Lessons Learned

Yesterday was a day to clean the house, start packing and get ready for our week at Letchworth State Park. No, I don't camp. We stay at the Glen Iris Inn in the park. We have been going for over 20 years, always the week before Columbus day, always the same room on the third floor. Once the weather turns a little cooler and the leaves start to fall, a feeling comes over me that is telling me "It's almost time to go to the park". We love it. We hike the trails, check out the beautiful views of the canyon and falls and turning leaves, loaf in the sun reading and napping and eating great food. One of the days, usually a rainy one, we will drive to Hammondsport and stop at a few wineries and pick up a few cases of wine to get us through the winter. We usually eat a late lunch at the restaurant at Bully Hill, stop at Lorraines for home made pie and ice cream.

I usually pack way too much stuff. The restaurants are very casual, the clothes you wear for hiking are perfectly acceptable for dining. So this year I am not taking as much. Same with the books and knitting. I will have my mp3 player which has a ton of books on it. Haven't decided what type I will listen to. I am leaning toward the very light, however. The last few books I've read have been very dark and I need a change. I'm taking a couple of cosy mysteries that I haven't tried yet. I gave up on the Coffeehouse series. Not that they are badly written, I just didn't feel any empathy for the heroine. Not my cup of tea, I guess. The four that I have yet to read will go on Paperback Swap when I get back. Too many good books out there to waste my time on ones that don't hold my interest. I'm still on the lookout for the series that will be as good as Agatha Raisin and Hamish MacBeth.

As for knitting, I am not taking my February Lady Sweater. That is in time out while I decide if I want to continue it. I have gone through about half the yarn and am only about an inch past the garter stitches. The yarn is a gorgeous color but it is very harsh, like knitting with Brillo pads. I loved the sweater that it used to be and wore it quite a bit. Maybe it was just because I didn't know any better yarns at that time. Also, my hands need something soft and easy since they are hurting. The last three projects, the cotton diagonal blanket, the spideyman afghan and the Feb lady gave my fingers and wrists a lot of pain. So I am taking vanilla socks, the Flower basket shawl in beautiful blue Glossand another lace sock which hasn't been started yet. I'll decide whether the lady continues or gets thrown out when I return. Yarn that is of no use is moving on out of here. There is too much good yarn to be knit to waste time on bad yarn.

See, my resolutions are still going strong.