Knitting Passion

Teen aged glee! Oldest granddaughter (aka Peppermist) brought her first scarf to show me tonight. She is understandably pleased that she DID IT, Nana!

I told her that the world is her oyster now . . . a simple garter stitch scarf is just the first of what I hope will be her life long love affair with knitting.

I was just about her age when my friend taught me the basic knitting stitches. While I was more apt to take up a crochet hook after my babies were born, I fell back into knitting easily later on. Now, all these years later I am pleased to pass on the tradition.

Nah, it won’t bother me if Peppermist drops it down the road - she has the basics under her belt - and a scarf around her neck - and she can always pick it back up again.

In the meantime I will just enjoy the glee on her face and hope that you will do the same.
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Hubby has gone up to the big city for the next few days. He should be home sometime Saturday I believe. And, then? Well, I have to go to the big city Sunday and won’t be back until sometime Thurday. We’re like passing ships at this point.

My trip is work related - and, I am even being put up on the agency’s nickel. We are a non-profit and next week my boss and I and our bookkeeper will be attending the annual funding meetings. Hopefully we will be funded at least at the same level as last year. Status quo would pinch a bit, but status quo is better than cuts, right?

It would be LOVELY if there were extra funding this year. I know you all know what I mean.

In the meantime, won’t you teach someone you love how to do something that you enjoy doing?

. . . that is lambcam!

Watching it this morning before I go to work - and at this time there looks to be a mama in labor - she is in the white round “box” and seems very restless. She keeps getting up and moving around and I see a lot of panting.

Yeah, I’m a city girl . . but I have had two babes of my own and have seen three of my seven grands enter the world and I know from panting - you know? (I learned my “hee-hees” well, thank you very much)

I am mesmerized by the lamb cam - this is actually the first time I’ve gotten to see any action - I somehow seem only to check it out when it is night time here in Alaska - and, we being 4 hours behind the east coast, that means that it is 0-dark-thirty there. Poot!

We tend not to think of it getting dark “Outside” (as we call the lower 48 states) at night this time of year - our daylight hours are increasing every day - and the sun does not set currently until after 9.

So, it was fun to check the cam this morning to see little lambs gamboling about the paddock and playing amongst the chickens. Called the granddaughter back to see, but they did not cooperate while she was watching. And, as it is about that time, she needed to finish her breakfast so she can catch the bus on time.

Looks like there are 23 kids so far - as of yesterday’s count - they don’t say how many are left to kid yet. Like I said the one looks like she might be ready any time.

Enjoy - I’ll check in with you all later.

There are lots of ways we can be good neighbors - we can help shovel driveways when there is fresh snow. We can run to the grocery for milk or medicines for a neighbor who can’t get out. We can car pool or ferry the kiddos back and forth to school or sports activities.

It can be as simple as a wave across the street to the folks you don’t know very well yet.

It can be a little thing to us - but a big thing to that neighbor. It’s all in how we do it.

Knitters can be good neighbors by donating time and talent to charity knitting causes (caps for premies, for one) or helping organize some sort of cause to help others.

Writers can be good neighbors by promoting other writers when they request a helping hand - or link - or click - as the case may be.

So, I’d like to introduce you to a fellow 451 Press writer, Jamie, who writes (among others) the Long Relationships blog here for the 451 community.

She’s asking for a Helping Hand . . . and even offering prizes to those who do help out. It’s a simple request - follow some links and click some stars saying that you like her writing. Help a friend out . . . and be a good neighbor.

Oh - and guess what???? You could be a winner of a Chicken Soup for the Soul book . . . just for helping Jamie out. Now, really, just how cool is THAT?

And . . . Jamie . . . I haven’t forgotten that I promised to write a guest article for your blog. It’s coming soon.

Yes, that is a mountain there . . . and yes, it is spewing out some ash and steam . . . that is Mt. Redoubt (pronounced read-out) - about 50 miles west of us across Cook Inlet. It’s been erupting on an off for about a couple of weeks now - and I only have been able to get pictures this week.

This picture is from this morning - hubby and I watched the mountain while having breakfast at a local hotel - columns of steam lifting up . . . then collapsing in on themselves . . . only to lift up again. It was fascinating to watch.

We are in no danger - not even from ash from this eruption. The plume was headed towards Ninilchik and Homer to the south of us today. We have mostly been missed by the ash . . . and that is just fine with me. It is a pain - electrical equipment (computers, etc.) need to be covered and you need to take extra precautions with your cars - change oil more often, change air filters, wash (not brush) the ash off, etc.

It’s all part of the price we pay for the beautiful place in which we live.

And, you can’t beat that.

And, yes . . . the yarn is in plastic. My stash is too good to be ruined by volcanic dust and ash.

Interesting reads:
Alaska Volcano Observatory (check for updated info on the mountain)

Anchorage Daily News article Story about this morning’s eruption

If a Volcano Erupts and Nobody Hears It . . . The local paper did a great article about who may or may not hear a volcanic eruption and why.