Keep your Fork...and your Spoon...and your Knife...

So, I have been busy, but this is really what I want to share today. I heard the following story in church once, and I loved it. I hope you like it too.

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal Illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order", she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important," the woman continued. " I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. "That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked.

"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor.

The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork'. It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?'.

Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork...the best is yet to come". The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming.

I found the story online here, so I copied it to share with you. It was one of the first things I thought of when I received my tiny knife, fork and spoon charms from CatChic on Etsy, as I planned what kind of knitting jewelry they would become. How cool to always be able to have your own silverware with you...especially with the holidays looming!

And, since I nearly always debut my new designs here, I really wanted to share the new counters I made yesterday with you all first! What d'you think?

Medium 20-row counters in the photos above and below.Small 20-row counter in the photo below.

So, save your fork, y'all! And knit in good health!

Another One Flies the Coop. . .

And another one's gone,
And another one's gone,
Another one flies the coop!

Hey!, It's gonna get to you,
Now you have an Empty Nest...

So, I knew they were movin' on out, one at a time, and I have bloggged about this before. I guess I did not think about them leaving in stages like this...it's a new level of out with each piece they take from my home, that used to be their home...sigh!

These are pictures of the latest load of Army Boy's things to leave our family's house. I am excited for the, "newlyweds" as they prepare to set up housekeeping on their own (finally, once said boy returns from the Scary Place)...and I am excited to have some reclaimed closet space, but I am also a little sad, like there are nerve endings in the "apron strings." You moms out there get what I am sayin', right? But, in the grand scheme of things, it is as it should be. ;-) And Wifey-Poo will be taking their stuff to the other state soon, and he will be "home," where his heart and his wife are, soon after that. And they will continue to build their lives together - Yay!

In Knitting Knews this week, I have finished Who?, the hat for our friend at the Coffee Shop, and I like how it turned out! I will wash it, and sew some little buttons on just one of the owls before presenting the gift, do you think he will like it? BTW, my model was my Dear Husband. However, said husband agreed to the photo shoot only on the condition that his face not show up anywhere online! lol! So here is the hat, sans Hubby!
The big project I am working on is Wallaby 2, for the sister in the brother-sister pair I mentioned in the last few posts! This one, being a mere size 4, is going MUCH more quickly than the size 8 in gray! It's a lot more fun in pink, though, so I am a little sad that it is going so fast.
Oh, well, when it is done, I can go back to my Cardigan!

Meanwhile, back in the shop, LOOK what I ordered from CatChic on Etsy! Aren't these the most adorable, tiny pieces of cutlery that you have ever seen? They are about 3/4" long, and there are even tiny spaces between the tines of the forks! Originally, I thought they might have just been stamped metal, and prepared myself that they would not look as good in person, but looky here! They look darn good. . .and I have a creative plan for including them in some holiday-themed knitting jewelry! Stay tuned to Pretty Knitty Jewelry to find out what they become!!!

Well, I guess that's about it for this post...except for patting myself on the back for posting on time this time! I mean, I try to post on Wednesday and Saturday, and today is Wednesday! Yay!

Oh, one more thing before I go...I haven't heard anything about what you all might like to win in a Pretty Knitty Contest. So, I will come up with something on my own, and the 6-month Bloggiversary Contest will begin later this month! In the meantime, my friend Dawn is running a CONTEST over on her blog. . .check out Dawn and her neat designs here!

Knit in Good Health!