Mama Said...

Remember that old song...I've had Sam Cooke's voice in my head all week..."Mama said there'd be days like this..." She didn't mention a whole week of "days like this".

Quick knitting update: I completed one more triangle of the Jiffy Triangle Scarf for my WIP Wednesday project. It was too warm to drape myself in the Ten-Stitch Blanket.

I also zipped through another pattern repeat of the Luna Moth Shawl which made it possible for me to enjoy a full color change...and develop a mad craving for Stouffer's mac & cheese - just look at that shade of orange! Does it not scream "MAC & CHEESE!!!!!"

Last night, I tried to figure out how to knit a toe-up sock...silly me, I should know learning new techniques can only be accomplished during the day when I have the house to myself.  Even if I tell Romeo not to talk to me when I'm working on a particularly tricky task, he'll talk anyway...he "forgot"...it's "important"...he doesn't want to "forget"...  Trust me, when I'm trying to figure out how to knit a sock, the only important thing would be "I'm having a heart attack", "the dog is dying", or "the house is on fire".

After two nights (Saturday and Sunday) of Wilbur sleeping straight through the night, thus ME sleeping straight through the night, he woke me at 3:45am Tuesday morning with an urpy tummy.  Ugh...  This resulted in a migraine most of Tuesday and yesterday.  At least he slept better last night, and I got a full 7 hours sleep - not quite enough, but enough for me to be functional.

I'm still waiting for the yarn to arrive for the Pine and Ivy Shawl.  Last night, I had an anxiety dream about it.  I got the package, and there were all kinds of cool little tchotchkes and doilies in it...but no yarn.  That's okay...I won't have a lot of time to knit in the next few days.

Days like this?  Oh yeah...this morning, I was drinking coffee, planning my day, reading blogs, getting ready to clean the house cuz the kids are coming over for dinner tonight when my phone rang.  I love caller ID...most of the time I don't even answer after I see who it's from...all those 866 telemarketers, ya know.  This time, I saw the name of a dear friend, Lisa...we'd fallen out of touch over the years for no good reason.  I'd introduced her to another dear friend, Val, and they have been together for over twenty years now.  When I answered, all I heard were sobs..."Val's dead.  I just had to hear your voice."

I am in shock, and my heart is broken.  I know Val's dad died of a heart attack at a young age, but...dammit...Val was barely 50.  He was fit and active.  He tried to take good care of himself.  He was family - we were "cousins" - his great grandaunt, Flossie, was married to my great granduncle, Earl.  It didn't matter that we met at a bar on the Ohio State campus and only later discovered our genealogical connection...we were kin.  I've lost a part of my family...I'm an unashamed emotional mess.

Tomorrow, I will be spending the day with Lisa, then there will be all the funereal rituals.  This may involve some travel to the ancestral homelands of southeastern Ohio.  I will probably not be knitting and will definitely not be blogging for the next several days.  I know you all understand.

Hug those you love - right now!  Tell them you love them...