If Wishes Were Dollars ...

I would be out purchasing a few things with my winnings.

Alas, I am not, but the prospect of a giant jackpot did make me compose my imaginary shopping list. Here's what I'd buy:

• a new laptop for me
• a new mattress (I would share with John)
• a ranch for Justin so he could run it on his own in the ethical, humane way he would like
• an endowed professorship in math for Ryan

That's about it. Justin mentioned that he would also like new rims and tires for his truck, but if I'm buying him a ranch, then he needs to pay for his own truck parts. This list would have been ideal if I had won the $430 million. The first two items total about $2000 (unless I went wild and got a Sleep Number mattress), and the remaining two would have set me back about $2.5 million each. I could have treated the kids equitably and given them things they both want, but they would still have to be working, productive, and responsible people. Plus, I would still have had about $424,998,000 left. I might even have bought a skein or two of really nice yarn. :-)

I think I had at least $8.00 worth of fun dreaming (and it looks like I'll have another chance on Saturday)!

Unraveled Wednesday

Joining Kat and friends for Unraveled Wednesday.

I finished some knitting, but there are still important details to complete before it's really done. While I work on those, I decided to take a look into some mystery project bags. 

In Penguin Bag #1 there are some socks for my sister. I promised them for her birthday (but I didn't say which one). Let's just say it was an embarrassingly long time ago. 

Deer Bag #2 has the No Regrets Hitchhiker I put on the back burner for a new Hitchhiker.

I found my Serena Socks in Barn Owl Bag #3.

No Regrets and the Serena Socks are good waiting room knitting, and I'll need the patience they instill during hours of waiting scheduled for next week, so I think I'll work on socks for my sister now. 

My reading has included the last several books I'm finishing for Book Bingo, but they just weren't providing the calm and peace I've needed after all the chaos of the past several weeks. When I feel like this, E. B. White is the writer I turn to, so I'm finding the solace, perspective, and achingly beautiful prose I crave in The Essays of E.B. White.

What are you knitting and reading this week? Whatever you're working on, I hope it's providing you with lots of what you need.

Four Years Ago ...

Ryan and I completed our epic 1765 mile trip, driving from NJ to his new home in Fort Collins, CO to start his PhD program at Colorado State University. The road was long, but the rewards were great, and things have only gotten better since then. Ryan is where he needs and wants to be, doing what he wants to do, working towards a bigger goal, and happy about all of it, so as his mother, I'm happy, too.

I wish I had taken pictures along the way, but I'm glad that I at least posted on facebook at the end of two very loonngg days of driving, and blogged about the trip after we had been in Fort Collins for a week. These have helped jog my memories of what was a pretty big deal then -- both the trip itself and Ryan moving so far away from home.

That's one of the main reasons I started blogging; Ryan's start on his adult life was such a big shift in my own life that I felt the need to write about it, and I'm glad I did. Through sharing my own journey and sharing in the experiences of others in this amazing community, I've met so many kind, wonderful, and supportive friends. It started when Kym "introduced" me to her sister in Cheyenne because Ryan didn't know a soul. Thankfully, I never had to bother Kym's sister, but I felt relieved just knowing that there was someone I could call in case any of the emergencies I worried about came to pass. Patty was next, after she messaged me on ravelry because her son Dan was also living in Fort Collins, and wondrous friendships have grown from there.

Yes, I had to take a first day of grad. school photo. 

Thank you for reading my reminiscences, and for all the kindness and support that you have all shown over the years. I've been the recipient of so much good, and I hope that I can give back in some way. Many people think blog friends are "imaginary" because we may not have met in person, but I know that all of you are real friends!

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Monday, After a Dark Weekend

Hate, horror, threats, bombs
Right-wing, reckoning, evil
Do not kill us all

Sitting here knitting
I know there is just one side
Peace, hope, love, prayer

Random Bits and Pieces

I don't know if it's August doldrums or just lack of imagination, but I've been wracking my brain to try and come up with something interesting to write about. All I've got is a collection of small things, so random bits and pieces it is.

I managed to take some photos of several poppies before the petals fell. They don't last long, but are pretty in sunlight and shadow.

Slightly cooler temperatures and decreasing humidity make me think of baking. I woke up one morning this week with temperatures in the upper 50s and thought, "It's time to make the calzones." So I did.

Stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, they aren't the healthiest thing I could have baked, but since my diet has consisted mainly of tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, and zucchini, calzones made a nice change.

After my recent musical revelations with hick hop, I got the best recommendations from Margene and Vicki. Margene suggested Jason Isbell, and I've listened to two of his albums, The Nashville Sound and Something More Than Free. Vicki recommended Gregory Alan Isakov and the Colorado Symphony, and I've been listening to all three excellent albums pretty much non-stop on spotify. I used to use my ipod mainly for audiobooks, but now it's also got lots of good music on it. If you have any musical suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Remember the picnic table that got in the way of a crashing branch?

The kind and wonderful tree guy dropped off new pressure treated lumber and said he would be back to do the repairs. I told him that wasn't necessary because Justin and I worked together, replaced the top, and it's almost as good as new.

I'm going to be testing my "new" picnic table by serving some homemade salsa made with garden tomatoes and a nice beer or two on it. Hope this weekend is a good one for you!

Unraveled Wednesday

Joining Kat and friends for Unraveled Wednesday.

It seems like I post yet another picture of my (unfinished) Birthday Cake Hitchhiker every Wednesday, and every week I wonder when I am ever going to finish this thing. I did a little math to try and answer that question.

I currently have 49 teeth and 200 stitches, and plan to finish with 56 teeth. Each tooth (an 8 row repeat) increase the stitch count by 4 stitches, so I was trying to calculate how many stitches I have left to knit. After a couple of attempts, I finally arrived at an answer of approximately 13,696 stitches. I'm sure there's an easier/better/more precise way of figuring this out, but I'm happy that my approximation tells me why it's taking me so long!

I finished Magpie Murders, but since I know quite a few people are currently reading it or plan to read it, you'll get no spoilers from me. My thoughts (also spoiler-free) are here if you're interested. I've started two new books, and both are great so far. Where the Water Goes is an interesting, educational, and eye-opening book about "where our water comes from and where it goes". Specifically, it's about the allocation of the water in the Colorado River, and it's a fascinating story. Safe as Houses is a book that I happened upon at the library, and after reading the first story, I can tell it's going to be perfect for my "Collection of short stories" square. I really like the covers of both books, and what's inside is even better. 

What are you knitting and reading this week?

Musical Revelations

I (used to) hate country music, but this weekend has brought some musical revelations (and no one is more surprised than I am.) I'm not sure where my intense dislike of country came from, but it goes waayy back, and because I already knew I didn't like country music, I never listened to any. (Yes, now I see the problem with that.)

But then I got a text from Justin. His tastes in music are wide-ranging, and after a year in Texas, they certainly include country music. He has taken on the tough job of trying to broaden the genres of music that I listen to, and will often make suggestions.

It only took me two weeks, but I did listen to "Backyard Lullaby". My bias against country music kicked in at the beginning, but after listening several times, I was intrigued.

I asked Justin if he could recommend another similar song and he suggested "Workin' On" by Colt Ford.

I really like this one and have been listening to both songs pretty much nonstop this weekend. Once I started actively listening to the lyrics, I thought, "Hey, they're singing about my kid, me, and so many of us." I think that deep down we all have many of the same problems, and many of the same ways to try and cope.

Shutting off our pride, fixing bridges we burned,
learning how to live and learn
Keeping our demons down and our trucks up and running
Fighting with the man in the mirror til we gone
Yeah, that’s what all us good ol’ boys gonna go out workin’ on

Giving more forgiveness, picking battles worth choosing

Little less cussin’ and losin’ my temper and my tools
Dialin’ down my restless, outgrowing my reckless
Realizin’ what I got what I got before it’s gone
That’s what this good ol' boy’s gonna go out
Workin’ on

Owning up to my weakness, keeping it humble but strong
Doin’ the best I can with this flesh and bone

The song was originally written to bring attention to soldiers suffering from PTSD, and while I am neither a soldier nor a good ol' boy, these lyrics are completely honest and relatable for me, and I like the combination of rap/spoken word and a good melody. After Justin told me that this genre was called hick hop, I was really tickled. 

So thanks to Justin, Demun, and Colt for a revelation, some really enjoyable songs, and a new (dare I say?) love for a new genre. I have a lot of hick hop to check out!