March Madness

Life is going fairly well right now, probably because I'm writing this on a Saturday, after I slept in and then took a three hour nap. Feeling rested does wonders for my attitude. This past week was a particularly disheartening one, as some of the adults in my building behaved quite badly and at first, I let it get under my skin. But thankfully, work is not all I have in my life, and I had some very restorative evenings to offset my less than wonderful days.

On Monday night, Steve and I went to an ODU basketball playoff game; my alma mater is in the NIT and the game was an exciting buzzer win for us.

My friend, Lori, and her boyfriend went with us; she's my coworker, knitting buddy, and the friend I hang out with most. We always have a great time, no matter what we get up to.

 

Wednesday night, Melissa and I met for dinner and then saw the documentary, She's Beautiful When She's Angry, a retrospective look at the Women's Movement. Although I usually wish for the time when my daughters were young, this was one of those times I enjoyed so much more because she's 25, and we can share a common enthusiasm together. It was a great night, and if you have a chance to see the film, do it! Thursday night was knit night, and last night was a fondue birthday party for a friend and the chance to relax with a group of my friends with whom I worked for the first fifteen years of my career. Some of them are retired now and it was great to hang out together, discussing all the things women discuss when they have a chance to just focus on each other. Doing this much during the work week was probably the reason I needed a nap today!

 

Speaking of work, I had my Honors class do a banned book research project this month, and because I mentioned how much I like John Green's books, two girls brought in their copies of his books so I could borrow them, isn't that sweet? I plan to read them over spring break, hopefully while sitting on the beach.

I also got a gift from Stephanie, a lovely note and a pair of earrings in the shape of Togo, the African country where she is stationed. Miss that girl so much.

Steve and I were able to fit in a quick walk on the beach this afternoon, and while it was awfully brisk, it was also incredibly beautiful.

I just got back from a knitting pajama party that was held at the knit store where we have our weekly stitch and bitch group. Although the chairs aren't very comfortable, the people are nice and the owner does a great job with it. We all bring a dish to share and she provides drinks and a door prize for everyone.

Tomorrow I'll spend some time with family at my parents' house, and hopefully take another walk on the beach, before beginning the last week before spring break. Pretty sure I can make it, hope you can too!

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A Saturday in Spring

This week was a long one; the foreshadowing of it came early Tuesday morning when the alarm went off and I could have sworn it was Saturday morning. But the week eventually ended, on a rainy, grey Friday, that was filled with practice tests and seat work. Boring for the students but necessary for me for a change of pace that fit the weather. I went to bed at 9 p.m. and slept for twelve hours.

Today was cool but beautifully sunny, and I I spent most of it with my daughter, Melissa, wandering around an area of Norfolk that I love, leisurely drinking coffee and talking with each other. Although I miss the years my girls were little and lived with me, it's a wonderful gift to be adult friends with one another. We spent part of our time at the phone store, upgrading our phones and lowering my phone bill, an errand that was long overdue.

I was able to knit some as well, turning this gorgeous yarn into a shawlette,

although this is as far as I've gotten.

But I love the yarn; the color is called Tuscany, and I can see the purple and green of the Tuscan vineyards in it, can't you?

 

And thankfully, the spring bulbs are blooming, even though the flower beds need some cleaning up, as the winter has left them looking brown and bedraggled.

I also finished the latest Anne Lamott book, Small Victories. I love all of her essays; they are so accessible and yet so profound that I always feel the need to read them at least twice. I own most of her books and although I borrowed this one from the library, I will probably end up buying a copy, so I can read it again later on. She seems to get better and better.

Hope your area is feeling spring-like!

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Knitting Retreat

I went to my first knitting retreat last weekend and I loved it! I was unsure as to what my registration fee would cover, but I received more than my money's worth! There was a goodie bag upon arrival that included a number of sweet notions and a gorgeous hank of yarn, door prizes, four meals, yummy snacks, and a knitting swap, where I acquired more yarn and a brand new circular needle case that was at least a $50 value all by itself. Add to all that, the fact that it was essentially a pajama party with knitting at a hotel in the Outer Banks and it just couldn't get any better.

The only blot on the weekend was a fainting spell the first night that left me with a bruised and bloody nose and knee, but at least nothing was broken and the ensuing headache didn't prevent me from enjoying any of the events, including the morning yoga session and walks on the beach.

I can't wait to do it again next year, although preferably without an injury.

 

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March! We Made It!

My snow holidays are coming to a close and I'm not sure how I'm going to go back to working five days in a row, but I guess I'll adjust. I have truly enjoyed the time off, using it to relax, get a few things done, and knit, but mostly I've been reading. I can't remember the last time I've read this much purely for the pleasure of losing myself in the story. It reminds me of when I was a teenager and used to spend every spare minute reading whatever I could get my hands on. I'm sure when I'm back in the thick of it, I'll regret not getting more done around the house, but for now, I don't regret a thing. The most recent book I finished was Jane Smiley's newest one, Some Luck, the first in a trilogy. Although it is a thick one, I read it in a day, mainly because it was all I did, but also because it was so interesting, I couldn't put it down.

I'm still plugging along on the Edie sweater in the hopes of finishing it by next weekend, but knitting on so much grey stockinette makes it slow going. I just read somewhere that knitting grey or brown in February is a no-no, since that's the only color you see outside, and I can see why that's a good rule.

Cats love boxes, don't they? I got this box out to pack up some yarn I sold on Ravelry, and as soon as I turned around, gracie was in it! Such a cutie.

 

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