monday, monday (so good to me)

Mail Call

Well. I was totally shocked to get another package from my SecretPal. The exchange ends this week, but she's sent me more than enough stuff already. But she totally outdid herself.

Three skeins of bamboo (a fiber I've never knit with and have been dying to) in sky blue, some Koigu in an absolutely rocking colorway, a scented candle, chocolate (yay!), and my pal knit socks for MyFK!! He loves them...the colors are great. Very happy feet.



About 10 minutes before I stumbled onto the package (literally...the mailman left it on the doormat and I was inside the house...I alsmost broke my neck on the way out the door), I was pretty sure I had figured out who my pal was. I was not trying to do that. I know that some participants spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out who their pals were, but I didn't. I thought the "not knowing" was half of the fun, actually. Mysteeeeeerious.

I sniffed her out because of the StatsCounter on my blog (you know, the thing on my blog that lets me know that someone in Hong Kong is looking for "amputee chef photos"?). I'm particularly interested in watching what hits my blog that is disability/amputee related, and the other day I had several hits from Frou's World, which got me curious. I clicked on over there and found out it was another knitter. Who is part of SP8. Who has me linked in her sidebar. Who lives in the same town where my packages come from. Who is also a highly entertaining read, I might add (so go check her out, kids). AND who was also knitting the same scarf I was at the same time.

Thanks so much for spoiling me rotten, Rebecca (betcha didn't know that as a kid I always wanted to change my name to Rebecca). I'm excited about all of the stash I have to play with this fall/winter thanks to you (the last couple of weeks I've been matching patterns up to what you've sent)..and I'm also very excited that I already have some nice hand-dyed fiber to play with after the drop spindle class I am taking this Sunday. Whee!

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1st Day of School, Swingsets and Rollercoasters

I am relieved to have school starting again. I know you are all guessing that’s because I’ll have my precious mommy-time back, but actually, I don't think that's the main the reason. I actually think it's because I appreciate the routine-ness of it all.

I had a zen moment in the kitchen this morning while packing the lunch-box and making MyFK’s breakfast. At some point (probably around March), the drill will become so repetitive I will become a BigFatWhiner...but at this moment, the return of the school year feels like a very familiar and comforting place to me.

As I kid, I grew up with a life that was relatively routine in my early years, and I actually remember how grand it was knowing exactly what was supposed to happen next and what was going to be expected of me. Those were the early years, though. My formative years, however, were more like total frickin’ chaos (sorry, mom & dad…but I don’t believe my humble opinion is news to you, either LOL). My adolescence included a couple of years full of the kind of chaos that has one worrying about opening the door when they come home from school because they are never quite sure what will be on the other side. The sort of chaos which qualifies one for a couple of sessions on the couch in adulthood.

As I've grown older, I’ve had discussions with my parents about this era, and we laugh and laugh at some of the stories. My folks have always retorted with something like, “Now think of what a drag life would be if it didn’t have a few wrenches tossed into it!!! This is more fun!! Wheeeee!!!! It’s like a roller coaster!!!! At least your life isn’t BO-rinnnnnnnnng.”

True. And I do know a wrench when I see one, and I know how to use one. Lemons out of lemonaide and aren't I just a more interesting person. Yah, rollercoasters. This is most certainly why I can lose a leg and then print up a t-shirt that says, "Lucky for me, he's an ass man." Teehee. (by the way, the cafe press store is a disorganized mess, and I'm working on fixing that this week. pardon the dust.)

But I dunno. When it comes to the home front…I think I'm kinda developing a fondness for boring. I don’t think I need my home to be like a rollercoaster. I’d think I'd prefer something more like a swing. You push it, it goes out…you bend your legs, it comes back. Back. Forth. Fun. The occasional weightless feeling. Back. Forth. Soothing. Constant. Goooood.

Now, if you’ve ever been to La Casa de AmpuT, you are probably laughing your asses off. I most certainly do NOT have a home (or a home life) that looks like a refuge. Or a swingset. In fact I think my life might even be wilder than your average theme park. But I think if I had a homelife more like a porchswing I could actually deal with the rest of my life away from home resembling Six Flags. I'd be out there puking on the Corkscrew all day long, but in the back of my head, I know I'd have a safe little nest to crawl into at the end of the day.

Funny how you can notice things like rollercoasters and swingsets while making waffles and waiting for the coffee to brew. Let's see if I can hold onto the awareness.