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Random Tagging
Tag - I'm it. I was tagged by Elisa with the 8 Random Things thingee.
Here's the deal: Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged.
1. I was scared to death to learn to knit socks. I mean, come on, it's not life threatening or anything right? So I learned this spring and I'm addicted. I still giggle every time I turn a heel; it's magic!
2. I'm an archeology geek. I love learning about ancient peoples and watch archeology TV shows till my family begs me to please stop, for the children. I wish I'd known about it when I was younger; I might have become an archeologist. The show the "Naked Archeologist" did on "True Blue" which featured indigo dyeing nearly blew my mind, discussing two of my most favorite things at the same time!
3. Boston is in my blood. I love living in CA, don't get me wrong; but I miss Boston a lot, and will always think of Boston as "home."
4. Having kids is amazing.
5. I have a brown thumb. I would love to garden and grow things but I just can't. I kill everything. I want to grow a dyer's garden but can't even get the seeds started. Except for the madder, which is taking over the pots next to it.
6. I have the attention span of a gnat. And it's getting worse.
7. Somehow, I managed to wait for the "Right" one. A miracle for which I never cease giving thanks.
8. There aren't eight interesting things about me.
I'm supposed to tag 8 other people, but honestly I don't know eight other bloggers I'd feel comfortable tagging. So if you read this, and blog, consider yourself tagged. Drop me a line if you are.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Random Tagging
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The Holidays Begin
While looking forward to the holidays, I also dread them on another level. This year I have to be very careful to not blow my diet; so that will be interesting. After Thanksgiving comes the "Birthday Week from Hell" followed by Christmas cookie baking, and then Christmas. Not to mention New Years. Sigh.
My knitting is going.... well, it's going. I finished the Red Sox World Series Socks except for the logo, which may or may not ever get done. My reward sweater is on hold until after the holidays. I'm working on another pair of socks, and some Christmas gifts. I spun some really gorgeous yarns, which again, I should try to get some pictures of someday. I've been sticking to the spindle as my knee keeps flaring up; not enough to hugely impair my life, but enough to not want to push it too badly.
I did start going to the gym again. Ok, I went once. But I do have intentions to go regularly; but the holiday shopping and such have slowed it a bit. I also walked for about an hour with Murphy downtown on Saturday, which I haven't done in a VERY long time. So it's getting there.
Busy time; and Sparkpeople takes up a lot of time! It helps, so I've been doing it, but it keeps me from writing my blog and checking other blogs I enjoy reading.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 02, 2007
Do I blog? Oh yeah, I do.
Ok, so it's been several weeks since I've blogged. I won't blog at work, and have competition for the computer at night, and my motivation has been lacking... so no posts lately. So - the Update.
The Red Sox won the World Series!!! WHOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!! The only problem was they did it too fast. I cast on a pair of "Red Sox" Socks with the very first pitch, and they were only about half done when the series ended. I'm trying to stay motivated to finish them, because I do really like them; but I'm at the boring stockinette foot part on both socks and there are just too many other interesting things to do.
Halloween: Murphy dressed this year for the first time as something other than Spiderman. I think he's been Spiderman for the last five years. This year, he decided to go with something a bit more spooky - The Grim Reaper!! He looked great, and had a lot of fun. I even went trick or treating with him; the longest I've walked at one time in ages. Maybe there's hope.
Sparkpeople: I have now lost 27.6 pounds. My yarn for my reward sweater has arrived, and I'm swatching. I hope to start the sweater this weekend. I'm scared to death but so excited too. I'll try to get a picture of the yarn; it's a merino/silk blend by Zephyr called Juniper and it's a lovely bluey green. Hence the trouble getting back to the Red Sox socks....
Eric got a job. Actually, he got two jobs, but one was kind of strange, and they laid him off (with good references) after only two days. He's bussing tables at a wonderful restaurant called Azu; he seems to like it pretty well. But he needs more hours...
They're literally tearing the floor of my office up; it's a horrible inside/outside carpet that's been there since 1953. Really. They're putting in ceramic tile, and it looks nice and all, but it's nearly impossible for me to get any work done. So I came home early today. Hopefully they'll be almost done by Monday.
Guess that's about it. I know, I should get some pictures. These wordy entries aren't very interesting. That's why I don't blog often enough; too hard to get good pictures! But I'll try this weekend.
Oh! Speaking of weekend; Murphy is SO excited; he's playing the Huskies tomorrow! There are several of his classmates on that team and he can't wait to play against them. I'll try to get some pictures of that as well.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
The Yarn Museum
The Yarn Museum My Halloween yarn made this year's show! Check out the Halloween gallery; and some of the other galleries if you want to see really bizarre yarns!
Haven't posted in a bit. Not much going on. Knee is progressing; I can almost walk without a limp and have intermittant pain, instead of constant. I've started back on a serious diet, with the aid of the website http://www.sparkpeople.com/. There's a lot of extra junk on there, which can take up a lot of time, but mostly I use it to log in my food intake and weigh ins. Today starts my third week, and I've lost 17 pounds so far; though in all honesty probably ten of those pounds were water, as my doc put me on a diuretic for those swollen feet and ankles. But still, even seven pounds in two weeks is good. I'm feeling pretty positive; it's feeling a lot like when I lost a hundred pounds a few years ago. I'm lucky to have so much support; especially from my husband, who makes it very clear that he loves me no matter what my weight is but that he's proud of me for being healthy so I'll be around longer. He cooks in a manner that helps me stay on my diet, too, which makes it so much easier. He doesn't add salt or butter when he cooks, he provides really healthy food in reasonable portions; and best of all, he sprinkles in hugs and kisses liberally. Have I mentioned how much I love this man?
Ok, enough with the schmaltz, eh? The kids are fine; Murphy still loves both school and soccer, and his team is 2-2. Eric is looking seriously for a job (anyone have a lead?) and Peru is still doing the Help of Ojai thing, and taking music gigs as they pop up. The weather has cooled to a comfortable zone and the sun is out most of the time. There are even a few trees out here that manage to change colors, and we get to watch the Sox and the Pats as they're both doing really well so I don't miss New England TOO much.
I finished Eric's socks; pictures soon, I hope. I haven't done much spinning as I'm afraid it'll re-injure my knee, but I"m starting to think I might try soon. I'm going to start a project to help in my weight loss efforts; I'm going to knit myself a sweater in the size I want to be (pretty much the size I got to last time.) This is the sweater:
The pattern is "Gwen" from the Louet company. It's a sleeveless tank, knit top down in one peice, which is what I wanted, as it's the sewing peices together that makes my knit goods look homemade. It's cabled, which doesn't intimidate me too much; I'm pretty comfortable with cables. But this will be the first adult sweater I've ever made. It's also fitted a little more than I'd really like, but then, that will just be incentive to exercise more, right? I figure it'll take me a year more or less to lose the weight, and probably the same to knit this. After I've stuck to the diet one month, keeping the journal, I'll buy the yarn as my reward. Cast off, and away we'll go!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Ravelry: The Great Time Suck
That's what they've been calling Ravelry; and it's true. You can spend hour upon hour browsing patterns, looking up your friends, choosing yarns. Once you get in, it'll be hard to find time to knit anymore!
I had a problem where my blog wasn't showing up on my page, but I think I fixed it. I'll find out soon.
Haven't had much knitting or spinning time lately. Work, family, life has intruded, but it's all good. My wrist still hurts so I don't want to do too much and make it worse. I've been drop spindling a lot. I'll have to take some pictures soon of a lesson I learned about gauge and how one spins can affect the outcome.
Murphy's at soccer, so I'm going to go make food for the guys when they get home.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
My Swap Box Arrived!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Got my Ravelry invite; barely signed up and I LOVE it already! Don't expect to hear from me for quite some time. WHOOO HOOOOOO
Sunday, September 16, 2007
I want to know WHO!
What bog-brained idiot had the affrontery to schedule the Pats game against the Red Sox game? I mean, really. Against the YANKEES? With Schilling on the mound? Against Clemens? And here we are, in the seventh inning stretch, TIED at 1-1? At least the Pats game has been mostly a wipe, so I can pretty much stick with the Sox. If my heart can take it...
Ok, so I lied. Yesterday I updated the OTN bot to include the Seraphina Shawl. I made one a year or two ago, and I love it; but I made it on a huge hook with bulky yarn. As a result, it's VERY open and not warm at all.
So I thought hey, maybe crocheting would be easier on my tendonitis than knitting. You use the hook in your right hand, not left, so no bending on the left wrist. WRONG. I found crocheting much more painful than knitting. So with only 6 rows completed, I"m putting it aside for a bit, despite the fact that I LOVE the fabric it's making. I'm using that rainbow boucle stuff that JoAnne's had last year in the humongous skeins, and I'm using a very small hook, C or D. It's coming out looking almost like a felted fabric, somehow, with much smaller open spaces, so it will be warm. I do plan on finishing it someday, but it'll have to wait for some rehab.
Instead, I started the Pinwheel Sweater in the child's size. I know it's nuts. I've never made a sweater that looked like a sweater. I don't have enough yarn (I'm using Noro Silk Garden, and I only have two skeins). The colors will be, well, interesting, not graduated as they are in the original. But what the hey, it's worth a shot. It's a fun pattern, with no sewing. Sewing pieces together is what makes my sweaters look, well, like hell. I haven't gotten the hang of a smooth join yet, so my seams look bulky and uneven. So that's my current WIP.
I did get my swap boxes, both of them, in the mail yesterday, and only a little late. Now to put Toni's box together. She sent me such wonderful things, I'll have to come up with something really special to thank her.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Antsy for Ravelry
Found you!
You signed up on July 8, 2007
You are #14966 on the list.
1906 people are ahead of you in line.
17775 people are behind you in line.
39% of the list has been invited so far
So, maybe 10 days? I can almost taste it!
Friday, September 14, 2007
The doings of the past week or so
Well, it's been a busy time. Last weekend was Murphy's SEVENTH birthday. Mammama came to visit for the occasion. It was so wonderful to see her, especially seeing her looking so well. She kept us on our toes and we had a lovely visit that was far too short.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Next Big Thing
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Me? A Soccer Mom?
Monday, September 03, 2007
Enough with the heat, already.
Brown outs are a new phenomenon to me. In Boston, a "brown out" was what happened just before a black out; the lights would dim, then go dark. In California, a brown out can last for hours. Sort of a 80% power reduction; it's really bad, actually. Everything just keeps trying to start up again. Our computer kept trying to reboot itself, over and over and over every few seconds, until we realized it and managed to track down where it was plugged in. I'm amazed that it wasn't completely fried. Oh, and getting a UPS has now moved to the front of the "important expenditures" column...
I managed to get some dyeing done yesterday. I mordanted a bunch of sample skeins with alum, and test dyed some wood shavings that Elisa's husband Dick donated to the cause (Thanks, guys!) It's a mixed bag of wood types which I have been steeping in alcohol for a week or two. The color is amazing; it came out the exact color of Cocoa Krispies! I dyed a large-ish skein of unknown fiber (wool) that I received in a swap, and it's quite pretty. I'll try to get some pictures up later. Ok, the picture DOES have a pink background, which emphasizes the pinky brownness, but the color does seem pretty true. If I'm up to it (which is doubtful, having promised Murphy pancakes for breakfast which for some reason tortures my knee) I'll try the ebony shavings also donated by Dick. The liquor is quite dark, but I'm doubting that the resultant dye will be black. It's so much fun to play and find out! Always a surprise. ADDENDUM: the ebony is pretty much the same color; a tad darker, I think. It's still drying, will post someday....
I want to knit so badly (some think I *do* knit badly, rimshot) it's really driving me crazy. I don't feel like the brace is helping; my wrist still hurts and I still have the little lump there. Ok, so it hasn't been a full week yet. I'm trying to follow the rules. Sigh.
More later, I hope.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
More Frustrations
I'm typing this VERY laboriously, with a brace on my left wrist. It seems I either have a recurrance of a ganglia which I had surgically removed when I was a teen, or tendonitis. I lean towards the former, my doctor leans towards the latter. Doesn't really matter, as the early treatment for both is immobilization, rest, etc. Therefore, I am under strict orders; NO KNITTING for at least a week. Oh dear God. I can't spin because my knee got really badly worse this week, so I got a cortisone shot for that, which helped until I decided to make zucchini bread. I can't knit. I am probably not supposed to spindle either, but come on! I have to do something! So I'm using the wonderful Jerusalem spindle which I LOVE, but I'm using it very carefully, with my brace on (fun!) making sure not to flex the wrist at all. It doesn't hurt to do it, so I'm assuming it's okay. I finished spinning the merino from my swap partner; today I'll ply it (laceweight, I think!!!!) and maybe dye it if I'm feeling adventurous. The spindle really is amazing; it spins fast and forever, and it holds an unbelievable amount of fiber. It was just starting to act heavy as I was finishing up the last few inches of the fiber. I'll weigh it off the spindle to see how much it holds, but it's a LOT.
Murphy's wonky tooth finally came out. He'll be seven next week and he looks so grown up, so earnest and excited about everything. Children are so amazing. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful ones. School has started, and his favorite subject is PE. This is MY child? Nope; he's his Daddy's boy, through and through. That's a blessing too!
Seeing as there's a line for the computer, and I have some swap boxes and birthday stuff to pack up, this entry is short. Lucky you!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Swap Box Arrived!
My husband and son and I were on our way out to dinner at our favorite restaurant, Sea Fresh (mmmm, calmari!) and I nearly tripped over a big box on our drive. I squealed, scaring both husband and child, and grabbed the box, getting into the car.
As you can see, the whorl is square, with two notches on each side. It is indeed well balanced and spins forever. It's heavy (compared to my featherweight bossies!), but not too heavy, and I picked that baby up and grabbed some of the merino and spun a really fine thread sooooo easily. Oh, I LOVE it. I'm going to be spinning a lot on it, as my knee is still too painful to treadle my wheel.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Spinning Exhibition
Sunday was the Spinning Competition/Exhibition at the VC fair. Unfortunately, it was mostly cancelled, as the building we were to have it in also held the livestock judging. Two hours after we were to have begun our little deal, they were still judging livestock, with no end in sight. So a vote was taken to suspend the competition for this year, other than the Advanced category, which was held outside the building where we had been demo-ing. Since I was a beginner, I passed, but it was fun to watch. And I still got a lovely basket of yummy fibery goodness for showing up!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Proud of my Dad
Saturday, August 04, 2007
And the final post today. Promise!
I forgot to post the pictures of my Tour de Fleece project; so here they are!
This is the merino tencel blend. I hope you can see the colors; I'm so in love with them. I'd love suggestions on what to do with this; I only have about 2 ounces, and I'd say it was a thin fingering weight.
This is the chocolate alpaca. Oh it's sooo soft! I'm really pleased with the way it came out. Again, I have no idea what to do with it; this one is about 4 oz. A hat, maybe? Or a neck warmer; I know this will be very warm!It was a fun challenge, and I only missed two days, when my knee was really bad. I reduced my fiber stash right? Of course, I increased my yarn stash....
And still one more post today!
More Dye Experiments
I tried the copper again, this time wetting the fiber properly, and I left it simmering for maybe twelve hours. The result is amazing, at least to me. A really dark moss green.
A Crime Against Fiber
While I enjoy the occasional novelty yarn or fiber, I mostly prefer it simple, natural, un-augmented. Especially if it's good fiber. But then one runs into an absolute crime.
Sheep to Shawl
Monday, July 30, 2007
Trekking Socks
I have now cast on for another pair of the Knitpicks Moc Croc socks. They're the only pattern that seems suitable to me for the yarn I'm using currently; a very short color change and a cottony type feel. I tried casting on for the Zokni socks but hated the way they looked. So I .... wait for it... RIPPED them out! I guess I'm getting more mature about my knitting. Good thing I am about something!
Later will be picks of the fiber spun during the Tour de Fleece. Oh! And my boss' wife tells me my plant is Dusty Miller. WHoo hoo!
Dye Swatch
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Dyeing Experiments
May, 2007
My first dyeing experiment was with Eucalyptus wood. The wood was obtained from a tree in our yard which had fallen during a wind storm over the winter. The wood had aged a bit, perhaps four months, on the ground. It was in chunks of about one inch or so. I steeped it in Everclear for several weeks. I then heated it in the microwave with two small skeins, one mordanted with aluminum alum and the other unmordanted. I heated and cooled it a minute or two at a time, approximately 5 times. I allowed it to cool, removed and rinsed the yarn. It left a lovely reddish tan color on both skeins. I cannot tell any difference at present between the mordanted and unmordanted.
June, 2007
My second experiment was with an unidentified plant from our front yard. Dorothy said it was "Gray" something. The leaves and stem are a gray color with irregular shaped leaves, and the flower is a small bright yellow with multiple leaves. I used the flowers only, collected at full bloom, and steeped for several weeks in everclear. I again used the heat and cool method in the microwave, with a skein each of mordanted and unmordanted wool. The color left is a soft sage, actually very pretty. Again, I can't see any difference between the mordanted and unmordanted.
July 2007
My third experiment was with copper. I made several mistakes with this experiment. The first was using a copper scrubber that was "copperized" rather than one of real copper. I steeped it in water for several weeks, then heated it with the skeins. No color change whatever.
I then got some real copper scrubbers. I placed one in water, in a small crock pot, and added the yarn, unfortunately, dry. Duh. I simmered overnight. It made a color change to a green/blue color, but was very blotchy and uneven. I blame it on the dry yarn and lack of stirring. Just for fun, I stirred the pot well, wet the skeins, and threw them back in. The color change was much better, but the areas that had dyed previously turned sort of a greenish black. A far less pleasing color. I hope to try again with better techniques to see if I can get a more even color.
I currently have two pots of avocado peel fermenting; one in water, one in alcohol. I'm still looking for non sudsing ammonia to do another pot. I also added more alcohol to the first pot of eucalyptus wood and have left that steeping as well. And today, I just decided to try the copper again... the right way. Pics for all these experiments soon, I hope. (I guess I need to pay my photographer more. Right, honey?) Pics added.
Can anyone tell me what this plant is?
Found you!
You signed up on July 8, 2007
You are #14966 on the list.
7604 people are ahead of you in line.
6463 people are behind you in line.
33% of the list has been invited so far
Sigh. Why do I torture myself looking EVERY SINGLE DAY when they're inviting about 200 per day? At that rate it'll be like a YEAR. Sigh.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Due to some unexpected expenses, I decided the other day to sell on of my wheels. I listed it on http://fiberfinds.com/ and surprisingly, I got a call almost immediately! (Thanks, Elisa!) Tonight, however, as I was cleaning it and preparing it for transport to Guild tomorrow, I started to tear up. I can't sell this wheel! This was my first big deal! My husband and I lovingly sanded and stained and assembled it. I LOVE this wheel! Yes, I love all my wheels. What's a fiber freak to do?
So I'm already spinning up some charcol gray Coopworth X New Zealand roving on my beloved Baynes. I'm not ready to give her up. I guess we'll just have to look harder in the sofa cushions.
But there WILL be fiber and FO's for sale in the store, as soon as the resident photographer takes the pics!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Tour Crash
Well, I was going gangbusters for a while there. I spun the two ounces of tencel wool blend and I love the results. I'm 7/8ths done with 4 oz of chocolate alpaca (YUM!) when BOOM.... the knee flares up again.
I was finally feeling hopeful. Monday, the WHOLE day, I walked sans limp. No pain. I walked without a waddle, without the ache. I was gleeful. Giddy even. Then Tuesday evening came, and I could feel the joint getting tight, swelling up by the minute. By Wednesday night, I was considering pulling out the cane. Sigh.
So, fortuitously, I had a follow up with the esteemed surgeon. He said "Considering what we found when we got in there, this isn't really surprising. This will not be your last surgery. Care for some cortisone shot?"
I'm ten weeks post op, for crying out loud! I really had expected to be better than this.
I declined the shot, as I'm afraid of the "kickback" effect he described. It's better today and really, it's not so much painful as distressing. I'll hold off on the cortisone until it's more severe. After all, Monday was so good! If it got there once, it'll get there again, right? So I do my exercises and ice and hold my breath a lot.
But it has cramped my spinning. Rats. Maybe this weekend I'll be able to get back to it. I hope so!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
I haven't updated my links and such in a while. I've started, but it's going to take a while! Meanwhile, check out my store at Fiber Finds.com; I've posted a few things but more will be ups shortly. I'd love your comments on the store.
I need to reduce my stash, so look for a LOT of yarn and fiber to be put up soon.
Monday, July 16, 2007
No, I didn't poke myself with a DPN. Much, much, much worse.
I frogged my Mystery Stole.
153 rows completed, and I just wasn't happy with it. I'd made a few mistakes, and that defective yarn thing just made the whole stole look sloppy and ick. So I bit the bullet and with tears rolling, I frogged the entire thing. Cut off the first 100 yards or so of the triple ply, and already I'm back on the horse. (Man, I'm using a lot of aphorisms...)
I am so glad I did it.
The second attempt is coming out so much cleaner looking. I'm using size three needles instead of the fours I was using, and instead of the addi circ, I"m using some Crystal Palace bamboo straights. The points are much more suited to the lace weight yarn, and it's not sliding the way it did on the addi's. I'm thrilled. Ok, so it was two weeks worth of work; I'll be so much happier with the finished product.
For those who don't know, and probably don't care, I hate ripping out. Tinking back a row, well, maybe; but to actually RIP out rows where you have to go back and pick up the stitches again? YIKES! I'd rather start over. And with this project it really was best.
So now I"m excited about the MS3 again.
Oh, and I've kept up with the Tour de Fleece; I finished the tencel blend and I love it. I think I'm going to keep it as a single; it seems fairly well balanced and I don't want to mess up the colors. With only 2 oz, I don't know what to do with it though.
Now I'm trying to do a lovely chocolate brown alpaca in lace weight plied... we'll see!
Pics when able.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Tour de Fleece
Ok, so I haven't done much spinning of late. My knee hurt too much until about two weeks ago. I was so happy when I found I could spin again, I jumped right in and spun too long, and my knee ached for days. So I decided to limit the time spinning per day. Which was ok. But I've been spinning this CRAP fiber that I'm so disappointed in. I need to look up where I bought it because I never EVER want to buy fiber there again. I got it directly from the shepard's farm. The breed is Polypay. It's sticky (despite two washings and a dyeing), it's full of VM and coarse black hairs, which I could live with, but it's also full of neps. I mean FULL of neps. I end up pulling out a huge pile of unspinnable fiber every time I spin it, and it just not fun. I finally finished one strip of purple koolaid dyed fiber, washed and skeined it, and it's horrible. I had wanted to use it for the Sheep Thrills hat exchange, but no way would I wear a hat made out of it; it's far too coarse and itchy.
So when I started the Tour de Fleece, (and I haven't missed a day yet!) I finished the purple, started on the red. But this was duty. This was labor. This was a miserable time. Last night I decided if I was going to commit to a project like this, I should enjoy it, dammit! So I took that bobbin off the Majacraft and thought "what would I love to spin?"
Ohhhhh my. I bought this roving at the Santa Monica Fiber and bead Fest last August and have been afraid to touch it. The colors are so amazing! So I threw caution to the wind and loaded up a fresh bobbing and oh my I am in LOVE. The fiber is Tencel and Merino and it feels and looks like silk. The color is copper and brown and purple and green and just gorgeous. My husband thought it looked like a coil of copper wire, but soft! I can't wait to spin this stuff and I finally remember why I love to spin.
The lesson being get good fiber! It's such a shame that the Polypay is such a mess, and purely the shepardess' fault in carding, I think. I have a pound of the roving, and I'll spin it all eventually, but it's too icky to make anything to wear, so I'm wondering why.
Anyone with a suggestion on what to do with it? Compost heap? Maybe dog coats? Rug?
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Promised Pics
These are the newly cast on trekking socks. It's funny, but I really like Trekking yarn. It's coarse, not wonderfully soft like most fiber I like, but somehow, the socks come out really great. Of course, 110 degree heat in Southern CA doesn't exactly make one run for the warm socks...
And here is the MS3, completed up to row 132. Can you see the line where the plys changed? I'm hoping when it's finished and blocked, it won't be too noticeable. And if it is? Well, another shawl for me!
Fibery Stuff
I am in love with homemade socks. I have now made five pairs and have cast on for my sixth. They are fun to make, portable with large sections that don't require huge detailed attention, and so comfortable to wear. It's also very cool to have people exclaim "You MADE those?"
I've learned a lot in making those pairs, and continue to do so. I never knew there were so many ways of making heels and toes, or even of knitting types. DPN's, both one and two circular needle, toe up, toe down. It's amazing. I feel a need to design coming on, and perhaps after I finish the Simple Trekking Socks I will take a stab at it.
I've signed up for a few "---a-longs"; the Tour de Fleece, which is a commitment to spin every day the Tour de France runs. I'm participating in an exchange on the Sheep Thrills group where we spin the yarn to then knit (or crochet) a hat, due in September. Finally, I'm doing (and yes, actually doing! the MS3 knit along. MS3 means Mystery Stole #3. It's a lace stole being knitted sight unseen by thousands of people all over the world. We receive "clues" every Friday and try to knit them before the next clue is released. I started the MS2 last year and never got past the 8th row. Stop laughing! I had only just learned to knit, and it was a little over my head. This year I'm up to row 115, and it's going fairly well. I'll get a picture up soon. The only problem with it is that my yarn is faulty. STOP LAUGHING, I said! No, really it is! I'm using White Jaggerspun Zephyr, which is a lovely lace weight 50% wool, 50% silk. After knitting 110 rows, it suddenly went from a three ply to a two ply. Losing a third of it's bulk changes how the knitting looks, who knew? It seems like the rest of the one pound cone I purchased remains two ply, so I'm not quite sure what to do. If you think I'm frogging 110 rows of beaded lace, you're out of your mind! I'm hoping it won't be that noticeable. STOP LAUGHING!
Time for coffee, and maybe some picture taking, and then to tackle the 116th row...
On to something lighter.
You know how being a parent can be really really hard? When you have those days that you're so stressed out and exhausted that just brushing your child's teeth seems insurmountable?
Today, I had a day that makes those days worthwhile.
Murphy and Dad were playing games on the computer, and he mentioned that he had had a bad day the day before; he'd broken a knick-knack, and hurt himself, and forgotten a thing or two which needed correcting. But then he said something that made every travail in my whole life worth it. He said
"Yeah, but most of my days are the best day ever."
Friday, July 06, 2007
An open letter to ALL Politicians
Wake up.
No, really. I mean it.
You claim to want what's best for this country. You claim to serve it. YOU ARE LYING.
Stop worrying about the next election. Stop worrying about your legacy, and your war-chest, and your popularity. Wake up and look, really LOOK at what's happening in this country.
We are losing America.
Every value, every right and freedom and philosophy that the Founding Fathers worked so hard for, that they fought and died for, that they risked everything for; it's all being trashed by a power hungry greedy corporatist administration. Six years in office and somehow these people have pulled the Constitution right out from under us, and you have allowed it.
You are as responsible as Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney for the condition America finds itself in. You did not do your job. You sat back, Republican and Democrat alike, perhaps for reasons dissimilar, yet sit you did, watching, smiling as the coffers increased, as our rights were eroded, as a three branch co-equal government system was raped, leaving us with a unitary executive whose sole motives are power and greed.
Are you aware of National Security Presidential Directive 51? Where are the challenges to this power grab? Any crisis, anywhere in the world, and Mr. Bush can declare himself dictator, with unlimited, unchecked power, including the power to remain in office past 2008.
Are you aware of the theft of Iraqi oil? We do not steal it to pay for reconstruction of the country, no; it's merely for the profit of the world cabal of Oil Companies. We, the United States of America, are allowing a group of Oil Companies to literally write laws in Iraq which outright give rights to nearly all current and ALL future oil fields to Exxon and Standard Oil, et al. Oh, a twenty percent share goes to be split between the factions in Iraq, after of course, the Iraqi government gets its cut, which has yet to be determined. The Iraqi reluctance to sign this bill is delaying one of the "benchmarks" that the US has imposed to go forward in Iraq. Is this not extortion? People do not understand the greed. They say that if this war is being fought for oil, why are the prices so high? They must understand that it is for control of oil that it is being fought. They have no interest in bringing prices down. By owning, they can control the price, and controlling the price, control much of the commerce in the world.
I was moved to tears this week, watching the history of our Revolution unfold on TV, in honor of Independence Day. I watched how this group of men decided that the King's rule was intolerable, that their basic human rights had been violated, and that therefore they had a DUTY to rise up against such oppression. These men did not do this lightly. They placed their lives in jeopardy, their families and their homes at risk. They knew what they were getting into. Their families were tortured and killed, their farms were burned, they were hanged and abused, yet they persisted.
They saw that what they were fighting for was bigger than themselves. They wrangled and fought even amongst their own to found a government that could be an example of freedom and democracy to the world. They fought against all odds and they won.
Read the Federalist Papers, and the correspondences of the Founding Fathers. They explored and shared and dissected every area of Government. Why have a government? Who should the government serve? How can that Government be structured and confined? What are human rights, and how can they be attained? Their party affiliations were chosen by the philosophical bent of the party, not by issues.
Where is our Jefferson? Our Franklin and Adams? Where are those with the courage and conviction to stand against a rogue administration and lead the masses back to the Constitution? There are rare few voices out there, and unfortunately, they are marginalized. Dennis Kucinich pens a Resolution of Impeachment against the most toxic Vice President in our history, and people laugh. Over and over the Democrats give up before they even start, saying "oh, we don't have the votes." Well, dammit, make the stand anyway. Let the people, yes, WE the people, know that you tried. Let the world know that the majority of our citizenry does not support the policies of this President.
It is simply incomprehensible to me that even the staunchest of Republicans can support this President. There is nothing about this man that is truly Republican. He has spent the biggest budget surplus in history down to record deficits, and none of that has gone to programs that help mainstream Americans. His record on the environment, on health care and science, on immigration and national security are failures in every possible way.
I know there are protests going on. I've been to a few, and I get emails every day from very large groups who are working to reign in this Administration. Why do we not hear about it? When 10,000 protest immigration policies in LA, we hear about it, but when there are nationwide protests organized by Code Pink, or World Can't Wait, or the Coalition for Peace? Not a word.
To all of you facing re-election in the coming years please know this. All the money you raise is useless. Your fate rests in the hands of millions of others like me. We're ANGRY. We want leaders who will serve US. We want to believe that the people we support will have a backbone and a basic knowledge of right and wrong. We want someone who will tell us the truth, even if it hurts. We want the Constitution to mean something again, and not be viewed as a "quaint document." We want honest, thoughtful dialog, where people who disagree can work together for the good of the country, without vitriol, without name calling. We want respect for all Americans.
If you believe in America and what it stands for; if you "defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic", then you will do anything and everything to preserve it.
Are YOU that person?
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Can we please stop with the lies?
Number One. Valerie Plame wasn't a covert agent.
If the CIA testifies in court that she was covert, which they DID, then SHE WAS. Those who continue to repeat that talking point in an attempt to
mislead lie to the American public only look stupid. It's in the court record. Duh.
Number Two. Scooter Libby's trial was a farce, he's innocent, and there was no underlying crime.
At this point, I beg you; at least be consistent. He lied. This was proved once again, in court. That's what he was charged, convicted, and sentenced for. Do NOT claim it is a trivial matter or that because there was no indictment on the underlying crime it doesn't count. It sure counted for Clinton. It was a matter of supreme importance that he lied under oath then, despite there being no charges in that underlying alleged crime. The rules are not different for Republicans vs Democrats. Obstruction of Justice is a crime precisely because it keeps the underlying crime from being investigated.
The recent indictment of William Jefferson was a striking juxtaposition to the furor over Scooter Libby, for anyone willing to pay attention. No one denies that there are corrupt politicians in both parties; after all, we all know power corrupts. Look, however, at the difference in how these people were dealt with in their own parties. Not one person in the Democratic Party made excuses for him. No one tried to cover it up, or blame someone else. Instead, as soon as it was made public, the Speaker asked him to resign from his committee positions immediately. If he is convicted, he will leave office. Now consider Tom Delay. Scooter Libby. Duke Cunningham, Jack Abramoff, David Safavian et al.
Number Three. We must win this war.
There is no war. War was never declared. Why is that, one wonders? It's because there cannot be a war on a tactic. Terrorism is a tactic, not an entity, not a government. (This same rationale applies to the misguided wars on drugs, on crime, and on poverty). If any of this debacle can be called war, it ended with the overthrow of Saddam and the "Mission Accomplished" banner. Our soldiers did what they were asked to do in ousting Saddam. Anything after that is occupation. One can NOT win an occupation. One can manage an occupation, as we did so well after WWII, but it requires a much higher ratio of soldier to civilian than this Administration has been willing to consider. Hence we play "Whack-a-Mole" and more of our soldiers die daily.
Number Four. If you disagree with the President's policy, you're a "bad American."
This is the most divisive, the most subversive, the most heinous attitude I can imagine. It goes against the most basic tenet of our country's beliefs. Telling me that I hate America because my opinion differs from yours is not only insulting, it's dangerous. Our country was built on dissent. It's not a happenstance that freedom of speech is the FIRST amendment to our Constitution. One might posit that someone willing to speak out against abuses by elected officials and fight for the Constitution loves their country more than one giving support to an administration run amok.
This is another case where the attitude of Neo-cons and Progressives show marked differences. As progressives, we fight for your right to disagree with us. We want you to be informed on all issues, from all sides. We want you to speak your mind. We want you to vote. We think that such dialog improves our society. The right wing pundits want you to believe what you're told. They know what's good for you. They discourage discourse. They place impediments to voting. They restrict your access to information to keep you focused on what they want you thinking about. Above all, they do not want you to think for yourself.
We who disagree with the President's Iraq policy do not hate America. We don't want Al Qaeda to "win." We do not rejoice when things go badly over there. It's insulting to be told we are traitors, aiding the enemy. This is a lie that hurts America, as it further divides us, making it harder to find solutions. It's wrong, and it needs to stop.
Number Five. The Left Wing Media.
This is another Duh moment. All one needs to do here is take a look at who owns the big media conglomerates. Almost exclusively they're owned by very rich, very white, very male conservatives. Then take a short look at the stories that DON"T get covered. Like Monica mentioning "caging" in her testimony, which has barely even been mentioned in the MSM. Like the focus on the really important issues of our day, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears and Anna Nicole Smith. It has become a full time job to ferret out the information that is vital to really understand what is going on in the United States right now, and one must often turn to external sources such as the BBC get what is being hidden from Americans.
No, I'm not an advocate of the Fairness Doctrine. I do believe in the Free Market approach, but our current system is faulty. The Free Market can't prevail when all programming is controlled by FIVE people who carefully slant what they allow on the airwaves. If a progressive isn't given a chance to earn market share, that is not a free market. That amounts to censorship. Welcome to
The Third Reich America.
I'm really not done ranting, but my stomach is roiling, so the rest will have to wait. Blech.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Surgery Over
Ok, here are the gruesome details. My doctor was kind enough to provide images from the camera inserted into my knee.Lovely, aren't they? That picture up in the left upper corner is the knee cap, and should be smooth. Think of a chicken leg bone, the white part on the end. Mine is, well, shredded into what looks to a fiber freak like angora in need of plucking.
That metal thingy you see is the instrument they used to scrape that fuzzy stuff out of my knee, and cauterize and seal it. I was awake through most of it, and the doctor was very good about showing me and explaining what they were doing. Problem is, I was a wee tad medicated, and some of it is fuzzy now, and getting more so.
So it's been a week, and I'm still using a cane to walk. My recovery has been a bit slower than expected, unfortunately, but it is progressing. I start PT on Friday, which I fully expect to be horribly painful, but will help, I hope.
I returned to work today. My desk was piled so high I couldn't see my monitor. Sigh. But I waded through a great deal of it and caught up fairly well. I took my lunch break at the end of the day so I could leave early, as the pain was steadily increasing and I could feel it swelling. So it's back to the armchair and the bags of ice for the evening. It was good to be up and around though, and I'm sure a relief for my beleaguered spouse.
I'll try to get some photos up tomorrow of the fibery things I've been working on while I've been immobile.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Annual Spring Sing
Tonight was Murphy's school annual "Spring Sing." As with most school concerts, a certain amount of tediousness can be expected; but the kids are so dang cute that you can't help but laugh and be so proud of them!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Back to Family and Fiber
Ok, so here are the cutest kids.... EVER!
Murphy and Eric. Twelve years apart. The best children a mother could ever ask for. Smart, sweet, honest, loving, generous and gosh darn fun to be around. I am so blessed.
They gave me a lovely Mother's Day. Murphy wrote me a poem that made me cry for half an hour. Amazing. If I could have listed all the things I would want my children to think about me, it would have been that poem.
Eric braved foreign territory, venturing into the local yarn shop "Artful Living" to get me a perfect little project bag. He was wise enough to enlist the aid of the proprietor, Barbara, who knows me well. The bag came with several IOU's, including hugs and chores to be claimed in the future. Very sweet. Thanks, Eric!
My most beloved and charming husband made me buttermilk pancakes and ham and eggs for breakfast, and then took me out to Panda Buffet for dinner. The poor man worked like a dog all day, waiting on me and helping his friend move. It was a lovely day, and I felt very loved and cherished, even more so than I do on a normal day, and that's saying something!
My knee continues to deteriorate. Pain is getting worse by the day. Tomorrow I go for a pre-op visit, then Friday pre-op testing; then just hang in til Monday, courtesy of massive doses of ice and vicodin. I am holding my breath, counting the seconds.
Ok; the fiber stuff. Finished my second pair of socks. Knitpicks "Moc-Croc" pattern. I didn't think I was going to like them while I was knitting; the heel looked really weird. But when I put them on, it formed a perfect little snug pocket for my heel. I love them! The color is wild too; it's Tofutsies, made from soysilk and crab fiber. Yep, crab and shrimp shell. Man, they can make yarn out of ANYTHING these days!
Eric is having a love affair with all things Jamaican currently, so I knit him a hat reflecting those colors. Then of course, Murphy had to have one too! Despite the face, Murphy actually is laughing, not crying in that photo!
Then Eric asked for a different style hat. Found a picture on the internet of one for sale, and I tried to copy it. This is the result. It's crocheted. I haven't crocheted anything in ages, at least six months or so, might be a year! He's really pleased with it, and wants me to make some for his friends. It's called the "Dank Hat," as that is apparently the newest vernacular for really cool. I may post a pattern when I get it sussed out.
I'm working on another pair of socks, and a few other things that may or may not come to fruition. I'll post more when I get a chance. Right now... its off to the recliner to ice my knee and pop another pain pill. YIKES!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Why We Must Impeach this Administration
This is a very long and very political rant. If you're not up for it - Leave now!
I wrote a long time ago about how we needed to be better parents to this country. I still think that's true, and it's one of the main reasons that I think we need to impeach both Bush and Cheney. I've heard all the arguments from both sides; how it would be bad for the country, that it would be divisive, how it would undermine investigations into other crimes and corruptions, and God forbid we end up with a female president Pelosi by default!
There's something to be said for just doing something because it's the right thing to do. We want to teach our children moral behavior but then don't call out our politicians when they "misbehave." We want to have the moral imperative in the world but we don't want to make a fuss when our leaders violate the most basic fundamentals of our Constitution.
What these people have done to our country, to our standing in the world, to our Constitution, to our collective psyche is so pervasive and so heinous that it must not stand. It might be easier to just ride along and let the next election take care of it, but we cannot allow the easy road. We must tell the people of the world, and indeed those same politicians that we will elect in the future, that we will not countenance these abuses of power. We must tell them that we do not slumber, that we are awake and watching and will call them to task for what they do in our name.
I'm tired of politics. I'm tired of having to assume that I will be lied to. I'm tired of people working only for their own best interests rather than the country's. Yet it's too important to give up. There are so many people I know who are "too busy" or too stressed or too fed up to follow what's going on in our country. I don't do enough either. It's hard, and time consuming to stay informed, and sometimes one feels alone. I know there are people protesting, but somehow we don't hear about it on the news, so it's easy to become complacent.
I laugh, bitterly, every time I think of the furor made over President Clinton's impeachment. Yes, he did something wrong. He lied about it. Of course, it was a question he should never have been asked, but putting that aside, he lied and he shouldn't have, and he was IMPEACHED over it. I think that was a tad extreme, but hey, democracy in action, right?
But now, the man who could teach Orwell a thing or two about doublespeak, who has lied over and over and over about material issues, about things that resulted in the death of an uncountable number of people; he's become the "Teflon kid." Nothing sticks to him, and even more unfathomable, his party continues to look the other way. It's beyond incomprehensible. How can people be so obtuse or so greedy as to allow the basic rights of the people of the United States to be worn away?
Has there ever before been a time when dissent meant you were unpatriotic? The McCarthy era, I suppose, another banner time in our country's history. The first line of defense for the neo-cons is to attack the opposition's love of country. I'm not the first to draw lines of comparison with the Third Reich, and I know it's not considered proper to do so, but if we don't learn from history we are destined to repeat it. The unanswered question has always been "How did the German people go along with him?" The answer is right in front of you now. It's not happening quite as fast or efficiently as Hitler was able to manage it, but the same mechanisms are in effect. Unite the country under a fear of a common enemy. Undermine the patriotism of anyone who disagrees. Keep the regime immunized against answering tough questions. Slowly chip away at the rights of the citizenship, all in the name of safety, of course. Monopolize the press to limit dissension and keep your message of fear before the public. Give the executive figure more and more power, again in the name of homeland security.
Like presidential candidate Mr. Gravel, I am not afraid of any other country. We are strong in America. We are young and healthy and wealthy and we cannot be defeated by an outside force. I am, however, terrified of my government. We can be toppled from within, and I fear we are far down that road already. We have allowed a group of wealthy, powerful conservatives who do not believe in government to take over our government. Their icon, Ronald Reagan, said "I've always thought that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."
How in the world can people who do not believe in government execute any kind of viable government?
Thom Hartmann, on AirAmerica Radio, speaks of the fundamental difference between progressives and conservatives. Conservatives believe that people are inherently evil and therefore must be regulated. Progressives believe that people are inherently good, and that the purpose of government is to uphold the people and help them achieve their best potential. It may be that the view one takes reflects one's own character. These holier than thou Christians who feel that our country's laws must be changed to agree with the religious law project their sins on others. I've never heard anyone say "Please, pass this law to prevent me from doing something sinful;" it's always to stop another from doing something the first person would find objectionable. Almost puritanical, isn't it? I know what's best for you, dear.
I prefer the liberal view, myself. I prefer to let each person act within their own moral code, to believe what their faith leads them to believe. I think we are all (mostly) good, and if we can have our basic needs met, most people will act as good neighbors. Then I look at the neo-cons, and doubt, sometimes. They are appealing to our base nature, and they're getting results.
There are so many things I'm angry about. I am angry at those who question my patriotism because I speak up when I don't like what I see. I am angry at those who say we must respect the President simply because he is the President. I say I honor my country when I defend the Constitution from those who think it's "quaint." I think I honor the OFFICE of the President when I demand the occupant of the office perform his duties in the best interest of the country, not in the best interest of his bank account, or his church.
I love my country. The United States of America and its experiment in representational democracy is a historic and amazing place, and I'm so proud and blessed to be living here, where I can write a piece like this and not end up in jail. I want to preserve it. I want to make sure that when my son grows up, he too will be proud of his country, and able to speak his mind about the changes he would like to see. I want to leave this place better than I found it. I want to get back the reputation the United States enjoyed among the countries of the world, back to when we did have the moral high ground, when people all over knew that we would trade fairly and treat people well. In a short six years, all that is gone, despite the way the world got behind us after the World Trade Center was destroyed. GWB has taken all that "capital" and tossed it away.
We, the People, must impeach George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to make clear to the world (and to the next generation of politicians) that America is good. To show that when the people speak, the leaders MUST listen, and that not even the President is exempt from the laws of our country. It's tough love, but it's the only way to reclaim our country and restore the glory it once deserved.
The congress needs to stand up and at least TRY to do the things that they believe to be right, even if there is no chance they can pass. There is no shame in being defeated in battle, but to not try because you know you'll fail? We need to show we stand for the truth. It used to be that that was important; has the need to survive the next election changed that?
We need to do the things we know to be RIGHT. The President and Vice President have violated their oath of office many times over, and we must make them own that responsibility.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Another One Bites The Dust
Or doesn't, more accurately. Murphy has lost another tooth. I'm telling you, the tooth fairy is in danger of bankruptcy. So for those keeping count; he now has three empty spaces, the remaining top incisor is quite loose, and several other teeth are slightly loose. He'll soon be living on applesauce, ice cream and pudding!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Looks Like Surgery
Saw my orthopedist to discuss the results of my MRI. Not a good sign when he walks in the room and says "Well, you really ruined your knee, didn't you?"
So it's arthroscopy for me, as soon as the insurance approves it. I can be awake and watch the surgery, which should be fun. At least, I think so; my husband gets the willies just thinking about it. I just want it OVER so I can get back to life!
I asked him about spinning; he said if it hurts, don't do it; if not, should be fine as long as there's no weight bearing. So I plied some lovely turquoise wool I won at the last Guild meeting. It was nice to get back to it, but it was painful, so I don't think I'll be spinning much, unfortunately. I really miss it. The knitting has been fun, but I'm starting to ache for a change. I can spindle for a while, but I'm supposed to keep the knee elevated. Have you ever tried spindling whilst reclining? I have... but man, your arm gets tired fast!
And me with all this breed swap fiber to start spinning....
Thursday, April 19, 2007
It's a Miracle!
No, not that I'm posting twice in one day, after having laid dormant for three months. Four? Whatever...
The miracle is that I finally got my approval for my MRI, which I then scheduled for 12 noon today, so it's DONE; and tomorrow I go back to the ortho to find out the results! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!! Oh please, PLEASE let there be a solution to this knee pain! Today was agony; I just got home after the MRI and am falling into my chair with a Vicodin, praying for tomorrow.
Just had to share!
Still Alive!
Ok, so it's been a while. This has been a rough winter with sickness and other medical issues; luckily it's really all been annoyances rather than anything truly serious. Still, wearing and depressing and frustrating at times. I finally got over the respiratory plague I had for December and January, only to have my very old knee injury flare up in a major way. So I'm hobbling about with a cane in fair to middlin' pain, awaiting the old insurance company's approval of an MRI, to be followed (we assume) by arthroscopy surgery.
Meanwhile, Murphy has now lost a total of four teeth, and currently has two gaping holes in his mouth, having lost one of the top front teeth. He reports that six others are loose too; he may end up eating nothing but applesauce!
Eric is in a new play, to debut tomorrow night. He plays a corpse. Apparently he has more lines than you'd think.
Peru is up for sainthood. I mean, truly! It's been one thing after another and he's had to take care of me, the kids, the house, the shopping, everything. By himself, for the most part. And he's not complained once; never groused, never resentful, just does what needs to be done. Have I mentioned this man is amazing? And on April 1st (Yes, April Fools Day!) we celebrated our seventh anniversary. Yikes! I can't believe it's been that long! But very much the best years of my life.
In fibery news, I've finally got the Breed Swap under control. About twelve boxes have gone out, most of the rest are packed and ready to go. Again, poor Peru has to deal with this, as I'm not able to carry many boxes holding a cane! I hope to get the rest out this weekend.
Monumental to me is that I've finally conquered knitting socks! I tried several times before and got frustrated. Finally, it dawned on me that if I started small I might have better luck, so I made a pair of baby socks; and now I get it! I understand the construction, and that helps. So I made two pair of that pattern, then another pattern of baby socks, and then I tried some boot socks. They were going to be for my BBF Barbara but unfortunately, they fit Murphy.... so I tried one more time and I DID IT! Ok, so far, only one is knitted, but I did cast on for the second sock last night. It's the knitpicks twisted cable pattern, and I'm doing it in Regia bamboo yarn; very interesting! But the first sock is done, kitchenered, and it fits! The next challenge is to try the two circ method...
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Happy New Year!
Ok, so I'm a little late. Maybe a lot late. There are still SEVERAL people I have not managed to get Christmas presents mailed out to yet. December was ... well... rough. To put it mildly. Finally surviving Birthday Week from Hell, we were then faced with colds, flu, ear infections, sinus infections, back to colds again. Then there was the water heater blowing up. And the wind storm, that brought down an amazing amount of tree branches, not to mention a very large eucalyptus tree that split down the middle, one half across the bike path behind our yard, and the other across the fence that keeps small children from falling into the culvert. And I forgot about the sprinkler system that required having all the valves replaced. While Murphy had a lovely Christmas, I was barely conscious and spent several hours at the not-so-local clinic, where I was kindly given several prescriptions which due to the holiday were unable to be filled until the next day; no small inconvenience considering the size of the headache I had from the flu (extra, extra, extra large, with a bonus serving of OUCH). Thank God that Peru was able to handle most things until I became somewhat functional before he got the worst of his bout.
So now we're all recovering, and I'm trying hard to catch up on all the things I'm behind on; the Breed Swap, the aforementioned Christmas gifts, the housework, and of course, work. Did I mention the business consultant that's turning the company inside out trying to make us more productive and more profitable? Looking over my shoulder at every step? And did I mention that I have a miserable cold, AGAIN?????? Sigh. But it's all small stuff, thank God. We'll get through it.
Tomorrow I'll try to post some pictures of the yard from the wind storm. They don't show the true extent of the mess, but it'll give you an idea. And some of Murphy and his presents. He's pretty darn cute!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
I've been Tagged!
THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the '6 weird things about you.' People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog.
This is tough; I don't know how weird I am.
1. I like brussels sprouts.
2. I spin yarn from raw fiber. I even like cleaning a raw nasty smelly fleece.
3. I met my husband on the internet. And we're still together, ten years after our first contact!
4. I love my family. I really do. I'd rather stay home and be with my husband and kids than do anything else on earth.
5. I like folk music.
6. I hate math, I hate numbers... but somehow I ended up as a bookkeeper. THAT's weird!
Ok. So I have to tag 6 people? I don't know if I know six bloggers! I'll give it a shot, but I can't list names, sorry.
I haven't blogged in forever as I've had in quick succession the following: birthday week from hell, cold, flu, sinus infection and now am back to cold. I just LOVE the left coast; I seem to have no immunities whatsoever to the bugs out here. How I long for Boston... or at least it's germs!
Will try to blog more later but have limited access these days.


text:
Stone Barrow formerly Golden Cap, Stonebarrow Lane, Charmouth, Dorset, DT6 6RA
This small, simple bunkhouse that started life as a MOD radar station offers peace and tranquillity in a unique location. Situated in an elevated position on Stonebarrow Hill with magnificent views overlooking Lyme Bay and across to Golden Cap and Chesil Beach. It is a walker's paradise, as part of the Golden Cap Estate it offers access to over 25 miles of footpaths including the South West Coastal Path on the door step. The beaches at Charmouth are just a half hour walk downhill from the bunkhouse, although the journey back may take a little longer! The bunkhouse is ideal for families, walking and special interest groups and activity groups The garden has picnic tables and barbecue. When the adjoining shop is open during the day the public have access to the garden.
Photos: ©Joe Cornish ©David Noton ©David Sellman @Chris Lacey
or call Stone Barrow at National Trust Holidays on
03443 351296
8: 2×4
All year. All day
From £160 for two nights.
Book via National Trust Holidays. Minimum stay 2 nights
In Charmouth turn onto Stonebarrow Lane, just to the east of the bridge crossing the river Char. Follow this lane until you come to the National Trust car park and shop which adjoins the bunkhouse
Axminster train station is 8 miles away and Charmouth station is 4 miles.
This accommodation allows dogs by arrangement, is by the sea, is available only to groups, has availability this New Year and this Christmas and is on the National Trust Bunkhouses map and the SW Coast Path.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Classification: P30 Tump.
OS Grid Ref: NH304903 This data is currently only accurate to a 6 figure grid reference (c.a 100m).
Click here to learn how to help improve it.
UK Area: 15 - Loch Broom to Strath Oykel (OS Maps 1:50k 20. 1:25k 436N.)
Latitude: 57.869851, Longitude: -4.861003, Height: 468 metres (1535 feet)
Prominence: 86 metres (282 feet)
Unique Waypoint POI Name: 0468.- (DoBIH Hill ID: 9241)
Associated Parent Hill:
Carn Ban (842m, p204)
External Links for Meall an Daimh Bhig:
-GeoHack link... -OS Map Bing link... -Google Map link... -Geograph link... -Meall an D�imh Bhig on hill-bagging.co.uk...
Data courtesy of the Database of British and Irish Hills
Selected mapping: Google or Bing / Ordnance Survey:All | :Nearby Hill | :Nearby Trigpoint | : mouseover
Climbed Meall an Daimh Bhig? Log in to tick it off...
Meall an Daimh Mhoir (1.5km)Creag an Duine (An Sgurr) (2.4km)Craggan a' Chait (3.1km)Creag Iobhair (3.2km)Seana Bhraigh (3.3km)Meall nam Madadh (3.4km)Seana Bhraigh South Top (3.5km)Creag Iobhair East Top (3.6km)Meall nam Bradhan (3.7km)Cnoc an Tubait (4.0km)
Total = 1 All
* The waypoint data in italics is only accurate to a 6 fig grid reference. Click here to learn how to help improve it.
Data courtesy of the Database of British and Irish Hills


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The Art of Memoir: Accuracy or Honesty?
Sometimes one sentence is all it takes to win—or break—a reader's trust. This was brought home to me recently following the launch of my memoir, The Inventors. I had just gotten back from a two-coast, twenty-venue, overly ambitious book tour, one that left me with a bad back (all that driving), a deflated ego (reading to five people, including the store clerk), a renewed appreciation for the kindness of strangers (all those people who did show up), and the wistful yearning—assuming it...Forward


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- 1. Duke Ellington
July 18
Count Basie saxman Frank Wess and others celebrate Ellington's peerless songbook.
- 2. Thelonious Monk
July 20
Wynton Marsalis and Cedar Walton explore the influence of perhaps the greatest bebop pianist.
- 3. Antonio Carlos Jobim
July 25
Trio da Paz and other bossa-novans play tunes by the profoundly romantic composer, sometimes called Brazil's George Gershwin.
Jazz It Up
The 92nd Street Y's Jazz in July festival, run by the excellent pianist-arranger Bill Charlap, offers tributes to late greats by living greats.
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Sunday, February 2, 2014
Anglers Mixed Media Layout ~ DT for the February Once Upon A...Sketch Challenge
Posted by Tracey Sabella at 7:21 AM
Labels: 7 Dots Studio, Blue Fern Studios Chipboard, BoBunny, Donna Salazar, Heartfelt Creations, Manor House Creations, May Arts, Once Upon A...Sketch DT, Petaloo, Prima, Ranger
16 comments:
So gorgeous! LOVING the colors, the mesh material and the flowers!!!!ReplyDelete
I really like what you did for the reveal, I think 9th wave never become boring. Beautiful page!! Have a nice sunday!ReplyDelete
wow gorjuss layout.ReplyDelete
Awwww....loove your journaling! And that butterfly looks wonderful....most of all it's the textures here that just really make it THE most awesome page:):)ReplyDelete
Beautiful page Tracey. Love the color, mesh and all the texture.ReplyDelete
gorgeous page, love the texture and layers!!! the pic jumps off the page!!ReplyDelete
This is beautiful Tracey, I love the netting and the flowers and colors and I am sure he enjoys his fishing, it is a great relaxing pastime I think!ReplyDelete
Fabulous Tracey!! I love the netting and chicken wire with the fishing theme! The colors and all the embellies look so wonderful with the pic! You always do the most amazing LOs Tracey!ReplyDelete
fabulous page, all the flowers and butterflies look amazing :) great take on challenge,ReplyDelete
Absolutely gorgeous LO, Tracey! Love the colors and all of the texture. Great details!ReplyDelete
I really love this lo Tracey! How nice that your son shares his love for fishing with others :) It's a wonderful thing to teach others about what brings you joy.ReplyDelete
Hi Tracey! I saw this over at sb.com, but just had to stop by your blog to let you know how much I love it! Your entire layout is absolutely wonderful in so many ways. I want to thank you for sharing it with all of us, my friend!ReplyDelete
Fantastic page Tracey!! Awesome that you used real chicken wire and i also love that bit of what looks like fishing net in the bottom right hand corner. Looks fantastic. Love the colour and the texture and the journaling too is wonderful!! All in all a stunning page!! oxoxReplyDelete
Your creations never cease to amaze me, Tracey. This is so, so beautiful. And real chicken wire! That's so cool!ReplyDelete
Wow what a beautiful take on this month's sketch at OUAS! I especially love that butterfly it looks AMAZING! Such a cool picture and beautifully captured amongst the design elementsReplyDelete
Wow Tracey! What a stunning layout! Love all the texture and beautiful blossoms! Thanks for the inspiration!ReplyDelete


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If you're at all like me, the last year will have seen you jump wholehearted on the sustaining trend for the regreening of urban life—giddily hoarding an array of shoots and shrubbery in your living and working environments in a desperate attempt to compensate for lack of time outdoors and connection with nature. While your enthusiasm for your photosynthesising friends was initially no doubt high, the green dream probably lost some of its lustre on the return from the first business trip or weekend away—greeted with a sorry sight of limp leaves and fallen foliage reminding you why you couldn't trust yourself with that dog you really wanted in the first place.
Fortunately, so strong and persistent are our desires to marry the wholly incompatible modern ideals of frantic work/play schedules and plant-life cohabitation and nurturing that a whole raft of folks are turning this existential crisis into a design problem.
If you've been keeping up with our coverage from Milan you probably caught a glimpse of the leafy arrangements of Netherlands based Pikaplant—a start-up of sorts aiming to make the upkeep of indoor greenery that little bit easier. Their latest ware 'Tableau" is an desktop automatic indoor irrigation system that the team have just launched a campaign to fund on Kickstarter.
'Tableau' is an impressive simple way to keep your little bit of nature alive. Comprising of only a fabric covered tray, plant pots with holes at the bottom and a water tank with a clever valve system that releases 30 days worth of water for up to three plants without the use of any electronics. Rather than just drip feeding plants consistently, the bi-valve system that controls the water flow from the reservoir to the base is sensitive to humidity and pressure— releasing hydration in a 'wet-dry-cycle' that mimics natural weather patterns and makes for happier, healthier plants.
Over in Milan, Pikaplant also showed of a similar bookcase-sized 'vertical garden' variation of the system. Also using no electricity, the water tank at the top of structure releases water in an similar ebb-and-flow manner to let the plants take up only as much liquid as they need.
Other designers are offering up solutions to this age old wanna-have-plants-don't-wanna-look-after-plants problem. Milan based industrial designer duo Alessio D'Andrea and Vincenzo Vitiello of Lab. Fabrici, offer up an alternative route to indoor irrigation with Altrove—looking like a cross between Mathmas floor lamp and a medical drip; complete with rugged leather strap to position the water vessel.
Much more simplistic than the 'Tableau' the 'Altrove' releases water with an on off value—presumedly drip feeding the plant in a consistent manner that would inevitably require some monitoring.
Simpler again—an oldie(r) but a goodie—the lightbulb-like Waterworks by Dutch designers House of Thol (these Dutch clearly got this house plant thing down). A terracotta spike is pushed into the soil to funnel water gradually from the volume of the bulb-like vase. The natural porousness of the earthenware releases water to the plant gradually—the flow being determined by how much of the surface area of the spike that has been left unglazed.
If these watering devices sound great but still far too demanding for your chaotic lifestyle, Pikaplant also offer up the perfect solution to the nature deprived plant killer. Pikaplant 'Jars' contain plants that naturally recycle gases and water in their own humid biotope—the plants surviving with next to zero maintenance for up to an impressive 12 months.
Scotty Lewis describes bending wood as "one of the most exciting and magical things a woodworker will ever experience," and the lure is easy to see: The ability to shape Mother Nature's product to our design indicates a mastery of material and allows for unusual shapes. We've looked at plenty
Finding success as a maker is never easy, but if you can find the right niche and execute your craft well, you've got a shot. And it's fair to say Chelsea Miller's got a shot. The knifemaking Miller started out just four years ago, and according to Bloomberg is now
In guest writer Rob Wilkey's excellent series on Wood Species, he ran down nine popular breeds that any designer working with wood ought to know. One of those species was of course mahogany, and you can click here to read about its qualities and what it's best used for. Sadly,
Anyone who has grappled with a slick, wet umbrella on a rainy day knows the struggle. Collapsing the thing, you're either going to poke someone in the eye or drench yourself in the very raindrops you were hoping to avoid. Enter the KAZbrella, an inside-out umbrella on a mission to
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Dear Hettie,
Just wanted to let you know I laughed out loud so many times over this - reading passages out to my husband to explain my continuous shrieking and giggling. It is ideal holiday reading.
We bought this story and "A shilling on the bar" three weeks ago at Port Douglas market after first seeing you at the Marina a few days beforehand.
. If the book was sent to one of our great Aussie directors to choose just the right cast, it would make a VERY funny film. This is worth a real try.
I guess the boat in the picture on your card is from where you drew many of the hilarious happenings and your boating experiences and expertise certainly show.
My Dad always told me"there are two good days in a boat owners life - the day he buys it and the day he sells it"! How very true.
Great fun. Lovely meeting you.
Sue Rolls.


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Insurance, Financial savings & InvestmentsPosted on
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All day wedding host
Our All day Wedding Hosting & DJ Package brings sophistication and expertise to your special day and takes care of essential elements that will be necessary from the beginning of your day to the end. The sound equipment that we use is of the highest sound quality and is very discreet.
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Please see below a general timeline of your day.
We will arrive early, usually two hours prior to the commencement of your ceremony, to set up the wedding ceremony room and liaise with the wedding suppliers that are present. We will chat to the minister/registrar/celebrant/humanist to clarify what they require and to make sure that the day is set to be an amazing one. We will begin to play background music for your guests as they arrive at your wedding venue.
Due to already knowing you guys pretty well through the online planner, phone calls and a meeting nearer the time, we will play your chosen processional song for your walk down the aisle, signing of the register and the recessional song to walk back up the aisle as a newly married couple.
After the ceremony we will coordinate with and assist in the management of your guests for photographs, seating during the wedding breakfast and any other assistance that is necessary. We will then play previously chosen background music to accompany your wedding breakfast along with as little or as much interaction as you require.
It's the time that brings the sweats to the most hardy of bridal parties..the wedding breakfast and speeches. Our professional PA system is a perfect choice along with our wireless microphones for your speeches and toasts. We can make any important announcements that you wish at any part of the day.
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We then do what we do best, give you all the most magical night and the best wedding you have ever been to…YOURS!


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YES Scholarship Program in Poznan, 5/2016
Miska Miller – Lovegrove was invited to judge the 1st Edition of the 'YES Scholarship Program' addressed to young creatives from Poland. YES, one of the most dynamic jewellery companies in Poland, together with the Foundation of University of Arts in Poznan, support young talents who are able to translate their creative ideas and respond to market needs.
It was fascinating to see the variety of talent from product design, jewellery, art, sound to fashion.
The results of the competition were announced at the exhibition of semifinalists' projects during the 'Poznan Design Days', followed by a panel discussion on a role of the designer today. Congratulations to all the winners!


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Outline for Research Paper - Miami Trace High School
The academic paragraph is firmly hampered with since the industry take such informant in developing happy witch while ignoring correct sentence outline for research paper. I believe individual experience builds a character between the place and man. Hate other building movements delivered to your e-mail on essential process of scientific inquiry!
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Writing an outline for a research paper can seem like a time consuming task, and you may not understand the value of it if you have never written one before. Outlines can help you structure your research and your final paper in much more efficient ways, though, so it is a good idea that you learn how to write one. Here are a few things to keep in mind when doing so.
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Gossip was not at all what I expected. I had assumed this would be all about celebrities, scandals, and well, gossip! This novel turned out to be so much more and was really well done. This is the story of Loviah, and we first meet her at an elite boarding school where she makes friends that will be with her for her entire life. Yes, there are scandals, celebrities, and gossip, but not in the way that most novels travel. This is more about the humans behind the magazine headlines, and how the paparazzi can really destroy someone. Intelligent chick-lit at its best.
Read alike author: Kathryn Harvey


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20 Nov Ann Arbor Hotel for the Holidays
Whether it's walking in botanical gardens in the spring, kayaking in the summer, nature walks in the fall, or enjoying Christmas festivities in the winter, Ann Arbor has everything to offer. And this is mostly due to the fact that it's a college town, so you can be sure to find something to do year-round, whether you're into a buzzing night life, or sitting next to a river clearing your mind.
Here is a list of the top 7 things you can do in and around Ann Arbor this holiday season.
- Holiday Fun in Kerrytown
Ann Arbor's Kerrytown District hosts several holiday events on the weekend of December 4-6, including, from 6-10 p.m. on Friday, Christkindlmarket, an annual, free outdoor holiday market featuring hand-crafted ornaments, toys, and unique holiday gifts, as well as German foods, sweets and beverages. Live music, fire pits, a heated tent, s'more roasing and a lantern parade ($10 per lantern, or bring your own) will also be part of the event. On Saturdays (Dec 5, 12, 19), Santa visits Kerrytown from 10 a.m. to noon. And on Sunday, Dec 6, from 2-3 p.m. enjoy a free annual concert of carols, played on tubas and euphoniums by musicians of all ages, as Ann Arbor TubaChristmas returns to Kerrytown. Visit www.kerrytown.com for more information.If you're planning on having some holiday fun in Kerrytown, make sure you're staying at Ann Arbor Regent Hotel & Suites. We are located only 15 mins away from Kerrytown.
- Sink Along with Santa On December 5 at 4 p.m., the popular, annual "Sing Along with Santa" event, presented by the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, features a carol sing-along led by Santa. Featured musicians include a pianist Lori Zupan, oboist Timothy Michling, and Pioneer High School choral groups Desperate Measures, Dissonance, and Pioneers. Followed by photos with Santa ($10 suggested donation), arts & crafts, and cookies & cider. (The concert is preceded by an instrument petting zoo and additional musical activities, beginning at 3 p.m.) Saturday, Dec. 5th at 4 p.m. at Bethlehem United Church of Christ, 423 S. Fourth Ave. Tickets cost $12 available in advance at the A2SO office (220 E.Huron, suite 470) and a2so.com, or at the door, pending availability. Ann Arbor Regent Hotel & Suites is conveniently located only 10 minutes away from the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra.
- 40th annual holiday parade in Saline The 40th annual Holiday Parade in Saline is scheduled on Saturday, December 5th, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. It features floats, bands, baton twirlers, uni-cyclists, dancers, Mrs. Claus, horses, goats, dogs, Santa in his sleigh with his chief elf, a train boxcar, a hot air balloon, and more. This year's theme is "Sights & Sounds of Christmas." There is no cost for this event.The parade takes place only a 15 minute drive from the Ann Arbor Regent Hotel & Suites.
- A2SO's 4th Annual Holiday Pops Concert On Friday, December 11th at 8 p.m., the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra will perfect with the Ann Arbor Youth Chorale, the Boychoir of Ann Arbor, the men's chorus Measure for Measure, and choirs from Greenhills School and Skyline High School in a program of seasonal music. The program finale is "Let There Be Peace on Earth." Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University in Ann Arbor. Tickets cost $10-$47, available in advance at a2so.com or 734-994-4801. The Hill Auditorium is only a 12 minute drive from Ann Arbor Regent Hotel & Suites.
- Ebird & Friends Holiday Show For two nights (Friday, December 11th and Saturday, December 12th) at 8 p.m at The Ark, The Ragbirds will be joined on stage by several established and up-and-coming luminaries of the local music scene for this 8th annual program of new and old holiday music. Participants include the acclaimed nationally touring Traverse City teenage folk duo The Accidentals, Third Coast King front man Sean Ike, Detroit singer-songwriter Olivia Millerschin, singer-songwriter Jess McCumons of the Understorey, guitarist Andrew Brown and violinist & mandolinist Brandon Smith of the Appleseed Collective, singer-songwriter Jen Sygit, dobro virtuoso Mark Lavengood of Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys, bassist Brennan Andes & trumpeter Ross Huff of the Macpodz, saxophonist Rachel Mazer, and trombonist Bethanni Grecynski of Rhyta Musik. The Ark, 316 S.Main in Ann Arbor. Tickets cost $20, available at mutotix.com, theark.org, and 734-763-TKTS. The Ark is only a 15 minute drive from Ann Arbor Regent Hotel & Suites.
- Frosty on Ice On Sunday, December 13th, from 1-2:30 p.m., everyone's invited to skate with Frosty the Snowman to recorded holiday music. Free candy canes. Veterans Ice Arena, 2150 Jackson Rd, in Ann Arbor. The cost is $6, and skate rentals available for $3.The Veterans Ice Arena is only a 12 minute drive from Ann Arbor Regent Hotel & Suites.
- Michigan Theater Holiday Film Series Admission to all films in the series is free, with screenings on Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Bring your family and take in a terrific seasonal classic! Upcoming movies in the series are: "A Muppet Christmas Carol," December 6th; Jim Carrey's live-action version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" on December 13th; and "It's a Wonderful Life" on December 20.The Michigan Theater is located only 14 minutes away from Ann Arbor Regent Hotel & Suites.
Whatever the event or occasion for visiting Ann Arbor, you will most likely need a place to stay, and Ann Arbor Regent Hotel and Suites is the perfect place. We offer exceptional service and extraordinary accommodations at impressively competitive rates. All of our guest rooms include a hot breakfast, WiFi, refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker. Our amenities are a step above competitive hotels, with a heated indoor pool and hot tub, billiards room, and a patio garden with lighted gazebo. We are conveniently located with easy access to US-23, I-94, the University of Michigan, Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital, the University of Michigan Hospital, and Easter Michigan University. We also offer some great packages, which you can check out here.
If you're thinking of staying with us, give us a call at 734-973-6100.
Did you know that we also have conference rooms available, that can accommodate up to 120 people? Did you also know that we are the perfect place to have your wedding?


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Each book can be read as a stand-alone novel but might be better enjoyed when read in sequence.
Happy Reading