First knitting lesson

Well, this weekend I had my first knitting lesson. Apparently you don't become an expert knitter on your first go-around. I wanted to become a pro immediately and was quickly frustrated by my fingers lack of cooperation. I couldn't believe how quickly my hands lost feeling in them as well. At one point I actually threw the would-be scarf on the floor, needles and all, and would have gotten up and stomped on them like a four-year old if they hadn't been rescued by my fine friend and teacher when she said "Ack! Give me that!" She surely has the patience of a saint. I one the other hand, have spent the past several days visualizing what my knitting should look like - how my hands should look like like, what the yarn should do while in my hand. I then got the courage to pick up my project today and managed to complete three rows correctly. PROGRESS!!! I then put it back down - happy - content - that I am now considering myself a skilled knitter and can quit and move on to another project.

picture credit

Just kidding. I will keep practicing, but in small steps so as not to frustrate myself too much.

Been a while...

I haven't posted since August 7 - an update to say I would be taking some time off due to a fire we had in our condo. Four months to the day, we were able to get back into our home. We have our bedroom set, and in the basement - a TV, couch, and recliner. No other furniture upstairs. If anything survived, it's in boxes. Boxes and boxes and boxes. At this point it's almost like - "I don't miss it, might as well pitch it..."

You spend your life thinking - "I want this, I need to get that," until one day it's all gone. And then you spend 4 months of your life living with the clothes you have in a hotel room thinking how lucky you are to have what you do. We spend so much of our life putting value on the things we own. Especially this time of year - Christmas is the worst time of year for possessions. You think the things you own make you happy, make you a better person - but when it comes down to it, what are you without those things? What are you without your "stuff?" What if your home were empty today except for the basics? Could you function? What do you need to function on a day to day basis? You would be surprised if you were forced to find out.

Look around and determine what is really important in your life - because the "things" aren't what makes you happy. Living your life, making memories, being with friends and family - that's the important "stuff." You can try and document it all, but even then, you can't fireproof it - so make sure those memories are embedded deep in your heart, because the fire can't reach the images you have there.