Marianne made it her quest to learn some new skill every year. She wanted to learn to knit. I was a knitter; I had taught my grandmother how and I seized the opportunity to volunteer my teaching skills which Marianne accepted. I hauled my Red Heart yarn over to her house and I gave her knitting lessons. She was a quick student; soon I hauled my stash to her house to add to her stash and we knitted baby blankets for women at church. I don’t remember how many little striped blankets we made while sipping tea and chatting through the days, but I do remember loving that feeling of belonging, being useful. Left up to me, there’d be gazillions of little striped baby blankets in every home in America. But Marianne had other ideas. She bought sheep. I was to become a student of a master teacher who challenged every notion I ever had about students or teachers.
teachin’ & a learnin’: from pattie
