Yopping Update #34 - Just keep knitting (socks)

I finished the Maryana socks without any further incidents. I had to cut the last chart short because otherwise the foot would have been far too long. Others have found a similar issue with this pattern. I was bang on with gauge, but perhaps because my foot is very narrow that made the difference with not being able to complete the pattern. However, I love the fit, and with all new socks I finish these have been on my feet constantly. I really liked how the variegated colour way worked up.

Thanks to Susi-Q for the gift of this cotton yarn

I headed back to my queue and decided to start.... wait for it ... another pair of socks. Socks on a plane have been in my queue for years and I decided to used up the wool I had left over from my Slippery Slope socks to make a fraternal pair. One sock in each colour. It is an easy pattern to remember and it is knitting up quickly. This is a toe up sock and since the cable always goes in the same direction I haven't made any mistakes. The 2nd sock will have the cable running on the other side of the foot - mirror image. 

I have been getting out for my daily walks and taking photographs to keep me inspired. Yesterday I walked a little too far and was feeling pretty weary when this sight greeted me.

You see, Mary-Anne, Spring is coming

I am struggling with blogger today. I seem to only be able to add content using the html version, and not the compose version. Sigh. I didn't sleep well at all last night and I don't need this frustration. 

 Anyways I will continue... I am thinking of starting a long cardigan using up all the remnants of my sport weight yarn. It seemed a bit daunting to start this week which is why socks are still on the go. We shall see. 

 I woke up to this lovely picture of my grand-daughter this morning.

Oh to be on that beach with her

I have been feeling 'weary' this week. Weary of CoVid worries, weary of undone housework and yardwork chores, weary of not being able to visit my dear friends and family. Just. Weary. I have been walking everyday and my walks are getting longer - closer to 4 miles some days. I feel like I am running (walking) away, but at some point I turn around and head back to my life. My life of doing dishes, making the bed, sweeping the floor, knitting, reading, occasionally dusting, weekly laundry, and far too much bingeing of TV shows. 

 Currently I am bingeing on Parenthood, mostly because I like the Dax Shepard character, but even that is getting on my nerves. There is a LOT of conflict in each episode between family members, and I am not good with conflict at the best of times, but the way they speak to each other always leaves me thinking - Do people really talk to each other like that in real life? 

 This week I am also obsessing about passwords and slowly trying to go through all my accounts and change my passwords. I used to always use a ubiquitous simple password, but in today's hacker world I realise I need to tighten up this kind of thing. Our government's tax website had a breach this past week, and although my account wasn't involved it got me thinking - what if it was? 

 What if? My friend calls this tendency of mine to 'future surf'. And when I future surf I always imagine the worse case scenario. I remember a counsellor telling me a few of years ago that when I hear myself saying 'what if?' to change it too 'what if not?' I have been trying to practice this, but it isn't an easy switch, at least not for me. 

 On the plus side this week the ducks are back in the pond having left during the snow and ice earlier this week. I was quite worried about them, because I was worried when the pond was frozen over what would they eat? Clearly the ducks were smarter than I gave them credit for. 

 So amid the snow, CoVid, password breaches, and struggling with zoom (don't get me started on my zoom woes) and now Blogger issues it has been a trying week. Yet, I have much to be grateful for. Much! 

 All my family and friends are healthy and CoVid free. 

 I have lovely video chats with both my children and, of course, my grand-daughter. 

Spring is coming 

Spring is coming 

Spring is coming 

 While attending my CoDA zoom meeting yesterday I was reminded of a poem I posted many years ago on this blog. I will post it again for myself, but perhaps dear reader, it will resonate with you as well. 

 Dear Human: 

You’ve got it all wrong. 

You didn’t come here to master unconditional love. 

That is where you came from and where you’ll return. 

You came here to learn personal love. 

Universal love. Messy love. Sweaty love. Crazy love. Broken love. Whole love. 

Infused with divinity. 

Lived through the grace of stumbling. 

Demonstrated through the beauty of… messing up. Often. 

You didn’t come here to be perfect. You already are. 

You came here to be gorgeously human. 

Flawed and fabulous. 

And then to rise again into remembering. 

But unconditional love? 

Stop telling that story. 

Love, in truth, doesn’t need ANY other adjectives. 

It doesn’t require modifiers. 

It doesn’t require the condition of perfection. 

It only asks that you show up. And do your best. 

That you stay present and feel fully. 

That you shine and fly and laugh and cry 

and hurt and heal and fall and get back up 

and play and work and live and die as YOU. 

It’s enough. 

It’s Plenty. 

 Courtney Walsh

I 'll leave you with my favourite photo of the week.    

Patiently waiting for dinner to swim by, or Spring to arrive, not sure which

Note:  I had to google whether it is binging, or bingeing.  Seems like bingeing won, but it looks weird, no?