Kansas: the pause that refreshes

As we were preparing to leave for the airport last week, G reminded me
to take my camera.  I was not inclined.  I am not, by nature, a
picture-taker, but I thought he had a point and it is small so I tossed
it into my purse.  I suppose it was a good thing I did because I was
able to take the above picture at the Lied Center at the University of
Kansas in Lawrence.  Note this is the only photo I took during the
entire trip:  no pictures of rolling Kansas hills, no charming farm
scenes, no cows grazing on the plains, no pictures of a happy toddler
bouncing up and down on my brother’s leg as he cooked Thanksgiving
dinner or of same child being lifted up to the ceiling by my other
brother.  One picture.  I love the play of the light and shadow, the
angles and the color.  I am happy.

The lack of pictures makes no
commentary on the quality of the trip, except perhaps that I was
enjoying myself so fully that I did not have to occupy myself running
around snapping pictures of everything in sight.  It was a great trip
and we had a great time.

Of course I packed far too much
knitting.  There was no progress on the socks; they could have stayed
home, but had I been bored things might have been different.  Only one
sleeve of Mermaid was partially finished:

It was nice to relax in the mornings and evenings at the hotel,
sometimes reading, sometimes knitting, with no thought of what had to
be done, no schedule, just pure indolence.  I apparently needed this
little period of refreshment and things look so much more positive now
than they had before, less harried and pressured, although nothing has
really changed.  Only I have changed, in little ways perhaps, but a
calmer Mardel seems to have returned, calmer at least than the one who
left.  We will see how long she lasts.