It's s ninety degrees and I'm knitting mittens. Christmas colors no less. No I'm not pining for a Christmas in July, the holidays start early enough. My grandmother lives with me and a couple years ago she gave me a quick lesson on knitting. I stumbled through a couple weeks of practice and promptly put away my mess and forgot all about it. Two years later my son made a passing comment and I thought I would give it another go. Something clicked and I've found it be a soothing, relaxing, and almost meditative practice, calming my nerves in a yoga like way. Ok I won't lie, before the calm was a storm of book reading, you tubing and maybe a tear or two of frustration aimed at that no good troublemaker Purl.  But the lessons of patience, practice and perseverance were long overdue. I'm thankful they came in the form of a fashionably cute pastime so I'll run with it.
I encourage you to try something outside your comfort zone, check something off your bucket list, or learn from someone unexpected. Zen is found in many different ways and my most recent is at the end of a yarn ball. Like most things in life I'll just see where this takes me. At least I know what I'm giving everyone for Christmas...and birthdays...and baby showers...
I think I will be done knitting for the night though, my hands are a little sore. Anyone know where I could get a great Honey Citrus Hand treatment with paraffin? ;)