Where Is That Bridge

over troubled waters?

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The shattering revelation of that moment was that true peace, the high and bidding peace that passeth all understanding, is to be had not in retreat from the battle, but only in the thick of the battle. To journey for the sake of saving our own lives is little by little to cease to live in any sense that really matters, even to ourselves, because it is only by journeying for the world's sake—even when the world bores and sickens and scares you half to death—that little by little we start to come alive. It was not a conclusion that I came to in time. It was a conclusion from beyond time that came to me. God knows I have never been any good at following the road it pointed me to, but at least, by grace, I glimpsed the road and saw that it is the only one worth traveling.

                               Fredrick Buechner. THE SACRED JOURNEY

secondary source

This week has not been cheery.  Some of my many failings have been noted.   One of my friends died Tuesday, my favorite aunt a few weeks ago.  A neighbor whom I have tried to help has pretty well scorned me in efforts.  The sun is waning, not helping the SAD (disorder).

This seems the appropriate time to mention that the husband noted last week the Japanese have five words for gratitude, and they all mean resentment to a lesser or greater degree.  So "thank you" might be harder for some to say than for others.  (More Heinlein here.)

But, I digress.  Libby Sweetpea and I are visiting this morning for Hospice: a new patient with dementia who, in a past life, worked as a gemologist.  I'll be wearing big rings my dad made from onyx years ago.  Maybe she will notice.  Maybe she will remember something that made her happy in her work.

And the knitting continues, the reading continues, the walks have resumed in the beautiful fall weather.  Trying to keep perspective and counting the blessings.  Trying to journey the road Buechner references in The Sacred Journey. 

Finished socks, incorrectly knitted, but good enough for a gal like me:

Linking with Finished Objects Friday

 

What about you, how has your week gone?

It's Wovember!

Since today is my first post in November, it should rightly be a topic to which I have given more than enough thought (ahem), and that is knitting with wool, specifically Shetland wool.

Many die hard knitters have begun thinking of November as Wovember.  This link will take you to a more in depth look at the appreciation of all things wool.  There is a Ravelry group you can check out that has many responses to what knitters are making to join in with the Wovember theme.  Many interesting projects there.

From this site sponsored by Kate Davie, Felicity Ford and Tom van Deijnen:

Wovember is about showing our collective appreciation of wool by wearing as much of this fabulous fibre as possible, and by celebrating its unique qualities in stories and pictures throughout the month of November. Through our enthusiasm and creativity we can raise awareness of what makes wool different, and jointly create a force for wool appreciation strong enough to effect changes in how garments and textiles are described and marketed.

WOVEMBER Information Poster

Joining in with Wovember, my scant offering will be the knitting of the Shetland Heritage Hat (pattern by Leslie Smith Designs).   I substituted the colors of the Shetland 2 play yarns, using a palette of muted shades of lilac, blues and greens with a splash of dark purple.

This is well worth a listen,  Click on the arrow for a BBC short radio feature by Felicity Ford in conversation with Richard Martin, proprietor of Cotswold Woollen Weavers.



Lastly, this is one of our dogs wearing TWO of the Kate Davies designed coats (A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing) since it was chilly out.  And there are other photos from my rocking chair out back just because it was such a lovely evening.

 

Yarn Along

New to me, joining Yarn Along, and of course, WIP Wednesday.

Reading: on Kindle app When We Were Strangers (Schoenewaldt) and Death on A Longship (Taylor) and of course, At the Still Point: A Literary Guide to Prayer in Ordinary Time (Arthur)

Knitting:  Caffe Macchiato (pattern by Moldan).

Cooking: Last night I made for the fourth time my new favorite recipe  Chicken Tikka Masala (Epicurious).

 

I'll be checking in on your blog and seeing what you are knitting, crafting, thinking.  Leave a comment and I'll be sure to follow you.