Writer's block. Not.

A prolonged absence from the Knitternall blog implies disinterest. Not true! So much is happening in the Knitternall world that blogging for pleasure seemed . . . well, self-indulgent.

But isn't self indulgence at the heart of blogging?

Okay, that's a conundrum I'll leave to another day's musing.

My Honda Odyssey's odometer roared past 100,000 while we were en route to Parkview High School in Lilburn for the regional Odyssey of the Mind competition. Darlin' daughter's team scored high enough for them to proceed to the State competition in Columbus during Spring Break. Awkward! Several team members had family trips that week and are now scrambling to get back in time.

The Charter for our middle school came back from the state with two pointed criticisms: not enough innovation, not enough flexibility from the county school district. Ahem. We tried in the first round to put those in, were thrwarted, and are now going back with everything we hoped for in the first place. The State Department of Education is solidly in our corner, which is a great turn of events. Actually, I think it's a blessing that the charter came back because now we can do it RIGHT.

I was following The Great Dunwoody Chicken Debate with great interest because I really, really want chickens in the back yard.

The Goddard School debacle continues in our backyard. Between Rick Callihan's jokey references to our stream as a mythological river (honestly - just not funny) and city staff working tirelessly on behalf of the private investor who bought the property and the franchisees, I feel rather put upon.

Our son's Eagle project benefiting Children's Healthcare of Atlanta continues quite productively. We're grateful to bloggers like John Heneghan and Dunwoody area Scout troops for spreading the word. He's up to 15 systems and 72 games. He hopes to get 15 more handheld Nintendo DS's and Gameboys (no PSPs have turned up, so good thing he hasn't received any PSP games!). Hopefully all this will finish by summer since his senior year will be busy enough (and he turns 18 in December).

I'm in the midst of helping my parents move to Atlanta while they're healthy and can enjoy the vitality of this place. Not easy. But very much needed.

I love Thursdays. My little Phonics Friends join me in the clubhouse at Dunwoody Nature Center for preschool phonics instruction. Okay, I know it's instruction, but they think they're coming to play with my phonics games, listen to my crazy stories, and watch me make a complete fool of myself. Being a teacher is 7 parts pedagogy and 3 parts theater.

And yes, I'm knitting like a fool. The crazier life gets, the more I need the meditative comfort of knitting. I've worked on a baby sweater for our church's youth group intern, completed a few prayer shawls, and am at the midpoint of Nora's Sweater from Interweave Knits. I'm knitting it in a deep, rich purple that gives me joy as it winds its way off the needles.

Meanwhile, as I said to John Heneghan (I'm a total fan), I've been a bit removed from my happy place thanks to "stuff," but tomorrow has lots of hope in it. The peas are peeking through the dirt in my tidy raised bed garden, I just planted some beans and placed their teepees in anticipation of a bumper crop this summer, my son is enjoying a bit of remission from Crohn's and, right now, it's quiet in the Knitternall home.

Serenity.