Knitting and Tractors

I am in Chicago. I have been here for two or three days now--depending on how you define "day." I am struggling to find my equilibrium because America is a much changed place from my last visit. I suspect I have changed, too, and so the connections are a bit loose.

I have walked to a Borders bookstore with my daughter and grandson and we have all run off to separate parts of the store. I want to look at knitting books and see if I can get a book of quilts toi get ideas for a log cabin qulit pattern translated into a knit pattern. (This is not gonna be a knit post, so if you are one of my knit pals readsing this, email me and we'll talk!)

The knit books are clustered in among sewing books and crochet books--and books about tractors. I find this association comforting. It reminds me of my home across the water where they have started the combining of the crops in the field. I smile at the familiar yellow and green John Deere logo on the side of the repair manual. Just as I do this, an anouncement comes over the PA (or tannoy) telling shoppers that there is now a happy hour in the coffee shop. I have never heard of such a thing but I am ready for a coffee and always willing to be happy for an hour.

The shoppers special announcement and the urgency with which the woman signs me up for a Rewards card are some of the many indicators I have already seen of the effect of the economy here. Everyone is trying harder and making do with less. The Rewards card used to cost money. Now they give it away in the hopes of creating good will and repeat shopping.

Other indicators of the economy are the vacant store windows, the for lease signs, and a large federal sign promoting a special infrastructure recovery program.