New Years Travel Resolutions

It seems we were given a breeding pair! The progeny appeared magically at dinner the next night.

1. Stop getting sick in foreign countries! I'd already had a cold in India and managed not to share with Mr. Chirpchatty. Then, Mr. C. took a biz flight to Coimbatore (still in South India) for one long 16-hour day and picked up something unpleasant - which didn't manifest until we reached Frankfurt. He tried not to share, but is just too generous of spirit. We've both been down with a bug all week. This mimics our trip two years ago to London on the way back from India when we were stuck in a hotel for the entire time of our stay with another bug. Sheesh is all I've got to say!

2. NEVER leave town for any trip without your Chibi needle for grafting together the toes of your newly completed handknitted socks, and for sewing knitted seams. You will regret it.....deeply. In another country you may be forced to buy something much less satisfactory, like a sailmaker's needle - which will free-rotate it's spatulate end - endlessly - in the stitches and not hold STILL - that is if it FITS through the stitches! However, never stop knitting, as it is known for it's healing properties and sense of accomplishment when you can't leave your room. I finished the fun lace-rib socks, and these are for secret sock pal Sandi (since I've apparently been outed among the homies).

Sorry for the blurred closeup - I just adore this pattern. Who knew it was so easy?

3. I love this phrase sent to me in an eMail attachment by Dear Friend Anita: "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? "Be kinder than necessary" is right up there with random acts of kindness. I didn't realize there is a Random Acts of Kindness Foundation - which you'll see if you click on that link. You notice though that this resolution came second to Nos. 1 and 2 above. In my current stage of finishing socks while sick, I had to prioritize.

4. Always carry the 2-gallon size of Ziploc bags with you wherever you go (I've found the original brand name to be the best and the freezer type to be the strongest). On trips, in your car, in your knitting bag, to retreats.... They are endlessly useful on trips, keeping food and snacks fresh for late-night snacks, holding dirty clothes, packing up purchased items to keep them clean and packable, holding just-dyed fiber, or carded fiber, or stinky fiber - and they can be reused over and over again (and washed!) in the best spirit of recycling. You can take a camping/RV trip and cook an omelet in them - truly! My parents have done this over and over again. Everyone brings their own premixed ingredients in a bag to a big campfire where there is a central vat of hot water going. And then....well, you can watch a video if you click this link. I hope Mr. or Ms. Ziploc died a happy and wealthy person.

5. Never assume.....anything! This especially applies to healthcare and getting prescriptions in another country. We were astounded by the bureaucracy - and we have some varied experience of living overseas. Many of the potential struggles are well nigh impossible to find out before you go. That would be a double Sheesh! Many thanks to Dear Friends Natasha and Dan for helping us through an impossible situation.

That's it for now. A shout out to Dear Friend and socknitter extraordinaire Lynne at Socklady - glad you are recovering so well and I haven't forgotten I owe you a pattern!

Don't know why Blogger insists on single-spacing my entries no matter how I format them - but - apologies for the strange spacing.