Welcome to “Line Drive Down the Right Side…”

Last spring, I discovered the world of blogs. Specifically, knitting blogs. I love reading about what other people are knitting, seeing original designs, finding out the pitfalls of specific projects or techniques….and enjoying the sense of community in the knit-blog world.

At the same time, several of my friends were blogging in the theological/churchly realm. Pr. Peperkorn encouraged me to start my own blog. (I kind of think he might have meant a general or theological type blog, but when I latched onto the idea of a knitting blog, he was still very supportive!) So, my knitting blog The Designated Knitter was born. Originally, it was to have both knitting and baseball related content, but I have really focused on knitting.

(And a few weeks ago, my friend Laura from Madison WI and I decided to start a team blog, which is a bit like a public correspondence. We don’t get to sit together and knit very often, so it feels like we get to keep in touch more!)

When I started reading knitting blogs, I found that I disliked reading blogs that have posts or links relating to radical feminism, anti-Bush-ism, pro-abortion or other such hate themes. And they are hate-filled. Radical feminists hate “the patriarchy,” anti-Bushers hate and disrespect President Bush, and supporting abortion kills babies. That isn’t what I’m looking for. I want to read about your knitting! Your family, your travel and adventures, selling your house, the weather, pictures of the SKY!….that’s fine too. But it’s polite company; we are acquaintances visiting each other and as a matter of etiquette, politics and religion are verboten.

All of this leads me to the point of this blog. I’m ready to step out into the world of blogging beyond the knitting arena. I am as opinionated as the next guy – and I don’t mean that in a good way. I have opinions which I hold strongly, but can’t necessarily defend; beliefs which I hold strongly and can somewhat defend….and LOTS OF QUESTIONS. There is so much going on in the world that is alarming, confusing, and just plain WEIRD. If you know me, you know that I tend to discuss these things in a very dry and sarcastic manner. If you don’t know me – you’ve been warned!

This is the blog where the gloves are off (and the gloves may be baseball gloves, you can never tell!) I am a Confessional Lutheran woman, (I almost said “lay-woman”, but that’s redundant for a Confessional Lutheran!) I work with “Higher Things: Dare to Be Lutheran,” I listen to pod-casts of “Issues Etc,” and I am a rabid St. Louis Cardinals Fan. That’s just the short list of what may appear on this blog!! I’m hoping that sometimes there can be conversations that will help me at least be able to articulate and defend my beliefs more clearly. And sometimes just have fun! Of course, all of this doesn't mean that I'm GOING to spend a lot of time discussing these things, just that it's possible. Don't want you thinking "how boring" about my blog before I even get started!

Oh – and the title? Pr. Peperkorn came up with it when I mentioned that I was thinking about another blog where I could post the things that I don’t feel are appropriate for a knitting blog. A place where I could openly be a Confessional Lutheran Republican . If you’re looking for knitting, try my other blogs. If knitting isn’t your thing (and I can respect that. I don’t understand it, but I respect it…) then maybe you’ll visit with me here!

5 days, 23 hours, 55 minutes until Catchers and Pitchers report! Go Cardinals!