I hate to start this post with a bunch of clichés, so I'm just going to jump right into it.
Hi! I see you. Can you see me? Knock-knock. Anybody out there?
I look over at the sidebar of this poor underfed, anemic blog and I see something like 300 readers, down from 5,000 or more back in the day. That is just.....sad. Isn't it?
Annnnd, I did it. That was fairly blogger-cliché, eh? Sorry.
I was prompted to write because last weekend... well, last weekend was the New York Sheep and Wool Festival, aka RHINEBECK! And our fearless foursome -- Leigh, Sandy, Jenn, and I -- met up and roomed together for the 12th year in a row, and had the most wonderful, recreational and restorative time together.
And we selfied....
We talked....
Oh hey, I'm not kidding about OVER the Hudson. This is where those oh-so-tame-looking photos above were taken. I've got some vertigo just looking at this right now:
We shopped....
(Blimey, the festival is RIDONKULOUSLY crowded now. I believe the figure is something like 54 MILLION PEOPLE PER SQUARE FOOT, or something close to that. We can only stand it for about 30 minutes before we have to leave and get some air. And booze. So we spend a lot of our time and money in the nice little village, just pretending that we are actually at the Sheep & Wool. But I did buy that amazing granny square scarf at the actual festival before we fled to safer ground.)
We ate......
And drank......
(That is an apple cider mimosa in the glass.)
(You're welcome.)
But here's the interesting bit:
We (or at least I) knitted!
For the first time in maybe forever, I was the first one to arrive at our hotel, so I had some time on my hands while I waited for my compatriots to arrive. And just before I left home, I had done a frantic -- and I do mean frantic -- search for some knitting to bring with me. Much to my surprise, I found an already completed Red Scarf:
...and another one that was started who-knows-when. So there I was, doing this VERY WEIRD ACTIVITY when Sandy arrived. Upon seeing me, she loudly exclaimed, "WHO ARE you?!"
Fair comment.
(Coincidentally, David just walked in while I was writing this and I said, "I'm blogging," to which he replied, "WHO ARE you?!")
It's been quite a long time since I've engaged in this either of these activityies. But it truly is like riding a bicycle! I remember how! And I even remembered how to execute this pattern, the ever-loved, ever-popular unisex pattern, the Corrugator, by our friend Paula Smith.
I've been knitting a few rows a day since then, and look:
Before I know it, if I'm not careful, I'll be finished.
So now I've been thinking about The Red Scarf Project and learned that they now have a wonderful thing called The Book Club, which is sort of an outcropping of our own Red Scarf Fund with a little bit of a broader mission. I've just signed up. The way I thought of it is this: I drive a Prius now, and I'm not spending as much on gas for my car as I used to. I figure I can send $20 a month without it hurting a bit, so that's what I just signed up for. Maybe you wouldn't mind spending a couple of cups of coffees' worth per month to help out some students in need, even if you are not a knitter, but just my friend.
One thing I'd like to mention is that Foster Care to Success ranks very high on Charity Navigator. They spend almost ALL of their money on their mission, very little on administrative costs, and have excellent transparency. Plus, I know the people who run it very well, and they are darn good people.
Either way, I'm just wondering how you're doing and how many of you Red Scarf soldiers are carrying on.
Do tell.
Hi Norma!
Is this the re-birth of that blogging thing? I must do better, but fear I shall just end up writing a very long political rant. Maybe that's not such a bad idea...
Nice to see you blogging again. Even better to see you knitting!
Posted by: Emma | Friday, October 23, 2015 at 06:57 PM
Hello!
knock knock back atcha. I was whining (just to myself) the other day about the decline of the blogging universe, the huge number of knit-bloggers from back in the day. The Friday eye-candy and the Saturday skies.... oh my. Anyways, nice to hear from you, and next year, dammit, I'm going to (try to) go to Rhinebeck! I love that you just bought a scarf and went for a drink!
Posted by: SquareMary | Friday, October 23, 2015 at 07:09 PM
How exciting - I LOVE reading your blog posts because they tell so much more than FB can. And … knitting?! Hurray for red scarves! I'm knitting my second one on vacation here in Cape Breton. It should be finished in plenty of time to wash and mail before the deadline. (I'm glad you cross-posted on FB, since I know you're not blogging (much), so I don't check for updates.)
Posted by: Rhonda from Baddeck | Friday, October 23, 2015 at 07:11 PM
I'm semi-retiring soon, and one of my goals is to go to Rhinebeck, thanks to you and the Yarn Harlot and everyone. Maybe next year, who knows?
Posted by: Judy Ouzts | Friday, October 23, 2015 at 09:26 PM
Welcome back!
Posted by: Laura | Friday, October 23, 2015 at 09:59 PM
Good to see you back!
Posted by: Manise | Friday, October 23, 2015 at 10:24 PM
HAH! and WOOOT!
When I saw the FB photo of your scarf I thought it looked like the Corrugator!
Posted by: Marianne | Friday, October 23, 2015 at 10:45 PM
LOVE the scarf you bought. It is absolutely beautiful. Love that you're knitting a Corrugator. I've knitted several of those since I first found the pattern on your blog. And speaking of your blog, welcome back. I always enjoyed your blog. It was about knitting but so much more. I'm hoping you'll be able to find the time & motivation to do it regularly vagain.
Posted by: Susan | Friday, October 23, 2015 at 10:49 PM
Hello there, you won't remember me because I don't think I ever commented. Today I will because you need the show of hands.
Posted by: Caroline M | Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 03:48 AM
Norma??? Is that really you? Glad to see you back in the Blogosphere. Next year, we really should meet up at Rhinebeck. I was there Sunday. It was a madhouse.
Posted by: Harriet | Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 07:10 AM
Welcome back. Garden notes? I think of you when I see weird and humorous closed captioning error. I will check out the book club.
Posted by: Mary Lou | Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 08:22 AM
I was literally thinking the other day, "Kay and Ann started blogging again...I wonder how Norma is doing? Does she even knit anymore?" and here you are! I didn't comment very much, but know I read every word back in the day. :-)
Posted by: aubree | Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 08:52 AM
Hey, hey, hey, one L short of Normal!!! You have been missed so much! I hope your garden does well, that Mr. Jeffries is still with us, and that you are still running? You look fabulous, by the way. The blogging universe is threatening to collapse in so many ways, but I think it is a shame. I think it does a lot to foster good things. I hope you get the urge to post again soon. WOOT!
Posted by: Becky | Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 08:59 AM
A blast from the past! It was great to hear from you. All the bloggers I read went to Rhinebeck. Guess it will be necessary to put it on the bucket list!
Posted by: Jo | Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 11:14 AM
I have missed you Norma, glad to see that you are back for a minute or 2. Rhinebeck looks like fun, I plan on going next year.
Posted by: Val | Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 04:13 PM
Hi Norma,I'm still here. What's in the air that got you and Kay and Ann blogging again? You were all greatly missed.
Posted by: AnnP | Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 08:27 PM
Welcome home! You've been missed. SO MUCH!!!
(I don't FaceBook, so you vanished entirely to me...)
Posted by: gayle | Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 09:57 AM
Now Norma's back!? The smart people seem to flee the festival, although that scarf is stunning and worth the trip! Seriously, you grow younger every time I see you.
Posted by: margene | Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 10:44 AM
This makes me so happy! Between that and the knitting, I would think we were back to the early to mid 2000s. Love that Facebook has not only kept us connected, but forged a friendship. I do miss your writing!
Posted by: MaryFran | Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 07:02 PM
Wait. Whut?!??
Posted by: Vicki | Monday, October 26, 2015 at 02:51 PM
Paint my gobsmacked! I'll chime in and say I was just thinking of you on Friday. I was cooking with some fresh local veggies and thought to myself, "I should email Norma and see what she's up to." Glad to see you back. I'm still knitting every day, don't have a garden anymore (it was a ratatouille garden and I don't do nightshades anymore due to the fact that they aggravate my {only 54 year old} joints), and am getting ready to start a palindrome scarf (which I first saw on your blog as a great scarf for the Red Scarf Project) for my nephew's first winter at Regis University in Denver. He's from SC and will need it! Hope you stick around a bit!
~~Mary, in Gainesville~~
Posted by: Midj | Monday, October 26, 2015 at 03:35 PM
Hey! Nice to see you at the blog again. You've been missed! Hope you and Mr. Jeffries are well!
Posted by: MamaSue | Sunday, November 01, 2015 at 05:23 PM