Of Socks and Patriotism, and other stuff

It was a momentous weekend at my house - not all good, but momentous, nonetheless.
I was determined to finish THOSE SOCKS. The kidlet's been really more than patient, so I was determined to get them finished - plus, I found out that a table at the annual Community College Arts & Crafts fair was EIGHTY-FIVE FREAKIN DOLLARS I decided that I needed to knit something else. Nope, won't be doing that particular arts & crafts thingy.
So, I knit and knit and knit and. . . . well, you get the picture. I now know why people don't knit knee socks - if you think knitting a pair of "regular" short socks takes forever, try knitting knee socks. And these don't even go all the way up to her knees. After being determined to make the sock fit properly, I gave up and stopped a couple of inches short of the knee. So, without further delay THOSE SOCKS:

Friday was the Veteran's day holiday. I was off, and I "celebrated" both Friday and Saturday. Veteran's day for me is not just another shopping holiday. I grew up in a small town where we took our veterans very seriously. I went to lots and lots of Veteran's day services, bought lots and lots of poppies, and (even though this is a Memorial Day thing) spent lots of time placing remembrances on graves. So, I have a tendancy to take this day as it was intended - a day to remember those who fought for this country, for not only what they believed in, but for what I believe in.
Remember how right after 9/11 everyone was buying all the red, white, & blue t-shirts they could find. All those tacky flag shirts? The ones with eagles on a flag background? All the pseudo-patriotic crap that was around??? To me, patriotism is not something you wear, or put on your car, or even fight for. Patriotism is something much, much deeper - it's hard to describe, but for me, it's in everything we do on a daily basis. It's respecting authority enough to drive the speed limit even though you think 45 is a stupidly slow speed - there must be a reason for it. Patriotism is something you live out every single day of your life, in your actions and attitudes. There are some (ok, quite a few) who will be more than glad to tell you that I have the most un-patriotic attitude they've ever seen. But, I'll tell you - I respect the sacrifice those in the Armed Forces make every single day of their lives, with their lives. Those who are fighting in far-off countries, and those who are stationed "state-side." I've known many who fought, and many who died. Most didn't want to, but did it because they felt like they needed to do it for their country - for us. And for that, I will always and forever be grateful.
So, I spent the weekend knitting and appreciating our veterans. I hope they all had somebody tell them "thank you" - it's the very least we can do.

OK, back to the knitting portion of our program.
The other sock picture:

the socks used the toe & heel portion of this sock from Knitty. Then, I pretty much winged it - increasing when I thought I should, making the kidlet try the first one on almost daily, and then making the second one to match (with opposite coloring). They're kinda cool, and I wish I had the nerve to knit another pair, cause I'd like one.

The other monumentous stuff from the weekend: I need a new wiper motor for the car - wipers completely quit working. Not fuses, but wiper blade. Cross your fingers that it's as easy to replace as the voltage regulator on an old car of mine was - pop off, pop on! It's gonna be expensive - and more so if I have to find a mechanic (shiver!)
Also, the heating element on the dryer went out. Now I have to try to find a replacement, and find out exactly where it is on the dryer. I'm hoping that when I find the replacement, it's size and shape will lead me to one that matches, but is not working on the dryer. Fingers crosse - I hate all this stuff happening just before Christmas - ah, well!