Talk about a Fibergasm...

I have an aid in my 2nd period class who often brings her crocheting with her if we're doing seat work. I showed her how to do edgings at the beginning of the year, and she's really been taking off with it--I told her that today, and she laughed... "Yeah...it was like learning a different position!" I laughed long and hard...

On the work front, we had this "Course Fair" last night where the kids and parents and teachers sort of schmooze and the kids turn in their schedules--most of the time I dread these things like the plague, but, as it turned out, it wasn't bad--I got to meet some of my favorite kids and talk to some teachers I don't usually talk to--all in all, a success!

To that end, I'm finally pulling myself (a little) out of my "I hate my job" funk...it's taken some blow-ups w/colleagues and the following (welcome) reconciliations, most of which are my fault (both the blow-ups and the reconciliations) because, you may have noticed, I've been sort of a walking exposed nerve this school year, and I vent about everything frequently. Of course the problem with venting (and wallowing--everybody fess up, I do wallow on occasion) is that sometimes it lets us (read me) forget that we (read 'me') actually, mostly, like the people we (read 'I') work with. Anyway--one of the best parts of my evening was meeting w/our District Librarian--she's one of those wonderful, outgoing, positive forces in the Universe and she asked me how I was doing. "M...eh." Was my reply--being a nice person, she wanted to know what was wrong. "Oh...the usual...I vented negative things into the universe, and they came back and bit me on the ass..."

"Tell me about it." She interrupted. "I'm almost 57 and I can't seem to learn not to shoot my mouth off because I always regret it later."

God love her. I was beating myself over the head because I've been making that same mistake since I was 12--I have, on occasion, been accused of intelligence, and since, frankly, my learning curve in this matter has seemed abysmally un-curvy, I was at a loss as to how that perception had occurred. Seeing this wonderful woman whom I love and respect confess to the same failing...well, let's just say I felt a lot more human.

On the fiber front? I'm still stuck on this pair of mittens for a student that, quite frankly, I thought I'd be done with now...maybe it's the yarn...Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK...I think I just don't want to stop fondling it, and that's why I'm spending so long on such a little project...(mmmm...cashmerino...) I also got some of the Samurai's sock yarn...now I'm just stuck trying to figure out a project for it for me that doesn't involve socks...I love MAKING socks, and I love GIVING socks...but I have humongulous baby-be-spread feet with the ankles of a very large woman...quite frankly, the only person whom I love enough to make socks for that has feet as large as mine is my oldest son, and I owe him a pair. So I love this sock yarn, but I think it's actually screaming to me that it is really 'fingerless mitt' yarn, and I'm fine with that. As long as I get to knit me some fingerless mitts before June, if y'all are hearin' me!!!

I know I promised pictures of the adorable infant--there will be some next post, I swear... (because I'll probably be posting on a Saturday...) and she's so damned cute she makes me want to cry. (Yeah...it really needs pictures, doesn't it?) And I'm feeling some Top Sheep coming on...

And on the writing front? BITTER MOON has finally gotten it's legs... in fact, if I'm going longer between posts, it's because I'm off and running with Torrant et al, and we're having a fine old time. Eventually, we'll even get laid...but I'm editing that part out for the children:-)