The Silent Winter

Sometimes your just not in the mood to write - or there isn't much to write about. Both were true whenever I might have had the time to write. So a brief catch up to keep things up to date and not be saddled with the "dreaded Christmas update letter" that this is supposed to take the place of. Here it is SPRING and my last post was Christmas.


February brought a welcome relief as I turned in some frequent flier miles and headed out to Steamboat to visit Tyler. It was a beautiful trip with some great sunny days and good times with Tyler and Silver - the grand dog and father of Kinney who I met over Christmas. I was fortunate enough to get to stay with dear friends, Karen Harrison and Walter Freedman in their lovely home. It was incredibly relaxing and recharging. It seems so long ago.

Tyler is a delight to be with. Silver is very well behaved and he and ty take good care of each other. Neither strays to far - and the grounding is good. I didn't take many pictures as my battery had drained and the charger had gone missing. It's much easier to tell a tale when it's accompanied by photos. And I haven't quite gotten the knack of the cell phone camera. There is one picture of tyler and his friend Reagan - but that's all I've got. Enjoy it

Check out the knitted caps - EVERY one has them of all shapes and sizes - and mostly handmade! Praise the Lord! I actually knitted 5 alpaca hats out of Kraemer alpaca bulky - sooo soft - on my trip and passed them out to whomever was dearest at the moment!


I found this picture of Tyler and Silver - i think from when he was first adopted. I had another on my phone, but it seems to have disappeared. He is one fine dog.


Other than that, the winter has been long and focused on the yarn business and creating enough interest to keep the recession at bay. I have been focusing on my work and my lines, trying to bring good products and sales to the local yarn stores in new England. Knitting still continues as many seek comfort and satisfaction with working with their hands and enjoying the many great fibers that are available. As we all pull in the reigns of our economic lives, there is comfort in creativity. I, myself, have been knitting up a storm and creating fun pieces to show off the fibers I sell. I have also worked at improving my skills at spinning fibers. The rhythmic repetition of knitting and spinning combined with the tactile pleasures of same brings needed respite.

Having focused on work, I miss the kids and am working on a plan to combine the two. I will be taking my show on the road to Texas and seeing if I can drum up a little excitement in fiber business there, but more importantly, having some time with the boys.

This is a bit of a catch up post - just to bridge the gap between then and now and let you know that I am still here, looking for giggles and finding adventures. Hopefully to be posted in a more timely basis.

Holiday Highlights

Another Christmas brings joy and togetherness to most of the family Anderson.. When the boys hinted that they would NOT be able to come East for Christmas, I got a little panicky - I knew I had to be with as many of them as I could be. Dad (Babson) and I booked flights to Dallas and rooms near Davey's home. And what a time we had! Dallasites always seem to maintain a very positive attitude of success and more than survival. Maybe LaLa - but it certainly was fun to be there.


A three day trip to a place I lived for 16 years did NOT allow me to see all the great people that I wanted to see. I differed to Davey, John and Will to schedule Dad's and my time. I am sorry i missed so many, but please forgive... and come east to see me! It was a wonderful full three days. Let me share some photos that will catch you all up in a way the "dreaded Christmas letter" (thanks Jack Link for that phrase) used to in years passed.





The first "star" in my visit is and was Kinny! This is my Great grand dog! Davey adopted Kinny over Thanksgiving with a quick flight to Steamboat with a puppy carry on bag that came back full of Kinny. Kinny is the puppy of Silver who is Tyler's English Sheep dog which he adopted at age 2. Silver roomed with a standard poodle for his first weekend in Steamboat - and the rest is Kinny history. An Old English Sheep dog and a French Poodle - any suggestions for a name for this new Breed? It won't shed and could be a calm, smart, overly friendly pup - and Kinny is showing those signs. Here he is with Davey.

Here is a picture of Dad and John. John is living with Davey in Dallas and working at a couple of jobs on and off. Still not expressing his musical talent in a funded way - but he finds pianos in churches and plays his music much to the surprise and encouragement of anyone who happens upon him. this is a young man who thrives on having a piano at his fingertips and has proved incredibly resourceful to make that happen. Davey has extolled his prowess here - I regret that I couldn't get John to take me to one of his piano's - it was Christmas and they were being used for other things.



This picture was taken at the home of The Eddies who are new friends of Davey's from his restaurant experience at Nonna's.... whic came to an abrupt end two days before Christmas when the family owned business decided to cut Davey out of the manager's position! So goes the economy - but there are better opportunities around the corner.


Will arrived from Austin Christmas Eve Morning after having worked as many shifts at Carabba's as he could to earn money for his Christmas travels. He arrived the conquering hero of the year- as he has completed his degree in English at University of Texas at Austin and graduated earlier in December. I couldn't be prouder as he accomplished this amidst much adversity, attending a community college in Connecticut to get many credits taken care of at a discounted rate. After successfully transferring from Asnuntuck to UT Austin, he arranged the financing and worked for spending money while completing his last two years of his education. He did it and did it well!



Christmas Eve found us running around town surveying the shopping frenzie in Dallas. there doesn't seem to be much concern of economic uncertainty there. We spent a little time at the Salvation army (it was Wednesday - family day) and Northpark - such a dicotomy - we were living the appropriate paradox of the season. Fortunately we did the Northpark tour after most stores has closed - not that we were looking to spend anything. That Mall is truly unbelievable. It is probably twice the size as the last time I was there - but the stores have gone Madison Avenue upscale. The temptations could have been drastic.

Christmas Day was a time of visiting friends and sharing stories. Brunch was enjoyed with Jo and Joe Nichols and their daughter MiMi. The Nichols' have been Dallas parents for Will since we moved East. Mimi and Will have been close friends since kindergarten. I am so grateful for their support and friendship. Here's the gang in front of their tree.

To the right is my favorite photo from the brunch - Will, without any encouragement, washed the dishes after the great brunch Jo served! the College Graduate just quietly got up from the table, grabbled some dishes and positioned himself at the sink until all the dishes were done. Granted, he feels very comfortable in this home, as Jo and Joe have offered him a resting spot whenever he needs on in Dallas - and have for the last seven years.

To the left is Mimi, Will and Dave.

From the Nichols', we proceeded to the home of Susan and Emory Johnson. Susan was my first close friend in Dallas. She guided me into the new culture and we shared many laughs over the years about the differences between Texas ans New England. Will was 3 when we moved to Texas and her son Robert was beginning high school. Robert was tall then, and would lift a giggling Will up on his arm until he was exhausted. This picture shows the continuation of the tradition as Will lifts Roberts son Nick on his arm! Also pictured is Roberts daughter, who also got lifted, with great ease.

Here are Susan and Emory, very proud grandparents and steadfast friends. They were frequent visitors to Davey's ex- restaurant which made this reconnection very easy and fun.

Christmas day continued with a visit to Sarah Smith's family and a trip back to the old neighborhood. It was a quick but great visit as time was running down on the day and we were all feeling a little overwhelmed - so much socializing and connecting with friends.

It was with a song in my heart and lovely memories of family times together that I left Dallas, Dad and the three guys to return to Connecticut. We talked with Tyler frequently on the phone, but he was surely missed from the gathering. He and Silver spent good times with friends but, I believe, he too missed being all together. I hope next Christmas will be more friendly for that actuality.

Back in Suffield, my friend Bob met me at the airport with Gracie. Brother John and his wife Rin joined us for a holiday lunch on route from Boston to North Carolina, visiting their two children, spouses and grand babies over the holidays. fortunately, weather agreed with the friendly driving conditions and all is well. Here are photo's from that event... so, I think you have to total picture!

This record of Christmas 2008 for the Babson - Anderson clan hopefully finds each reader enjoying getting caught up. If you would like contact information or individual update information, e-mail me or leave a comment. I wish each of you and yours a new year filled with family, friends, and much joy - and a little frivolity. May I suggest sky-diving? May we all be a bit more intentional about staying in touch.

Thanks for taking the time and interest,

Jan

Giving thanks

Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was a hectic and great weekend here in Suffield. Ten people enjoyed the feast. It was wonderful to pull out all the pretties and set a beautiful table to share with friends, old and new. We all had a grand time with close to sevenhours of eatting and drinking, and a lot of giggles. Friendship, full stomachs, and fun memories - a great time to be thankful.

Saturday, my friend Bob and I went to Overlook Farm in Rutland, MA - the home of Heifer International. Check them out a Heifer.org. This is a great organization that sends animals to third world countries to help those less fortunate to provide food, clothing and even commerce. Last year I donated a sheep in honor of all my Local Yarn Store customers in New England. This was a well received Christmas gift, that I felt meant more than giving little tokens of my appreciation. THIS year Heiffer is offering a "knitting package" to contribute to - which will provide 2 sheep and 2 alpacas to a community or family. Hopefully they will procreate and provide an opportunity for trade as well. I am excited to become a part of this offer. I realize my own fortune from this industry and hope others can share in this. Providing warmth as well as the opportunity for commerce will be well appreciated.

Here are pictures of some of the great animals on the farm. These animals provide the opportunities for visitors to appreciate the gifts this organization provides. Heifer also provides experiential programs where you can live as someof the third world individuals Heifer supports.

Weekend programs and camps provide education on farming, caring for animals, milking and sheering. Here's a picture of one of the Camps you can enjoy and farm.

And finally - a thanksgiving picture of Gracie giving a little RAZ to the turkeys who survived the holiday. She had a great time at the farm and met many new friends - some just didn't understand her sense of humor!

Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving weekend - and in giving thanks will join me in the spirit of giving. Check out Heifer.

first trip

I had a great first outting.... sent to Vermont and New Hampshire and saw 8 customers in 2 days.... that really felt great.

My first instincts on the market are good. Although sales are not huge, there is still a lot of interest in knitting. perhaps it's one of those things that do well in recession. And why not? It's not all that expensive, even with beautiful fibers. What could bemore relaxing? A great method to contemplate. Something you can get involved in mentally and enjoy the repetitiveness and rhythm of it. Especially when one uses really fine fibers - the tactile pleasure is enormous. Makes sense to me. And I am acutally seeing it in the yarns stores.

Here are some pictures, to show you what I do. This is outside our hotel in White River Junction, Vermont the night before our "hotel show." My little mini, great on gas but not so much on space.... but all of that luggage AND Gracie fit in with me! Even Gracie is amazed that it will all fit. I set up all of my samples and yarn cards and welcomed peopel from 7 stores during the day. At one point is was so crowded it was hard to find a place to sit down. I was almost thinking of taking appointments the next time I do this.

I also spent time with another customer and feel that my first outting was a total success. I scheduled more appointments next week. It feels great to be back.

On the Road Again...

It's been almost 5 weeks since my back surgery!!! and I am feeling GREAT! The surgery went well. They removed 80% of my herniated disc and I have no pain... NO PAIN. I am trying to take it easy as recommended but the road is calling.

The car is full - already, and I still have more to go. I have lots of samples to show the customers. Then I need my stuff and, of course, Gracie.

I will be doing a hotel show with my fibers on Monday and making a customer call on Tuesday (they have offered to unload my car!). I have been knitting and computer networking but it's time for some face to face. In one more week I should be pretty free to lift most of my stuff although I will be easy on myself.

It will be good to be back out there and hopefully catching up with my friends in the business, in person.

To the left is the Baby Surprise Sweater that I finished. This is a pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman from 1968. I made it with one skein of Fiesta Boomerang - a beautiful washable sofgt merino. It is all one single piece and the only seams are across the top of the arms - a topological delight.

I guess I need to make another Moebius Strip.

I am blessed with amazing friends

Saturday I drove down to Greenwich with my skydiving friend to spend time with two of the most remarkable people in my life. John and Estelle have been dear friends for over... well - 40 years. That's about the longest I have known anyone outside of family. This couple has been married for 63 or more years - pretty amazing. And they are cuter than ever with each other. The little things they do to support each other is a marvelous example of the importance of sharing your life with another - each one making the other look and be as great as they can be.

















Left is a picture of the two of them, on our return from dinner at the their favorite restaurant. Amazingly, the was full of black tied men and gowned women enjoying a formal evening of dinner and dancing. No indication that the stock market had been in a freefall the previous week and panic is settling into many households around the country.

Our dinner was less formal but the most enjoyable of an evening sharing stories of life experiences and an incredibly close friendship and understanding.




















To the right is a picture I took from their dining room with a vision to the west of a bright sunset over New York City. What you can't see, but I could were the lights of the Triboro and Whitestone Bridges sparkling and a vague outline of the city skyscape. It was from this point that John actually witnessed the second plane flying into the World Trade Center on that fateful day September 11, 2001. He could see the explosion, flames and distruction from 35 miles away.




My heart is still singing with the pleasure of the afternoon/evening. As always, I wasn't sure where the conversations would go - I knew we would cover subjects of catching up on the wherabouts of others and knew politics and economy would be included. We also, as always included a little religion (John told Bob of his meeting of the Pope (the last one) - a very comical and serious story). My brain was in full gear just keeping up with these two people. Humor, thoughtfulness, opportunities, talents, incredible sensitivity and honesty - that's what makes a true friendship like this last that long.


As we were leaving out the drive, John insisted on loading us up with the dahlias he grew this summer, in his newest venture in the world of horticulture. A man of great patience and understanding who has many varied talents of gentleness and nurture. These are two of the most incredible people I will ever be blessed to know in my life. I honor them here.

Moving Forward after a Setback

It's been awhile since I have updated this but now is the time. I need to record the progress of the "back" lest it becomes a blur.

I left you last with the hopes of the steroid shot working.... and the answer is - yes and no. Oh the paradoxes of life. Here's how it went. I got progressively better - a great thing. I could walk a bit farther, sleep a lot better, and move more easily. So - I went to work. The next week found me in Vermont making calls and enjoying being out on the road again. My left leg got tired and a little weak - and I was really happy to get home.

Here comes the NO part. Friday morning I woke up, showered, walked the dog.... leaned over for something and BOOM - I couldn't stand. Excruciating pain. Fortunately I had my phone in my back pocket... a word to the wise - have a back pocket for your phone. I called Christina who rushed over and somehow got me, eventually to the emergency room. This time when they asked pain level between 1 to 10 - no thought needed - it was a 10. Worse than childbirth. They gave me morphine and many many other drugs - bottom line - knocked out for 5 days - truly. And surgery scheduled for October 13th. Yep - this Monday in the morning and should be home Tuesday - and them for some time. Maybe a month.

And more good news is that - after that painful Friday, I have had little pain, am off of pain pills and stronger than in the last 6 months. Numbness in my foot and fear of a repeat of that Friday indicate that I need to follow through with the surgery. I am looking forward to having it over.

I have been working all week on the computer and phone, trying to contact customers and sell what little I can over the phone and net, but I actually think that the buying this week would have been slight had I been driving around the country. What a week!

I am trying to figure out some of the networking groups and connections on the net that might provide a way to encourage sales in the companies I represent. I sure would like to find some ways to do a little less driving.

That's the update - not too exciting but I felt I needed to document the moves forward so that I can complete the story next week and be done with it!

Happy Columbus Day - I hope you go out for a walk in the woods to celebrate - that's what I want to do.

J