taking risks

A,
This is what happens when you leave your neurotic dog alone by herself:


I've been kenneling Malina when we're out because it's slipper season, and last year she demolished my slippers (I didn't realize my yarn was at risk as well). I've been diligent in kenneling her, but I think James was a little more optimistic. He left her out last night.

I can't be too upset at James, because the night before that, I inadvertently threw his wallet in the trash (you can imagine how long it took before we thought to check there). Besides, he detangled the yarn for me this morning.

This is a project for my friend Martha who is living in Finland right now. I thought her hands might be cold, and plus I think I promised her something woolly and hand-knit a while ago when she was considering moving to a cold wintery location. Thus, thrummed mittens. And bonus! I still had my pattern from four years ago. As long as the dogs don't get into this again, I should be able to finish them before Finland's long winter ends.


I don't know exactly what Martha is doing in Finland, but I'm pretty impressed by her. Since I moved to Arizona, she has visited three different continents and lived in five different countries. She's become a world traveler while I've been hanging around this same place. Yet I know that I wouldn't have the courage to travel to all those different places, especially not by myself. When it comes down to it, I'm not particularly brave. Even though I ended up on the other side of the country, I still miss the midwest, and I would be happy to move back. I think when it comes down to it, I am impressed by her because she represents something that I am not, but yet something that a part of me wishes I could be. How cool to travel the world! I am happy that she has the opportunity to travel, learn languages, and make interesting memories.


Me, I am not a risk-taker. I mean, I don't even gamble with leaving the dog out of her kennel! James is the one who took that chance, because he sees the possibility for good in our dogs. And it's a good thing that he does. If it wasn't for him, I would have taken Dutch to the pound, and we never would have gotten to know what he was like, beneath his abused and frightened outer layer.

James is the one who would like to travel the world. Maybe it is good that we are matched up, because we balance each other out. Also, it's easier to take risks when you're not doing it alone.

I know it's not on the same scale, but I likely would not have taken the same knitting risks if I hadn't met you. You were, after all, the one who introduced me to thrummed mittens. I think we knit pretty well together. It's easier to take knitting risks when you're not doing it alone.

K

P.S. I tried to match the colors of the mittens with Finland's colors. It's not an exact match, but I like it.

PPS. Malina has such enormous separation anxiety that she will wait for James by the kitchen window the entire time that he is on a bike ride. And sometimes the length of these bike rides approach two hours. Though she may be neurotic, she is still pretty loyal.