Monday, March 23, 2009

It’s The Trustworthy Ones

They’re the people you’ve really got to keep an eye on, because every now and then they do something that just takes your breath away.

Like my husband, for instance. He’s as honest as any person I’ve ever met. Kind, dependable and honest, he simply has no subterfuge in him. I’m pretty sure that if he ever tried to tell a really big lie, he would simply go up in flames.

But there are times…

As has been well documented, I have a fixation with lace. I cannot seem to keep from buying lace yarn, lace books, tiny diameter needles with pointy tips and flexible cables. I am powerless in the face of tiny yarn and knitting with holes in it…

So it goes.

When the ads for the Year of Lace 2008 started appearing, I was enchanted. I hemmed and hawed and finally talked myself out of it. At that point I had precisely one lace project under my belt, a 6-foot long feather-and-fan scarf I never wear because it weighs a ton. I didn’t feel like I could justify the expense.

But things change in the course of a year, and when the ads for Year of Lace 2009 came out, I was more than enchanted… I was enthralled. Luxury yarn, famous designers, the undeniable snobbish thrill of having patterns unavailable to the general public. I looked at the patterns from last year, and they were all fabulous. I wanted it, I really did.

When my husband asked me back in September what I’d like to do for my birthday, I told him that I had seen that Ralph Stanley, one of the godfathers of Bluegrass was coming to town. I also told him about Year of Lace, with the caveat that it was probably too expensive but that I might end up giving it to myself. After all, you only turn 40 one time in your life, and I have a thing about birthdays with zeros in them.

Let me tell you, the Ralph Stanley concert was amazing. If you’re interested in Bluegrass and he’s stopping anywhere near you, you should make it a point to go. At 82 years and counting, you may not get too many more chances.

I decided not to get myself a subscription to Year of Lace 2009. Yeah, I could afford it, but I have over 13 miles of lace yarn, not to mention all the books and such. Maybe another year.

Friday morning I was going through my usual morning routine: reading blogs, drinking coffee, and listening to the news. My e-mail program informed me that there were new messages, so I switched over to check them. Newsletter, ads, bill reminders… hey, what’s that?

Subject: Year of Lace 2009, Are You Ready?

Yeah, my husband not only signed me up for it, but he kept it a secret for nearly five months. I still feel very virtuous about the fact that I didn’t go shrieking into the bedroom at 5:30 to bounce on the bed until he woke up so I could thank him… I waited until 7:00.

I’m so excited I could just burst!

18 comments:

Rose Red said...

What an excellent husby!!! Not only did he listen, and comply, but he also kept it a secret for so long! How exciting! So when does the first shipment arrive? I shall have to participate vicariously through you!

Bells said...

Holy cow what a fabulous husband! What a dude! He bought you a subscription to a lace thing?

Huge brownie points there. I hope you gave him a great big kiss! :-)

Anonymous said...

He's a keeper. That's a super swell gift and how he kept it a secret? Amazing.

Anonymous said...

You lucky, lucky woman! That scored so many brownie points, and he kept it a secret! Wow.

Now we can live vicariously through all that gorgeous yarn and the patterns you're going to get. Ah, lucky you!!!!

:D

Anonymous said...

Wow! What an awesome surprise and husband!

Shan said...

That's a GREAT present. I'm always pushing for yarny, knitty things from him, but don't get them. I get iPods instead. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Sarah said...

What a fab present - and impressive that he managed to save it to surprise you!

m1k1 said...

What.A.Sweetie.

Anna said...

He's one of the best, isn't he? :)

I hope you'll enjoy the Year of Lace!

Anonymous said...

That is so sweet of him. He definitely is a keeper.

Alwen said...

Oh, I am bouncing for you! Awesome gift.

Anonymous said...

Still in awe. Seriously. What a doll!

TinkingBell said...

Happy birthday - and that husby of yours is a keeper - definitely!

Give him a huge hug - and I love the way top down construction unravels so well (ask me how I know!)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful! You lucky girl you. What an amazing gift. What an amazingly thoughtful husband. ENJOY!

Donna Lee said...

What a perfect gift. I considered the year of lace but decided I need a new roof more than I need more lace. Sigh. It's tough being an adult.

Ann Dockendorf said...

That is a very touching story. You honor each other, by the gifting and by your writing of it. Even the title of your post speaks... Happy knitting! and happy Birthday!!

mome-rath said...

What an amazing gift! I'm absolutely terrible at keeping gift secrets. I'm always bursting with the information, and no matter how I try, I end up dropping hints everywhere, because I just can't zip it for long enough!

Plus, the Tailor is an expert at accurately guessing the contents of gift-wrapped packages. So together we're hopeless.

Happy belated birthday, and enjoy all the lacey goodness!

Kathleen Taylor said...

That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard!