Riddle: It is an insect, and the first part of its
name is the name of another insect. What is it?
It's 2013, why don't I feel like
saying, “Hurrah”? Maybe it's because, though I try not to be,
I'm superstitious about the number thirteen, and a whole year ending
in that number makes me nervous. (I don't know why thirteen bothers
me, I have never personally had any trouble relating to that number.) Tthis year 2013 may be the time bad luck comes down on all the world, our
sins and greed catch up with us and the precarious economies of the
nations collapse. I have never felt so pessimistic about the
prospect of a new year.
On the other hand, I think The Drowning
Spool – the current title of the next book – is off to a fine
start. Chapter One got a good laugh when I read it in my writers'
groups. I've been busy with personal and publishing matters all
through this season, in a good way. Everyone in my household seems
to be in robust health. I've gained a couple of pounds but I'll be
back on my diet and exercise regime January 2. There may be plenty of
snow on the ground and the temperature outside is in the single
digits (it dipped below zero last night!), but we have a cozy, warm
place to live and a well-stocked refrigerator. I am at peace with my
friends and neighbors.
But still . . .
Last night, as we have every New Year's
Eve for more than thirty years, we played penny-ante poker with some
good friends. There were enough of us that we had two tables going.
A friend who generally doesn't do well had a great night. The cards
were cold to me, I ended the night down about a dollar and a half.
But it was fun, lots of cheers and funny groans and good laughter.
We stopped at midnight for a glass of bubbly and a chorus of “Old
Lang Syne.” I remember one year we were persuaded to skip the game
and come to a New Year's Eve party. We agreed but met some of those
same friends at the party – and in fairly short order five of us
were in an upstairs bedroom with an old deck of cards one of us found
in a drawer, playing seven-card-stud on the bedspread! There's an
old “filk” song (kind of a folk song but not really) whose chorus
goes: “Love it is strong, but a habit is stronger, and I knew how I
loved by the way I behaved.”
The scarf I've been knitting is
finished. It came out very nicely, and was such a pleasure to knit
that I'll be looking to make another, this time to give away. (The cat is Snaps.)
Do you have a pet superstition?
Answer to Riddle: Beetle
5 comments:
First, maybe if the first 13 days of 2013 go amazingly well for you you can maybe forget the 13 thing for the rest of the year.
Pet superstition? that everything (especially bad things) happens in 3s --- so when 2 have happened, I try to imagine that the third has happened already and I just don't know about it! :-)
2013 or 2012.9999999999 - Happy New Year and keep the books coming!!!
I've always had particular good luck with the number 13, Monica, despite the usual superstition. On the other hand... well, read my blog tomorrow to see how my 2013 began!
Snaps looks like a cat I had named Apricat. The scarf is lovely and you did a good job of photographing it. It's always a challenge when I try to take pictures of the finished croccet projects for my website.
Is the scarf pattern going to be included with this new book?
I just got AND THEN YOU DYE a few weeks ago and enjoyed it. Had no idea silk was considered a protein fiber. Learn something new every day.
I've known people who have good luck with the number thirteen. Maybe if I pay attention, I'll find I'm one of them.
The pattern for the scarf isn't one I'll include in a book, except maybe to mention it in passing. It's just: Using size thirteen (ack!) needles, cast on a lot of stitches (about thirty-five or more) and knit two, purl two on the first row, and do the same back. I used four balls of high-quality Peruvian cream-colored wool someone gave to me.
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