Finding Quiet
Tonight we leave in silence. Together in the darkness, together awaiting the light.
First Things
The smallest smallish bear is learning to knit. She holds the knitting close to her face and recites all the steps.
I am loving this part. Watching her figure out how to chase a runaway stitch, how to hold her hands just right.
And me close by, learning when to step in and when to sit back and just watch.
Waking
The light comes in slowly. Slowly is just right for these early mornings. I like waking up bit by bit with the sun.
If I get up when the alarm goes off I can take my time getting ready. Run the bath. Wake the smallish bears. Eat a real breakfast. Have a cup of tea. Sew even or knit while the smallest one reads to me.
No scraping snow and ice off of the car before we can head out into our days. No rushing.
Finishing
The new quilt is warm and toasty. I finished it just in time for warmer weather.
Lady Bug read me several chapters of our read-aloud book while I sewed. She is trying out different accents and voices for the characters. My favorite part is when she forgets to stop the accent while no one is speaking.
Tonight she wanted to read more. I thought I would work on the next quilt and then remembered that the sewing machine was a little bit noisy and probably not the best accompaniment to the story.
Trusty sock knitting to the rescue. We got through another chapter and the sock grew. I like this new system.
Melting
The previously frozen solid ice in the bucket has given way to furiously noisy drips and drops from the roof.
We now have a walkway between the parking area and the front door. Most of it is not under water.
The driveway has become a lake.
I am happy it is warm enough for driveway lakes to happen.
Soon all of the snow and winter dirt will be washed away. I am lingering in this in-between time, watching the puddles grow and listening to the water sounds. Before we head into the mud and green sprouts of spring, stay here a while in the wonder of a world finding its voice after being muffled in the ice and snow for many weeks.
One More Row?
Starting the cuff
The cuff of the sock is a tricky thing. Not so much in terms of technique, the knitting can be as plain or as complicated as I choose, but in terms of how long to knit before stopping is the right choice. I worry a lot about not having enough yarn. Read more…
2015 Sock 3.1
Around the heel and off we go!
These should be done just in time for warmer weather.
Wild Friday Night at Talarico House
330 or so Inches
Quilt binding is quiet work around here. Just me and the quilt bunched up across my lap, tiny stitches moving slowly around the edge. Read more…
Tears in the Pancakes
Today was a hard mom day. Lima Bean’s attitude was just enough to result in her losing her warm, chauffeured ride to school. I took her keys, told her she could walk, and went right back into the house. And then I cried into the pancakes.
She came home with a better approach to human interaction. I am developing some specific expectations that must be met in order to qualify for a ride.
To her credit, the school reported she arrived in good time for having to walk at the last minute.
And Lady Bug didn’t seem to mind the weepy addition to her breakfast.
One more step down the path to independence. There is no rush. Each lesson will come in time. Each lesson for both of us. And a little crying every now and then isn’t so bad.
Naming Mountains 