One safe place....

Tonight I'm listening to a little-known song by Marc Cohn called "One Safe Place." It's just such a beautiful song, and I love the lyrics. The acoustic version on his "Marc Cohn Live 04-05" CD that I got on ITunes is just awesome. It's been one of my favorites ever since I heard it. It's applied a lot to my life lately. The first time I heard it was shortly before I moved to New Mexico, and it applied for obvious reasons then. I was looking for something. It also had meaning after I got here and met Bryan.

Bryan traveled so many roads, wandering all over the entire country by hitchhiking and stowing away on frieght trains from age 15 to about age 20 looking for a sense of belonging. And as for me, I've been looking for a sense of true belonging now for quite some time. Nothing to do with a lack of family or friends. I've got wonderful droves of those. It was more of a sense of not really being able to figure out who I really was, what I really wanted to be doing or where I really wanted to be. I had an awesome life growing up. I did have quite a few periods of deep melancholy within myself though, and never really knew why. I often battled secretly with depression in my teenage years. The human mind is a very complex thing... I think it was due to many factors within myself. But I think that part of it may have just been that I really didn't know how powerful or capable I am as a person. As we all are. I had no idea... And I think that starting my own business, then moving to Albuquerque, going to school again, and rebuilding my business on the other side of the country with no network or ties in the community, all really gave me a glimpse at the power we all hold within ourselves.

It's a sad thing that most people don't realize their true power, and many never will. I've only seen the tip of the iceberg within myself, and some days I try to convince myself that that's all there is... Even that much is plenty to celebrate. But I know there's more in there. And I'm going to really be working on bringing that out more these next few years. I'm going to really brainstorm and see what I can come up with for these next few years on the road...

But getting back to the song I'm listening to, I think that's all that all of us are really looking for in a way. One safe place. Whether that be a geographical place, a partner, a career that you love and enjoy, or simply stepping into your own shoes and learning about who you are -the good and the bad- and acknowledging that. (Nothing like a relationship with a blunt, opinionated and very wise boyfriend to chip away at your shell and bring you face to face with your own great and not so great qualities.) :)

And we'll never truly (hopefully) reach that one moment in life where everything feels perfect and hunky-dory for the rest of our lives... That would be very boring and we wouldn't grow very much at all through that. But hopefully we can reach outside of our box a little, push that comfort zone, try new things and really find that place where we fit into the puzzle. Like settling into the perfect cozy armchair in front of the fire... That's my goal in life. To feel like I'm really living My Life, and no one else's impression of what that should be.

That's what I wish for me, and for Bryan, and for all of you out there. My family, my awesome friends, fellow knitters, or random strangers stumbling upon this blog. :) Just one safe place...



"How many roads you've traveled
How many dreams you've chased
Across sand and sky and gravel
Looking for one safe place.

Will you make a smoother landing
When you break your fall from grace
Into the arms of understanding
Looking for one safe place.

Oh life is trial by fire
And love's the sweetest taste
And I pray it lifts us higher
To one safe place.

How many roads we've traveled
How many dreams we've chased
Across sand and sky and gravel
We're looking for one safe place."
-- Marc Cohn

Okay, I give in...

Well, so many people lately have been telling me I should start a blog to log all of my adventures traveling around with Bryan for his new job. I have finally succumbed to the peer pressure. :) I figured the blog name I chose would be fitting in that I am going to be a wanderer for awhile now. It's also a partial ode to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the writer of "Free Range Knitter," among many other very funny books about knitting. :) Fitting, since I am obsessed with knitting.

We're getting closer and closer to my moving date on May 1st when I go join Bryan in Jefferson City, Missouri. Time is flying fast! It's about 3 and a half weeks away now. I'm starting to get things organized for myself, including filling out the paperwork and saving up the money to get my new massage license for the state of Missouri. I have a lot of little things I need to do to get ready. Nothing too huge, so that's good. I sure am going to miss my knitting group!! They have been such an awesome group of friends for me here and I feel like there's many times in the past year that would have been way tougher to make it through without them! But I hope to keep in touch with them when I leave, at least online.

We won't be moving all of our stuff out of this apartment until June, when Bryan's through with his probation and we know for certain that he has the job (although it's looking more and more like he's not only going to get the job, but that he may also get an immediate promotion once he's in.) Everyone is amazed by him at the workplace, which is so awesome. :) And so typical of Bryan. We did find out today that we'll be in Missouri for under a year. I guess for tax purposes they move their organizers around so that they're in each state for less than a year because otherwise they have to pay state taxes in two states, or something weird like that. But one thing about Missouri that I am looking forward to is something I just found online yesterday called the Katy Trail. It's a 300 mile bike trail that goes across the middle of Missouri!! :) Part of the trail goes right through north Jefferson. And you can even rent bikes by the trail in a couple places if you don't have one. It goes through some really beautiful areas, and it would be awesome if I could find a cheap bike and bike rack for my car somehow so I could ride part of it a bunch of times a week! Anyone know of someone wanting to get rid of a good bike rack that would fit on a Ford Focus sedan?? :)

For my knitting friends, I'll report that the ends are still hanging from my red blouse... big surprise there. But I'm determined to come wearing the blouse next time I come to the knitting group! ...Realistically I may not be able to come this weekend. Bryan will be in town and Saturday morning I have to work at the massage clinic, so I'd rather not leave him alone the whole day when he's here to see me! But here are some pictures of the blouse! :


(Sorry for the toilet shot.) haha :)

Now, I'm working on that Delphine lacy tank top pattern for my Mom from that French Girl Knits book. It's awesome. It looks SO small on the needles right now, but I'm hoping it's just a figment of my eyes' imagination. :) I think it's the right size... I'll just keep telling myself it is. lol I've also realized how much unused awesome sock yarn I've got laying around here! So I've decided to start working on some more socks for myself. Also, I fell prey to the perils of Ravelry tonight.

I was innocently checking my inbox when I saw a colorful ad for a website called "eat sleep knit". I checked it out.... Oh dear. Somehow before I could blink I had some awesome hand-painted sock yarn on order in a mouthwatering self-striping colorway called "Just Plum" and I also registered with the website for an awesome program they have called "The Yarn Marathon," in which you see how many total yards of yarn you can buy throughout the year and get milestone prizes along the way when you reach certain yardages, such as $20 gift cards, surprise bags of yarn, and other cool stuff. *ssiiiiigh* Why do I sense I'll soon have as many knit socks as Kim from the knitting group?? The entire website is devoted to handpainted and hand-dyed yarn, which makes for really yummy sock and lace yarns.... *drool, drool*

Oh!! And and... On the sidebar of my blog you'll see a button that says "eat sleep knit." If you ever want to buy awesome handpainted yarn from them, come to my blog and click on my button to link to them and buy yarn, and your purchase adds yardage onto my "yarn marathon" count so I can get free stuff!! :) :) Please click and buy!! :-D heehee.... Okay, that's my one and only shameless plug.

Well, that's about all for now. I'll write again tomorrow!

Goodnight, friends and knitters....
~Trudy~