PNewL PNewS
Volume 23 No. 1 “All the pnews that phits.” March
2015
As My World Turns
To Crochet or Not to Crochet…
I have been
trying to learn to crochet for years. Not continually or constantly but I have
tried many ways and with several people. I even went to a professional.
Everyone kept saying put your hook in the hole. As a knitter, I can find a
snot-load of holes in crochet. But for some reason, I have kept at it. Kinda
reminds me of math. I had a high school math teacher I adored. She once told me
that I should be a math teacher because it took me a while to catch on and it
would make me sympathetic to students who had trouble with it too. Anyway, back
to crochet.
At Christmas, I
got a lesson from Carolyn. I think I pushed her patience but the thing I did
get was her enthusiasm for it and the encouragement that she is self-taught. So
I came home with an itty-bitty start, which will be gotten to in a bit. I
loaded the Craftsy Beginning Crochet class (great system online where I am
taking five knitting classes and four quilting classes and now crochet and Tunisian
crochet. It’s a series of videos I have access to forever, it’s available 24/7
and it saves my notes. I am taking so many classes that they gave me one for
free. Love it.), and cross referenced it with the Reader’s Digest Guide to
Needlework (1979) and YouTube and after two swatches of what looked pretty good
which I tore out, it suddenly came to me—it’s THAT hole! Yay.
Since then, I
have crocheted a bathroom rug out of this silly yarn I bought online very late
at night. It’s perfect for a rug and it was great practice for my new hobby. I
am also in the process of crocheting a “market bag” out of kitchen string,
which is the project I started with Carolyn. She wasn’t convinced string was
the easiest thing for a beginner—but after a few months, it’s getting easier.
After all of this, I am not very good at it but now, I am not totally
frustrated by it.
Singing the Blues
Peter and I were talking recently about
ways to handle the blues. He said he had been advised to list three blessings of the day at the end of each
day—that is three things that happened to him during the day for which I guess
he feels blessed. After much discussion, which is fairly common in a conversation
with Peter, we determined that for those of us for whom blessed and blessings are
challenging words, we could replace them with three parts of the day that didn’t suck. This felt more palatable. I
shared with him two things I try to remember when I don’t feel so hot. One is
1) to try to use positive language or at least be aware when I am using
negative language, and 2) when driving and feeling really pissy, smile…for long
stretches of time. Both work for me, and the latter works surprisingly fast.
Peter added that he sings while he makes coffee and he finds that can brighten
things a bit. So there you have it. Go forth feeling better or at least a
little less sucky.
Readin’ and writin’…
I am in a pretty casual, very small book
club. It is very casual for me—I am usually out of town for the meetings, and
last time, I had just gotten home from being out of town and slept through the
meeting. They still let me come and next week we are even going to the beach
together. It might feel less casual after that.
Our last book was “All the Light We Cannot
See” by Anthony Doerr who coincidentally went to the same high school my
brothers went to and was there when David was head of the upper school. Almost
like being related. I highly recommend it—but do not recommend listening to it.
It’s very complicated and jumps around a bit and following all the names and
relationships is challenging. His writing is beautiful and he can paint quite a
picture and tell an epic story.
When I read his bio, I noticed he wrote a
book about his experience of moving his family to Rome for a year of writing.
His family included his wife and his recently born twins. I love travel books. I would like to live overseas but I
don’t know that I am that sort of person but am envious of people who are and
love to read about their experiences…It sounded pretty complicated, being new
parents in a new city and country and language. I am envious. I am also envious
of people who can write sentences like this one: “A spring night is a power
that sweeps through the crowded sheaves of blooming tulips and pours into your
heart like a river.” It just never occurs to me.
A Word about the Weather
I think I have to say something. I mean
it’s been a winter—not a Boston winter or a Cleveland winter, which Evie has
reported doesn’t get enough credit for being truly brutal, or a San Francisco
winter, which really didn’t happen, or a Key West winter where Laurie had to
put on long pants and a sweatshirt, oh my!—and the greatest part about it is
that we have actually seen evidence that it is going to end. I learned that
Roger draws the line at 10 degrees. It’s hard on the paws. I find negative
degrees on the digital read out thermometer gives me a form of vertigo. And
when I watched Loveeta slide down the driveway and land on her back and head, I
actually had time to wonder how the heck I was going to get her to hospital in
this sheet of ice we were living on. (I did realize shortly thereafter that I
could call an ambulance but…fortunately we didn’t have to.) The only funny part of that experience was
that there were two guys trying to get the (was it salt or sand or cinder?)
truck up the hill but it was stuck on the ice and they offered to help.
Something just slightly chuckle-worthy to see an emergency vehicle unable to do
its job.
So, to you for whom weather is still an
issue. My sympathies. Here in Western North Carolina, Spring is teasing
us…daffodils are blooming, robins are everywhere. There is hope.
Things I am Learning
& Miscellaneous Observations
• After many years of avoiding
driving through or around Atlanta, I have now done it and lived to tell the
tale. When I first set off, a wee bit nervous on general principle, I was
facing the drive in the snow during rush hour. The snow proved to be too much
so I had to stop several miles out and spend the night. The next morning, the
roads were clear, everyone was home because a snow day had been called before
the first flake fell and all was right with the world. Further proof that all
that fussing doesn’t always add up to much.
• I spend way too much time
thinking about people who don’t like me and I am sick of it. And now that I
have said that, I realize I am only thinking about the people I know don’t like me—so I could now waste
some time wondering who else doesn’t…nah.
•I got this automatic response to
an email recently and I love it. I wish I were so disciplined. “Thanks for your
email! I check my inbox daily at 1 pm Pacific time.”
• I bought some mystery hand
lotion online—I love hand lotion and I wanted to find a new favorite. This one
is thick and creamy and smells like lemon frosting. Sounds icky, but it’s not.
• In search of some pictures I
needed for some reason I have since forgotten, I found all sorts of gems. Makes
me want to tackle those large boxes of photos…some day. And now that those
boxes have been sitting in the living room for months, I don’t even notice
them!
• Time seemed to jump today. Left
to walk Roger and came back 90 minutes later. Tonight, it was 11 then suddenly 12.
Maybe time acts differently when it's really cold?
• I bought a very expensive pair
of sandals on eBay in December for a ridiculous amount of money ($20 plus
shipping). No competition off-season I guess.
• I hate the part of a cold when I
have run out of Kleenex and all that’s left is paper towels.
• Lurking on dating site OK Cupid,
I came across this under one guy’s profile. After saying he didn’t discuss
politics, he wrote, “I will have to say that if you voted for Obama and/or
agree with the way he has abused his office, we probably won't get along.” I so
want to know what he means.
• It is at this time of year that
I get all complicated in my thoughts about how to be organized for next year’s
tax season. I’ve already missed the boat for this year and that frustrates me,
and I know I will be similarly frustrated next year. Ah the best of intentions…
• Roger has discovered a new
favorite thing in the world. Fast food. I don’t go there much but twice now in
his life with me, we have gotten into line and then this nice person hands a
bag full of warm smelly food and he knows he will get a bite or two. I can
almost read his mind: what could be better than opening your window to
deliciousness. (He is after all a dog so his bar is pretty low when it comes to
deliciousness!)
• I know this is not an
anniversary anyone else will celebrate but in my life it is significant: The PNewL PNewS is now 23 years old. Yay!
“Fatigue is an excellent mechanism of
our bodies and the best advisor as to whether one should rest or continue.” Thich Nhat Hanh
