A Slog, a Sock and a Story

Welcome to my week. This one's been a bit of a slog, and I'm feeling less "on top of the world" and more "flattened beneath a steamroller" than usual. I'm sure you've had that kind of a week at some point. 

I've been making mistakes, at home and in my knitting, and feeling a bit under the weather, yes...very sloggy indeed. The week started well, coming on the heels of a Knitters' Weekend near the lake,  with all the food (maybe I'm sloggy from being too full? nahhhh...)

All the friends and fun I could hope for...

Oh, and the knitting! Sock knitting (heck! all knitting) is blissful on a knitters' weekend! 

Then there's Monday. Monday, Monday...which leads to Tuesday...which is good. By Tuesday, I really needed a dose of silly to lift my spirits. These brothers and their parents are good at that! 

By the way, take some time with that photo...it tells a story. It's a funny story to many, but notsomuch to the biggest brother! But he got through it, soooo, whew! 

Then we were on to the rest of the week, which was no more cooperative than Monday. But today is Saturday, and I'm taking it easy... because sometimes I've just got to stop and breathe...in through the nose, out through the mouth...that's better. Maybe some knitting, too.

Yes, I'm looking forward to a better week ahead! I'm not sure what your week was like, but here's hoping that the next seven days bring you more laughter than pain. If that's not how it lines up for you, remember you're not alone. We've all been there. And if you need a bright spot to help get you through, here are some neutral, knitted gnomes getting ready for the brighter days of summer. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Snow A-Plenty

Well, they said it would happen. We know that living in Northeast Ohio pretty much guarantees that we will see snow in winter, so we were prepared, pretty much planning to just stay home on Thursday. Still, when Wednesday wandered in, I wondered if the predicted snow had been blown out of proportion, as it sometimes is.

But I had a significant project to work on, and that kept my mind off the snow. Access to almost endless hot cocoa, paired with mindless garter stitches, kept me calm and carefree as the snow approached.

And even though it was calm and cozy inside from sunrise (top) to sunset (bottom),

the predicted snow came. It came, and it kept coming,

and coming, 

and coming, 

and coming!

We even got a little fresh powder overnight last night! It sure is pretty out there!

So pretty, and so cold! Good thing I have a fresh shipment of yarn, in all the colors, to keep me busy indoors! 

How are you staying warm today? If you are Pat and Don, you are just living your life...in Florida! (Hi Pat and Don!) But for those of you who live a little more north, like me, I hope you have yarn and warm treats to keep you toasty and occupied!

Before I go, may I share a bit of wisdom from a friend? Franklin posted this as part of a longer post, and I see so much wisdom in it that I wanted to pass it along (with his permission, of course): 

"Let people enjoy their moments of happiness, y'all. Let them have their little victories.

If they don't ask for notes, don't give them any. Don't suggest how they can do it better next time. Just let them have the moment." 

I share this, having been on both the advice giving and receiving end of those notes. I tend to always think that my advice is helpful...but when I get unsolicited, "helpful and corrective" advice after achieving a small victory, that's just annoying. I'm going to try hard to be better at not giving advice like that, and I am NOT going to tell you the best way to shovel your driveway, or knit your sweater, or cook your dinner today. I'm just going to be glad that you've cleared the drive for my visit, so we can knit and break bread together, and I hope that you will do the same. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

PS - Franklin and I are social media friends only. He lives faraway, I've never known him in a face-to-face way, and I am sure our opinions differ on many things. Still, I like him a bunch, and I think he is one cool cat! As with many of my online friends, I am glad that we are friends, even though I can't call him to borrow a cup of sugar. Shipping that sugar would surely be cost prohibitive anyway!

Knit Together

Well, friends, I have started this blog-year pretty slowly. I've been a little sick since New Year's Eve, so I've taken everything a little slower, and I'm keeping to myself a little more than usual. But, rest assured that I am still knitting!

I've recently finished a baby blanket for a friend's foster child, and it's a pattern that I've wanted to try for some time: 10 Stitch Blanket I'm pretty sure most people use a lighter yarn for this pattern, but I needed this one done quick! I used two wheels of Lion Brand Mandela. 

Overall, I really like how it turned out! The thing I love the most is how each piece of the blanket looks the same and a little different. That's the beauty of this one, designed for variegated and gradient yarns, knit all together in one piece! This is my favorite corner:

I'll never be able to recreate this blanket, it is unique, just like each little angel that I've ever knit for. It has been made on purpose and with a plan, the same as every person I've ever known, I hope it serves as a reminder of God's love for this little one as he grows.

What kinds of things remind you of God's love? Even though the world we live in can be unpredictable, harsh and difficult, God's love is constant, fierce and perfect...and there are beautiful reminders all around us. Keep your eyes, ears and heart open, and let me know where you find it.

Until next time, I'll be over here on my sofa, recovering and knitting amd taking things slow. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

From Psalm 139:13-14

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

Choose Happy (when you can...)

Because you can't always Choose Happy. 

Sometimes happy is not in the picture for a bit, and that's ok. Sometimes you don't get a choice, and the emotion of the day is sad...or angry...or anxious...or whatever. It's ok. Let yourself feel it. Rather than slapping on a smile and pretending, give yourself some time to do what you need to do to get through it.

What?!? Is that what YOU always do, Pretty?

Well, first of all, that was a fairly accusatory tone. Secondly, ouch. No. That is not what I always do. I'd sure like to do that more often...but I am far from perfect, and I know it.

Pretty is queen of slapping on a happy face and pretending that all is well in the Pretty World. It is a coping mechanism, as much as any other. I can fake it 'till I make it to happy, right? Sometimes, but not always...and that's not the healthiest way to approach those icky emoticons. 

What I should do instead (at least according to just about everything I've read about emotional health) is 1. acknowledge what I feel, 2. allow myself to feel it, and then 3. figure out how to move forward, even though it feels really bad sometimes. 

Sometimes moving forward means slapping on a happy face and just doing the next right thing...but sometimes it means taking a nap, or a break (preferably with a cup of tea and some knitting).

A shawl I have recently knit.

Sometimes moving forward means having an occasionally difficult conversation, or an easy talk, with a friend or family member. 

Sometimes moving forward means having an ugly cry. 

Most of the time, for me anyway, moving forward means finding a way to get outside myself and do something for someone else...perhaps even for the person who is at the center of whatever emotional outburst I happen to be in the middle of. 

During 2021, I had lots of opportunities to do this well. During 2021, I did not always take those opportunities. I will try to do better in 2022.

Will you join me? I can teach you to knit along the way, you know, if you're into that kind of thing. If not, I can just stand with you as we do our best to Choose Happy...when we can. 

Thanks for stopping by. Knit in Good Health, and Happy New Year!

Remembering

It is Memorial Day weekend. I have the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend blocked out on my calendar every year, as it has been since 2009, for Woolapalooza (aka The Great Lakes Fiber Show). This year, like so many other things in the last 10 weeks, the event has been cancelled. 

Today there will be no carpooling to Wooster, no group trips to sketchy, fairground bathrooms and no trudging through a wet parking lawn. No shopping until we drop...no fondling yarn from a truck or our favorite dyers. No fair food with friends or sitting in a circle in the sun to knit and share lunch while we decide which booths and stands we "absolutely have to go back to."

Yes, today is a sad day in my knitting community.

Today is sad to me for another reason too. 

My dear church community bid farewell this afternoon to a brother who has gone home to the Lord far too soon for our liking. We wished the family well from afar at a Drive-In Funeral Service, and we celebrated the life of a man who loved people well. I will miss him, and our chats in the office and the barn, and I will pray for his family's comfort and peace as they process their grief and loss. I will always remember Jim fondly.

On Memorial Day, we also remember those who gave their lives for our freedom. This year, and for many years to come I think, we will also remember how it felt to lose a bit of that freedom to pandemic fear that brought changes to most of the world...wash your hands, use sanitizer, stay at home, wear a mask, follow the arrows at the grocery store, no hugs or handshakes, stay away from people. Yes, we are living a different life right now.

But please remember... 

We are still free to express our beliefs openly. Even if our church/organization is not ready (or we are not ready) to gather in large numbers for corporate worship/socializing, every member of our community is free to hold and speak plainly his/her opinions.

We are still free to love each other well. Even while we are observing more physical distancing (not hugging friends that we meet and extended family members who do not live with us) we can be generous with kind words and smiles from behind our masks.

We are still free to be who we are. Even when we cannot gather in-person with like-minded friends in groups larger than 10 (or 50, or 100) to socialize or shop or celebrate, we can use our phones to talk, text, video chat, zoom and email with all of our personality all over the place.

We are even still free to disagree. I know that you and I will never agree on everything, and that is ok. But we can still respect each other and be kind when we do disagree, and though we may never be "besties," we can certainly exist together in peace.

So, let us remember to be kind, friends. Life is short, shorter for some than for others, as I was reminded again this week. Live and love well while you are here, and think about what happens when you are not. None of us knows for sure when that last breath will come.

Thank you Jim, for a life well lived, in service to your Savior. We could all learn a lesson from a life like yours, even if it was too short. 

Sorry if my post is not as cheery as usual, friends. I am still finding great joy in the Lord (and in a little yarn therapy), but today I am just going to let myself feel the grief for awhile. I will also knit.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope that you will also find joy and Knit in Good Health.

An Open Letter to a Friend...

A friend moved away this week, and although we do not tag one another as BFFs on social media, I will miss her. However, I am excited for the plans God has for her next season, and I am glad that she will be living closer to some of  her precious grandchildren! This is my open letter to Debby, and to so many of the women in my life with whom I have shared a season or more...even though we may have parted ways eventually:

It's always hard when friends move away, and I hate super-teary good-byes, but that doesn't mean I won't miss you. I will. Even though we have not spent vast amounts of one-on-one time together over the years, you have been a great influence on my life. Thank you.

Thank you for welcoming me warmly when I was new, for helping me to find my place in rooms full of women I didn't know...yet.

Thank you for the gift of your laughter. I love the way you enjoy life with all your heart.

Thank you for agreeing (after your husband agreed, maybe without telling you first) to keep my gangly and awkward pre-teens for a weekend while my hubby and I went on a Jr/Sr Hi retreat as sponsors. 

Thank you for doing this multiple years...in a row.

Thank you for including the beagle as one of the kids, almost every time...even though she ate everything at your house...even non-beagle-food items.

Thank you for your smile, and for sharing it often. 

Thank you for being a Proverbs 31 woman, and for living out Titus 2, training younger women (myself included) "to love their husbands and their children, to be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands" through both your words and your own example as a wife.

Thank you for making it all look easy, but also being willing to admit that you aren't perfect and that you have struggles too. 

Thank you for your encouragement when I had difficult times. 

Thank you for loving me, and for being here, for such a long and wonderful season.

Now that the time has come for you to share your beautiful self with a new group of friends in a new town, I pray that God will continue to bless you richly, providing for your every need as he always has. I know that he is already at work preparing to bless another crop of friends through your heart and hands and feet.

Be Well. You are loved. Thank you.

Love always,
Pretty

Remembering Tim

When I wrote my last post, on Wednesday morning, my pastor was dying. I got the notice that he had passed just before 6pm that same day, and I grieved...and I rejoiced for his entrance to heaven. His funeral was this morning, and my head and my heart have been home to a flurry of emotions for this entire week. I could write that all down again, but instead, I'd like to write down some of the things I will remember about Tim.

I remember the way his eyes danced when he spoke to a child, and I imagine that his eyes are dancing in Heaven, and all the children who have passed before him are clamoring around him to catch the sparkle in those eyes. 

I remember the shake of his shoulders when he laughed. It took a LOT to get a guffaw from him, but I imagine that he throws back his head now, his mouth wide open with laughter in Heaven. 

I remember that he loved to sing, and I'm a little bit sad that I will not hear his voice again here. But I know that the angels are rounding out his rich baritone as they praise God together now.

I remember the gentle way he corrected me when I needed to improve in the office, always quietly encouraging me to be better. 

I remember that he was NEVER too busy to hear me out when I had something to say, even when I was being silly about things. He listened without rushing me, and he prayed for my requests in such a beautiful way.

I remember the first year I was secretary at my church. I was hired in early April of the year 2000. He and Paul, our Youth Minister at the time, took me out for Secretary's Day that same month...he didn't even know if I was a good secretary yet! Still, he took that opportunity to invest in me, and I was encouraged.

I remember him standing before my son and daughter-in-law on their wedding day, blessing them with his knowledge, humor and love, and entrusting their relationship to the Lord. 

I remember him sharing pictures of his grandkids, one-by-one, and the way his eyes shone with love for them. Then, when I had grandkids, he looked at my photos too, his eyes shining just as much. 

I remember him making low-carb pizza in the toaster oven at church, with a melted cheese crust, that was often burned and pretty smelly!

But most of all, I remember his steadfast love for the Lord, and his great faith. He had faith that could move mountains, and it did. It moved mountains of disbelief in the hearts of many who claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior today...I've simply lost count of how many he has brought to Christ in just the past 15 years that I've been his secretary. What a wonderful legacy!

I'm not finished grieving, and I may not be finished for some time. Yesterday, I went into his very quiet office, and I just sat in "my" chair, the chair I would often sink into just before I would look at him, behind his desk, and ask, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I spoke not a word, but tried to remember the last conversation we had had in that office...I don't know what it was about. He has been out of the office for the past few weeks, and I can't remember our last conversation...but that's not important. The important thing for me to remember is that Tim lived his life according to the Book, doing his best to live the love of Christ in all that he did. 

Wouldn't the world be a lovely place if we all lived like that? 

See you soon, Chief. See you soon.

Knitting with a Heavy Heart

Knitting a prayer shawl and mourning with a friend today. She has lost her son. I have no words, but I have knitting. I will knit for her, I will cry with her, and I will pray. It feels like so little, but it is what I must do. 

The blog will return with its usual knitting content on Saturday. Until then, hug your loved ones. We just do not know the hour or the day that will be their (or our) last.

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health. 

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd;

--I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

--he leads me beside peaceful streams. 

--He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

--bringing honor to his name

Even when I walk 

--through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

--for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

--protect ans comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me

--in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

--My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love

--will pursue me all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.