Where did all my self-discipline go? I seem to have very little of it these days. I'm pretty much lacking in motivation.
Storm Losses
It's been exactly one month since we survived the Joplin tornado, unscathed but terrified, hunkered down in the kitchen of the IHOP restaurant at 20th and Rangeline in Joplin. Thanks to the timely warnings from a canny weather scout, no one at IHOP suffered serious physical injuries.
How Long? Forever !
How many minutes elapsed before the tornado finished its destruction and blew past us? I think it was roughly forever before I began to sense a lessening in the intensity of the wind. I felt that we were just below the unrelenting bristles of a giant revolving brush.
Building Design - Quality Construction
I am convinced that what saved us was the design of the building and the quality of the construction. The first IHOPs were A-frame buildings, but after that the buildings were blockier, with, fortunately, many short interior walls. I don't think the newest IHOPs follow that design, but hopefully, maybe they will reconsider and not choose to put up buildings with four walls and a large, unconnected, roof.
Aftereffects
The aftereffects have been surprising -- to me, at any rate. Even if one survived intact in body, and having suffered no material loss, there is a mental, emotional loss to be paid. As one relative observed, even people who were entirely outside the zone of destruction are not immune to feeling stress, loss of orientation, inability to concentrate. Thoughts of the tornado occupy the default portion of the brain.
Watershed in Time
It has been helpful to read Bonar Menninger's book, And Hell Followed With It, an accounting of the June 8, 1966 tornado in Topeka, and learn that most people never forget how close they came to losing everything, including their very lives. The Joplin tornado has now claimed over 150 lives. One of them could have been me.
Patience . . . Patience . . .
Some people who were brave enough tried to salvage what they could from the wreckage. Maybe with a little patience, I'll be able to recover my self-discipline.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, December 23, 2010
SHE TOOK PURPLE
Looked like she didn't even think about it, just reached into the top of the basket and pulled out a pair of purple ankle-warmers. Or lavender, or periwinkle, there are a lot of names for purple. I made some kind of inane remark about having a lot of K-State friends (and it does seem to me that the purple ankle-warmers go pretty fast) and we both laughed.
At home, finding a pair of purple ankle-warmers I hadn't yet finished sewing together (because the yarn came out so short at the final end that I'm going to have to get out a crochet hook to finish that pair) it belatedly dawned on me that she had chosen purple, not because of K-State, but because of KNOX! K-State doesn't have a monopoly on purple.
Go KNOX!
At home, finding a pair of purple ankle-warmers I hadn't yet finished sewing together (because the yarn came out so short at the final end that I'm going to have to get out a crochet hook to finish that pair) it belatedly dawned on me that she had chosen purple, not because of K-State, but because of KNOX! K-State doesn't have a monopoly on purple.
Go KNOX!
Friday, December 10, 2010
NO HURT FEELINGS
I had a lot of fun with my basket of ankle-warmers at my writing group Christmas party this week. It's always intersting to note which colors of ankle-warmers (boot toppers) are chosen.
If I offer you a pair of ankle-warmers, don't be afraid you'll hurt my feelings if you refuse. Just don't look back. That look of pity on my face won't be for me, it will be for you, knowing that you have no clue why your feel and ankles are always cold, and why you can't get rid of the cold in your head.
If I offer you a pair of ankle-warmers, don't be afraid you'll hurt my feelings if you refuse. Just don't look back. That look of pity on my face won't be for me, it will be for you, knowing that you have no clue why your feel and ankles are always cold, and why you can't get rid of the cold in your head.
Monday, November 22, 2010
ANOTHER VICTIM GRATEFUL RECIPIENT
I've found another person willing to wear a pair of ankle-warmers -- probably the most unconventional of all my nieces and nephews.
Not only is this person willing to wear a pair of ankle-warmers, he declares he's willing for all the world to see, and may even wear them OUTSIDE his trouser legs.
There's more: He might even be willing to wear OUTSIDE his trouser legs a pair of ankle-warmers with the colors of the local football team -- red and white. So I've knit up some in both colors, AND a special pair with red-and-white stripes.
This nephew lives several hundred miles away, which means I may never know if he makes good on his word, but in the meantime, he's wrapped me around his little finger.
Not only is this person willing to wear a pair of ankle-warmers, he declares he's willing for all the world to see, and may even wear them OUTSIDE his trouser legs.
There's more: He might even be willing to wear OUTSIDE his trouser legs a pair of ankle-warmers with the colors of the local football team -- red and white. So I've knit up some in both colors, AND a special pair with red-and-white stripes.
This nephew lives several hundred miles away, which means I may never know if he makes good on his word, but in the meantime, he's wrapped me around his little finger.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
WAITING IN QUEUE LINES
That's when I get my knitting done -- well, some of it.
I'm not like that dedicated Canadian knitter who carries a sock project with her wherever she goes and once lost a ball of fine blue merino yarn down an elevator shaft, but whenever I'm faced with making a telephone call that is likely to put me in a queue line the first thing I do is pick up a current project.
It's a bit of a trick to tuck the telephone under a shoulder, but once settled it does very little to slow down my pace. Normally, I wouldn't even mention that I'm knitting while I'm talking -- or waiting -- but once I got so angry at the transaction I snapped back at the service representative by telling her that I had already spent so much time explaining my problem to so many people I had been able to knit fourteen rows on a rather complicated shawl.
The last part was a lie -- I don't knit complicated things. The fourteen rows might have been an exaggeration as well, but I heard a little gasp and I knew she had gotten my drift. I regretted later that I had not asked the service representative about her current knitting project.
Maybe even given her my blog address.
I'm not like that dedicated Canadian knitter who carries a sock project with her wherever she goes and once lost a ball of fine blue merino yarn down an elevator shaft, but whenever I'm faced with making a telephone call that is likely to put me in a queue line the first thing I do is pick up a current project.
It's a bit of a trick to tuck the telephone under a shoulder, but once settled it does very little to slow down my pace. Normally, I wouldn't even mention that I'm knitting while I'm talking -- or waiting -- but once I got so angry at the transaction I snapped back at the service representative by telling her that I had already spent so much time explaining my problem to so many people I had been able to knit fourteen rows on a rather complicated shawl.
The last part was a lie -- I don't knit complicated things. The fourteen rows might have been an exaggeration as well, but I heard a little gasp and I knew she had gotten my drift. I regretted later that I had not asked the service representative about her current knitting project.
Maybe even given her my blog address.
Monday, October 25, 2010
CHECK MY LEGS
Well, figuratively speaking, and about ten months out of the year you'll find me wearing ankle warmers.
I HATE cold ankles.
Ankle warmers can be worn discreetly underneath (and virtually undetectable) pants' legs. Remember when Scarlet made herself a promise -- I'll never have cold ankles again?
I HATE cold ankles.
Ankle warmers can be worn discreetly underneath (and virtually undetectable) pants' legs. Remember when Scarlet made herself a promise -- I'll never have cold ankles again?
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
DAY KNITTING AND NIGHT KNITTING
How can there be a difference, you ask.
Like most knitters, I often have more than one project going at the same time. Normally, I have one project downstairs next to my comfortable chair, and another upstairs next to my recliner. Never waste a minute.
Recently, in order to have the right size needles, I picked up a pair of metal -- I think it's aluminum -- needles, and rediscovered something I had forgotten since becoming accustomed to wooden needles. Because metal needles create less friction, they are much faster.
They do have a major drawback, regretfully. At night the shiny reflections can cause considerable eye strain, hence as long as I'm using metal needles, I'll be forced to divide my projects into day knitting and night knitting.
Like most knitters, I often have more than one project going at the same time. Normally, I have one project downstairs next to my comfortable chair, and another upstairs next to my recliner. Never waste a minute.
Recently, in order to have the right size needles, I picked up a pair of metal -- I think it's aluminum -- needles, and rediscovered something I had forgotten since becoming accustomed to wooden needles. Because metal needles create less friction, they are much faster.
They do have a major drawback, regretfully. At night the shiny reflections can cause considerable eye strain, hence as long as I'm using metal needles, I'll be forced to divide my projects into day knitting and night knitting.
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