A Metaphor For Optimism

Ahhhhh. Looking for The Silver Lining. For a melancholic like me that's always a bit challenging. 

In this post I mentioned having received a gift of two skeins of Knitsch Colorway The Silver Lining. I wanted The Silver Lining to become an Ishbel. I thought it would be a nice way to literally wrap myself with The Silver Lining.

Now, I tend to overestimate how much yarn I need for a project. I always have leftovers, but I wanted to use every lil' bit of The Silver Lining, so I did some research in regards to size. I figured if 1-1/2 skeins were needed to make a small stockinette/small lace section Ishbel, then I could get away with working a small stockinette/large lace section Ishbel... Right?!  

WRONG! About a third into the CAST-OFF ROW (of all rows!), I ran out of The Silver Lining. You have to admit it can't get more dramatic than running out of The Silver Lining. (Sniff.)

Complicating the situation was the fact that I had been so confident about my 'yardage math' that I hadn't even inserted a life-line. (Aren't you glad that I 'just' teach 4th grade math? Algebra might be quite disastrous!) - Ripping back was thus not an option either.  

At 1:45 a.m. I sent a message to "R."

"I ran out of The Silver Lining 1/3 into casting off Ishbel! I'm now trying to find The Silver Lining... in oh, so many ways! :-)"

Seven minutes later, from the other side of the globe this message popped up in my inbox: 

"Oh ohhh. I might be able to send over a little bit of The Silver Lining. How many metres do you reckon? I had some left over from my Mum's Scalene."

Ahhh. What joy! I was able to settle into the feather-bed for some restful sleep after all & The Silver Lining is traveling via Airmail as I'm typing... :-)

And that's the story of The Silver Lining. I'm just so thankful & grateful. Now back to Mommy-reality aka a stinky, poopy diaper...

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These Days

I received this from Jennifer over at Little Kiwi Chick earlier this week. Isn't it just so cute? Well, it's lucky timing for you, because she is having a Giveaway for one of these treasures over at  her blog. To enter simply read this blog post. You can also buy one in her Felt shop. She actually did double-duty on this one. She started one  in blue & then made a pink one after Nuriel was surprisingly born as a girl. Thank you, Jennifer. It's already found a special place in our home. 

On another note... The back-to-work thing went surprisingly well. Nuri was happy & easy-going on both mornings. Her caregiver is such a blessing. She had a sweet Moses Basket with a lambskin prepared for Nuri & carries her around in a sling. I could not possibly have a better childcare situation! My students were excited to have their "strict" teacher back. We're in a "Money & Measurement" block. Upon learning about bartering/trading, some of my students came up with the idea of trading their siblings... Gotta love inventive 3rd graders!

So Much Gratitude...

So many blessings are coming my way these days. It's a beautiful thing; so very sweet. Last night I received some lovely gift cards along with a one-hour prenatal massage session from the parents of my students. So very awesome. Those of you who remember the "Richmond Mom Baby Shower Contest" may remember just how much I loved the idea of a massage... My appointment is for Monday - a day before the August 24th due date. The massage therapist assured me that I could also have it as a postnatal massage if need be. ;-)

A few weeks ago I won a pair of booties in the weekly Kiwi Mummy Blogs Giveaway. They arrived in the mail, along with the added surprise of a hat, from NaturalStar. Just gotta love 'em. Thank you, Brenda! I have a love for beautiful stories & beautifully illustrated books for children. The book you see there in the background was a totally-out-of-the-blue surprise from a former colleague. I found it in my mailbox at school today along with a lovely note. Thank you, Susan. - All the best in your new home & don't be shy about commenting!

I think this is the first bouquet of fresh flowers in this house. I love fresh flowers. So pretty up there on the mantle. They were a gift, too - along with yummy CSA veggies & fruits. Thanks to Sarah. I don't think Sarah even knows about this blog, but they are just so pretty.

This is a ceramic house that I gave my grandmother for Christmas one year - about 12, 13 years ago. She'll be ninety this year & she's wanting to pass on treasures to the people she'll be leaving behind one day. She wanted me to have it back. It's on the mantle, too. You can put a tea-light inside & the chimney can hold some essential oils for diffusing. Noah & Nathan also loved the packs of gummi bears that she used as padding. - Okay, yeah, so did I!

Oh and... It looks like my "Autumn" shawl will be used as a prop in the play The Fantasticks at Cadence Theatre Company here in Richmond. A friend & colleague is doing the choreography. She's a fellow knit-addict & wanted something "not acrylic." So funny. That shawl by the way has been getting oodles of hearts on Ravelry. (My project link.) Not sure why. It has a stockinette section & it's thus a pretty simple shawl.

So many treasures.

So much gratitude.

Gratitude

Oh, thou my beloved air-conditioner & ceiling-fan.
My heart doth rejoice in the cool air thou blowest
on my pregnant belly...

I'll spare you further poetry attempts.

Look what I got in the mail! A handmade Kiwiana bunting for Lil' Bean from Elijah's Mum (I won't say her real first name, cause I don't know if she's an "out of the closet about her name" blogger or not.) over at Currently Unnamed. She blogged about it here & the mailman must have been speed-skating across the Pacific or something, 'cause it got here fast.

It came with a pretty pair of earrings and some postcards from NZ. I can't show you a picture of those, & I can only show you less than half of the bunting, because my camera isn't cooperating. I got very frustrated with my camera today and it made me dream about something like this, but since the title of this blog is "Gratitude," I'll say that mostly I'm very happy with my camera. The bunting has found a home in the dining-room where it looks so pretty by the fireplace and over the entryway. - I can't decide where to put it.

Thank you so much for the Kiwiana treasures! Made my day, really!

Just Somethin'

A dear childhood friend gave birth to a baby daughter, Leonie, at the beginning of the month. I talked to my friend on the phone for a very long time today. There's something about hearing a birth story, I tell ya! As we spoke, my friend's mother & father, the first-time grandparents were there holding the lil' one & rocking her. Then my friend told me that her partner, a gardener, takes their daughter for a daily walk through the garden after he comes home from work; how he shows her everything; how they (well, he) count the apples ripening on the apple tree...

What a sweet picture. Doesn't that just make you go Awwww? I'm so glad for her lil' daughter. I know she's chosen a special, close-knit family to be born into. Although I was overjoyed and it was so nice to talk to my dear friend for over an hour, I couldn't help but sigh after I got off the phone.

Lil' Bean is coming into this world under very different circumstances. I suppose all paths are unique. I have to trust that it's that way for a reason. There won't be grandparents holding him and rocking him to sleep. (Brent's parents passed away years ago. My mother has chosen not to be part of my life anymore after learning of the pregnancy. My father lives on a different continent.)

And there won't be the loving arms of a father who will take him for a walk... along the beach, maybe. - Brent loved living so close to the ocean...

Why on earth would a child choose to be born into such a difficult situation? My heart aches thinking about all the things Lil' Bean won't have in his life, which makes me even more grateful for all the love that is coming to us in so many different ways from friends near & far; friends I know in person; friends I may have never met.

Thank you, friends.

Gratitude

This week I'm grateful for...

... all the wonderful comments left on my blog & Rhonda's post. I was quite touched. Thank you so much!

... the smile that a lovely stranger brought to Nathan yesterday when a platypus coin & other lil' treasures arrived in the mail. His report turned out great. I must post about it soon.

... Spring weather. The boys have been outside playing football with the neighborhood-kids for over 4 hours. So glad it's that time of year to be outdoors.

... memories - although sometimes they are painful. A year ago today, Good Friday, Brent & I had walked from our B&B to South Street where I got pretty tipsy on one Long Island Iced Tea. Yeap. One is all it takes. Then we went back to the B&B and walked across town to the theater. I remember the white dress I was wearing. We saw "The Complete Works of Shakespeare - Abridged." It was a great, fun play. We went to the theater a lot when we were together.

... the wonderful Waldorf education my children receive - an education where art is alive. Here's a clay frog & a clay elephant Nathan brought home today.

Have a lovely Easter weekend!