Good Times

I suppose since I've been sniffling and trying to catch a runny nose that I have to admit to having a cold. Don't know where it picked me up, but there you go.

On the other hand, I am back into multi-project mode and according to my project journal, I have four project in the works. The lace shawl is coming along nicely even though I've had to do some creative rewriting of the pattern when the stitches don't come out exactly the same count as the original pattern. (Hey as long as the lace lines up, I'm pretty flexible about the detail of how it came off.) As I was working on this piece, I thought to myself this would make a beautiful blanket. The lace in a white pretty similar to the color in the picture would make a lovely baptism blanket.

Today, I will be working on the poncho. I have two more squares - more like panels - to block and then I get to decide how I want to (or if I want to) add a tie. I'm pretty sure I do and I am pretty sure I want it be a braid made with a strand from each of the six colors used. I'm a genius that way. Hold your awe and cover your eyes.

Work continues on the novel and I have friends who say they know an independent (freelance) editor to whom I may be able to submit my work. I don't want to jump the gun and jinx it all but knowing there might be a next step place to go makes this step more exciting!

Nine years ago I was headed towards my first day of jury duty. I was summoned for duty on a special grand jury and I was listening to the radio when the news of the first plane hitting the tower came over. Ahead of me was the Sears Tower and someone was saying there was news that it was one of the possible targets.

Nine years later, I remember this day with sadness and strength. Sadness that we lost so many people in an act that I wish I could say was senseless but I know it made sense to those who planned it and executed it. They got what they wanted - not just the loss of life but the loss of who we are as a nation. They have succeeded in rending who we say were are with how we behave.

I remember the day with strength because I truly believe we will heal the rift. Yes, we have seen people act fanatical and with political irresponsibility but the saving grace, I believe, is those who use their first amendment right to say whatever stupid thing they wish to say, has seen the effect it has had on people here and abroad and how it's more than just a right to say whatever you want but a privilege and responsibility. We are in a technical age where what we say now is kept forever. We don't need long term memory just a bookmark tab on our computer to be remembered forever.

May the grace of God be with all impacted on that day: the souls and families of those who were lost. The public servants who sacrificed themselves to assist others. Those who witnessed it and could not believe what they were seeing. Those around the world who listened with stunning horror. Even those who think this was something God would smile upon. The same God who made it perfectly clear that thou shalt not kill and somehow managed to substitute their will for His. May we all be granted, pray and work for peace.

When Silence Is Not Golden

I don't want to give press to any particular person - especially one who is so far off from what the Bible (and the Q'uran,The Works of Baha'ullah and others) that writing the name of this person would be repugnant to me. However, these are times when we cannot be silent. We have two really terrible habits in this country. One is to so overreact; to want immediate gratification that we let our basest most distemperate part of our psyche take over. The other is to departmentalize people so we can easily dismiss them as being crazy or over the top and thinking it best just to let people go unchallenged because no one will believe what they have to say.

The overreaction usually comes at the expense of a minority. Internment camps, the denial of civil rights, the Arizona law that laughingly is supposed to be an illegal immigrant law but is nothing more but open season on Hispanics or anyone 'looking like an illegal immigrant' except those illegal immigrants who look like 'us.' I tell you, if I was an illegal immigrant from a European country, I'd head straight for Arizona because they'd never stop me.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think you should be here illegally. I think you should make your application just like everyone else. But I am also not so naive as to believe that the problem is just people jumping the border. The reason we're not having this problem with the Canadian border is because there isn't a market for Non-English speaking Canadians who can be exploited. If the Mexican economy was better this wouldn't be as much of a problem. If we had more of a conscious about hiring folks for $3.00 an hour we wouldn't have this much of a problem either. Supply and demand, baby. It's not that Americans don't want those jobs. It's that other Americans would have to pay them minimum wage, perhaps benefits and would have to concern themselves with work conditions.

A friend asked me what the big deal would be if the police saw someone swerving while driving that they pull them over and ask for their papers. I love her dearly but that question is only asked by someone who has no fear of being asked for their papers. She won't ever be pulled over for driving while black, brown or somewhere in between. A swerve for her could very well be just a lane switch for someone else. Pathetic but true.

My dog has papers. My car has papers. In this country, where all men are created equal, humans have rights both explicit and assumed. To insist in treating a sect of the population differently by denying those rights diminishes them for everyone and sets it up that the group that is in power can dehumanize at will and whim.

There is not a law to stop what may go on in Florida on Saturday. This ignorant, hateful act will do nothing but further the causes of hatred in our country and around the world. It also has no useful symbolism. You really want to speak out against radical Islam? Copy the words of the Q'uran where it talks about peace and what it means to be a follower:

O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.

The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, "Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do."

Get huge posters made with the words of peace and tolerance and post those up and show those who would use the book for their terrorizing that their book does not preach their actions. Be more like the church in Memphis who has opened their doors to their Muslim neighbors by letting them use their church building while their mosque is being built. You want to stick it to the radicals? Make nice.

We cannot simply let this pass. We have to speak out. I am not a Obama fanatic but one of the things that happened when he came into office was the world was willing to look at America in a kinder light. We really ticked off all parts of the world and the new president calmed things down a bit. Now between the ultra conservatives and the pundits and Fox news, et.al. we are on our way to losing that ground again. Seriously, disappointment in the slow recovery of the economy is not a reason to make our dignity and our conscious take a whipping.

Oddly enough, all the vocal conservatives have very little to say about the proposed book burning. This is what happens when you use the nasty, divisive ploy. Someone comes along and plays it better than you and you are stuck. If you defend it you show just how fractious you're willing to be. If you denounce it, you have to acknowledge the game and how you played it.

So you have to be quiet and hope it doesn't get too out of hand. Too late. What makes us think that if we are the God fearing folk we profess to be that we won't one day have to explain this to a God who already knows what we were thinking?

Don't be silent. When you see wrong - say it's wrong. You don't have to scream it. Just say so. Folks may still decide to be less than civil - but they should know there are other options.

The Little Things

I've been watching the coverage of the mosque in New York and the rhetoric that's been flowing. I cannot believe that we choose not to be better people.

But that's another post I'm working on...for now, we can have better living through knitting.
The 42 square afghan is evolving into something completely my own...don't drop from the surprise. I had nine squares but decided they weren't coming out the right size and I didn't want to do make them work so I frogged them and started new squares. I already have seven of them and the makings of a nanny square afghan. A little different than a granny square afghan but incorporating both knit squares and granny squares. I'm liking the nanny square name, too.

In the midst of everything that goes on - even those things which threaten to destroy our spirits and mar our souls - the creative spirit can bring us back. Maybe everyone in the world should be required to knit, crochet, paint or sing - something that brings body, soul and spirit back to the center of our being. Maybe we can breathe cleanly and behave better.

I know I don't want to kill anybody after a great time spent with the needles, hooks and yarn. Could be why I do is so much. Nah, I really enjoy it. I'm really enjoying creating this new afghan. I am choosing the stitches going into the squares and having a great deal of fun. It's knitting up pretty fast and easy and I anticipate having it done in just a matter of days - which is a good thing cause I need product for these shows coming up.

We haven't been invited yet to the holiday shop showcase. We were the top sellers for the past three years and I don't want to assume that means we will be invited back but I am going to drop the hint to the show's organizer so that if we are coming back, I can begin to prep folks (and me) so we have the proper organization and know who will be doing what.

I picked up a wonderful book of Knitted Prayer Shawls at Mosaic over the weekend. There's about twenty designs and only two I would not make. They are all knit and it was less than $10 and I got a discount!! Great book. Great price. Great find. I won't be able to get to it for a while but it will so be worth the wait.

It's time for me to go to work. I have to photograph some things for the shop and the show and I have some more writing in the novel to do.

I am striving to keep a constant prayer for our country and for all the people of the world. I have every belief in a life hereafter but I'm so anxious for us to kill ourselves to get there.