We’re back, the robins are back, and there’s a new Baby!

We returned from our family vacation with nary a travel delay (10 minutes delay in boarding the last plane).  After walking non-stop for 7 days, and the 2 full days of travel, we are getting back in the swing of things – laundry, errands, work, kids back to school.  

I am determined to let the vacation mojo do its work.  I picked up a book called “How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci” mostly because I was curious, and I have a terrible addiction to printed matter.  While I have not read the entire book as yet, it’s very interesting.  A major part of the book revolves around keeping a personal notebook (as Leonardo did) and working through a number of exercises found in the book.  While I wonder if I will have the perseverance to make notes every day, I’m going to give it a shot. 

Here’s something about da Vinci that I wasn’t really aware of – there were many things that he didn’t finish.  Sketches, paintings, models, ideas and plans for sculpture…  There were many reasons for this – partially because he had to spend a great deal of time with patrons, but also, I think, because one area would lead him to another and another.  Or he may have gotten the information he was looking for and didn’t feel the need to go any farther.

Here’s where this can be related to knitting (you knew that would come in somewhere, right?) – think of all those unfinished projects – think of them as explorations in knit stitches, fitting, color or fiber.  Some things need not be finished if you have extracted the information you were looking for.  There are so many things that I’ve started and not finished, but I learned something from each one. I am a firm believer that if something isn’t working out, you should move on.  Life is too short to waste precious time continuing along an unhappy path so that victory or completion can be claimed.  Move On!!

To round out this positive thinking and revitalization at the beginning of February (the longest month of the year):

A flock of robins has returned to the iced over landscape as of Saturday (that would be Groundhog Day).  There may be 6 more weeks of winter, but I always feel a bit of a thrill at seeing the songbirds slowly reappearing.  And happiest of all, there’s a new little baby girl in our extended family.  Welcome Ellen Mary, born Sunday morning!

Now I must finish her blanket – lucky for me (and her) that I have not become disenchanted with the color, pattern or yarn and can say most certainly that it will be a project that will be completed.

Peace & Love,

Liz