A December Update

This is such an interesting time of the year.

I have always liked observing people, and my parents always instilled a natural sense of curiosity in me. Here are some observations:

* Everyone seems a little more generous at this time of the year. I infer this from the greater number of tips in the tip jar at local businesses. I'm still not sure why that tip jar is there - after all, these individuals are not serving customers at a table. However, I feel obligated to put in a tip. This is especially true when it is a local business. Maintaining good relations seems important.

Can altruism ever truly be altruistic?

* Everyone is in a rush. It seems like traffic is heavier around shopping centers, and that people are trying to make it from one social obligation to another. Students are getting to the end of their semesters, and feeling the crunch. Teachers and professors are also feeling the crunch as they work to finalize grades. Everyone seems in a rush to get something finished, so that they can do something more.

* Some people seem to be able to relax a bit. Getting past the commercialism of the season appears important to a sub-set of people. Spending time with family and friends, taking time to be quiet, and enjoy the simple things in life are practiced on a regular basis.

So, while I hurry to get ready for various social events and gift-giving, I look forward to the days coming up in which I can sit for a few minutes, enjoy a slow cup of tea, and knit a bit. Until then, I will try to get a little bit of that in once in a while.

An Introduction

Well, this is my first blog about knitting.

I guess I'll start with the name of the blog. Why the name "Cave of the Knitting Bear"? Well, since I am married to someone with a bear-like name, we have always been referred to as "Mr. & Mrs. Bear". So, I like to think of knitting at home as being a little like a bear in a cave knitting.

Not that I really live in a cave! Of course, bears live in dens. The den in our home is really a home office, so I would not knit there. I feel it's best to keep such things separate - if I were to start knitting at work, it could be a knotty experience!

The second thing I will say is that I have knit for just about 35 years. I can't believe it's been that long. The truth be told, I knit off and on, and really picked it up again near the end of my doctoral program. I continued knitting during a postdoc, and still do so. Some weeks it is harder to escape to the cave to knit, but I try to get in a row a week anyway.

The final thing I will say is that I hope Stephen Colbert realizes that knitting bears are pretty harmless :)