Saturday is finally here!

I have finished another dishcloth. Pix will be uploaded later. But this one is red, white and blue stripes with a starfish design in it. Patriotic, no?

This week many teachers got a golden handshake letter from Personnel. Unfortunately--or fortunately--I didn't get one. So that means I will be staying in education two more years after this. Wow!

And I went to the doctor to get a mammogram referral and my blood pressure was too high. Big Surprise! This was after rainy day recess and lunch and the principal telling us (in a nice way, really) that we must all do the AR goals and have our kids start taking AR tests. This stressed me out because AR is teacher intensive. So I am going to devote a week to teaching the firsts to do a lot of the prep work and sign in themselves. This will only be possible because of my instructional assistant. I am fortunate to have her. 

I am fortunate anyway. I just get so stressed and defensive! Must stop that! I have a good job. I am good at my job. I like my co-workers. I am able to come home and knit dishcloths! What more could a person want????

Inauguration!

I am exhausted from the excitement of the inauguration! What a treat and a triumph! I let the students watch the actual ceremony and left it on but muted to see the parade. There is so much hope with this president. I can't wait to see what happens! 

Rubber Ducky, You're the One

This is the ceramic Rubber Ducky I found at the thrift store. It was in mint condition and I made two dishcloths to put in the base. I am working on one more. Then  I thought I would wrap it in cellophane. Cute, no? 

I am going thrift store shopping today with the eventual owner of the ducky. We are both in our own ways very stressed about the pressures being put on us as elementary teachers. My job evaluation depends on five and six year olds! The good thing is that I am in a very positive environment with an administrator who is realistic about goals and objectives. Gracias a dios!

But others are not--like my friend. So we will go shopping for crap today and forget our troubles for a few hours.  

Dishcloths, thrift stores, new years, and me!

Although I have tried to think why I need to knit dishcloths, I still haven't come up with a good answer! I have done several since I last posted. I will put up pics later. But there is something soooooo satisfying about sitting down and knitting two or three (or twenty rows) and having this perfect square object in cotton yarn completed in practically no time! 

I decided during Christmas break to go to my favorite thrift stores monthly to see what I could find under $20. Right now I am looking for a chest of drawers--under $20. I want to organize the art room and put the chest in there to put large art supplies away. I went to two of my favorites on January 2nd and scored! I found some never worn (at least it didn't seem like it) tops and sweaters and got 7 items for under $10. I wore one of the sweaters to school and got lots of compliments on it. Then I found a ceramic rubber ducky vase. My friend collects rubber duckies for her downstairs bathroom, so I bought it and Yes! You guessed it! I am going to put some yellow and orange dishcloths in it and give it to her for next Christmas! I don't think she reads this blog, so I hope it will be a surprise!

And the new year always brings this need to resolve to improve. But this year I decided to let that all go. I am working on the issue of grief and if I can just get over the grief that will be enough for 2009. "I will be fine in 2009." To that end I am finishing my own self help book on grief. I think I have read enough self -help books and taken enough classes and courses and I am no longer going to let someone else tell me how to help me. I know what to do! And I also know that grief gets better when you do something! 

The other part of my 2009 "resolution" is to accept what the Course in Miracles says:"God has already given you everything." So I accept what God has given, acknowledge it and appreciate it. 

Not my best work

Here is another dishcloth. I must have torn it out 15 times total. I just couldn't seem to get this pattern! But maybe I have hit the wall with the dishcloths? They represent something for me that I can't articulate. For some reason it is very important that I make them. I think maybe it's because I need something perfect and beautiful in my life. And maybe I need to show the control over something. And I think they also represent my whole idea of going green with beauty and style. Well, whatever it is, I need to do them and here is another one.

Another Dishcloth

This week, I 

1. finished testing all students

2. re-did two bulletin boards

3. cleaned a corner of the classroom that really needed it

4. went to a Professional Development Workshop that I liked!

5. wrote all my report cards and tried to schedule conferences

6. And...made another dishcloth!

This is the Berries pattern. It is knit on the diagonal. I can finish one of these in two days if there is something good on television! 

And here's another one!

Here's a picture of another dishcloth I finished. I am wondering who to give these to. I am thinking about giving them with a nice bar of soap and other little trinkets. 

While I am knitting I am thinking about the concept of resentment and it's effects in my life. It's like all my thoughts and feelings go into the dishcloth I am knitting and I am unburdened for a while. 

Now I am starting a lacy scarf in mohair. And tonight I watched To Have and Have Not with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Every time I watch that movie I am struck by how tiny Bogart is. I think Bacall outweighed him in that movie. This is the one where she says if you need me just whistle and then: "You know how to whistle, don't you Steve? You just pucker up and blow." Walter Brennan is in the movie as an old drunk. I came home tired and sick and started the scarf and was in Martinique with Bogie and Bacall. And then I did report cards! 

Tonight if I had one wish it would be to just do one thing for awhile-- and that would be knitting!