Wednesday, December 16, 2009

WHITE XMAS?

It could be! It is -1c here right now. Frost covers much outside. The temperature is -1c(30f) and is expected to fall to -10c (14f) by Friday. Brrrr.

As weird as it is, I love winter. I especially like it when it is cold like now. Dry or snow. I hate rain. I hate rain no matter what the temperature. It takes my freedom away. Okay, so too much snow does too but at least it looks beautiful!

The dogs love snow too. Have no idea why but they clearly do. If it snows, they want out and they play in it. I am quite certain they would have snowball fights if they could.

How about this then? Nechung has solved our problem. She toddles off down the stairs until she gets to the last few, which are the real problem due to the gate and I think because of her poor sight and she loses her nerve there. She waits for me to reach her, but first moves right over to the left so I can get by her. Now she could have moved over to the right but that would not be so good for me as the bannister is on the right hand side. I pass her, turn around and lift her down the last three steps and past the gate. How did she figure this out?

I am going to bath Whitney today and then get on with knitting up those dye jobs. I am going to knit just plain old st st so I can get thru them more quickly.

I have found a good wholesale supplier of excellent yarns and also a dye range I am going to use. I then may offer the hanks up for sale, either directly, or via Ebay, Etsy and Folksy.

The main trouble I have with dyeing is this: how do I part with what I dye? I want to keep them all and knit them up! (Come to think of it what do I do with the hundreds of pre-dyed balls I have?)

About being 51 today: I feel so lucky to have got here. There was along period of time I would have sworn I would not have made it. I also did not want to make it. It couldn't' be more different today. I love my life. I love who I have become. Myself. It's been a long struggle but I am here, being me and learning more with each passing day. Okay so physically I am crap but that is nought when compared to the emotional anguish I lived with for so long. Now I want to get old before I set off on my next Big Adventure. Yes, I do believe that death is but an illusion and there will be an adventure to be had after I leave this body behind. I believe the same happens to all of us and is independent of our beliefs and behaviour. I do think, however, that the quality of the experience will very much depend upon our beliefs and actions and for the experience to improve, one will have to evaluate and change. Just like here. Only one will have more knowledge and will not be hampered by the restrictions of the physical world.
I am well aware that the idea of surviving death is nonsensical. If experience had not taught me otherwise, I'd think it was nuts. Mind you, I think the alternative view is also nuts: that all this is for nought, that this is just an accident, that life has no meaning. Oh, how I have longed for that to be true, that death would mean the END, it's over. What a relief that would have been to me. I reluctantly came to know that life doesn't end with the death of the body. Oh shit! Now what? Well, I came to terms with it and now look forward to the coming adventure.

I can feel a long essay coming on so I'll stop while I can....

16 comments:

Susan said...

Best wishes on your birthday!

LizzieK8 said...

You can overdye the commercially dyed yarns.... Don't have to start with white yarn. Your new yarns are beautiful and isn't it fun?

Iris said...

I love the idea of your selling some of your dyed yarns. I understand what you mean about wanting to keep it all. I'm that way with my handspun yarns, too. I'm reaching the point, though, where I have so much of it, it might not be possible to keep it. Want some?

Netchung is brilliant. I'm so often amazed at what animals learn. My Kelly the Poodle and Jade the Cat aren't great fans of each other. When I was very sick the past few weeks, though, they were great pals and would bookend me in bed. So cute. Sometimes, they'd even both get on my stomach and sleep together. An odd thing about Kelly: When she sees the camera, she takes off. She hates her picture taken. What's up with that? On the other hand, Jade the Cat LOVES to post for the camera and wear goofy collars. It seems I always get the odd pets. I don't care. I love them.

I love cold winters, too, without rain. The cold rain is just plain nasty.

kshotz said...

Happy Birthday Colin!

Pamela said...

Have a wonderful birthday celebration!

Susie B said...

Happy Birthday! Netchung is the smartest dog.

Heather W. Torrance said...

I hope you are having a great birthday, Colin!

I am thankful for people like you who can take a blog or a yahoogroup and build a community. That is one of your many accomplishments.

Many returns of the day!

Yarnhog said...

I share your beliefs, pretty much to the letter. I have no proof at all, only a bone-deep knowledge since infancy. It has nothing to do with religion. My parents never shared any religious or spiritual beliefs with us. But I've always known I've been around for a long, long time, and will be for long after this life.

Anonymous said...

Best wishes of the day to you, Colin!! I hope your birthday is filled with good thoughts, good feelings and lots of love (doggy, companion, friend and even "Anonymous" commenter)!!

I love your dyeing -- you are getting some great colors and effects. Are you documenting your "recipes"? This may come in handy in the future if you want to reproduce an effect, or even a specific color. A friend of mine who is a professional dyer has some of the most incredible dye notebooks -- like eye candy, only better because you know you can use her information to come up with something equally as awesome, but all your own.

I also love reading about your feelings about "religion and the afterlife". I have felt very much like you do - I just haven't been able to put it into words as eloquently as you do. I hope you don't mind if I "borrow" a few of your phrases to use when I need to describe my own feelings - mostly verbally. I will, of course, give proper credit to my "internet inspiration and mentor". Thank you for openly sharing your thoughts and feelings with the rest of the world. You are helping a LOT of people, whether they realize it, or not.

Ginger said...

Hapy Birthday Colin. And congratulations on reaching this stage in your life with such a wonderful out look. I'm sure that the future will be as wonderful as it feels to you today. (Did that last sentence make any sense at all?) You know what I mean...

scotty said...

happy birthday colin- I love your blog spot. I am a spritualist and so like you believe in a life after we leave this plane- it makes life on earth so make easier to live and enjoy knowing it is our learning ground and that there is more. enjoy your snow- it is hot here where I live in Port Macquarie NSW Australia -sylvia

FuguesStateKnits said...

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Colin!
Happy Birthday to you!
Virtual singing:)

Picnicfan said...

Happy Birthday, Colin. Sorry it's a day late but I only just noticed it. I'm wrapped up in my own health worries and I've also been thinking about the meaning of life and afterlife. I have to believe it's true - that it does exist.
I've been trying to knit a bit, though, a scarf in furry yarn that my Turkish friend sent me. Wishing you all the best.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday and the package has been sent...phew.. a bit late but hope you enjoy playing. I want to see what you come up with...

Anonymous said...

Happy Belated Birthday

anachronist said...

Happy belated birthday from me, every day I get at leas a few minutes to log on and just yesterday after painting the living room, I was wiped out and did not.

For giving away the dyed yarn I can only say, do several batches of the same, so you can give away some and keep one skein of it yourself. That is how I started, then it feels more natural to part with them, and it gets easier with each of them.
Getting fotos and feedback about what others have done with your dyework will be the reward then.

Good luck with this plan of sharing the dye creativity.