And When at Last, Youth’s Bitterness Being Past….

I had thought that all my days were cast

Amid most lovely places; smitten as though

It had not learned its lesson.

–William Butler Yeats

 

A few things have occurred to me.  Firstly, many of my favorite knit bloggers have recently taped episodes of Knitty Gritty!  When I meet Vickie Howell in February, I’m going to ask her “So is Cookie A as cool in person as she is on her blog?  And how about Charles?  I bet he’s a character and a real sweetheart, too.  Ooh, and how about Scout?  Was she sharp and warm at the same time, like I imagine she is?  And I must know what it was like to hang out with Amy.”  And then I’ll politely ask for her autograph, and I’ll buy some of her yarn, just so she knows I wasn’t after her for her celebrity stories.  (Sweet!  I’m going to meet Vickie Howell!!!)

 Secondly, 2006 seems to have been a very difficult year for some of my favorite people.  Dude, 2006, why did you suck so much?  Because at times, you really did, I’ll tell it like it is.  I’ll now sing my verse of the “2006 Sucked Real Bad at Times” song.

 Very early in the year there was the startlingly vicious flip-out perpetrated against my minions and me by their horrendously evil father.  But on the flip side, JungleJim fought for us like a tornado-fuelled attack hound.  We’re still dealing with all of that, and until that well-aimed meteorite for which I fervently and frequently wish actually comes through for me, we’ll continue to deal with it.  There was the culmination of JungleJim’s financial woes.  But that whole equal and opposite reaction thing came into play and ooh lordy loverman is makin’ some cash.  (I was raised with the belief that it’s quite impolite to discuss money, and it is, but I’m being honest here.)  I had three different jobs last year.  One job almost drove me to a nervous breakdown.  I quit on Valentine’s Day, and the ladies shared the roses that JungleJim had delivered to me.  One lasted … almost exactly a month and it was one of the most unpleasant jobs I have ever held.  I’d go back to Teta the Evil Spider Monkey From the Scariest Depths of Hell before going back to the month-long job.  And then there the job from which I was unceremoniously dumped VIA EMAIL.  I’d almost feel bad that the boss’s business has tanked, but then I remembered that I was dumped via email and that saves me three nanoseconds of guilt.  There was Chloe’s surgery, Nolan’s skull fracture, Jim’s spider bite that abscessed into a gross hole in his arm.  I don’t know how I avoided catastrophe, but I did, and everybody healed nicely. 

 You know, here’s how we ended the year.  MexiChlo, Noleander, JungleJim and I played Dragonology for a while, we watched old school Bond movies on DVD, had a nice dinner, and then cuddled up on the couch for more Bond.  We all went to sleep with hugs and kisses, snuggled up in our beds.  Full bellies, warm blankets, and our family all together.  Looking at it that way, some of the lingering hurt is soothed a bit.  A big bit.

So far, 2007 is a kick ass year.  I start grad school in two weeks.  My knitting has improved.  My felting has nowhere to go but up.  My kids are happy and healthy.  JungleJim has filled the gap in our little family and as my girl Bjork sings, All is Full of Love.  Hit me up sometime.  I’ll spread some to you!