After a week of Tulip Time Hell, having the breakfast with the Sunshine’s of my life on Sunday was the most amazing ending to one very long week.
I leave you with a bit of the sunshine they left in my life for the week.
Thank you Heidi and Sam, I love you both so much!
It has been quite a year here at Casa del KatKnits. I have come through mostly unscathed and I am reluctant to complain – especially when I see friends who have had much greater trials who utter not a word of discontent. The lesson of their quiet fortitude is one that I need much practice on!
I am however looking forward to the start of a New Year, with great anticipation.
However, I feel that a bit of a recap is in order … sort of a what’s what in the of the Year of the Kat.
It all began with me moving into a new place to live. A nice change. No flooding in the lower level was a vast improvement. The more cost efficient payment was a bonus as well.
I made the transition from being a “day” person to working nights. Not an easy feat for a person who was up without an alarm clock at 5AM for years. This taught me that I can truly do anything, a good lesson to have learned. More on the job later in the post.
I managed to find some time during the year to work on improving my craft – I acquired a loom or two and have found that I love weaving. I also did some spinning that won some awards at the local fiber festival. And, as for knitting – I have discovered the joy of knitting with yarn that I have made. A true joy indeed and this has given me a renewed interest in spinning There is just something wonderfully indulgent about putting socks on that you have spun and knit. It was a year of selfish knitting though, and my knitted wardrobe has increased nicely.
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?
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!
So, I had orientation for school today and when I left there I headed over to pick up my text book.
Why?
Because I have 5 chapters to read by class time on Monday. Yes – you read that right, 5 chapters!
We can say good bye to knitting this weekend… it was nice while it lasted!!
So, I am now armed with my “scrubs” for my clinicals, a stethoscope and a blood pressure cuff, and my text book. I have gotten as far as rectal temperature taking – I needed a break and my kids did not want me to practice on them!! Even after I reminded them I had done this to them before…
Yes, you can imagine the reaction that got around here!!!!! Ahhh, motherly revenge is so amazing!! The power!!
Well… they deserved a bit of motherly revenge for their behavior and attitudes lately. Teenagers!
There have been many a time when my mind goes back to a lovely presentation that I had the privilege to attend when my children were very small. The speaker was a wise woman with a great amount of sage advice. I remember her talking about a time when her husband was traveling and she had a colicky baby that would not stop crying. In utter desperation, she laid the screaming baby safely in it’s bed and went and laid on her bed, crying herself. The only words she could find to utter were from the Kyrie. Truly simple and beautiful words – Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. She said when she was at her wits end, these words helped.
I was so fortunate to not have colicky babies – but, I do have teenagers with an advanced case of teenage-itis.
Those words have become my mantra some days!
And, today was one of them!!
Heidi sent me a text message this afternoon – a very interesting text message. “I need to talk to you about signing something. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox” (the number of x’s and o’s sent off warning bells… )
So, she shows up after school with this instruction from her ‘boyfriend’. You need to type something up that says you give permission for me to date him – he turned 18 today.
Silly kids, Heidi is 17 – not 16. Hmmm, the plans they concoct huh?
Needless to say I did not sign anything…. And, Heidi is not speaking to me.
Teenagers – Lord have mercy on me!
