A baby hat & fresh air.

This post will address two, scratch that, three areas:


1.  Crocheting and/or knitting
2.  My undying need for fresh air
3.  Sluggish, winter blood


Yes, it is a rather random post, but I appreciate you bearing with me.


Friday night, after our weekly family dinner with my parents, Stuart, G-love, and I drove in to town to visit some friends.  While the men of the group went to watch Arrested Development at Danny's house, the girls hung out at Natali's for Craft Night.  Oh, what a wonderful night it was indeed!


We sat around, listened to Christmas music, sipped on homemade hot chocolate with fresh whipped cream and crushed candy canes, nibbled on cookies, chit-chatted, and worked on various crafts that we were trying to finish before the holidays.  Oh, it was wonderful fellowship!  I was able to put G to bed upstairs in the Pak-N-Play, slip into my wonderful grey sweatpants, and spend the remainder of the evening pretending to actually follow a crochet pattern for a sweet little baby hat.


I try.  I really do.  And I'm going to keep trying.  But you see, crocheting and knitting are sorta like baking in my mind - one must follow the recipe (or pattern) exactly.  And that is very, very difficult for me to do.


Oh, there's an extra stitch...oh well!


Let me summarize for you: I've made some pretty ugly things.


Yet somehow, by the grace of God, even amongst conversation and distractions, I was able to make this bad boy:

Isn't that darling!

No, I did not follow the pattern exactly.  And if you look closely, you will see many-a-flaw. But at least it hasn't come unraveled!  I was also inspired at Craft Night to knit some washcloths using two colors.  Watch out, now. Girlfriends on fire.


In order to break in the new little cap, we decided to take a family walk on Saturday morning.  Even though it was frigid outside, we figured we could use the fresh air.  After all, Stuart has been sitting inside staring at a computer screen doing nothing but school work for, like, the last month.  The air inside was stale, like we'd all breathed it too many times.  It smelt of dog.  And banana.  And diapers.  Yep.  Fresh air was what we needed.

Ahhhh.....yes, that's much better.

Isn't fresh air wonderful.  I am so thankful to live in a small town where the air is fresh, clean, and breathable.  And I'm also so thankful to be able to have time to walk, enjoy, and think.


And pray.


Often, when G and I take our afternoon walks, I pray out loud as I walk down the canal. Though I'm not sure why, I find it much easier to pray out loud than trying to do it in my head.  In my head, I'll be thanking God for his grace and then without even realizing it, shift my mind to doing laundry or something completely un-relevant to the prayers.  Way to focus, Shaye.

And speaking of shifting focus, you know one of the best parts about walks?  Exercise.  


Not only do I get to breath fresh air and pray out loud, but I also get to get all that winter, sluggish blood movin' through my veins!  Gotta keep things circulating and active in there, baby!  I love the feeling of finishing the walk and having that tingly feeling in my thighs and booty - like I've actually done something (though usually, the most aggressive part about my walk is a hike up a small hill, but that's neither here-nor-there).

So yes, I crocheted a baby hat.


And yes, I went on a walk and inhaled fresh air deeply.


And yes, these small things made me wonderfully happy.


....


And that's all.