scifiknitter

Today I am 63 years old, and I look back over a year that took me by surprise. None of us knows what lies ahead, and the Universe decided to use a sledgehammer to remind me of that truth over the past 12 months. A year ago I was: - a workaholic, juggling many different sets of responsibilities at my job. - a person who got little exercise and who weighed more than I liked. - glued to a computer screen for almost my entire day. - feeling isolated much of the time. - dabbling in mindfulness meditation, but without a practice. - surprisingly healthy and prone to occasional feelings of well being, given all of the above. Today I am: - retired, and loving it. I feel no guilt at all about not showing up to work any more! - a person with stage IV cancer. - a person who is significantly more active. I go for a walk every day, and in general try to stay on my feet. - still a lover of the computer and the smart phone, but not as tied to them. - overw...

One of the issues I grappled with early after diagnosis was: what the heck do I knit now? Sweaters and lace shawls are wonderful to make and wear, but they take a while to complete. An added consideration is how much wear they will get now that I’m retired. I could certainly wear that gorgeous lace-bottomed cardigan around the house, but will I? Does this mean that I had best restrict myself to small projects and gifts for other people to wear? Gifts are another issue all by themselves. It’s surprisingly difficult to knit a gift that the recipient likes, or uses. Socks are the best bet, but even they are problematic. I have resolved this issue by deciding to knit what I feel like knitting. This means that I now have a new sweater. I finished it in time to wear on a recent trip to Cape Cod (although not in time to wear to my retirement dinner). Here I am in Wood’s Hole, Massachusetts, by a memorial to Rachel Carson. Wood’s Hole is a fascinating spot, as scientific work provides a lot of...