I should have started this earlier!

I got the bug to do some charity knitting last week. I had already given about a dozen hats to a Christmas hamper that my DH's Rotary club is putting together, but I just felt like knitting for others. I think there still is time to give these few things, but it has helped lift my mood and I know someone will have a warmer head because of these few knits.


The beautiful pattern for the Tweedy Beret in the IK Winter 2006 magazine could not have come at a better time. I have taken a good look at my stash, and there are several more hats there, but not much more time. I might think about producing a hat, scarf, mitts or boot socks each week in 2007. I find good buys on yarns at the thrift stores, so it helps out in the buying and the giving. Our Sally Ann is having a difficult time making ends meet this year. I did my maternity training at a Salvation Army hospital in Halifax, and I know that they make very good use of their money - no waste, if it can be helped. In fact, I remember that in each newborn's bassinette, there was a small container of Vaseline - you know the little containers that you sometimes get ketchup in at a diner! Well, when a baby went home, each little container was to be scraped clean and the Vaseline put into a large glass container. This container would be put in the autoclave every so often, and then the Vaseline was sterilized and ready for use again. After going through the autoclave a few times, it was a soft pumpkin colour, but it worked on those little bottoms and the recipients did not care about colour. We also washed the umblilical dressings that were put on the babies for the first day or two and then they were dried, folded, autoclaved and used again! I always feel good about giving to the Salvation Army, because I know they will make good use of the money or knitting!

I was listening to the CBC the other day and heard an almost 93 year-old gentleman being interviewed. His name is Donald Crowdis and he has a blog - a family member actually does the entries to the blog for him, but he writes it. If you would like to see what the views on life are of a 93 year old gentleman, please go to www.dontoearth.blogspot.com He is a survivor of the Halifax Explosion. Now, I was not alive in 1917, when the Explosion occurred, but it was the largest man made disaster before Heroshima and it killed 1,200+ people and left many blinded and many more injured. There was a huge blizzard the following day and many were housed at the time in tents on the Halifax Common. I grew up very near Halifax, and my parents were alive in 1917, so it has always been a part of my history. I think you just might enjoy his postings. The Halifax Explosion was caused when a munition ship and a relief ship collided in Halifax Harbour. The reason for so many folk blinded was that they went to the windows to see what had cause the huge flash in the sky and since the munition ship was not flying the proper flags to tell folk what the cargo was (probably the general population would not have understood the flags anyway) they stood at the windows and watched! My mother was a small girl living in Truro, NS, which is in the area of Nova Scotia near where it joins New Brunswick, and they felt a jolt!

Do you ever think how folk come to your blog? I know I often find myself going to a blog and then when I try to remember the 'thread' that got me there, I cannot remember. How does one blog appeal and not another? I guess we continue to lurk, or better yet comment, on a blog because we enjoy the writing, are inspired by the knitting,, or just the blogger's philosophy on life. I am a bit, well in fact a lot, older than some of the knitters I exchange comments with, but that does not seem to make any difference. It is the love of knitting, crafts, family, gardening or just a positive philosophy on life in general that keeps me 'tuned in'.

I am not adverse to the odd expletive, but when there are too many, or the person is too negative, I move along! That is the beauty of reading blogs! It is better than belonging to a guild - no executive, no committees, no in-fighting - what you have belonged to groups where there was NO, and I mean NO, personality clashes or clashes of ideas? Lucky person! I just have no time for negative people. Does that mean I would not listen if you feel a bit low? Of course not, as I get low at times myself.

This is a difficult time of year. If you pick up any magazine or newspaper, you are bombarded by attempts to have you shop, attend a multitude of functions and put a guilt trip on you. Of course, you have to be willing to put the items in the suitcase to travel on the guilt trip! My DH sometimes teases me that I must be collecting travel points on the guilt trip of life! Maybe some of you can identify, and when I identify with thoughts like this with other bloggers, I comment positively or think, "Gee, I am not the only one!" There is something about feeling that you are not the only one that is very reassuring and can cause you to dump that suitcase full of needless guilt!!