Feast or famine

Hoo, y'all. I mean, hoo boy. It's rough around here.

I don't want to get into the details, but let's just say that we're stressed out. Josh is working really hard in the band and on his master's degree, and I think I can say without compromising operational security that he'll be going on a ship for the first time soon. Living in Japan in a military environment is much more difficult than either of us anticipated, and that fact has been coming to a head lately.

See, my husband is stressed to the max. There is absolutely nothing I can do to help him, not unless he figures out what I can do, that is, so I'm stressed too from watching helplessly while he deals with it all. I love this man so much, and it's incredibly hard to sit on my hands while he keeps slogging through this tough time. Plus I'm planning a trip to the States very soon (the states of California, South Carolina, and Washington, to be exact) but traveling Space-A by myself and leaving our house empty is scary.

So where's the feast? All around us. I mean, we have plenty of money in this terrible economy and our health care is acceptable and free. Our house has a view of the ocean, we get to call our parents and grandparents for free from Japan, and our friends and family are amazing. We've got some friends here, and a decent little community to keep us sane when things get this crazy. Oh, and I get to go home for a while, albeit without my husband. And, you'll never believe what I just got in the mail.

I'm sorry the pictures are so dark, especially since the colors are much prettier than that, but I was in a rush. See, this package came yesterday from Irish, who is working hard to settle into life in the Pacific Northwest. Since she was my first knitting student (and a total natural) I gave her the needles I learned on before she left Japan. This scarf, the Irish Hiking Scarf (named after the country, not my friend, but how cool!), was her second project. See how beautiful those cables are? And how even her tension? HER SECOND PROJECT. Like I said, a natural.

I am so blown away by her generosity, and I'm still amazed that I've found a handful of kindred spirits here on the other side of the world. My life is much more feast, much more beautiful and kind and warm than it ever is scary and cold. And yet, this winter, the chill keeps creeping in.