Transformation

We're in the midst of a  very slow slide into colder weather.  The boys are wearing shoes instead of crocs most days, and we're getting ready for Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend.

We're also getting used to having a really good preschool experience.  The boys started going to school in the mornings a few weeks ago, and it seems to be working out.  This is huge.  It means I consistently have 4 hours off.  This is mostly spent on making dinner ahead of time, cleaning up, and trying to regain order in our lives.

I am also finding small bits of time for special household projects...like this one, where I reorganized a corner of the living room, moved bookshelves, and filled up these fabric blocks with toys for play time.  It is sometimes nice to make order in our chaos. :)

Finally, I have small amounts of quiet time to think about writing again.  So far, I find that nobody really wants to publish essays about twin induced sleep deprivation or dealing with illness or how to rebuild supportive real face to face communities in our busy, screen-focused world.  These are some of the topics on my mind lately.  It is hard to banish these "less than perfect worlds" and create chirpy or cheerful things.

This is not to say I am unhappy--I am thrilled by this quiet time for reflection and seeing the boys are happy and stimulated at school.  However, I am still facing some health issues. (we all had a bad stomach virus in May and I am still not better! Everyone else recovered...)  I am still "fixing" this and it is hard to know what to share online.  In the meanwhile though, I am knitting when I get a chance, cooking warming fall meals, chasing two year olds, and looking forward to writing more someday soon.

Happy leaves, happy fall, and to all the Canadians out there, Happy Thanksgiving.

packing up the office

Since I last posted, I have made inroads in packing. In fact, most all of my clothes that hung in the closet are completely packed. This involved many hours of emotional honesty. I tried on all sorts of clothes and reminded myself...This does not fit. It probably won't fit again. It needs to be given away.

I reached an all time low this morning while dealing with the closet. I tried on a black flowered dress I have had for (ahem-this number blanked out)-- years. I'd sewn up the front button placket so it did not gap while I was teaching in it. (note: I last taught full time in Buffalo, in 2003. This dress dated from teaching high school--right after college...and before I married the professor. A while back.)

The dress, though flattering, has the tendency to gap in unfortunate places. This morning, I put on the dress and while tight, it appeared to fit. Then, I could not get it off again. It's hot here. I was totally stuck. I considered ripping the dress, calling the professor at the lab to come home and get me out of it--and the hotter and more frustrated I got, the tighter the dang thing fit. (laugh here, it's ok. I was sort of laughing.) Finally, I found my sewing scissors. I cut those carefully hidden stitches on the button placket. I unbuttoned the damn dress. It came off, not overly damaged--and went right into the "give to charity" pile. The pile is large now. I will miss that dress, but obviously, the 10+ lbs I've gained in the last 10 years mean it is no longer "my" dress!

So, actually, packing up the closet hasn't been as rough as packing up any part of my office. I feel absolutely panicked by the idea that I won't have something--anything-I might need in the spinning and knitting department. I've been slowly gathering up projects for this moving trip. (note Lady of the Lake sweater photo--a Canadian design, I might add-- for my voyage northward.) Symbolism. I got knitting symbolism.

The projects have to be totally ready to go, balls wound, proper needles inserted. They have to be simple, even mindless projects, so I don't make silly mistakes and feel bad while moving my household. The last rules are: These have to be for me. I'm not designing them for sale. I'm taking July and August off. That's it. Only fun knitting. (this, because a lady asked at my last book talk--do you ever get to knit recreationally?!) Uh yeah. Right now, in fact. While I'm moving to another country and brain dead...

I'm also packing up some of my needles and spindles. The professor felt you needed to see what a box of "extra" needles look like...just the ones that I can probably do without for the next couple of months... I bought the bright fabric needle holders at Great Yarns, the yarn shop right near Quail Ridge Book Shop. These holders organized a few things--and maybe I need that now.

I'm averaging several boxes packed a day...and we have a month to go. Still loads of time, so each time I close a box, I've made sure to get rid of things we don't need. From experience, I know that won't last long. The closer I get to moving day? The faster I throw everything into boxes. For now, though, I leave you with that image of me, stuck in that black flowered dress in my 85F (or 90F) degree bedroom. Please. Go ahead and giggle. :)

To spare me more embarrassment, please share your funny clothes and packing stories below. Otherwise, it'll just be me here, stuck in that dang dress!