Last of August

Miss Mess’s new favorite question is “is it a fall day yet?” We are ready now. She has her sweater, and a hat, my sweater is on the needles, as are a tot sized pair of mittens (complete with mitten strings because I wanted to learn to use my spool knitter.)

We are both dreaming of falling leave, picking apples, and pumpkin pie. She is talking about Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving with her cousins, and I am ready to be cozy in handknits.

But even as we look forward to the seasons changings, I’m trying to figure out where this big girl came from. We have her open house at preschool tomorrow, and I’m not sure how that’s possible. She is so ready though, and I am comforting myself with the thought that it’s still only two days a week, and only three hours at that. I’m hoping to use the time helping my mom out with her book keeping and knitting at the Panera just across the street (there’s not enough time to go home and back.) Wish us luck!

A Creek Runs Through It

 

There is something magical about our big rock. It is not the first big rock, and isn’t even half the size of my grandparents big rock, but it is as crucial to our summer days as sunshine. No matter how hot it gets, down in the shade it is comfortable. Put even just your toes in, and everything is cool again.

 

Miss Mess digs and splashes and explores while I read or knit or both. The dogs cool their bellies and then nap on the banks.
Walking to the mailbox become a half mile journey as we side track across the bridge and through the woods. I’ve started packing snacks and a water bottle, knowing we will be down here at least an hour. But I get more steps in, and she wears thorough a small fraction of her boundless energy.

The running water, the singing birds, the chirpping tree frogs, even the toddler questions blend together to the most wonderful music, and my hands, heart, and mind are at peace.

Sour Patch

Last year a wonderful friend and I made matching Sour Patch tops of our daughters. Despite the miles, we managed to get them wearing them together when I visited Columbia. And even though it had been a year since we had seen each other, things just clicked back. It was a wonderful week, and this top has always reminded me of those happy times, as well as my friends in Tallahassee.

This year, I was very sad to find that the dress only just barely fit as a shirt due to unexpectedly large growth spurts over the winter. I continued to pull it out of the dresser because she loved the colors, and I loved everything it represented, even as it got shorter and shorter. Then as a complete surprise, this showed up in the mail!

My truly amazing friend sent me yarn to make the next size up! And a bag of big sour patch kids because we were knitting a bigger sour patch for our kids. It could not come at a better time, or have made me feel anymore loved

I cast on immediately, and finally finished just last week. She loves it, and I have a whole new year to dwell on the happiness friendship brings. For it is with friends, even long distance friends that we see the measure of ourselves, or at least I do. I tend to struggle with self worth, but I see deep friendships crossing years and a thousand miles, and I know that I am doing something right.

I have yet to get a non blurry picture of her wearing it, but I’m ok with that. She spends her days twirling, running, moving, and living.

ravelry links for last year’s dress and this year’s dress.