Transitions

 

Spring here is more about getting through spring break up than flowers blooming.

But that's the thing about life transitions - they are frequently messy, dirty, and take a long time to resolve.  

So here I am, in the midst of spring break up.  The snow is mostly gone and the remnants are piles of dirty snow receding to show brown grass.  The streets are still full of the sand that was laid down to make the roads drivable.  Or as drivable as possible given snow/ice.

The air is beginning to fill with the dust kicked up from the lingering sand still on the roads and any day now the street sweepers will be running, trying to clear the grit off the ground, which will kick even more dust up into the air.  This will happen just as the trees begin their yearly pollination efforts.

I happen to be allergic to dust and pollen, so spring break up isn't my favourite time of the year.

In years gone by, I was usually out of town during this time so I would miss the worst of it.  

Patience, I counsel myself.  Patience.   This too shall pass.  When you are going through hell, keep going.  And all that.

This weekend there is supposed to be more precipitation, possibly sleet, maybe rain.  I hope that the temperature will continue to warm and then for a hard rain to knock the dust and pollen down.

We bought an air filter a month or so ago.  My weaving produces a certain amount of fine dust and it has already had the pre-filter cleaned.  My bad.  On the other hand, removing particulates from the air seems to be a good idea, given we both have seasonal allergies.  Well, truth be told, mine are year round.

I'm also taking a drug that causes sinusitis so most days I'm not feeling very chipper with sinus headache and all that goes with it.

Yeah, I know, tiny violin.  I'm feeling tired and the day is dreary.  OTOH, the drug is keeping me alive, so there is that.  Small price to pay?  Yeah, but annoying, nonetheless.

We have made it through one year of pandemic.  Now to make it through to the end.  A few more months and things should start to resolve.  Most people will have had their vaccinations and hopefully we can begin meeting in real life again.

The border between the US and Canada is still closed for non-essential travel, but it is looking like that might get lifted this summer.  Time will tell.

In the meantime, the clock keeps ticking, one day slides into the next.  We transition from one season to the next.  Our lives may also transition in one way or another.  For me it is a constant working towards my goal of stash reduction, something that I will be working on for a long while yet.  But I'm also getting to the point where I am going to have to consider buying more yarn to help use up some of what I have.  With four towel warps planned and at least 4 more needed to use up the cotton flake, I may need more 2/8 cotton.  But I also need some 2/16 cotton to use up the dyed 2/16 cotton that isn't enough for warps but can be used for weft.  Plus the linen stash, some of it quite fine.  

The other day I also dug out the 2/8 cotton/hemp from Brassard, a quite nice yarn also good for towels.  Yes, I have lots of yarn.  Lots and lots!

I have no idea what I will do when I'm done using up the cotton I have.  This is the 'spring break up' of my yarn stash.  It's messy, dirty (dusty) and going to take a long time to resolve.