Waterwoman Knits

Just as everyone, I am navigating societal changes in the U.S., trying not to be sad all the time at witnessing cruelty, trying not to be overwhelmed, trying not to be anxious.

My areas of direct impact to navigate are: Possible loss of healthcare access by end of year thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act changes, school loan income-driven repayment plans that change frequently causing me to deeply regret my year of grad school last year, difficulty making ends meet with inflation on a low income, and inability to move into a second job and/or better-paying job and/or job with benefits after my 208th rejected job application this week. At least I can say to myself, “Good on you for continuing to try.”

In Episode 10 of my vlog, I tell the story of how I pulled a card of Hope in my latest video episode, hours after I said out loud, “I just want to feel hope again.”

Apologies for last 5 minutes of video, a neighbor’s weed-whacker is creating overtones with the music that are not pleasant to listen to. May want to mute to enjoy the flowers.

I thought I would share what shifts I have made amid changes, in case they are of help to anyone else.

• To reduce food costs, I signed up to work-trade at a local to me small farm for a week’s ration of vegetables in exchange for a few hours harvesting and weeding labor. If you have a CSA near you (Community Supported Agriculture), this is something you might consider as a supplement or alternative to food banks.
• I find it’s easy within our social media bubbles and preferences to assume we know everything as it’s presented to us. Reminding myself “You don’t know everything” helps me let go of needing to hold it all.
• Each morning I say aloud upon waking, “I am happy to be alive.” This sets a tone for my day alternate to scrolling my phone when my alarm goes off.
• If you are a cancer survivor or patient wanting to know how the OBBB law will affect you, here is a group that hosts free webinars related to changes, Triage Cancer. I signed up but they received thousands of interested people and Zoom maxes out at 500, so they are offering more than one session.
• Imagining how I can use what I am and know to help others, even if rejected from paid employment. To that end, I am working to put together a monthly arts & crafts volunteer project at the Seattle Ronald McDonald House in order to use my supplies to teach children finger knitting for youngest and needle knitting for older. I’ll devote a post to this and ask for others interested to join me.
• I seek out quotes from folks who have lived through challenges and upheavals. A few from a most enlightened knitting influencer decades before social media:

Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.

Knit on with confidence and hope through all crises.

Elizabeth Zimmermann

I’ve known of EZ for decades as a guiding light for many knitters through the 20th century, but I did not realize until recently that she immigrated from Europe the same year as my own grandmother, and that her and her husband’s stories are more described in a new-ish edition of her book: Knitting Around