It’s a Beanie!

Let me start by saying I have a lot I want to tell you, but I have to stew in my thoughts a little before putting them all out here.  The Army is about to give my husband back to me.  Yes, I am elated! Ecstatic!  But it turns out the end also brings a flood of other feelings I didn’t expect. Despite having gone through deployments before, the nature of this one was drastically different, and I didn’t realize we would both be left a little "traumatized."  I’m a planner.  So I am spending this time before his return trying to "process" everything so that I can be The Stable One when (if?) he falls apart.  I want you to know what this feels like – in case you’re going through it (and don’t think you’re normal), in case you have family in the military and haven’t always been sympathetic to their mood swings, or for no other reason than fair warning to my own friends and family :).   I’m sure I’ll share more as I’m able.  For now, on to my little victory…

A crochet beanie for E. That I made! (will share pattern in a separate post)  This very project has been rolling around in my head for months now; I can’t believe I did it!  My Aunt S. joined us earlier this week.  She brought crochet lessons.  This is a modification of two patterns I found online.  I have a matching beanie – not by design, but by mistake.  The first attempt went awry and so it became mine.

Mom was feeling left out of all the creativity so she decided to press leaves (they’re in all colors right now).  When she was younger, she used to press them in wax paper and leave them in her books.  What a neat way to treat your books – to some pretty leaves!

This morning I sent them off on their mini-road trip to Montana (they kept referring to themselves as Oprah and Gayle). I was sad to see them go; I had so much fun with them.  Their visit was a welcome "chill pill" for me.

Links of Interest: Crochet Beanies, Emotional Cycle of Deployment, Operation READY