The little owl drawstring bag is Finn Luca's. I made it for him last summer and he lent it to me to hold the yarn for his scarf.Our library was closed for more than two weeks around Christmastime for budget reasons (and holidays reasons). Although I am not sure we would have had time to go during our winter break, I had this underlying awareness of it, like an old friend who is on vacation and you can't see or speak with them.
As a result, I looked to the (many) books I have, but have not yet read, most of which have been passed to me by my librarian and book group-member mom. I am fairly certain the birth of a new year and the promises that it holds are what drew me to choose The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I would highly recommend this book, primarily because of the lessons the content has to offer, the dreams (mostly come true) of an ordinary guy, who, just prior to (co) writing the book offers his Last Lecture (the name of a lecture series), Realizing Your Childhood Dreams, which truly was his last lecture. He had reached the end of possible treatments for pancreatic cancer just weeks before the lecture. He died in 2008, leaving his wife and three very young children behind. I am not quite done with the book, but I want to finish it before watching his last lecture video (accessible through the same link, above). While the book has made me cry (a lot), I think that may be primarily because I know the author has actually died now, and reading it, I feel hopeful (there's my word, again) and re-inspired to make the most out of living this life.
Also on hiatus during the break was the knitting group I am now part of, created by and made of parents at school, gently guided by a woman whose presence in the first grade class is so meaningful to Lala. I am glad to know it will resume this week. I still haven't finished Finnian's Christmas scarf!
