Out of the Woods.....

Yes, but they're still close by and really, although there were rather dark stretches, I also walked through sun dappled clearings, the kind that take your breath away by the sheer beauty... mostly I enjoyed them... how to explain this? I didn't mind these dark woods. They weren't terrifying, like some can be....and I did indeed feel all your hands taking mine, walking a ways with me and let me tell you, it has been a huge comfort and thank you and I love each and every one of you who came and took some of those steps with me...but these woods, they just were.

Like....

Getting the call from my good friend Bob Wilson, who lives in Omaha, he was packing his bag and hitting the road to come down for Mike's service and of course he was going to stay with us, our very first 'house guest' and I couldn't have chosen a more fitting one, seriously.

And... on the morning of the service taking Avery to an appointment and parking my car in a spot that gave me a view of a small creek running through the YMCA property with very tall trees growing along the banks, it was around 10 in the morning so there was still morning sun and the leaves might have been wet or naturally shiny...with a breeze blowing through and making those leaves dance and the sun bouncing off them and creating such a beautiful sparkly event... a kerjillion little flashing lights that took my breath away.

See, that's JUST the sort of thing that Mike would catch, and be completely delighted by... when Avery got back in the car I pointed my finger and said 'watch'.... and he did... and exclaimed "wow, that's just the sort of thing Mike would point out to us when we were kids..." exactly.

Bob making the statement about how his phone would ring and he'd pick it up and hear Mike's voice, not saying 'hello' but "Can you believe this? Are you watching this?" and that yes, he WAS watching whatever it was.... and I remember those calls, I had gotten plenty of them, I had also watched him make plenty of them.

The wonderful gathering in those woods, folks I hadn't seen in quite a while, telling 'Mike Stories' and laughing through the tears.... wonderful stories, most I had heard from Mike or actually had been there... you see, I always enjoyed playing with the guys, whether it was playing pool or pinball, golf, tennis, fishing... and being treated like one of the guys but just a little better... you know?

I was feeling more at peace until the day I decided to try and find a friend's number on the caller ID list, and you know how you can get all those 'no name no number' calls or just the telemarketer calls (I never answer those) so I decided while I was going down the list to delete the crap numbers and so I'm merrily going about this task and BAM... his name pops up, Mike had called on the 10th of Oct, 6:19pm. That was the day we moved Mom into our old house, I was there until late that evening... Mike didn't leave a message... so there were no bells or whistles sounding, no flashing lights to draw my attention to 'the list'... so... I didn't know. Come to find out that was the day the doc told him he had liver cancer... but that doc also told him he had a year to live, give or take a little, so he thought he had more time... we all thought he had more time but that 'year' give or take turned into 10 days, several of which he was very sick and ....... but I had no idea he had called and it really did break my heart.

Life continues though.... like having the yard aerated and reseeded... that aeration business though, leaves a mess, a mess resembling 100 6 month old mud puppies doing their business all over the yard, yech. Now keeping the leaves from getting too thick on the little baby grass, there are so many trees and I've been working hard to keep up with it, as in daily, and there are STILL plenty of the little rat bastards...er...leaves... still in the trees waiting for their moment of free fall...

I've been knitting!!!

yes, folks, I have. I have finished one of the surprise projects, bundled it off yesterday at the post office, priority, so I'm hoping they'll get it before Thanksgiving... they haven't a clue, hee. I just love that.

I've started a second project, it's not a secret project but I don't have photos of it yet.... I will. I'm also hoping to have it finished by Sunday in that my friend will be traveling to Nashville and I'd like it to be going with her. Oh... that's tomorrow... well, here's hoping, eh?

I have received many gifts and I would've posted about them, had every intention of posting about them but at the time just didn't have 'it' in me... I will now.

Back in September Dianne popped my cherry... my STR cherry!

This is such beautiful yarn, Nodding Violet, so ok, now I 'get' it... I DO. Dianne, thank you so very much...(oh, and it was Very Good for me, was it for you?)

Sweet Jo sent me a parcel in September also, look!

that's some of her own handspun yarn! I LOVE it, this photo does not do the colour justice, at all, it really is a beautiful soft colour, with flecks of colours.. I am so touched. She also sent a skein of Jitterbug and the other skein is called Chortle... this name tickles and pleases me no end as do both yarns... they're Gorgeous! and that chocolate? yep... YUM! and those are little hand made soaps, assorted flavours...Thank you Jo, you sweetie!

Next up is a 'home warming' from Gretchen, you all may not know this but Gretchen went through that whole moving thing this past year also and it was a bit of an 'ordeal from hell' for her, lots of delays, packing up a 2 story home and moving into a more modern loft and let me tell you, this woman has Taste. I've seen the photos. Beautiful. Stunning. So we exchanged home warming gifts and this woman can pack a picnic for me any old time...

would you look at those socks? STR socks... and they're heavenly. I immediately put them on and wore them for more days in a row that I'm embarrassed to admit to..... That red is angora... so soft... unbelievably soft and it's a gorgeous red... that other yarn is just as soft, we think it may be alpaca, it certainly feels like alpaca... or I swear, cashmere... it is THAT soft! Thank you Gretchen, for Everything!

Sweet Charity sent these,

a beautiful spindle, and the fibre roving colours are rich and Autumny and I love it and those are silk hankies!! yes they are! and the colours are spectacular..and the sock yarn and yes, this is a great book. I have been reading through it and although I haven't had much 'spare' time, what with all those leaves needing cleaned up I know I will... catch some time... after the leaves have all fallen... when it gets cold outside and I'll be warm and cozy and learning to spin and this warms my heart and spirit like you wouldn't believe. Thank you, Charity, North Woods Darling you are.

From Marianne, or who I affectionally call 'Muk'... she's a dearheart.....

would you look at those socks? They're so very pretty, those sweet cuffs, the yarn is incredibly soft, alpaca? They feel like a dream on, in fact, I immediately put them on and didn't take them off for a .... well.... you know....a 'number' of days! The photo doesn't do justice to the skein of sock yarn, it's beautiful, soft delicate blues with a bit of aqua shades, all naturally dyed, it's soft and beautiful and I love it! Thank you so very much, Marianne!

And yet another little parcel from Dianne...

this washcloth and soap mitt... just makes me happy looking at all the colours and I love this pattern, I had first seen it over at Nikki's and seriously, this is just happiness knit... (the soap is some organic lavender that is just delicious)... the cards are so sweet, the shepherd and the ... looks like llamas to me... Dianne, you Sweetheart, your thoughtfulness lifts my spirits so very much, Thank You! The card with the bird on it? Looks a bit like part of the woods.......

I am so humbled by all these gifts, incredibly humbled, I can't even begin to express just how much. Thank you.

That's going to be 'it' for this post... I have taken photos of 'my' room... I love 'my' room... and there's another surprise here which you'll see when I get back with the photos.

Until then, Happy Knitting to all and continue making good times...