Time just keeps marching along, doesn’t it? I had a very enjoyable time in Winnipeg, and I took lots of pictures! I’ll just dive into my week’s recap!
Stitched or Still-in-Progress
Much like last week, I had quite a bit of knitting time, both while I was away and on my travel day. And yet, I have no finished objects – though that’s partly by design! The Down Cellar Studio Splash Pad Party starts in just eleven days, and WIPs count in this event. So I’ll stretch many projects out just so I can finish them on May 22nd and collect a bunch of points before casting on the next round of fun.
First up, the self-striping socks could be done this week if I chose. I worked on this project on Tuesday night while attending the event I’d trekked to Canada for.
The other pair of socks are also very close to completion. On Sunday, I completed the heel turn on the second sock. Today (after taking the photo) I finished the heel flap and joined the self-striping yarn to both socks so I can knit the legs two-at-a-time (2AAT). To manage that, I wound up one stripe pattern repeat to a single cake and then wound the remaining yarn into another cake. I’m not sure how long I’ll make the legs, but I’ll have a couple repeats remaining for another project.
The black-and-pretties shawl is coming along nicely. I’ve started the colored part of the last section. By the end of the week, I should be onto the decreases to finish the project.
The lacy cardigan is a tad monotonous now, as I’m just working the sleeves 2AAT in stockinette, though I have to pay attention to complete the decreases at the assigned intervals. I should weigh the yarn to see how much is left once I complete the decreases. I know there’s plenty of yarn, so I might make the sleeve cuffs longer than stated in the pattern as a result.
And I also moved along on the newest project I cast on, a top featuring garter stitch ridges and some really pretty yarn – all the sparkles! I finished the front center strip and started the back strip.
Cast-on Conversations
Oh look! I started yet another project! This one is a test knit – I saw the finished piece posted by the designer on Ravelry, and I quickly volunteered to test out the pattern. I’m eager to get a few “patriotic” items together for my cruise along the Eastern seaboard this July. It turned out I had a suitable skein of yarn to cast on, and I promptly ordered the red and white yarns which should arrive tomorrow. The scarf should easily bring to mind the American flag when finished, and I’ve already placed the fifty beads (stars), needing to finish the blue background before I proceed to the stripes when the yarn arrives.
I’ve actually volunteered for another test knit – a shawl, and my grandson helped me wind up the Doctor Who striped yarn today. I don’t expect to start the socks until Memorial Day weekend, but I’d like to be prepared!
Grandson Glimpses
The kiddo has been a lot of fun since I came home. I called up the stairs after bringing my luggage in, and he promptly ran down to see me. I’ve gotten lots of hugs and kisses, and I also received a sweet Mother’s Day card from him (courtesy of my son) yesterday. He “signed” his name and then “helped” Daddy to write his name as well.
Oh – and the munchkin has also finally embraced the Lego collection, not surprising how much he enjoys tinkering with things!
Environment Evolution
Other than laundry, I haven’t had much time to work on decluttering the bedroom. But this weekend I did spend some time doing yard work. On Saturday, I mowed the front/side yard (my house is on a corner lot). Then I had to bring the string trimmer to the backyard to tame it. My fingers couldn’t handle the effort in the whole space, but I cleared about 70% of it, which is very nice.
Travel Tales
After I completed my blog post a week ago, I went out to have some adventures in Winnipeg. The weather wasn’t exactly accommodating though… still, I made the most of it. First, I spent a couple hours meandering through the Assiniboine Park Zoo. As some of you know, I’m quite fond of visiting zoos, and I’m quite partial to my hometown zoological park. It’s a little disappointing that views of the animals at this park in Winnipeg are obscured behind fencing. The only ones that are fully visible are the polar bears, a nice tribute to the population that lives north of the city, still in the province of Manitoba, in Churchill. I got to see a couple of the beautiful beasts meandering around in the cold.
There are also a number of polar bear statues around the grounds, and I really appreciated the exhibit that explains the plight of these magnificent creatures, resulting from climate change. Here are a few other critters I observed for a bit.
Once I’d made a decent loop of the grounds (didn’t see everything, but I saw enough and had gotten kinda cold), I made my way across the park to The Leaf, an indoor horticultural attraction. I’d visited here three years ago, but this time it was much quieter. Being inside was also a nice respite. I walked through the Tropical Biome and the Mediterranean Biome before making my way upstairs to the Butterfly Garden. My patience there was worth it, as I got a nice picture of a Blue Morpho – the best view of this butterfly species happens when they spread their wings wide open, but most of the time these insects were either flitting about throughout the shelter or stationary with wings closed. Here are my favorite shots from the collection.
The show on Tuesday night was lots of fun! Because the theme for this year’s events was puppets, they took an entertaining Muppet angle.
Wednesday morning, I got to take a slow start since I wasn’t flying out until early afternoon. Still, I needed to pack up and return the rental car. I still had plenty of time at the airport before my flight boarded.
Legacy Lens: Foundation
What do I actually think legacy is?
When I wrote my kick-off post, I shared a little bit of background as to what sparked the idea to contemplate this topic. The two applicable books I’ve read (whether in print or via audiobook) are What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service and Hamilton: The Revolution. The former talks about the history of a politically centered television drama with a focus on the show’s influence in inspiring works of service among its cast, crew and creators. The latter is a deeper dive into the creation of the Broadway musical, Hamilton, including a plethora of notes from author Lin-Manuel Miranda.
So, what is legacy, or a legacy? A quick search online flushed out this poignant definition:
A legacy is the enduring impact of a person’s life—encompassing values, character, traditions, and actions—that lives on in others long after they are gone. While legally defined as property or money left in a will, its true meaning is the lasting mark and positive influence one leaves on the world. – Journey Beyond Wealth
It’s a tad ironic that this poetic definition came from the website of an investment advisor. But someone has put into words already the concept I had in my head while pondering the topic. It’s about what “lives on in others after [we’re] gone.” But I believe we don’t need to be gone for our legacy to start forming… so I’ll adjust my definition and pull two phrases: “the enduring impact of a person’s life…in others.”
While the inspirations I referenced (cast and crew of The West Wing, and Alexander Hamilton) have grander sweeping influence, the reality is that we build our legacies in the quiet moments of the every-day life. Ideally, living according to my personal values (integrity, compassion, accountability) provides an example for others and models behavior for them to follow, leading by example. I’ll confess that I get frustrated when those close to me don’t follow that example. But there’s only so much I can do. Nevertheless, I strive to live by my values and at least hold myself to that standard. And, God willing, that will be remembered by others when I’m gone.
Next week: What values define me in practice?
Book Banter
I will just mention here what I’m currently reading as I’ve been bouncing around to a few selections. First, I’m enjoying another memoir: Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond by Eve Plumb (who played Jan Brady on The Brady Bunch). And another memoir was published recently by one of my high school English teachers – who also was the first theater director I ever worked with: Lessons From the Stage – A life in the theater by Gary Scarpa.
Lastly, I just started reading a novel that I heard mentioned on the Down Cellar Studio podcast. I reserved it in Libby right after hearing Jen mention it, so I was surprised that it became available almost immediately! I’ve just started The Wedding People by Alison Espach. I’ll share more after I finish it.
It’s time for me to wind down for bed. It’s still a work week, and I’ll be very busy the rest of the week. No rest for the wicked, eh?
Knit on. 🧶
Kninja Knitter 
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