A Fried Green Tomatoes Moment

Every now and then I have a "TAWANDA" moment.  Today, I had one of those moments.  I drove into the parking lot at the supermarket.  I had my list on the seat beside me, along with the weekly ad.  I was ready to do my shopping, add up my savings, and get on with my day.  Everything was good.

Then it happened, a car was headed straight at me.  I stopped, wondered if I had inadvertently gone the wrong direction down the aisle.  I looked at all the parked cars.  They were pointed in the same direction I was going.  I hadn't made a mistake.  I looked at the driver in the oncoming car.  She was young, she was determined, and she was waving to me to back up.  Oh Hell NO!  I summoned all the self-righteousness in me, and stood my ground.  After all, I had the right of way.  So we began our stand-off.  I quickly ascertained that my doors were locked.  Let's get real, she was in her 20's, I'm over 50, the girl could definitely kick my behind.  I hung on to the video recall flashing through my addled brain, Kathy Bates delivering the line "I'm older and I have more insurance!".  I was going to stay put.  I figured, I wasn't on my lunch break, heck I don't have a job, I had all day to sit there.  I glanced at the digital clock on my dash, three minutes had elapsed.  I could see the young girl insulting my pedigree.  That was fine, today I was TAWANDA!  Okay, I was a sweating, kind of scared Tawanda, but I was hanging in there.  Finally, as the clock ticked off another minute, she made a hand gesture that was not a sign of approval.  Mouthed something that looked like the word "witch" and backed her car up.

I let the smirk creep across my lips.  I had won!  That would teach her to disrespect her elders.  I wondered if she kissed her mother with that mouth?  I was psyched, I was elated, I was a big chicken and sat in the car for a good ten minutes.  After all, I needed to be sure she had left the parking lot.

I think it will be a while before I let Tawanda rear her head again.  It was exhausting

Huh?

Sometimes I wonder about the conversations I have with Tim.  I have to ask myself if I lapsed into a language he doesn't understand, or perhaps a dimension he doesn't inhabit.

My case in point:  this morning's conversation

Me:  Hey, I'm making breakfast, do you want some waffles?
Tim:  I'll get them.
Me:   huh?
Tim:  The waffles.
Me:   I was going to make them.
Tim:   I know, do you want me to get them?
Me:   (since this was going no where fast)  No, just hand me the waffle maker.
Tim:   For what?
Me:    Huh?

I swear I fell down a rabbit hole.

Paradise

One of the advantages of living where I do, is it's proximity to Yosemite National Park.  Our town is officially called "the Gateway to Yosemite".  Back in the day, and for you smart alecs that are bristling to ask, "NO, I wasn't there!", people rode into our town on the train and then were taken by wagon into Yosemite.  It's only 90 minutes away by car.  The roads are a little winding, but not awful.  At least I don't have to go over some suspension bridge, cause we all know I break out my mantra "the bridge won't fall, the bridge won't fall" the entire way.

So, why would I drive three hours there and back?  Well, if you've never gone, it's Unbelievable!  Spring and Fall are the best time to go, for locals.  That way we avoid all the tourists and the deer jams. It has to be one of the most spiritual places ever.  There can be no doubt that God exists when you see Yosemite.

Half Dome

Awahnee Meadow

Vernal Falls

Sequoias,  the Bachelor and 3 Graces

Ah! Isn't this heaven?

Happy Easter!

Here's hoping you all had a wonderful Easter!

I realized today that I may be more open to grandchildren then I have been in the past.  Not that I want Chris or Tim to rush out and oblige my need today!  It's just that I've missed a few things. Granted there were baskets today, although, the only response I got was "kewl".

I had to think a few minutes and ask myself, what exactly was I missing?

1.   Egg dying, and the plunk of eggs as you remind them "gentle", followed by a splatter of dye.
2.   The questions "how does the bunny lay eggs?", "does he come down the chimney?" "can I eat all my candy?"
3.  Watching one boy (Chris) racing around trying to gather as many eggs as possible, while the other boy (Tim) would find an egg, if it was plastic, survey it's contents, and then announce his findings.
4.   Chocolate bunnies missing their ears and tails.
5.  Peeps, cause the boys hate them and I love them.

So, as you're putting to bed over sugared, egg hugging, chocolate scented children tonight, remember this is fleeting.  Enjoy the moment, enjoy the feelings, and honestly...peeps are better when they're a little stale.

Happy Easter

A Week Alone

Last Saturday, I put Tim, the 21-year old on a train into the Bay Area to spend a week with his dad and brother.  I can't remember the last time I was alone for an extended period of time.  My head was whirling with all the possibilities that lay ahead.  What was I going to do? What would you do?

First, I did some cleaning.  How do we collect all the nonsense we collect?  There are moments when I envy my sister, Toni, she seems to have the uncanny ability to gather absolutely no clutter in her life.  I wonder if it is the curse of a creative mind to gather little wisps of things, with some creative endeavor in mind.

Then, I did some baking.  Not a lot, just a try at some orange, butter cupcakes.  They were light, they were moist, they were packed off to the neighbors as treats.  How is it possible, that with all the cupcake liners I thought I had, I found I only had Christmas ones?

I went to have my nerve test done on my arm.  It's a little archaic what they do to you.  Seriously, being zapped with electricity, is not my idea of a fun trip.  The final diagnosis, apparently there is some damage to the Ulnic nerve, which explains the numbness in my pinkie and ring finger.  It doesn't seem to be severe, although the right hand is definitely weaker then the left.  There is a possibility, since I haven't been working, that there has been improvement over the last month.  Again, it's a wait and see prognosis.

Finally, I did some knitting....
There were eggs and chicks for Easter.

These great basic socks, that I made shorter then normal, because even though it was 50g of yarn, when I wound it up it didn't look like it was going to possibly give me a 6 inch leg out of each skein, so I went shorter.  I love the striping on this yarn!  I'm calling them Raspberry Sticks, because that's what they make me think of. Of course, there's more then enough left over yarn to have done the longer leg.  Murphy @ work.  The leftovers will become booties.

Matinee jackets for Chuck and his wife's twins that are due in a couple of weeks.  I haven't done the seaming or blocking yet. Nor for that matter the I cords. One, of the two bears that need to be finished for their shower.  As you can see, the one bear still needs eyes and a nose. I'm sure you can guess, they're having a boy and a girl.  It will be numbers 10 & 11 for their "Brady" family.

I sent out the requisite 7 resumes this week.  No response so far, 28 applications/resumes, not one single response.  Sheesh, a girl could get discouraged.  I'd settle for a rejection letter at this point.

While knitting the jackets for the twins, I realized that I adore vintage/classic wear for babies.  I think they are sweet, elegant, and so right!  So, I spent several hours (okay it was really about 15) @ the library looking through microfiche copies of magazines from the 40's, 50's and 60's to research the styles for babies/toddlers during those eras.  Not to mention the time on the internet looking @ existing vintage patterns.  The result of all of this homework?  Stay tuned, my first design is on the drawing board.

Tim came home today.  Instead of riding the train, his dad gave him a ride home.  Chris, my 24 year old came along for the ride.  I was so thrilled to see him, it's been about 6 months since I saw him last.  It's good to see his sweet face again.  He took some of his "stuff" from the garage. Yeah! more free space, less clutter!  He also escaped with two new hats, a navy blue cashmerino beanie and a grey bamboo/silk slouch.  I better get busy on more stocking stuffers for this year.

So, let me ask again, what would you do if you had 7 days to yourself?

Everything Changes

Life is changing, yet again.  I turned 52 this week.  I've been unemployed for a month now.

I suppose I should be in a funk, and to be honest I think I was for a couple of weeks.  Unemployment in our little town is 22%.  We don't exactly have industry here, and wages are substandard.  The prospect of starting over, yet again, is somewhat daunting.

On the other hand, it's given me time to breathe.  I have to admit, I was so unhappy at my last job.  It was beyond stressful, and never have I encountered such an insensitive company, in what is turning out to be a longer life then I ever imagined having. It's pretty much a relief to wake up each morning and know that I don't have to face that place.  An excellent silver lining.

I've joined a local knitting group, it's brand new to our area!  We've only been meeting for about 4 weeks now, and we've grown from a group of 3 to 6.  I think it's turning out most excellently!  I've cranked out quite a few projects this past week.  Unusual projects for me.  I will no longer scoff at Dishcloth books, I actually should be embarrassed, considering how much I've spent on 3-packs of dishcloths, that my fingers poke through, and shred within a week.  I'm so thrilled with my homemade cloths!

Love this little waffle cloth!

This very kewl boxy look, and delightful warm colors!

Last, but not least, I knit this fantastic Market bag, and drove the 2 miles down to the Strawberry Farm to fill it up.  I am so happy that my life is this good!

So, yes, life is changing.  It's not that terribly awful, after all.  If you check in with me, I'll share the job search, the knitting club, and all the other new adventures I'm off to in my 52nd year.