This month, while preparing for my husband’s surgery, I used more convenience foods than I usually do. One day, I went to a National chain grocery store to grab a couple of sandwiches and a few other things. At the register, the cashier refused to wait on the person behind me.
The person behind me was carrying a 40 pound bag of dog food and 3 loaves of bread. It was the time of day when folks were getting off of work, and it was a reasonable assumption that he was heading home to his family. I had a cart with 13 items in it, and was in the express lane, this store has several of those lanes, and more than one was open at the time.
The cashier, after refusing to wait on the male behind me, bragged to me that she didn’t like the color of his skin. I was mortified. I said nothing, gathered my purchases, and left.
It’s been heavy on my brain since then. I haven’t returned to the store since, and I talked about it to two of my good friends. Both of those friends work in retail, and agree with me that there is no place in retail for that type of attitude.
Finally, I went to the corporate website and reported them yesterday.
I received a phone call this morning, from the local store. I was apologized to, and they inquired about the receipt. I finally found it, and again stated what had happened. I was given an apology, and they Thanked me for reporting the incident.
Yet, I’m not the person that needed the apology. I was offended by the person, yes, but it is the guy that had to head to another check that needs the apology. He’s the one that deserved the phone call this morning.
In my heart, and mind, I love the scripture, “Whatsoever you do, to the least of my people, that you do unto me.” I try hard to live to those words, and there are times I fall way too short.
People are people, and sometimes respecting others is all we can give. What does it benefit to treat others with disrespect? What does it benefit to treat someone meanly? It doesn’t. Let’s try to be polite to all, and treat each other a little better today.
Yes, folks, I’m still married, and no my Husband’s name is not Edgar. But I’ve been steadily spending night after night, in bed with Edgar. I’ve been giving him my undivided attention, and my husband is often in the room when I am doing this.
Okay, I’ve been reading Edgar Allan Poe’s Complete works.
Cover of The Tell-Tale Heart (Bantam Classics)
Edgar Allan Poe died 163 years ago today. Edgar is one of those men who lived tragically, and yet was one of the most enigmatic writers of all time. His works vary from humor and satire to horror and science fiction. I’ve come to think of some of his stories years after reading the for the last time.
The Masque of the Red Death, and the Tell-Tale heart are stories I last read as a child. They bring to mind the paranoia and extremes of living.
Other stories, such as “Loss of Breath” angered me. Almost immediately I wanted to slap the main character, the husband. I’m still reading this one.
So, for the month of October, I’ll be spending my nights with Edgar, and I want to say, I don’t think that my husband minds that much in particular.
Louise Ann Benjamin
You can find me in many places:
Member of the Catholic Knitter’s Network
Each week’s podcast will post on Saturday at 12:30 PM Central Time
You can find a link to the topics I discussed in each episode of the podcast at the anonymousknitter website
I’m having a little bit of a problem focusing tonight. Well, this morning. It’s closing in on 5 AM, and I’ve had one of those black nights. I went to bed well before 9 last night, because my allergies were going haywire. I’d eaten some cottage cheese, and had Doritos. Both foods are things I dearly love, but I’ve got a strange reaction to them. They make my sinus cavities go insane, and I end up plugged up, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, the whole bit. My dairy allergy, even with the Doritos, is enough to cause me to weep.
But that’s not the topic of this post, is it. I woke up just after 12 this morning to “Water the Lilies”. When I returned to bed, I found that my joints and shoulder were painful enough that sleep just didn’t come. I am tired, exhausted enough that I’ve had to erase several tries at this post, but sleep just isn’t there for me tonight. It seems that the sandman resents me, for some reason, and won’t stop by even for a cup of Vanilla Caramel Truffle Decaf.
Oh boy, so I listened to an audio book, and I worked on other things. I played some games on my phone, but that just didn’t help. I snuggled the puppy and kitty units. The puppy licked my right eyeball, which gave me some serious thought to germs. Oh well, I’m sure worse has happened. That particular puppy has strange dietary habits.
So, I cam down here to the office, and grabbed my crochet hooks, and a little yarn. I use the remnants of yarn cones and skeins for learning swatches. If I’m trying to learn a new stitch pattern, I grab cotton. If I’m just trying to figure out a new technique for my own strange projects, I’ll use acrylic or other remnants. The swatches end up as either dishcloths, or afghan pieces. Tonight, my focus is a little altered, so I can’t follow a pattern, but I decided to try something I picked up yesterday.
The Boye ergonomic crochet handle was available at my local Wal-Mart. I’ve been wanting one for several months, since I first spied one online. My hands have had the “rust” of arthritis settling in for a couple of years now. I was even considering giving up knitting and crochet last fall because of this. Dad intervened, and made me promise to not give it up. Letting me know that I need to keep moving my hands or I will lose the ability to use them. The sad part, I know this for a fact. I was a nurse’s aide for many years, and saw first hand the effect of arthritis on folks’ bodies.
crochet hooks (Photo credit: stitchlily)
So, I’ve tried the ergonomic crochet handle tonight. It’s purple, and green, and made out of some rubbery/plastic combo. The first thing I noticed, do not open the package over anything but a table. I damn near lost several of the do-hickeys that slide onto the crochet hooks the second I opened it yesterday. The second thing I learned, was that when you lose one of the little collars, the do-hickeys, you end up searching on hands and knees everywhere for the thing, and become slightly obsessed if you don’t find it. I must consult the cats on the location of that particular item.
On the operation of the ergonomic crochet handle, it does help, if your arthritis is mostly in the digits of your hand. If you have carpel-tunnel disease, I can imagine that this would inflame it worse. Here’s what I observed. The handle exaggerated every movement of the wrist that I normally would do as a crocheter. I was doing with my wrist, all those things that I normally do with my digits. Something else that occurred was that my gauge changed dramatically. To start, I used a “I” hook, and worsted weight yarn. Normally, I have a medium gauge with a “I” hook, and the tension of my stitches is much looser, as if I was using a “K” hook. The fabric is much more lace-like, with larger spaces between stitches than I am used to making.
It’s going to take some getting used to, or maybe a learning curve is in order. I’m not sure.
Now, this isn’t the first ergonomic crochet system I’ve tried. When the Provocraft system became available at the local Wal-mart, I purchased that as well. Because my hands did not change movements, the gauge achieved was what I expected for using a standard crochet hook. The only problem with that system? The hooks come loose with much use and they do not have the larger hooks available.
Meanwhile, I’ve got to go take a nap, my brain is running in one to many directions at once.
I’ve wasted a morning looking at another catalog. Yes, I am guilty as charged. I think I’m in love with the webs catalog.
No, I lied, I know I am in love with the webs catalog.
There were only 2 patterns featured that were shudder worthy. In the whole catalog. I have so many want to do projects out of that catalog, that I may switch to Webs as my yarn supplier in 2013… ;o)
In fact, I may break my own rule. The Camel Cape, on page 59 is just luscious! It’s got great drape, a sweet cable, and interesting edging. The yarn, with color gradients, looks so sweet! I may have to download the pattern, and…
Okay, deep breath, back away from the catalog. Put the debit card down. HOLD THE PHONE! While it can be put on a list of wants, it’s not a demonstrated need. Breathe.
My pulse is slowly returning to normal. It’s a good thing I had to look up the spelling of luscious, because the dictionary is covering the catalog. Okay, my blood pressure is slowly returning to normal.
Cold Spring yarn: 39% wool, 36% fine acrylic, 25% baby alpaca, 12 balls of yarn, $5.49 (discountable-whatever that means) add 4 extra balls of yarn for oopsies… 16 balls of yarn =87.64
Project total? 90.83
The cost of my whole wardrobe doesn’t come to 90.83…
Okay, I’m swinging into depression here. I’m trying very hard to not be a “downright mental defective” about it.
I’ve been trying to write all morning, and I have accomplished quite a bit. I’ve thrown several posts away. Meaning posts in progress. I’ve taken a shower and dressed. I’ve done about an hour of research. Sum total of my visible accomplishments? I’ve taken a shower.
Lake Okabena Sunset, Minnesota (Photo credit: M H Ryle)
It seems that every time I turned around, the distractions out weighed the actual work. I’m tempted to take my laptop, growing feeble in it’s old age, my knitting, and run. The reason I’m tempted to do this?
There’s a war movie playing in the next room. The dogs desperately want Mama attention, and my stress level has been steadily rising for the last hour. It seems that my brain just can’t focus today. Or can it?
I’m thinking that maybe I am focusing on the wrong things today. I write this post, with the full knowledge that I have so much to do. And yet, I am not enjoying the process of writing at this time. I’d much rather spend time outside, enjoying one of the last truly nice fall days.
Sunrise over Okabena Lake (Photo credit: juliaschrenkler)
I’d rather be outside, knitting.
So, rather than do some mega-intelligent work here. That’s what I am going to do this morning. I’m going to pack up, laptop, podcasting equipment, writing materials, and throw them in the stroller. I’m going to go take a walk, find a nice spot in the park, and get back to work.
I’m thinking one of the shelter houses by the lake would be a good place. Either that, or heading out to the library, and looking up some things for the book.
KsFishermen2009_lg (Photo credit: M H Ryle)
I’m going to play hooky from the lists, and go be a hooker today. Hey, there’s a couple of meetings today, and I’m thinking of going out and enjoying them as well.
So, I am going to be irresponsible, and I’m going to go have a bit of fun for the rest of my day!
Louise Ann Benjamin
You can find me in many places:
Member of the Catholic Knitter’s Network
Each week’s podcast will post on Saturday at 12:30 PM Central Time
You can find a link to the topics I discussed in each episode of the podcast at the anonymousknitter website
AnonymousKnitter 
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