5-15-2026

New and special programs receive the majority of this weekly article. I can testify to the continued health and welcome nature of ongoing programs.

This winter I moved from 1700 square feet to 835. Doing so without going mad or needing tunnels to move around the new place, involved nearly two years of preparation and purging. I’ll admit the purging will continue until my daughter has her first place as sentimental items from her childhood and my mom’s are in a 10 foot by 5 foot storage unit. Otherwise, it has been very successful and liberating.

Here’s the exception: my closet. In my teaching days, it was largely filled with sweaters for the high school and sundresses from the Doubek years. Switching to the public library required a summer work wardrobe. Even then sweaters are part of it. At the time I packed up my clothes, I had approximately 20 cardigans. Six of them were black in various sizes and weights. Moving gave me an opportunity to look at them all, even the ones at the bottom of the piles, which in turn resulted in purging and wearing some again for the first time in years.

What I discovered was that the bulking men’s sweaters I bought when the temperatures were mind numbing low, are in great shape. Many of the women’s sweaters are not. They are made with more decorative yarns, softer, textured, etc. They also pill much more easily. One sweater has stripes in various colors. One of the colors is coming off with the pilling. This did not make me happy.

My solution? Attend Yarn & Stitch on the 2^nd and 4^th Mondays of each month and ask the ladies to teach me to knit.

As of this week, I have a washcloth with knitting, purling, and knit/purl stripes. They have assigned a squared done in white with a pattern of my choosing. We were all given the same assignment. The squares will be donated to an organization that provides them as lovies to children in foster care. I have been told my square will involve cabling at some point. Once I learn a few more stitches, I shall head to Linda’s Yarn on the square and ask for yarn that won’t pill and make my own sweaters.

Another reoccurring program I suggest include the Adult Book Club which meets twice a week to discuss the same book: 2^nd Friday and Tuesday of the month. Members attend whichever best fits their schedule. More on that book club later as there is a special book club in September that will be the subject of an article.

Both of these programs are during the traditional working day. While I can’t change the craft group until I have a lot more experience, I am open to an evening book club if anyone is interested and wants to give suggestions for dates/book selection.

Reading Now: The Shack by William Paul Young (Third times the charm. This is on the PBS Great American Reads)

Listening to Now: A Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (Nonfiction book about The Frozen River’s main character)