Hands

I will not claim to know a great many things.  No, my knowledge is very limited.  However, in spite of those limitations there are a few things that I know and a few things that manage to slip their way past my straining brain, past the forgetfulness, past the youth to become lodged forever in my tiny little bucket of knowledge.  And, really, this process is a hard one.  So many things come to me ready to be savored and treasured and stowed away, and yet so many fall through the cracks and are forgotten.  A million tiny things happen every day, things that I would love to hold close for the rest of my life, but in a moment or two they have already slipped and faded.

Those lost things are why I appreciate my hands so much, I think.  You see, I'm not terrible careful with my hands, I should be, but I'm not.  My busy fingers and small wrists are covered in scars and the backs of my hands shine with the glossy glint of past adventures.  My hands tell stories.  They remind me of things I would have forgotten long ago without them; like a pale, blue day all bundled up from the cold and watching my reflection in the huge windows of our back porch while the gnarled trees swayed with the bitter wind.  One reminds me of a night spent racing around a garden with my sister, this was followed by a hushed trip to the bathroom and a quick, ill-fitting bandage to try and save my pride.  There is one for a poor choice on a bike trail, one for a day of archery, two were gained while tearing lights off of a tree.
My hands are my story.  They are torn and battered, they sometimes ache, but when I look at them I can remember things that I would have lost, otherwise.

I like to think that my scars reflect more than just memories.  Maybe, somehow, the tattered look of my hands is His way of reminding me that this world hurts for a while, but good things come.  Maybe it's His way of reminding me that He didn't put me here to get out clean and unscathed, He put me here to love for Him and to fight for Him and those both can leave scars.  My savior was a warrior who loved me enough to take the scars I'd give Him and still hold on.  So, when I look at my hands, when I see the scars this world has left on me, I pray that He will grant me the strength to hold on like He did, to love like He did.

kaJo

No Robots Here!

I like to think of myself as a creatures of many hobbies and next to no habits.

My aversion to the word "habit" is not necessarily because I think that habits are a bad thing, but rather that when I find myself falling into a habit I somehow stop feeling human.  Somewhere deep inside my mind is this fear, I suppose, that if I allow habits to stack up like the projects in my room eventually every day will just be a habit!  And when the whole day is a habit what's left to explore?

Then there's the whole problem of how difficult some habits are to break.  I mean, just think!  If one habit starts and then another stacks on top of that one, by the time you realize that you're day is literally just going through the motion of a million habits you're too busy trying to keep up with them all that you can't stop to make sure they're even necessary!
Now, I won't argue that creatures of habit can't get things done.  In fact, I believe quite the contrary.  Those of our human race who stick firmly to their "daily routine" are often the most productive.  I admit that about them, but I cannot conform.  You see, even with the promise of productivity and the comfort of being able to get up and know pretty well what the layout of your day is like...I just can't give up the chaos of living without habits.

Maybe I'm crazy -- something I wonder about quite often, -- but I love the little bit of insanity that comes with exploring each day as its own new entity.  To get up and not have a clue what each day will hold, aside from the running around campus to classes and such, is a thrill that I can't give up for the sake of knowing I'll get everything I need done by a reasonable time so that I can get a full night of sleep.  No, thank you!  I don't want to feel like a robot, I want to see each and every part of each day as a new adventure waiting for me to jump in and chase it.  I want to explore and wander and fail and learn from it all!

I'll take my sleep deprived mornings-after, sipping my tea and staring into space.  I'll take the sudden panic of remembering I have an appointment across town in five minutes or the days where I shower far too late in the day and so wake up with crazy-hair.  I'll take the lazy mornings and the cluttered room, the random happenings and the pleasant surprises, the adventures and chaos that comes with a life without habit.

kaJo

Okay, I have to admit that I do have one habit that I keep pretty consistently: I have a cup of tea every morning; however, I make an effort to switch that up sometimes by using different mugs, choosing different teas, adding cream or not...;)

Have a beautiful day, everyone!

New Day

     It never ceases to amaze me how in just the few hours of a day one can be tossed and jostled in a vast sea of rolling emotions.
     Suppose you wake up angry.  No reason, just initially frustrated with the day for having roused you at all.  You're irritable at your alarm for rolling you out of bed and nudging you to the bathroom to try and pull some rhyme and reason into your mess of hair and sleepy face.  Perhaps the bitterness wears off as you sip your tea and gather your keys, or as you stroll across campus, or as you sit quietly in class taking notes.  Anyway, somewhere along the line, amid the many trips up and down staircases, you discover you're no longer angry, just embarrassed.
     You're a child playing a game you don't quite understand.  Quietly you toy with the pieces, harmlessly wondering what significance they play in the scheme of things.   And when you're corrected in your attempts, it doesn't matter how kind words, you feel sheepish.  Shyly you put the pieces back and tuck your little hands under your legs to keep them from wandering.
     Maybe on the way home from classes it's the tune of your favorite song that brightens you, or the smell of cupcakes in the kitchen, or the furry smile of your best friend who's oh-so-glad you're home.  You shrug off a morning of sulking, still feeling the tingle of anger and the sting of foolishness, and make a real effort to give today a chance.  During the chaos of homework, family, chores, facebook, and general life, you manage to find laughter hiding away in little nooks and crannies and the evening is pleasant, happy even.
     And as you tuck everything away for the night, crawl under the covers, and sigh because you've survived another day, you feel peace.  Maybe it's not the most overwhelming or prominent of the emotions still fluttering around in you somewhere, but it's there.  Calm, quiet, peace.  Today has only lasted as long as it has lasted and tomorrow is new and bright and beautiful.

"Great is His faithfulness; His mercies are new every morning."

kaJo

Paddywacks: New Gloves and a Tam

Hi everyone!

Classes have just started back up and in all the craziness beforehand I have only managed to get a few things done this week for the shop.  So here they are:

Roller Girl Gloves - $26.67

Smoothie Gloves - $30.67

Afternoon - $16.68

I'm currently working on a couple of projects that I hope to have finished and photographed by the weekend.  I'll post pictures as soon as I can. :)

kaJo

Paddywacks: New Tams

I didn't get as many hats made this week as I would have liked but I'm still really happy with this batch. :)

Water and Wine - $15.50

Sea Weed - $19.50

Cobblestone - $19.50

Sandy Waters - $15.75

Boho Blues - $25.50

Custom Team Colors - $28.00
I'm usually not the type to do sports colors or custom orders
but these hats are so easy and fun to make that I decided to try it out.
Contact me for more information on ordering a hat with your team's colors!

Creme-Brulee - $15.50

That's it for this week!  Watch for these beauties in the shop soon! :)

kaJo

Paddywacks: New Tams and Gloves!!!

Hello everyone,

I've been busy with the shop and making hats and gloves and things over the past month and just haven't gotten around to posting.  Anyways, here's what's new to Paddywacks:

Forest - $15.50

Lollipop - $17.50

Pumpkin Pie - $14.50

Smoothie - $17.50

Roller-Girl - $17.50

Autumn (gloves) - $24.00

Autumn (hat) - $17.50

Autumn (set) - $36.88

Aurora - $15.50

Spellbound - $19.00

Copper Strings - $17.00

Nautical Navy - $14.50

Groovy - $10.99

Watermelon - $18.50

Firefighter - $15.75

Hey There Sailor - $15.50

Cream - $14.50

Boutique - $14.50

Icy Blues - $26.67

More coming soon!

Kate

Vacation Day 3: Athens by Night

Well, that was certainly something...

We went to this cramped little resturant in the middle of the Placca with a group of about twenty-five people. There was this disgusting national drink, call ouzo, I'm not sure of the spelling on that. It tasted like licorice and I could only drink about four sips before I had to pour it out. Unfortunately after I did that my water tasted like it anyways so all I had was wine. We started dinner with giant beans (seriously, that's their name), which tasted like beans, bread with something on it that tasted like cabbage smotherered in the sauce from gyros, a bean paste stuff, and something else that I can't quite remember.

The second course was Greek sausages, calimari, sausage wrapped in olive leaves, this cheesy meaty stuff, and a crispy bread triangle. They were all very odd but not inedible, unless you ask Savannah, who skipped that course completely because she didn't like any of it. Meanwhile, there was music, singing -- which was lovely --, and dancing -- which was just as good, especially since one of the dancers was one of those stunning Greek men I told you about. Heeelllllo! Most of the dances involved starting really slow-like, doing lots of kicks and running in circles, and then near the end speeding up to as fast as possible and repeating everything that was done slowly. It was kind of predictable but very fun to watch. Anyways, Savannah thoroughly enjoyed herself and joined in almost every chance she got. I, on the other hand, sat happily in my seat, praying to not be called upon, and gave a hearty "Opah" whenever it was required.

The third course was amazing. It was beef stew that came in a hot bowl with feta cheese crumbled over it. Oh! it was some of the best stuff I have ever eaten. Sadly, when I was about two-thirds done, I stopped to watch the charming dancer and the waiter snuck up and took the rest of it away. :( That mishap was followed by another...the dancer was calling girls up on stage to dance and I somehow ended up there. It was a nightmare. I think my wrist broke a couple of times, I was jammed against a bunch of people that I didn't know, there was bouncing, and I was hot. When I got to my seat I felt truly glad to see it again and sat gratefully for the fourth course, which was fruit.

This course was rather boring, just honeydew melon and watermelon, but it was a nice way to refresh your mouth after all the other unfamiliar flavors. After that I somehow ended up on stage again...being led by the hand in a long curving line around the room, knocked around from front to back when people would either run into me or stop in front of me. I was hot and very uncomfortable and, again, extremely happy when it was over.

Dessert was teeny tiny donuts covered in powdered sugar and honey. They were delicious, I think I had five. After that they danced the dance "where the men, they break the plates." It was fun, but it seems like a terrible idea to me because they dance around on the shards of glass afterwards...it concerned me a bit.

As we walked back to the bus there was a girl selling flowers, dad bought two roses for mom, which was really sweet. We piled out in front of our hotel, bidding Vassiliki goodbye until tomorrow and hustled up to the rooms to shower and go to bed.

That's all for now!

Kate