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That’s how long I have to write this post. Can I do it?? I just wanted to point you to my new favorite thing, or tab, at the top right of this page. The “Inspirations” tab.

I’m tired of seeing great things I’d like to try to do then forgetting about them. I can bookmark, sure, but they just get lost amongst the other bookmarks. So now, when I see something I love I can just add it to this list. Then when I need inspiration, there it is.

I’m guess I’ll limit this to non-knitting items, since I just cue those up on Ravelry. So consider this my queue of non Raveled items.

I’m also publicly declaring that it’s not just my own sock kits I’m going to make up this year (like the Harlot), I’m going for general knitting kits as well. I’m telling you all so I’ll have to get it done. If I don’t report back on this in a week, ask me. And go visit Ellen if you need some kit inspiration in the meantime. She’s got a mean sock line-up.

No go click that new tab, and have a great day!!

(Long, and at least slightly rambling post ahead, completely lacking in pictures. Thoughts seriously appreciated, knitting content to resume next post)

New Year’s always makes me feel thoughtful. Sometimes it’s pretty basic, such as “we need to whip this house into shape” or “we need to cut down on the sugar.” Other times I tend to think a little deeper about things. This year, I’m thinking really deeply about things. Especially today, and it doesn’t help that I’ve been listening to Sun Kil Moon all day, which has also made me a wee bit pensive.

Most of you will remember that 2009 was not a good year. I would say it was pretty darn to close to catastrophic, but not quite, since the tornado did leave our house standing. But when you lose your father-in-law, put your dog to sleep, have two of your children in the hospital a total of four times, and have your home take a good smacking from a tornado it makes your pretty reflective about things.

Now I don’t want this to be a downer of a post. I’m feeling pretty optimistic about 2010, so stick with me here. But I am feeling like it’s time to hash things about a bit. You see, it’s about that time when I’ve realized I have A Life. What I mean by that is when you are younger, say… still in your twenties, pre-kids, pre-house, you’re still building that life. Which means nothing is truly decided. Moving is easy, career changes are easy. You still think that you could really, truly pick up and move to India is you really wanted to. But all of a sudden you wake up one day and you realize that you’ve made your life, and a good one at that. But you also realize that you could have made some other decisions, and you wonder if the life you’ve built is the right one. That’s where I’m at.

The reality is we’ve built a really nice life for us here in Minneapolis. We’ve got a nice house in a nice city. We’ve got close friends who will help with anything at the drop of a hat. We’ve got a community of people who we fit with, a school for the boys that won’t test them to death. I can bike down the street for fresh organic ice cream,  espresso and pastry, sushi or wood fired pizza. I’ve got coops, bakeries, yarn and fabric stores galore, bike trails, lakes, music…. and we live in this nice little bubble where I’m not a weirdo for using cloth diapers, not having a TV or hating Starbucks. We’ve got health insurance and two good part time jobs that add up to one full time job, meaning we both get to be at home with the kids. In fact, it’s pretty sweet, and when I read it all I can think is “what’s the problem???”

My other imaginary life of course. That’s the problem. The life where we live out in the country, milk our own cow, raise our own sheep, homeschool our kids and just enjoy the quiet, the solitude, the romping around in the woods….Of course in my head this is perfect. The reality is we chose not to move to the country last year, even though we had the chance to take over the farm when the Skeptic’s mother moved into town. The amount of work the house would need, the fact that there is no work for an audio engineer and music teacher in central Wisconsin, the not knowing if we’d make the type of close friends or find the community we have here…so many variables. And a change like that isn’t easy when you’ve got your life established, things are settled and already good. But then there is the question, could it be better? Have we missed something?

Or are we realistic? The Skeptic and I both fully admit we love to take it easy. Feeding the cats and cleaning the litter boxes is a chore and I think I can milk a cow twice a day? Or even take care of some chickens?  With three little boys? It’s hard to say, really. I keep telling myself that the city is the right choice for us now, maybe we’ll retire to the country. But then I read blogs like this one and think we could build our own house, we should do it, pick up the kids, find some land, off we go!!! We’d never really know unless we tried….

I think what makes it tough is I really want both, and that’s just not going to happen. Which just get’s my head spinning and thinking, which one is better? But I think the reality is your life is what you make of it, no matter where you end up. Is one better? Or are they both equally good, just very different?

So what’s your imaginary other life? Do you have one? Do you ever wish you could make a big change? Or are you content with how things have played out? Or maybe you’re still in that early phase, nothing really to hold you back?

Now, I’ve got to go whip this house into shape. And throw out the sugar.

to wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and a New Year full of peace, joy and blessings!!

I meant to do one last pre-Christmas post, but the weather meant we had to put everything on fast forward. I’ll be back in early January.

…that I would be sure to have extra batteries in my camera case by now, given how my camera seems to die without warning in about ten seconds. But I didn’t, so no pics of my state fair goodies in the glass case.  But it was still very cool to get to see them on display and I was happy to have met my goal of entering something in the knitting and spinning categories. Although technically my longies were included in the “baby garments” category, which includes all things baby whether knit, crocheted, sewn….no ribbons for me but that was expected. There is a lot of heavy competition! I will also say that I think I had the only baby item that was not pink, yellow or blue. Too funny 🙂

Thanks again for all your kind words. (How many times have I written that on this blog this year? sheesh…what a year! 🙂 Seriously though, it always helps to read nice, helpful words form a bunch of smart knitters.

Being back at school with a schedule is definitely a good thing. Little Man had a awesome first day of first grade, and he was so tired he asked to go to bed at 6:30 and was asleep by 6:45. So was Knittykid. Which left the Skeptic and I with no one but Spinner to entertain and since he learned to walk this week, he’s happy if he can just toddle around the house. I made a carrot cake and two loaves of carrot bread, digging into the 15 pounds of carrots from our CSA that seemed to have built up the last few weeks. I drank tea. Nice.

Lastly, if you love Heather Ross you’ll want to go here to win some fabric. Which reminds me, we have a birthday coming up around here. I think it’s time for some fun and a contest. Keep posted!

…that the tornado hit inside our house!

This is the state of my crafting these days. A mess of yarn, fiber and fabric. Some of this is from a few little boys who decided to play in my workroom, some is from an over stressed mama who’s just throwing her things everywhere. So not much is being done other than knitting on my Diminishing Ribs cardigan, since that is safe and accessible in it’s own bag.

Things are kind of coming together around here. We are waiting to hear back from our insurance company as to what will be covered. The obvious outside stuff should be fine, but we’re worried about the inside. The tornado basically gave our house a big shove and there are probably 20-30 major cracks in the plaster around our house as well as a lot of cracks in the stucco outside. Since we own a  home that is almost 85 years old, there is a good chance they might try to blow it off as “pre-existing.” So, keep your fingers crossed for us.

I’m having trouble adjusting. It’s funny, I’m usually a major problem solving, a get-to-it kind of person. But since the tornado happened I’m having a hard time. I feel like I keep wandering all over the house, not really sure what to do. Even making oatmeal this morning seems too complicated. Considering the kind of year we’ve had I suppose that’s pretty normal, but I just want to get back to normal. Which is why this is so hard, I guess. We had thought that maybe all our drama was finally behind us. And then, after the year we’ve had, we get hit by a tornado! Reality TV would love this family, it’s almost too much.

I hate to complain though. I keep thinking of the toddler who died here last year in a tornado, and the 200 lb log that hit our house about two feet above where Spinner was sleeping and it just makes me sick to my stomach. So, push on, Knittyfamily….we’ve gotten through everything else, right??

I’ll be canning tomatoes today, and tomorrow visiting my entries in the MN state fair. If you’re a local and you go, the brown and red longies and the brown and white marled yarn are mine! That will be fun to see.

Almost forgot, one last tornado item to share and then this knitter is DONE with tornadoes. The Skeptic shot this picture in the alley, a piece of wood impaled in the side of the electrical pole: