Smurfette gone. Now What Am I Supposed to Do??

Smurfette – gone…..

Now it is just he and I again.  Everyone extraneous has moved out.  It is quiet here again, and more than that it is finally peaceful.  Peacefulness is priceless.  Don’t ever underestimate how much it is worth.

The other thing is:  It is mind boggling to enter the space around a teenager.  I never knew it could be that perplexing.  I could use lots of other words to describe the experience, but I don’t want to offend anyone.

Maybe it’s just because I’m “out of touch”?  i.e. too old to get it.  It’s sure not like any other world I’ve been in, including when I was that age, unless it really is that bad, and I just didn’t recognize it back then.  Oh my Lord.  Jesus help the teenagers get through those years!  It can make you or break you.

I think I put in my time of times these past two years.  I haven’t got too much to show for it, except for several knitting projects.  It’s really a shame, because I keep gathering fabric and patterns, and creating my own ideas for things, but not being able to accomplish them in the same time frame as before “they” came.

 I think though, that I will be making more of an effort this year to continue on my journey of dollmaking, quilt finishing, and starting on some new quilts.  Unfortunately, my cheerleaders have all passed away, so it’s up to me to motivate myself and get going on these ideas. 

Every holiday comes and goes so quickly.  If you’re not ready a year ahead of time, I say you’re not ready.  Look, it’s already past Easter, and I seriously have to solidly plan and execute Christmas projects.  I’m only 64 (!) but I think and hope I still have lots of time left to accomplish some things.  I really pray this virus stuff doesn’t cancel those plans.  I have my vaccinations.

Just want you all to know the Good Lord loves us ALL.  Don’t give up, no matter how bad it gets, because one thing I’ve learned is that whatever is going on, it Will pass.  Truly.  XXOO

How Bad Do You Want It?

 This is the last time I'm going to see this version of my Plover sweater.  I got all the way to where you separate the sleeves from the body.  Then my sweetheart doggie touched it with her paw and out came about 24 or more inches of a thread of yarn before I could catch her and get the yarn off her nail. !!!!

This is whats left after ripping out the mistake.

I have studied and tried to salvage the thing.  Now the stitch count doesnt coincide with any row in the directions.  

So how bad do I really want this sweater? I started it over once  before.  I started for the first time in June 2020.  Maybe its a jinx....

I still want my sweater.  I spent a lot on the many skeins of yarn.

No more doggie next to the knitting!

  

Moving On!

 “Sometimes I see you pass outside my door.

Hello, is it me you’re looking for?” -  Lionel Ritchie

I must say, yes, I can move on, and have moved on, however slowly.

It’s five months since the toxic people left my home. It hasn’t been easy to recover.  It’s like removing tar from your skin.  You scrub and scrub and use some kind of chemical to get it clean.  Then there’s a residual stain that just wants to hang on.

But then again, there are some new, hopeful thoughts that start replacing the old, destructive ones.  Like this:

“And Jesus knows turns you never heard of, makes roads you wouldn’t have dreamed of, makes miracles happen exactly where you never would have imagined. 

There is a reason He is called The Way.”   Ann Voscamp

I believe this statement to be true, as I have received God’s encouragement and hope and guidance when things got a little shaky.  There isn’t any other source, for me, that I can count on when things are tough.  

This is the kind of faith my mother taught me.  God rest her soul.  I miss her, despite all the conflicts we ever had.   

So down I go, to my basement playroom!  It has a pellet stove now, so it’ll be nice and cozy when the weather is less than warm.  I have knitted two pair socks and one hat in the last few months, now it’s time to work with different textiles!

I’ll give you a tour very soon of the “Playroom”.  It’s properly organized and is a very pleasant place to be.  I have two full length windows facing east, so it is quite good light.

See you again soon.

Can I Move On?

It's been two weeks now, since the "overstayed their welcome" people have left.  They lived with us for 16 months.   This experience left me with trauma I never expected.  I'm thinking, by writing about it, maybe I can purge myself of some of the trauma, and figure out how I can come back to a more normal existence.

There are far more things going on the world right now that will grab peoples' attention.  Maybe I'm just boo hooing, as my mum would say.  

I'm not even sure what to write about all this.  I'm having trouble putting it into words.  It's all about feelings.  It's about a prolonged period of abuse.  How did this happen?

We offered the family a place to go, as they'd lost their house due to foreclosure.  But what led to the foreclosure was not completely disclosed.  The three were in shambles, fighting one another, physically and verbally.  Maybe we were hopeful we could help repair what ailed them.  They are/were family to us, after all.

So much happened during the first few weeks with us, it was obvious not much could be done to repair anything.  It only made us physically sick.  My migraines and blood pressure went out of the roof.  No amount of talking could make it better.  It was early on that I knew they had to leave.  I wanted my life back.  

I was thrown into a situation I could not control.  Unfortunately, my SO felt he could not make them leave.  Too much guilt involved.  They were, after all, sick themselves:  recovering from brain tumor removal, cancer, mental illness.  They had "no where" to go.  

This went on for weeks.  Then it was too cold to push them out.  The calender turned the page to 2020.  Soon it was a year anniversary since they came.  

I find it hard to go into details about what exactly they did to me.  It hurts too much.  But I will tell you I have NEVER been talked to like that, ever in my life.  I'm pretty tough, but these things changed some of the chemistry in my brain, I think.  And the worst part?  The mom attempted to cover up for the son who said those things.  And she also said he wasn't talking about me or to me.  It's like when someone says something to your face, then tries to tell you it never happened.  That's called "gaslighting."  Look it up.

I'm getting upset writing this.  Not sure this is a good idea.  

I need to move on, and leave this period of my life behind me.   I'm not entirely sure how long it will take me to get over this.  In case you're wondering, yes I do rely on my faith in God to take care of me and help me every day.  I'm not exaggerating my experience either.  I prayed to God every day to help me and be strong for me.

I am feeling a lot of relief they are gone.  I can't get these months back.  My positivity was affected, and my productivity as well.  I wanted to take control of the situation but could not.  My hands were tied.  I tried to deal with it the best I could.  All I can do is thank God every day they are gone, and move forward.   I'm so ready for some good things to happen.