My favorite saying

A couple of times on here I've commented on here about how one of my favorite sayings is the French "Revenons a nos moutons". It's from French, I don't know where I originally encountered it (probably for something I read for French back in high school).

Literally, it means "let us return to our sheep." Meaning, as I take it, to go back to tending the things that are important. I think part of the reason I like it is that it reminds me of the last line in Candide, about how we must cultivate our gardens. (Or the line from the end of the Wizard of Oz, that says something about your heart's desire really being in your own backyard all the time).

Also, from some time back:

My first impulse was to riff on that old ad, "{famous football player guy} what are you going to do now that you've won the Superbowl?" "I'm goin' to Disneyland!"

But that is not an accurate picture of what it is like, at all.

Rather more, it's like the old story about the young novice who seeks out the wise sage. He finds the man in his garden. And he asks: "Oh, wise master, what did you do before you found Enlightenment?" And the sage replied: "I chopped wood and carried water." And the novice asked: "And what did you do after you found Enlightenment?" And the sage replied: "I chopped wood and carried water."

(What I wrote back in 2004, upon learning I had tenure).

So: revenons a nos moutons.

I worked more on the lace-and-cable sock last night; there's something I find pleasing about knitting socks that follow a chart because you can see them grow, you know that each round you do adds to the design. (I wonder if that's also related to my fondness as a child for things like those charts where you colored in different squares, and a picture appeared). Also, I think each round feels more like an increment towards the sock being done, than each round on a sock where you knit in stockinette "until 2" less than the length of the finished sock" (the standard point where you start doing the decreases for the toe.)

I'm looking at more of the sock books and wanting to start more and different socks. It's not that I NEED socks - goodness, now I have far more than I ever get a chance to wear during our cold season - it's just, knitting them is fun. (I do sometimes knit more "practical" warm socks to send to charity groups that need warm things, it's just, I'm not sure how useful a lacy sock would be to someone who needed badly to stay warm).

I also started a new Amineko cat (Flickr group of pictures).The basic pattern for this is online, but I also had bought the book that came out - which also includes instructions for a "big" Amineko and for some accessories such as a pair of swimming trunks and a fish-shaped pillow, as well as an extremely cute, rather "Aranzi Aronzo" like photo-essay featuring the Amineko cats.

I had had some hot-pink spray-dyed yarn I bought a while back for this project, and just never got it started.

I also ran out after my dental check up - one other small piece of good news, no problems with my teeth, so I can wait six months before having to have someone's hands jammed in my mouth again - and got some more acrylic yarn for amigurumi. (I don't much like acrylic yarn for making clothing items with, but I will say it's probably the best thing for making amigurumi - it holds its shape well, it's fairly easy to crochet with, and, around here at least, you don't have to worry as much about the possibility of carpet beetles or something munching on your creation.)

I want to get back to doing more amigurumi. It's fun, it's almost instant gratification because they work up fast, and there are a lot of clever patterns out there. I found a pattern on Ravelry for a Tuzki and decided I wanted to make one - so I had to get some white yarn. (I had various shades of off-white - but they were all wool, anyway). (I will say I had forgot that yesterday was the day the people who get Social Security checks venture out to stock back up; the place was packed, even at 2:15 in the afternoon. Ugh. I won't do that again.)

(As for Professor Badass: I suspect he probably started out as Teaching Assistant Kick-Butt-and-Take-Names. And from there moved to Assistant Professor Toughguy and then Associate Professor There's-No-Crying-at-University)



And finally: today is "Star Wars Day." May the Fourth be with you!

(It occurs to me that the appropriate response to that would be, "And also with you!" just like we say in church when someone says "Peace be with you.")