No apologies.
I have made great progress in terms of settling in — finding a balance between my needs for order and creative disorder that feels comfortable and functional moving forward. The house is settled now, at least as settled as it can be for the moment, which, I suppose is all one can really hope for in terms of any aspect of life. I am not all unpacked, but I don’t really need to be; I simply need to be able to function and do the things that are important for me to do. Next up is the studio, which remains a little more chaotic than I would prefer. But again, I am simply looking for balance, not perfection, that point where I can find what I need, where I can play and make a mess without it devolving into chaos, and where refinements can occur as I feel the need and motivation.
Although I did pretty much absent myself from social media and blogs last week, it was not all work:
I finished one sock and cast on for the second.
The landscapers have brought in the shrubs, the “public face” of the garden. And I have planted one small flower bed, along the driveway at the base of the retaining wall going up to the circle:
18 irises and 20 geraniums. It felt so good to be planting, to have my hands in the dirt, to experience the hopeful practice of spreading out roots, of settling and nurturing. But the soil was not completely what it should be. One area was filled with small rocks and I had to dig them out.
The experience reminded me not to move forward too quickly. There was another section of bed I was thinking of planting this fall, one in back, that I showed you drawings for in a previous post. But I realize now that planting is premature. I have all winter to plan, and, as I have suitable weather, time and energy, to dig up beds, improve the soil, and prepare for future planting. This work, tedious as it may be, is also fulfilling, serving to reacquaint rusty muscles with the skills of gardening, as well nurturing a less stressful place to plant in the spring, both for the gardener and the garden.
Since planting the weather has turned cool. There have been a couple of frosts. And my thoughts are turning to sweaters. I have been working on Lisa Richardson’s Cowl Cardigan from the new Rowan Mode collection. I am really happy with the way this is knitting up. Even though double moss stitch is somewhat slow, I love the depth it is giving to the yarn, Kid Classic, in a rather soft pink, named Floss.
On this Monday morning this week looks to be a quiet one, and I perhaps relish that after a marathon of concerts and social events. My bed is made, I’ve been to the gym, and I feel fortunate that I can content myself with starting a load of laundry and picking up my knitting.
