5 Comments
User's avatar
Leslie Bailey's avatar

I had the same clock. Dad died at 64 and I worried about making it past that age, since I too have a heart condition. Meg made it past 64 first, and that helped me a lot. I made it past, too. Now our clocks can tick toward our mothers' ages! Bedste made it to 93!

Expand full comment
Kristin Fellows's avatar

I didn't realize you had a heart condition, Leslie ... I remember how shocked we were when your dad died. And yes, hopefully we take after our mothers!

Expand full comment
Gary Gruber's avatar

Loved the story and I like the sweaters too! You capture "essence" better than most and you have this talent of telling a story within the story, like looking at a multi-layer cake that I used as the featured photo in my most recent, inane post.

https://garygruber.substack.com/p/take-the-cake

Another thing I admire about you is your determination to keep going when the going gets tough, to keep on staying with the story as it unfolds and pushing through to the other side. Thanks, Kristin.

Expand full comment
Kristin Fellows's avatar

Thank you, Gary ~ always a delight to hear from you ❤️

I actually bought that sweater at the "mountain mall" ~ the green retrofitted old bus you can see in the background that sells necessities to campers & hikers. It was made by someone's grandmother. It was a little big, but I didn't mind. If I remember correctly, Óliver (far left) knit his sweater himself and I think Kjartan's was also knitted by someone he knew, perhaps his mom. I still have my lopapeysa, even here in Portugal 🥰

Thanks, too, for your thoughts on my writing & lifestyle, I really appreciate them.

I hope you are well on the mend and feeling better now!

Expand full comment
Gary Gruber's avatar

Thanks. Progress is slow but “even small steps are progress” as I posted on January 26. I remember seeing heavy, hand-knit, wool fishermen’s sweaters from Ireland and Scotland and the weavers were often identified by a particular family’s style. Quite amazing to think about that.

Expand full comment