Spiderwriterknits: Spending, Thanksgiving, Christmas thoughts

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Spending, Thanksgiving, Christmas thoughts

For the most part, I am a sane, responsible, thoughtful individual. Except after I make that first purchase at the Mall. Then I know, it could be downhill from there. At this point, one might think, walking out of the mall, putting the one package in the car trunk, and driving home would be the better part of valor. Somehow, this never occurs to me.(Does it occur to any woman? Most women? Some women?) After this first time, credit cards seem to fly out of my wallet.

My eyes see so many things I think will make life better. Creativity spills out of me, decorating rooms, clothes outfits fall into place, and beautiful shoes grace my feet. But, alas and alack, I don't not go into high-end spending. $800 Jimmy Choo shoes never touch my toes. No, not even from the sale rack. I have my limits and Jimmy's lovely, no make that gorgeous,shoes never see the inside of my closet let alone walk up the street with me. Jimmy's shoes don't make it into my shopping bag. (I love shopping bags!) Oh, but Jimmy's shoes make one salivate for wanting the beautiful, strappy shoes, shoes with all the sturdiness and use forced out of them. The straps entice the eye in with beautiful feathers floating down the center of the shoe, letting your feet enjoy the slight tickle. Other Jimmy's dazzle the eye with the glimmer and shimmer of glittering stones, twinkling in the artfully placed lighting of the store, further enhancing their brilliance, pulling us ever closing to opening up our wallet. This is where the sane part of me steps in, finally, to say, "Oh Ho No! This is not the shoe for you!"

And sure enough, it is not. One reaches the age where wearing shoes such as Jimmy's is a long ago remembered thrill. Nowadays, it the flat Geoxx shoe for me. Much more reasonable. Or perhaps the new MBT Mary Janes (waiting until this latest bill is paid off) Yes, walking without pain is number one of my list these days. I'm fortunate to have good feet that can still wear pretty shoes in a more reasonable design, even with a little kitten heel at times. Then, I feel, ever so glamorous and sophisticate, just like my mind felt looking at the Jimmy Choo's. Hip pain, not feet pain, is my big concern now. The style of the shoe doesn't make a difference, so with careful selection, pretty shoes line cover my shoe rack. Aquacize, twice weekly, and a special five minute floor exercise, twice daily take care of the hip pain, making the pain bearable.

This is the Silly Spending Season"that promises to get worse with the coming of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. I think this year, I'll check into the internet and just see what goes on. I have to admit I haven't clue on how to do this, but I'll give it a go. Hey, it's a learning experience, eh? I've managed to avoid the stores and the internet on Black Friday so far. Not this year. I'll be online.

The DH and I are by ourselves this Thanksgiving. We have a dinner reservation at lovely, old restaurant nearby. Christmas will be spent with family at Susan's summer/fall/winter abode in Melbourne Florida, along with Don, her SO, a singular great guy (most of the time ) All of Ed's daughters will be together on Christmas Eve & Christmas. Jane, the oldest of the three, is flying down with us on 12/20. We will arrive in Orlando and pick up the car Jane has rented and drive to Sue's in Melbourne, FL.

The DH & I are staying at the Pineapple Inn, a B&B a bit down the street from Sue's. Jane will be staying at Sue's place, middle daughter. Barb, the baby,;-) & Jay will be down Christmas Eve and will be flying back on 226 or 27th. They are in a hotel a bit away from us.

I love this season. It's a time to reflect and realize all that we have to be thankful for and how blessed we are by God to live in this great country, the USA. Outside, on a cold, crisp dark evening with the stars shining bright and the moon rising anywhere it wants to rise, I can't help but feel the power of God. His power and his love spills out from the heavens, there for our taking. God sets no limits on His love and how much we can ask for or what we can ask him. No limits, no questions, just his love. All you have to do is ask. So simple.

God Bless you all. And if I don't make it back here before Christmas, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Books I've read and loved

Anthony Adverse, by Hervey Allen (read at 4 times)
Company of Liars, by Karen Maitland
Dissolution, by C. J. Sansom
Green Dolphin Street, by Elizabeth Goudge
Heart of War Trilogy, by John Masters
Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova
NIcolo Rising, by Dorothy Dunnet
People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
The Angel's Game, by Carlos Fuiz Zafon
The Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs
The House of RIverton, by Kate Morton
The Hungry Tide, by - Amitav Ghosh
The Lymond Chronicles, by Dorothy Dunnett
The Outlander Series, Diana Galbadon (5 books in series so far)
The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant
The Vanishing Act, by Maggie O'Farrell
Wilderness Series, by Sarah Donati (4 books in series to date)

A New blogger, semi-old knitter, and stalled writer

Well, I've entered a new realm...for me, that is. I've started a blog. Now what to do with it?? And who in the heck am I?

Joaniecomelately seems to fit me the best. As much as I try, as many good intentions I have, I'm always late. And I hate being late. I think it is arrogant and insensitive. So, I'm working on it.

A work in progress, WIP, that's me. I feel anyone can expand their horizons, change their ways or thoughts, take on new challenges despite their age. That's the last time I'll mention age.

I'm a knitter, have been since the 1960's. Sarted as a crocheter in grade school. My Aunt Margaret taught me when I was about six years old, maybe a few years older.

I made the most elaborate, fluffy edges on handkerchiefs. Today, Several of my classmates in the 7th and 8th grades, along with myself, would work the crochet hook all during class. And this was with Sister Hilda's blessing. A stern lady, but we could do our lady's needlework. Sadly, only one of those hankies remain.

So many heirlooms of the handmade type have been lost through the years. It only dawned on me recently to look at these treasures as heirlooms. I truly wish I had that old, wool serge quilt my sister, Lois, and I slept under on those cold winter nights in the cold patch of Southwestern Pennsylvania. All Grandmother Mary did was cut squares from discarded men's clothing, most of wool serge, real scratchy material. When the square were all cut, she sewed them together to make the top of the quilt and then put on the bottom. This she stuffed with an unknown filling. When this was done, she cut small pieces of yarn to tie knots through the middle of each square to hold the fabric and the filling intact.

This quilt didn't win prizes. The colors were dark navy, brown, gray and black. Nothing pretty about it. But it was warm., especially when the ice was on the inside of the windows in the winter time. The coal stove was banked (the coals were smothered to keep the flame low so there would be hot coals to start the fire in the morning) when my parents went to bed and the ice formed quickly.

Sadly, I can barely crochet a chain nowadays. However, I do knit and I love it. Mainly , I've been working on shawls, lap robes, baby hats and blankets.

Last winter, I winter I proposed to our Monsignor that we have a Prayer Shawl Ministry in our parish. With enthusiasm I didn't expect, he gave me the go-head. I expected, prayed for two or three women to join me. By the afternoon of the first announcement in the Sunday church bulletin, I had twenty plus women on the list. Today, we have about fifteen very active ladies, with a couple working from their home in their spare time. We even have a member at a local nursing home. The rest are still on the list since we are open to people coming when they can and doing what they are able.

By November, 2007, we made and gave away 100 plus items; shawls, lap robes, and baby blankets. And the need for these is still going strong. Some of the women are lightening fast, making 3, 4, 6 items every two weeks. These are the crocheters in the group. We knitters are slower but just as productive in the end.

I thank God daily for the enthusiasm and dedication of these ladies, all of whom I did not know a year ago. Now they feel like old friends.

Writing is another passion of mine, but my husband is finding this hard to believe since I haven't written a word in quite a while. But I will write again, this is for sure.

Several unfinished manuscripts are logged in my writing files and saved on disks. One of them, is the story of my ancestors immigrating from Eastern Europe and settling in the col towns in Western Pennsylvania.

I want to show the hardships and obstacles they overcame to make a better life for themselves and their families to follow in successive generations. In this, they succeeded, despite all of the animosity encountered from some of the citizens in the surrounding areas. The same threat citizens felt when the Irish, the Germans, and other nationalities came to the United States.

For now this is enough about me. As this blog progresses, I hope to share the accomplishments of my fellow prayer shawl ministry members, my own knitting triumphs and missteps along the way. And maybe even a chapter or two. Miracles do occur.

joaniecomelately