Rippled, Frayed, Unraveled...

Not me!
Okay, a little bit me... rippled, frayed and unraveled, but mostly I was thinking about the yarn I have been toting around these days.

Before Maria was diagnosed with whooping cough, she and I were at the craft store, fondling the yarn.

Maybe this is a good time to interject an apology. Maria has been sick since mid-October. It started mildly enough, and out of concern for her cousins, I took her in to the peds. to rule out anything ghastly. Dr. Peds. gave her a clean bill of health, assuring me that the tickle in her throat was minor, and of no consequence. But the tickle became a chronic cough, which gave way to sleepless nights, which progressed in to projectile vomiting. Back to Dr. Peds., where her immunization records were reviewed. She is allergic to the pertussis vaccine, and therefore susceptible to whooping cough, which we learned does not always come with the tell tale whoop. We had to do some searches to track down meds without dyes, so her treatment could come with fewer side effects. (Artificial dyes are from the devil, and if you have noticed children behaving irrationally, crankily, out of sorts, or spastically-hyper after eating dyed foods and treats, you may want to get the red out too. I am hard core about this. Thank you. PSA over.) Found the meds, endured two more really bad nights, and have progressed to noticeable improvement.

Oh.
Wait.
An Apology.
First I had to make myself as blameless as possible. teehee.

I am sorry. To Bill and Alison, and my dear nephew and niece. I am sorry that I was exposing you guys to something ghastly, which I had hoped was not actually ghastly. I hope nothing bad has come of it.

I am sorry Gabe and Ashley. You were here during the ten day incubation period. I hope nothing bad came of it.

Southern California, I am sorry. We did not know we were ghastly. We tried to be diligent and prudent and appropriate. We coughed in to our elbows, washed our hands, drank plenty of fluids, and sought appropriate and immediate medical intervention. In spite of our best efforts, we apparently were funky, and we may have shared too much.


Before Maria was diagnosed with whooping cough, she and I were at the craft store, fondling the yarn. Maria fell in love with this very pink, very whimsical pom-pom yarn. It came with directions for knitting a scarf, but my skills lean toward the one hook crochet method. It is weird stuff to work with because of the pom-poms, and I had to squeeze two stitches between each pom, without pulling the pom through the loop. It got even weirder when it came time to adding the next row, because it was hard to distinguish the stitches, and funny working around the pom-poms. But none of this was too too deterring, because it feels so fabulous! As the pom-poms gather closer together, and a fabric begins to take shape, all of the little fluff balls become a fluffy mass of soft, pink comfort. I made four rows, and the rosy, soft scarf looks like a lei, and Maria loves to put her face all over it.


My second... Ferris!


My second yarn... Kitty!


My second yarn project is a ripple!
Or a cat toy, depending on who you ask.

I have wanted to make a ripple blanket for a very long time. Years. Now that I am this far along, I feel kind of silly for not jumping in sooner. I have yet to find a friendly yarn shop (shocking, right?) and I knew I was not going to figure it out from a book, so I finally turned to YouTube.

YouTube = Awesome tutorial resource = Awesome ripple crochet lesson. If you want to try this, look for both parts of the ripple crochet videos. I find learning by watching is my best way to go, so this was great.

I can see it looks a bit wonky, and the first three rows had me convinced I would never succeed in my ripple dream, but I am getting the hang of it, and actually enjoying the eight double stitch, three increase, six double stitch, three reduce rhythm. Wait... is that right? Maybe it's best to not think about it too much, and just let my fingers do what they know, which is exactly the right prescription for my rippled, frayed, and unraveled head these days!

I am My Own Chica

Please do not think I am hosting a pity party, but there are some thoughts nagging to get out of my head...

So. About yesterday.
1. I do like Farm Chicks.

2. I do Love Christmas.

3. Playing along, promoting someone else's book, blog, life…
well, it just seemed like a fun thing to do. It seemed like a blogger thing to do.

4. I felt bad about making it less interesting than I had envisioned.
a. Maria is very sick, and I got it too. Sleep and comfort are rare commodities these days.
b. Crunch mode has begun, and we do not have Geoff's company most of the week.

5. I posted anyway, making the most of what little time, and energy I had.

6. I enjoyed reflecting on those particular memories and activities that I especially love.

7. I enjoyed anticipating what I hope we can enjoy this year.

8. But Chickenblog went out of her league.
8.5 I feel foolish.

9. I feel like a blog slut.
blog slut noun 1. a woman that offers her time and blog space for the promotion of strangers, in exchange for possible blog traffic, feedback, vicarious feeling of being part of the inner sanctum of elite bloggers.

10. My part in some other person's party was basically unnecessary. (With the happy exception of my chat with Miriam.)

11. I would (and may still) take the post down, but I have a long standing tradition of being painfully honest with myself, and I think the post serves to remind me that my efforts, my ideas, feelings, and creations, belong to me, and are best shared only with and for the people that actually appreciate them. I was not disingenuous in the post, but I think I was playing in the wrong league.

I Want To Be A Farm Chick...

Or maybe I am a Farm Chica... a happy woman playing with her family, making their house in to a home, thinking, dreaming, and chasing chickens around. On our "farm" we have garden beds, and feathered friends. In my dreams we have a small barn, maybe a goat, and definitely a new roof! In my dreams our home is an inspiring space, where the comforts of home are homemade, homegrown, and a reflection of our family traditions, new and old.

Today I chose to participate in a Party... a virtual book signing party, taking place right now at a place called Chaps. The party is in honor of a real Farm Chick, Serena, and her latest book. My copy is on its way, signed, and I am looking forward to opening the pages, the anticipation of sharing pretty pictures and new ideas with my family. We have our own traditions, like making gingerbread houses... forgive our use of hot glue!

Serena's book, like her blog, "Farm Chicks :: Serena's Web Journal," looks like a beautiful resource for finding new traditions, fun crafts, and enjoying the pleasure of reflecting on holiday joys.

Waiting for the book to come to our home, I have been thinking about our own traditions and the ways I most enjoy celebrating Christmas. I kept coming back to our City Day. We find a day early in the month of December to go to the city and enjoy live music, a lovely meal, and a walk through downtown. We take in the sights and sounds of Christmas in the city, and it is a lot of fun.

Whether we are having a gospel brunch, or singing along with a choir at symphony hall, it is a treat to hear music, to see the musicians, and to be doing something different and new. Last year Maria really got in to the act when she sang along in the church pageant, and it still makes me happy recalling all those weeks hearing her practice "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Pretty soon we will be decorating our home, and crafting lovely things both familiar, and new. I am already imagining what we can do to make our little farm, feel like a real Christmas farm, with comforting homemade creations and inspiration. And very soon, we are going to decide on a place to go, a show to see, things to do when we leave our farm and have our Christmas City Day.

And You? Have you settled on a plan, new or old? Are you sewing or gluing or deciding or welding or raking...what's baking for your Holidays? Whatever your plans, I hope you feel inspired to make your holidays memorable and dear.

Home Sweet November Home

Welcome November!
Halloween feels like Holiday Eve. And that makes today the dawn of my favorite time of year. My thoughts and plans, and activities turn homeward, where we gather more frequently. My heart reflects on blessings, new and old. Everything feels more snug, warmer, even slower as the days darken... and yet the anticipation of celebrations, the preparing, and sharing gives everything a heightened pace, a steady buzz.

I am ready!

Well, not really. Rationally, I know that this time of year can kick me in the seat. It gets hectic, and colds come home from school, and school keeps up its steady stream of demands, we get pulled in every direction, and all that time home can be a doozy reminder of my domestic defaults. My stack of "file these NOW" papers fell over and are covering the floor. Pumpkin guts are waiting for me outside on our table. Ferris needs his sutures removed. The shark cage needs raking...


It's all there. All of the regular domestic perils, and ailments, all of the things I have neglected, all of the things I have worked to the bone. But just the same: I am ready! I am ready for family dinners with homework spread across the dining table. I am ready for too many plans, and too little time. I am ready for family traditions, for anticipation, for high expectations. I am ready for family goodness, and absurd ambitions. I am ready for Maternal-Love Deep Storage of Impossible Energy the kind that gets you three places at once, with everything in order and everyone at least mildly satisfied... hey, it can happen.


I am ready to get a handle on this, and I am even ready to admit defeat... those times when the Impossible Energy does not kick in, when I cannot be where I should be, or want to be, or wish to be. I am ready to list all of my hopes and aspirations, and aim high.


Welcome November! I greet you grinning, and knowing full well you are a month full of promise and challenge. Bring it on!

I am excited about Thanksgiving, and the aroma of amazing food cooking in our beautiful kitchen. I am excited about opening our home to friends and family, and sharing laughter. I am excited about where to put a Christmas tree, and finally knowing where our Nativity pieces are. I am excited about making a hundred plans, knowing I'll probably only finish forty-two, and some of them poorly. I am excited about being here, in our home, for one full year, and feeling ever more at home.


I am going to bookmark this page, and bring it out frequently to remind myself that even in the midst of heartache, and roadblocks, that I know about gratitude, that I love this blessed life we are living. I know there are going to be moments, some really long ones too, when I won't remember this feeling, when the challenges will overwhelm me, and I will think I've got it all wrong... then maybe remind me that even in the mess there is something beautiful, something worth hanging on for. And I will need reminding too that messes come and go, and then they come again, so... so what? Relax. Enjoy. Laugh. It's just life.

Just, please remind me. Okay?


Here is my strange bird. A kiwi. Or an owl. Maybe a chciken chicken.

November first is the smell of pumpkin and chocolate, and cold floors in the morning. November is thirty days of remembering loved ones, counting blessings, reconnecting, looking forward. Welcome November. I am ready.