No, I'm not early for a holiday, although that would be nice for a change. They always seem to sneak up on me, like somebody yanked a month or two out of the calendar--one day it's the Fourth of July and the next it's December 1st and I'm standing there with a list in my hand and my pants around my ankles, unprepared.
I guess what I'm really talking about is gratitude. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about friends and how much they've given me and how much they mean to me. For reasons I don't always comprehend, I've been lucky enough to have received some lovely gifts in the past few months. There's a beautiful pair of hand-knit socks in my sock drawer, so perfect I haven't dared wear them; I take them out once in while and marvel at how gorgeous they are. I'll wear them eventually, but for now I don't want to disturb their perfection.
There's the most adorable quilted pin cushion sitting on the mantle of our family room. It was a consolation prize in a blog drawing that really didn't have a consolation prize. The blogger is just an awfully nice person who appreciates my warped sense of humor. Whine and you shall receive!
My stash overfloweth, and not just because I'm a yarn junky. One of the loveliest bloggers I know sent me a bag of yummy pink and gold yarn, telling me to knit something for my granddaughter Tilly, this just out of the blue.
It's not only the tangible stuff. Many of you regularly comment here, send me emails, mention me in your own blogs, friend me on Ravelry, and follow me on Twitter. I don't like to use the word "friend" lightly, but you feel like friends to me. You offer support when things go wonky and let me give it back when you need it. You never, ever tell me my butt looks big, and I've shown it here plenty of times. It means more to me than you will ever know.
Thanks, everybody, for your many kindnesses. I hope I deserve them, and I promise I'll pay them forward.