Lady uses knitting for evil

I read a newspaper story about a lady who has been knitting and crocheting for 40 years.  The article was titled "Lady crochets for Good."  It got me started thinking.  I have heard of many groups that knit or crochet hats, gloves or afghans for other people.  Caps and blankets for premies.  The same for children in shelters or hospitals.  THe same for terminally ill people.  Also prayer shawls for those with cancer or other illness.  It's nice to be able to take a skill and use it to benefit other people.  But the title of the article sounded so unusual that anyone would take those skills and use them to help others.  If that's the case then there must be millions of knitters and crocheters out there using their skills for evil. How would you use those skills for evil?  What would you write in an article titled, "Lady uses knitting for evil"? Would it be as simple as knitting blankets in colors that clash?  Or knitting items for people who could not possibly use them?  Would there be a war between those who knit for good and those who knit for evil? Would they have beady eyes? The possibilities are endless.  But it certainly make me think.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Wild Life

I was out the other day riding the fence line on the back forty.  This is a task which needs to be done all too often.  It would be way too easy to not go all the way to the back and miss a serious problem in the fence.  It is a long task, but also very enjoyable.  I see plenty of wildlife back there.  I see lots of the normal deer, rabbits, squirrels, armadillos, wild hogs, and rattlesnakes.  I occasionally see a possum, skunk or raccoon still up from a night of prowling around.  There is a wide variety of birds passing through.  Across the fence I see beavers on my neighbors creek.  I have even seen a rare sasquatch.  I very much enjoy these outings with plenty to see besides the fence.  I also check for stray cattle.  But this last week I saw a very unusual creature.  I haven't seen one in a long time, but I knew immediately what it was.  The famed unicornigator.  These animals are quite large and can be ferocious.  But they prefer to stay to themselves and therefore are rarely seen.  It has the build of a small horse with the mouth and long tail of an  alligator and of course the single horn coming off the forehead.  The feet are more like those of a rhino, but with the claws of a gator.  The skin is rough and scaly.  This is a rare creature scientists have often tried to come study.  But they never get so much as a glimpse or clear tracks.  They are left with only the tales of those who have glimpsed this magnificent creature.   And last week I too got my own glimpse before it slipped off into the creek and followed the water to it's next refuge.

Cool

I have realized recently that I am not as young as I used to be.  I think my first clue should have been the "50" on top of my last birthday cake.  Or maybe it should have been all the comments about my gray hair.  But I have noticed that I am slower than I used to be.  I have noticed that I don't have the same strength I've always had.  I think twice now before I lift something or before I jump.  Part of me still thinks I am much younger.  I still want a kayak though I am not sure I can bend the right way to actually sit in a kayak.  I still want to go play on the ski boats though I am sure I would just look like a granny out playing on skis.  On the other hand I also want things I've never wanted before.  I have a swing in my back yard so I can sit in peace and watch the birds and occasional rabbit. I have taken up knitting and I love to sit anywhere and knit.  I wear special insoles in my shoes.  My "cool" sunshades fit over my glasses and cause people to ask if I've had eye surgery.  Of course I was never cool when I was young.  But I could do anything I wanted and never think twice.  I'm not saying I'm old.  My students will say that for me.  But I'm not sure where the time went.  I don't know how I suddenly ended up here.  Some of my friends have retired.  Others are thinking of retiring.  I look at what is being required of me at work now and wonder if I could retire and do something different.  These are not the thoughts of someone twenty or even thirty.  But these are my thoughts.  So I will continue to want to play.  And I will continue to think twice.  And I will continue to wonder about retirement.  And I will know that I am not as young as I used to be.  But I will not act my age. 

Don't Worry, I Have a Plan

I think I've spent my whole life making plans.  As a child I might have planned to play with a friend down the street or to ride my bicycle.  In school I planned to get a project done or study for a test.  In High School I planned to go out with friends and began planning what I would do for the rest of my life.  In college I continued planning to study, to see friends, to work, and to work toward what I wanted to be.  Now I plan how my classroom will be set up, how I save for retirement, what my money will be spent on, where I want to go and how I want to spend my summer.  I plan how to celebrate events and I plan how to balance the work I take home with the work already at home.  I make so many plans.  And then as it always has, life happens.  The child down the street got called in for some chore or a rain storm came up.  I didn't have the materials needed for the project or I was called on to do something else and my plans got pushed back.  I begin preparing for a career only to find I don't really like that career and I need to choose another.  I want to celebrate, but all my friends are busy and we need to put it off awhile.  I save to buy a car or a piece of furniture only to have to spend the money to repair the a/c.  I plan to travel on Tuesday, but a rain storm and sudden flooding push my plans back a day or two.  I plan a trip with family only to have the family decide not to go.  I plan to be rested over the summer to be ready and fresh to start work in the fall.  But responsibility gets in the way and I have work to do.  So how will I be ready to begin school in August? Don't worry! I have a plan!