Another Covid Christmas?

Another Covid Christmas? Yep, that's right. We thought Covid would be over in 2021, but this virus will not give up. I know may that have been touched, both directly and indirectly, and 2021 has been a year of ups and downs. December has been a month of ups and downs. The cookie tree was an up, and it ranked high on the list of ups...even with the lights turned off! 

Wow, that was fun! 

But not many people got to see it after the knitters' party...the numbers kept going up this month.

The candy and cookie production was super fun, and Sweetie found the cutest containers for that Christmas candy!

But Covid took away some of the events for distribution, and about half of that is still on my countertop...just waiting for a safe opportunity to deliver it. 

The knitting was super fun, culminating with a rainbow elf for the 3-year-old!

But some of our joy was stolen when our son-in-law's brother passed away very unexpectedly on December 23rd.

To be sure, there has been much joy this December.

There has also been much grief. The past 12 months have taken a lot from us, including significant losses of loved ones and the comfort holiday traditions that just never materialized this year. 

So, while I'd like to end this year on a high note, I recognize that my high note may not be in the right here and now. Instead, my high note comes from the certainty that God is still good...even though we live in a broken world. With that knowledge in my grasp, I can continue on to 2022. 

How has your 2021 ended? I hope you are finishing up a great month, and that you and your family are enjoying health and happiness. But if 2021 has dealt you a bad hand, I hope that you will draw better cards for 2022. In either case, I pray that you will know the peace and joy of being loved, both now and forever. Love is the greatest gift of all. 

Thanks for stopping by this New Year's Eve! May you stay safe, finding joy, peace and love in 2022! Oh!, and Knit in Good Health!

2020 in Review

January was an exciting month, as we planned and enjoyed a trip to Israel with church friends! You saw the photos and heard the stories, and I promise I will not pull them out again right now...lol!

February was recovering from the flu, and wondering about this new virus.

March was watching the world shut down, and wondering what it would mean over the next few weeks, as well as starting to record video sermons. Schools closed before the end of the month, and so did many other things. Stay Home Ohio was a thing.

April was figuring out how to "do church" when the novel Coronavirus decided to celebrate Easter with us. This is when we started to see that it would be more than a few weeks of disruption. Baseball did not start on time, as mass gatherings were banned.

May, at the church where I work, was spent bringing Hope Crosses to our community...trying to provide some light in the darkness of the unknown. And we learned to Zoom.

June found us waiting again, hopeful that the heat of summer would destroy the virus, so our lives could go back to "normal," but we were quite disappointed. Still, I virtually attended a knitting retreat via Zoom...and it was super fun!

July brought a mask mandate to Ohio, and normal became new once again. We Zoomed meetings at work, Bible studies and knitting groups...and there were some small meetings outdoors. No hugs, but it was good to be face-to-face again.

August had us watching and wondering whether public and private schools and colleges would open in the fall. Some did, many did not. Professional sports had resumed, to a limited degree, and we were now wondering if school sports would be possible.

September was Back-to-School, but not "as usual." Some schools met online only, some in-person, some as a hybrid of the two. I honed my video-editing skills, and learned a lot of new technology. Oh, and a presidential election was on the horizon. What will that look like? Learning to Live Stream was the next big thing!

October brought Pop Pop and me a new grandson, and we celebrated life! We also wondered what tricks-and-treats would look like. Our main goal was staying healthy so we could keep seeing our family, we had our "bubble" figured out.

November's election, as you might imagine, was heated and weird. Mailed in ballots. Early voting. Polling places open on election day, and a spike in the virus about two weeks later. Then Thanksgiving. 

December kept the virus numbers high, as people kept getting together for holidays. (No judgement here...not seeing the ones we love is so very difficult!) Then Christmas and New Years...I expect to see another spike in a week or two. We will deal with that when it comes. 

Through it all, I've lost several dear-to-me friends and family members. People got married. Weddings and funerals and church and school were live streamed, and everything is a little more strange in 2020. Grieving and celebrating via Zoom, over the phone, in texts...so very strange. But we still connect. And I still knit. 

I've knit sweaters, hats, gloves, toys, ornaments, socks...so there's my normal. Just keep swimming...err, knitting...is keeping me going. When I get tired, I try to rest. When I don't know, I Google. When I think I can't, I ask for help. When I learn a new thing, I celebrate. 

While I know that 2021 will not bring an instant fix to any of it, I do look forward to another fresh start. I plan to cast on something new tomorrow, something hopeful and fun, and I plan to Knit in Good Health. I hope you will join me!

In the new year, I wish you this:

May all your yarn be untangled. 

May your needles and stitch markers always be close at hand. 

May you find just the right pattern and supplies, at the same time, most of the time this year. 

Happy New Year, friends!

Frantically Fall

This week has been hectic and busy and all the things! It has still been good, but it has had its moments, to  be sure. I think Frantic is a really good word, and I am glad that Saturday is here.

Today, I will be spending the day with my daughter and her family. It's another great day for walking in the park, checking out the kite flyers in the field and throwing rocks in the water...which is hilarious, by the way!

Frantic Fall has brought me many new challenges, like learning how to livestream for the church I work with. We streamed our first event yesterday, and it went pretty well! 

Since we are getting ready to start meeting in person again, this is big stuff, and it is fun to learn. I only wish there were more hours in the day! But we have a good team, and we are figuring it out. :) 

Socktober keeps moving on, and I am a little more than halfway through the second sock of pair three for the month...which is a LOT of socks to knit in a month for me!

These cat-approved Prairie Spring Socks in Destination Yarn (Downtown Holiday Lights is the colorway) will likely be my last for this month, then I am on to holiday knits and one commissioned piece. More about that when I cast on... For now, I will just keep knitting, drinking coffee and learning new things about online technology. You know I love technology (when it works)!

One of the things I love about technology is the ability to connect with people, especially during season of pandemic, when face-to-face is a little more difficult than usual. I have actually found flocks of new friends via group texts (usually started by a mutual friend) and random Zoom meetings with groups I have "known" in online forums for years!

Over the past few months, we have celebrated new babies, new beginnings, and some sad losses too. We have supported one another through kind words and deeds, and I even received a gift from the "leader" of my "Work From Homies" text group, because...you know, Coffee IS my spirit animal!

Thank you, Mary. Thank you to all of you online and around the country (even the world) who have joined into my community and fostered connection in this time of isolation! And thank you, blog readers, for being in my online circle by reading and commenting. I look forward to the day we can schedule in-person meetings with less anxiety, and maybe give a handshake or a hug in celebration of our sweet survival skills!

How are you all getting through? Are you joining virtual groups, or enjoying your 10 or less "bubble" groups in person? Have you learned a handcraft or taken up some other hobby? If you are still looking for that thing that will help you center your thoughts and emotions and help you survive the stress, may I suggest knitting? I know it is something I look forward to every day. Knitting, for me, is an escape from the anxious thoughts and feelings, and also a welcome (though temporary) distraction from the hard things I have to, but don't necessarily want to do. 

Whatever your thing is, I pray that you will enjoy it in good health, and I thank you for stopping by today. As for me, I'll just be over here, enjoying my family and Knitting in Good Health!

What Are You Wearing?

I usually try to keep my nose clean, but today I'll just keep it covered.

Face masks. Do you wear them in public? I generally have for the past few months, and as of yesterday, they are required where I live. I'm in a Level 3 county now.

There is so much research about face masks and the general public, and let’s face it, most of us are not wearing our masks the way we would if we could see the zombie spores in the air around us. But our aim in wearing a mask is not to avoid zombie spores. Our aim at this time is to avoid spreading a germ we cannot see, feel or smell, even if we have it.

I wear a mask to protect you from my germs, even though I do not feel sick. I know that my mask does not protect me from your germs, but science tells us that if we both wear masks covering mouth and nose, fewer germs are out there. I wear a mask in the indoor spaces where I will likely encounter other people, whether they wear masks or not. It is not any kind of statement, it is one person caring about other people and not wanting to share droplets.

Wearing a mask is not enjoyable, but I believe that it shows love, though it may make you or me uncomfortable. Every minute that I wear a mask, I fight my glasses fogging up and I feel a little like I am stuck inside my own face. It causes me anxiety to have the fog impeding my vision; to feel my own hot breath coming back into my nose; to feel like I have to try harder for oxygen...and in all honesty, I whip that puppy off as fast as I can once I get outside and away from people again.

I guess, for me, wearing a mask is a little like sharing my faith. 

• Both are hard to do sometimes, but totally within my power.
• I don't have to do either, but I believe that others may benefit when I do, even if it makes one or both of us uncomfortable for a time.
• I do both to help myself follow the "love one another" commandment, like Jesus asked his followers to do. (John 13:34)

The church I attend will start meeting in person soon, and when you see me indoors there, I will be wearing a mask. Whether you agree with me on the mask issue (or any issue) or not, I hope that we can continue to love one another and live in peace together.

Wherever you are in this debate, I pray that you are well, and that you are feeling the love of the Lord in your life. If you are not, and you are looking for more information, just ask me. I’ll be glad to chat and/or to point you in the direction of a Bible-based church service you can check out this Sunday. Here’s a link to the online sermon video premiere I will be hosting for the Methodist church I work with: 2020-07-12 Treasures and Pearls

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Choose Love

Well, this has been quite a few weeks, has it not? I have not said much about the most recent tragic events in our nation. I  have said a bit about my experience during the pandemic, and I have spoken to friends about masks and quarantine and going (or not going) to the store....but the rest of it has been so overwhelming to me. I have chosen to step back, post less and knit more for now.

I believe that the kindest reaction is usually "be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,"* and sometimes I succeed at this. Sometimes I do not, because I am human, and I am always sorry when I say or do something careless in my haste. If I have, or if I ever do say something in haste, something careless that hurts your feelings because of my own ignorance...well, I hope that you will let me know so I can apologize and learn from my mistakes.

My motivation is usually love. Why? Because when the Pharisees asked Jesus, "What is the greatest commandment?,"

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."**

Since I started following Jesus, I have found that I love others best when I think before I speak and act, and when I choose my words carefully. Is it true? Is it loving? Is it helpful? Is it necessary? 

This week, on social media, I have watched some friends share posts without fact-checking. I have seen thoughtful response posts aimed at raising awareness. There has been encouragement to use a certain hashtag, then to use an alternative hashtag, and finally caution about either of the hashtags. The only right thing for me to do is to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

In response to my "How're ya doin'?" yesterday, a friend texted her frustration that bad seems to be winning...which breaks my heart, but I totally see where she's coming from. Bad looks like it is winning, in so many arenas lately. 

Our world is broken in so many ways.

But God sees. God hears. God is not silent nor absent. He is letting the world see what happens when whole societies turn their backs on his love. He is waiting for us to see it.

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The only solution I see is that Greatest Commandment. Love God. Love others. I mean really love others. Do not pass quick judgement. Extend grace, even when others do not. Check the facts on a story before you post it...before you like it...before you share it...before you say or write angry words about it. Listen carefully. Take a breath and think about it. Consider what it would look like if you were the one at the center of it. Only then, if you have something you absolutely have to say, say it as gently as you can. Change starts when we all learn to love well.

One more note: Loving your neighbor is a peaceful thing to do. Loving one another never involves rioting or the destruction of property or people. Love and justified anger (let's face it, there is much to be angry about) can coexist in this broken world, as long as anger is not permitted to destroy it.

Anger expressed incorrectly tears down quickly. Love builds up. Choose love.

Thanks for stopping by. Knit in Good Health and share the love.

*James 1:19

**Matthew 22:37-40

Quarantine Knitting - Barbie Edition

Part 1?

I am not sure if this is a multi-part blog series yet, but as I mentioned in my last post, I am thankful for the knitting as we slog through the stay-at-home orders in our state. Even with some of the restrictions lifting this month, people getting back to work and businesses opening, my life will not change much. There will be much time at home (after work for me, I am also thankful for my job!), so there will likely also be much more knitting.

I can tell that it is starting to get to me, though. Even when I knit, I have trouble concentrating. It reminds me of a Netflix movie I saw last week, called The Willoughbys. It's an animated story of a family that has trouble getting along, and the mother knits. There is not much else to redeem her character, but she knits like a fiend. As a matter of fact, when stress levels rise, she is often heard shouting to her husband (back of hand to the head in total drama), "I can't knit!!!" By the way, if you haven't seen it, and you can find it, check it out...I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Because of my occasional inability to focus, I have started taking on smaller projects. Specifically, I have been knitting Barbie clothes. I'm not sure if she is happy about that or not, her plastic expression never really seems to change...but I am pleased with how they are turning out!

Well, I am pleased when I finish and they fit. Thankfully, old Barb is not bingeing nearly as much as I am (on food, or anything really), so her size is pretty constant. The way I figure it, until I start knitting ridiculous things like doll panties and socks, I am probably ok. 

Wait. I just remembered these. Send help.

At least send ideas for other knitting, if you have any! Perhaps someone could get pregnant so I can knit baby sweaters??? I dunno...just sayin'.

In any case, we really are fine around here, and the knit goes on. How are you holding up this week? What are you knitting, my knitting friends? Whatever it is, I hope that it brings you joy! Life is too short to not knit what you love!

Thanks for stopping by, stay healthy, wear your mask and Knit in Good Health!

Inny or Outy?

This is the weekend we have waited for! The springtime Knitters' Weekend at Lakeside! I covered myself way ahead of time for both work and church duties...it is going to be the first time I can stay from beginning to end and not miss any of the shenanigans! 

So, you see, coronavirus is clearly my fault. 

Isn't there some saying about "best laid plans" and "impending doom?" I mean, that might not be exactly what the quote is, but it feels that way today...waking up in my own house...having breakfast alone in the front room, and not in the bright kitchen of the lake house...knitting all by myself until my hubby wakes up and takes his place in the other room with his coffee.

For what it's worth, we are not socially distancing from one another, he just likes his own space. As a matter of fact, he kinda digs social distancing in an "everyone is finally just getting out of my way!" kind of way. Yes, the introverts are doing mostly ok.

Introverts who live with extroverts? Yeah. Pray for them. Pray for them a lot!

I know there are lots of posts all over social media about "A List of Things I've Learned by Staying Home," but I have my own list. Like, I think the cats, or at least Black Cat is actively stalking me. I mean, she may have been doing this all along, but today she is just lurking around every corner...

I am pretty sure she was planning to take advantage of my hands being full of clean laundry to knock me down the stairs this morning, until she saw the camera. 

Even cats don't want to leave behind photo evidence.  Look at the "innocence" in her eyes as she lurks behind me even now...

I foiled her plans on the steps...which is good, because there were cookies in the oven.

Yes, it was 10am, and there were cookies in the oven. By 10:15 I had eaten three. 

I wonder...if I bake all of the cookies (I usually freeze some of the dough), will any last until Sunday? I suppose it doesn't matter. I should fit into my stretchy pants for at least the next 20 or 30 pounds...and with April snow, the extra "fluff" is good for insulation, sooooo Cookie Me!

At least I have the knitting. I have finished three bunnies, a couple of sweaters, three gnomes and two pair of socks...

Thankfully, I am nowhere near running out of yarn, but I did manage to do a teensy bit of online shopping last night...and there was yarn involved. Please don't judge...I have a gnome for that.

So, friends, how are you holding up? Are you an "inny" (Introvert: I kinda like staying away from people anyway; I'll stay in, no problem.) or an "outy" (Extrovert: I WILL HUG THE STUFFING OUT OF ALL OF YOU WHEN THIS IS OVER! I MISS MY PEOPLE!!!) in all of this, and what are you doing to cope? 

If you are looking for a hobby, yarn and needles are available online, and there are learn-to-knit classes all over YouTube! Whatever you do to cope, I hope that you are coping well, and remember that it is a good time to relive your teen years by talking on the phone for hours. 

Thanks for stopping by, from the comfort of your home, and Knit in Good Health!

If I Knew You Were Coming...

Remember the old song that goes, "If I knew you were coming, I'd've baked a cake..."? Well, this song has been on my mind ever since my birthday, 10 days ago. I had intended to bake myself a cake, but I never really got the chance.

Fast forward to yesterday, while I was video chatting with my granddaughter, who suddenly burst into tears. "Why are you so sad?," asked the Grandma.

"Because I'm just sooooo hungry!," she answered through her tears. Yeah, we have all been there, kiddo, but it still broke my heart!

Once we talked through the solution to that particular problem, I joined her in the dining room for a snack, virtually of course.

Later, texting with Mommy, I learned that my extroverted Sweet Pea is having a really hard time not being able to go to school, play with friends or visit grandparents in person. It is really wearing on her...and on her Grandma too, to tell the truth.

This morning, I messaged Mommy when I had an idea. "Let's bake a cake together!" Mommy said they would have what they needed, so I set up the phone to video chat from the pouf of dry cake mix into the bowl to the final flourish of frosting! 

(We did take a 2-hour break to bake and cool our cakes.) At the end of the call, Sweet Pea announced that their cake would be an Easter cake, and we should have a group chat for Easter!

We know they are coming (virtually anyhow), so we baked a cake! Yay!

I am so glad that we did this! It was such fun, and now we all have cake for Easter tomorrow. The group chat with everyone is set up (Sweet Pea added Dollface, Pop Pop, and Gramma to her group as soon as we hung up). Hmmm, I wonder if Dollface has dessert?

These times have forced us to be creative in our care for one another, have they not? I cannot say that I am a fan of Stay-at-Home/Shelter-in-Place orders and social distancing, or the virus that has made these measures necessary, but I am so glad that we have the technology to still connect. 

Easter is coming, and I am looking forward to celebrating the Resurrection! If you have ever considered church but were too nervous to step into that building, you have a golden opportunity right now, my friends! You can attend multiple churches from the comfort of your living room, at a time that is convenient for you on the biggest holiday of the Christian calendar this weekend! Check the end of this post for some links.

Now off I go to knit on something to help me keep my mind off my birthday/Easter cake until tomorrow! If you "go" to church tomorrow, I would love to hear which one you went to and what you loved about it!

Thanks for stopping by, Knit in Good Health, and HAPPY EASTER!!!

As a bonus, I made homemade
buttercream...soooo yummy!

Links to three churches:

Avon United Methodist Church (where I work)

Christ Church (where I attend)

White Flag Christian Church (in St. Louis, I know the pastor)