Typically, when I finally get home from work in the evening, I settle in to a big comfy chair and knit. It doesn't take more than a few moments until one or both of my cats land on my lap (they love to 'help')
Miss Em rarely poses in a pretty way, so when she does, I have to seize the moment:
Most typically, this is my view:
(and yeah.. I need a pedicure... grins... that might happen in a week or so)
followed soon by stretching (which is then followed by falling off my lap!)
She then acts all huffy and indignant (as if some mysterious force pushed her off) and jumps up to start the process all over again.
very entertaining.
It's been a week of big decisions for me - of the non-knitting type...
Most of my thoughts have been focused on the trip to Carnegie Hall.
You probably recall the Yarn contest/fundraiser that I held last April, and the fabulous encouragement I had received for this trip. I am so very grateful to all who made contributions that totalled $710.
Yet, what remained was an approximate $1100 additional funds that needed to be raised. A substantial amount of money indeed. And as most of you know, I have been working 7 days per week for the last two years, with hardly any breaks. I had considered continuing this rather insane work schedule in order to fulfill this dream trip (and in fact have been attempting to do just that!).
Last Monday, after chorus rehearsal, we gathered to find out more specifics of the trip to Carnegie Hall. Payments to the company who is sponsoring the trip begin in a week. There will be about 40-60 adults and highschool students from our area traveling to NYC with our director. And the company which organizes the events will add to the performance an additional 130+ people to sing on stage as our director conducts.
My original 'vision' of this dream was that it would be just 'our chorus' on stage. (That would be breath taking indeed). Our chorus is a group of about 90 members, who meet weekly during the school year, to rehearse, and we perform two concert seasons. It is somehow more than just a group of "singers", it is a "community", and I consider myself very fortunate to be a part of it.
And so, when I found out for sure that only a small portion of the group would be able to go, my heart sunk a bit. This was followed by a few appointments over the past week with my doctors, who have pretty much insisted that I stop the insane work schedule I have been on.
And so, the long and short of this is that I have withdrawn from going on this trip.
Yesterday, I contacted all the people who made contributions to my fundraiser, and also gifted 'prizes'.
Let me just say, that the outpouring of love and kindness from these people was incredible. I spent a very tear-filled day of appreciation for each of them as I received their notes of understanding. It was a day of kindness that took my breath away.
And, in an amazing, "Pay it Forward" kind of way, $640 of the funds I originally raised will now be gifted to the chorus members who are going. So many of you told me to please give your donation to the chorus.... It's a beautiful statement of love and generosity from my knitting friends. thank you all. Your kindness in your letters to me has greatly eased my enormous disappointment in having to "be a grown up" and release the dream.
Writing the letter to our director last night about my withdrawing from the trip was ever so much gentler on me due to the ability to pay forward your kindness to other people.
Recent Comments