Enslaved by a Cableknit Scarf

I love my sister, but she does not read my blog. I can use this venue to chat about her or even gossip. I hope not.

I love my sister, yet we are not close in personality type. I am the first child, she the very, very last. Psychologically, we are only children who grew up together.

I love my sister, and she is 6 months overdue in sending my birthday present. She is a month late in sending my Christmas present. None of my children have received anything from her in months and months.

So why am I going crazy about this scarf?

The cableknit scarf looks great. It’s not perfect, but it’s my first one and I am so proud. But, I am also sick and tired of knitting it. I have a short attention span. I admit it. I want fast projects, because I can not stand, CAN NOT STAND, not finishing what I start. Cableknitting on skinny needles is kinda slow. There is this inner drive that compels me to at least do what I said. I may not do it well, which also drives me nuts, but I will, I promise, do what I said. Even the promises I make to myself. I keep them. I am trustworthy.

This would be a great quality and perhaps, in general, it is a virtue. However, at this time, this afternoon, when I should be knitting that cableknit scarf, I can’t make myself do it. It needs to be in the mail 7 days from today to get there on time. It doesn’t bother me that SHE is late in every gift giving occasion. No. That’s fully her perogative. No skin off my nose. Doesn’t bother me. It’s just that I want to be ON TIME for her birthday.

And I don’t want to knit that cableknit scarf!

Are there cableknit elves who will come to my house at night and knit a few rows like the Shoemakery Cobbler had? Wouldn’t it be lovely to waken in the morning and unroll it and find it inches longer? I’d take out the measuring tape each day and find it was nearing the 48” mark... oh, the thought!

I can hear one friend’s voice in my head, “Chill out.”

I can hear another friend say, “So, don’t do it. Give it to her next year.”

Yet another friend will say, “Here. I’ll take your kids. You turn on the stereo or a girly movie and have a great day finishing the scarf.”

I don’t need help. I just need to choose. I let the burden overwhelm me. I let the thing rule over me. I let guilt plague me. And it is just a scarf! A scarf! A gift filled with thought and love that has no timeline on it. How many other things in my life do I let get the better of me? How many other “scarves” are on my schedule that are making me crazy because I can’t see how they fit in to the bigger scheme. Why am I like this?

A man is a slave to whatever has mastered him - 2Peter 2:19

What dumb things get the better of you?

How Sweet It Is

10 Sweet Things About Being on Vacation
10. Zinger Trifle
9. Twinkies
8. Pop Tarts of every flavor
7. Pop Tart Cake made with Funfetti and Fudge
6. Chips, Cheetos and FunYu(e)ns
(it was sweet to engage in a little salty on vacation!)
5. Peanut Butter Cookies
4. Oatmeal Cookies with golden raisins
3. Birthday Cake
2. Prindables Sweetly Covered Apples and
1. Lots of Sweet Fellowship!


Wikipedia states, “The chemosensory basis for detecting sweetness, which varies among both individuals and species, has only been teased apart in recent years. The current theoretical model is the multipoint attachment theory, which involves multiple binding sites between sweetness receptor and the sweet substance itself.”

Ha ha ha! Well, I know some of the sweetest people alive with whom I would share something sweet in a minute. I’ve gone through my salty phases, and technically, I am a salty - but there is something sweet that often takes the edge off. In high school, my friend, Megan, was my greatest comforter. She makes the most amazing wontons. Garlic. Soy Sauce. Divine. However, I am sure there were M&M’s involved on some of those salty occasions and I know we drank way too much Pepsi. So it is with friends. They provide lots of opportunity for "multipoint attachment".

When you can, you indulge. You indulge in laughter. You indulge in sharing. You indulge in silliness or song. On this last vacation, we indulged and made it our goal to indulge. Most of all, we indulged in EACH OTHER. We attached ourselves to "multiple binding sites", I guess. My sweetness receptor was on overload and I loved every sweet minute. Friends are the sweetness of life. Watch, and you’ll see what I mean. It is so sweet to be loved by all of you.....

Move Over Wiggles

Move over Wiggles! which was too early for my little kids' time. Move over Wee Sing! which I could never stand.
Move over SugarBeats! which was by far my favorite little kids music...
Move over everyone and listen to Go Fish!

Is Time On My Side?

Mick Jagger coined the phrase, "I've got Time on my side"...sing along now....

My friend recently posted a blog on her New Year's resolution which isn't really a resolution so much as it is a decision. Her resolution has to do with Time.

Another friend posted on her Facebook notes an article entitled, Juggling Life with personal tips explaining how she spins her plates efficiently making the most of her Time.

On the wall of Catey's Room where I slept on vacation was a quote from Maya Angelou:

Time is an invaluable gift
It is wise to cherish it carefully
and give it away generously

Isn't it obvious? How can I not have Time on my mind? I've also had the luxury of being on vacation which affords lots of TIME to think about such things.

1 Corinthians 6:12 reads: Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible but I will not be mastered by anything.

2 Corinthians 9:7 reads: So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, not reluctantly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver

Psalm 119:37 reads: Turn my eyes away from worthless things...

Do you spend your time in beneficial ways? Do you give your time freely, not under compulsion but cheerfully? Do you spend time wisely or do you find yourself wasteful? Do your choices master you or do you master your choices? Is Time on your side or has it become your enemy?

What does Time mean to you?

BEing on Vacation

BEing on vacation is Complicated Simplicity. Complicated because you have to think about what you really need to get by and Simple, because you have so little to get by with.

BEing on vacation is Unfamiliar Familiarity. Unfamiliar because you are not in your home or bed, yet Familiar because you live each day with those you love the most.

BEing on vacation is BitterSweet. Bitter because you have to go home, but Sweet because you have a home to go to.

BEing on vacation is Spontaneous Planning. Spontaneous because something better may come along at any minute and Planned because without some planning, no one would eat or sleep at all.

BEing on vacation is Agitated Peacefulness. Agitated because there are so many things you want to do or see and Peaceful because one way or another you make it a goal to enjoy every activity.

BEing on vacation is the Same as being Home. Same because you have every day to choose how to live and to love and Home because what matters most is with you.

BEing on vacation is Divine Opportunity. Divine because slowing down enables you to hear God’s voice and Opportunity because you have a chance to start again living the day–to-day like you are always on vacation.