Let's Run Away....

It's that time of year when the days shorten, the leaves fall all over town, and a yarn crafter's thoughts turn to all the things they want to make for Christmas gifts. They know they're doomed to failure, of course, because if we could make everything we wanted to make within a two month window, we'd certainly have a different career entirely, wouldn't we?  I do like to dream though!  I look at my stash of beautiful, colorful yarns and suddenly have the design flair of a professional in my mind. There are the sweaters I'd make for Milo, the cute little animal creatures I'd create, the scarf and hat sets for those I think need taking care of, and the prayer shawls for all my girlfriends. Oh, yes, and by the way, I think I'll make myself a beautiful big poncho in laceweight yarn!  That's doable, right?

I'm so far behind on everything in my life right now. I have a stack of magazines and journals to read that could serve as a hurdle in the Olympics. I have books to read, stories to write, and even sewing to do!  As if that isn't enough, I also have the strongest desire to clear clutter and simplify throughout my house and throughout my life.

Life just seems too complex and fast these days. I want to do things to simplify it and return to a simpler time. You know, the time before Facebook and Twitter when we only had email and the internet to goof us up and slow us down.  ;-). No, when I think of a truly simpler time, I think back to my childhood. Television had three channels. Great radio stations could be found as often on the AM side as the FM side. There were no answering machines, personal computers, mobile phones or GPS devices. If you wanted to get lost and off grid for a little while, all you had to do was walk into your backyard and turn off the ringer on your home telephone. Now if you want to get lost and off grade, you practically have to become a fugitive. The other day I forgot my cell phone when I went to work as a senior caregiver. No one could get in touch with me and, it felt....wonderful!  I'll admit it, after work, I wanted to just drive through the fallen leaves, daydream about knitting, and let my cares slip away. What would you do with your day if you could be totally off grid for two or three hours?

Let's Run Away....

It's that time of year when the days shorten, the leaves fall all over town, and a yarn crafter's thoughts turn to all the things they want to make for Christmas gifts. They know they're doomed to failure, of course, because if we could make everything we wanted to make within a two month window, we'd certainly have a different career entirely, wouldn't we?  I do like to dream though!  I look at my stash of beautiful, colorful yarns and suddenly have the design flair of a professional in my mind. There are the sweaters I'd make for Milo, the cute little animal creatures I'd create, the scarf and hat sets for those I think need taking care of, and the prayer shawls for all my girlfriends. Oh, yes, and by the way, I think I'll make myself a beautiful big poncho in laceweight yarn!  That's doable, right?

I'm so far behind on everything in my life right now. I have a stack of magazines and journals to read that could serve as a hurdle in the Olympics. I have books to read, stories to write, and even sewing to do!  As if that isn't enough, I also have the strongest desire to clear clutter and simplify throughout my house and throughout my life.

Life just seems too complex and fast these days. I want to do things to simplify it and return to a simpler time. You know, the time before Facebook and Twitter when we only had email and the internet to goof us up and slow us down.  ;-). No, when I think of a truly simpler time, I think back to my childhood. Television had three channels. Great radio stations could be found as often on the AM side as the FM side. There were no answering machines, personal computers, mobile phones or GPS devices. If you wanted to get lost and off grid for a little while, all you had to do was walk into your backyard and turn off the ringer on your home telephone. Now if you want to get lost and off grade, you practically have to become a fugitive. The other day I forgot my cell phone when I went to work as a senior caregiver. No one could get in touch with me and, it felt....wonderful!  I'll admit it, after work, I wanted to just drive through the fallen leaves, daydream about knitting, and let my cares slip away. What would you do with your day if you could be totally off grid for two or three hours?

Let's Run Away....

It's that time of year when the days shorten, the leaves fall all over town, and a yarn crafter's thoughts turn to all the things they want to make for Christmas gifts. They know they're doomed to failure, of course, because if we could make everything we wanted to make within a two month window, we'd certainly have a different career entirely, wouldn't we?  I do like to dream though!  I look at my stash of beautiful, colorful yarns and suddenly have the design flair of a professional in my mind. There are the sweaters I'd make for Milo, the cute little animal creatures I'd create, the scarf and hat sets for those I think need taking care of, and the prayer shawls for all my girlfriends. Oh, yes, and by the way, I think I'll make myself a beautiful big poncho in laceweight yarn!  That's doable, right?

I'm so far behind on everything in my life right now. I have a stack of magazines and journals to read that could serve as a hurdle in the Olympics. I have books to read, stories to write, and even sewing to do!  As if that isn't enough, I also have the strongest desire to clear clutter and simplify throughout my house and throughout my life.

Life just seems too complex and fast these days. I want to do things to simplify it and return to a simpler time. You know, the time before Facebook and Twitter when we only had email and the internet to goof us up and slow us down.  ;-). No, when I think of a truly simpler time, I think back to my childhood. Television had three channels. Great radio stations could be found as often on the AM side as the FM side. There were no answering machines, personal computers, mobile phones or GPS devices. If you wanted to get lost and off grid for a little while, all you had to do was walk into your backyard and turn off the ringer on your home telephone. Now if you want to get lost and off grade, you practically have to become a fugitive. The other day I forgot my cell phone when I went to work as a senior caregiver. No one could get in touch with me and, it felt....wonderful!  I'll admit it, after work, I wanted to just drive through the fallen leaves, daydream about knitting, and let my cares slip away. What would you do with your day if you could be totally off grid for two or three hours?

Flitterdee and Distractions

So, I don't know whether any of you are aware of this, but I am an incredible bundle of attention deficit and obsessive/compulsive issues in my personal life. I can focus at work and multitask fairly well there. I think it's because at work there are things I have to do within a limited time frame. There aren't many options when you answer the company telephone. In my own personal world and on my own time? I'm a disaster area!

For instance, I wrote a novel in November with National Novel Writing Month. You would think actually writing the 50,000+ word draft would be the hard part and that jumping in to revise and edit it would be a comparative breeze. But, then it was the Christmas season and we took a couple of fun weekend trips. We had a wonderful Christmas and...I completely forgot about the novel!

January came and with it intense cold temperatures that makes one want to just huddle in a chair and read, knit, or play games on one's new toy from Christmas. Days disappeared. I jumped from starting knitting projects to crochet projects to knitting projects. I finished a simple scarf or two, but mostly I would start something, unravel it, and start something else.

I cleaned weird things in the house, like the soap off the rack we have hanging in the shower for our soaps and shampoos. I dusted the tops of the doors off. I reorganized my jewelry box and my closet, by color and size. (By the way, Alan, it makes me a little crazy when you hang a pink sweater up in the blues. Do you do that on purpose? I think you do.)

I did print my novel so I could review it on paper and start edits. (I edit better on paper. I always have. I don't know why.) I three-hole punched my printed rough draft and put it in a nice pretty binder. I put it near my favorite recliner so I could get started right away. I also cleaned and organized my knitting/crocheting area by my recliner so it would all be neat and tidy for editing. The novel is still there. I think I read three pages. If I only read three pages, doesn't it mean it's boring junk? Or, is it that since I got it all out of my system, I'm "done" with it in a way? Do I really want people to read what I wrote? It's about growing up in West Texas in the 1960's. Would anybody be interested in that or do I have delusions of grandeur to go along with my ADD And OCD issues?

So, I haven't really accomplished anything much in January. I haven't edited my novel, started or finished any real knitting/crocheting projects, or decided what I want to do when I grow up, er old. I have kicked a bad habit and that's pretty rad. I've flittered around and around all over the place. Maybe I need to get back on my medication OR I could flitter around some more. The only thing is...my wings are tired!

Dancing Like Christmas

Have you ever been passing something and when you first looked at it assumed it was one thing, but when you looked more closely, realized it was something entirely different? That happened to me yesterday morning. I was getting up in a hurry and had not put my glasses on yet. I have an electronic clock/picture frame on my dresser. I glanced at the time and the picture on the screen caught my eye. It looked like a Christmas picture, but I didn't really recognize it immediately. I moved closer to the clock and realized it wasn't a Christmas picture at all. It was a picture of my oldest son, Nat, and his new bride, Erin, dancing at their wedding. I immediately smiled and went all gushy inside like mothers are wont to do. Anyway, a poem immediately came to mind and I jotted it down before I lost it. Here is the picture and below it is the poem it inspired.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Nathanael Cooley
April 3, 2010

 

 

Dancing Like Christmas

Dancing like Christmas

 with the lights all aglow

 she in her beauty

 he in his manhood,

 their love shining

 brightly,

 for all to see

 and know.

 

 They danced at their wedding,

  while people reverently cheered,

  for a happy romance

  that would last

  many long years.

 

As they swirled and

 they clung

 to one another

 in love,

 

God smiled at

 the joy from

 high up above.

 

 D. Elaine Wood-Lane 11/3/12



 

 

Destin Beach -- A Poem

Shoooosh.........
  whisper waves
of slow time
break upon
my aching soul.

Sand----
white velvet---
while orange sun
   slowly....golds.

Warm turquoise
  wets my feet---
a forever moment
---spellbound---

My soul mellows
  under caressing colors
    serenity
        and God.

D. Elaine Wood-Lane
12/7/97

Vacations and Back

Last week we were on vacation in beautiful Steamboat Springs, Colorado with Kathy and Bill James. Kathy is Alan's sweet sister and Bill is her wonderful husband. It was one of those great, restful times when time seemed to stand still and go fast all at once. We took lovely drives in the high country, explored downtown Steamboat Springs, ate way too much, and were pet-free for the week, mostly. Buddy stayed at a Pet Ranch 8 miles from town and had a blast from the sound of it all.

We got to see the best of fall:

Then we got to see winter too:

Overall, it was one of the best vacations I've ever had. We deeply appreciate the generosity and graciousness of Kathy and Bill, without whom we never would have experienced such a great week!

Of course, sick people that we are, we came home and happily settled back into our usual weekend rhythm. We did laundry, cleaned house and welcomed some good friends into our muddled household. (Bless their hearts! I hope they know what they're getting into with us!)

This morning our car wouldn't start and so we had to back it onto the street so we could jumpstart it. Alan was to push it off and I was to steer. Well! I forgot what driving a power steering car without power steering was like. I also never had realized how steep our driveway is! Once that car was moving, it was gone, with me holding on for dear life and praying I didn't hit one of the big trees at the end of our drive! Alan's face was priceless as I ran right into the bricks lining our driveway. As he said, "It was like watching a train wreck and not being able to do anything about it!" Thank goodness we did have the bricks along the drive or...I would have hit that tree!  Finally we got the car moved, jumpstarted, and we made it to the late service at church.

Tomorrow we return back to work and, you know what?  I'm actually excited to be returning! Y'all know what a sick puppy I really am now, huh? Vacations are always nice, but there is something to be said for a regular routine also. I guess we have the best of both worlds for sure. God is good...all the time!  Have a great week everybody!