Crocheting Along

Bernat, the yarn company is in week 3 of its first "crochet-along". The final product is a sampler "Mystery Afghan", and Bernat is releasing a clue a week for 12 weeks, from September 22 through December 7. The ultimate design of the afghan won't be revealed until the very end.

I'm finding it very doable - the squares work up really fast, and I can usually complete 2 during the nightly TV news. I have 9 squares finished - 3 more in the 3rd pattern to do this week, and the 4th pattern will be ready to download on Wednesday. So by Christmas, I should have a brand-new, cocoa-colored afghan to snuggle under!

Toastmasters

I bit the bullet. I took the plunge. I screwed up my courage to the sticking-point. I joined Toastmasters. I've been toying with the idea for a couple of years, and felt that now is a good time to participate. I'm giving a presentation at the next Internet Librarian conference, and wanted to learn to feel more comfortable speaking before people who know more than I do about lots of things.

The Klassy Talkers meet at the Executive Airport, not far from home, and they seem to be a closely-knit bunch of characters. They made me feel very welcome when I dropped in unannounced several weeks ago, and have all been very encouraging and kind. My first speech will be the "Icebreaker", which is all about me, and will serve to introduce me to the group. I think it's a 5-7 minute speech.

I have a mentor, who will help me with the first couple of speeches and also introduce me to the Roles that make the meetings unique: Ah-Master, Table Topics Master, Joke Master, Timekeeper, and others. I have a workbook that outlines the progression of lessons and speeches that will chronicle my development into a Klassy Talker, too.

Let's get started!