gratitude

This has been a crazy week!

Tuesday, when I normally post, I was on the computer to do corporate work.  I am going back into the corporate world for a short time.  Dealing with the crazy from that this week, more then just Tuesday, makes me wonder if it is the right path.  It is supposed to be a short contract and I can decide afterwards how much more I wish to do.

That same day, a cold front came through and I got chilled.  Not a big deal unless you are like me and already had an ear infection.  That floored me a bit.  My thoughts have not been very straight until today.  My energy has been extremely low.  

I started to feel a bit better yesterday.  But I still could not bring myself to work on the computer.  I just wanted to sit and do quiet things.  Until I went to the climbing gym and learned how to judge.  It is a bit more straightforward then judging any form of ice skating.  It was a national competition and I did not realize how big of a deal it was until I got on the internet afterwards and looked up some of the names and faces of people I saw climb.  My impression was that is was a lot less back stabbing then ice skating!  I would volunteer to judge in the future.  It was very cool I was learning to judge on one of the harder problems (the bouldering climb).

So why did I title this post gratitude?  Because I am leaving tomorrow to be with family for Thanksgiving.  And celebrate my Dad's 90th birthday.  The picture of the hands is just a small subset of the people I am grateful for in my life.  Who support my crazy.  The people in my life are very special and I do not take them for granted. 

That is why it is so important to celebrate my Dad next week.  I did find out that chocolate angel food cake is his favorite birthday cake.  I always thought it had to be somebody else's.  But then, I do not really like cake.

I will be back in this space after Thanksgiving.  I will be entering the crazy of the corporate world again.  That may take some adjustment so please forgive me if it is odd around here.  I am going to try to continue coaching because I like it better then an office.  And printing!  And dyeing!  And just creating and making.  

Thank you for all who read my words.  You are appreciated and I am grateful for you.

gave myself permission

I gave myself permission to go down a creative rabbit hole yesterday.  Instead of being on the computer.  Instead of opening a bundle or too.  Instead of dyeing something.  Instead of work on presents.  Instead of crocheting.  I started something new.  And I think I am going to continue today.

I like figuring things out.  I like learning.  So every time I go down that creative rabbit hole, I have that potential.  I am still loving the ecoprinting but there is a need for something different.  Many moons ago, I  made stuffed animals and dolls.  I have made the jointed stuffed animals.  It is not hard.  Mostly, it is just hard on the hands.  But a doll has been wheighing on my mind.  For some reason, making a doll has been a need.  So this week I have been starting that process.  I now have a body.

The body also has a face but I think I am going to change the face.  The body does not have hair but I have ideas around that.  Which means my crochet hook will come out again.  I think part of it was I needed to sit at my sewing machine more.  My crochet hook is much more mobile so it is easier to take with me.  At times I will get to where I just want to embroidery when we are traveling.  I think that has to do with needing to stitch as well.  

Still hands do not work for me well.  And I am going to need more mobile projects soon as well.  I will figure it out.

ready for some calm

The car was totaled.

I had food poisoning and I feel like I am still recovering.  

A new car was purchased.

I think this is enough excitement for the last four days for me!  I just feel like I need some calm because life has not felt very calm since I got back.  There was more curves last week but my reaction was to be amazed at incompetence.  There was nothing I could change so why complain.  Life is windy very right now. 

Right now, I just wish to create.  Which does not really help anything!  But it could and that is okay.  Creating could lead someplace very strange and lovely.  If nothing else, only in my mind!

a sweater for a bear

I know I mentioned earlier this summer that Koda Bear had picked out yarn for a sweater for himself.  Touched all the yarns in Tolt.  He chose this gold yellow.  I have been working on it since.

I did not have a pattern.  I worked on it.  I took it out.  I started again.  I changed that bit.  I tried the body on him at one point before I started the sleeves.  He tried it on for me after I finished one sleeve the first weekend I was up in the Pacific Northwest.

I finished the sweater in time for the second weekend.

I put a heart in it to show which was the back.  Also, to remind him that this sweater was a grandma hug for when he was missing me.

I finally convinced him to try it on.  He twirled.  This was about as still of a photograph as I could take!

He wore it until he got so warm he was sweating.  It took about 30 minutes.  The red house was warm but not really that warm.  The bear picked out very warm yarn.  But I think he likes it.  He knows to give it back to me when he out grows it.  Either to be made into something else, or possibly fix it, or add more yarn to make it bigger.

Have hook.  Will travel.

and I am back for a few weeks

That was a lovely trip!  The only problem was I tried to do too much in too little time!  There were two fiber fairs, time with the Koda Bear and the Tall Short Person, and putting up a wall in the machine shed.  So there are not any pictures of the mountain.  Since I was just there, I chose not to share any.  But it is autumn there. 

We had beautiful weather until the last day.  The mountain is interesting because we share tools with our neighbors.  My scythe took a walk and the funniest thing about that was the one person who everyone said would not have it, was the one using it.  He was all about it was the right tool for the job.  It took longer for him to go get it then for him to use it for the task.  

The fiber fairs were interesting because I had so much company.  Usually it is just my Beloved, who is fairly tolerant.  Or just myself which really is the best.  The first one, I had three boys!  That was interesting.  It was also interesting because I did not think it was all that wonderful but other people did.  I have had different experiences.

The second fiber fair, three more family members.  It was shaken up a bit so two boys and a girl.  Still, I felt a bit rushed.  Next time, I think I will go alone.  But I really did fulfill what I really wanted to do.  Spend time with Koda Bear.

The second weekend we camped in the Columbia River Gorge.  It was beautiful.  And there was lots of autumn.  But where the campground was situated, it was very loud.  I tried to get into a campground a little farther away from the interstate but it was completely booked.  And I understand why!  So, I will probably not camp at this spot again but I will camp in the gorge again.

We also had a lot of rain while we were there.  Koda Bear kept saying he was not cold but he was very damp.  It means that a van conversion or a truck cabin may be in my future sooner rather then later.  It is the main reason I am thinking about going back to a corporate job for a little bit.  Pay off some car repairs and build a van conversion.  Elk hit cars hard.  I was not driving.