Another Day Off

I can't believe it, but we got another day off from school today. We really should have done a two-hour delay, but who am I to argue?





Didn't do much yesterday besides read the book, The Gift of An Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison. I got it from the library based on Chinaberry Book's recommendation but kind of put off reading it cause it looked like one of those cheesy books, sort of a Chicken Soup for The Soul-ish (and if you like those, I apologize in advance). Anyway, turns out the author is the woman who edited the Houghton Mifflin Best American Short Stories series for sixteen years. In other words, she can write. I really enjoyed it, and wished I had read it about five or six years ago. (Of course, since it wasn't published until 2009, that would have been impossible, but you know what I mean.) She tackles the subject of redefining yourself as your children are preparing to leave home and I think she does a great job of it. I added one of the quotes she used under my blog title so I can see it on a daily basis. Here are a couple more I need to keep in focus:

You can either practice being right, or practice being kind. (Anne Lamott)

Perhaps we write towards what we will become from where we are. (May Sarton)

There are many, many more great quotes in the book, but those three really struck me. Speaking of Anne Lamott, you should read some of her books, especially if you are interested in unconventional spirituality. As for the Sarton quote, isn't that a part of what blogging fulfills for many of us? A place to write so as to discover what is important to us? I've never actually read any of Sarton's work other than as quotes in other books; I really must check some of her books out from the library for myself.




This morning I finished another book, Single Wife, one I bought used from one of the library booksales. It's funny, I had started reading it awhile ago, thought it was dumb, but held onto it, and this time when I pulled it off the shelf, I enjoyed it. Isn't it interesting how books can work for you one time and not another?



And I've put the shawl down for a bit while I work on a pair of mittens for myself. Despite my desire to make it for my mom's birthday, she really wouldn't like it. She's not a scarf person, and she'd probably think a shawl would be a reference to her age, so I'm taking the Yarn Harlot's advice on this and keeping it for myself. I can't remember exactly what she said but it's something along the lines of recognizing when other people don't love and/or respect the knitting and how we must respect that and not force knitting upon them.

Anyway, I love the way these mittens are looking and I can't quit working on them. Every few rows I hold them up to admire them. (Steve said I do this with everything I knit but I don't believe him.)

I'm using the Noro Kuryeon that I was using for a pair of Maine Morning Mitts I frogged the other day, paired with some Noro Silk Garden. Originally I thought I'd do the only the cuffs in stripes and use the Kuryeon for the hand, but it looked weird, so I ripped back and put the stripes in throughout. I used #5 needles for the cuff and #6 for the hand section, which is making quite a dense fabric; they should be plenty warm. I plan on finishing them so I can wear them on my trips to Annapolis and New York. I think they're perfect for February, don't you?