Had an interesting thing happen on Facebook recently. I came across a wall photo that expressed a sentiment with which I agreed strongly enough that I shared the post. For those of you who don't do Facebook, let me say that when you share a post, there's sometimes a link at the bottom of it giving the original source. Well, I had several people respond negatively, but not for the post itself. They felt personally attacked by me having shared it because of the source, & the comments were fast becoming a drama llama melee. I removed it, and re-posted just the saying without any source material. Since then I've gotten quite a few "likes" on it, including from at least one of the people who originally took offense.
This got me to thinking. The best way to come to terms with a person or group with whom you disagree is to find common ground. If you will not "listen" to what is being posted because the original person/group to say it is someone with whom you disagree, how in the world do you expect to resolve your differences? How can you expect them to listen to you if you don't listen to them? And I was amazed at how quickly the topic derailed. The focus was no longer the saying (which had to do with taking away the rights of other people), but instead on the political group which had first posted it. It's no wonder things in this country are such a mess.
But on to other things. The Selfish Knitters & Crocheters are having their second annual "Save Your Fork-There's Pi!" swap. We should be getting assigned partners any day now. I've already ordered a few things for my partner, but I won't say what they are here since my blog is linked to my Ravelry profile & I don't want to ruin the surprise. I've also got some ideas for other items, including the handmade object, and can hardly wait to find out who I will be spoiling so I can prune the ideas list.
Almost time for Faire to be starting up again. We've got a guild meeting tomorrow, and the thought of Faire has me spinning again. Not turning in place, I mean I've pulled out the spinning wheel & finished off some roving. I've also started a new roving--a lovely blue merino/tencel blend that I bought years ago in Virginia--as sort of a test for myself. I've split it pretty evenly in two (1.9 oz per half, according to my postal scale) and am going to ply the two finished threads together. I want to see how close to each other they are in length, which will give me an idea as to how consistently I'm spinning. Also, for reasons I have yet to fathom, I have ordered a new spinning wheel: an Ashford Traveller. It's not here yet, so here's a link if anyone's interested: http://bountifulspinweave.com/images/ashford_dt_traveller.jpg
Today's photos were taken on January 7, a point in time in which our backyard was convinced that spring had arrived. The top photo is a monarch butterfly caterpillar on a milkweed plant that is growing next to the pond; the other is of nectarine blossoms on the tree.
