Knitting Ponderings

It's starting to look like a sock!

Knitting is very conducive to pondering.  At least the type of knitting I do, which leads to a pondering in itself. Take my sock knitting.  I have several patterns for socks which have some pretty stitch patterns knit into them.  Every time I start a new pair of socks, I get out all the patterns, look them over, and then decide to use the one I always do.  They're just plain and simple socks. That's what I like to wear--plain and simple socks, plain and simple clothes. So why do I have those other patterns?? Because I think I should make them because other knitters are making them.  A case for pondering.  And I think I've finally come to the conclusion that it's okay to just knit plain socks.  I am who I am! (She said with determination.) 

So, as I knit my plain Jane socks in all kinds of yarns, I can let my mind wander because I'm simply knitting in rounds, knit, knit, knit.  Not even any purl stitches until I get to the heel flap.  I'm free to ponder life, plan new projects, and even decide what to have for dinner.  It's my kind of multi-tasking.  As I said, I'm a simple person.  

I can actually relate sock knitting to life.  There are those times when all is well, which equates to those rows of just knitting round and round.  Then there are those times when more attention is needed to keep things going well, in life and in socks.  When casting on, the stitches are to be transferred to four needles and kept from twisting.  Care must be taken then, and so it goes when life throws in something new.  

As I knit along, every now and then I need to measure.  Am I getting close to where I need to be for the next step?  The same goes for life--a little stop and check now and then can keep us moving where we need to go.  

And then there's the heel--adding the heel flap, turning the heel, and then picking up the stitches for the gusset and working them down.  Adding and subtracting to make things come out right in the end.  We have to do it all the time as we move through life.  

And at last, we come to the toe of the sock.  We subtract stitches and then we have to do some intricate work to join the last stitches together so our toes don't stick out.  I find I have to talk out loud to myself, repeating the steps until all is done, sometimes loudly to block out whatever is going on in the background.  And don't we have to do that, too, when we come up against especially tricky times in life?  I think it's called prayer.  

Dayna Update

I have wondered if my readers have wondered how Dayna is doing since I posted a month or so ago, so I decided to do a little update.

When I last wrote about her, she was Seattle where she saw a number of specialists and then took time (due to a number of different treatment options to consider) to decide on her course of action. She came back here over a long weekend to pack up and stock up on love and prayers, and is now back in Seattle where she had her first chemo yesterday.  She has named her tumor Cleatus, and part of her action plan is a strict diet because this type of tumor feeds on certain fats.  She had a port inserted and that enables her to have infusions of vitamins as well as the chemo.  

Already there is good news:  an MRI last week showed that there was minimal growth in the tumor since her surgery, and this is amazing because it is such a fast growing type.  Dayna's, shall we say motto, is Pray. Believe. Fight! and I thought you might enjoy reading part of an update she sent over the weekend:

"Spiritually, I am doing pretty well. I always appreciate prayers, and especially prayers for my healing, specifically. I encourage you to keep praying!

The biggest lesson I have learned from the past six weeks: we are all terminal. We all have an expiration date on our bodies. A few times lately, people I know have come up to me with teary eyes to give me an embrace. An important thing to remember, sweet friends of mine, is that I feel blessed. I appreciate the empathy so deeply, but I feel blessed to have the time that is given to me, regardless of whether God chooses to heal me or not. I don't sit around feeling sad or sorry for myself… life is waiting! I have things to do, appointments to attend, people to see, air to breathe.

Yes, this is 'rocking our world,' so to speak. It is throwing my family and friends and me for a loop. Not one of us expected this, or saw it coming. We have all, in my corner of friends and family, chosen to embrace the trials, as it develops our perseverance (James 1), knowing that perseverance will have its result, that we may be lacking in nothing. We have chosen to love nonetheless, to live nonetheless, knowing that our attitudes and mentality DO make differences."

In addition to her motto, they have come up with this little visual:

And here is a picture of Dayna with her sweet little sprite, Madeleine.

♥

Life Moves On

Life is interesting.  Most of the time, things are good and we meander along, paying scant attention to our own well-being and happiness.  But then, sometimes, we are abruptly reminded of how precious it is to be loved and healthy.  Our daughter, Ann, has been mentoring (or as we call it at our church, discipling) a young mom for the last year or so.  Dayna was living in Europe with her husband and baby when her marriage went horribly bad and she, through an amazing series of events, was able to get back to the states and settle back in our little town.  

Over the past few months, she's felt increasingly unwell, plagued with headaches.  After seeing several doctors she was diagnosed with first, a sinus infection, and second, migraines.  But still, even with antibiotics and migraine drugs, she was feeling worse and worse. Finally, two weeks ago today, she called Ann and said she couldn't take it any more and would Ann come and take her to the ER.  I was called in to watch the D-man and so the day began.  There was frustration at every stop.  From a dentist office (Wisdom teeth impacted? No.), to the local ER, to the local quick care, to, finally, the ER in an neighboring town.  Where they performed a CT scan to find a brain tumor.  So desperate was the situation that they wouldn't release her but made arrangements for her to be admitted to a regional hospital that night.  Ann and Eric drove her to a town in-between where she was transferred to the car of her brother and by noon the following day she was in surgery.  They said if she hadn't had that surgery she would have been brain dead in two weeks.  That's today, folks.

The rest of the news is that it's bad news.  A stage 4 malignant tumor.  This is a twenty-eight-year-old mama of a little blond two-year-old.  They are headed to Seattle to see about treatment options, which appear to be limited.  We are praying for peace and for healing. Sometimes it's difficult to understand why things happen, but we, like Dayna, know that God is with her.  

And so, for the rest of us, it's a reminder that life is precious, not to be taken for granted.  Health, the love of family, and home are gifts that we need to be thankful for.  Every. Single. Day.  

Here I Am, Bruder Bear!

Whoops! You know you're behind on your blog when your brother calls you up to see if you've been sick because there've been no new posts in a week.

So here are my excuses. First, I did the last two in one day because I added the ABC's of me. Then my parents were up for a day. Saturday. I have no recollection of Saturday. Hmmm...

Sunday was busy with church. Monday was super busy because our church decided to try something new and we had a Passover Sedar Monday night. Ann and I ended up taking care of the table settings since Pastor wanted to have real plates and cloth napkins. Several other ladies helped furnish plates and silverware, but Ann and I set out the dishes, etc., and between us provided all the setup for five of the tables ourselves. (Apparently many ladies are not as enamoured with dishes and napkins as we are.) We were glad to be able to help out and justify our overflowing cupboards. Have dish, will travel. :-)

Tuesday was spent washing up table settings and napkins. Before I was through I felt like a commercial laundry service. Many, many napkins passed through my wonderful new washer and dryer and then to the ironing board. By the way, OxiClean works wonders on grape juice soaked linens! I was afraid some of the napkins were ruined, but an hour's soak in a strong concentrate made them good as new. (Note to Bruder Bear: send my thanks to your wife for this wonderful tip!)

Yesterday was Wednesday and I was in charge of a kitchen shower for our church kitchen. Whenever we've had a potluck or something like the Passover meal, the people doing the cooking have often had to bring their own needed items from home. The time had come to better equip our space. Last night was the night and we had a fun get together while we filled our shelves and drawers with utensils, pots, pans, bowls, and more.

Today? A trip to Costco to get one of their wonderful spiral-cut hams to have for Easter dinner. And obviously a few other things as the check I wrote out was for $338 plus change.

And there you have it. A typical week in the life of a little old retired couple someplace out west. That's my story, and I'm stickin' with it.