Today, after I got my son off to school, I checked the news about Sandy, and then checked Facebook to see how two people who I know and who live in her path were faring.

One had electricity, one did not, but both were able to post status updates. However, as I know from Floyd, getting through the storm is a first and critical step, but it is exactly that: a first step.

What awaits so many people in so many states are many more steps that they will have to take before order is restored and a sense of normalcy returns.

In the part of North Carolina where I live, Sandy left in her wake some decidedly cooler temperatures, and today, after going to the grocery store to get some winter squash I wanted, I stopped by Great Harvest Bakery to get both a pepperoni roll for my youngest son and a cup of coffee to warm my hands which were feeling the chill of Sandy’s winter preview.

As it happens, the bakery is conveniently located next door to Yarn Tree Studio, my nearest, and much beloved, LYS and today, in addition to the usual suspects, there was a special guest greeter: Crash the dog:

Crash was an absolute delight. Outgoing, friendly, but not at all slobbery, he was more than happy to play if that is what you needed. I ended up leaving (for the moment) empty handed as I was ruminating on a particular yarn I had seen.

Unable to decide about the yarn, I went home and ate lunch hoping that sustenance would bring with it discernment, and it did.

When I finished with lunch, my indecisiveness began to fade, and I realized that what I needed to do before I could select a new yarn was to first select a lining for my current future-fat-bag. With my crafting mission now clearly defined, I set out to Wish Upon a Quilt to do exactly that.

With the body of my current fat-bag project in hand, I looked over the myriad options available to me and decided on a solid fabric in a gold that seemed to capture the flavor of the entire project:

With the lining finally selected, I can now move forward with the future fat bag, and when I get the bag completed, I will be ready to head back to Yarn Tree Studio and make a decision about the yarn.