways, this week NPR brought my attention back to Kym’s monthly activity focus with this intriguing article which led me down a very fascinating rabbit hole! I have been watching a little bit of Dan’s Live to 100: The Secrets of the Blue Zones on Netflix every evening and I have been enjoying it. (I especially love the gardening, the spending time on the floor, the eating… really, I think he talked to Kym before writing his book!) Anyways, if you are looking for something to watch instead of sports, I recommend this (you can watch an episode on the floor… easily! They are short and packed full of fun things!)

Some months ago I signed up for Ailbíona McLochlainn’s newsletter, Nuacht Cniotála (Knitting News) and have discovered a delightful peek into life in Ireland in a small making community. She lives on the Inishowen Peninsula and I am in love with everything she shares. If you are looking for knitting news that is not all knitting, not all selling… you might like to sign up for her newsletter as well. The peek into her community is delightful!

Recently, I also signed up for Ellen Bass‘ newsletter… and this week the first one showed up in my inbox! It is packed full of goodies… one of which is that she highlights poetry from her students. This one caught my attention… I don’t know about you, but I have had several classmates who have ~~walked~~ hiked the Camino de Santiago… and it was an undertaking! This little book of poetry sounds like a good way to experience it… without making the trek!!

And there you have my recent finds! Have a fantastic weekend and I will see you all back here next week!

Thursday’s Are For Poetry | 4.6.23

by Kat | Apr 6, 2023 | General, Poetry

Welcome to my favorite month of the entire year… National Poetry Month!

As usual… Kym, Bonny, Sarah, and myself will be sharing some poetry with you this month on Thursday’s.

Before I share my poem for today, I thought I’d give you some ideas of how you can add more poetry to your April days! You will find a treasure trove of resources here… including getting a Poem-A-Day emailed to you. This month they will all be curated by Ada Limón, Poet Laureate. Want more… you will find 30 ideas here to bring more poetry to your April!

Today, each of us will be sharing a poem around the idea of wonder… I read a good deal of poetry and considered a number of different poems, but ultimately I picked a poem by Ellen Bass. She is a favorite poet of mine… she is easy to read and her poems really hit home for me. This poem starts with Rilke (who I just can’t get enough of!) and from there, she shares the wonder of us… she makes it personal…intimate for the reader… me and you …in the most incredible way.

The World Has Need of You

by Ellen Bass

…everything here seems to need us…
—Rilke

I can hardly imagine it
as I walk to the lighthouse, feeling the ancient
prayer of my arms swinging
in counterpoint to my feet.
Here I am, suspended
between the sidewalk and twilight,
the sky dimming so fast it seems alive.
What if you felt the invisible
tug between you and everything?
A boy on a bicycle rides by,
his white shirt open, flaring
behind him like wings.
It’s a hard time to be human. We know too much
and too little. Does the breeze need us?
The cliffs? The gulls?
If you’ve managed to do one good thing,
the ocean doesn’t care.
But when Newton’s apple fell toward the earth,
the earth, ever so slightly, fell
toward the apple as well.