So let's get all caught up since the Christmas Eve post. We stayed home Christmas Eve and Morning. Had a leisurely morning opening and playing with gifts. E received the rest of the current Fancy Nancy series.
At one point E emerged from her room all decked out in purple. She's wearing a toddler sized poncho I knitted a few years back as a capelet and is holding a felted bag I knitted out of stash ages ago. E knows how to be Fancy.
H's favorite gift by far was the Dancing, Singing Pablo. The hugging was out of control. Pablo went everywhere with H the entire morning.
Then we packed up and headed north to see Dave's paternal Grandmother. After a lovely visit we headed further north to Dave's Mom's for continued Holiday partying. There we ate tons of food and chatted with multiple cousins.
I finally got to see Guitar Hero in person. A bunch of the younger cousins played, and played and played. It was not until the next morning when I gave it a go that I realized that they were really good at Guitar Hero, it sounds like crap if you don't know what you are doing.
I was able to get through I love Rock n Roll on my second try. Meh. I can see the draw but it's not for me. I'd rather knit. I genuinely enjoyed watching everyone else play, just had little desire to play myself.
Boxing Day was spent at the MIL's lounging, eating, knitting and playing. That evening we went to see three members of BIL Jason's band, minus the keyboard player and plus a different drummer play out in a west side bar. They do 70's and 80's covers with a focus on Journey, Styx, and a few others who I can't remember at the moment.
I think I'm finally starting to process that Tracy is gone. Tracy LOVED Journey, could talk about the discography in detail, went to see them in concert regularly, was a big fan. I know of Journey and can name a few songs, that's about it. Jason does a mean Journey cover, was in a Journey cover band in the 90's called Escape up in Cleveland. So they do a number of Journey songs peppered through the two sets and I can't help but think of Tracy. She would have LOVED the music, the evening out, the atmosphere, that bars are smoke free now, the company, the whole evening. Then on a whim they end the evening with Wheel in the Sky, probably my favorite Journey song. I kept thinking Tracy would not want me to be sad, she'd want me to enjoy my life and remember our good times together.
So that's one of my resolutions for 2009. To remember and celebrate my dear friend.
On to Saturday, met up with a middle/high school buddy and his new girlfriend at his parent's house in Lakewood. Got to talk knitting with his Mom. Must email her the link to Ravelry, I keep forgetting.
Saturday night was party time at the Laskey-Donovan abode. Oh boy now that's a fun bunch. Dave and I love to party with the Lakewood crew. The evening was filled with beer, food, recycling bins, a fridge covered with Christmas photos, including ours, more beer, a singing Douglas Fir sporting a blown glass Thriller Era Michael Jackson ornament, pool, even more beer, checking out the fabulous new house, and finally a bit more beer. Much merriment was had by all.
Sunday was Yarn Day! We went to visit Grandma Janette Sunday morning. She had two batches of blue wool, at least one was Malabrigo if not both. Both were super yummy.
Grandma J and I talked knitting, motherhood and growing older. She held my wip sock in her hands and admired it. I told her how it made me so very happy to see her holding my sock. She held it up to her chest and smiled at me.
Grandma J has a wool afghan she knitted oh 40+ years ago. It's slightly felted from wear and washing but is solid and lovely.
It might not happen in 2009 but I'd like to reverse engineer it at some point. It's knitted in strips then seamed together with little tassels on the color changes.
Sunday afternoon brought more live music. The Cleveland Singing Angels were performing at the Catholic church not far from MIL's house. I went by myself. H would not have lasted 10 minutes and E not much longer. It was a fabulous show. I got to talk with Charles and his Mom, both recognized me. Mrs Eversol asked about Mom, it was hard to tell her about Mom but we had a lovely little chat. The Angels sound great, they did some music I remembered (Barbershop!) and quite a few new arrangements. I was one of five alumni to go up at the end to sing Let There be Peace on Earth and We Wish You the Merriest. The girls I stood with in the Alto section looked so young. They smiled and their eyes grew wide when I told them I was a member from 86-89. It was so much fun to be up in front of an audience again.
Ok Sunday night. We packed up and headed over to SIL/BIL's house. More live music, this time Jason on his massive drum kit and Dave on a borrowed bass to play some Rush. E and H LOVED the drum kit. One word, LOUD. We listed in the next room with the door closed and heard everything just fine.
Then it was time to head home after four days of visiting. We were so ready to head home. Thankfully the kids slept most of the way home. We had a great visit but were happy to be home.
So here I am on New Years Eve. I have a few things I'd like to work on this coming year.
I've already mentioned celebrating Tracy's memory. I think that's going to include changing my Profile picture on this blog and my Ravatar. I've been clinging to it as a reminder of Tracy. It's time to keep moving forward.
I want to do something musical in 2009. Being in front of an audience again felt so good. We have a beautiful levered folk harp that just sits in our living room. I reserved a few books and a dvd on how to play the harp from the local library today. I found the titles over on Ravelry in the Playing with Strings group. There seems to be a consensus there that knitters make good harpists and harpists make good knitters. I hope the knitting helps. I also found websites for two local harp teachers. My goal is to learn enough basic technique to learn to play one song. I'm starting small. Then maybe a song I can sing along with.
Regarding my knitting I just want to keep on knitting. I have a few techniques and yarns I want to try. I see at least one set of long cable needles in my future. I'd like to continue to explore felting/fulling by machine, hand and needle. I knit for the process, the problem solving, the color, the feel, the delight in seeing a project take shape, and the continued acceptance that my knitting is not perfect and neither am I. I will continue to knit for myself and the people in my life who are special to me.
I have a few more goals but this is enough. I would like to wish everyone a safe, happy and healthy New Year!
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