There is a line in one of the lesser-known songs from "Mary Poppins":

"Every good thing you do, comes back to you."

And despite my constant nattering about people not saying thank you for stuff, or about how a person only gets trouble as thanks for trying to make things right, I really do believe that, on some level, that's the case.

Now, maybe it doesn't happen (as I have had it happen sometimes) where you figuratively dig in your pocket to give to some cause, and then a few days later, something happens so that you make back the money you gave away. Maybe it's just that you're more positive and grateful in general, and you see stuff that's good happening.

Today, two little things I had done: first, donated some money towards buying baby stuff for a couple expecting a child, where the husband's out of work, and they need stuff. And second, I had run home to grab some yeast - one of the lab classes needed it on short notice, the prof for the class was nowhere to be found, and the TA was afraid she'd have to dismiss the lab with no lab to do.

And while I was home, I grabbed my mail.

And there was a package from Amazon. Addressed to "fillyjonk" in addition to my real name, so I knew it had to be from a blogreader.

Upon opening it, I found it was a copy of "Women's Work: the first 20000 years," which is about the fiber arts.

And an extremely nice and touching note, which I cut out and stuck inside the cover of the book so I could keep it.

I'm taking the book with me to read on over break.

Thank you so much. (My policy is not to name donors unless they want to...I know some folks prefer to stay anonymous).

****

I decided not to take Thermal with me to work on. Two reasons: first, no room. Second: I don't feel like winding off more balls of wool (I have the one I'm working from wound off, and one more - true, that's probably all I'd need as it moves so slowly). But I am taking the Honeycomb vest - which reminds me, I need to dig out the pad of post-it notes where I was keeping track of the increases and tuck it in too.

And I'm taking the Kew socks, and the nearly-done Grandiflora socks. And I've wound off a skein of pretty, variegated-pink "Heritage" sockyarn, and my "Lunar Zazzle" (sort of a very pale turquoise with pink overtones - it's a Dream in Color) sockyarn. And I've got the "Knitting Socks East and West" (Judy Sumner's book) packed - the pink is going to become the Haiku socks, and the turquoise is going to be the dragonfly ones (Karatsu? I think that's it).

(I really like that book. It has a lot of fascinating and different patterns in it. I also want to make Ninja and Karate and Tsunami and several others out of there)

I really, really am looking forward to having a break. It kind of sneaked up on me (just like Thanksgiving does in the fall) but I am really ready for it. And I've got my book on Sparta, and the new book I received today, and a copy of a new-ish translation of Alexandre Dumas' "Georges" (a novel set in the Caribbean - apparently the hero is a Caribbean man of African descent).

And, bleah, all my tax paperwork.