Reflections on Blogging

Here we are on the 26th of July. It has been 20 days since I last blogged. While I've never seen myself as a daily blogger, this is unusual for me, although I do think that it is a part of a trend in my blogging. Is this part of the natural cycle of blogging or is it something more related to me? I have noted recently that some of the bloggers that I have truly enjoyed reading over the past couple of years have either completely stopped blogging (some deleting their blogs entirely) or have decreased their blogging significantly. Truth be told, I still read others blogs almost daily, although I don't comment as much as I once did. And since I often read them through a reader feed, I'm not even sure if it registers that I do still follow them and read them.

When I look back to my first blogiversary blog post, I think that I still blog for the same reasons that I started to blog. So why do I blog less often? It isn't for lack of things to blog about, but perhaps I feel like what I blog about is more irrelevant now than I once thought? Perhaps it is that I have pretty well given up swapping? I don't know.

I know that it is not from lack of things to blog about. C'mon - Miss Me has an opinion about just about everything! I fully respect your right to have an opinion, but I also expect you to respect my right to have an opinion that differs and to express it. I do still wonder about things. For example: Have you ever looked at looked at the neighbours section of People in Ravelry? Have you ever wondered what the implications of this might be? For me personally, I think that perhaps I need to move... How hard could it be to learn to speak either Estonian or Finnish? And then immigrate and find a job...?

And way back on the 4th of July I turned 45! And I got yarn for my birthday... I haven't even taken photos of it yet, although truth be told, one of the skein is STILL damp from my initial slobbering. It is that pretty.

And we went on "vacation" to Cape Breton again. We went to Louisbourg and I bought fibre related stuff! And I went to Baadeck Yarns and spent a few dollars...

What is the point of all this? I'm missing blogging. I'm mourning the disappearance of some of the bloggers that I regularly read. If anyone out there is still reading - leave me a comment, okay? And if I have every read you with any regularity but might have been quiet recently, rest assured that I AM still reading you! Or better still, if you read me and I don't read you, leave me a comment - I'll come by for a visit!

If I Only Had a Brain...

I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers

Consultin' with the rain.

And my head I'd be scratchin' while my thoughts were busy hatchin'

If I only had a brain.

(The Wizard of Oz)

Although the Scarecrow did at least have a head even if it was full of straw! Way back in March, I was enticed to place a Knitpicks order with the lure of 40% off sock books... I also thought that I would treat myself to Mr. Foster, but he was sold out. Imagine my delight when I found him back in stock with a bigger wardrobe. (I bought the kit without his dressing gown and PJs, so I may have to buy the separate pattern, too.) He jumped right into my cart without any coaxing at all!
Over the past few weeks I have been working away at him whenever I have a few moments. Tonight he received his heart transplant, but he is still waiting on his head and face... Although the headless zombie monkey had fun "attacking" Older Son... "Mom - you're so weird! But I love you anyways."

20 Years Until Retirement

As of today, I am officially 20 years from retiremet, unless of course something unforeseen and disasterous happens and I have to work past 65, or something unforeseen and disasterous happens and I don't make it that far... But let's not think about disasters today. Why? Because it is my birthday!
In reality, my birthday celebrations started at work yesterday. Lynn, Sarah and MJ brought me a little birthday treat with my mid-morning coffee. A yummy and fresh Tim Horton's Boston Cream Donut... It was SO GOOD! I think part of what made it so nice was that I didn't expect it, especially since there weren't many people in the office this week following the Wednesday holiday for Canada Day. Thanks again girls!
This morning I was taken out for breakfast by Mr. Me and the sons. We went to a local pancake breakfast in support of Camp Wegesegum, our local camp. I had worked the last pancake breakfast about a month ago, but declined working this one because it was on my birthday. The people working the breakfast had remembered this and brought my pancakes with birthday candles and even sang Happy Birthday to me!
I haven't opened any of my cards or gifts yet, but so far, this birthday is turning out to be great! Definitely much better than last year... I'll have to tell you about that sometime.
Oh - and speaking of birthdays, happy 233rd birthday to the United States and happy 40-something to Lisa! We're all a year older, better and hopefully wiser.

Dear Thursday

Dear Thursday,
Why do you dislike me so much? I always thought that Monday was supposed to be the mean day, but so often Monday has been much kinder to me than you are.
Today you seem to be particularly irritated by me and true to form, you're making sure that I know about it. It started with that little bump in the driveway this morning... I am glad that the insurance on the corporate credit card is good, but the "Momobile" will likely be let bearing another mark of honour and service. My nerves are worn a little bit thinner, too.
And then there was that whole meeting debacle this morning... I would have been much happier if we had left the meeting last Friday as originally scheduled, but I didn't have the final say. I suppose that I should thank you for not making it a total washout but it didn't help my stress levels at all!
Since they always say that things come in threes, I must admit that I am feeling quite anxious right about now. Whatever I did - I am SORRY. Okay?
Please just let me have a quiet evening and I promise to work on our relationship harder.
Yours truly,
Miss Me

Things That Irritate Me

I will admit that I'm probably feeling a little crankier than usual. Mr. Me has been very busy recently and it is having a negative impact on my social knitting. I DID NOT get to go to Yarns on York on Saturday to sit outside, enjoy the sunshine and good company and KIP. He had told me that he didn't have to be at his engagement until noon. He left at 9am and re-appeared approximately 13 hours later. No knitting for me.
To make things worse, tomorrow evening is my monthly knit night. Am I going? No! Why? He is in Toronto attending business meetings. He had originally told me that he would be home before suppertime so that I could go, but in reality he doesn't even land until around 8pm. He did have the presence of mind not to tell me this until after he had landed in Toronto, thus short circuiting me having to explain to his boss that he wasn't attending the meetings because he had been garroted with a circular needle. I have no issues with having his own interests or a job, but couldn't he please schedule them around my knitting schedule?
In case you're thinking that it is just my husband that is irritating me, it isn't. What is with that Ford F-150 ad about hauling yarn? I've tried to find the ad online with no luck, but if you haven't seen it, suffice it to say that the tone towards hauling yarn in their truck is disparaging. I had initially figured that it was an misread of a focus group and would soon be pulled, but weeks later it is still on the air! For the sake of Ford, they had better hope that there isn't a strong correlation between contractors and spouses that knit. Just think of all the yarn you could buy with the ~ $25K (or more) that you would spend on a truck... Mmmm.... Heaven!!!

Tommorow's WWKIP Day!

Tomorrow is WWKIP day! How exciting is that? And I'm pleased to say that there are indeed events going on in New Brunswick showing on the WWKIP site. Although thank you to everyone who let me know about things that I wasn't aware of. If I was in Moncton, I would definitely be going to this event, and of course, if I was in Halifax, I would be going to this one. Based on what they had in the way of prizes last year, I am quite certain that Leslie is not exaggerating the loveliness of the prizes that she and her partner have amassed. And check out their way cool knitting lobster logo. But, since Mr. Me has plans this weekend that (quite thankfully) don't include the kids and I, you may find me closer to home at this event. CanKNITian appeared baffled that I hadn't caught wind of it on Ravelry, but I have a confession to make: I don't spend nearly as much time in my groups as I do elsewhere. I'm usually much to busy Rav-stalking both friends and random others... Yes - I LOVE to oogle others' knitting. Does that make me a voyeur?
Here's hoping that the weather is good for outdoor knitting tomorrow. Maybe this year I'll remember my sunscreen.

WWKIP Day 2009

I was really interested to see that WWKIP Day this year isn't really a day, but a weekend! Whoo-hoo!!! Very exciting.
Less exciting is the fact that there are no WWKIP Day events listed for New Brunswick. Considering all of the other things that are going on around here that weekend, I don't feel that I could adequately plan an event myself, but I do think that a day of public knitting will be in order. It may be in Fredericton and include a visit to my LYS, or it may just include knitting around my village and scaring the locals. (As if I could...!)
What do you have planned for WWKIP Day?