Goodbye and Thank you

Previously on "yarn makes me happy!" the real-life drama:

1. I turned 50.
2. I had a mad-crazy end-of-the-school-year concert season and was incredibly stressed and a little angry.
3. Went to the shore.
4. Took daughter to college orientation two days later.
5. Went to a seminar one day later.
6. Went on vacation the day after I got back.
7. Prepared to take daughter to college.
8. Took daughter to college.
9. Missed other daughter's performance.
10. School began three days later.

I have not read my blogs regularly, I have slowed down on ravelry, forget plurk, and I am adamant about knitting every single day for my sanity.

When I realized I hadn't touched the blog since July 5, and that nobody noticed (including me! lol) I realized it was just not meant to be. It's not where my life is going and it's kind of silly to just leave this hanging here.

So if you ever read, thanks very much. Doubtful I'll ever meet any of you, because I can't go to the yarn festivals, or the get-togethers, or the camps and retreats and cruises and such, but I do very much love reading everyone's blogs. So that is one thing I promise to get back to.

Thank you very much to Stephanie, Ann and Kay, and the wonderful Sandy.

Happy Birthday USA!*

What a great day it was! Sure, there were a few plops of rain, but that just made me appreciate the sunshine-y spots even more.

We went to a dear friend's home for a barbecue, and man, did they go all out! Everybody brought a dish as well, and I had some mighty tasty:

Chicken kabobs
Orzo salad with olives and tomatoes
Cole slaw with a sunrise of peppers on top
Classic potato salad
Cheeseburger with grilled onions
Pizza dip
Greek dip
Watermelon
Some fabulous thing that had a shortbread cookie crust, a cream-cheese-and-heavy-cream filling, and awesome strawberries on top
Chocolate chip blondie

And some Mike's hard Cranberry Lemonade mixed with seltzer and invited in a lime to add color.

Lots of talking, laughing, remember-when-ing, planning, and I even got to do some knitting. Not on socks! I'm using up the sock yarn bits this summer to make squares for a blanket, a la Kay so that I don't even have to look at them (which, to non-knitters, is always a pretty cool trick).

Then the rain got pretty serious, so we stayed home and watched the fireworks on the telly. (I usually watch it for the music.) I got so bummed about CBS' coverage of the Boston Pops, which I really look forward to - this year, they decided that the last 15 seconds of the 1812 overture was the only part necessary - and they talked over that part of it anyway!! Grrrrrr.

Other than that, however, I found myself thinking about the Declaration of Independence, and just what hutzpah it took to accomplish what they did and where we are. And I do one of my favorite things: what would Benjamin Franklin think of gun control? What would Thomas Jefferson think of immigration laws? What would John Adams have said about September 11? What would George Washington think of George Bush?

Hmmmm. Time to watch a little History Channel, I think. And knit sleeves.

*plus one

Squee!

I'm on the sleeves! Everything is working out really well. (I had my fingers crossed so that the yarn gods don't get mad at my presumptiveness.)

So, I wanted to say something. Harlot and Canada. For heaven's sake, I cannot believe that some folks got riled up by a blog post about what makes Canada beloved to somebody. And how some folks got so riled up because politics and points of view were compared. Who really takes this stuff so much to heart? Why does it matter so much what one person posts on one blog on one day?

I say, go Canada! And while we're at it, go Scotland! No reason, I just like Scotland.

A smile, a tear, a new look at life

You know it's coming. You prepare yourself, make all the necessary arrangements, and are consciously aware that it's going to happen. You are proud, you are a bit stressed, you anticipate it.

It happens, and you think "Wow. I didn't know how I would feel about it!"

On Wednesday, DD#1 had her final choir concert of high school. Our various choirs are *outstanding* (and I can say that because I'm a music teacher myself, not just a biased mom) and that night was no exception. One song left me sobbing, it was that beautiful.

When it was all over, I hugged my daughter amid the usual mayhem and caught myself thinking "This is never happening again. It's all done."

The next day, same daughter turned 18. I knew it was coming. Really, I did. I knew what all it implied. I still had a very difficult time actually saying the words, and when I got to work that day and somebody said "Good morning, how are you today?" I started crying. At 12:04 I looked at the clock - that's when she was born, and I was thereagain, holding her in my arms for the first time.

The next day, same daughter went to her Senior Prom. This same girl who I've been living with everyday was suddenly a different and beautiful young woman to me, cool and elegant in her upswept French chignon and her understated evening gown. As she posed for pictures, I kept blinking. As I looked at the camera's screen (hers, not mine, I still don't have one yet), she just didn't look like my daughter.

They all came here after the prom, where we served them a midnight breakfast feast that lasted till three in the morning. She still seemed so different to me.

Today, she and her friends are in Manhattan for the day. I've been reliving the images of the last few days in my mind, and knowing that my life is also going through a commencement: it is a beginning of a new life with an adult child who makes independent decisions and will move away from us both physically and mentally. She will come home, of course, and I may think that everything's the same, but it really won't be, will it? She is grown, she is going on to the next chapter in life and I find myself the interested observer instead of the major player.

That's good, isn't it?

Memorial Day: I'm at the top of the hill and gathering speed as I roll down

So, as a music teacher, May is always Spring concert time. Getting ready for that is no picnic, what with rehearsing 100 recorder students, a 35 member beginner band, and a 40 member regular band, but it always turns out great and this year was no exception. So, being absolutely normal, I decided to triple my fun!

I'm the guest conductor for a regional select band, and we've been rehearsing every week for five weeks. The dress rehearsal and concert is in two weeks.

I decided to do a concert with my little second graders, and that's involving LOTS of rehearsals not to mention LOTS of patience.

We always throw a huge backyard barbecue for Memorial Day after attending the service in town, and that is a LOT of work. (Note to self: stop capitalizing "lots" or find a different word.) However, we eat leftovers all week so that's not too bad.

DD#1 and #2 chorus concert is this Wednesday, and it's a biggy. Last one for #1, my HS senior. Then she turns 18 on Thursday, and goes to her senior prom on Friday. (Guess who got tagged for hosting the afterparty? Yeah.)

Then we have all the end of year activities at the school where I teach as well as for my own kids, and you can pretty well imagine what the June calendar in my kitchen looks like. Then my baby *graduates*, for Pete's sake, and life as I know it changes forever.

But yes, I have been knitting. I cast on with Shibu Knits in this beautiful honey/amber colorway, and I want to eat these socks.

I have stalled on the sweater. I had to rip back 17 rows to start the V-neck shaping, and I did it! No problems! You can't tell where I ripped it back, it came out so well! Except. . . . . (cue the ominous music). . . . . . I forgot to heed those words "at the same time" and forgot to shape for the underarm opening. I just stared at it for a little while, then quietly put it aside and said "I don't think I can look at this any more right now." I will experiment with ripping down the 8-10 stitches. Can you do that on the edge? Will it work? Tune in next time!!!

Hope your June is less hectic than mine is sure to be, and I hope you paused to remember and thank today.

Yarn really DOES make me happy

There has been a lot of knitting going on, but no photos. Why?

Why, indeed?

There are three working digital cameras in this house, and my two daughters obsessively control them all. I have GOT to get my own, and soon!

So I'll just fess up. I have made:

Twisted Rib Socks in Dream in Color, a beautiful twilight blue.
A Baby Surprise Jacket in white washable wool, with a navy blue applied i-cord. I know it did something wrong, even thought it came out okay, because the increases didn't look as nice and neat as all the pictures I've seen. However, the recipient absolutely loved it, so good.
Lorna's Laces socks in a pastel blue/salmon/green colourway for Donna.
A group effort afghan in shades of copper, cream, and chocolate for an auction.

Currently on the needles:

Socks That Rock in a greenish/blueish/whitish colourway that looks just like the water. It's from the club last year, and I did my own pattern of ribbing the top in knit 3, purl 1, then stopping the ribbing at the foot. I'm at the foot of the second sock.

Cascade 220 (not washable, sadly) in pink for a cardigan. YES, I found a pattern in the March 2008 Creative Knitting called Moss and Ribs cardigan. Back and left front is done, just started the right front.

I am going to start another BSJ with craptastic yarn just to get it all straight in my head. (Not an easy feat these days!)

Currently sucking up my time:
RAVELRY. Especially the Loopy Ewe group, the Yarn Harlot group, and the Radar.
SANDY'S KNITTING. Who knew I could get so interested in bathroom musings, movie listings, and Fig pictures? I'm worried every day that she'll forget to post!
EARNING A LIVING. DD#1 is off to college in the fall, and my salary will be paying for it. Spring Break was this week, and I really got used to being a stay-at-home mom again. *sigh*

Now, close your eyes and imagine everything with pictures. In living color!

Grumble, grumble, sigh

Trying to find a V-neck cardigan pattern using my Cascade 220. I've searched Ravelry, Patons, and Berroco, and of course I can't find anything I like.

V-neck, not crew.

Cardigan, not pullover.

Sized to fit me, not a Barbie Doll.

And the search continues. . . .