In the major career move that has marked this last year, I have given up a remunerative and steady job as a public school teacher due to a horrific situation which turned out wrong although I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. There is just no way I could stay where I was, and in this economic climate, no way anyone would hire me. Too old, too specialized, too many degrees.

So i have thought long and hard about what I want to do. My passion, as you might guess from my name and some of the groups I belong to, is fiber arts. I knit, I spin, I dye fiber and yarn, I felt, etc. And I got a job at my local yarn store, teaching and doing retail. Now, in no way does it replace my old income, but it fills me with joy, and It's a great platform to launch myself into other aspects of the fiber world--like designing patterns and yarns. Or technical editing. Or any one of a hundred other fiber-related things.

And one of the best parts is meeting knitting celebrities. Yes, I know, some of you are scratching your heads and muttering "?". Our store is hosting Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka the Yarn Harlot (www.yarnharlot.ca) for classes and a social this Friday and Saturday. I have met her before, and had her sign a book for me, but now I'll get to fetch coffee for her and be in the same building/room for a number of hours. Blogging knitters will know what a big deal this is.