In A Funk

Not sure what's wrong with me these days. I'm in a funk. I want to do lots of things but just can't seem to get focused enough to work on any one project. I hate it when I get this way. Restless is about the best way to describe it.

I'm also obsessing over Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks book. I can't find it anywhere around here. I hope to make a trip to Barnes & Noble tonight and see if they have it. It's my last resort and if I can't find it there I guess I must resort to ordering it from Amazon.com. Yesterday at BooksAMillion I ran across Jan Eaton's Crochet Basics book. It looks like a pretty good book but I think a lot of that information is already in various books I already have around the house. I did like the section on shaped motifs. I only glanced through it so I'm not sure if it had patterns for shaped motifs or just a page or two on how to connect them. Ever since I saw this jacket:



in the Interweave Knits Crochet Special issue I've been obsessing over making the yo-yos on this jacket and using them as trim for a SC striped afghan. Lots of bright colors and nifty yo-yos around the edges instead of fringe. Yes, I'm sick, obsessing over this yet to be created afghan but I love those yo-yos. Isn't the little girl adorable? I'm trying to decide if I could make this jacket for my niece or if it's way beyond my skill level. Heck, I'd like one in my size.

Reading

Lately I've been reading Pioneer Women by Joanna Stratton and Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey by Lillian Schlissel. While reading these books this line from the Eagles song Last Resort keeps going through my mind, "there is no more new frontier, we have got to make it here." I keep thinking about these women, their journey, the hard life that was before them and how they survived and created communities on the new frontier. I think about their solitary lives, how lonely it must have been.

These stories make me even more grateful for the internet and what a gift it is to all of us. To be able to "connect" with friends, family, fellow needleartists, quilters, crocheters, knitters. To find kindred spirits and to fill that void that other friends can't seem to fill because they don't "get us".

At the same time, I dream of a ranch, horses, chickens, sheep. Miles and miles away from the nearest neighbor. I dream of a place where the kids are happy and not always looking for the next video game for entertainment but a place where the outdoors brings hours of enjoyment and entertainment. I long for mountian views, very little traffic, and no tourists. This does seem to be a recurring theme doesn't it? Is there a place for an inground swimming pool in this fantasy? Is that just wanting too much?

Anniversary

On September 14th DH and I will be married 19 yrs. 19 yrs! Where have the years gone? How is it that time has passed so quickly? Even though we are parents of a 16 yr old, a 13 yr old and an 8 yr old, it just doesn't feel like we've been married 19 yrs. I love my DH. He's my best friend and a truly good man. How I lucked into being his wife, I don't know, but I count my blessings every day. I only hope that he knows how much he means to me and how much I love him.