Progress

Sunday, my husband and I, enjoyed the milder afternoon by walking on the MoPac Trail. This trail, east of Lincoln, is named for an old Missouri Pacific Railroad corridor that it follows. The portion we walked is outside the city limits. As the prairie comes to the end of winter's rest, I find beauty and peace in the subdued landscape. Although a few shaded spots on the trail were covered with frozen slush, green weeds poked up along the edges. Finches and juncos chirped. We came upon this lightbulb art piece tucked back in a lane off the trail.  Here I am in my old barn jacket and patched jeans, looking a little like my Mom in one of her many red coats.

The lightbulbs hold a special place in my heart. My daughter and her family lived in Lincoln the summer they were installed. My two eldest grandsons and I spent many happy hours visiting them. At first Emmett was frightened by some of them and so we just drove by. Then as we ventured out to look at the more whimsical pieces, he lost his fear and wanted to get out at each location. Then he chose his favorites to revisit and show to his next youngest brother, Micah. Of course as we drove around town, we sang, "This Little Light of Mine." Later the pieces were auctioned with the proceeds going to The Lighthouse, a local agency serving at risk teens. They found new locations around the city, hence the surprise siting off the trail near a restored prairie. For me, that summer was golden. We took this photo and sent it to the boys.

The good news is walking, which I love, now eases my back pain. I am also able to knit on most projects, taking frequent breaks to stretch or move. Really, we should all be doing this as a preventative measure. I knit a bit on this baby sweater and hope to finish for a mid-March shower. I am ready to knit the bottom ribbing but may rip back a few rows. It looks long to me. Thank goodness I noted the needle size for the ribbing in my Rav notes. Otherwise I'd have no idea what size I used on the neck. Whew.

Last evening, I finished the knitting on this shawl so it is ready for a bath and blocking. I left the teal yarn attached in case I didn't like the gold edge. In the light of morning, I think it is fine. I love the golds, tans, and browns on the prairie but I don't wear them often. I think some of the dithering about this shawl has to do with the gold accent. Color influences my knitting in a big way. I am often drawn to new designs by the colors in the sample. How about you?

I am listening to The Giver of Stars, a novel based about a group of five women who worked as pack-horse librarians in Kentucky during the 1930's. The traveling library was a WPA project promoted by Eleanor Roosevelt as a way to develop literacy. At the beginning, I thought the story and characters were too predictable. About midway, I am quite invested in the young women and the obstacles they face. The growing friendship between five women of different backgrounds is very heartening. Because I need something more peaceful at bedtime, I am rereading Fifty Days of Solitude by Doris Grumbach. This journal of Grumbach's experiment of spending days in solitude is a ramble through her reactions on winter days in Maine. The book was published in 1994 and recalls such a different time.

Late as it is, I am linking with Kat and the Unravelers. I hope you are making good progress with your knitting and seeing a little glimmer of Spring.