May 2009











I had to interrupt my regularly scheduled blogging to take some pictures of the beautiful evidence of Spring that seems to have peeked out since the weekend.  During a brief sunshine intermission in what has been a week of rainy weather, I got in a few snapshots of flowers, wild and otherwise, that grace our front yard.
Since last we met, dear readers, not a heck of a lot has been going on – work has been a little busy, but not terribly.  I had court Tuesday, today and will have some more tomorrow.  On Tuesday, I remembered I had scheduled a visit with a client in another county, and so missed dinner at home with John before he headed back to work.  Instead, I caught up with Nancy and Rennie and then had bell practice for this coming Sunday.  Indigo was understandably furious and apprehensive about the fate of the victims of Prop 8 in California, as am I. 

Yesterday consisted of prepping some paperwork and getting ready for today and tomorrow.  So, I did have a little time to stop in at the Prayer Shawl Ministry at St. John’s and get started  on this:
I’ve had a couple of skeins of Cascade Ecological Wool for a while now – and wanted at first to do another Hemlock Ring Blanket but I really liked the Girasole pattern by the same designer (Jared Flood – the pattern can be purchased on Ravelry or at the previous link) and thought I’d start that.
So, have I finished any projects? No.  The only thing I can tell myself here is that it’s for someone else. 
But I do have to get going on the February Lady Sweater, and the Baby blankie and the t-shirt and the sweater, and…..
OY
Well, tonight I’ve got choir practice and I’d better get going.
See you soon, until then, God be with you ’til we meet again!
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One of my favorite family memories is of all eight of us in the car: John, the baby (J)  and I in the front seat, K, D and B in the back seat and B and D(son) in the “way back” seat (yes, it was a station wagon!).  We had just packed up the house and watched the movers load our “stuff” onto the moving van.  We were leaving St. Michaels to move across the Chesapeake Bay to Columbia.  John was going to work at the corporate office and in two days I was starting law school.  The year was 1987.  The previous year, the Monkees (save one) had made something of a comeback, playing to the imaginations of all the preteen girls in our area, K and D among them, so they knew the song as it came on the radio.  I knew it from about 19-20 years earlier when the Monkees were big and I was about 13. So when the song “Daydream Believer” came on the radio, we all sang it together – even the little ones pretended to join in:


Oh, I could hide neath the wings 
Of the bluebird as she sings. 
The six oclock alarm would never ring. 
Whoops its ringing and I rise, 
Wipe the sleep out of my eyes. 
My shavin razors cold and it stings. 

Cheer up, sleepy jean. 
Oh, what can it mean. 
To a daydream believer 
And a homecoming queen.

You once thought of me

As a white knight on a steed. 

Now you know how happy I can be. 

Oh, and our good times starts and end 
Without dollar one to spend. 
But how much, baby, do we really need?

Cheer up, sleepy jean. 
Oh, what can it mean. 
To a daydream believer 
And a homecoming queen.
Cheer up, sleepy jean. 
Oh, what can it mean. 
To a daydream believer 
And a homecoming queen.
John Stewart, ca. 1966 

Well, the bit about not having dollar one to spend was certainly true! It was one of those moments, frozen in time, where you know life is about to change in ways you cannot even anticipate.  It was scary and fun and I was excited and apprehensive at the same time.  But one this was sure: I wasn’t alone:)!  
Sometimes I wonder why John and I had so many kids.  Often I’ve thought it was to create our own crowd so that we would never feel alone. (OK, maybe that’s a little way out, but whatever..) It’s these crazy memories that keep us together, remembering moments, snapshots in time.  Times when you knew you were part of something bigger than all of you put together.  That’s what family feels like to me.

This weekend was such a mixed bag – we had a great time at the wedding.  The trip entailed a little bit o’ traffic, but really not that bad considering.  We ate and drank too much, but all in all behaved ourselves.  It’s always great to see family – and the bride and groom are lovely people who will do well.  At the rehearsal dinner at the Union League (talk about intimidatingly ritzy:)!), John and I sat next to an Aunt and Uncle of the bride – Brad and Linda – both liberals:)- it never fails! We had a great evening of conversation and laughter. The wedding was beautiful, in historic Old St. Mary’s Church in Philadelphia – even Washington went there once or twice.  For our respective clans it was a relatively small wedding, and it was truly a nice one.  The best men each gave funny and loving tributes to their brother.  The bride and groom had a first dance and that was that.  John and I sat and talked with family at our table and when it was over, we went back to the hotel room.  John went to his sister and brother-in-law’s hotel to visit with them while I crashed at our room. Next day, we took a bus tour of Philly and began to appreciate it a lot more than we had before. After the tour was over, we gassed up and left for New York City.  We got into the hotel their and then arranged to meet my folks for dinner.  This time it was their treat – at their place!
My dad has suffered a number of terrible physical losses in the past four years, beginning with three nasty falls and ending with spinal surgery.  He has been in a great deal of pain.  Yet he was charming and funny and enjoyed the Grey Goose John brought – a treat he doesn’t often indulge in these days. He tired out early and went to bed before we left.  
Whatever losses he has had over the years, I think the best gain he has received has been Maureen, my stepmom.  Maureen truly loves him and cares for him as best she can. It hurts to see two people who love each other as much as they do go through so much suffering. I keep thinking there’s got to be something we can do to help – when you live so far away you feel so helpless.  John and I are talking about some practical things, but it’s basically one day at a time. While we were there, we looked at some pictures Dad and Maureen had gotten from my Uncle John’s place after he died – pictures from my father’s childhood, pictures and memories of times passed.  There was a picture of my Dad in Hofstra college with a drama group when he was 19.  He looked so much like our son it took one’s breath away.  The picture of him with his older brother – when he had curly long locks and short pants and a devilish grin on his face – seemed locked in time.  It was hard to believe that picture
 was over 70 years old. They gave me some things of my grandmother’s and a photo ca. 1927 of a little baby – my grandparents’ first child whose name I have.  That little one sadly died of diptheria – one of the last babies to do so before the vaccine came out.  My parents – kids themselves – gave me her name as a middle name and called me by it. Our youngest daughter, J, came with her three best friends and had a drink with us after they had gone to see a Broadway musical, ironically, Nearly Normal, about a dysfunctional family (the normal ones are just no fun, folks!)  It was great to see them – they stayed in NY after we left and will be going – with one other sibling in tow – to Niagra Falls in a couple of days.
So many people today talk about “family values.”  To me, that’s just a euphemism which means, “conservative agenda without regard to reality.”  You may disagree with that, but it’s been my experience.  There was a time when my father’s marriage to Maureen would not have been recognized, yet I cannot think of any more married than they.  It seems to me that the only glue that holds anything together is love. The rest is just icing … or drivel:).
Needless to say, as hard as it was to see how much pain he is in, I was glad we went to see my folks.  After all, they’re family!
Speaking of which, after left NY, and headed back toward Merlin, we called our kids and invited all of them to some hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill (despite the rain).  Many were able to come and although, dear readers, we were both pretty wiped out, we were happy to see them! And by the way, we heard the song Daydream Believer at the beginning and end of our ride home!

And finally, knitting: I did bring some with me and worked on the blue baby blankie for “Gunther,” but did not get much done.  I did do another pattern repeat on the February Lady Sweater today. Well tomorrow it’s back to work! Take care and God be with you ’til we meet again:) Or, as my Dad would say, “Thank the Myth!”
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Well, dear readers, I am headed off to Philadelphia, PA, called by many of my native land the birthplace of Liberty. (I think this is somewhat arrogant, considering that democracy started long ago and far away as far as we know in Greece!) Anyway, John and I are going to the wedding of a nephew and then we are going further north to New Yawk to visit my Dad and stepmom. I will be away from the computer, but will probably send out a tweet or two. And yes, I’m bringing some knitting:)
Be well and be safe this weekend. Happy Memorial Day to those of you in the US and to my kids: please be careful and don’t let anyone drive drunk! I say this because I KNOW none of you will!
God be with you ’til we meet again:)!
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This weekend, dear readers of the Amurikan persuasion, think on the thousands of people throughout all of our all-too-short history who have died so our lawyers would not have to film this video shortly before their deaths!
My heart goes out to the family of this man – and to the families of all the people who were lost due to politics. Our country is certainly NOT perfect – but I am proud that although we don’t have a May Day celebration, we DO have a Law Day celebration:)

A month or so ago, I was talking with a friend about the whole Facebook, MySpace, Twitter phenomena and the business of blogging – whether it was appropriate for me to do it. I was concerned that perhaps I was opening myself up to situations that I might not like. I was worried that clients might feel free to openly discuss things that should not be discussed publicly. I started worrying that not-so-friendly friends/relatives/etc. of clients might not have the best intentions were they to contact me.

This is a friend whose opinion I value. Her take: it’s all an ego trip – an ego trip that causes more problems than it’s worth. After considering that point of view, I felt rather bad. I thought perhaps I should just shut it all down. And I did – everything, that is, except for the blogging. Eventually I got back on Facebook – if only to remain in touch with family, friends and other who are far away or whom I don’t see regularly. I also occasionally “tweet” as can be seen here and on my other blog, which is a mirror image of this one.

I didn’t stop blogging because, although her point about it being an ego trip, is undoubtedly true, blogging for me (and I expect for many) has a therapeutic value. I started blogging because a few years back, my older kids were blogging and that was their way of allowing me to visit what was going on in their heads. I was experiencing all sorts of things – with work, my spiritual life, and my family life- that were confusing the hell out of me. I figured if I talked about “things,” I could figure out a way to make sense of them. I wrote short poems, using the least number of words I could to describe what was going on in my crazy head. Those blogs are no longer in existence. Over time, I started blogging because I wanted to keep a diary online – a memento, if you will, of the times of my life and that of my family. I really didn’t expect anyone to really give a darn about it – it was really no ego trip, just a way to look at our life together as a family – and separately as individuals. (OK, yeah, and to document some of my knitting stuff, LOL:)).

A few years ago, I wrote about the fact that often people who cannot express themselves in person to others in their lives can often say in the written word what is in their hearts. I thought of W.C. Fields – the movie actor who was notorious for hating kids – and the movingly loving letters he wrote his own son. For me, blogging is a way to stop for a second, take a look at this life we lead, and try like hell to make sense of it. Maybe it’s a way for me to tell the people I love how much I love them.

Both before and after law school, life was a struggle – a serious struggle – for survival, physical, emotional, and spiritual survival. It was a balancing act and I was constantly dropping the ball. Never was everything where and what it should be. It is not hyperbole when I tell you that just thinking about those times exhausts me. There was barely time to communicate with my own husband, let alone to stop and smell the roses.

Now, I have just a little more time. Or maybe I don’t – who knows? But I do know one thing: whoever said that the unexamined life is not worth living had something ….

So, dear readers, take what you want from this and leave the rest. I love you all.

God be with you ’til we meet again!

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As if I cared:)! I really love the color – it’s KnitPicks CotLin in Morroccan Red.  Now tell me honestly, anything named “Morroccan Red” can’t be bad, right? Well, I started casting on.  Yes, casting on – I who have 8,756 projects already in the works decided I wanted to knit yet ANOTHER top! Yes, in Morroccan Red! I’m doing a project from More Big Girl Knits  - the Summer Chevron.  It’s so new, I haven’t even posted it to Ravelry yet. I am now at that point in the project where I am in short row hell.  But that’s OK, at least it’s somewhat exciting:) Yards of interesting  stockinette at least!


Last I wrote, it was Wednesday I think.  To catch up, Thursday was court all day and then choir practice in the evening. We had an excellent practice of the Bach, this time with the string quintet and organ continuo.  It was truly productive.  Friday was court – all afternoon – then home for a quiet evening.  Saturday morning went to a Sip ‘N Knit meetup at Savage Mill in Savage – and worked on the Chevron for about 3 hours.  Then home, then a quiet evening until bed.  
This morning we sang the Bach Cantata No. 4 (Christ Lag’ in Todesbanden) at both services.  I think we did fine.  The German was great and although we sang it a darn sight slower than the Monteverdi Choir does, I think we did JSB justice! The Orchestra members, of course, were perfect, Nancy’s conducting was spot on and the soloists were wonderful.  I had a blast – singing from the back row  - Alto in Verse I, Tenor and Alto in Verse IV, Soprano in Verse V and back to alto in Verse VI:)- a bit schizophrenic, but oh so much fun! Members of the community came to the church to see the singing, which was gratifying.
After the services and the performance, some of us went to lunch – the usual suspects plus a couple more.  It was nice catching up with everyone and relaxing.  I can honestly say I have never seen Nancy work harder than she did for this as did the choir – and the hard work paid off.
 One of our churchgoers who grew up in Germany complimented us on the German, which meant a great deal to me!

Then home to get a birthday gift for R, who turned 4 yesterday:)! It was a great afternoon, seeing everyone and catching up with family.  And now I sit in the quiet of the house, getting ready for next week.
I am a bit tired, although I’ll probably do a little knitting before bedtime. Before I go, here are some more shots of the KnitPicks haul from Friday.  Had to try some more Imagination yarn in some blue tones – and of course the obligatory stitch markers!

Oh, this last little ball? The first bit of yarn I spun on the drop spindle – from some pencil roving.   It just seemed too easy and there was no plying done – hence the twist!
Well, good night, dear readers.  See you soon. Until then, God be with you ’til we meet again!
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Found: a lovely quotation at the bottom of an e-mail from fellow Yahoo! group member Marion Sandner of Germany:
Wir Menschen sind Engel mit nur einem Flügel-
wir müssen uns umarmen um fliegen zu können!


Translation: We people are angels with only one wing – we have to put our arms around each other to be able to fly!

Isn’t that sweet?

Not much going on today, dear readers.  I thought I’d have a bunch of visits, but just one this evening and another one or two tomorrow after court.  Today I’m going to use that Joann’s gift card my son and his GF gave me for mudder’s day and otherwise catch up on paperwork. Yesterday I used the other gift cards to buy a whole bunch of tops.  Yes, tops.  Nice ones, too! (Thanks, kids!)  Apparently Kohl’s and the other department stores in my area don’t believe women of a certain age or size wear skirts anymore.   Truly, even the skinny minnie departments had nothing anyone (who wants to be taken seriously) would want to wear to work.
You may laugh, but I was so disturbed by this that I actually spoke with the store manager, who was polite enough so that I couldn’t really complain about his manner, but he couldn’t have really cared less.  So…. I think something needs to be done.  I am proposing the following:

It may mean paying a little more for a little less, but it could well be worth it.  But really, folks, how much does it cost for a manufacturer to make a simple skirt?  Good Lord, the T-shirts were $16.00, (although they were on sale for 1/2 price), and the “nicer” shirts were upwards of $30-$65.00,  so this was no discount garbage store.  I don’t get why they won’t stock skirts.  Is there some industry trend? A problem with suppliers? 

C’mon Kohls! I want you guys to do well!  The economy is terrible enough! Your workers need their jobs and I need a place to buy skirts- see how if we just walked arm in arm through this, we could both fly?

If anyone out there has any ideas, please share your wisdom with the rest of us.  In the meantime, I’m not going to work in a t-shirt and panties.  I want to win cases, people, not frighten the courthouse staff!

Anyway, getting back to that Joann’s gift card, I’m going to use it on fabric – I already have patterns.  And in my size, thank you very much! (Thanks C & D!)

And while I’m being such a cranky old lady here: Why is it that even the tops they sell these days show more cleavage than I showed at my Junior Prom when I had something worth seeing?  Just one word for that now: EW! I have had to do more sewing on some of these things than I care to admit.

Last night was bell choir. We had some sad news from one of our members which I won’t repeat here.  And we got some good news upon my arrival home last night! A friend with cancer had some hopeful news and our great nephew, Shane Patrick Gavigan, 7 lbs, 2? oz arrived yesterday and the family is doing very well.

Ah life….

God be with you ’til we meet again, LOL:)!
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Yesterday as a long day.  Yes, it was Mother’s Day and all that great stuff, but something
happened that just doesn’t happen in my world: I woke up at 4:30 AM, tried to get back to sleep, but finally got out of bed at 5:50 AM and was dressed and ready to go at 6:15.  Natural rising – no alarm clock!  I didn’t have to be to St. John’s until 8:15 AM for the bell choir rehearsal.  John and the girls were still sleeping.  The house was quiet, except the bird chirping and squirrel squaking outside as the world began to awake.
I went downstairs to dry my hair and ponder what the heck I was going to do for the next two hours.  I brewed myself a couple of cups of coffee,
had a couple of cheese sticks for breakfast outside on the deck and was treated to a beautiful springtime view of flowers and greenery of all kinds.  There was a gentle breeze and it wasn’t too warm yet.  I sat outside, enjoying the peace and watched nature  at her most beautiful.

After a short period of  contemplation, I went inside and worked on a knitting project I  hadn’t  touched in a year. It  was to be a wrap for K’s wedding last June, but I ran out of yarn (and it was soooo darn hot on her wedding day, she never would have used it anyway), so I put together some other cotton yarns in soft shades to go with the winter white – off-white, beige, tan, golden tan and pink.  It looks like it may just work. We’ll see. I knit about half of a 20-row pattern and then it was time to go.
The spell was broken.
Yesterday was a glorious day.  Not too hot, not too cold. Even the choir robes were bearable over my clothes! We did fairly well, the bells played both services and the choir was singing for the first one, so it was a busy morning.  Between the services we worked on the Bach – and it’s getting better by the minute.  Funny though, it seems around this time – about a week before we actually do the piece – that I seem to unlearn everything I’ve learned.  Of course it comes back to me, but I think it’s my brain’s way of pointing out what I really still need to work on!

After a wonderful morning of music (ok, and worship), I went home to find that K and S were going to lunch  - with S’s mom and K’s! We had a great time at a local Italian place.  I hadn’t seen Sonny’s mom in a while, so it was lovely to see her.  She’s such a nice lady; I’m glad K has a nice mother-in-law.
After lunch S went with his Mom to run a couple of errands and K went with me to the supermarket.  I got the balance of the items for dinner and K did her grocery shopping. Back to the house where John had the kitchen spotless, desert made and the flowers on the table:) Yesterday, he gifted me with Debbie Macomber’s Summer on Blossom Street,which was very nice of him, considering I’m not his mother:) Macomber’s books are so pleasant – great for a light read! 
Last night everyone was here but B and J – they’re coming over for supper tonight.  It was a lot of fun and my kids gave me some amazing gifts.  Considering what a tough momma I was, I am still very touched and surprised by their kindness to me.  The kitchen table was covered with flowers – lilies of the valley from S’s mom at lunch, flowers from John, tulips from D and D, and beautiful sunny roses from D and C.  I am now the proud owner of a gift card for Joann’s and Kohls (do my kids know me or what?).  John saw everything and asked if someone had died.  ”Of course not – you haven’t had dinner yet,”  was my response. After a call to my Dad and Maureen to see how thing stood for our visit in a couple of weeks and of course to with them BOTH a Happy Mother’s day, we did finally sit down and eat.  There are now officially too many of us to sit at one table, so everyone grabs a plate (the little ones get their fare at the table, of course and they are usually accompanied by a few of us), and finds a spot to sit and eat.  It makes for good conversation.
Yes, I was cooking (even though I swore I would not be) – a beef stew that really didn’t turn out too well, smashed red potatoes (they were a big hit) and some 7-grain bread to beat the band! Well, at least the carbs were OK.  John did the first batch of dishes and I did the second – fair enough!
I also was able to get some rows in on D’s February Lady sweater, if you can believe that! 
Needless to say, by 12:45 I didn’t remember my head hitting the pillow.  
Well, I’d better get back to work – it is Monday:) Back soon, until then, God be with you ’til we meet again.

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but it felt so right.  Watching this reminds me of how I feel after I’ve been singing – especially singing with others in choir.  No matter how blue or tired I feel or how crappy my day has been, good music makes my heart sing:)!

Today brought more sadness – had a couple of hearings this morning and in the midst of them, found out that one of people who works at the courthouse had been killed in a car accident last night.  She was a nice person who seemed to enjoy her job and definitely enjoyed life.  I know that she leaves behind a husband, her mother (who recently lost a son to cancer), and a number of canine “children.” May light perpetual shine upon her and may that same light comfort those who feel her absence the most.
The past few weeks really have caused me to question my purpose during this short sojourn we call life.  And I keep coming back to music.  Allow me to explain.
When I’m singing in choir, I need to hear the others and sing with the others to make any kind of sense.  For the piece to sound as it should, I have to do my part – a part that alone can make a certain kind of sense or even sound good by itself- but a part that nonetheless finds its real meaning in tandem with others.  I have described this sensation as being one thread in a beautiful tapestry that weaves in and out of the other threads.  Perhaps the beauty of that one thread is not apparent, but when one steps back from the tapestry and sees the pattern, the colors and the richness, the thread blends into the beauty of the whole.  But the thread, however small, is necessary to that tapestry.
Some threads, like some musical parts, are more interesting or “bigger” than others, but all of them are necessary to have the full sound, or keeping with the tapestry analogy, the full picture.
I am 55 years old.  I am not a particularly great singer, or knitter, or lawyer or even, Heaven help me, mother or wife.  But my life and my choices have been a part of the great Composition or Tapestry of this universe.  And I believe that the universe is a created thing, created by One of infinite goodness.  A goodness I cannot always see or a melody that I cannot always hear because I am just a thread in the middle of that tapestry or a melodic line that I can only hear from within the roar of a million voices.  I have not yet stepped away and heard the melody or seen the tapestry.  There are a few in this life who have the grace to do just that and we should listen to them. 
So how do we know if what we are doing is what is necessary to keep the composition going the way it’s supposed to? 
That, my friend, is the question.  I don’t know the answer, but I do ask the Composer to guide my steps every so often.  I think it was St. Augustine who said, “Love God and do what you want.” I’m sure all the sacred traditions have wisdom about this.
Would love to hear your ideas.  
Whatever the future holds, dear readers, God be with you ’til we meet again.
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Remember that song Judy Collins used to sing -Both Sides Now?” that wonderful song by Joni Mitchell: (Joni Mitchell – I’ve seen 1971, but can remember hearing it before then, I’m pretty sure!)
Rows and flows of angel hair 
And ice cream castles in the air 
And feather canyons ev’rywhere 
I’ve looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on ev’ryone 
So many things I would have done 
But clouds got in my way
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now 
From up and down, and still somehow 
It’s cloud illusions I recall 
I really don’t know clouds at all
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy, dancing way you feel
When every fairy tale comes real
I’ve looked at love that way.
But now it’s just an empty show
You leave ‘em laughing when you go
And if you care, don’t let ‘em know
Don’t give yourself away.
I’ve looked at love from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
I’ts love’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know love at al.
Tears and fears and feeling proud 
To say “I love you” right out loud 
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I’ve looked at life that way
But now old friends are acting strange 
They shake their heads, they say I’ve changed
Well something’s lost, but something’s gained 
In living ev’ry day

I’ve looked at life from both sides now 
From win and lose and still somehow 
It’s life’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know life at all

I’ve looked at life from both sides now 
From up and dawn, and still somehow 
It’s life’s illusions I recall 
I really don’t know life at all 

That song still speaks volumes for me. It’s kind of sad; often what we think is reality is actually something else.  For many, cloudy days and rain are a downer, but look at the vibrant green this is bringing about.  How can that get you down? 
Today was a fairly quiet day.  Last night we got some bad news – a dear lady I know was recently diagnosed with metastatic cancer.  I’m at the point in my life where I hear this kind of news more and more and it never gets easier.  Cannot imagine what a maestrom of emotions she must be going through!
Once I got done with work today, I practiced flute for the first time in a long time -and boy did it

 sound like it! Luckily, no one was around to hear it – just the way I like it.  Good news: the new case did the trick – no mildew smell or taste and the flute is safe and secure nestled in its snug little bed. The outside pocket is meant to hold a piccolo.  That may happen in the future, but for now it’s holding cleaning supplies and a shoulder strap.  I know, right? Crazy!  But I like it.

I have a lot of catching up to do and work on fingering, tone and scales/arpeggios, but one step at a time.  The thing to do is to be consistent.  That’s what works for me and with enough opportunities to practice, I should be back to my old playing self, which is fine – no professional by any means, but OK.  
Tonight was bell practice.  There weren’t many of us there tonight, but we had a decent practice and got done early.  I bet Nancy was happy – she is doing so much work getting ready for the 17th- between extra rehearsals with the choir and additional ones for the soloists, she is one busy lady.  
I have been doing a little knitting – a few more rows here and there – As soon as I’m done with this post, I’ve got to fix a jog in the lace pattern (probably dropped a yarn over somewhere – I’ll find it) and get some inches on that thing.
I’ve also got a picture of the baby blankie beginning – now that we know it’s going to be a boy, I decided to go completely sexist and do medium and light blue and some of the leftover Solstice in winter white that I used for Nancy’s shawl – it’s soft and an organic cotton that should wash well. The pattern is fairly simple, but interesting enough not to be too deadly, LOL:)  As you can see, I’m using the lace pattern from Knitting Goes Large (yes, I have bought the book and have only made a copy of the page so I don’t have to lug the book around everywhere I go:))

Well, that’s all I have from cloudy, raining, dreary-looking-but-alive-inside Merlin.  I will be back soon.  Until then, well, you know the drill….GBWYTWMA
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