Maybe he has no idea

Last night was perfect.  I try not to get to invested in counting on things being perfect, since so much of the universe remains out of my control and it turns out that matchlessly ironed napkins guarantees no happiness (although I admit, it feels like it should) but it all came together beautifully.

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The traditional Solstice peppermint bark was finished on time, and the candles were lit,

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and the soup steamed on the stove and the ice lanterns glowed outside, and it even snowed, in a perfect, dark, and quiet solstice way.  It was amazing, and the best part was that as I set the last of the lanterns on the edge of the porch, and surrendered my fate to the universe, gave up entirely on ever being finished anything on time..

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The post truck pulled up, and a very nice man handed me my yarn.

Now, it turns out that this may or may not be as good a thing as I had hoped.  I almost thought – as I looked at the calendar and looked at the pile of yarn, that it might have been better if it hadn’t come until after Christmas. I’d have had to go to the store and buy a few presents, but it would have been okay. I could have finished things after the holidays, and avoided the whole mad knitting dash, but the package arriving on the evening of the 21st? I held it in my hands, and I felt something, and it felt like hope. Could I? That’s what I was thinking.  Could I pull off a modified plan, now that it was here? I mean, there’s no way I can make all the things I thought were doable, but…. doesn’t it seem now like it’s worth a shot? I started knitting a little faster.

I finished the first little sweater that was on the needles, and wound the yarn for the second, and at some point I texted Joe a picture of the finished sweater, and he cheered and said it looked good, and I replied that the yarn had come, and that I could start the second one.  “You’re knitting another sweater before Christmas?” he wrote.

“And a cowl.” I replied.

“Honey, you might be screwed.” he typed.

We’ll see about that, I thought, but I just typed “Good night.”  Hold onto your needles knitters, let’s just see.