Category: life

Last night Stephen picked up a book I had on hold at the library: The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis. I read late into the wee hours and finished this morning. Obviously I recommend the book. Nothing earthshaking, but a good read.

Finished some more truffle orders and other than that this day was pretty uneventful. Tonight will be more exciting as we’re invited to dinner.

The winner selected by the random number generator for 2 chocolate truffles is: Debbie! Ta-da!

This being the second night of Hanukkah, here is the “prayer” to go with the lighting of the candles. Every night we add another named candle. Yesterday it was Respect, tonight it’s Love.

Written by Ellen Bring and adapted by us:

This holiday thing had me clean my house a little deeper. OK, I admit it, it’s not the holiday thing, but Liana’s boyfriend’s parents coming to visit. As usual, I had grand deep-cleaning plans and even contemplated finishing up chores long since deserted mid-task, like painting the ceilings. But as time runs out and I’ve done fun things instead, like knitting, I’m getting more and more tolerant of the state of our house. If ever there was someone who took the concept seriously about clean house or fun with friends, it’s me. Friends win each and every time. So I will not be remembered as the German with the clean house, a myth anyway, but as someone willing to expose her cleaning shortcomings.

A little frantically, things are stuffed into the garage. This time from the front garage door. The access from the kitchen is kind of almost blocked. Sure wish I could start purging, but instead I told a Hanukkah well wisher today: sure I embroider and cross stitch, so apparently I’ll inherit what she didn’t manage to throw away. As you can see, I’m helpless and the situation is hopeless. Let’s move on, nothing to see here.

I decided to put the random number generator into action for Hanukkah. Tonight, one of you will be a winner of 2 chocolate truffles. If you win, you’re still in for the cowl and 5 truffles and the chocolate bark. The big prizes will be revealed on December 22 or 23.

Ta-da! It’s Ginna! We’ll talk flavors soon, and perhaps a visit?

And as a bonus, here is our prayer for the first night of Hanukkah (written by Ellen Bring and adapted by us):

With this candle of Peace and Justice, tonight, we light the candle of respect. May respect burn brightly in our hearts and manifest in our daily lives.

In this time of the miracle of Light, let the message, the mission and the action be enlightenment. May humans open their hearts and immediately cease their war against other animals, Mother Earth and each other. May we cease our ignorant, arrogant, unconscious and violent ways, and become our highest selves, filled with love and respect for all who are here, committed to gentle coexistence with Mother Earth.

May those beings who are suffering be released from their pain and terror.

May those beings who are unjustly imprisoned and enslaved be freed and unshackled.

May those beings who are anxious and scared know peace and courage.

May those beings who are cold and hungry know warmth and plenty.

May those beings who are lonely and depressed know love and joy.

May those beings who are lost and abandoned be found and loved.

May the waters run pure and free; the flowers bloom; the trees grow old; and the Earth renew and reclaim herself.

May the Light of the universe shine upon everyone and everything, and through everyone and everything, so that all beings experience their highest, truest selves.

May kinship with all life blossom and flourish in our hearts, and may peace and justice for all living beings and things be now.

 

There are days that should not happen. But instead these days get replayed in one’s mind over and over and over. Such a day was yesterday. After Stephen picked up the phone and I saw his expression, I knew something was terribly wrong. It was Toby with the saddest of news. Gemma, his and Christy’s dog, was hit and killed by a car.

We try to be supportive, but as a parent I feel pretty helpless. We are all devastated.

We don’t often do Thanksgiving and especially not this year. Instead I was trying to get ahead of the holiday season. My knitting is mostly done except for the blocking. I can actually get away with calling it good. Most of the holiday presents got wrapped today and are sitting in their respective bags in the living room. We still have to add some items that have not been delivered yet.

 

I love the lights, love the bustling about of shoppers, as long as I can stay on the outside looking in, and tolerate and eventually hate the music.

Most of my holiday gifts are either handmade or bought long ago when I knew this is exactly what you would like.

Here is my thought of how to enjoy this holiday season/spirit without having to consume. I’ll go to the mall. With friends. And knit. We’ll plop ourselves right in the middle of the bustle and knit and talk and absorb, but only the good spirit.

Is that possible?

I have mentioned this before, but every year the memory comes back and I love repeating it. A few years ago as I walk joyfully and full of enthusiasm and good spirit through the Mannheimer Weihnachtsmarkt, and the heck with it, I’m stealing these images to show you the place of the crime.

And this one from Dominik Rossbach / Stadtmarketing Mannheim GmbH

 

and some more

just one more from Mannheim

and Heidelberg

During the Holidays in Heidelberg.

I’m sure glad the area I’m from knows how to turn on the lights;-)

Back to the story. As i’m walking on cloud 11 through the market, I hear a guy say to another guy while passing by me: “Every year, the same shit.” It was like a cold shower.

It could have been me saying that, while living in Germany. But seen from a distance, almost outside, I found it all marvelous.

 

 

This theme has me in its grip for a long time now. I have early childhood memories, whereas Stephen acts as if he’s been dropped on this planet later in life and remembers almost nothing.

Since I had the more difficult childhood, and he sailed through his relatively smoothly, it might be true we remember the negative more readily.

Several years ago I read a book on this topic, called “Mistakes Were Made.” One story in particular had a long-lasting effect on me. One of the authors describes a memory from childhood about dancing with her dad every time they read a particular book.

Then she came across a first edition of that book and, in memory of her dad, bought it for her kids. She noticed the original publishing date, which was way after her dad had died. So how could she have such a memory of her dad reading it to her? I think she finally figured out it must have been her uncle who read the book to her.

OK, if you end up reading Mistakes Were Made and the story is a little different, please, that’s what memories are made of, faulty remembrances, but the gist of the story is true.

Often in our family now, we refer to something we might not accurately remember as: Mistakes Were Made.

The other day we had a drunk driver on our road who smashed into a neighbor’s car and kept on going, then came driving back around the corner, still totally drunk and lost in the neighborhood. Before I could figure out what was going on, I was trying to piece together what that loud crash was I heard and my imagination was flying wild.

Several scenarios were swirling through my head. Until what really happened came out of that whirlpool. Here is my hypothesis: what I imagined going on before I knew what really happened might have been more exciting than the final truth, and it features more prominently in my brain.

As we get older and brain function is in decline, it might get harder and harder to distinguish speculation from a real memory.

It probably took me much longer going through scenarios in my head trying to identify the crash. When I finally noticed that a car had hit another car I had already assimilated the hypothetical versions. So what stays behind as real might not always be so, and what has more staying power might be the imagined. Just sayin’….

 

I love tasting different yarns. It’s similar to Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors, new ones all the time, and how can one just walk on by? It’s one aspect of knitting that feeds an addictive soul. I wants to try them all, my precious!

Knitpicks Chroma yarns were on my got-to-try list. And with the last order, I got a skein in worsted and one in fingering. Here is what draws me to this particular yarn: slow long color changes. I’m a sucker for those. Most of us are.

With the worsted skein I knit up a pair of fingerless gloves.

 

Very soft yarn, nice colors. I had no intention of having identical gloves, I love them as well as my socks fraternal. And I know something about being a twin/gemini. They are size medium but could stretch to large.

These fingerless gloves are looking for a home. Here’s an idea: a raffle. First I thought only on Facebook, but I would like to give blog readers a chance at winning, too. And if you read both, double chances through double entries.

If you’re interested in winning these fingerless gloves, here is the deal:

I have a few rules.

1. I will only ship within the United States. I don’t have the means to do more. If you are fortunate not to live in this country you could still participate and have this sent to a friend within the United States.

2. I need to know if you’re even interested. The best is you write a comment below this entry, even if all you say is “I’m in.” Or, if you know my email, you can let me know by writing me a note.

3. These are the type of gloves that like hand wash cold, lay flat to dry. High maintenance, I know.

4. Good luck!