The Knitting Revolutionary

He makes me *so* proud...

I've told David that since this is my blog, it's not about him, and if he wants to write/make funny stuff he can start his own LJ or something. But I got a copy of an email that he sent to his entire family yesterday which has caused so much mirth amongst my co-workers that I couldn't resist sharing it.

Here's one way to get your family to behave themselves at Christmas: Make it clear who's calling the shots, get it early, and do it in writing. LOL... Good luck making your own version and sending out to your family, who after this should be suitably submissive, or at least more open about their murderous intentions for the holiday season *grin*

Hi relatives

Just a quick note – lets face it, I don’t write long ones

Moni and I will be arriving sat evening 9.05pm on Qantas flight something or other from Melbourne.  We will be getting a nice Hertz car.

We will be leaving New Years Day about 8am

In betweens that we will sit and watch cricket and do knitting.   There will be no conversations about weather, or what I did when I was five, or weight.  There will be alcohol.  Everyone will admire Moni’s shoes.

There may be a trip to cradle mountain.  We are hoping for snow again. Please organise this.

The Taste of Tasmania will be thoroughly investigated and reported upon.

We may burn piles of parental leafy stuff at our discretion, if children are playing in aforementioned piles then that is not our responsibility.

Any presents we give are to be oohed and ahhed at.  Any presents we receive should have a receipt attached plus a breakdown costing so we can properly calculate what we are worth to you.  If it is ascertained that we have spent more on your present please prepare to return our gifts so we can purchase something cheaper.

Any children are to be properly oiled and salted.

Wishing a highly pro-active Christmas.

Lonely libraries

I've always loved my local library. When I was in my late teens living in Cessnock working only a couple of days a week, I used to hang out there - it was quiet and clean and the librarians knew me and chatted to me as I breezed in and out, checking out novels and cassettes and copying knitting patterns and calligraphic alphabets at the photocopiers. I once accidentally left a photo of me and a friend in a book that I'd been using as a bookmark, and when I went back in the next time the librarian said "ooh, wait up, I have something for you" and pulled it out from under the desk.

I've recently started using the library here in Canberra on a pretty regular basis, borrowing mostly audio books for the long drives up and down the parkway to see clients.

I dropped one off that was due today. I wandered in, and spotted a librarian sitting at a desk. I caught her eye and asked if I could drop off my books, and she glared at me and said "You have to put them in the chute outside". Um... the library is open! But, she was right - no human contact necessary, stick em in the silver boxes outside the door. She grumpily told me that she'd take them off me today but I had to use the chutes. OK. No problem, I can do that.

Then I get myself a new "book" and wander over to the self-checker (I found a picture of one on the ever-useful google-images). No chit chat with a librarian here, either. Absolutely no eye contact or conversation required at all. It just made me kind of sad, that the experience of a little bit of friendly human interaction, even if it's a quick smile-hullo-*beep*-click-here'syabook, has completely disappeared from the libraries.

I guess the only time the librarians speak to anyone is if there's a problem.

Sheesh. No wonder she was grumpy.

Black puppies n stuff

In recognition and honour of Pierre-the-Yarn-Snob's black dog "project", I'm having a squeaky Black Dog Friday post myself... though one day early, because it just feels right to do this now. The origins of Black Dog Fridays is here on her blog, and I think it's a fantastic idea. When I first "got" depression in my mid twenties and again in my late twenties, it was like a dirty secret that I couldn't talk to anyone about, and admitting that I was on antidepressants... well, don't even go there. I felt so isolated, so wrong and mixed up and screwed up, embarrassed, ashamed, hopeless, worthless. It's not fun, not even slightly, especially when so many people judge you for it. So I'm 100% for raising awareness of this very misunderstood mental illness.

There is a fairly common assumption that because mental illness affects the mind, the person experiencing it must be able to control it, or "fight it" or even "just get over it". These sort of phrases still sting, and still give me a sense of outrage and hurt.

Anyway, today. Or, now, or lately, recently, whatever. I feel as though I've been a little bit "weird" or "off" - if this is the case, it's because I'm struggling with the whole depression thing at the moment. It's been difficult to get myself motivated to knit, to write, to draw/calligraphy, to clean the house, all of that. One of the big warning signs of a depression relapse is not enjoying things that you usually enjoy, and I've been feeling a bit like that lately.

I'm working on it. I'm going to calligraphy tonight, even though I feel like crap and would so much rather stay home and play WoW or watch a dvd. I feel proud of these steps. It sounds like a small thing: who'd give a gold star to someone for something as trivial as getting off their arse and going to a calligraphy class? But today, I award one to myself because this is actually a big thing for me at the moment, and feel a sense of achievement, and moving forward.

...Note to clarify: I'm ok. I'm not suicidal. I'm coping. I feel loved and supported. I'm just finding it a little tough at the moment, so don't all panic and freak out and feel you have to phone me or whatever. Just joining in the Black Dog discussion and sharing, and working on making this a non-taboo subject, bit by bit. :-) 

More papery goodness

         
This is part of my slowly growing paper stash,and I just had to share them because they're just so lush. I actually have to replace the koi patterned one and the hearts one, because I gave them away (eep!) with a couple of other sheets in return for a bookmaking lesson last week. Mmm. For anyone with a similar obsession with beautiful paper, the first (rose) patterned one came from Berkelouw's in Leichhardt, and the other three came from the delightful Pentimento gift shop on King Street in Newtown.

Finally, this little strip of colour is actually a big strip of pictures... Click on it to experience the journey from Cessnock to Canberra as seen by me over my little red bonnet last weekend. I just thought it was interesting to see the change in landscape from lush semi-tropical northern coastal area through the urban areas and on to southern inland arriving in Canberra. Don't you just love the Harbour Bridge shot! I love the Glebe ones as well. It's funny, because I never knew I'd love a place so much. Returning to Sydney for me always feels like returning home, which is odd now that going back to my place in Canberra also feels like home. Heh. But I think I'll always think of Sydney as my soul-home, and I miss it constantly. Lucky for me my evil plans for the future are including many more bus day-trips back to hang with my knitting peeps and girly friends. yey!

Mmm. Paaaaper.

Colour has always been something that has brought joy to me. It's funny, because I wear so much black, so often, that it does feel a little strange to say that with conviction. But so much of what I do has colour about it - calligraphy, my wool-dyeing, cross stitch, and now my newest discovery, bookbinding. Oh, the Familymas prezzies i have planned! I've cut all of these sets of sheets, ready to put into lovely coloured casings, and each bookling I make I learn something from.

Like this one, for instance. My biggest lesson from this one? Well the biggest one was the simplest one, and the one that my brilliant tutor Linda stressed time and time again, and which of course when it came to the crunch I completely forgot... "mark the head (top) of the book so you dont put it in upside down". Um, yeah. Lucky for me I didn't have time to print anything on the corners of the pages like I intended to, and just did a plain one. Unfortunately the top of the book looks quite messy (you can see it in the photo if you enlarge it), and the bottom is lovely and neat. Ooops. I'm planning on making a few other bits and pieces, including a photo album for David's parents and a visual diary for my calligraphy class's secret santa person :D