52 Stories: My Bridal Shower

One of the primary reasons I embarked on this project of writing 52 Stories from my life is to make some progress on the mess of unorganized photos that haunt several corners of my home. Their neglected state often causes me real stress and feelings of inferiority, and I want to get rid of those feelings by working a little at a time to scan, identify, and preserve, then tell the story here.

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Photo Catch-Up

I've had some lovely times in the 6 weeks or so since I got back from my last trip. This and the next couple of posts will attempt to catch up on all the things.  I usually only feel the urge to write when I need to process stuff, so a lot of these kinds of just fun drafts about life at home languish in limbo. Tonight I'm on an adrenaline high from a two-workout day and I'm going to take advantage of it.

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4 am

As a mother, there seem to be certain reflexes that haven't had long enough to slow in the scant year since my youngest left home.

When I heard someone stirring in the wee hours, I woke up immediately to full alertness. It wasn't a big noise, just steps and a door opening, and those sounds came through my closed door and covers over my head. I marvel that I yet have that ability to instantly be aware that something is not right and feel the need to investigate.

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A Morning in Pictures

I've been doing little of personal writing in the last months. I have a million drafts, but can't get them focused and finished. So, I decided to tell you about this quiet morning in my house with some immediate photos. All of these were taken in the last hour. These are the things on my mind, but now it's time to get going.

It rained this morning. Taking this photo was an exercise in selective focus, which is
something I wrestle with. Should I notice the beauty of the raindrops or the clutter
on the porch outside? Or the muddy pawprints that remind me I need to wash windows?

I have to finish planting today. This is some kale that is none too thrilled to still be in a peat pot, but look how beautifully that drooping leaf captured the drops of water. 

The sun has already returned, which means my day needs to get started.  I love mornings, but I want them to last all day. I want to "dwell in possibility."

Another kale is waiting more patiently.  I am glad that I can see and capture the beauty in these delicate purple-green curls. 

This is a box of junk I need to dispose of quickly. Some of it is fabric and some of those pieces will become simple skirts and scarves, some will go away.  The bubble wrap reminds me that I need to get two packages mailed today. And a letter. 

I'm working on staining and finishing a spinning wheel. It needs to get done soon as well.  I have been itching to spin. And I need to be able to walk around in my studio again. 

The window of my studio. I love these colors but am wondering if I'll ever use this yarn. It might be time to let it go.  I just profiled a designer for my website and she spoke of the simplicity and austerity of her surroundings. Mine are not so. Sometimes I like the clutter for its color and story-telling. Sometimes I want everything gone. 

I have been sewing on those fabrics. 3 scarves and a skirt so far. Today though, the machines are put away so I can do other things. I'll sew again next week. 

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Sunday at Stitches

It's Sunday and I could have slept in, but instead I woke at 5 am with a heachache. I was not ever able to nap and in 30 minutes I start teaching for the afternoon. Headache is still going strong. Later I will be driving 10 hours to get home to Eric and Evan. On 5 hours of sleep. Woot!

It's going to be fine though, because teaching always makes me feel good. I will have loving goodbyes from friends, and plenty of music and audiobooks to keep me focused and awake while I drive.

Mostly, I have a really refreshing week to think back on, so I'm going to focus on that.

I drove off in our faithful 2006 Accord last Sunday and got to my pal Erin's house in the late night hours. She was up waiting for me and greeted me with a comfy, warm welcome. I feel so at home with her family and had two very happy days there, filled with, among other things, hugs, playground times, donuts, new jeans that I actually love, netflix, bike-fixing, bike riding, more hugs, and some great dinner times. I am grateful for my friends. It takes so much energy for me to find them and have the guts to get to know them, but what a blessing it becomes in the long run. It's always worth it to cultivate a friendship.

I love these boots.  And of course the kid wearing them. 

It's a good day when you can play outside with people like this. 

Early Wednesday I said goodbyes to the Tolmans and drove the other half of the miles to Atlanta. I got easily settled into my room at the new Stitches venue near the airport. It's a shame I didn't fly because this place is connected to the airport by a free skytrain. Sweet! I was tired from the drive, but first Gwen and I met up about Eduknit stuff. I should have napped first because I was grumpy, which I regret, but I managed to recover and get a fair amount done. Later Beth, Gwen and I walked into College Park and got a fantastic Barbecue dinner. 

About that grumpiness.  I worry about staying strong and fit and being able to take on all this new work, because sometimes I really do feel old and achy and grumpy an alarming number of times in a week. (The good news is that I always walk a lot at Stitches so I got more than 10,000 steps every day of the show. That will help, right?)

The rest of the weekend was pleasantly busy. I got paired up with a new roommate and she was perfect. We talked easily and had great times when we were together. It was wonderful to see my closest circle of knitting-teacher friends. I love them all so much. I am grateful to have them in my life. I don't always think I'm such a great friend because it really doesn't come naturally to me, but with practice and mindful effort, I have found more good, supportive and complementary friends than I could ever have dreamed of in the sometime isolation of my teen and young adult years. 

Great moments in the weekend included: 

• that barbecue dinner. Perfection. 
• 2 interviews recorded with other teachers for creating eduknit content. Amazingly talented people. 
• A long morning walk with Beth around the convention center complex with wisteria blooming and the warmth of spring confirmed. I have renewed faith that spring will come to Maryland. 
• Some absolutely amazing students. Thank you to Karen, Julia, Kelly, and many, many more. New Ravelry friends, yes. 

Some photos so I can remember: 

some knitting celebs. inside of my camera. amazing.

that is my name in print. 

regular take offs and landings. the iphone lens does not
show the fact that I could have reached up and touched this
plane. seriously

the pine trees probably don't love the invading wisteria, but
i am appreciative of the color and fragrance

even a convention center is lovely at sunrise

a little freeform crochet off the top of my
head. inspired by edie, of course, but I
was not looking at a book. hey, I should
be a designer or something. ha.

And so another Stitches winds up and as usual, I look at that paycheck and pinch myself that it's what I do for money. Lucky me, I tell you. 

I hope with all my heart that you're doing something you love.

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