More decreasing

Haven't posted here in over three years and now my daughter has started her own blog!

Either this will get me motivated again... or it will give me even more excuse to just enjoy watching her.

So grateful for her!  And for an uninterrupted night's sleep, a day off and quiet knitting time.  I cast on Warren last night -- mostly, I think, because it gives me the illusion of autumn approaching.

Plucky Scholar in the lovely Churchmouse exclusive colorway "Mighty Madrona".  As close to fall as we're going to get any time soon.  I'll take it!

Gifts found in writing

Today's Joy Dare asks us to identify "three gifts found in writing".

It's only 10am and I can already list two.

One is a book I finished reading last night:  "A Song I Knew By Heart" by Bret Lott, who apparently lives in my town. (I am slow to catch on to things like that.)   He retells the story of Ruth and Naomi in a contemporary setting... and because I tend to be skeptical of "gimmicks", I borrowed the book from the library on Kindle.  But it turns out to be a lovely, complex, grace-filled story with the bonus of sometimes-beautifully-
described local detail.  (As I was reading his description of dusk over the marsh last night, I realized that I could look out my window and witness the exact thing, live.  Another gift!)

A second gift in writing is a poem one of my mom-friends, Donna Levine Gershon, has just published online:  "The Love Song of J. Alfred Proofreader."  As a wanna-be copyeditor genetically wired for proofreading, not to mention a complete non-fashion-maven, I thought it was a hoot.  And I marvel at Donna's skill.  I think my favorite lines are

I have known the eyes already, known them all:—
At the elevator,
Locking on my Chanel knockoff,
My Snickers bar,
My Duane Reade discount drugstore bag,
Sprawling on a pin
They know I got from the giveaway bin.

(Also, I am grateful that I could even understand/appreciate the reference to TS Eliot.  And maybe that's the third gift.  So here is the original "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"!)

Socks and rocks. And joyful artwork.

This morning I have some time off.  I pulled out the cuff of a second sock.  And I found a rock...

 I am considering the "Trust God" rock an unintentional gift from our sweet daughter.  (She has been using the happy whiskered cat as her logo lately.)  

Our kids often come home from children's worship with rocks.  Here is a sample from our pile:

I am taking the sock as a gift this morning, too, because it is teaching me to be patient with imperfection.  The yarn, Intention Yarns  fingering weight in the "Faith" colorway, is not my favorite to knit with  --- it is splitty and the fabric it produces feels a little scratchy.  But then there is the quote from Mother Teresa on the inside of the ballband:

"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls."  All from Him.

Somewhat unrelated...  a piece of joyful artwork from our little one.

Basketball is getting to be a "thing" over here!

Joy Dare

After nearly 2 years of not blogging... here goes again.

Thanks to my mom for the One Thousand Gifts book and to the recent study showing that blogging can be therapeutic for teenagers!!  (if it works for teenagers, it might work for immature adults too)

After reading Ann's book, I've started following her blog and taking the Joy Dare for 2012.

Today's first gift was supposed to be "found at 11:30 am" but it arrived a little early... the 7 year old forgot his book money for the school book fair, and as I logged into my email to let the school nurse/secretary/lifesaver know ... I found a message from her offering to lend him some!

I am still going to try to get myself over there in time for their class to go shopping (another gift: flexible work schedule!) 

I have no recent pictures to share at the moment, but knitting projects are all on Ravelry.  And that is enough for now... always, in fact, enough.

Monday morning throws a curve

Apparently I need further work in the area of selflessness.  (Or in the area of arranging my life more conveniently.)

Woke up nearly two hours ago with not one, but two tummy-aching feverish kids -- the smaller of whom insists on my sitting with him at all times.

Here I am on the couch in my jammies, no breakfast, no shower, wondering how fast I can get ready to take a quick run into work once Daddy is back from his morning workout -- and get back before he needs his own work time.  And how fast I would be able to move if an emergency arose at the hospital & I had to take the two sick ones in with me.

At least there is coffee!

Purse Dump Challenge

This is a crazy fun idea from Stacy Julian!

I am far from the world's most faithful blogger, but when she issues a challenge like this (and I just happen to be at home anyway, waiting for the piano tuner to finish before I go back to work)  --- why not?

Contents of my bag this morning:

• Pager  
• Two card cases  for all those cards (hidden beneath the pager)
• Office key & hospital ID on (splurge) Vera Bradley lanyard
• Knitting and associated paraphernalia (especially love the cheesy pen/measuring tape combo which is, unfortunately, hidden beneath the VB lanyard)
• Mesh bag trying to camouflage "necessities" inside
• Yay yay yay the recently acquired (big splurge) Kindle in its snazzy case
• Smarties in case of low blood sugar
• Camera
• Spiral notebook (& pencil partially hidden beneath knitting & ID/lanyard)
• BlackBerry and planner weren't in there at the moment, but they usually are (hence the big bag)

And now the piano is tuned & I can go back to work!

Nice break - thanks, Stacy.

New Year's Word

I am, as usual, a bit slow to catch on - but I love this idea  which appears to have originated somewhere back here.

Choose a word for the year.

My word is LISTEN.

To my husband, to my kids, to my friends & colleagues...  most of all to God.

John 10:2-4 (New International Version)

²The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. ³The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.