The Best Therapy...

Thanks everyone for the very kind words about my grandfather. I was pretty misty-eyed whenever I read a new comment. Knitbloggers of the world, I send you all a big hug!

Now, I know I said I might not be blogging this week, but it turns out I'm probably not going to head home until late next week. I still have to discuss this with my dad - just because. I must say, I am very, very lucky to work for a very understanding company and have a very concerned manager - being a pharmacist and having two doctors in her family she understands the medical side of it - and having lost her dad several years ago, she understands the emotional part too.

I was thinking about my grandmother being at home by herself so I gave her a call this morning. She seemed to be in pretty good spirits and my great-aunt was on her way there (and actually arrived while we were talking). They were heading to the hospital in the afternoon. We talked a little bit about Gramps and about how she was doing and I told her that I was going to come home next week and she seemed happy about that.

But here's the reason I'm blogging tonight:

You won't believe what she was doing when I called: She told me that she was reading the copy of "At Knit's End" that I had left for her and was enjoying it immensely. In true grandmother fashion (and certainly with no disrespect meant to the the Harlot herself) she said, "I was just sitting here thinking that this sounds like something Stephanie (meaning me, not the Harlot - oh this IS confusing) would have written." Of course, I knew what she meant - I know that I could NEVER, EVER have written "At Knits End", and I would never, ever presume to have the Harlot's flair, talent, etc (oh, dear, god, please don't think I am fishing for compliments), - but she's my grandmother - and I'm her grandchild and therefore she thinks I'm special. And really, having her think that I could write something as funny and precious and carefully thought out as "At Knit's End", well, really, that's the highest compliment a grandmother could give her knitting and blogging grandchild, isn't it? I almost cried when she said it because it made me feel like she was sitting there in the audience at my piano recital and applauding the loudest all over again.

So I guess I wanted to tell you about what she said, because in her eyes, I'm right up there with the Harlot. And that's the way it should be for all grandchildren, isn't it? Superstars according to our grandparents. Although, to compare your grandchild to an actual harlot would not necessarily be a compliment unless that was something your family aspired to.

Again, please don't think I'm comparing myself to the Harlot because:
1. She's a published, freaking, author with her own bookbookbook tour.
2. She's an accomplished writer.
3. She's got way more knitting experience than I do and even if, god forbid, she were to stop knitting tomorrow, and I lived to be 100, I could never catch up to her output and design abilities (of course, this isn't related to writing, but it's a valid point when you consider that she wrote a book about knitting that has truths in it that I may never discover).
4. I worship her writing abilities and her ability to churn out socks.

And if the Harlot ever happens upon this entry, I hope she understands the reason I wrote it was to illustrate a grandma's love and not to say "aren't I just the cream of the crop?"

Oh my gosh, I'm such a Canadian. Do you see this entry? I'm apologizing already and I'm still just sitting here in front of the glow of my computer screen. This isn't even on the web yet. Hello, paranoid freak much?

Do I post this or not? Oh, frig it. My grandma loves me. My ego needed that boost today. Thanks Grammy.

Anyhoooooo I also wanted to say, Grammy was telling me that she's been knitting baby sweaters. She started knitting hats and booties for preemies years ago through a program with my father's pharmacy - called the "Guardian Angel" program. She got a pin a while back and she said she couldn't remember what number of donations it represented. It has to be over 200, I'm sure, because she's been doing it since day one and the program has been around for a good 15 years or MORE!

So, I told her about the Dulaan project and suggested that maybe she and I could knit a few things and then send them in together! She really liked the idea. The Dulaan kiddies might get some special Grammy mittens yet!! YAY!!!! Now what the heck am I going to knit???