Ignoring the invitation of Saturday's late-summer gorgeousness, I devoted the day to sorting, organizing, and purging. I winnowed out cards, letters, and bits-n-bobs from the past 30 years of my life. I even managed to reduce the collection of cards from my parents to a small, precious stack -- which I believe can be made smaller still.

[Frankly, the only card I feel I must keep from them is the one from Easter 2009. It arrived to me in early June -- complete with a joke from my mother that this year she had a very good reason for being late. Her handwriting in that card is no different from the one from my 25th birthday. This tangible reminder of how lucky she was is a great comfort to me.]

Given all that I had purged, I was feeling rather proud, if not a little smug. Well, the smug was smacked right out of me by this bag of journals and letters.



The letters are mostly from a former friend and form former flames. Love letters are tricky because they are bittersweet (often more bitter than not), and their relevance is long-removed.

Have you kept or purged the mementos and letters of your past loves?

Mobile phones are utterly annoying. People are too busy texting and/or yapping when they show be driving, watching their snot-nosed spawn, or conversing with their dinner companion. Thus, I resisted owning one for years, but I caved after Mum's stroke.

Am I glad I did! Without my (camera) phone, I would missed the opportnity to document this quintessential Pittsburgh gem.

For those not versed in the fine patois of Pittsburghese, "yinz" is the plural form of you. Vosotros, Ustedes, Y'all... yinz get the picture.

Get this. I have another finished knitting project. Like Lorelei, this was an easy project, but it languished because I am so lazy about finishing and seaming.

Maarit Shurg (from a Yarn Central newsletter)
June 13 - June 18, 2009. Seamed August 20, 2009 (during Project Runway's All-Star Challenge)
Less than 2 balls of Rowan Calmer, #481 Coffee Bean
#11 US needles

The finished garment pleases me in theory, but not in practice. I am not entirely convinced of the wearability. That bit of exposed skin between the the shrug and the dress annoys the hell out of me! Maybe I am more of a "wrap girl" than a "shrug girl"?

Moving is hell. I cannot imagine the hysteria and the nightmare that moving (the contents of) a house and other people would have induced in me. Moving my personal belongings proved to be enough of a trauma. Actually, the moving was easy, it is the unpacking that is so difficult. Unpacking, the organizing, the finding homes for things that is so problematic for me.

If taking nearly three weeks to unpack suggests that I am a procrastinator, then
the story of Lorelei will fully convince you.

Lorelei from Yarn Play

34" size (modified the waist for a tighter fit)
~4 balls Rowan Calmer, #462 Chiffon
(from the frogged Ribby Shell)
~ 1/2 ball Noro Silk Garden #34 (left over from Clapotis)
#7 US needle

February 15 - March 5, 2009: knitting
March 5 - Mid-June, 2009 languishes forgotten in my trunk
Mid-June - July 24, 2009: struggling with crochet edges
July 25, 2009: knitted bind off results in a boa constrictoresque bottom edge
August 13, 2009: rip back to slip stitch crochet edge, ignore armholes, and call it "good enough"

Given the length of time from start to (wearable) finish, I think many were expecting me to either give up or frog the garment. Not so! I am so pleased with the result, and once the humidity reaches a tolerable level, Lorelei will be shown around Pittsburgh.

New York City dwellers (rightfully) complain of small and/or non-existant closets. Given that so many city apartments are the size of a closet, it stands to reason that the closet would be even more confining within that space. The closet in my Chelsea apartment was terribly small, but it seems airy compared to the closet in my bedroom at my parents' house. While the house appears to be large from the outside, the lack of space and storage is almost stifling.



The closet dimensions are -- brace yourselves -- a decent 47" wide by 12.5" deep. Yes, I have a bit more than a foot of closet depth in which to smoosh my clothing. This has brought about a sort of clothing reckoning, and I have begun the process of purging clothing that I really no longer need.

Speaking of need...we are still minus internet at the house, but I am working on that.

By the time I get to Pittsburgh, I will have finished objects. See you in August!

My father is roughly 30 minutes away.
I turned in my office keys today.
For two weeks, I have eaten three times my body weight in "goodbye" meals.
With the exception of my cosmetics and my toothbrush, everything is packed.
Tomorrow I move to Pittsburgh.

Thank you for your comments and wishes.

After a bit of soul-searching, I have made the decision to be closer to my family. In exactly thirteen days, my father and I will drive the 400+ miles from Beekman, New York to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh at night

The desire to be closer to my family has haunted me since 2008, but my mother's stroke pulled it all into focus for me. My future with Joe is a large gray area, which makes me sad. However, his mother is ill, and each of us is doing what we must -- while being supportive of each other's decisions and needs.

Rather than look at this as an ending, we are looking at this move as a beginning.

Today is the in between day.

One day that falls between my birthday and Joe's birthday. With all that is going for both of us in terms of work and family, spending time alone with him was the best gift yesterday.

I do not care for hoopla for my birthday, but it was very pleasant to get so many birthday wishes on my Facebook wall. I do not check my work email during the weekend -- and my Facebook account is linked to that email -- so I was buried in a slew of wishes.

Thank you!

By The Book

Last month my boss announced that she would be leaving prior to Fall semester. Within a few days of that, our Director called a meeting of the three of us. Given that my boss and I are a two-person office (under the umbrella of a larger office), I assumed that the meeting was to discuss transition, etc. Alas, the meeting was called so that my two superiors to air their hurt feelings that I went "by the book" when I took my Family & Medical Leave. You see, they wanted to be privy updates; they wanted to be able to help me navigate the rough emotional landscape of my mother's stroke.

In almost any other professional environment, getting too personal is considered unprofessional, but here, it is expected. In fact, it appears that being too professional is career suicide. I have not been approached about my boss' position, nor have I been given much more than polite and restrained greetings. If I were not so preoccupied with my mother's recovery, I might be concerned for my job security.

My mother is recovering, and we are all coping. The distance is difficult for me, but we talk daily. The distance has softened my hard "by the book" resolve, and I am barely able to read two pages of My Stroke of Insight without fighting back tears.

Read this book. If you do not know a stroke survivor, chances are you will in the future. This book is a lesson in recovery and patience.