Well the sweetest Carebear I have ever known had her 22nd birthday birthday on Jan 21. I was busy getting ready for surgery and didn't have time to post that day. Here's wishing her another 22 and another 22 and so on forever. Maybe someday, and not soon enough for her liking, she will drop the carebear label, but never in my heart. She has been called that all of her life and I still do half of the time when she says hi on the phone.

Yarnfloozies Anniversary

For her blog anniversary, she is having a contest to come up with a rectangular stole to use up some lace weight yarn she has in her stash. I immediately thought of Sivia Harding's Moonshadow Stole. There is a KAL on her Yahoo site featuring this stole now. I wanted to start it, but have waited because tomorrow I am having my 4th surgery on my right eye, in 9 mos. Not knowing the outcome, and how much it will impact my life for a while, I have held off on buying the yarn kit. But if it goes as the dr thinks, I should be back up and running soon. Keep me in your prayers.

Dishrag or dishcloth - topic of the week

When I was growing up, we always called them dishrags. Using that word now, brings back memories of when I was a child running around in the house, and being called to get a dishrag and clean off the table, or set the table, or help with the dishes. I often, when not concentrating on it, use the word still today - college education put aside! My MIL used the word all of the time, and so does my husband. So I think it is a Southern word that is used still today in many households. Would be interested to read a Northerner's blog and see how they feel about the word.

Defeat the Winter Doldrums Dishcloth Exchange

1. Do you knit, crochet, or do both? Primarily Knit

2. What types of needles do you enjoy using for making dishcloths?
My 16" circulars but would like a Knitpicks US7 16". Love their needles
3. What types of cotton do you enjoy using for making dishcloths? Is there any that you've been wanting to try? I only have access to a range of colors in Sugar and Cream. Would like more of Peaches and creme and maybe try some other cottons.

4. What color(s) are your kitchen and bath decorated in (if any)?
Old - not vintage - just old! Dishes are Fiesta, so like bright colors
5. What are your favorite colors for yarns? Least favorite? Kinda answered earlier - bright, vibrant colors

6. Do you like Winter, or do you count the days until it ends? Count the days until it ends, however, we don't always have much winter here in the SE US.

7. What's your favorite way to brighten your day when you're down in the dumps? Get out among people, Knit

8. What is your favorite treat to indulge in and when your down in the dumps? Unfortunately, chocolate, or anything sweet

9. Do you drink coffee? Tea? Cocoa? Tea mainly, no coffee

10. If you could take a vacation starting tomorrow and go anywhere for one week and money were no object, where would you go and what would you do? Maui, and find the waterfalls my son rappeled down

11. Do you have any allergies or aversions your pal should be aware of? Severe allergies to cats and cigarette smoke

To all my friends who sent me best wishes in 2007,
or promises of good luck if I forwarded something;

it did NOT WORK.

For 2008, could you please just send either money, chocolate or gasoline vouchers.

Thank you

Holidays are over!

Well Christmas has come and gone - at least in most places!

This house, however, leaves most items up all year long. Minya and Eric couldn't resist a photo of Chattanooga's picturesque Christmas scenery!!

Eric and Minya are in Panama right now - with plans of riding bicycles northward through Central America arriving either in Texas and visiting relatives or straight on through to Tennessee. They arrived in Panama on the 29th and have had to wait until today the 4th to get ready to ride out. One of their bicycles, which was crated and on their airplane, only arrived yesterday. So they have spent countless hours on the phone with Delta searching for it. Eric's patience was runnig low the last time he called, but today the enthusiasm was back. Eric is my child with the most adventurous spirit as far as seeing different countries. My others are just as driven, in different ways.

Carrie, my daughter and youngest child who will 22 next month, had taken this week off to go hiking in the Smokies, but we had a cold front come through. It was 16° here last night, so she made a good choice to stay home until the weather was better.

Jeffery, my middle son, just spent a week climbing Mt Washington - and for those not familiar with either New Hampshire or mountain climbing - it is noted for the highest wind gusts in the world. And Jeffery and his partner did it in a blizzard. No sense - in my book. Stay home in front of a fire!!

Don't really know where the children got this wandering spirit - other than my DH hitchhiked from Central Texas to Yellowstone the summer between his junior and senior year in high school. He also did some backpacking right before and after Eric was born, 30 years ago.

So may each of you reach higher for the goals that you have had in the back of your mind - anything is possible if you want it enough!

What will matter

Being in a wheelchair for these past 2 1/2 months, has given me a lot of time to contemplate my life and the things that are important to me. Since trips out are limited, I have learned that I can live without little things I have bought - just because I think it made me feel better. Not any other reason. Didn't really need it, husband is working so hard to pay my medical bills as well as keep up with the house and every thing else. I ran across this poem and think it is an excellent piece that summarizes things I have
been thinking about.


A Life that Matters

by Michael Josephson

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.


There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten
will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations
and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from
or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.


So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?


What will matter is not what you bought
but what you built, not what you got but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success
but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned
but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity,
compassion, courage, or sacrifice
that enriched, empowered or encouraged others
to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence
but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew,
but how many will feel a lasting loss when your gone.

What will matter is not your memories
but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered,
by whom and for what.


Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.



© 2003 Josephson Institute of Ethics