My mom is of the "Greatest Generation" and fits the type to a T.  She is intrepid, optimistic, always ready to roll up her sleeves and tackle whatever challenges come.  Now, at 85, she's given up driving so I ferry her to her aerobics class at the Senior Center in the mornings.  Since we live close, I drop her off and return in an hour to get her.  When I pick her up, she always asks if I was able to "get some things done" at home in that hour.  Oh yes, I tell her.  I just don't usually go into detail about the things I got done, which usually were:  sitting on the couch, drinking coffee, and knitting.  Those "things" are incredibly important to my mental health.  I have a hard time smiling at the universe if I can't start the day with coffee and knitting.  For Mom, on the other hand, those things might seem a little lazy.  (Sorry for the profanity - the "L" word is definitely a four letter word in my mom's world.)  To Mom, there are only three reasons that one might be sitting on the couch during the daylight hours:  1) you have just vacuumed and mopped the entire house and are taking a five-minute break; 2) you are ill; or 3) you are morally weak.  I'm afraid the vast majority of my couch sitting falls under the morally weak category.  

I'm not of the Greatest Generation although I look to my mom's amazing life as a standard to attempt to live up to.  I'm a Boomer, and Boomers seem to be ok with taking a little time for ourselves, including our mental health.  I like to think that with my morning centering, I'm better able to tackle all of life's other challenges in a way that would honor that most important guiding star of my life:  Mom.

Well, green and lots of other fun colors.  I've been experimenting with a tea cozy design.  This funky weaving represents my prototype.  I will continue to play with the form, but it seems to be functional as it fits my tea pot perfectly and it adds some nice bright colors to the kitchen.  I'd like to make more of these; with my free-form weaving, each will be one of a kind!

Happy St. Patty's day, all!  I toast you with a lovely cup of tea!