Motherhood and Mornings

Holy smokes.Thank God for coffee. I am so tired. I do not do mornings. I really do not do 4:30 am, unless I never went to bed.Having a new baby when you are 53 is tough. This new baby has an old momma. Thank God she is adorable. Smart as a can be. Steezy learned how to use the doggy door in a few hours with a treat on either side of the door. Dad and the boy were her teachers. She now goes out to potty as needed. It is so weird to have a young, active puppy in the house.

Our Roxie girl had begun to function as a favorite comfy pillow. She decorated her leather chair and cuddled us and her love was in the house and all around us. Her only exercise was to get out of the chair to eat, and go outside when absolutely necessary. Her lack of activity had a gradual onset. We all got older together. My inactivity went hand in hand with hers. I noticed when she quit running out to the car to join me on outings and errands. But, I always deferred to her decision to stay home as she slowed down. Every once in a while Roxie would have a puppy attack and run through the house with a sock in her mouth. She always made us laugh!

The last 5 months without my dog nearby have been lonely. She left a huge whole in our home.

Little Steezy is starting to fill in the hole. She is different. She makes more noise. She buries bones. She runs and plays. Everyday at about 4 pm she has a burst of energy and plays with all of her toys like it is Christmas morning. When she falls asleep, she flops out like a wet noodle or a toy switched off. We are learning so much about each other. This family has expanded and we are all adjusting to our new addition.

I am pleased to report that she has not shown any interest in my yarn stash. She has not touched anything that she should not. I want to catch up with my craft show knitting and the few gifts for Christmas I have committed to. Then I will knit her a sweater for these harsh southern California winters.

We had 2.78 inches of rain on Friday. More than all of the rest of 2007. Steezy has never seen rain in her short life. Definitely hated it. I took her out with an umbrella to potty and she walked between my feet and refused to move. That was the day she chose to eliminate in the house. I could hardly blame her. The rain was lovely for us humans. The ash has finally been washed away and this water will help insure that the fires will not find a stronghold the next time we have Santa Anas. It is cold here. Tonight it is 45 degrees and I my dog and I are sharing an old hand knit blanket made by my mother-in-law 26 years ago.

I finished the 2 large tote bags and a few other bags for the next show. I have delivered 50% of the hand knits collected from the guild members. Monday the preemie hats go to Tri-City Hospital. I will mail the helmet warmers following the January guild meeting. I'm getting organized.

I can't wait to start a couple of projects I have been thinking of knitting for the selfish pleasure. I might even keep them for me? What a concept. Tomorrow, the Christmas decorations come out and the season officially begins. Did I mention I am tired? No rest for the wicked. Bundled up, I will work on a beanie for my mohawk boy. If I went to bed before midnight, maybe mornings wouldn't be so morningish...

Deadlines

Tuesday was Knitting Guild. I had just received my latest Interweave Knits magazine and read it from cover to cover. This also coincided with the receipt of the guild newsletter with an editorial on the demise of more local yarn shops and the compelling reasons. We knitters that have been around for a while, know the knitting business is cyclical. Up and down, round and round. When the popularity of this sweet art surges, business booms and shops bloom like a colorful, fertilized garden.

When the shop I worked at closed this Spring, I was so sad. I knew that we were trending down again and I began to contemplate the signs. Shops closing, publications limiting circulation, magazines focusing on patterns with a complexity that appeals to experienced knitters. My job interview for teaching at our local Community College went well. The team putting together the class offerings said they would love to have me, but, knitting wasn't a big trend anymore? They still have not decided to offer knitting classes. I hope they do- for so many reasons.

There is less attention paid to the newbies. More time spent on technique and less on sharing the good news of knitting. What is the happy balance? Internet can be blamed for some shops closing, yet at the same time, access to yarn via the internet has opened up quality materials to all of the most remote regions of the world. This has spread the love of fine quality yarns to knitters that formerly had limited resources. I love to read about something new, do the research and push the "buy" button. I have no answers. I will always knit. I always have. I will teach anyone that wants to learn . Hopefully, I will still be around when the next surge of new knitters need me.

Saturday is my annual craft show. I am woefully unprepared. So little time, so little stock, so little energy. I have a full schedule which includes book club tonight. I read the book, printed out the reader guide and I am going. Saturday will come. Ready, or not. It is supposed to rain or drizzle. Grey and cold and humid. My felted bags have not dried. I have locked them in the guest room with the heat full blast and hope I can sew in the linings and handles tomorrow. Everything else you see piled on the table to tag and photograph. I may pull an all nighter. Nature has conspired against me this year and I am going with it. I will drink a glass of red wine to the power of nature, while discussing a good read and knitting a mohair ruffle to adorn a little evening bag. Multi-tasking moms and the lives we lead...