Friday, August 21, 2009



It's the end of August. Traditionally, we think of September as the Bringer of the Cooler Temperatures. The calendar, however, says that we have another month of summer.


I like summer. I like hot, dry sunny days. I like picnics, days at the lake, days at the seashore, lazy summer days. I don't like August. August is our hardest- to- deal- with month. The humidity makes breathing hard and the sun is hot. Now, I know we have some nerve complaining when it was so cool and wet for most of the summer. But now, it feels like we're getting All Summer In Three Weeks (apologies to Mr Bradbury). With no time to acclimate ourselves, we're wilting. Ugh.


I finished the socks for my Aunt Joan but don't think I have a photo of them. I made them from Art Walk Sock Yarn club's Georgia O'Keefe "Iris" yarn. It's green and purple and white. The socks are gorgeous and my aunt will like them. That's two of four finished pairs. I'm on the foot of number 2 of Pk's brown striped socks and then working down the cuff of the Purple Trainwreck socks (#2) for Kate. I think I'll have enough to make a pair of footies for El out of it. She admired the colors of the yarn and I'd like to share it with her, too.


I have started/restarted and started over several different lace projects in the last two months. I haven't found one that sang to me. So, I went back to a previous, very ambitious plan. About a year ago, I bought some yarn called Chestnut (It's black and brown and beautiful) to make the Fir Cone Shawl in Folk Shawls. It's a big square shawl. I've never made a square shawl before and I really like this pattern. It's a little intimidating but I think I'm ready for a challenge. I'm still spinning the white merino for a lace shawl out of my own handspun but I wanted some lace on the needles. Sometimes I like the mindlessness of easy knitting but sometimes I want to have to concentrate.


And things at work are rocky right now so having something to concentrate on is a good idea. We are in the midst of a "reorganization". Often this is a euphemism for "lay offs". So far, no one has been laid off (that I know of) but my immediate supervisor (whom I like) has had her position eliminated. She will move to another job with less responsibility and I will get a different supervisor. I think they are trying to move all of us "old timers" out. This opinion is shared by a lot of folk. So, I'll keep my eyes and ears open and maybe a good opportunity will crop up and I'll move on. I'm lazy. I've been here for 15 years and get 5 weeks of time off each year. That may not sound like a lot but her in the US, it's almost unheard of. It's tough to move. But change can also be exhilarating and I am choosing to see it as that.
No extraordinary weekend plans here. Just the usual. I think it's supposed to thunderstorm on and off so an outdoor activity is probably not on the agenda. Have a good one. Stay cool!

9 comments:

Amy Lane said...

Wow... you are always so optimistic about things! Five weeks is a good bit of time (for a non-teaching job!) and you keep working somewhere because you enjoy it... no harm in that. Here's hoping it all falls where it's supposed to!

amy said...

I know, I feel bad about complaining when it was so cool and rainy for half the summer, too. But the heat plus the humidity is brutal. Yesterday we went to the zoo. Did I mention, brutal? I can hardly stand to hold the baby. My two younger children are very, very humid, and the baby still likes to be strapped to me.

We're keeping an eye out to see if we get any residuals from Hurricane Bill this weekend. At the very least, the surf is supposed to be strong for the next several days.

Galad said...

It is hard to give up that time off but feeling unsteady in your position isn't any fun.

I know you will come out on top no matter what happens!

Sheepish Annie said...

This heat is getting to me, that's for sure. Yesterday we got a nice, little break and then everything went right back to hot 'n humid this morning. Gah!!

I know what you mean about the job thing. I really can't go anywhere at this point with my experience. I cost too much. But a change would be nice...

Happy lace knitting! I love the Fir Cone pattern!

Bezzie said...

Oh the thunder brought so much more coolness! I can breathe again!

Yes, sometimes RIFing is worse than layoffs. Ugh.

Alwen said...

The weather is so up and down. Last weekend hot and humid, rain Monday, and today it was cool, down to 70 and windy. I can't keep up - now I'm cold at 70!

MadMad said...

Ooooh, I can totally see how it would be hard to give up five weeks vacation; totally unheard of here, isn't it? (And so sad that it is...) I am revving up for my favorite season, fall - with all the exciting things to knit!

Louiz said...

Hope the weather sorts itself out. We've got funny hot weather too. And 5 weeks holiday is good, even here in the UK and I think we're fairly good for that. Hope you find something that suits you every so well.

Rose Red said...

It always amazes me that people in the US don't get as much paid leave as we do (4 weeks/year at least). I'd find it hard to voluntarily leave a job with 5 weeks' leave and that you've been at so long - but change can be a very good thing, once you are used to the idea - so hope it all works out for you.

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...