The knitting is calming my mind, since I'm in a bit of a turmoil about the SCOTUS hearings. I've been reading and listening...and I really, really need to knit to settle my mind.
So let's show what's started, since you've seen what's done. This is the Terribly Simple shawl, by Caitlin ffrench - on Ravelry, so if you're not on there yet and you're an avid knitter or crochet fiend, get on there! You won't regret it. It's more addictive than Pinterest, though (I just tried to make a post on Pinterest, hope that went ok...never sure on some of these platforms). This is a yarn I'd had stashed for a long, long time, so I feel particularly virtuous about using it. I think I've had this since Sonda had her shop - so we'll just say it's been in stash "a while." Initially, it was destined for socks, but I changed my mind a while back. Wasn't sure about the silk content; this is Indulgence 6-ply with Silk. Its content is: 55% Merino, 25% Polyamide, 20% silk. Just not sure it would work for socks - it's very drapey.
Maybe, though, it should've been a scarf. The black in it pools oddly; I don't know if I like it. But the other colors work well together. I'm not sure why they stuck that black in there, to be honest.
Anyway, this is a super-simple shawl - or maybe a shawlette? Not sure yet. It's on 10.75 needles (or 7mm if you prefer), circular, 24" cable. Honestly, the cable should've been longer, but it is what it is. I'm really liking the Cubics, and they're wood, so they're very soft on the hands. The stitch definition of the yarn is great; I think that it should block out nicely. There's a KFB at either end for the increases, and I'm thinking that the band it's creating will be nice, too.
It's totally mindless knitting, which I need right now. I need to process the hearings. I need to process what's going on in our country.
The Day Democracy Died...
I was talking to Kid #2 about the hearings; he asked if I was watching them, and I was unable to, but I was catching up with the news. He said he watched, figuring he'd last about 10 minutes before he'd be screaming at the TV.
"But I got caught up, and an hour later, I thought that it was kind of interesting in a way to watch democracy die." That's what he said.
He's not an hysteric. He doesn't do hyperbole. He's a teacher; he's very level-headed - though I'll admit he's cynical as the day is long. He lost whatever innocence he had very early.
And as a mother, this was heartbreaking. I don't want my kids to live in the kind of country we're shaping up to be. I mean, really - I told my parents that their generation really screwed up the country.
But I think we took the cake. I mean by letting the Teabagging crackpots loose and then the corruption of the GOP?
The whole charade of the hearings - and I'm including Corey Booker in this too, because of that bit of showmanship he pulled, "releasing the records." Technically, they were already going to be released.
But I see his point. And I raise the point that at least he claims to have the courage of his convictions.
I'm scared witless for the generations coming after us if this all goes through and Mueller doesn't get off his duff soon. I'm not sure how much more our democracy (or democratic republic if you want to get picky) can take.
We cannot allow a judge to sit on the Supreme Court who has pretty much indicated that he believes the president is above the law. That's not how it works. I don't know what those folks at Yale Law School teach, but there are, to my knowledge, and still -- three branches of government. Three EQUAL branches that do checks and balances on each other so that no one branch supersedes the other.
In other words, we don't have a monarchy or a dictatorship. In spite of Agent Orange's desires.
It's In the Cards...
I was given a card deck. They're kind of a "thing" now... Goddess cards, spirit animal cards, yoga cards, astrology cards...You name it, there's a deck for it. Anyway, the ones I got as a gift are called "On & Off the Mat," and they have to do with yoga and breathing. So many people have rituals where they pull the cards. I actually have 3 decks of my own and I try to fiddle with them off and on. I have a "spirit animal" one, I have this one, and I have a set made by my friend Lulu Trevena - visit her here. We met -- or I should say, we "met" while doing the elephant journal apprenticeship.
I've pulled a couple of the cards from the Yoga deck, and the one I just pulled today says, "Stay open about your practice."
There's a whole discussion going on about functional yoga. Functional as in "making the pose adjust to the body rather than the other way around." When I was in training, we spent a lot of time learning to adjust students - making sure their alignment is correct in a certain pose.
Well, I still do that - there are some basic alignments that you need to keep yourself safe. But with "functional yoga" it's also about incorporating more than yoga into your practice. I'm doing quite a bit of that with Yoga for Healthy Aging, and being more creative in getting my students to move in ways that will keep them healthier longer.
So - "open" about my practice? Yep. I do a lot of resistance band work along with the yoga. I work with my little arm hula hoops to keep my upper body strong. I make sure I incorporate movement into my life every day, as often as I can.
How do you stay open to new things? How do you make sure that your body and mind will be active throughout your life? Let's chat about that...
Random Picture...
This starts Tippi's 6th year at Lewis University - I think. I've kind of lost track of time. We go spring and fall semesters, twice a month. She still loves the work. Of course, more often than not, now that she's 10, I have to lift her in and out of the truck. It's not that she won't try - just that I don't want her to hurt herself. She's a little chunky - and for her to jump down onto a hard surface could eventually hurt her joints, so we give her a "lift." It took a while for the students to realize she was there, and unfortunately, they all came when she needed to pee!! Poor girl!!
Anyway, she loves it. They love it. It's all good.
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