What's buggin me?

My condo building recently went through a fumigation as a result of discovered bedbugs. While I knew I didn't have any of the lil' buggers, it still gave me the heebie-jeebies knowing they were in one of my neighbour's unit. I felt bad for them but was cursing as I packed everything up... I mean, everything for the de-bugging day. As I sit in a room filled bags that are slowly returning to their rightful place... I was in a most disagreeable mood and I started to think about the other things that are bugging me.

A bureaucratic system at work that is slowing down project decision making... 'hurry up and wait' syndrome is getting in our way. That's bugging me. A semi-planned holiday had to be postponed because of mandated work meetings. That's bugging me. I can't seem to get a handle on setting up my guest/yarn room and that's bugging me. My favourite aunt has Alzheimer's and that's really bugging me. The worse thing... people who are so willing to be disagreeable just for the sake of disagreeing.

There are more important things to worry about and give ones energy to to be so negative about the world. Why are these people so angry, so willing to find fault in others knowing full well there's a skeleton or two in their own closets? Why are these people so willing to hide behind their social media personas to attack for reasons only know to them? Why are these people so hellbent on causing distress in others? All these disagreeable peoples are really, really bugging me...

Taking an afternoon away from work to learn a new, fun skill with yarn was sorely needed. To laugh with new friends and reacquaint with old was also needed. The result... a crochet basket to hold all that anger! Sometimes, that's all we need. Something or someone to help carry the load. When I look at this wee basket, may I be reminded that good overcomes... but right now...I think I need to crochet a bigger basket.

Doctor Who?

I love Doctor Who... not the "I-know-the-name-of-every-actor/director-in-every-show" crazy fan. I'm more the "sit-back-and-enjoy-the-ride" kinda fan! I get popcorn and wobbly pop and with my knitting at the ready, in my comfy chair I sit while watching the show.

My first Doctor was Tom Baker and his brilliant scarf. I gleefully take pride in introducing the return of the series to Stefanie and Nathan... who have become brilliant Whovian. Heck, I even knit The Scarf for the lad! Now that was a labour of love!

So when HeartSister Meagheen asked for test knitters for her new designs to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, I jumped at the chance. It certainly wouldn't be as tedious as That Scarf. Whew... it wasn't but there were twists galore in the knit that made me thumbs just a bit annoyed. Clara's socks... for when The Doctor first meets his new companion during Victorian times... were well worth the discomfort for they turned out stunning.

Sometimes twists and turns in life are worth the pain for something surprisingly beautiful just might occur. Took a while for me to figure that one out... embracing those twists and going along with the turns are oft times, painful. I have a feeling they would certainly be easier to deal with if we had our own sonic screwdrivers... but then, easy is often the most boring way to learn.

Learn and grow we must... enjoying the ride along the way makes the learning memorable. Speaking of rides, I wouldn't be adverse to one in the TARDIS... I'd even knit up a bow-tie!

Deck Knitting

It's been a very long winter. Long and cold and oh, so much snow. My deck was looking as dreary as the dark winter nights. My spirit... as dreary as the dirty streets the past seven months of sand and gravel left behind.

It's no wonder our first most brilliant sun filled weekend brought folks out onto those dreary, dirty streets and to the garden centres. While it may have been our monthly knitty meet-up at the garden centre, it was the perfect time to plan and prep the deck for some... you guessed it...  outdoor knitting. There is nothing finer than sitting on the deck with a nice cold bevie and some fibre and stix.

The colours of the yarn is brighter in the sun! The energy is higher while soaking in that vitamin D. The knitty mojo is hotter when that golden orb is beaming down upon you. May all that mojo help me finish up the WIP's that have been staring back at me for a while... a couple of shawls for Meagheen, socks for Joy, baby blanket and teddy bear for a new wee one, bath mat, tunic, flamingo and penguin... egads! As much as I hate monogamous knitting... I just may have to succumb in order to whittle down the wip's. Deck knitting sure makes it easier to do so.

Here's hoping finishing my Travelling Woman shawl will be incentive enough to tackle the others, don't you think?!

Help comes in all forms...

Your 'bursa' in your front hip flexor is inflamed, I was told. Bursitis? That's what old people get in their hip or what extreme athletes get in their shoulder. I'm neither... really! Such excruciating pain for two weeks that even Rx meds couldn't dull.. Moving without pain? Nope. Sitting without pain? Nope. Sleep? Nope! Knitting? Definitely nope! You know it's bad when you can't concentrate long enough to do what relaxes you the most. I mean really... no knitting for nearly three weeks!

Ain't that just the way things are tho... stuff gets in the way of doing what we want or what we need to do. For me, it was debilitating pain that stopped me from working and knitting for a few weeks. For others, it could be so many, many things that prevents them from doing what is important to them or worse, live the life they're meant to live. 

I got help... Sweetie with meals and comforting hugs, sympathetic looks from CatMate while I laid on the floor, friends with painkillers and appropriate comfort snack foods (Hello, Cheezies!) checking in on me and making me laugh, and four weeks of intense physio, acupuncture and massage therapy. I was able to do what I needed to but I am also so very aware that others are not so blessed.

Do they refuse help, don't know where to look for help or worse yet, don't know they need help? Either way, a life would not be lived to the fullest and that is the ultimate loss. I hope I am the help to others when in pain that my friends were to me. Maybe that is all we can hope for... be there for others, hold their hand and just listen.

And a good bag of Cheezies couldn't hurt. Now, back to knitting... I am so far behind.