Go Ahead... Make My Day

I'm not supposed to be here right now.  I'm supposed to be in Queens visiting Elann friend, Theresa.  This is our third failed meeting.  It's nuts.  First we didn't find each other at Rhinebeck, then I was supposed to go a few weeks ago but a snow storm and school closing got in the way.  Today I was going.  I didn't care that the weather man said there was an ice storm coming.  He didn't sound *that* sure that it was going to hit here.   He said it'd be rain in the city so I figured that as long as I was going South I'd be fine.  Right?  Wrong.  I got about ten miles out on to the skating rink Palisades Parkway and knew I'd made a really big mistake.  After fishtailing a few times at 25 mph I called T to give her the bad news.  I had to turn around.  It had just started when I left the house but by the time I got home this is what I saw (don't look at the ugly housing... really... who came up with that orange color?  Thank God ours is in the ugly blue):

That's not snow.  It's ice.  Crazy.  And what looks like water on my car... ice:

I did get some dyeing done yesterday:

It was the first time I played around with hot pour dyeing and it was a lot of fun. 

And finally.... It felt really good to be told that I make someone's day.  Not just "someone" but people that I really admire.  That means something to me.  So thanks for making *my* day Kim, Luni and Norma .

First I have to say this is really tough.  I really fear missing someone and hurting their feelings.  There are so many out there but here are the ones that make me smile or inspire me the most both in knitting and in life.  I don't comment a lot on blogs (I know.  I'm sorry.  I'm barely getting posts on my blog) so some of them might be surprised to even find out that I read them.

Woolen Rabbit:  Really, it's no wonder Kim's on my list.  Besides our love of Cavaliers, Kim and I have so many other things in common.  There's the knitting, the spinning, the felting, the dyeing, the soap making, the basket making, New Hampshire...  and she's just a really cool person who's really turned out to be someone I could turn to be it a question about my dogs or to talk about stuff that only a mom of another grown son would know.

Wool Winder:   Always doing for others.  She's inspired me a few times to knit and sew for others.  She's always posting those pictures of Texas that make me homesick.  I can not wait to meet Tracy in person.  It's funny how you can really feel like you know someone that you met on the other side of that planet through a knitting blog.  I'm sure that she'll be as genuine in person as she is on her blog.

Zeneedle:  Really.  Is anyone surprised?  Margene has probably made just about everyone's list.  She's sort of become the Yoda of our knitting world.  She always has something inspiring and intelligent to say.  Most notably, "It's the process." which is probably the most quoted quote in Knitting Blogland. 

Norma:  Norma cracks me up.  But there's a lot more to her than being a smart alec.   What I love most about her is that she's not afraid to say it like it is.   One thing that I've learned about her is that she's a lot softer than she comes off.  I think everyone else has realized this too... everyone except Norma.  Here's a little secret.  As I'm typing out a post I always think of Norma and this post of hers.  The smart ass in me wants to use "just sayin", "stick a fork in it" and "really." several times in one post just to see if she'll take the bait.  As I re-read this for corrections I see that I used "really" several times.  Sorry, Norma.  :-)

Major Knitter:  I got to meet Jennifer a couple of months ago at Morehouse Merino's store (which I just read is CLOSED?!  What's up with that?  I just finally moved here!) and we hit it off immediately.  She's very down to earth and I love that she shares all of her knitting classes with us.

Sandy:  Sandy's was one of the first blogs I read.  She always has something interesting to say and strikes me as one of the nicest knitters in blogland even though I haven't gotten to meet her in person.

Sweet Georgia: Felicia's talent with color amazes me.  Amazes me.  It's that simple.

JenLa:  The gut-wrenching laughter alone makes it worth reading the Knotty Girls.  The knitting just makes them that much cooler.

Smatterings:  I've been reading Judy's blog for what seems like forever.  Color.  I love all the color.  The pictures are addictive and she throws a lot of tidbits and lessons in here and there.  Lots of woolly inspiration there.

And now I'm gonna cheat.  Last but definitely not least is all my Elann girls, most of whom have blogs but I keep up with them on the Elann chat site.  Though I disappear a lot for months at a time I always feel welcomed back and I've never met any of them in person  (Soon, T, soon).  I think it's time for a great big party!

Comments

[Wool Winder]

That must have been a scary ride. Glad you made it home safely. I am humbled by the nice things you said about me. You make my day too. I know we will meet one day. Looking forward to that!

[sandy]

I am honored, Jean. Thank you! (the weather has been screwy lately!) I hear you are "one of US" so I MUST meet the Jean someday soon! xo

[Norma]

Ohhh, that ice! It did not get as bad here as they predicted. Of COURSE it didn't -- because I had thought ahead to pack a bag in case I got stuck in Burlington. If I hadn't been prepared and my car was low on gas and I had no cash on me, THAT'S when the storm would have REALLY hit. I'm just sayin': Stick a fork in it. Hahahahahaha.

[Kim]

Aww...thanks Jean!! You are the best! I love your dogs, your kids and your hubby is pretty darn nice too! Bummer about the trip....it is snowing like crazy up here, but it will turn to ice before it is finished too.

[Judy]

Thanks, Jean for the nice thought. Sorry your trip was spoiled, best to be home safe and sound.

[Kat]

So much for leaving early from work today and driving to NJ. Sounds like I'm better off going tomorrow.

[margene]

Sorry about the failed trip. Winter has its way with us too often. Thank you for the mention...you are too kind! You too make my day!!

[Theresa from Elann]

Jean, next time we are going to check the weather, have the boys examined at the pediatricians, have each other's numbers tattoed to our wrists and also be on the alert for talking trees, which are about the only things that have not thwarted us yet...! It will happen. We must keep taking our vitamins! T, really glad to read in her email that you got home in one piece!