Sunday, February 3, 2008

Today is our local high school's ROTC Winter Ball. It is the ceremony where they change the officers for next year. Usually, it is a little later in the year and it seems more reasonable for young women to wear dresses that are not terribly warm. Here are Kate and Gio ready to leave.
Kate hates to get dressed up. You'll notice there is no jewelry in this photo. There is no makeup and there are no hair products. She is wearing a dress that I made for Emily's junior prom. It's a lovely dress. Kate was ironing it when Gio arrived and then sat down to cut her toenails (after all, she is wearing strappy sandals!). I offered to take her to the nail salon yesterday but she declined. Kate looks lovely no matter what she is wearing but she is most comfortable in her jeans and sneakers, on her bike, fishing pole in hand, heading toward the local lake. I can't wait until she gets married one day. I can see it now, jean shorts and tank tops in the back yard.

Look! My shawl is starting to show some shape. That is Hobbes inspecting it. Actually, he just wanted me to get out of his way. That is his favorite spot on the couch, right in front of the window so he can watch what's going on from the safety of the living room. I am working on the top now and the rows are getting shorter more quickly. It is so heartening after the long rows in the beginning. Once I finish the top edge I get to pick up the 329 stitches around the edge and put the lace border on. I am really thrilled with it.



I finished the fools rush socks . Here they are on top of a pile of socks to be washed.


I like the pattern but it is hard to see in this yarn. I started a new pair for train knitting. I was using the Black Orchid yarn from the club but even after rewinding it and trying a different pattern, it still pooled in an unattractive manner. I put it aside for now and Elanor chose this yarn for her socks. The pattern is Go with the Flow from Favorite Socks. It is the easiest pattern to memorize and so perfect for train knitting. The yarn is superwash/nylon from castleman fibers sock yarn club. I can't remember if this one has a name but it is a little darker than this photo shows.
I am still thinking on the ten things I like about myself from Roxie It is harder than I thought. In my family growing up, there were few compliments and little encouragement to think of yourself as special in any way. I remember asking if I looked ok and my parents saying "yes, you look ok". No one, until my husband told me I was beautiful or special. Now, I am not saying this so that everyone can feel sorry for me. I know people grow up with way worse things happening to them. But it helps explain why I find it so difficult to acknowledge that I am special and I do like things about myself. And it is one of the reasons that I tried to shower my children with praise for their beauty and for their specialness. I don't want them to hesitate when someone asks them what they like about themselves.
As for me, I'm still working on it. I get nervous everytime I think of writing "I like that I ....." because I am afraid that someone will yell "FRAUD! You aren't like that at all" But I am slowly working up the courage. Today I like that I am compassionate and empathetic. It's what makes me good at my job (social worker in a community mental health center). It must show somewhere on my person because complete strangers ask me for help and tell me their troubles. Anywhere. In grocery lines, doctor's offices, banks. You name it and I have heard someone's life story there. I like that I listen and don't immediately jump in with offers of help but try to help individuals find their own answers.
Ok, that wasn't so hard. Coming soon, numbers 2 through 10. Until then, have a good, peace full Sunday.
PS Sorry about the spacing. I keep trying to fix it but blogger won't let me. I know it's hard to read long paragraphs.

8 comments:

Rose Red said...

blogger spacing is annoying isn't it!

I think Kate looks lovely!

Good for you for doing the 10 things, I think that is a great thing to do.

Sheepish Annie said...

I'm with Kate! Phooey on the dresses!!! Maybe I'll be buried in one. Until then, it's jeans for me, too!

The shawl is looking lovely. Nicely done!!! You could include knitting skill in that list of ten likable things about you if you wanted. You are rather good at it, you know!

I think that Google and all Google related products are acting up tonight. I almost had a cerebral "episode" trying to type up my post!!!!!

Em said...

Kate is gorgeous, no matter what she's wearing or doing. I think you may be right about the whole jean shorts and tanktops in the backyard wedding.

The shawl is looking more shawl-like and more lovely every time I see it, and I have full faith that it will be amazing when it's blocked and finished.

Taphophile said...

Kate looks just great - who needs makeup, jewellry or product when they're that gorgeous. :)

Good luck with the 10 things - that stuff is hard.

TinkingBell said...

Kate is lovely and the shawl is too - and so are you!!!!!

Amy Lane said...

Lovely socks, by a lovelier person and a lovelier family I can not imagine.

I do know what you mean, though--I've been thinking about Roxie's challenge as well, and everytime I think of some self-praise, what comes back to me is disclaimers... "Well, I like my eyes, but I'm really overweight!" like you said, 'fraud'--but here's the thing. I think you sound like a really lovely person in your blog--you're not self-aggrandizing, you sing the praises of your beautiful daughters until they glow with love.

I think that if someone with your level head and beautiful soul sees something nice inside, it probably must be there.

That's my two cents--of course, Roxie's list of ten things made me really happy--maybe I'm just hoping to squeeze the same sort of happiness out of you:-)

Mistrmi said...

Pretty, pretty things in this post! From a lovely author. . .

roxie said...

You ARE compassionate and empathetic, and *I* like that about you too. You're smart. Do you like that? You have an eye for beauty. You're a diligent worker. And you knit lovely things. Oh, and you turn out beautiful kids.

Gahh - I can't help myself. I want to grab you by the shoulders and hollar, "BRAG, damnit! Brag! You're a wonderful person!"

Happy Sunday!  I am sitting here working on my sweater made with the cashmere yarn my husband gave me for my birthday last year. I’m further...