Never Leave Home Without It

Is everyone keeping busy this summer? Sheesh! Ever since Mr. Yarnworks returned from Afghanistan in May, it's just been crazy around here! Between Shepherd's Harvest, spending mad quality time with Mr. Yarnworks and the kids, toting the kids to and fro to basketball camps, dance camps, and outdoor camps, and getting Mr. Yarnworks' ACL and meniscus repaired (finally -- he injured it a year ago!).....well, let's just say that I took most of the summer off from most everything except my family. And I enjoyed every second!

Now it's time to gear up for fall. Mr. Yarnworks is walking without crutches again and can now drive himself to physical therapy. The kids are mostly done with their camps. North Country Fiber Fair is right around the corner. And school starts in less than a month. Not to mention, I've missed you all!

So, this summer, Mr. Yarnworks and I have had to attend a couple of weekend "Yellow Ribbon Events" put on by the National Guard. These are mandatory for the service member and optional for family members, but they're notoriously....well....boring. Brutal really. Especially for those of us with a few deployments under our belts.

(I swear this is knitting related, just bear with me.)

I mean, really, how many times can people who have never deployed explain to me how to re-ignite the home fires with my husband after a year-long deployment? Especially a month or two after he returns home? And don't get me started on the briefs put on by groups like the Department of Labor where the presenter is ill-prepared and doesn't even really know how to relate their material to veterans....something that always floors me about these things.

Anyway, so day one of the first Yellow Ribbon Event, I dutifully packed my knitting in my purse. I almost always have a project with me and this was no exception. (See? Told ya. Knitting!) During the big auditorium presentations, I pulled out my simple stockinette sock and worked a few rows. I love stockinette socks for times like these because I can work on them and still make eye contact. Later, in our smaller group presentations, I left the knitting in my purse. There were only 4-20 people in each group and it just seemed rude to pull out the knitting. You and I both know that I can and do pay attention while I knit, but most muggles just don't understand that, and I'd hate to insult anyone, ya know?

On the second day, the schedule indicated that we'd have nothing but those small group presentations, so I looked wistfully at my knitting, but ultimately left it at home.

Big. Mistake.

See, on Day Two, most of the soldiers decided that the presentations were just too brutal, and most played hookie. Yep, including Mr. Yarnworks. We started off by wandering around downtown Sioux Falls, but since it was Sunday, most everything was closed. So we ended up mostly sitting around outside chatting with his war buddies.

Now I loved getting to know all these people he'd talked about so fondly since he returned. They were all just as fabulous as he'd let on. But it would have been ideal knitting time, wouldn't it? Sitting around outside on benches, steps, or at picnic tables, casually shooting the breeze with a bunch of people that don't really want to be there? Yep,  that's the perfect time to pull out that stockinette sock.....that I left at home.

Thing is, I knew better. I knew better than to assume that I'd have no occasion to knit. Yet, I left it behind anyway.

Have you done this? Do you solve this problem by just always bringing your knitting with you? Do you think about what your day holds and decide whether or not to bring your knitting based on that?

I'll tell you this much -- I will always have some sort of knitting in the car or in my purse for times like these.