IntrinsicTina

I indulged in one of my favorite activities...growing my stash. Not that kind of stash! My yarn stash. With the tough economy and my unemployment, I knew I wouldn't be purchasing much but I did manage to make a few strategic buys. Every year there is an event called the LYS Tour (aka Local Yarn Store Tour) which covers a large area in Northwestern Washington. Last year we (my mother, sister, and I) traveled as far north as Birch Bay, as far south as Kent and as far west as Bainbridge Island, and east to Issaquah. This year they added two stores out on Whidbey Island, increasing the miles we had to travel (570 miles to be exact) but providing beautiful scenery and adorable stores to visit and learn about. Last year I bought quite a bit of yarn, I think to the tune of a few hundred dollars but this year I spent less than $75 and was shocked that I spent that much. We pared down expenses by bringing food and drink but still could not resist visiting Trophy Cupcakes and bought ...

During my trip to Ocean Shores to spend quality time with my mother, I realized that I'm glad I went. Not just for the obvious rewards of all things ocean...We got the opportunity to pour over long-unseen photographs and compare notes. Memory is funny thing, "malleable" is the word that best applies since memory is not a static thing. Malleable means flexible, moldable, pliable, and changeable. It is really based upon our own experiences, our differing points of view, where we are in our lives, etc. I really noticed the malleability during our time of reminiscence. I used to think that my mother just distorted the facts to suit her fancy (and granted I still think she does some of this but not as much as I always presumed). Sometimes it is the mere passage of time and the fact that so very much happens in our lives. There is just no possible way that we can remember every moment, nor every date, nor which event coincided with which event. That is why I feel it is...