Friday, July 24, 2009

Finished First Draft of Twin Memoir!!!

As of today - our joint memoir - first draft - is done. I won't go into a lot of detail right now. It still needs significant revision and rewriting, but what an unimaginably glorious thing to have completed it! I can honestly say it was no work at all. It took time, but it was pure pleasure. I think it was an essential ingredient to refreshing my interest in my longer solo project as well. A project which I am still revising.

The joint memoir was begun in earnest just this past March, and sharing the writing with my twin blister, Tara, made it go very quickly. It was the source of a lot of mutual nostalgia and hilarity and I am so happy we made time for it.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Fruits of my Knitting Frenzy



These are the amateur but much appreciated results. (note the pattern is the same though size, colour, function altered - manly afghan for Poppy, feminine walker seat cover for Nanny) Managed to finish these during my two weeks in Newfoundland for the family reunion/65th wedding anniversary celebration. While others were dancing and whooping it up, I'd be in the corner knitting frantically to the music, to get my offerings wrapped up before the big reveal. NEXT UP: something for my beloved maternal grandmother who supervised and assisted with some of my joining stitches. Not that she couldn't knit whatever I come up with in a quarter of the time and 100% better!
I love the continuity my grandparents give me. As someone who moved almost every year until pretty recently, I'm often amazed that they all still live in the very houses that they did when I was born. You can't buy that kind of anchor. Poppy has written and published his memoirs for the family. I keep hoping my stitches won't unravel, but will hold firm.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Knitting with my Nannies in Newfoundland

My Nannies are my grandmothers. I have two, and one grandfather (Poppy) here in Newfoundland where I have come for two weeks. After a frenzied week of preparing for a clan gathering where we hosted approximately 300 guests at a hugely successful 65th wedding anniversary reunion, I am just now coming down from the high of family time, and getting enough sleep to be coherent. Cousins came from all over Canada and the US but now are trickling away in small groups every day. I'll be the last one left.

It's hard to be the last one left, as the mood shifts from fun and frivolity to nostalgia and guilt over not staying longer, even though you've been here the longest.

I don't know anyone with three grandparents left at my age. I was 30 before I lost my first one. They are the anchors for me and my family. I know in my mind it can't be, but in my heart, I still think they will live forever.

Knitting frantically during every spare moment has left my hands cramped, but provided more of that moving mediation that I have sought this year. There's less of a caloric burn, but it's still effective. I've finished knitting a small masculine throw/afghan for Poppy, to put over his lap when he's booting around on his scooter. He likes to get out, but with poor circulation, he gets cold. My project has taken me more time than it would have either of my Nannies, but he will know I did it. The flaws are not subtle - it is clearly my creation. But, he will also know how much of me, how many thoughts and memories I had time for as I clicked away on the 4.5 sized needles, cramming a month's worth of knitting into one short week.

Now, I'm stitching it together. It doesn't look as polished as I'd like, but I love the feel of the high quality European yarn, and the colours, blocks of shimmery gray with deep brown and blue make me happy. I'd like to wrap him in it and keep him safe forever.