From Grumpy To Good To Gratitude

The Grumpy:

I think I maybe need more of a transition period with this whole "work thing."  I haven't worked a full week in I-don't-know-how-long.  Between the snow days, doctor's appointments and holiday break from school, I might be a little out of practice.  In fact, during a lengthy monologue on the subject first thing this morning, I actually used the words, "I take umbrage" when describing my thoughts on this matter.  I seem to feel rather strongly about being asked to work for five days in a row.  Very strongly, indeed.

My Cheerful Teaching Assistant, the audience for this One Sheep Show, is a bit more gifted when it comes to being succinct.  That or she has precious little chance to get a word in edgewise.  At any rate, she put it like this:

I just woke up mad and stayed that way.

We both seem to think that working is taking away from the time we'd like to spend doing other things.  Like sleeping.  Or watching TV.  Or anything else that doesn't involve working.  

Don't even ask how the students in our class feel about this matter.  They have been "challenging."  We shall just leave it at that lest I say something that could get me sued or locked away for the safety of others.

The Good:

The day is behind me now, though.  And there are a few precious hours to call mine own.  Let's kick things off with some Maine Morning Mitts, shall we?  People seemed to think that I should provide proof of my sudden departure from the socks and scarves and who could blame them, really?  If you are going to cry, "mitts!" you'd better be prepared to back it up:

MITTS!!!!!  (or mitt...there's really only one at this point)

And, for the record, it is really hard to take a picture of your own hand whilst still maintaining a pose which will hide the horror that is the thumb on this thing. And, to make matters worse, I have a deep loathing of things that feel differently, so I am going to have to try and make the same mistake on the second one. The good news is that I know what I did wrong so the next pair will be a bit more along the lines of the pattern.

The Gratitude:

Do you guys remember back in December when I posted a general sort of "Thank You" to whomever it was who sent me The Zombie Survival Guide?  The mystery was solved not too long after that, but I forgot to give credit where credit is due for this fine piece of literature, without which I would never have read the greatest words ever penned in the history of writing:

Hooking on scuba gear and blindly diving into zombie infested water is a wonderful way to mix the two childhood terrors of being eaten and drowning.

I may just have to stitch that into a sampler or something...

The forward-thinking sender of my key to survival is none other than Teri!  Does she know me or what?  

Teri also most thoughtfully made a donation in Desdemona's memory to Alley Cat Allies.  Knowing that my baby will live on in some way through the saving of another kitty was of great comfort to me.  Thank you so much, Teri.  

Then today, another kindness showed up in the mailbox.  Back at the beginning of the month that I will forever think of as The Time Of Holiday Horror, poor Cathy most innocently emailed me with an offer of some extra fiber.  Little did she know that I was only recently saddled with the knowledge of my poor kitty's illness and that I was just a wee, bit fragile.  She was quite remarkable in her handling of my utter loss of composure in the face of her thoughtfulness.  And, as one of maybe three people who knew what was happening, proved herself to be an amazing listener while I navigated the waters of veterinary treatment.  As if her being such source of comfort during that time wasn't enough, look at what she done gone and did:

She crocheted me a vest...

Not just any vest.  A Cathy Vest.  It is dark here and the colors in the photo are nowhere near what I get to look at tonight in real life.  This vest is a perfect fit as well.  Perfect!!!  And soft...so very, very soft!  I'm just gobsmacked.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Cathy.  This is a treasure.  As are you.

And there you have it:  how A Sheep can run the gamut of emotions on any given day.  I am nothing if not gifted with range.  Now let's all raise a glass of Mountain Dew to the end of Tuesday and the glimpse of hope that mid-week affords us.  

Working a full week...who ever heard of such a thing?????

SA