Friday, October 6, 2017

Stay Gold

In this ever changing world of people doing things to their fellow man
that we cannot understand; that leave us gasping for breath and wondering...how?...why?... I still believe in the deep down goodness and great capacity that we have to love one another. My last few weeks have been quite interesting and full to the brim. In the midst of devastating world events and a very local school shooting threat, I have, in my personal realm, been touched so deeply by the warmth and kindheartedness of some very beautiful people.
In the heat of my mad dash week of preparations for the annual Pumpkin Festival Craft Faire a precious friend and neighbor had supper delivered to our front door, knowing that I was just crazy busy and wanting to help in some way. Mind you, she has an extremely hectic household of her own with six children but she was determined to lighten my load. My other friend and neighbor tagged my items and stamped my bags with my business name, as she does every year, around taking care of her four children. The friend and neighbor who lives in the middle of these two and directly across the street from me sent food over hot off her grill one night while she herself  was also preparing for the Pumpkin Festival and caring for her three little ones. This is the community I live in. These are the golden hearts that God has placed just within my reach. We run back and forth across the street when there's a need and we look after one another. To me this is Life at its very finest ... Life as it's meant to be... and I am so very, very thankful.
I've also been blessed by visits from friends who I've enjoyed lovely front porch conversations with. Some of them have shown up with fresh flowers from their gardens in hand for me. Others have brought home baked cookies or pumpkin scones. I've put on the kettle for tea or made them coffee. Together we are squeezing every last drop of pleasant porch time we can before the air turns to chill and forces us indoors again.  They are helping me create memories that I am storing in my heart for the long winter ahead. Each one being its own golden ray of sunshine in my soul.
Of course while we talk, I knit... and knit... and knit some more.
Autumn means lovely little pumpkins and I am just about to wrap up my custom orders on them for this year as I move on to other items to prepare for my upcoming Christmas event. I have knit so many pumpkins this year! I have to say, I think I've enjoyed them more than ever before. Like a dear friend said when she saw a ton of them all loaded together in a big basket before being sorted for individual orders,
"It's like having a litter of puppy's! It's going to be hard to let them go!"
The other thing I knit continuously every Fall
is fingerless mitts in various styles and colors.
Everyone seems to love them. I even have people who prefer them on the coldest of days because they still want their fingers free while driving. Plus a lot of us tend to have cold hands even inside, like my daughter, who wears them to work to keep her hands warm and her fingers free for typing on her computer. 
They tend to be my top selling item.
Some are knit in a DK weight lacework pattern
with a lush blend of merino wool and cashmere.
Others are chunky, cable knits in a soft blend
of merino wool, alpaca and Donegal tweed.
And I have to get my hooks into crocheting some as well, 
with this wonderful merino wool and bamboo fiber.
Although I do as much of my knitting as I possibly can sitting on the swing on my front porch, while weather permits, I have another favorite spot I love to go to knit once a week. Thankfully knitting is portable so I take my work with me wherever I go. One evening a week I take my granddaughter, Gabby, to ballet. She has two classes that together last 2 1/2 hours. This provides me with wonderful knitting time in one of my favorite coffee shops. Also I get to visit with the other customers and employees.
This week I spent time talking to a young man who I've seen in there many times. He's a regular. A friend of the manager. Through the course of our conversation I was very touched by his outlook on life. His desire to live simply and enjoy the smallest things in life... to quite literally find joy in living. We talked about several things. We talked about his siblings, my husband and children and grandchildren, happiness, God and what it's like to be content with our lives, comfortable in our own skin and thankful for everyday life
in a world that is plugged in and disconnected all at the same time.
And here's the thing...
this young man has been confined to a wheelchair all of his life
due to cerebral palsy.
Yet it is well with his soul.
He has figured out how to stay gold.
When the evening was over he thanked me for an "enjoyable conversation"...
Some people absolutely amaze me.
Though it may not seem like it at times,
there are still so many truly good people out there.
We have to look for the good in others and continue to try to connect.
Somewhere inside each of us is that carefree child of eternal summertime, turning a face toward the sunshine and believing that the world is full of hope and beauty and will be forever a place of gold.
"Stay gold, Ponyboy... Stay gold..."
{continue to be innocent and pure}
Johnny ~ The Outsiders

"I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well."
Psalm 139:14