Stasia's Place Of Grace

Tuesday, November 12, 2002

 

Busy!

Sorry for not posting in a while, but I have been busy!

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Last night I went to a Classics book club meeting at the Schwartz Bookshop. We discussed "Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse. I was really glad that there were two psychologists and an English professor at the meeting to help answer questions, because this was a very deep book... interesting, but hard for me to understand. But just what I needed to read at this stage of my life - so fortuitous that I found this club and this book!

The meeting was a lot of fun, everyone was friendly, and they even provide free coffee. They have big, fat, well-padded leather sofas for us to sit on, and it's like being in someone's living room. If you've never tried a book club, do it! You'll make new friends and expand your literary horizons!

Our next book is "Anna Karenina... good thing I've already read that one, as it's long!

Tomorrow is the Literature club meeting, and we'll be discussing "Snow In August" which is about an Irish boy in Brooklyin in 1947, and his friendship with a Jewish Rabbi. It is a very poignant story with a fable for an ending. I couldn't put it down.

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I tried to go the the Greater Milwaukee Knitting Guild meeting tonight, but it seems they've changed time and location, as nobody was there!

It's really hard to find current information about their (and other local guilds') contact people, meeting dates, and locations. You'd think in this day and age of the 'Net I could find it instantly, but, as with local yarn shops, it seems area guilds haven't yet developed a web presence.

No wonder the "new generation" is losing the "old ways," if it is this hard for someone who knows about the group's existence to get info!

But that makes me even more grateful for the online "guilds" which are so easily found, so welcoming, and so supportive of newbies. Although sometimes I get an irrational fear that the Internet is like a some present-day Tower Of Babel, I am so thankful that when I have a knitting or spinning or weaving question, I can get it answered by someone with experience in about ten minutes, rather than waiting for a monthly guild meeting... which may or may not be where it's supposed to be!

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The Cranberry Cable Sox have been put on hold to knit Jeff's grandfather a blue Wool-Ease vest for Christmas, but here they are:

The Louet Gems Merino skeins have arrived from Canada and are gorgeous. I can't wait to do the "Leaf Cravats" from the current Interweave Knits with the soft yarn.

Still waiting on my big Patons Kroy sock yarn order from Canada, but I received a wonderful skein of Honeybee Opal from my good friend Nan! Thanks, Nan!!!

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Cold weather has really set in... it snowed here yesterday for about ten minutes!

The pups are all comfy cozy, as you can see:

They look so sweet when they're asleep... who'd ever guess they could be such terrors? Just kidding!

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What else have I been doing?

Well, as I never know how much energy I'll have in the days ahead, I decided to get a little jump start on the holiday decorating. This year I did a sort of Scandinavian tree, with little straw goats and walnuts hung from the branches. I decided I liked the look of it too much to put all the multicolored and electronic ornaments on, so I'm saving those for another year.

Doesn't this just put you in the mood?

A local shop had a 40% off sale (woo hoo!) on Boyd's Bears, which I collected in the past. I couldn't resist scooping up a couple of new ones, and of course then had to get all the others out of storage. So here is the Boyd's Christmas Diorama that is now on our entertainment center, complete with light-up tree!

I know, it's silly, but when you have no kids, well... sometimes you just have to bring out the child in yourself during the holidays!

It makes me so happy to see their cute little faces. I'm going to have to knit the big bear a sweater - he looks cold compared to everyone else!

My favorites are the big bear, the little ewe, the pink piglet, and of course the beekeeping bear, complete with bee bonnet, on the far right! And the moose, and the dog, and the cow... oh heck, I love them all!

The next thing I have to do is drive to the East Side of Milwaukee to get Channukah candles... I don't think there are any Jewish people out here in the Land Of The Lutherans!

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All of this busy-ness might easily wear me out, so I am remembering to drink a lot of herbal tea, listen to a meditation CD every day, and I'm doing a workout that is on PBS each afternoon. So far, so good... I just have to remember to take it easy, as the holiday season is known for wearing people out as much as being joyful!

But all of the things I'm doing - gathering with new friends, getting an early start on decorating and therefore having a longer time to enjoy the spirit of the season, creating a gift for someone with my own two hands - are things that are more nurturing to my soul than they are draining to my energy. I guess it's all about balance in busy-ness!

I hope you are just busy enough to keep you entertained, and not so busy that you feel drained! Have a great week!

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