Finishing Things

The theme of the week seems to be Finishing Things. Last night, I finished my Gull Cable Socks. Two nights ago, I finished the first half of Guinevere. (The second half is only 5 inches or so, of k2tog yo, over 304 stitches. I’m not thrilled, but it’s doable) Three days or so ago, I finished The Greek Way. I really like this book. I will have to read it again, after I’ve grown up a bit.

All the pressing editing projects are also finished. There’s one 300+ page book to convert and reformat, and several books to update .. but those can wait.

Has anyone noticed I seem to be a project-driven person? I think I am. I just like doing things. One of my lists has been talking about the contemplative lifestyle. I’m not sure if being project oriented bars me from that classification, or not. So much of it probably depends on heart attitude. I don’t like to sit around doing nothing ... but contemplative isn’t the same as being in a vegetative state. Still, I’d rather gather information than actually think about it ... so that’s a definite strike against me. But if I was in the right atmosphere ... who knows what I’d grow into?

School was tough last week. It’s not quite a personal insult, but children who are satisfied with F plusses and D minuses are a definite affront to a parent who was uncomfortable with a low A. The principal and I had a discussion about the situation. The initial conclusion was that they’ll do better when they get to subjects they’re interested in. When the depth of the disinterest was revealed however, more immediate steps were taken to inspire their interest. Steps involving computer time and extracurricular activities. These steps promise to promote wise choices. They can be coarsely summed up as “You no study, you no play.”

I’m hoping to finish Clement’s Instructor, Book I, before setting that aside and diving into Ideas Have Consequences. Clement had quite a few ideas, and I would love to know more of what his contemporaries thought about him. For example: Clement says that Christians should only wear white garments. He notes that the “picture fades in course of time, and the washing and steeping in the medicated juices of the dye wear away the wool, and render the fabrics of the garments weak; and this is not favourable to the economy.” He earlier notes “Dyeing of clothes is also to be rejected. For it is remote both from necessity and truth ... The use of colours is not beneficial, for they are of no service against cold; nor has it anything for covering more than other clothing.” It delights my heart that there are parts left in Latin, so that the commoners among us who don’t read Latin well (which would be me) may not get their untrained minds confused with whatever subject is under discussion. Given the content of the English portion around the Latin, I think that the Latin saves the book from being X-rated.

We’ve recently had a blur of medical ‘things’. In the 31-day period we’re in the midst of , I have attended/will be attending two speech therapy evaluations, a physical therapy evaluation, a walker evaluation, a wheelchair evaluation, three wound care appointments, one orthopedic appointment, one orthodontic appointment, one mammogram, two PT appointments, and two ST appointments. (Whoops ... I forgot two. A blood draw for an endocrinology appointment, and the endocrinology appointment itself.)

Can someone remind me what the ‘home’ in ‘homeschool’ means, again? And if I promise to homeschool, does that mean I get to stay home? Pretty please? With a skein of sock yarn on top?

That reminds me ... I’m off to provide respite care in 2 hours, and I don’t have any socks on my needles. Buttermilk Risata and something from Favorite Socks, here I come!