Barefoot and Lost in a Women's Hospital?

This face illustrates how I felt about my dream.....

Last night I had a crazy dream that I left my house to go to work without my shoes--or socks. I remember walking down the hill from my house and feeling the chilling cold and rough texture of the concrete sidewalk beneath my feet. However, instead of turning around and heading back into the house for my shoes, as any normal person would do (assuming any normal person would head out to work on a 30 degree morning without shoes), I kept thinking that if I could just make it to work and put on the pair of shoes at my desk, I'd be fine.

It is true that I have a pair of shoes under my desk at work most of the time. This is because I always walk to work and back in a comfy pair of shoes and wear the dressier ones while at work. I tried wearing the dressy ones from doorstep to doorstep, but my feet threatened to fall off in protest and this little habit of mine was soon established.

Anyway, back to the dream... I managed to get on the bus without anyone noticing my less than shod tootsies. The next thing my dream self knew, I was in the hospital, but somehow I was on the second floor instead of the first when I walked in and the hospital happened to be some sort of Women's Hospital/Mall hybrid. I had to walk through Macy's to get to my office. I thought about buying some shoes there, but I was oh so close to the goal of reaching my office and getting my shoes before anyone noticed, so I carried on. All throughout the dream I tried various methods of disguising my naked feet. I pulled my pants down as low as they could decently go on my hips in hops of covering my feet from view. I stood with one foot on top of the other, but then realized that this plan was no good since BOTH of my feet were bare. But I was feeling a bit of relief because I was so close to my goal.

Then it hit me. There was no way I would get down the big marble staircase leading to my office without someone noticing my feet. I had been successful throughout the duration of my journey, but I knew there was just no way I was getting down those steps unseen. Then I remembered a secret elevator my boss had once shown me. It would deposit me into the back hallway where my office is and I would be home free. I got to the elevator, only to realize that it only went up, and not down. I ended up on the 6th floor in a Doctor's Office--not a good place to be barefoot.

I quickly jumped into another elevator and to my relief there was a button listed for my destination. I was shocked when the elevator stopped and I was in the middle of a huge women's bathroom--again, not a good place to be barefoot. My dream self sighed to herself and realized she was pulling a "Britney Spears." However, I knew must continue because my goal was close at hand. I exited the rest room, thinking I'd be near my office, but no. I had somehow entered a level of the hospital two floors below the basement where grumpy old men received coal shipments. They also had a rack of tools behind the counter for sale. I waited in line and when it was my turn I tearfully asked one of the old men, who had a face that reminded one of Santa Claus drunk on lemon juice, how I could get back to where I needed to go.

Lemon Santa saw fit to growl at me and say that if I wasn't buying a tool I needed to get out of line. Our conversation escalated into a shouting match with him calling me an ingrate and me calling him a terrible old man while the other men looked at me with sympathy, but did not offer any directions or come to my defense.

I bolted out of the coal/tool room and started to run down a hallway decorated in hospital pink and green. I'd like to say I found my office and my shoes, or that someone finally caught me barefoot in the hospital, which I'm fairly certain is not allowed, but my bizarre dream came to no conclusion. It kind of faded into nothingness and they next thing I knew I was hitting my alarm clock and grumbling to be left alone until I could get my shoes on.

As I was getting ready this morning, I couldn't shake the feeling that I really needed to wash my feet. I was also very certain to put my shoes on before I left the house.

I welcome sweet dream wishes!

Yarn Obsessed

The fiber arts are officially taking over my life. I've been crocheting some Christmas goodies and last Thursday I took a knitting class. I officially love to knit. I tend to get ahead of myself though. My mind is ready to knit socks and sweaters and all manner of incredible things, but my fingers are stuck on a simple ribbed scarf. When I get frustrated, I remind myself I've officially known how to knit for three days. I'm a little impatient with myself. When I decide I want to do something, I want to be incredibly good at it pretty much immediately. Life doesn't quite work that way though, so I'll keep knitting my scarf and dreaming of sweaters and socks. There are also these knitting needles that I absolutely must have. They're like knitting art. Absolutely beautiful. Don't think knitting needles can elicit the idea of beauty? Well here they are:


I told you they were beautiful. I saw them in person at my knitting class. My instructor has them. They're even more amazing in person. And it's not all about the looks either. They're incredible needles.

Here is my current yarn stash. Keep in mind, it's close to Christmas, and I'm crocheting/knitting a lot of gifts:

There is more going on in my life than yarn, fortunately. I gave blood for the first time ever this week. Apparently I'm an excellent bleeder. I filled a bag in three minutes. Apparently that's really fast. The blood bank people were afraid I was going to pass out or something, but I really was fine--that is until I walked up the stupid hill to my house. Then I felt a little woosey. Since then I've been drinking extra fluids and reminding myself that I should prepare myself before the next time.

I must end this entry now because I'm supposed to be getting ready for a road trip that Pranav and I are taking today. Oops. I'm excited because I get to knit in the car!

Oh and I must note that it snowed yesterday. Actually it just flurried, but it was really cold and felt like winter. I hate being cold. I wanted to cry when I saw the snow. At least it didn't snow on my birthday this year!

I welcome warm, cheery thoughts.

Creativity Awakened

I'm not sure what has gotten into me, but for the past couple of weeks I've been on a creativity binge. The amazing thing about this is that I have been driven to create and learn and not just ponder an idea as I usually do. This is at once a good thing and a bad thing. It is wonderful because I'm thoroughly enjoying myself and because I feel that this part of me is deeply rooted in who I am. The bad thing is that I find myself very bored with other things... such as work. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my job and it is infinitely better here than the place that shall not be named, but somedays I feel like I was born to be a housewife--or at least spend my days in pursuit of creativity and "homemaking." I feel a little trapped by the confines of a 40 hour office job, but it seems that at this point, this is where I need to be. Need to and want to are two very different things. I truly hope that one day I am able to further explore this side of myself and perhaps turn these passions of mine into something tangible and maybe even profitable. In honor of my creative spirit, here are a pictures of a few things I have "created" this week.

My first detailed pumpkin carving endeavour on my straight from the Pumpkin Patch Pumpkin

My Masterpiece All Lit Up

My First Loom Knit Scarf (before I added the fringes)

And my seemingly never-ending Work in Progress, Pranav's Blanket

I welcome creative inspiration!

Fall is Here to Stay

I love fall. I really do. But I must say that along with fall comes a sense of foreboding that winter is near.

I love looking at the multi-colored leaves that decorate the trees as the chill in the air becomes a little more permanent. Fall has its own feel. This feel reminds me of warm cozy sweaters, apple cider, pumpkins, bold colors of red, orange, and gold. It makes me think of lighting candles and getting cozy on the couch with a great book. Hot chocolate, tea, and lattes are fall fare for me. Apples are in season and my choice fruit. My domesticism is in full force as I bake pies and banana bread, return to crocheting, and teach myself to knit. Thoughts turn to holiday preparations, road trips, gift wrapping, and jingle bells.

Winter brings a stillness to the world that doesn't quite sit right with me. Barren branches, empty sidewalks, and bodies huddled in layers so thick that interaction is almost impossible fill the view from my living room window. Darkness stays late in the morning and comes early in the day. The world goes to sleep to early and the first snowfall brings at first a hush and then a bustle as people navigate through the icy pathways and roads. No longer a child, I have no snowdays to look forward to, only walks down the long slanted block to my bus stop where I wait, shivering, for an overcrowded bus.

Four seasons, every year, for all the 24 years of my life, but for some reason they are newly noteable in my mind and in my soul this year. I want to drawn them all in, wrap myself in them and enjoy what each one has to offer. I've been successful thus far, but now comes winter and I am unsure of myself and my resolve.

I welcome suggestions on enjoying winter.