I've Been RAOK'd - by Rebecca! THANK YOU!! 

Friends, Work, Cats…These Three…

And the greatest of these is friends (cats are fur-friends!), to paraphrase.

I want to thank all of you for your comments of support after last week’s post about the end of my relationship. I’ve spent the past week recovering from a nasty bug, that probably snagged me because I was in a state of shock.

But enough, it’s over, and time to move on to better things. The worst is past. I have the best friends in the world, including my daughter and my cats! Big thank-yous to you all, for reminding me that life does indeed go on, and better things are around the corner. We just have to assume they will be there, proceed as if they are, and voila! They ARE!

Work is not waiting for me to recover from this bug. But it’s wonderful to bury myself in it…bags, bags, bags! The wonderful Star City Cat Fanciers’ Cat Show is July 2-3 and I’ve just received an invitation to the National Capital Cat Show in September at the Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. I’m hoping to go and if you’re near either venue, stop by and check out Nana Sadie Rose’s cat bags…this is where I started, this is my true love (even as I love all fabrics!!!). Sometime soon, I’ll take a group shot of some of the bags that will be at the Star City show.

Knitting? Well…I’m not doing as much as I’d like, but I did get in a few inches on the Easy Ripple Baby Afghan – which is good, because little Mady is due next month! I’ve got another skein to knit up before it’s finished, too…I also had to frog an entire repeat plus 4 rows of the Triangle Lace Shawl – so what you see in the photo down below is as far as I am. (A word to the wise, when using a lifeline, frog gently.) That’s what I get for working on it when I was sick with a fever! Another lesson? Knit only mindless things when seriously sick!

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Very Good Friend...

commissioned these bags. She works with children who have autism and their families. The Autism Society of America states: "Autism is a complex developmental disability that affects an individual in the areas of social interaction and communication. Autism is a spectrum disorder that affects each individual differently and to varying degrees of severity. As many as 1.5 million Americans - children and adults - are thought to have autism today."

I was so pleased to have the opportunity to create these bags to increase awareness of this very worthy cause. Please contact me if you'd be interested in having one made for yourself, or for someone special.

New Totebags & Purses! For the Autism Cause... 

My Dream Spot! Oh Yes!

You Belong in Paris Stylish and a little sassy, you were meant for Paris. The art, the fashion, the wine, the men! Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park... You'll love living in the most chic place on earth What City Do You Belong in? Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

Musings on Aging….Family Events and New Realities

I am not a Pollyana, at least I don’t think I am. I live daily with an autoimmune disease that makes it difficult to know from one day to the next how I will feel, whether or not I can walk properly, and whether I’ll continue to see as well as I currently do.

But lately, I’ve been given good reason to consider the fact of aging, and how much of a challenge it can be.

Some of you have read this blog long enough to know that I’ve lost a lot of the important people in my life at a relatively early age: my dad and my brother to heart disease, my mom, too, but while it wasn’t an early age for her, it was too early for me to lose her! My brother’s first wife (and DD’s godmother) is gone now, as well, too soon, to heart disease and other complications. My nuclear family is so much smaller now, and mostly comprised of the next generation, and a few of the last.

Recently, the remaining members of my family congregated for my DD’s wedding. It was a lovely, sunny, happy day, for the most part. I won’t be able to post photos, due to my DD’s privacy issues, which I certainly respect. But suffice to say, everyone was beautiful, and the ceremony had influences of Celtic tradition along with the touches most folks look for in a wedding ceremony! As beautiful as the bride was, the two ring bearers (my DGS’s) stole the show – and I think DD is mature enough to accept that! What else can you expect from two boys (ages 2.5 and 15 months) dressed entirely in white, one with a penchant for grabbing microphones and crooning with the best of Frank Sinatra impressions?

However, on the happy day, I was stunned to see some members of my family. It had been a year since my niece’s wedding when we were last together. One short year. What a difference it can make!

My mom’s & dad’s remaining sisters (those who could travel) were present, and more dependent on assistance for movement than I remembered. It was openly acknowledged that this would be the last trip south for some. Other family members (besides myself!) showed signs that mobility was being compromised or health was declining. No one discussed this. It was just my observation. I’ve since learned of family members’ recent (unhappy) diagnoses…it wasn’t mentioned at the wedding – no one wanted to mar the day. And privacy keeps me from identifying them here. But I am staggered by this new reality.

A few days later, I learned that a high school chum had suffered a heart attack at age 48. (We both know it’s really only been a year or two since we graduated - lolololol). She called asking for help from the only other woman her age she knew with the same experience – me. All her fear, confusion, and pain brought back every second of my own recovery.

So now I have the proof that time, indeed, marches on, carrying us with it, willy-nilly. We are indeed just short-term renters on this earth. And as much as I revel in the silly delight of my DGS’s antics, I have to accept that to have them, I must have aged, as must those who are dearest to me. It’s the cycle, the rhythm of life. We’re born, we grow old, we die.

We can safely say it isn’t fair. It’s not. But I won’t throw a pout about it. To age gracefully, in my mind, has always meant accepting what life hands you. But is acceptance grace? No, if that means letting these challenges beat me down. To me, the fight for every bit of physical strength, independence, and my own self-worth will continue to my dying breath. I hope it’s not denial, as I prefer not to dwell in that particular Egyptian river. I hope there is grace in the continued struggle for aging with dignity. I won’t go quietly!

Lace Shawl (not blocked) at end of repeat 2 

Lace Shawl Class is Over!

But I'm still knitting...and probably will be for many moons to come. This shawl is fun, I'm having the time of my life knitting it, but I want to quit work, and all my other chores to do so, and that's not possible! Sooo. One of these days, I'll finish it (I'm working on the baby blanket, too, with a deadline of mid-July) but I think it'll still be on the needles come Labor Day. Still, you can see my progress above at the end of repeat 2 of the "B" charts. I've finished repeat 3 now...