The teaching in Pennsylvania went SO well – I loved Mountain Knits and the students were exceptional!
And, after teaching, it’s nice to relax and sleep. So I took a day at a hotel (always good to regroup) then headed over to South Orange to visit some old friends and spend the night in a friendly guest room.
I love my life in Minnesota – we love being there, and I wouldn’t und0 the last few years (even with the fear and cancer) because – and this may sound like so much smoke-blowing – we’re a better, more loving and more cohesive family than we were before. I wouldn’t wish our situation on anyone, but I’m not sorry it happened to us.
I’m staying with friends who are working through their own forest right now, and dealing with it as well as anyone could. I feel grateful to be part of their extended ‘family’, and very grateful that they invited me into stay overnight.
It’s been wonderful to see old friends and laugh in ways that I haven’t since leaving NJ. Yes, we laugh in Minnesota, but it’s a more controlled laugh – more sedate – more measured. Yesterday I spent a good part of the day guffawing, snorting and doing other attractive things with my mouth and nose while giggling. I miss my friends.
And, after a week, I find myself missing my friends back in MN quite a bit, too. I suppose sometimes transitions take a long time.
Today I’ll drive up to Pound Ridge, NY to visit some other friends, to see some more kids that are Hannah and Max’s age and have a nice evening with friends. I’m coming back to NJ tomorrow to get together with my old knitting group, then I’ll try to devote a few days to catching up on some work that MUST be done (some before June 1st) and then head on up to Squam, NH!
I’ve heard that several of my classes are pretty much filled, which is great! If you’re in the area and you’d like to take one, or if you’d like to come up for a wonderful long weekend of crafts and arts, visit www.squamartsworkshops.com and check out the registration process!
And now, back to my tea-sipping, newsletter-writing, pattern-figuring morning in Sunny Maplewood, NJ!