one more sleep

 well, early tomorrow morning (6:05 am Eastern Standard Time, so 5:05 am here) I turn 56.

 I don't know. This year has already been difficult in a number of years and sometimes the joy is awfully hard to find.

I still enjoy teaching; it's probably the main thing keeping me going right now.

Also, piano playing is in one of its better cycles right now; it does bring me considerable comfort to sit down and play - mostly hymns these days; I have both Philip Keveren arrangements (slightly simpler/easier) and the Faye Lopéz arrangements where she does them in the style of various well-known classical pieces (one of my favorites being Jesus Loves Me* in the style of Macdowell's "To A Wild Rose")

 

(*it's a simple song, maybe, and childish, maybe, but it is weirdly comforting to me. I remember some of the good Sunday School teachers when I was a tiny child singing it, and learning it in there and vacation Bible school. We even learned an ASL version of it! And yes, it's simple, but sometimes you need to hear and think that yes, Jesus loves me. Because too often it feels like nothing and no one in this world does.)

And yes, I still knit, but none of my projects seem to be moving forward.

And yes, I'm still sad and angry about JoAnn's closing down; such a selfish decision on the part of the new owners, to basically strip it for parts and sell all of it off. I wonder what will move into that huge building where it was; it's the wrong time of year for Spirit Halloween.

I bet though we see a lot more empty commercial buildings that don't ever re fill. 

But anyway. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I am taking the comforts while I still can. I am skiving off from some of my office hours tomorrow and driving to Denison. I am going to the yarn shop and to the used-book store and out to lunch and likely to Michael's also. And not worry about spending money on things. ("Yarn will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no yarn")

(And anyway: my paycheck for February hit my account today, and I'm all paid up on bills until the Mastercard one comes in in a week)

And yeah, I do feel slightly guilty cancelling my office hours, though I have informed people that I won't be there. I wish I weren't so dutiful. (But I also have to make a dish for a potluck tomorrow night, so if I waited until noon to leave, I wouldn't have enough time to do what I want). 

And technically, at least staff people can take their birthdays off (as long as they make up the missed time - but I more than do that with the grading-at-home and the extras I do).

But I still feel a little guilty. But the weather will be better than on Saturday, and Zoom knitting is that day anyway. 

Sadly, they didn't finish my framing job early at Michael's (I was hoping beyond hope, but no) so I can't pick that up, but I might see about using the $20 voucher I've accumulated on....something. I don't know what (Maybe a couple more knitting needles or crochet hooks, or if there's a pattern book I kind of want but don't have, that would work too)