Madrid

I'm so very far behind. We traveled to Madrid and had a fascinating time exploring the city. Warm, sunny weather felt so great and I try to remember spring will eventually settle in here. It's hard to imagine with the 20 degree temps we now have. I loved visiting the museums, the "Rastro" flea market and the city of "Toledo" about 40 miles from Madrid. It is truly a start to realize the extent of the history unfolding before you as you wind around the ancient streets of that medieval city. Our own U.S. history is a blink compared to the extensive stories of Spain.

Lauren is fine and strong. It was wonderful to see her, but, I wanted to wrap her up and take her home with us. It is getting too long.

I visited two yarn shops and was confused by so many things. The yarn was stacked behind counters all the way up the walls but it was on cones or huge rolls and I'm sure purchased by weight. It is quite daunting to not be able to speak the language. I hope to have the opportunity to travel to Europe again. Next time, I hope I can tuck a little bit of another language in my back pocket to pull out as needed.

company

My cat Ivy likes to be near me. When I knit she pushes her way onto my lap and settles in. There's not much better than a warm purring kitty on your lap to comfort the soul.

friend

I met a woman about my age in the shoe department at Macy's. Her delightful two year old daugher entertained all within viewing. My last daughter was a surprise and I enjoyed this woman's story as she regaled the sales clerk and other customers with the tale of this latest addition to her family. We shared the ups and downs of parenthood over a wide span of years. Hers was broader than my 13 - an amazing 17 years between oldest and youngest, she also has 4 children. She told me she had moved to our area at the end of last summer for her husband's employment and her other children still live out of state.
She had recently returned from helping one of her daughters with a premature delivery. Grandbabies and a baby at home...

I understood about the age difference of the new moms vs. the "experienced" moms - it is hard to find friends sharing the same lifepoint at times. And then she told me. She has cancer. I looked at her - daring to imagine how hard it has to be. I asked her and no - she hasn't been here long enough to build up a support network of friends, neighbors or church to help her. I remember when we moved 14 years ago and it took me a winter of sulking and missing my friends from "home" before I was ready to meet new people. My attachments grew mostly through my children and schools - how would I have done without these connections. My heart broke for her. She needs an insta-friend kit and they don't make them. Friendship develops with shared experiences and lives. I took her name and number hoping I could come up with some ideas for support. She is a kind woman undergoing the most trying of situations. I find myself wondering how to offer her support and especially hope not to disappoint her. I checked and she doesn't knit... thought that might be a network. Now she has started chemo and can't go out as her white cell count is low. I have talked to her a couple of times by phone and her hair is starting to fall out. I made her a hat. Sarah is my reluctant model. I made it with my favorite alpaca in a soft shade of blue. I hope she likes it and feels cared for - even if just a little bit.

catch up

January has certainly been interesting. I've been catching up on knitting projects. The felted slippers were a hit at Christmas (never mind the daughter still waiting for hers). I've been throwing together remainder yarn for a big felted bag - should be interesting. I start teaching next week. I have 24 kids signed up for my class, "The Power of Art, How to Find Your Inner Voice" I'm terrible excited about it. The school is designed for arty students and I can design the class as I want. I'd love to go to this school myself.

My traveling girl loved Berlin. She was fascinated with the art scene and I was struck by her very "being" in East Berlin. Makes me hopeful for change in our existing world. Chilly girl in St. Paul is having fun playing basketball and planning our trip to visit Lauren in Madrid. My shiny new passport arrived (my first one). It makes me feel worldly - in my decidely non-worldly life.

flurry of activity

Life has been very busy lately. I haven't heard from either of my potential job prospects, expect to learn about the teaching possibility by the end of the week. I am still hopeful. Last week was quite eventful. We had to install a spanking new furnace (we are now nice and warm), hire a plumber (drains running and drips stopped), and we threw a hugely successful fund raiser for the Junior U.S. Senator from WI. These are a small bouquet of the gorgeous flowers.

My traveling girl, Lauren, has returned from a trip to Paris. She loved the bread, chocolate and art. Her next visit is to Berlin, Germany for Christmas! She has managed to rent a room from a student for two weeks and she is excited to spend the holidays exploring. Her package arrived safely in Madrid and her felted slippers are firmly on her feet. Elise will be home from college tomorrow and she just celebrated a huge victory with her basketball team. The younger girls have school until December 22'nd and then are off for the holidays for about 10 days. I am madly knitting, trying to finish the last two pair of slippers...only 7 days until Christmas...

kimono's in MN

Part two - We traveled to an unobtrusive dairy with spectacular ice cream and delectables from all around the world. I was tempted by the tapenades and the marmalades, but stuck with the cheese curds and ice cream. I am from Wisconsin. Then, oddly, we visited a shop dedicated to the care and selling of Japanese wedding kimonos. They were gorgeous. This veteran gentleman specializes as one of the few traders in the world of these treasures. It sadly sounds to be a dying artform and he loves to share the kimonos' beauty. Some of the kimono's were over 250 years old and he showed us the french knot embroidery used all over one and the silk hand painting of another. They were unbelievable. Sarah modeled for us. My mother-in-law is Japanese, though you'd be hard pressed to know it looking at my kids.

Part one - Turkey and Swans

We traveled to Minnesota for Thanksgiving with my brother and his family and had a great visit. After stuffing ourselves one day we were happy to take off on an expedition the next. We looped around a section of the Upper Mississippi River crossing the river between WI and MN several times. River towns are steeped in history and natural delights. Our first stop was to see the tundra or whistling swans resting on their migration journey. They winter in Virginia and North Carolina. Birders have huge telescopes trained on the swans and they were happy to share the view, even teaching me how to snap my lowly digital camera over the scope for a close up view. It was incredible. They were so beautiful preening their feathers and feeding in the shallow waters. Part two tomorrow.