Is anything better than vacation? Especially valuable are those precious days off in your home town: vacation where you're not visiting anyone, not traveling, renting cars or catching flights, not really doing anything except hanging around the neighborhood. Of course, I have come to appreciate those vacations more since moving to New York.
Since Monday, I've been lazing about, doing some knitting, reading Rushdie, cleaning (yes, a longed-for activity over the last weeks), planting tomatoes on the roof, poking the cats, making up shifts at the Food Coop, bothering Maxcine at the LYS, and attending a few yoga classes. In fact, today I was the only one to show up for the 10:45 class, and so ended up with a private session with the teacher. Normally private sessions are expensive, which was always sort of the excuse for my real hesitation - that it would be extremely uncomfortable, that the teacher would see how terribly out of shape, restless, and un-yogic I really was. Actually it was exactly the opposite: being alone was calming, and I was much more able to focus without people around me negotiating space and, let's face it, doing everything with seemingly so much ease. I know you're not supposed to compare yourselves to others during yoga class, but give me a break: I'm in law school. I'm working on the type-A-ness, okay? I prefer to think of myself as a type A minus.
As for crafting, two events:
First, the front and back pieces of Simply Marilyn (aka "Simply Grape") are complete. She's stalled for now until I can buy some 6.5mm needles. So far she's looking good, and the yarn is super-soft. I have some reservations about pilling and fuzziness, but for that softness I'll accept it.
I also purchased two hardcover early editions of classic knitting books off eBay and Amazon Marketplace this week. First, Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, 1968 edition:
And second, Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears, 1971 edition:
Can't wait for them to arrive! That old-book smell gives me a strange, perverse thrill.
Posted by jess at May 11, 2005 9:50 PMHey there. Quick question, from a fellow Brooklynite. I dyed a few things a while back and loved some batches, while others left much to be desired. Where did you track down Kool-Aid? Haven't had any luck (got mine in my homestate of Maine). Thanks!
Abby
I hope you're enjoying Rushdie. Reading Midnight's Children was a pivotal experience for me... if you ever have the opportunity to meet him or go to a reading, DO IT. :)
Posted by: Karma at May 11, 2005 11:37 PMCongratulations on being done! I'm writing my last final and have a bit of clinic work to finish up tomorrow. (I work in a clinic that provides legal assistance (civil only) to prisoners.)
My stack of books and knitting awaits me!
Posted by: Lisa at May 12, 2005 12:04 AMHurrah for being done and glad to hear you are enjoying vacation. I'm interested in knowing how you like Knitting without Tears--it is one I have been interested in, but the mixed reviews make me wonder if it will suit my style. I too love old-book smell, it's comforting and a bit mysterious.
Posted by: Prim at May 12, 2005 3:13 AMYay! Freedom! I hope you enjoy every second. Yes, even cleaning can be a sort of pleasurable activity! I'm glad you're getting into the yoga also--so good for the bod and mind. Let me know if you have time for that cup of coffee this summer--hope so.
Posted by: Sara at May 12, 2005 8:47 PMAbout your toe. I banged my little toe on the end of a chair leg years ago. It hurt to apply pressure, although I could move it. This horribly blue black color began to pool from the toe in other directions. As the day(s)...2 actually wore on the pain worsened. A relented doctor's visit showed that the toe was broken. I was taken for a ride, because a splint would have sufficed instead of the ankle cast they had me wear for several weeks. Feel better and don't get cast if you can avoid it
Posted by: Gwen at May 23, 2005 5:32 PM