I finished my pink, fuschia singles! Very excited. This is my first pair of full bobbins, ready to be plied. I can’t wait to see the finished yarn. I just hope it won’t be too hard to give away . . .

“Happiness is a condition of the mind, and has very little to do with outward circumstances.” –Helen Keller

And so, I’m reading this biography of Helen Keller, and am enjoying it quite a lot. I’ve had it a long time–my parents gave it to me for my 14th birthday. This is a huge book, mind you, and excited as I was about it, it was an adult-level, serious history/biography, and I never got past the first section on Annie Sullivan’s childhood. And then, it sat on the shelf . . . for 24 years. I finally decided it was time to read it, and I’m learning a lot about this admirable woman. Like, for example, that she was a radical socialist, who encouraged violent revolt because she thought the plight of poor workers and their children demanded radical steps. And yet, she was very anti-war and thought people should never fight. She and Annie supported themselves with lectures and Vaudeville routines. (Yes, Vaudeville.) She was also proposed to, by letter, by a widower with four children, whom she had never met. Now that’s particularly hard to imagine. Even more so since, after having the man checked out, Annie actually passed the letter on. (Apparently there was a certain amount of protectiveness there.) It’s an interesting story, and my . . . I’ve always admired her for being such a strong person overcoming great odds, but what a bright and vibrant personality she had. Caring, generous, eager, helpful . . . Great woman.

Tags: Knitting/Spinning, Reading // Comments Off