Here's Too A More Upbeat, Playful Week Ahead

I've been burdening this blog with a lot of negativity, and I'm sorry about that - I'm a bundle of good and bad, positive and negative but the negative has been too much at the top of my mind lately. I've felt bogged down and now that it's Spring - a beatiful day - I need to release that a bit and let in a mental as well as physical breath of fresh air. Here's a photo of my girl having FUN a few days ago - just look at the sheer joy on her face! I have a lot of blessings, including this girl, and need to count my blessings more often.

Yesterday, I ran all kinds of errands, you know, the eye doctor, the grocery store, the dog groomer, the oil change . . . etc. But instead of feeling burdened by them, I had a lot of fun. Yes, it was a FUN day, even though I was by myself about half the day and with my Mom the other part. Mom and I met for lunch and a bit of shopping at Knitcraft and the Scandanavian shop. It was St. Patty's Day - I bought a new darling green purse with paisley design. (Green is one of my favorite colors of all time and paisley is my favorite design). Then last night Bob and Em and I went to see a dollar movie, we saw Aragon the fantasy/dragon movie. It was very entertaining.

Newly Cast on: Shoulder Shawl. When Mom and I were at Knitcraft yesterday, I bought some Jitterbug (Collinette) sock yarn in the color "Toscana," but I'm not making socks this time, I'm aspiring toward a shoulder shawl that I was inspired to knit by visiting Susan's blog called, "I'm Knitting as Fast As I Can." Take a look at her March 15th entry where she displays several completed shawls of her students. Inspired by her blog entry, this has become my newly cast-on proejct. It's an easy lace shawl. I need easy! And lace will be a challenge for me, but this pattern isn't too much of a challenge. The pattern is designed by Susan Lawrence, and you can find a link here. It's downloadable and it's a really great pattern because it's written out in either chart or word instructions, depending on your preference. Susan always has well-written patterns, in my opinion. I've been a blog reader of hers for some time. She's the designer who designed Knitty's ever-popular "Branching Out Scarf." It's an easy lace scarf.

Not to worry, I am still plugging along on socks as well as my favorite current project the Ocean Waves "Not a Poncho" by Jane Thornley. I am still in awe of this project. It's a freeform work, and I always feel so darned artistic when I work on Freeform. In fact, I feel like a "Fiber Artist" with capital F and A respectively. I know you're probably sick of these progress photos but I'm not sick of it yet, so bear with me. The NAP is now 36 inches wide and 19 inches in length. Pretty soon here, I'm going to join it together and start doing the shoulders. I think it's getting near being done. Not sure yet, since this is a blind knit-along, but I think the end is getting near?

Sanity Saver of the Week: CD edition of "Making Your Thoughts Work for You" by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and Byron Katie. When I was doing the errands yesterday and driving in the car a lot, I took advantage of the drive time by listening to two of my favorite authors/inspiring teachers - that is Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and Byron Katie (Loving What Is). The CD set I was listening to is "Making Your Thoughts Work for You." Boy do I need that right now. It's really good.

I think doing The Work with Byron Katie right now is what I need to do to gain a new perspective on many of the things that are mentally bogging down and causing inner conflicts in myself. If you've never read Byron Katie, go get her first book "Loving What Is." It's a book you DO and not one that you read. In fact, I like her work on CD/tape so much better than just reading the book version. You can go to her website, too, now which has some video clips of her doing "The Work" with some audience participants.


Okay, I better go for now. My husband is urging me to get away from the computer and joining him in seeing the beautiful plants/trees that are budding in our backyard. Spring really is springing! Delightful.