The Calming

The atmosphere seems to have parted around us this first year full timing in Panoply. More times than a reasonable person could expect, threatening weather skipped hauntingly past us to throw lightning, hail, or winds at someone else. To say we were grateful would be the cliché understatement.

Do I dare hope for 2012 to go as well? How about I hope the same for you?

Done.

Yes, I do!

We have a new grandchild. Our first! As soon as Leon finishes up his workamping at Amazon.com, we will go meet her! Yes, there is a lot of pink in our future, hers, too! Don’t expect us to have a princess for a granddaughter, though. Her mom has well adapted her tomboy side with her all girl side. I am quite sure her daughter will be as adept! I am sure our son will play his role in helping to round her out, as well.

Yes, our granddaughter was born on December 10th. Is not that the greatest thing?! I have been lax on my knitting, getting used to this RVing life style, and not having access to the yarn and needles I wanted when I had time and patience to work on the booties and hats. And there is the ‘issue’ of new places, new people, new gorgeous views to distract me.

Patience, you ask? It’s like this, I am not a person who can concentrate on anything other than the internet or a good book, lol. I am so easily distracted that I miss a stitch in the pattern, discover it way down the piece and have to rip out. Of course, I do not know the correct way to do that, so invariably I am untwisting or twisting stitches on most or all of the row when I start knitting again. It IS a labor of love, but….

(Hmmm, I had to edit it, you could not read some of my strange typos, lol. It shows up in black on HTML page, but not on visual page. No time to research the problem now!)

I leave you with a vision of hope for good days. I absolutely love this sky – it is the reflection of joy radiating from despair.

That is not true; my brain is in complete chaos about Panoply’s design, but on to the pic of the gift that will help future picnics, and therefore, future calm.

Isn’t it cute? About 47″ long, with two little benches that when folded click in for storage beneath the folded picnic table. Our son and daughter-in-law gave it to us for Christmas, their way of “approving” our RV dreams. OK, that’s not it at all, but it was our first gift for Panoply – and a thoughtful one at that! Don’t know where we can keep it, but Leon will make it work, ’cause he knows better than to let ME find a place for it – that will involve construction – or a new car.

Of course, with a green table and benches, one blue folding chair and one bright orange folding chair, and a beige mat left by previous owners, we will be known as the Mismatch Duo, but all money is going into safety related items and into changing out some items for less ‘toxic’ items, not decorating. That is just the way I want it!

Speaking of  peaceful. Calming scene, don’t you think? A swan lazing along the water in natural Florida, old Florida feel. This swan is at the Palm Beach Zoo. It is a small zoo; we love it!

But, as in life, calm sometimes precedes chaos or anger. The innocent swan floated over to us as we stood at the railing. Leon dared to have his hand on the railing. Let’s just leave it at, there were multiple attempts at removing his hand from his body by this innocent appearing swan. Unfortunately I did not catch the first try in which contact was made, though no blood wrought.

Today will be a day of calm, I hope. I have forbade Chaos to come our way. ; )

I hope your day is filled with love and laughter.

The Space Needle from afar. Seeing it against the blue sky is not as infrequent as one would expect from ‘gray’ Seattle. It is always a treat to see. (I say is, for me, was, as we were only in that area three years, sigh.

But, there is peace in view, even when driving on the busy interstates. Leon never got over rounding a corner to see it. Neither did I. This is the calming magic of Seatlle, I think.

I hope you enjoyed these. Every time we view them, our resolve to work in Florida twelve months a year, instead of six or seven, lessens.

We will be back Seattle. We almost signed up to volunteer in Alaska next summer, with you in mind. Maybe in a year or two. For now, the winds are blowing here – and that makes me happy.