Another Monday in March, post-ice storm

I had an awesome weekend; and I didn't even knit like a crazed spider for once! I got lots of people time helping out with a project for a friend, and got to catch up with an old bud for dinner and had the best dessert! Try the Torta Chocolate at The Olive Garden sometime. Wow, so good!

And last weekend was good too at our church's women's retreat - where I got to participate in the music team for worship. I really do love doing that; just hate practicing. I'm such a child that way - ha! One thing that's stuck in my mind about the retreat is a talk we heard the first night about sisters Mary and Martha from the bible and how Martha was this domestic goddess, while Mary was more interested in hearing what Jesus had to say. Afterwards in our small groups we had true confessions about which sister we took after the most. I was comforted to find that I had a partner in crime, Patty, for whom life is not about shiny floors and the garden club, but much more about what we're reading or knitting and having fun with our kids. The funny thing is that we are also such perfectionists. I recall at the age of 8 trying so hard to be perfect so my parents would love me more and realizing at that point that it was useless, it was just too hard and dumping the whole idea, which I imagine was kind of a relief for me then. Later as an adult though I recall various moments when I probably had emotional problems or didn't have enough going on to keep my brain engaged and I was cleaning house like a madwoman. I even cleaned other people's bathrooms when I went to visit. How nuts is that? So I guess I'm selectively perfectionistic - where possible. But I'm still not sure really why that is. What made me remember all this though is a post by Betsy about how she so wants to be this perfect mom, though a friend advises her to let some things go and it so reminded me about how my house is often a pig stye, even though my kids are pretty much grown. Yeah, how much more can I let go? *Sigh* Priorities, priorities. If my spiritual life is more on an even plane, perhaps more of these things will naturally fall into line?

Ah Cold and Cruel January

I believe whoever said that January 20 something was the most depressing day of the year. I'm not generally known to be cranky, but for at least the week leading up to that day, I was one cranky bee-atch (okay, at times) and yesterday in particular, no matter how many stress reducing supplements passed my lips, I was just not going to feel well. Leaving work for the day always helps though, doesn't it? My mood lifts incrementally as the miles pass from Rockville Pike to Burtonsville, murders in my 'hood' or not.

I've been particularly obsessed today with figuring out how to get a free copy of the knitting pattern for the Central Park Hoodie and I can see now that it's futile - at least on line. I will have to at least check the library before hocking up the $7 bucks for a copy of the back issue that holds the coveted pattern. Maybe my lone reader out there has a copy of the Fall 2006 issue of KnitScene?

More thrills in my next post - ha!