Knitting Along
Joining Ginny after a month and a half away for this weeks Yarn Along over at Small Things.
Finished my niece’s shawl yesterday. I had finished the body like a month ago, but had yet to get around to the fringe. Now if I can only get to the post office. My least favorite errand on the planet.
I started a scarf for a little boy on Monday and finished it last night. I also started one for his little brother last night too. Hopefully I can finish it today cause there is a little boy in my house who is hoping for a knitted BLANKET for Christmas. Gulp. I originally wanted the brown and blue for the little brother, but it was too wide once I tried it on my little tykes. It was perfect for my 7 year old, not so much my 5 year old. Knit and learn. Knit and learn.
I am reading at the moment Surrendering To Marriage, author of Surrendering To Motherhood, and Surrendering To Yourself which I will read both next, and have started Born To Run. Born To Run because I need a lot of inspiration at the moment, and Surrendering To Marriage, because well you can never have too much inspiration to keep your ‘civilization’, as she calls the family unit, going strong. My husband and I have been both VERY busy the last couple of months, I am personally choosing to slow down cause I was about to implode, but he doesn’t have that choice. I am almost done, but this was a nice read to remember that the long haul isn’t perfect for any marriage, but it is worth it in so many ways.
Obviously not if there is violence or abuse in a relationship, there is no suggestion in this book to stay in such. But how to keep the marriage strong in a time of such distractions that we have today? Young children? Building careers? Frustrations? Extended family? Friends? Activities? There is so much pressure on families today to do it all, but at what cost? How much pressure are we putting on our most precious of relationships?
“Loving someone at the moment they are asking for it because they need it even though you don’t want to give it is the ultimate surrender in marriage.” Ahh, how hard is that when kids have been clamoring for you all day, you feel busy and overwhelmed, and you just want to rest and replenish yourself? And what about him? Who spent all day at a stressful job and an hour and a half in a commute? Doesn’t he want to replenish too and not have to give to me?
Surrender.
“It doesn’t get much better than this. The older I get the more sure I become that the peaks and passing fancies are not what ultimately make for happiness. I can’t say that the grind of the ordinary makes me happy, either, day in and day out. But living our a conventional marriage with children and a husband has forced me to know that happiness is only ours in fragments, in delicious bites that we need to thoroughly savor, because, hey, the next day could be a whole different story. Can any human ever really be happy? The answer is yes. The answer is no. The answer is sometimes.”
Is it only sometimes? I don’t know. So many spiritual teachers would tell us no, that it is up to us, but it can be so much more of the time than it is for many of us on a daily basis, and some would argue most of the time. I feel like it is sometimes now, but I am hardly enlightened and I suffer great mood swings while I am PMSing. For now it is sometimes, and I will take it. And relish it, because there is really no place else or no other thing I would rather be doing than what I am doing right at this moment of my life.
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December 14th, 2011 at 11:54 am
Thank you for your book review! I’d never heard of the title but am now very intrigued! Both of those passages (and your comments) are so poignant.
December 14th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Followed you over from the yarn along with Ginny! I’m a beginning knitter and so love reading about all the projects! Your shawl and scarf are lovely! I too have read iris krasnow…well, just surrendering to motherhood, but she is a wonderful author. She was a professor of mine at American university 10 years ago and she was a hoot! So energetic, a real spitfire! But also so endearing…a woman I hope to be like (personally and as a mother and wife!) one day! I was so excited to see her book in your post!
Blessings to you and happy holidays to you!
Kelli @ sustaining creativity
December 14th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Oh, that post office thing….I dreaded that so much…until this year. I found an independent shop that will pack and do it all–and since its main job is selling computer cartidges, hardly anyone knows they also ship. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is. I highly recommend looking for a similar independent mailing store–and saving yourself not only some $$$$ but TIME!
Nice cuddly knit!!!!
December 15th, 2011 at 12:49 am
i hate the post office as well! hooray for finishing your shawl though!!
December 15th, 2011 at 10:15 am
The knitting looks good:) It’s nice to have a few knits done before Christmas.
Thanks for your comment yesterday. Yes I too have another binder of recipe overload to tackle after the holidays and more knitting.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
Hi there Jen…what an interesting post this is. Your book choice sounds fascinating…it’s good to read the comments by the other bloggers especially Kelli who knows Iris Krasnow…she sounds like a great person…you both really have me wanting to get this book…in fact I’ve just had an email from a friend asking me what I want for Christmas so that’s another problem solved!
It’s hard sometimes to get a balance on life especially when our emotions can effect us so much…things that at other times may seem minuscule can become such a big thing when we’re tired or a bit run down…it’s hard to get the right perspective…I know that I sometimes set myself too many goals and that can only lead to frustration…but you seem to be achieving so much with all your lovely knitted gifts…and your reading and writing…
I love the idea of the Zen Shorts books for kiddies too…I wish they’d been available when my daughter Hannah was little.. oh and you make the cutes panda…
Take care of yourself and have an amazing holiday…
)
Deb
December 18th, 2011 at 11:08 am
That book sounds intriguing, Jen. As far as my own marriage goes, I make sure that Hubby knows that I love him even if I don’t particularly care for what he doing at any given moment. It works for me.
I think you knitting is progressing quite nicely. Keep up the good work!