Normal, but loud.
Midnight trauma

A few things I just don't understand

So what is the deal with knitting, already? It seems like everyone’s doing it these days. Clue me in, people. Because I’ve WATCHED people knit, and it doesn’t seem that enthralling. I mean, I like a nubby sweater as much as the next gal, but really. Is it a euphemism? When y’all say knitting, do you really mean…like…bingeing on 3 Musketeers bars? Or playing strip dominoes? Really, what’s the draw? Why all the blogs and magazines and books? What am I missing here?

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There’s this song on the radio, called Something something broken road something. Or something. Anyhow. I LIKE the song, I do. It’s very sappy and sentimental, all about how some guy’s failed romances led him to THIS place with THIS person, “This much I knoooooow is true….that God blessed the broken road….that led me straight to yooooooou.”

Ok, I admit, I sniffle. I have confessed to being an idiot, OK?

Anyhow, there’s this one line that goes something like, “Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars.”

Ahem. Northern stars? Like, say, MULTIPLE northern stars? Like say, one there, due north, and another one, I dunno, sort of to the EAST OF IT? Gah. Doesn’t the very concept of MORE THAN ONE undermine the concept of A GUIDEPOINT? I mean, it calls to mind a picture of a weather beaten sailor, taking his young son down to the docks, resting one gnarled hand on his shoulder, and saying, “See that star, son? That’s the northern star. Well, most of those stars over there are north-ish. I mean, follow THAT one and it will lead you to Canada. THAT one will take you to Greenland. But, as we say in the navigation business, whatever. It’s all fairly north, ya know?”

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I hesitate to admit this, but I don’t see the wild appeal of Dooce. No, I really don’t. She’s good – really good – but there are better writers out there. Who made her one of the northern stars of blogging? Yeah, so she lost her job for her blog. Big deal. I don’t even HAVE a job.

Heh. Yeah, not as interesting, huh? Oh well.

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Tonight at the climbing wall, the teenaged attendant guy gave me a LOOK because Max was barking randomly during his climb. I shrugged back at him and said, “Eh. He’s a lot of good things. Normal ain’t one of them.” And this kid, this high school aged hulking little boy, said soberly, “Well, he’s just a little KID. I mean, you shouldn’t expect too much from him.” Like *I* was the one getting all squirrelly eyeballed just because Max was barking on the climbing wall.

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Speaking of things that ARE normal about Max, Raphi was looking at the ultrasound picture of Max’s heart.

“Is dat his spine?” he asked.

“No, that’s his heart.”

He peered at it intently.

“Why?”

“Wh…uh…because it is.”

Another sober stare.

“Nah, dat’s his spine.”

Well, that cardiologist has some explaining to do, then.

Comments

Liz

NORMAL! What a wonderful word.

Em

OK, in regard to the song, do you know the one that goes "All of my parents, they're getting older. I wonder if they wished for/anything better". ALL of my parents? Like, how many parents could one person possibly have? 4, I guess, but still ALL, it just sounds stupid. I have to change the channel when that one comes on.

Also, be easy on that teenager. I remember (vividly, unfortunatley) telling my boyfriends mother, when I was 16, that I could never be a SAHM and let some man support me. I wince at the thought that I may have even said it proudly. The good news is, she told me off. The bad news is, I thought she was a crazy old lady who didn't know what she was talking about. Crow doesn't tast so bad if you put a little ketchup on it. Moral of the story: Teenagers don't have a freaking clue and neither do their squirrely eyeballs.

chris

absolutely with you on people who would rather break than bend their ideas on what "normal" children do.(kind of with you on dooce too) i've got to get out the door, heading somewhere northish.

Groovecatmom

cough, cough. ahem. Who have you personally seen knitting with your own two eyeballs? No one I know does it. I am the anti-knitter...although it's been on my list of things to learn for about ten years, but now I won't, just for spite. I'm like that. Also, I never understood Dooce either. Haven't we had that conversation? And you are right, that is a lame line in an otherwise very sappy song. It's Rascal Flatts. I have seen them in concert, you know, or at least *heard* them, because I was in line to meet you-know-who for the first time. Ah, the memories. Beats knitting any day. And we are all relieved and thankful over here that Max has a normal but loud heart. Doxa Theos!

Heather

I recently learned to knit. For me,t he draw was all the soft bright colored fun yarn and the need to create something. However, I couldn't manage to do it. I can do the stitches, but I get bored after one row. So I just gave all my supplies, etc, away.

I don't know the song, but it reminds me of a song Lila McCann sang called To Get Me To You. I used those lyrics in my wedding album.


Never read Dooce, so I ain't got a clue.

Amy

Okay all you anti-knitters (I bet you anti-crochet, too!), I just re-learned how to knit and crochet and I'm enjoying it. It's so cool because if you mess up you can just unravel it and start over. Where else in life do you get this kind of chance? Think about it. Also, from a purely sisterhood stance, when I knit I think about how women have been knitting, weaving, crocheting, whatever for thousands of years and how I'm now a part of that chain. Finally, we have a church group that's teaching and using these arts to make blankets for the elderly and scarves for the homeless.

I've got to start barking. I bet it's a great stress reliever. Perhaps I could knit one and bark two?

Amma D

Yeah, Amy, but I bet you can't knit, bark and climb the climbing wall all at the same time!

Miss you...Amma D.

Mary Jo

I recently started trying to cross stitch, it's NOT stress free. I think it's causing more stress when I do it.

I read Dooce on a daily basis, I really enjoy it. I do not consider myself a follower though, I and NEVER comment. All of the people who comment, annoy the crap out of me. I think they feel famous by association.

I have my blogs in bookmarks, I read them from Eh to Favorite. I do that because I want to save the best for last... my bottom 3 (therefore my 3 most favorite to read) Very Mom, Dooce, Kiwords.

kismet

I don't get it, I read Dooce. Is she supposed to be famous or something? What is the controversy? Somebody fill me in!

I too read Kiwords and Very Mom (who is currently taking a break) daily, along with Busy Mom and Pink Sun Drops.

~K!

Susan

Ditto on Dooce.

shannon

Kira, I just had to drop by today to tell you that "Clay" is my mom's new baby name campaign choice. Made me grin :) p.s. I don't really get the allure of knitting either - I've tried to learn but have found it nothing but immensely frustrating.

Heather McCutcheon

THAT is my all time favourite song... Rascall Flatts.. Bless the Broken Road. You want it? I'll send it to ya...

Sheri

Why I *love* Dooce. Because she seems honest in her talk of motherhood and life and she tells her stories with such flair and humor. And I love that she swears when she feels like swearing--something that as an ardent swearer, I can't write. I also love how she writes about her love for her husband and *really* love how open and honest she was when she struggled with the bad postpartem depression that left her hospitalized.

And I love how she handles trolls.

Jenn

Rascall Flats rocks. Not so much live though. Then they kind of suck. Keith Urban is way better.

Anyway, I got into knitting last spring and knitted right up until Christmas and then I dropped it. Too much stress trying to knit everyone a scarf! Ack! Now I am back to novelling ...

Carmen

Man. I thought I was the only one who didn't care for Dooce. I just.don't.get.it.

I tried to knit - in fact, I promised my mother and sister a scarf two Christmases (made up word, sorry!) ago, and I ended up sending the yarn to my friend, and let her make them.

Much better that way.

Jen

The knitting thing -it's for people who can't walk by a rack of clothes without running their hands over the fabrics. I started just so I had an excuse to play with all those fun new yarns out there. It's also a great hobby if you need to stop & start alot.
A tip though if you're ever interested in learning: if you plan on making a scarf use BIG needles (it goes faster & is more rewarding) & double up on the yarn. Otherwise pick a simple but more interesting project (hats & baby sweaters are a good next project) so you don't get burned out by the repetition of it.

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