That’s been my phrase for it. It was the yahoo KnitTalk group that started using my name as a verb, but drive-by knitting was always my phrase for it.
I like the responses in the comments to Dad’s suggestions, and thank you. The easiest thing to do would be to set up a Ravelry place for people to share stories, there already being a place for pictures of projects and yarns there, although that excludes the non-Ravelry subscribers. The stories are what inspire, they’re what help get people going, and I’d go for any way to make that happen, Ravelry or however.
Meantime, I got driven past, myself: a turtle showed up in the mail today, a water turtle to match my shawl pattern, one could say, because Diana felted it. I love the cheerful colors. Thank you!
I saw my surgeon this morning, and she was highly pleased at my progress and at the condition of my stoma and incision. But just seeing me looking my normal self, cheerful and no longer a lump in a bed–it made her day. This is why she does what she does. To make people healthy again.
I thanked her for saving my life, and she was a bit abashed for a moment–but she had, and she knew it and I knew it. She had admired my book in the hospital, so next I gave her a copy with that thank you for my saving my life there in the inscription. Put it in writing. Keep it for always. Know that the work you do and the way you go about it, visiting your patients every day before and after, is important, dear woman. I asked her to thank her husband for loaning her to me for all that time she spent on me, which was considerable.
I did feel I had to explain to her as I stumbled trying to get up on the exam table that in real life, I use a cane for my balance. (I don’t think she’d noticed it against the wall) because of that car accident way back when.
Anyway. Jennie and I celebrated afterwards by going to Coupa Cafe downtown. (I wish their site included the gorgeous long photo on the wall of the farm.) This is a well-loved local hole-in-the-wall bringing Venezualan coffee and cacao beans directly from farm to here. Theirs is seriously good stuff (I’m told the coffee is too) and the fact that we actually got a table almost right away was highly unusual. If you ever want to celebrate being able to eat chocolate, this is definitely the place to do it.
And celebrate we did. To life!
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The turtle is adorable…I’m so glad you get knitted gifts too! And, how neat you were able to go out for choc./hot cocoa today as a treat. I actually thought of you and hot choc. this evening…after getting my hip reset again, my first thought was that I needed a treat and maybe I should have hot choc. – in my favorite mug. 🙂 (Chocolate soy milk was easier though…but, it was still chocolate.) Hope your chocolate today was as much a treat as you’d hoped…it sounded like a good day. And that’s really neat you shared your book – doctors are people too…and they’re pretty impressed with authors, I’m sure.
Best wishes and thank you for sharing your stories,
Abby
hmm, I ‘Alison’d’ a colleague a while back. Just because. I had brought some knittingto work to fill the quiet time, and the colleague commented that the colours were lovely. It was a net bag to put groceries in. so when I finished it, I gave it to her and it completely floored her. I figured if she liked the colour, she should have it. She kept saying stuff like “but I didn’t give you anything for this”. To which I responded, ‘that’s why it’s called a gift. the fun is in the giving.”
Comment by Carol 02.20.09 @ 7:14 pmAlison, I must say you got me back to drinking hot chocolate — I’m a tea drinker, but, oh, my, hot chocolate on a cold day is fabulous! I have a question regarding someone being Alisoned: Does that term only apply to knit goods? or only tangible goods? If one receives a small supply of humor, has the individual been Alisoned? Just wondering.
And speaking of humor …
TOMBSTONES
Harry Edsel Smith of Albany, New York: Born 1903–Died 1942. Looked up the elevator shaft to see if the car was on the way down. It was.
Thurmont, Maryland: Here lies an atheist, all dressed up and no place to go.
London, England: Here lies Ann Mann, who lived an old maid but died an old Mann.
Ruidoso, New Mexico: Here lies Johnny Yeast… Pardon me for not rising.
Uniontown, Pennsylvania: Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake.Stepped on the gas instead of the brake.
Hartscombe, England: On the 22nd of June, Jonathan Fiddle went out of tune.
Nantucket, Massachusetts: Under the sod and under the trees, lies the body of Jonathan Pease.
He is not here, there’s only the pod.
Pease shelled out and went to God.
I would say we’ve Don ahead and had a good time reading your jokes!
Comment by AlisonH 02.20.09 @ 8:15 pmDoes giving some of one’s yarn and needles to a new knitter count as a drive-by? 🙂
I am glad the follow-up visit went well, and you even had the energy to go out for chocolate! Hooray!
Comment by karin 02.20.09 @ 8:34 pmIf we’re verbifying people, we could say we just got “Don-ed” and it made us laugh. Alternately, we could say, “I need a laugh. Got any good Don’s for me?”
My knitting (and crochetting) is mostly the sort that has to be donated anonymously (scarves to a homeless shelter) or to people too young to object. (My grandson has a tendancy to spit on my gifts.) I did just finish decorating a sweater with ribbon embroidery for my great niece, and I think that turned out well.
One of the problems with recording gifts is that when giving charity, you’re not supposed to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.
Occasionally that also happens to me when I’m knitting, which is NOT a good thing. Or when playing the piano!
Comment by LauraN 02.20.09 @ 9:18 pmI’m so glad you were able to go out after the surgeon’s visit. Another step to normalcy.
I like the Ravelry idea!!!! I look forward to its development.
Comment by Joansie 02.20.09 @ 9:37 pmSo glad to hear that you were given a good report.
The cafe sounds like a wonderful place. I hope you go again very soon.
I love the turtle…so cute. I have a Dr that is very special to me also. He has been my specialist for over 10 yrs. I have had a hard battle with endometriosis (I had my hysterectomy when my girls were only 10 months old)and he has always been the most caring, understanding Dr. I have ever been to in my life. Since moving I travel 200 miles to see him. Being under the care of a great Dr is priceless!
Comment by TripletMom 02.20.09 @ 10:21 pmDear Allison, I’m glad you’re feeling better and back to the morning chocolate. Hope all will continue well for you. I’m about ready to start one of your shawls using Kauni which I think will do well. If I don’t like it’s looks, I think I’ll use Mini Mochi or JoJoLand Melody. I like both of them but I really want to use the Kauni. I think it does such a neat job of striping on circular or triangular shawls. Best of luck to you. We go tomorrow to see our younger nephew who leaves next week for the Air Force. Cross your fingers for him too.
Ann and the Purrers in Dallas, Texas, aka Furknitter on Ravelry
Purrs to Aunt Allison from the Furries, Bun, Isis, Cookie, and spooky Mitzi purrrrrrrrr
It’s wonderful to hear how much better you are sounding. Here’s my favorite Don on today’s theme: on a tombstone in CT “I told you I was sick.”
Comment by Milissa 02.21.09 @ 5:49 amHow about a blog? Like the Zimmermaniacs blog, where anyone can post their EZ project. With appropriate forethought on categories, it could be kept well organized. I’m sure you’d have volunteers to help with the admin side (approving requests to join/post, etc). Like me, for instance. I’d volunteer.
Comment by amy 02.21.09 @ 6:46 amRavelry would be a great spot to share inspiring drive-by knitting stories of thanks. Not sure some reasons for gift-knitting are as inspiring, like I’m knitting as surprise scarf for a friend who’s husband left her for a co-worker, and although her therapist has been very helpful, turning 40 has been really hard on her. Maybe TMI and not very inspiring. BTW, love that drive-by turtle to bits! How cute!
Comment by LynnM 02.21.09 @ 8:47 amHmmm… drive-by knitting… I like that! I also love that you’re out and about, doing normal things, giving thanks as you always do, and reminding us all of the beauty of human connections. Thank you!
Praying always…
Comment by Pegi 02.21.09 @ 9:20 amThis post is a blessing. So happy to read that things just keep getting better.
Comment by Amanda 02.21.09 @ 10:16 amLynnM, that IS inspiring: everybody goes through their own hard times of whatever type, and here you are noticing, caring, and reaching out to someone in a situation that an awful lot of people could relate to. Thank you for knitting that!
Comment by AlisonH 02.21.09 @ 10:39 amHere, here! Cheers to you, lovely lady, and to your doctor too.
Comment by Momo Fali 02.21.09 @ 12:36 pmHot chocolate. Aaah, the luxury. I had some myself, just today. When we can’t have everything, the things we *can* have are more precious.
You sound good. Keep healing, OK?
Lynn (who knew about the turtle when it was being knit… happy you’ve got it now)
Comment by LynnH 02.22.09 @ 1:14 amThe turtle looks right at home, I’m glad he made it safely there :-}
Comment by Diana Troldahl 02.23.09 @ 11:17 pmI love your turtle, does he have a name yet? He’s sooo cheerful!
Comment by Alicia 02.25.09 @ 3:04 pmLeave a comment
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