Seven quick-takes

I haven’t been around, what with the beginning of the school year, so I’ll just give a few updates and maybe begin blogging again.

1) I actually ran a 5K race! And by “race” I mean “I started and completed the course and knew I’d be really slow.” Which I was, but not as slow as I thought I’d be. I’d predicted I’d finish in about 38 – 40 minutes, so I was really surprised when I rounded the final corner and saw the clock said 34:??. I finished in 34:51, and I think I was in 85th place. I am very, very proud of 85th place, trust me. I don’t have a photo of it because my Patient Husband took a video instead, and for some reason the “official race photographers” (who as best as I can determine took several million photographs) have not made any of them available. So just use your imagination.

2) I’m now officially taking violin lessons, rather than trying to teach myself. I gave up on violin  back when I was 12 because I realized I didn’t make any progress unless I was being taught, and I figured if you were really good, you’d just…I dunno, know it? Anyhow, now I’m taking lessons again. My copy of Suzuki Book 2 just shipped.

3) My violin instructor loves orange. As Kiddo4 will tell you, “She has an orange violin, an orange car, and orange hair.” So when I heard about pumpkin hats, I knew she’d love one.

Then I second-guessed myself. This was dumb. I didn’t make one.

That Saturday, she saw me finishing off a (black, non-pumpkin) hat for the homeless ministry and said, “For me! You shouldn’t have!” It turned out she needs a new hat. I said, “I nearly made you a pumpkin hat –” and she said, “I want it. I want one.”

3A) Last year, I learned the concept of “knitworthiness.” Someone is “knitworthy” if they use your knitted gift. If they appreciate it, if they don’t say things like “But I could get one of these at WalMart.” I learned this concept at the same time that I gave this violin instructor a pair of knitted slipper-socks, which she tells me give her the urge to write whenever she puts them on. I also gave her a pair of fingerless gloves, and she gushed about them for ages. She never sees mistakes. She told me every article of clothing she owned that would match them, then got very excited to think she could wear them while driving, and then was delighted when she realized you could see her rings while wearing them.

This woman is knitworthy.

4) This took a week:

4A) She wore this through my daughter’s lesson and then mine and was absolutley delighted the whole time.

5) This took another 24 hours:

6) Speaking of fingerless gloves, I’m taking part in Ash Krafton’s Fall Into Fantasy giveaway. I’m giving away a copy of The Wrong Enemy, but more to the point, I’ve contributed a pair of fingerless gloves to one of the Swag Baskets.  And you know you want that.

 

She’s giving away about 30 different books, so go take a look.

7) During the government shutdown, please keep in mind that WIC checks may not be issued or honored in some areas. Those families will turn to local food pantries to make up the shortfall, so think about them when you’re doing your shopping, and maybe pick up an extra box of cereal to drop off.