Darned Alpaca Socks

Matt loves his alpaca socks.  I bought them from Alpacas of Montana at one craft show or another we were vending at.  They were Matt's birthday gift years ago.  And he wore them every single day because they were the best socks he'd ever owned.  As a result they wore out.  Even a high quality garment will wear out in time with extreme use.  I snagged them from him just before the holes really started to form.  The socks were threadbare, but I couldn't poke my finger all the way though or anything.  So I thought I'd try my hand at darning them.

I bought a skein of alpaca yarn from a different and smaller scale Montana producer at one of the craft shows we vended at last year.  I wanted to patch the alpaca with alpaca.  The fellow who sold it to me was quick to pull out a photo album and point out Thackery to me--the source of the fiber in my hand.  "He's a nice, ol' boy," the man told me showing my other photos of Thackery in a bright green pasture with his fuzzy alpaca friends.  You could really tell how genuinely fond the rancher was for his stock.  It was sweet.  And now I know a little bit of the story of the people and animals behind the finished product, which I think is great.

I'd not done much darning, really, but I consulted a book from the library and went at it.

I used a plastic embroidery needle and the Thackery yarn and stitched a circle around the area where the hole was developing well beyond where it started to grow thin.  Then I went back and forth across the area I'd circled first horizontally and then vertically.  I don't know that it's the most aesthetically pleasing way to darn, but its seems pretty strong and Matt says it feels fine underfoot.  So, really, it is on the bottom of his feet--who cares what it looks like?!

But, he's worn them out in another spot now...so they're back in my mending basket once again.  There is still plenty of Thackery yarn to patch him up again though.

I also darned a couple of pairs of generic, store-bought, knee-high socks because the top seemed in such good condition it seemed a shame to waste them because of a hole in the sole.  But, I've decided that is more trouble than its worth.  When I am knitting all my own socks it will be a different story, but for now I am reserving darning for handmade socks.

Go Into the Arts; Sing in the Shower - Inspiration Thursday

Spiral Skies belly dancing troupe brightening up our day at the 2013 Montana Renaissance Festival.

"Go into the arts.  I'm not kidding.  The arts are not a way to make a living.  They are a very human way of making life more bearable.  Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake.  Sing in the shower.  Dance to the radio.  Tell stories.  Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem.  Do it as well as you possibly can.  You will get an enormous reward.  You will have created something."  
         - Kurt Vonnegut

A colored pencil drawing I call  "Terrapin Sun."  The words read "I don't know if its the end or the beginning,."

Kurt Vonnegut is my all-time favorite author.  And a genius.  And a bit of a prophet.  With a healthy dose of satire that can make me chuckle when I feel like crying.

Satsang with special guest John Adam Smith at the Railyard last month.

Spontaneous Snowy Day Paper Crafts

Matt made quiche over the weekend.  As he rolled out the crust he realized he had more dough than he really needed.  So, he decided to make a winter-themed cut out with the extra dough to put on top for decoration.  He listed a few shapes he was considering and then said maybe he'd make a snowflake.  I said something like, "How are you going to do that?!" which, I guess, he took as a challenge and quickly cut out a rough dough "snowflake" for the top of the quiche.

Which prompted us to spontaneously make paper snowflakes for an hour while the quiche was in the oven.  It was fun.  It'd been a long time since either of us had partaken in this easy, nostalgic, seasonal craft.

And then, after the quiche was eaten, I made an equally spontaneous mobile with the snowflakes, thread, tape, and wire coat hanger.  Its sweet and simple and makes me happy when it spins lazily with the drafts from the heat vents.  It doesn't contrast well with the snow out the windows and the white curtains for photos, but that really adds to its simple, pleasant effect in the living room, I think.

All this wintery festivity encouraged us to go out of doors and so we tromped about the neighborhood a while in the real snow--until our faces were cold and we were ready to retire to the living room with a cup of good, black tea.

The Maple Syrup Miser

Over the weekend Matt and I came to the conclusion that I am a maple syrup miser.  I was telling him about snow candy from the Little House on the Prairie books--maple syrup poured over snow for a homespun candy treat.  With his admiration for all things old-timey he immediately said "Well, we've got enough snow!  We should try it."  But, I couldn't agree, even though I was the one who brought it up.  I cannot risk wasting a drop of precious maple syrup on an endeavor like that.  I guess I've read one to many misadventure stories with this project to risk it.  And so we laughed and Matt and I agreed that I am indeed a maple syrup miser.  Its just so expensive if you buy the stuff that really came out of a real tree!  We cannot bring ourselves to purchase it regularly.  There are so many other more affordable toppings for pancakes--jellies and jams of all sorts, fruit syrups, honey, peanut butter, and so on.  And there is the much more affordable and local honey option for other recipes where a natural, liquid sweetener is called for.

Matt's aunt Verna has generously bequeathed to us a pint of her amazing homemade maple syrup just last month though.  And I am savoring every single drop.  I even lick my plate.  Literally.  And Matt shakes his head with a smile.

Reflections on the Movement Resolution

I once again did not quite live up to my intended resolution, but feel I made some really good progress this past month in pushing myself to be a bit more active during this season where I just mostly want to hibernate.  Its so easy for me to be active when its not snowy and wintery.  I bicycle five times a week.  I hike twice a week.  I garden semi-daily.  I go swimming.  I go birding.  That was exactly why I chose February for this resolution--I knew it would be more of a challenge in February.  I could do it standing on my head come June or July.

I was struck down with a nasty cold the second weekend of February which left me absolutely unwilling to do anything resembling exercise for four full days.  I also missed a few other days for no really good reason.  In the end I averaged 25 minutes of conscious movement each day.  Not too far from goal.  I am okay with that.

The movement of choice mostly consisted of walking and yoga with a little dancing thrown in.  I can't say as I am surprised, but a little more variety would probably make it more enjoyable.

But, in pushing myself and making a conscious effort to get moving more I discovered some really fun and exciting new things in the yoga arena.  First, I discovered Kundalini yoga which I quickly became quite smitten with.  I personally get a whole lot out of the emphasis on breath, energy, and the spine in Kundalini practice.  As a spinal arthritis sufferer it seems perfect for me.  Several days of practice in a row and I could feel things I'd never felt before.  It was amazing.  It was almost like a drug.  My back felt loose and light like a fluffy cloud.  I slept the night through without back pain.  I'll say it again:  it was amazing.  I also discovered how yoga practice day after day really increased my flexibility--and I've always been rather flexible.  After just three days in a row I could bring my head down to my knee during a simple hamstring stretch.  I was pleasantly surprised.  My forehead was quite far from my knee on the first day.

Matt and I went snow-shoeing for the first time this  past weekend--we borrowed a couple pairs of snowshoes from a friend.  Matt and I were both quite keen to try it out--even though it was double-digits below zero and the light fluffy snow wasn't ideal.  We tromped about the yard and neighboring park.  I think it would be wonderful to expand my options for outdoor activities during the winter.  I love to walk.  Why not walk right on top of the drifts?!  I might have look into investing in a pair of my own.

Life-Long Learning and The Importance of Practice

Canning savory jelly for the first time last fall.

I am a life-long learner.  This is a phrase I've learned from the library world that I like very much.  I found that the general goal of libraries is to help cultivate a society where the citizens are always learning, always wanting more information on a perpetually broadening range of topics.  I want education to continue the whole span of a person's life.  Learning should not end when one leaves the classroom behind.  Every single day holds an opportunity to expand your mind.  To learn something new.  To refine an old skill.

The expanded garden last spring.

There are so many things in this world one can learn about.  New skills, crafts, or trades, history, art, current events and politics, the sciences, literature both foreign and regional, religion and philosophy, geography, and on and on and on.

Ricing potatoes during our lefsa lesson with Sharon.

I am constantly discovering new things that I want to learn more about or be able to do.  I want to learn to play the flute.  I want to learn more of the history of the middle east.  I want to expand my vocabulary so I can break 400 in Scrabble.  I want to learn more about the ancient Egyptians.  I want to learn more about calligraphy.  I want to learn to sew more of my own clothes and household items. I want to learn more about the Baha'i faith and Quakers and Unitarian Universalists.  I want to learn how to play bar chords on my guitar.  I want to learn how to make my own deodorant.  I want to learn to knit things other than dish cloths.  I want to learn to embroider.  I want to learn the German language.  I want to learn to make braided rag rugs.  I want to learn more recipes that work well as freezer meals.  And a million other things.

Pansies--my long favorite flower--have competition since I learned about the glory that is clematis, like this beauty that clings to the fence dividing our property from the neighbors.

And in all that learning practice makes perfect.  That is not new information.  But, you know, its interesting to me to think of how often I can grow discouraged when trying something new and how often I see those around me be equally discouraged in their new endeavors even though we all know this age old truth--practice makes perfect.

We finally figured out the trick to balancing two gyroscopes on top of each other thanks to JD.

Learning new things is hard.  That is just the way it is.  At least, that is usually the way it is.  Occasionally one might attempt a new task and prove to be "a natural" at it, but for the most part it takes time to get good at something new whether that is brewing beer, hiking, writing in cursive, or making homemade chapstick.

Preparing batches of homemade ravioli for quick, convenient use out of the freezer.

Matt and I were talking about this months ago in long meandering conversation about work, practice, and experience.  It keeps kicking around in my head ever since.

Matt was dealing with someone at work who was frustrated at their inability to preform as well as Matt.  Matt tried to reassure the man that he was doing fine for his first week on the job--that it takes years and years of practice before it is as effortless as it is for Matt.  (Matt has been at his job for almost nine years now.)

Matt showing me how its done with the Spirograph--a toy that always intrigued me since I was a little girl, but which I never had the chance to try until I was 29 years old.

Matt then went on to tell me about how when he was a little boy he though his dad was amazing at everything he did.  Roger was so much bigger, stronger, and more experienced than little Matt.  Matt said something along the lines of,  "I can remember thinking stuff like 'My dad is the best at using a shovel.'  He could dig a perfectly round hole in no time at all and it would take me forever and it would be all irregular and the pile of dirt would be spread all over.  And then I realized he's used a shovel for thousands of hours and I'd only used one for a few of hours.  So, of course he was better than me."

It was a sweet story, I thought, with Matt's clear pride in his father and gratitude from learning from him.  Its also a good illustration of my point, too.  Rather than be envious or frustrated that we're not as good as someone else at the same task we should recognize that we're still learning--we're still learning to be the best at it that we can be.  And that takes practice.

I am finally making progress with identifying raptors.  This is the first rough-legged hawk I ever successfully ID'd, taken just last month.

We should all feel free to explore our world and our place in it.  To try new projects, plans, innovations--to follow the paths of our dreams wherever they may lead.  The whole while keeping in the back of our minds that we may fail at first.  But, that is no reason not to try again.  Expecting otherwise might actually be misguided.

Socks are tricky to tie-dye because they're so small and tend to contain synthetic fiber, but Matt finally nailed it.

Resolution of the Month: Brushin' and Flossin'

 I've always been under the impression that I have "bad" teeth.  I have had more fillings than I could count in both my baby and adult sets of teeth.  I once had ten fillings put in at the same time!  Its terrible.  I always dread going to the dentist.  My mom has always said that I have my dad's teeth.  I don't know how much truth there is to the direct correlation of genetics, but as far as I know  both of my sisters have nice, healthy teeth--with hardly a filling to be seen--like my mother.   So, maybe there is something to it.

Even as an adult I dread visits to the dentist--even for regular cleanings.  

But, maybe that is because I am not exactly getting an A+ from my dentist about my oral hygiene.  I brush my teeth once a day...and floss the week before my dental appointments when I realize that despite my noble intentions after the last appointment I still have not developed any sort of flossing routine.

Matt's brother Adam seemingly always brushes his teeth before bed--even when camping out in the woods or after a long night out!  I've always admired that.  I'd like to be more like that.

So, that is the March installment of the Resolution of the Month Club.  I will brush my teeth in the morning and before bed each day.  I will also floss at least once a week, on Sundays. 

I really believe that a warm smile is one of the most attractive things about a person.  Its better than make-up.  Its better than jewelry.  A smile lights up your face.  It makes you approachable and friendly-looking.  It radiates the joy inside that you share with the world.   I want to keep my smile like it is.

So, maybe this resolution will make going to the dentist less painful and lead to fewer cavities in the future.  Maybe it can kick-start me into taking better care of my teeth--my smile.  I am sure it can't hurt.