It's Been Everywhere, Man

On March 21st, I mailed a box to my son and granddaughter. There is a birthday gift (it's silly, not valuable) and a Taylor Swift inspired scarf (handknit, priceless) in the box. 

Let's say that the box is headed for somewhere in Kansas...which it still is, by the way. I realize that Kansas is far from Cleveland, and I probably didn't mail it early enough, but the original estimate of arrival was March 25...just 1 day late for the birthday. Oh, well.

Except for the fact that the actual travel itinerary for this box, priority mail and so far, has been Cleveland to Akron; Akron to St Louis, Missouri; St Louis to Kansas City, Kansas; Kansas City to destination? No, Kansas City back to Columbia, then St Louis, MO; St Louis to Hebron, Kentucky (!?What?!); Hebron to St Louis again; St Louis to Kansas City, KS again...and, although the estimate says that the box will be delivered today by 9pm, I am not confident. So, cross you fingers and say a prayer (if you are the praying kind) that the box will, in fact, arrive today.

I guess I have to laugh, although I am frustrated. This is a first for me, and it is more angering to watch it travel back-and-forth in my notifications... But maybe I should just be glad that this scarf has had an adventure? 20 years ago, I would have simply wondered where it had gone...today, I know a part of its story. Yes, it has had quite the adventure!

To keep calm, I have carried on with the knitting (shocker, right?!?), working on some giftie things. A few dish cloths, here and there, and gifts for a soon-to-be birthday boy! 

This guy will be 2 next month, and he loves Brown Bear, Brown Bear...can you start to see the characters in these blocks?

I've knit 4 bases in a week, and there are 9 animals, so I'm going to have to hustle to get them all done, but I think I am up to the task! 

Before I can keep knitting today, I'll need to get the bread and potatoes going for tomorrow's Easter dinner. Dough is currently rising, and I'll cook potatoes as soon as I sign off...

Whether you are observing a holiday or not, I hope that you are able to enjoy some time with family this weekend. I'm looking forward to celebrating that Jesus is alive with my family and church tomorrow! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Snowy Spring Saturday

Happy Spring, Northeast Ohio! Isn't it lovely that we woke up to a delicate blanket of SNOW this morning? Lol...

It is actually quite beautiful, with the only real hitch being the annual Easter Egg Hunt at church! Despite the white, the egg hunt went on as planned (mostly) with kiddos clamoring for their eggs indoors, rather than in the grass...and everyone had fun. Super yay!

And knitters everywhere in Northeast Ohio are taking up their needles for some cozy stitching to pass the time without getting muddy and cold. Add in a lovely cup of tea, and this weekend will not turn out half bad!

For me, there is also an upcoming birthday, with some grand toy-knitting planned, which makes for a cozy, knitting weekend indeed! Can you guess what I've got up my knitting sleeve? 

Also, it's just one week until we celebrate Easter, so this week will be busy at work. therefore, I'm going to take whatever down-time I can get this weekend...still relishing in a recently-finished project that will make Taylor Swift fans everywhere smile.

This tiny, cabled, baby cardigan is based on my favorite sweater pattern (available as a pattern generator at knittingfool.com), with the cable and twist elements added in. It took about 4 days to knit in fingering-weight cotton, and it's taking about 2 days to dry after its spa treatment (soak and block). Oh, cotton. You love water so...

So, there are socks on the needles, and surprises for the soon-to-be Birthday Boy (our youngest grandson turns TWO next month), and the weekend has provided the perfect weather for knitting. Are the planets aligned, or what?!? 

Tell me something that is going RIGHT for you today! I hope there's more than one thing, but even if things don't seem to be going your way, I hope you can find one good thing to celebrate on this cozy Saturday.

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

It's a Good Day!

Today is a good day. The sun is shining, spring-like temperatures are on the horizon, and I've already been productive as part of a church project making Peace Crosses for our community. (I'm not in any of the pictures, but I took them all, so that proves that I was there! If you were also there, thank you! It was only an hour, but the work was restorative and fun!)

Also, I've nearly finished the requested red and tan scarf, and now I mostly need to decide on fringe or not. I'm leaning toward not, as I'd probably have to buy more yarn for fringe...but the jury is still out. 

The socks are coming along. I've made a pretty significant error on the cuff of sock 2, but since these are purposefully "wonky" socks, I've just done a quick repair (that doesn't hide it at all), and moved on. We'll see if anyone ever gets close enough to my feet to find it. Might be bad news for them, if they choose to point it out...lol!

Got a LOT of pictures from the newly-minted teenager recently, as she just did a class trip and then had a birthday the next day! These girls just keep growing, and  I am excited to hug them in person on an upcoming visit we have scheduled!

And the boys are still keeping us on our toes! So active, and with the sun peeking out more and more, we are outside and moving with them as much as we can! My quiver is full of these joyful, young people, and there are days that I cannot get enough!

There are also days that I just need a nap, which means balance is the name of the game. I am getting over a fairly significant cough, so still taking it a bit easy as that abates. Have any of you parents and grandparents figured out that perfect balance? If you have, please send the formula! I want to do ALL THE THINGS, but there are simply not enough hours in my days...still, today is a good day. 

What are you up to today? Is the sun shining, or is this a cozy up with cocoa, a movie and some knitting today? Whatever you are up to, I hope that today is a good day for you, too!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Silly Pretty Knitty Gramma

Part of the challenge of being a knitting Gramma is finding the balance between connecting with the"kids these days" and just being me. Silly, pretty knitty me, who sometimes hears the eyes of the next generations rolling when they aren't even in the room! I'll give you an example: 

Silly, pretty knitty me finished a sweater this week, so I did a photo shoot (as you do, when you've just knit an awesome sweater like this Fall Frolic):

The shoot involved two locations, one fall (yes, I was jumping; no broken bones or bruises,  yay!)  and zero other humans. Just a knitter, her phone and a tripod...and about 200 resulting photos (some were very silly)!

Silly, pretty knitty me also loves to knit for her grandchildren, which can be a dangerous game. No knitter wants to think of her babies' babies crying to mom or dad, "But it's ugly and it itches!" So, it's important to ask before venturing into a big project.

Of course, asking brings its own challenges, to be sure. This morning, between ambushing Pop Pop on the couch,

and sneaking Mommy's cookies,

The 5-year-old told me (again) that he would like a Mario Smash Brothers sweater. "You know, like this, Gramma. I know you can knit it,  just like the game,  Gramma!"

This kid has faith in me, his silly, pretty knitty gramma...and I'm gonna give something a try here soon, I think. But first, I'm gonna have some fun with a pair of self-striping socks...

and there's a scarf promised to one of the faraway granddaughters, inspired by Taylor Swift, of course...

I guess being a silly, pretty knitty Gramma is pretty fun for this knitter, actually. It brings me so much joy to knit for them! 

What's bringing you joy today? Whatever it is, devour it and keep doing it. Life is short, so be sure to make the most of this (and every) day!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Cookies also bring me joy. 😊 

PS-For those who've asked, my father-in-law is in hospice care at home, and he is doing well. Your prayers and good thoughts are much appreciated. Thank you.   

Church Secretary R Me

I work in a church. Some people assume that, in order to work in a church, one must be a member of the church in which he or she works. This is not necessarily the case, but that is only a small part of what this post is about. Wait, this is gonna take a minute...have a cookie and settle in a bit.

I have worked in church offices for more than 20 years, and I am getting ready to celebrate 6 full years working at Avon United Methodist Church, where I was hired in April of 2018. I am a Christian, and I am thankful for this church, even though I have not placed membership. It started this way as I was recovering from a church relationship that had become less than ideal. 

(Side note: I was a member of that church for 20 years, secretary for 16 of those, and most of my relationships there were very good. Some things happened because people are people, wherever you go, and I needed a time to heal. Healing, as it turns out, is taking longer than expected, or maybe I am healed...the scars still hurt, though. Ahhh, people.)

Anyway, I love Jesus and his church, and I especially love the church office. Come to think of it, it could probably be any office (I have a somewhat peculiar fondness for paper clips, excel spreadsheets and friendly phone greetings), but I have settled well into the church office through the years. Especially when life outside the office throws me for a loop, I enjoy the flexibility of a job like mine, and I also appreciate the friendships developed with co-workers who also love Jesus.

Friendship with Christians can be like "Jesus with skin on," which is something I once heard a friend verbally long for. I know that Jesus loves me, just as the song says, but sometimes I need a hug...and Jesus just doesn't do that for anyone (as far as I know) in this lifetime. What he does do is send a friend when I need it most. 

Is it always the person I'd like to see? Not always, but often it is. 

Is it usually someone who will just hug me, without reminding me that I really need to find Jesus in the moment? Almost never, but I need the reminders. 

Is it sometimes a person that requires a little extra grace to smile at? Lol...would I even bring it up, if the answer were no?

But, here's the thing: Friendship with Christians is not perfect friendship, in the same way that there will never be a perfect church, on this side of Heaven. Why? Because people are people, wherever you go, and not one of them is perfect. 

Yet, God always sends someone, because he knows that I need someone. 

I need someone to listen while I verbally process. I need someone to remind me that I am not the only one going through whatever this mess might be. I need someone to love me in spite of my imperfection, and to remind me that I am never alone.

I need Jesus with skin on, represented by His followers who are doing their best, even though they (and I) will never be perfect. I've found that in my working and non-working relationships with the folks where I work, and also in relationships with Christians from a couple of other churches I attend regularly. As it turns out, I am not ready to place membership with any church until my scars heal a bit more, but I long for community in worship, discipleship and friendship. 

So, thank you to friends at AUMC, Southeast Christian Church, and all the churches who have provided me opportunity to worship, to study God's Word and to make friends in his name. You've been my Jesus with skin on in this life, and I am excited that we will be together in the next!

And thank YOU for reading! That was a heavy, but important post for me, especially as Easter approaches. Now it's time for something a little lighter, hey! Yarn is light! I think I'll knit a bit, 

...and enjoy some cookies. Want a cookie?

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

PS-If you don't know the story of Jesus, or want to know more about why He is so important to me, just drop a line. I've got so many more words than you see here!