Friday, December 09, 2005

making a list and checking it twice

Making a list and checking it twice,
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice...

This regularly scheduled post has been pre-empted. What's that, you say? Well, I had planned to unveil the blocked and finished Lelah tonight, but certain sorta-knitting and non-knitting events have taken greater precedence. Not to worry, Lelah, she is certainly finished and is sure to return in the next post. But for tonight, in the spirit of the season, I wanted to share some recent events that have touched my heart.

Yesterday, after a stressful afternoon at the Honolulu Academy of Arts with Bossy and Stinky (note to self: do not attempt to imbue culture or art appreciation in barbaric toddlers in quiet, genteel museum with breakable 4000 year old ceramics within arm's reach), I came home to find a mysterious box from kpixie in my mailbox. It wasn't from Hairy Legs, and a couple of quick calls to the family confirmed that it wasn't from them, either. Curiosity killed the cat and got the better of me, so I ripped open that box to find the most beautiful hank of yarn so beautifully and artfully packaged. This is, without doubt, the most gorgeous yarn I have ever laid eyes on! It's Claudia's Handpainted Yarns Large Loop Boucle in Cherry Chocolate. This is the softest, most heavenly stuff I have ever felt- it is amazing!! I quickly rifled through the box to find out who had gifted me with this luscious and decadent yarn, but there was no note, no tag, no invoice, no nothing!! Was it possible that I had been RAK'ed?? I'd never signed up on those RAK boards, so how was this possible?? I hemmed and hawed, and finally the lightbulb went off in my head. Keohinani graciously replied to my quite possibly psychotic email and confirmed that the wonderful, mysterious package was indeed from her. She had no intention of me finding out it was from her, except for the fact that I pummeled it out of her, being the pushy, blog stalking psycho that I am. It just blows my mind to think that someone would be so generous and so unbelievably kind, to randomly and anonymously send such an incredibly generous gift, just because. And to me, of all people. Jill, from the bottom of my heart, truly, thank you SO, SO, SO much! I can't thank you enough or tell you how grateful I am for your kindness and generosity. Your wonderful package and even more wonderful sentiment made my day and touched my heart. I'll never forget that you were the very first blog land "stranger" to leave a comment on my sad blog and become a blog land (and later, real-life SnB) friend, so it means even more to me, coming from you. Knit blog pals are the best!!!

Look what else arrived in the mail yesterday from Sandee!! I almost passed out with happiness!! Keohinani recently held a "You know you knit too much when..." contest with some fabulous prizes. Sandee was so incredibly generous to donate AWESOME prizes, including the above beautiful Regia sock yarn and Crystal Palace flowers. And this was just for honorable mention!! Sandee, I am SO, SO grateful for this wonderful prize! I can't tell you how touched I am that you would send such a generous and amazing package of yarn and even refuse to let me pay for shipping! I'll say it again....knit bloggers are the best!!!

And Santa, in addition to Jill and Sandee, I have one more person for you to add to your "nice" list...Hairy Legs, who hereafter shall be referred to as Mr. Wonderful. (Thanks for the moniker, Agnes!) Today, while backing our relatively new van out of the *%&$#@% gymnastics parking lot, I failed to see a telephone wire and scraped the passenger door pretty bad. Imagine 7 parallel lines about a foot long running across a previously pristine and unmarred door. We've always made jokes about my driving ability, which (CLEARLY!) is not the best. Which is why I didn't get my license till a year and a half ago, never imagining I was capable of doing something so stupid. The van is barely a year old and was an investment we could barely afford with only one income, but we went ahead with it for the sake of the kids. Needless to say, Mr. Wonderful has been OCD about keeping it clean, waxed, vacuumed and pristine. I almost threw up thinking about how I was going to tell him what I'd done. I considered lying or feigning shock about someone "vandalizing" the car, but in the end, I knew I couldn't pull it off. With my pulse beating wildly and my stomach a mess, I called Mr. Wonderful and told him the truth. And do you know what that wonderful, amazing man said? He said that he was just grateful and relieved that we were safe and unharmed. No anger, no yelling...not even a raised voice. He even told me not to be sorry after I apologized, and that accidents happen. And that he loved me. I got off the phone and cried. Even just writing this, I'm tearing up. I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful husband and father. Thank you for all that you are....I love you with all my heart, J!

There's a line in one of my favorite Christmas songs that goes And saying I love you is always better; Seasons, reasons- they don't matter, So don't hold back. And while I always say that my family and friends mean more to me than anything, I am often guilty of taking them for granted. And never moreso than this past month, with school and holiday preparations often taking greater precedence. These recent incidents have touched me deeply and have made me take a big step back in reflection. I'm reminded of a list that Bossy wrote at Thanksgiving. I wrote "I am thankful" at the top of the page and gave him a pen and free reign to write whatever struck his fancy. I came back a few minutes later to find a list that made me cry. The kind of list that makes you believe that maybe you're actually doing a decent job raising a good kid. Of course, I'd hope that by next year we'd make the cut above turkey and pumpkin pie, but hey, I'll take what I can I get. It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle that we sometimes forget to thank those we love the most. Today, I am reminded again of all that I have been blessed with...how much my family means to me, how much I love them and how very thankful I am to have them in my life. And how very thankful I am for all of the wonderful friends I've made blogging!! For all that you share and all that you do, you girls truly are the best!!

Whew! Thanks for letting me go waaaaay off the knitting tangent there...I promise, definite knitting and crafty content next time! Up next, Lelah's debut and the premiere of my girl, Olga's, super fun list and incredible button that's up for grabs....have you noticed anything new in the sidebar?? Hmmm....Stay tuned!

20 comments:

Karen said...

Okay, now you've got me crying too! J sounds like the wonderful husband you deserve, and the whole scene could have easily been Pea and me. We are very lucky to have such supportive and special men in our lives. Your little mail surprises are great . . . and you have such thoughtful friends and wonderful kids. Of course, you are so special yourself . . . you deserve to be surrounded by goodness.

Lynda said...

Whewy - you're choking me up here! Great stuff - you are truly blessed!!!

WandaWoman said...

It is really nice when you receive a package you're not expecting. Knitbloggers are the best.
That was so sweet of your husband to be so understanding and to not be angry with you. Those are the best to have.

Acornbud said...

Thanks for sharing your life! Bossy's note is so precious and Mr. Wonderful is truly a better moniker for HL. Your yarn is onolicious. I am sooo looking forward to seeing Lelah.

Cat said...

Aaah, Mr Wonderful - what a man! *sigh*

Take care!

Unknown said...

I am so glad he was Wonderful about the van. My van and I have also gotten into a bit of trouble in reverse. Not our fault, the mailboxes seem to jump right in the way.

Congrads on all the fun gifts.

The list of what Bossy is thankful for is a great idea. I made the mistake of asking girl #2 what she wants from Santa, and she want to move out into her own house. We're having a bit of the terrible twos around here.

Jillio said...

awww, it's nothing, really :) i couldn't think of a more kind and deserving person than you, and the blessings that enrich your life are but a testament of the wonderful impression you leave on the lives of others.
it was also kind of to provoke you into blogging. hehe. i admit, i missed reading your stories while you were busy with school and holiday stuff.
Bossy's thanksgiving note was so cute! it's hilarious that turkey and pumpkin pie rate above mom and dad, but when mom's making pumpkin pudding pie with macadamia nuts and a heap of butter, who could blame him? haha. that's the kind of stuff to give you the warm fuzzies :)
and speaking of warm fuzzies...i think mr. wonderful is more than appropriate for your DH, though when i think about it, warm fuzzies apply to Hairy Legs, too. ahahaha! i just crack myself up! must be the coffee...oy.
have a great day, chris!!! :) it's friday!

Anonymous said...

That is one thing I'm ever so grateful for-my blog 'friends'. You deserve everything you get, you're a wonderful bog friend!
Your husband is super. Mine did the same thing about 2 years ago when our car was about 3 months old and I ran over a cement block. A cement block of all things!! Can you imagine?? I was also terrified but he wasn't at all mad. Fortunately, nothing too terrible happened to the car, so we didn't bother with it. Cars are there to be used (and sometimes abused). Chin up, you're not the first and by no means the last to treat your car like that!!

Anonymous said...

What an awesome husband you have! And Bossy's note is so sweet (I'm thankful for pumpkin pie too).

Can't wait to see the knitting goodness that you make with that gorgeous yarn! :)

Cathy said...

Ok, I'm crying too! What a lovely post, what GORGEOUS YARN and what a sweetie of a husband! Accidents DO happen and as I tell my kids (who are DRIVING) - car's can be fixed and/or replaced - loved ones can not! I wish you a relaxing holiday, you most certainly deserve it!
Cath

Sandee said...

You should frame that note with a little picture of Bossy and put it on the wall so you can embarass him as a teen when he brings his girlfriends home! So CUTE!

Congrats again on the honorable mention! I'm glad Regia and Crystal Palace found a good home...I gotta take care of my Hawaii sistahs after all. Enjoy, ah? And thanks for the shout out and putting in a good word to Santa for me! :-)

Jen said...

Thanks for sharing the note from Bossy. It made me giggle, (turkey and pumpkin pie!) and it made me tear up a bit too.

Congrats on winning a prize in the contest. I personally think you should have taken the cake, so I was floored to find that some people have a HUGE following. I guess that's what happens when you frequent the knitty boards a lot and ask for votes there. I should have thought of that! Clearly I knit too much if I'd actually consider doing that...

Laura said...

What a sweet post! It gave me the warm fuzzies, so thanks for sharing all of that!

I am so glad that I can "introduce" people in knitblogland that I really, really like. Like you and Olga! Yay for friends!

And throwers rock!

Sonya said...

What a great post. I'm always amazed at the power of a simple act of kindness. And the yarn looks absolutely yummy.

I can completely relate about how you felt before calling Mr. Wonderful about the van. What a great guy he must be. I backed Kevin's new truck into the trash can about a week after he got it. Never even saw the darn thing. He was totally cool about it, but he did move where we keep the trash can.

Ragan said...

WOW. Love all that yarn!!! SOOOOO nice! What a wonderful Thankful list from your little guy. And...I feel your pain on taking the little ones somewhere that everyone expects them to be quiet. AUGH!
Now if mine take a nap, I can take a shower...and put pajamas back on. I am grateful for a semi-quiet weekend. ;)

=joy= said...

what a great post! i definitely think knitbloggers are some of the greatest people i've met ever... even just interacting blindly, they all are just so caring and considerate. then when you finally meet in person, it's like being with old friends! it's seriously the best feeling knowing you're creating a bond with someone so far away. and not to mention your family... mr. w + bossy made my heart all fuzzy. ^_^

Mimi said...

I am really happy for you. It's great that are remembered so well by your friends. Nothing like yarn to make our day!
So the car incident wasn't that bad, it certainly made you more assured that Mr. Right was indeed the nicest one! ;)

Jenn said...

What a time you've been having! Beautiful yarn and a wonderful hubby! I do love those lists kids make, and when they bring you "i love you" notes - i feel the tears coming!

Jo said...

Bossy's list made my heart thump! (Is he getting over the nickname 'Bossy' by any chance? Is there hope for Willow?!?!)

Jo

knittinmom said...

Hairy Legs is obviously a gem. And Bossy's list is too cute. Don't you love it when your kids show such a sweet, loving side? It makes the day-to-day grind all worthwhile, doesn't it? (I have a cold, and Sydney just came over and offered me some milk while saying "Would you feel better if you had some milk in your mouth, mommy?")

Lelah looks great, too, BTW! And the all your yarny gifts are pretty sweet. Lucky you! (Not that you don't deserve every bit of it...)