Remember the Yarn!

It is Memorial Day weekend.

It is Saturday, of the Memorial Day weekend.

What happens each year on this very day???

WOOLAPALOOZA, Babyyy!

"X" marks the spot, at the Wayne County Fairgrounds, and that is where I will be, with Cleveland Knits West! Will I see you there?

Stay tuned for more exciting news, as I flash my stash sometime this week and share all the fun!

And thank you, Veterans and Active Duty Millitary! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Nowhere to Go but Up

Graduation. Completion. An ending.

Commencement. A new beginning.

So many graduates are starting their journey from school to life in these next few weeks. It happens every year, but it is not every year that I have a personal connection to the story. If we go back a few years, when my kids graduated high school and Dollface finished college, it was very personal. We celebrated, as you do. Looking back on those celebrations, I wish I had celebrated them more. 

If we go back just a few more years, to my own high school graduation (...ahem...yes, just a few), I did not feel like celebrating. I felt woefully unprepared, and I really did not look forward to the transition from student to adult. Truth be told, I was scared to death. I did not even want to attend my commencement...as if not attending would somehow free me from the obligation to transition. 

But my parents forced me, my cap and my gown into the car. In my teen angst, I went with a scowl on my face and a rebellious attitude. I believe there is one photograph somewhere, taken by the company that takes photos as you walk across the stage and sends a proof and a price list a few weeks later. I do not know where that photo is, and I am totally ok with that.  It was not a good photo.

Despite the lack of photo evidence, I believe that I have transitioned pretty well. I mean, it has taken roughly 33 years, but here I am...an adult, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, an aunt...somewhere along the way, I have grown up. Up was really my only choice, so there you have it.

This week, my nephew's wife graduates Nursing School with her Associate's Degree. We attended her pinning ceremony, 

with the anointing of her nursing hands, on Thursday;

and commencement today. I am as proud of her as I can be, and I am glad to share her joy! Thank you for inviting us to celebrate with you! 

Way to go, Kiddo! You worked hard, even when the circumstances of life did not cooperate. You kept going when life seemed to be working against you. You have overcome obstacles, and you continue to fight adversity as you celebrate this occasion without some loved ones that you desperately wanted to celebrate with.

Again I say that I am proud of you, Girl, and I am thankful that you have so many to celebrate with you still. Grandmothers,

Friends,

and even this guy, our nephew, your handsome husband.

In the new Mary Poppins movie, there is a song that I think describes your path...Nowhere to Go, But Up! That is where you are headed, dear Niece...up! Up to the next job, the next degree, the next chapter in your life...in your story! I am excited to see where the journey takes you. Hold on tight, and we will be right behind you.

Who else has a new beginning coming? Share your graduation, commencement and other new beginnings stories in the comments, friends! I know it can be scary to start a new thing, and bid farewell to the things that you know, but I also know you can do this. There is nowhere to go but up!

Thanks for stopping by, and now commence to Knit in Good Health!

Follow the Leader

Follow the yellow brick road?

Although I have never followed a yellow brick road, that is one of my favorite movies. And if I ever found myself in Oz, I would follow that road blindly, looking for new friends all along the way! Oh, and I would definitely bring this guy with me, just for effect, if he were available!

My granddog looks like Toto...lol!

In northeast Ohio, there are no yellow brick roads or horses of a different color or flying monkeys. Perhaps this is a good thing. But without a yellow brick road, what do I follow? Who do I follow? How do I know where I am going? 

You see, even with the best of intentions, I am kind of a champion at getting lost. You read that right...one of my super powers is getting lost, geographically speaking. I can get lost walking through a moderately sized building just as easily as if I were driving in a new city. Side bar: I do not drive to new places very often. I have enough adventure trying to get to the places I actually know...I am directionally challenged!

Just this morning, I needed to get from one side of town to another, and I cannot remember ever needing to get between these two destinations before...and I need to pick up donuts along the way. So, early in the day I fired up Google Maps, plugged in points A and B and printed the paper map. That's right, I printed it out on paper. In my anxiety, I do not trust Google to give me correct directions while I am driving or tell me where I need to turn in enough time that I might actually turn there. I also worry that all of the Internet will mysteriously crash before I am anywhere near my favorite donut shop, and I will never make it to the donuts or to my final destination.

In my affliction, I am thankful for GPS, even though I do not always place my full trust in it. Honestly, what I do not trust is me. I know in my head that the GPS will usually tell me what I need to know to get where I need to go. In my heart, I am afraid that I will get lost. I am afraid that I will not follow well.

This is not an unfounded fear. Directionally speaking, I have often not followed directions well. The same is true whether I am driving a car or driving my life. I know where I want to be, and I know where I should go, but sometimes I am just not sure how to get there. I need a leader!

Thankfully, I have one. I have the best leader for navigating my life in Jesus. Remember "What Would Jesus Do?" in the 80s and 90s? It is a great question for figuring out if my life is moving in the right direction, and I know that God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit will not steer me wrong. Even though I may find myself dealing with construction along the way, God will find a way to get me back on the right path. (Romans 8:28)

I know that God is the best leader because He knows everything, He is everywhere, and He has all the power. (Psalm 33:6)

I know that God leads me where I should go because He created me (Psalm 139:13-16), and Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be my guide. (John 16:7-8)

I know that God wants what is best for me because He loves me more than I can even imagine. (John 3:16)

So, there you have it. I may not always know where I am going, but God does. It may take  me longer if I do not follow the directions, but eventually I will get there. Along the way, there may be some adventure, but that only adds flavor to my life.

And today, on my journey from Point A to Point B, I made it just fine. Thank you, Jesus, for creating the brains that created GPS and printers.

Where are you going, friends? Wherever it might be, I hope you find Jesus along the way. Please do not follow me, if you know what is good for you!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

These guys followed Jesus too...

I Know a Place

Because I tend to write my blog post before my Saturday really starts, sometimes I post about last Saturday. This week is one of those weeks, because last Saturday was super-fun! Some of the girls in my local knitting group had planned to go on a field trip to a new-to-some-of-us yarn store, so of course I tagged along. After all, who can resist a sign like this one? It even has balloons!

As a bonus, it was Local Yarn Shop Day. I did not know this when I put my needles into the fabric of the field trip, but look! Commemorative stitch markers for LYSD 2019! (Of course I bought some...)

Cast On Yarn Studio is small, but mighty...

And there was a local designer from Heidi & Lana, selling patterns and markers and yarns! Oh, my! (Of course I bought some...)

As a matter of fact, we all gave in to the pull of the yarny goodness before we posed for this photo.

And how cute is this window display and awning? Gah! I want to go back again today!

All that cute and yarn made us pretty hungry, so we stopped into a local eatery for lunch, and a little knitting too. Woodstock, Babyyy!

It was so much fun! I wish I could go back!

Hey, Sweetie! You wanna go shopping this afternoon? I know a place...

Are you doing anything fun today, Friends? Whatever you might be up to, I hope you also have time for some knitting!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!