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Happy Dance Time

Posted on February 18, 2009 by auburnchick

I’m doing the happy dance, and it has something to do with this:

Can you guess what the shirt means?

Well, today I was doing my thing at school…answering the phones, writing passes…nothing out of the norm…when the principal’s secretary approached the Attendance desk.

She leaned over (we sit kind of low behind the counter) and waited for my co-worker to finish her phone call.

And then she said the magic words…

“We want you to stay for the rest of the year.”

I’m finding it difficult to find the words to describe the joy I felt in that moment.

Immediately, my co-worker, who I shall henceforth refer to as Ms. D, jumped out of her chair at the same moment I did.  We looked at each other and embraced, dancing around afterward.

I have no idea what the kids in the office thought.  Actually, I really don’t care.  It was a scene that spoke of celebration.  It was one that was repeated many times throughout the day as the word spread.

Those ladies really know how to make a person feel welcome. I mean, I’ve only been working in the office for a week and a half!  I’ve worked in offices for much longer than that and never had bonds develop so quickly.

The principal’s secretary (or is it PC to call her an assistant?) later brought me the shirt in the picture above…a gift for me.

I’m floating on air.

I am incredibly grateful for God’s provision.  While this job will continue to pay the same salary as that of a regular sub, I trust that God will fill in the gap so that my bills will get paid each month.

God is so good…so dependable…so amazing.  I know this in the tough times, and I know this in the easy times.  He never changes.  Thank goodness for that in a world where things are constantly in upheaval.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Random Acts of Knitting

Posted on February 17, 2009 by auburnchick

I want to start a new movement, and I want to call it Random Acts of Knitting.

What on earth, you may be wondering, has led me down this path?

Well, the reason, dear friends, has to do with the chemo cap I knit for my bank teller.

I had the privilege of gifting it today.

You must understand that I do not want any recognition for the knitting I do for others.  That is part of the fun of knitting the Oddball Blankets.  It was the fun of knitting for Knitting Guy’s mom, Ms. Jean.  Unless I knit a gift for Christmas or a birthday. I do not get to see the recipient’s face.

Not so today, although that was not my intention.

I took the hat, wrapped in a gift bag, as I ran errands.  My plan was to drop it off quickly and leave.  I didn’t even sign the card I had included.

When I walked into the branch, I was greeted, by name, by one of the customer service representatives…the advantage of living in a small town.  Since I wasn’t sure how to spell the teller’s name, I stopped and asked the representative.  He pointed to the teller’s counter, indicating that she was working today.

Uh oh…there went my carefully laid-out plan to remain anonymous.

I had, after all, nicknamed her the “Traveling Teller,” and she had gotten a laugh out of it.

God apparently had different plans.

Another gal is on maternity leave, so “my” teller is working in this branch for the next few weeks.

I shyly approached the counter, struck by her courage that led her to go capless today.  Her eyes still had the sparkle I’m familar with.

I’ve gotta tell you that I am not the most confident person around.  I’m very self-conscious and don’t want to come across as weird.

Anyhow, I kept putting one foot in front of the other until I reached her.

While handing her the bag, I told her that I had been touched a couple of weeks ago when I saw her, and I wanted to make something for her, having the perfect yarn in my stash.

She opened it, marveling at the softness of the chinchilla, but I grew concerned that perhaps the cap would be too large.

She quickly put it on.

A perfect fit.

I sincerely told her that I love her.

I meant it.

She is in a tough business where people are always in a hurry.  I’ve never seen her grow impatient, no matter how long or difficult a transaction might be.  A real sweetie.

Hence, my heart-felt words.

She told me that she loves me too.

I exited the bank as gracefully as I could, having never done anything like this before, and sat for a moment to collect myself.

Then I called my sister.  I had to share the experience with her.  I grew teary as I talked.

She understood.

Random Acts of Knitting.

Who can we touch today?  Whether it be a homeless person who needs a pair of mittens or a newborn in need of a blanket.  It doesn’t take much time, and it doesn’t take much money.  A little effort goes a long way.

I was reminded of that today as I saw the joy reflected in my teller’s eyes.

I am humbled that God would use my hands to bring such joy to someone.  I pray that I will continue to keep my eyes open to others who could use a Random Act of Knitting to bring a ray of sunshine to their day.

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

A Quick Fix

Posted on February 16, 2009 by auburnchick

On Sundays, I tend to veg out and knit.

Having just finished the chemo cap (see previous post), I started trying to figure out what I wanted to make next.

My friend, Rabbitrescuer, is going to be working on her first pair of socks.  We’re going to do a KAL (that’s knit-a-long for all of my non-knitting readers).  I am honored that she is allowing me to walk her through the process.

We had been discussing which pattern to use, but we had not made a firm decision yet.  I knew she was working a 12-hour shift on Sunday, so that left me in a quandary.

What to do with myself.

You know you’re addicted to knitting when you wander around the house, lost for something to do despite having ironing and dirty dishes giving you the evil eye.

I managed to ignore them, as usual, and racked my brain.

Poor brain.  It cannot take too much.

I considered casting on a pair of socks for the fun of it…something I could work on until we started our KAL.  However, I was afraid to commit my needles in fear of needing them for whatever we would settle on.  I only own one set of each size of needles, so I’m stuck there.

In desperation, I meandered to one of my yarn baskets and pulled out the first skein my hand touched.

It was this:

Araucania Wool Chunky #134

Araucania Nature Wool Chunky #134

It had been a gift from another knitter who sent it to me along with an oddball blanket I was working on at the time.

Here it is all wound up:

Araucania Nature Wool Chunky #134

Araucania Nature Wool Chunky #134

With the yarn in hand, I sat down at the computer and pulled up Ravelry.  I love Ravelry for its search feature.

After plugging in the yarn, I found many, many pages of projects.  Most of them were too large for my one skein.  I found myself trying to decide between a couple of patterns, finally settling on Calorimetry, a free pattern from the Winter 2006 issue of Knitty.

What a fast knit!  It only took me about three hours.  I made myself finish binding off before going to bed at the late hour of 11:30.

I used the double rib invisible bind-off from the Interweave Knits Fall 2008 issue.  If you have this issue, it’s worth taking a look at.  I just love the finished edge…invisible, as promised.

A couple of notes before you get to see pictures (unless you’re cheating and already scrolled down).  I only cast on 92 stitches.  This pattern is notorious for turning out too big.  I also went down to a size 7 needle.  It fits using the hole closest to the end.  I do have big hair, though.  If you make this, you might want to venture nearer to 100 stitches.

The pattern only required 45 grams of yarn, so it’s a great way to use up some of that stash you might have.  I still have about half a skein left.

And now, here are some pictures of my project:

The color in this picture is a little bright.

The color in this picture is a little bright.

Thank goodness I save all of the extra buttons that come with my clothes.  I scrounged around and came up with one that worked.

This is the true color.

This is the true color.

Ok…off to take a peek at the pattern that Rabbit and I decided on.  More information on that later!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

A Teller’s Hat

Posted on February 15, 2009 by auburnchick

You might remember my story about walking into my local bank and spying my favorite teller who, I discovered, is undergoing chemotherapy treatments.  She was wearing a cotton turban.

Instantly, I remembered purchasing this yarn:

Berroco Chinchilla Color #7524

Berroco Chinchilla Color #7524

After finishing my Hawaiian Leis Socks, which you saw a post or two ago, I immediately cast on for the “No-Hair-Day Hairy Chemo Cap.”  The free pattern is located here.

Now, if you’ll recall, I made two of these hats last summer, using eyelash yarn.  I was not happy with the results.

I was determined that this time would be different.

And it was.

Here is the finished project, which I cast on Friday night (2/13) and finished last night (2/14).  This was not constant knitting time but knitting in between “life.”

I made the small size, but the hat still turned out a little large.  I found that rolling up the brim made the hat fit better and adds a little character to an otherwise plain hat.

I hope she likes it!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Keeping the Post Office Busy

Posted on February 14, 2009 by auburnchick

Eighteen blankets…

Laundered…

Folded and packed…

Worsted Weight Blankets

Worsted Weight Blankets

Nine worsted (above) and nine preemie (below)…

Preemie Blankets

Preemie Blankets

Boxed up and ready to go…

Boxed Up!

Boxed Up!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Valentine Surprises

Posted on February 13, 2009 by auburnchick

This was a busy day at school.  Not because it was Friday the 13th, mind you, but because it was Valentines’ Day Eve.

The office resembled Grand Central Station with students filtering through all day long, many carrying carnations, flowers, or stuffed animals…gifts from parents, best friends, and “Guy Friends.”

As a sub at the front desk, I did not expect any special attention.  Technically, I’m not part of the family.  So, I was surprised when two carnations showed up at my desk.  The band sold them as a fundraiser, and two staff members kindly bought them for me.  Another gal in the office brought over a sucker.

All morning long, various people dropped off goodies.  Candy hearts, chocolates (which I ate before getting a picture of), and other goodies.

The highlight of my day, though, occurred most unexpectedly.

The principal’s secretary walked over and asked me to try on a black and silver beaded bracelet.  She said she was shopping for her mom, who was small like me.  I put on the bracelet, gave my opinion (it was a little bit too large, but would pass for wearable).  She went back to her office.

A little later, just at the height of activity at my desk, she walked back over and had me hold up my arm for her to slip another bracelet on.  Now, picture this…three parents are standing in front of me, waiting to check out their children.  I have parents on the phone wanting to check out their children, who can drive themselves home, and I have my finger plugging my free ear so I can hear out of the headphones better.  Funny sight and funny time to be trying on a bracelet.

However, I did as I was told (trying on jewelry is so much fun, no matter how busy you are).  The bracelet was a much better fit than the previous one, and I said so.

“It’s yours,” she declared with a huge smile on her face.

I couldn’t believe it.  It was a very thoughtful gesture, and I could see the joy it gave her (it’s always fun to be the gift-giver).  Here are a couple of pictures of the bracelet, which was made by the school’s bookkeeper, who got a much deserved hug from me.

Oh, and I thought you might get a kick out of what I ate for breakfast this morning (a treat from one of the students):

Nothing speaks of love like a heart-shaped donut.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Eye-Opening Week

Posted on February 12, 2009 by auburnchick

This week has been interesting.  My work in the front office has allowed me a glimpse of the many things that go on in high school.

Boy, have things changed from my days in school…way back in the 80’s.

Or have they?

I was fortunate (although I didn’t know it back then) to grow up in a very small town.  My entire high school, which consisted of seventh through twelfth grades, was housed in one building, and it wasn’t a big building…more like an old plantation home.  I think we had seven classrooms.

Sure, we had some drama, and we certainly had our share of tragedies…the kind that are all too familiar for teenagers, no matter where you live.

Yes, this has been an eye-opening week.

Yesterday, a gal came to use the phone, and she and the friend who had accompanied her openly discussed her appointment that afternoon…to find out the sex of the baby she is carrying.  She’s a senior, due in June.  She’s only now beginning to show, so people are starting to find out about her pregnancy.

One student had the beginnings of a panic attack while waiting for his mom to check him out early.  And I can’t even begin to tell you how many kids have been skipping or getting their parents to call in and lie for them…just so they can leave school early.  I’m so naive that I don’t realize what’s happening until the gal sitting beside me explains.

There are also those students who come in and make my heart sing.  One such person is a guy who was in the class I subbed for in the fall.  Do you remember when I stayed in one classroom for a week?  I loved those kids and wanted to stay for the duration of the teacher’s maternity leave; however, the school hired a more experienced teacher.

This student came into the office a couple of times today.  He wasn’t feeling well and was wasting time.  He was the student who I asked to stop smoking after seeing him walk home from school one day, cigarette in hand.  I had asked in a gentle, concerned way, and he didn’t take offense.  That was before Christmas.

Today I asked him if he had resumed this habit, given some stressful things he’s been going through lately.

“Nope,” was his answer.

My jaw nearly hit my desk.

“Really?” I asked in surprise.

“Really,” he assured me.  He said that he even told his dad about how I had asked him to stop.  And he did.

What a wonderful reminder of how one person can influence another.

I can’t help but admire the lady who is permanently assigned to the Attendance desk.  She goes above and beyond the call of duty to help students, parents, and other employees.  In the last four days, I’ve frequently watched her bring smiles to students’ faces by giving heart-felt compliments on their appearance, doling out band aids and medication, or excusing absences that really shouldn’t be excused…giving them a chance to redeem themselves.   She soothes parents’ frustrations and has even managed to patiently train Yours Truly.

There’s certainly more than meets the eye when you walk into a school.  I count this as more experience that will, hopefully, prepare me for the day I have my own classroom.

Or, perhaps I already have a classroom.  It may not have four walls, exactly, and I may not be teaching history or English.  But what I am teaching is compassion, empathy, and maybe even humility…as I mirror the actions of my “partner-in-crime” (i.e. the gal in the chair beside me).

Much to think on…much to pray for…

Filed under: children | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Another Pair of Socks Complete!

Posted on February 11, 2009 by auburnchick

Yay!  Another finished project!  And it only took me a month and a week to complete.  Ha, ha, ha!

These are my Hawaiian Leis Socks.  The pattern is from the Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar 2008.  You can find a Ravelry link here.

First, the pictures, compliments of Soccer Chick, who grumbled at having to, once again, lay on her belly on the floor to get the perfect angle (insert evil laugh here)…

Hawaiian Leis Socks

Hawaiian Leis Socks

Here’s a close-up…

The yarn is Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport, and the colorway is Georgetown.

This was a super-easy pattern, and it went quickly when I settled down to work on it. It only took me awhile because of various other life obligations. Too bad I can’t be a full-time knitter!

I knit these using two circs (size 1 1/2) – my favorite method.

I completed ten pattern repeats for the legs and ten more for the feet (everything from the heel down).  Take a close look at the heel.  It’s the Eye of Partridge…a nice alternative to the slip stitch heel.  You can find directions on how to make this heel by going to this site.

I adjusted the decreasing on the toes – a first for me that I think worked out nicely since my feet are certainly not narrow.  I alternated decreases w/ss until I reached 32 total stitches (16 on each needle). Then I completed two more decrease rounds without the even rounds in between to get me to a total of 24 stitches (12 on each needle). I kitchenered off. Voila! No more pointy toes!

Onward to the next project.  I’ve already got my yarn out and will cast on tomorrow!  Be on the lookout.  This one should be a quickie!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Hammer Time

Posted on February 9, 2009 by auburnchick

Here’s a video from Living Waters.  What an awesome witness encounter…once again by Ray Comfort.  He has such a way with people…incredible!

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Adventures in Subbing

Posted on February 9, 2009 by auburnchick

My week has gotten off to a good start.  Praise the Lord!  Especially after last week.

Today I filled in at the attendance desk at my kids’ high school.  What a blast I had!

Basically, the job involves answering the phones, writing passes for students checking in and out of school, and greeting visitors.

A good portion of the morning was spent listening to parents’ messages…explaining why their children were out sick.  I had to chuckle at one mother’s phone call.

While explaining that Johnny had a sore throat, she went on to detail how he had diarrhea.

Um, yeah, like I really wanted or needed to know that.

“Sick” works just fine in my book.  Short and sweet.

I turned to the other gal who works the desk and shared the call.  She’s heard it all, she assured me.

There were quite a few late arrivals…students who, when asked why they were late, honestly replied, “No reason.  I’m just late.”

O-kay.

Gotta love the non-embellished response, eh?

Many of the students I saw recognized me from the classes I’ve subbed in.  Most smiled as I greeted them comfortably.

I was called into another class to allow the sub to go to the bathroom.  It was the Guitar class.  Let me tell you, I really appreciated my current “station” when the sub told me she had caught two students kissing in class, and other couples were acting overly affectionate.  Boy, was I glad I didn’t have that assignment!  I hoofed it back to my desk in the front office when she returned.

All-in-all, I was totally in my element.  There was something very energetic about working in the front office.  Things were crazy!  I hardly had time to pull out the sock I’ve been trying to finish, although I did manage to get in a couple of rounds before the day was over.

One other thing that fed my eager pace was when, after only my first hour there, the gal who schedules subs walked over to me, calendar in hand, and asked if I could work the rest of the week in the office.

Yippee!

I was delighted.

She rearranged the rest of the week for me, getting my two subbing jobs reassigned to someone else.

It’s always a good feeling to be appreciated and wanted.

They told me they were thrilled to have me.

The feeling was mutual.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

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