ProseKnitic – of Words und Wolle

I started this morning with great intentions. I would clean and organize while listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Household chores do have to be done.

Butl, cleaning the bedroom is boring and requires me to decide what to do with all the miscellaneous stuff as well as admitting that things are out of control.  Tackling the living room falls into the same category – right now it looks fine on the surface…

Laundry was a possibility, blocking the two shawls I uncovered would have been a great idea, not burning my dinner under the broiler because I forgot about the hash brown patties…

I have to be completely honest here. I have an infinite ability to start things. Whether it is knitting, sewing, reading books, or initiating a clean-up campaign, I (mostly) do not find it difficult to start. But seeing it all the way to the end? Now that is another story.  I find endings not always pleasant.

On a better day, I can use the excuse of having “stuff.” After all, as should be obvious to all right thinking adults, having a place for everything and things in those places means it is hard to make progress on anything.

Out of sight means out of mind.

If projects, books, papers, are visible then it becomes easier to prioritize which should lead to finishing of those items under work.

It is a great theory. Unfortunately it conflicts with the known phenomena of becoming overwhelmed when there is too much to do.  Assuming, of course, that I am going to enjoy finishing things; and there in lies the rub.

The solutions to this problem are many fold; the hardest of which is to just go ahead and complete up all those books, projects, papers, phone calls, vouchers, claim forms……

Another option, which seems to be the one favoured by many knitters, is to start something new when everything under way just does not seem right.

All of which lead to the decision to plan a new vest for the Vest-uary Group on Ravelry.  Drops pattern 115-24 knit from double stranded worsted weight yarn I already have on hand.  It should go rapidly on size 9.00 mm needles, ignoring the sweater for Ms Maus lacking only the front, the quick steek needed on a cardigan, a couple of items meant for the frog pond and a real desire to knit another shawl.

Tomorrow I will go to work, be good, make a list of due-outs, and work down that list. Leaving aside dropping off the car for service, taking the Mole back to school and attending about three meetings…..

Having never been a teen aged boy, I have absolutely no clue what goes on in their heads.  Besides the gender issue, my adolescence was worlds and distance from his.

I can tell you that the Mole is brilliant; other people tell me that he is bright, polite, well spoken and charming to have around. He goes out of his way to help others; I wish he would help himself a bit more.

All the moves we have made due to jobs over the years have not been kind to him. Unlike the social butterflyness of the girls, he takes longer to fit in, find friends and his place in that difficult location called a peer group.

This is his last year of secondary school and he is not a happy camper. Neither of us have a good clue as to what is next on his horizon. He tells me that he wants medicine - Paediatrics in specific.  Switching from European schools systems’ of educating to the US multiple choice test is difficult at best and extremely challenging.

As a parent, I think we always want the best for our children. Unfortunately, it is not possible to take away all the bumps and bruises of growing and learning. That is probably as it should. But on many days communications can be a real challenge.

Should I just settle for a moderately clean room?

The good thing about out of town visitors is that you can get to places otherwise not on the daily commuting trail.

Guarding the river bridge

Ostensibly, the visit to Bath was a detour for lunch on the way to a nearby Casern where an afternoon meeting was scheduled.

In reality, I think it was because of a desire on the part of the group to have lunch here -

Sally Lunn's - complete with bread

Lunch was delicious, the meeting was productive and I got to drive home.

Certainly you remember Robbie Burns and sing a song from one of his poems every New Years.

Being in the UK, it is easy to join the tradition of celebration when his birthday rolls around every year.  This marked my third (and last) Burns Night celebration at the Mess.

Altho there were about the same number of people as last year, someone got a bit more creative with the seating, making up five tables of 9-10 diners rather than a head table with long lines down the sides. It made for much more congenial conversation at dinner.

I had managed to complete another Lotus Blossom Shawl, never mind that I blocked it last night.  Note, blocking board propped up against a register leads to rapidly drying shawl.

Lotus Blossom

tossing it over a fancy white blouse, floor length plaid skirt and country dance away the evening.

Shawl – Lotus Blossom from Fiddlesticks Knitting. Three skeins of Louet Gems in Pewter knit on 3.75 mm needles. Started in SF and finished up a few days ago.

From SF to Frankfurt

Managing a wander up Oxford Street early this morning.. well, early apparently for Berkeley. Not even joggers out and about at 0730 on a Saturday morning, just homeless blockaded into doorways by their laden carts.

I was looking for Beth-El and the 0830 Minyan. Having the address was good, the building is not signed. Held in their smaller Beit Am, the group and folding chairs felt more welcoming than many of the formal, decades established Shabbas services, complemented by a locally produced prayer book designed for all levels of Hebrew ability and vision.

Sliding out before the Torah study, the walk back to the hotel is downhill. Hill direction can be terribly important when you are on the edge of the foothills. Having a house seven blocks from Shul is good. Would be much better if those seven blocks were not straight up hill…

Friends

Feeling truly fortunate, I spent a lovely afternoon with Ruth (aka the Scrabblequeen). I also met her husband, one of those great guys willing to take a Saturday afternoon and wander a section of Solano so that we could visit.

Part of the plan had been to visit Stash. Well, it seems that they had moved. No sign in the window of the old location. We wandered through other shops and books stores, totally missing looking up the street from where we had lunch. Stash, as it turns out, was just around the corner.

Tea, Chai and knitting were also in order for the afternoon. Ruth’s current sweater project has a lovely look and feel and she is such a warm and welcoming person. There are those times when you can feel awkward meeting someone who you know only through email. Both yesterday with Alison and today with Ruth it was sitting down with old friends, picking up threads of conversation like no time had passed at all.

Flashback Challenge

Wanting to read old science fiction/fantasy classics, I was facing a dilemma. Few of the books I will be re-reading are currently in publication and rarely in hardback, eliminating the library as a source for the books. I probably have most of them, somewhere in a book box.

But then there are used books stores and I found:

I still have to track down:

• Strange in a Strange Land – Robert Heinlein
• Way Station – Clifford Simak
• Canticle for Leibowitz – Walter M Miller

What is on your reading list?

First, the good news:

I had a great time visiting with AlisonH. We met at a lovely coffee shop, enjoyed cocoa and talked for hours. She is one of those people who looks just like her blog picture, only younger.

So there I was, on a friendship high when I trucked back to the hotel. Meeting up with the DH, we went to see our new house.

Guess what? There is a basic difference in communication styles and perspectives between men and women. Guys can see the positive and figure that the rest will work out. Me? When I say that I want a house I can live in for the rest of my life, that is what I mean. A house that is accessible and safe. Not one that is up on top of a hill, with a drive that I can’t manage, with stairways, paths out side and stairs all over the place inside. Not a house that, had I been along on the house hunting trip, would not have been worth getting out of the car.

Back to my knitting. I love him, he is still alive and I am done throwing up.

nor am I completely confused. Again, just behind with a number of drafts built up while I try to sort out photo issues.

Meanwhile, this note is coming to you from the Marine Memorial Club & Hotel in San Francisco. It is Jan, therefore JP Morgan has its Medical Technology annual meeting. Smaller every year, I think they would rather pay themselves bonuses than fund this conference which is not at all cheap.

Anyway, expect to see a bit in the next couple of days.

-H

Canadian Mountains

Golden Gate

Golden Gate, second pass

Yerba Buena

Ignoring weather and the minimal delays in arriving at the airport and flight take off, I had a wonderful flight. Seats were comfortable, I could listen to my audio books and knit. The food was even edible (note, sometimes there is real silverware!)

Just in case there was any question in your mind, we have had snow.

From my office window

bowing down with the weight of snow

Now, being originally from Minnesota, I really don’t understand why this has been viewed as such a big deal. Shovel a bit, put on appropriate clothing and go to work.

Those who routinely wear utility uniforms do not seem to have a problem with the concept. On the other hand, the idea seems to be a bit foreign to the group that I think of as the “skirt and pantyhose brigade.”

Took the girls out for a bit of history.  Oldest ancient burial site on the plains, probably in the UK.

Salibury Hill

the burial mound

hiking the area

And for those of you who like references – go here!