that anyone ever drops by to see if I've written anything lately, here is a short update on my goings-on.
- Yes, I am alive. My life has been swallowed by work for the last year or more, then things got even more intense in January. In February, I thought I was handling the stress okay until several of my co-workers independently came to me and expressed concern about my health. (In retrospect, I suppose constantly working 6 day weeks, and eating frozen pizza for supper and breakfast while skipping lunch 5 times weekly is not handling stress well.) I think there is something in numerology that when your age hits a year divisible by 4, you can expect there to be some sort of crisis. So apparently the planets have aligned appropriately, or the right Tarot card spread happened, or my psyche simple decided it was time to sift through life values and beliefs. Or something. It's amazing what surfaces in counselling sessions.
- Work continues at a frantic pace. While I have feared for my job security in the past, I am more concerned now than ever. On the other hand, maybe it's all part of The-BIg-Plan-That-Runs-the-Every-4-Year-Crisis.
- I am slated to attend Abby Franquemont's "Stringtopia", a 3-day extravaganza for handspinners in April in Ohio. I am taking a 1 day workshop with Sara Lamb on knitting with silk. We've been told to bring whatever silk yarns we might have on hand and some needles. There is no workshop description. This is all a bit vague for me. I like Sarah's boldly coloured woven silk kimonos , and I have been assured that she is "beyond awesome" when it comes to silk. The way the word "awesome" is so mindless tossed around in conversation these days leaves me feeling somewhat wary, but I will go in with an open mind. The other workshops I'm taking are on spinning: 1 day-long workshop on "rut busting" (all handspinners get into ruts), and a 1/2 day worship on improving spindlespinning skills.
- Prior to the event I hope to spend a few days in Champaign IL: will visit with my friends Dirk and Jerry; sit in a chair in their backyard staring mindlessly at the sky; hang out a bit at the yarn store; sit in a chair in the backyard at Dirk and Jerry's house staring mindlessly at the sky; maybe get out to Allerton Park for a walk; and sit in a chair in the backyard at Dirk and Jerry's house staring mindlessly at the sky. Some of these activities depend on not having rainy weather. And the entire trip could get scuttled depending what goes on at work.
- Yes; those are my hands in the photo on page 559 of the recently released "Principles of Knitting" by June Hiatt. WonderMike had lots of fun (I think) taking a bazillion photos of me spindlespinning when I was in San Francisco last September and it was a real treat to be able to give June a picture she could use in the book.
This is all. I'll try to give an update from Stringtopia.
I'm so glad to hear that you are doing okay and that you are running away to indulge yourself in some 'you-time'.
Posted by: Kelly | March 26, 2012 at 12:05 PM
It's good to hear from you! I hope you have great trips to OH and IL!
Posted by: Bonnie | March 26, 2012 at 12:29 PM
Glad to hear you're okay. Will look forward to hearing about Stringtopia.
Posted by: t | March 26, 2012 at 05:47 PM