Friday Foto Flashback

I was reaching up to the top shelf in my closet yesterday to reunite a pillowcase with it's sheet set siblings when I spied these up there. I made them LONG before I had babies, and in fact forgot I even had them. Daniel never wore them (like I said, I forgot about them), Simon either. He got too big too fast. The Fair Isle was one of 6 I made one Christmas for all my nieces and nephews (with an extra for me and the baby I didn't have yet.)

Okay Hillary, it's your turn

And by your turn, I hope you don't interpret that to mean your turn behind the big desk.

Polls tell us that Hillary Clinton is leading the charge to the Democratic Nomination. Really? Is that REALLY the best we have?

Hillary's own personal life seems to be fairly free of scandal, well, except for that whole Whitewater thing. And Bill. Her personal public history is fairly recent, as anything more than as the Wife Of. She hasn't been presented with the opportunities to really show the color of her ethics card. I suspect it's less green than Giuliani's, but without the context, it's not a fair comparison. She's never been the Mayor of NYC. I understand that a presidential election shouldn't be a popularity contest, but let's be honest. It really, really is. And if this is the best the donkey team can offer up, oh, I fear, I fear.

Hillary's explanations for her support/non-support of too many issues hold no water with me. It's like the kid who answers every question with *an answer?* You know? Every sentence ends with a slight high note? Is this what I'm supposed to say now? Stand for something, Mrs. Clinton. Stand for it, and continue to stand for it even if it might seem convenient and beneficial to lean a little one way or the other. No one likes a weak handshake, and lately that's all you've given us. Makes me wonder what you're doing with your other hand.

Hillary is shrill, and lately petty. In her efforts to be popular, she's become a big meany. Isn't it possible to be a considerate person AND a powerful woman? I think America is in a place now, to accept a woman in the White House doing something more than overseeing Christmas tree placement and double checking seating arrangements. I'm not sure that Hillary Clinton is, however, the right woman.

Ralph Nader, you just stay out of this. :o)

I'm not a Republican, so I guess I just can't get it.

How is it that Rudy Giuliani is even being taken seriously in his run for the Republican nomination, let alone in the top (or close to it) spot?

This man has no federal government experience. None.

He is at the top of the heap among candidates in a party that claims to be the one that represents true family values, and yet he's working on his 3rd marriage. He openly cheated on wife #2 (and billed expenses for his courtship of #3 to the City of New York.)

He rallied strong for his friend Bernard Kerik to be given the head job at Homeland Security, only to see the larceny and hypocrisy he helped fund splashed all over the papers.

He supports the NRA, now, but made it clear when he was the Mayor of NYC, that getting handguns off the streets and instituting strict gun control lowered crime rates.

He has stated categorically that he supports a woman's right to choose to terminate a pregancy, and has said he will not restrict federal funding for abortions, but is reaching out for the support of pro-lifers by saying he believes the practice is wrong.

He is a hypocrite standing on the bodies of 3000 innocent people and 12 dead jihadists in his bid to win the Republican nomination and ultimately the White House. Or am I missing something?

(And just to be fair, I don't see the Hillary appeal, either)

All the cool kids are doing it

And I'm feeling lazy (and want to go to another of my favourite places. Bed.) This has been done just about everywhere, if you need instructions to do your own, ask Amy or Rian. One thing I'm not going to do that others have, is offer explanation. You can figure them out, you're all smart people, and as Cute Boyfriend has become fond of saying, "I believe in you!" I do.

1. Age on my next birthday.











2. Place I'd like to visit.










3. One of my most favourite places.









4. Favourite object










5. Favourite food












6. Favourite animal











7. Favourite colour










8. Past pet












9. Where do I live?










10. First grade teacher's last name













11. Middle name. (it's not Ann)












12. Bad habit.












13. College major












14. Favourite holiday

Hrmm

(I can't think of a better title, sorry.)

The scarfing is done, in more ways than one. The Thanksgiving leftovers are reduced to memories and a pot of soup. And the fat pink wool and the 8 mm (US size 11) needles have finished the last of the nieces' Christmas scarves. I've got 3 nephews in need of gifts, too, but I think a trip to the UVM store will take care of them nicely. What does a 15 year old boy want with a hand-knit scarf anyway, right?

Today was drizzly and cool. It was also quiet, and tidy and television-free, at least until 3:00 when the noise and mess got home. I enjoyed my lunch with NPR and Khaled Hossieni, oh it was nice. Who was it that recommended 1000 Splendid Suns, was it Fitzy? I LOVE it, and I've only just started.

Tomorrow promises more of the same weather, but a little noisier and less productive with Cute Boyfriend home. Maybe we'll bake some gingerbread. I have to wash the kitchen floor anyway. This morning I was reading with my little second grader mentor-ee, Jordan. She chose a Clifford book, I chose Jan Brett's Gingerbread Baby. Jordan claims she has never had a gingerbread man. Ever. How is it even conceivable that a kid can get to 8 years old and never had a gingerbread man? I do believe I need to fix that.

Weekend Update

It's that time again - has it really only been a week? It seems longer. Let's do this. (Oh! I sound like Dana Perino. ick)

Quilting: None, zero, zip, nada. The sewing machine never saw the light of day, not once. I did take Bevin's quilt into school with me Monday when I mentor, just for some extra ego strokes, and I wasn't disappointed. :o) I *should* get the Duckling round marked on my Nesting Robin, but I *should* floss twice daily and get 8 hours of sleep, too. Maybe this week.

Knitting: Alana's scarf is done, and gee it's um, old lady looking. Oh well. It looks really nice actually, with Tori's red wool coat. Maybe Alana has a red wool coat too. I also started, then re-started, then ripped and re-restarted (lather, rinse, repeat) a little scarf for Katherine. She'll be 4 next month, and I'm sure she could care less, but gee I hate fat wool on big needles. I tried cables, I tried a braid, I tried *everything* I could think of to make this fat wool look a little more delicate, but it didn't work and I gave up. You know, you can put a tutu on an elephant, and name her Karen Kain but it's unlikely she'll dance Swan Lake. So I gave in and let the fat yarn be fat yarn, simply knit with a wide rib. I'll add big sassy pompoms to the ends and be done with it. Fast.

And Joy: Plodding on. This is just about the end of the cross stitch - there's a spring of holly at the bottom and that's it. Much of the rest is the satin stitch, kloster work hardanger that makes this piece a little more than just a cross stitch. Those blocky hearts in the middle, and more below need the openwork done, but I'm leaving that for a calm, quiet moment, it's a bit nervy.

It's been overcast and dim (and noisy and child-filled) around here the past few days. I'll get back to this tomorrow when everyone else gets back to school.

It's not Friday, but let's flash back anyway

Yesterday's little proclamation really did need to get out there, so here's my Flashback, a day late.

In 1985 we were young, living and working in Toronto. I was pouring coffee at The Second Cup in the Toronto Eaton Centre. Scott worked (in the older white building behind this new location) upstairs from a computer store, downstairs from a practice studio that was home to some of Toronto's better known indie musicians. I believe Lisa Dal Bello worked up there, Alfie Zappacosta, and Jane Sibbery too if I remember right (no guarantees there.) But the one I remember best was my first actual Brush With Greatness/Brush With Death. I remember it like it was yesterday...

I was walking up the back stairs to Scott's office, turned on a landing and was almost run over/pushed down the stairs by this crazy blond musician who looked like he was late for his mission to SAVE THE WORLD. Probably he was, actually, but I could have been killed! But I wasn't, and it's a good thing because, gee, imagine the irony. Bruce Cockburn, no doubt checking to see if his rocket launcher had been delivered, or something.

Fast forward several years. Scott and I, and another couple are emerging from The Improv on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Bunch of comedians I'd never heard of (some guy named Tom Arnold? Not funny), Rodney Dangerfield in the audience (I can't stand Rodney Dangerfield) and some other wiseguy. Show's over, we wander out to the sidewalk and there's this brown Porsche 944 parked at the curb. Wiseguy comedian races out, jumps in his car pulls a u-turn and speeds off like he was late for his mission to TAKE OVER THE WORLD. Practically knocks me into the street. Melrose Avenue! At 11:00 at night! I could have been killed! But I wasn't. Jerry Seinfeld, folks. Tried to kill me, I swear.

My few other brushes with death have mostly involved those I *thought* loved me. And stairs. I'm bad on stairs. In fact, just yesterday the cat pushed me down the stairs. "Who me?" Yes you, evil beast, I can see that killer look in your eyes but once again I have cheated death. Ha! And I have the big ol' bruised butt to show for it. But I won't share - seriously, everyone will be happier that way. Except maybe Bruce, Jerry, and Mr. Bean over there.

It's that time again

Time to wake your angels, folks. Yesterday was Thanksgiving. One month from Sunday is Christmas. That gives us all 33 opportunities to make EVERY single day a day to give. Big, little, secret, out-loud. It doesn't matter.

I'm starting today. There will be no spending involved, since I refuse to shop for anything today, but I'll do something. Last year I kicked off the Days of Thanks and Giving by doing all my kids' chores for them. There's an idea. I'll report back later. Or maybe I won't. It's all good.

Here's an idea

Here's my plan for Black Friday. I dislike shopping every other day of the year, but do so out of necessity. On Friday, however, I will leave the bargains to the fools brave souls who choose a line in the snow to flannel sheets pulled up under their chins.

While they're paying $20 for an extra DVD player I'll be rolling over for an extra half hour of sleep. And while they're circling the lot at WallyWorld to get a $10 bike their kids can't ride for another 5 months, I'll be plugging in the kettle and warming up a cinnamon roll that probably won't live to see another 5 minutes. And as they swear at traffic and pat themselves on the back for saving ALL.THAT.MONEY I'll be pondering not getting out of my pajamas at all, and considering that maybe the one who didn't go shopping was the one who got the best bargain.

~end of sermon~

Snow Day

(Not for the kids, they're safely tucked away at school!)

We woke up this morning to a blanket of white. That was unexpected! I mean, not so much, since it is mid-November, and this is Vermont, but there was no mention of it on the weather forecast last night. Dan mentioned rain, changing to sleet. But not snow, not here anyway.

Whatevah! It's winter, and I'm declaring a Snow Day. That means track pants and a sloppy sweatshirt. Hot cereal, cocoa, soup and grilled cheese for lunch, all day movies, and no going out. I've been knitting this morning, and I think maybe I'll bake some cookies later. Maybe an apple crisp for dessert tonight - I'm in an oatmeal and cinnamon kinda mood today. :o)

(those leaves are on my raspberries. silly things never got around to autumn this year.)

Next?

I've vacated the Next 4 list, with the exception of the current #1. I really ought to include Alana's and Katherine's scarves, but they've become my "it's too dark to count threads anymore so I'm putting Joy away" project and they'll be done in time. Next Christmas brings the threat blessing of two 16 year old giftees, my sister's oldest, Phillip, and my second brother's youngest (finally!), Alana. For Phillip I have no idea yet, so I'll let that percolate a bit. For Alana, whose favourite colour according to my mom is (yeah!!!) red, I think I'll go with a traditional two colour red and white, or red and *something* Lady of the Lake.

I've been enamoured of the block since I read Alias Grace a long time ago, and now its time has come. It won't look quite so traditional, though. You'll see. :o) Hey, I could re-read Grace for my Canadian Book Challenge. Yeah! Bet I don't have it anymore though. I'll give the library a peek later in the week when the kids are all home and making me nuts.

So, huh. Look at that, I guess I've got my next four pondered out. #1 is the Nesting Robin, then scarves, then Alana, then Phillip. Well, that was easy!

And while I was at it, I added a cool little Amazon widget of all the books I've read recently. Easy peasy, too!

Weekend Update

First off, if you missed it, the pear fell. We're trying to come to terms with that, me and Fat Bottom. He's moved on to other rotten, frozen fruit, and I ran over the leaves, twigs and mushed fruit crap in the grass with the lawnmower. We're gonna be fine. Irene seems to be taking it the hardest. ;o)

I got Bevin's quilt done (except the label) last night. A quick run through the washer, a little dance in the dryer, then out onto the clothesline to finish up. Don't let that green grass and sunshine fool you. It was 21º outside when I hung that up. It's not blowing in the breeze, it's crackling in the cold! That lush looking hosta down there in the bottom right corner is just waiting for the sun to hit it so it can thaw to the consistency of cooked lettuce. Yum. :oP


Joy continues. You know that old "slow and steady wins the race" saying? As soon as Thanksgiving hits, it no longer applies. Actually, once this ribbon and berries bit is done, it's pretty much smooth sailing to the end. However, since I have to keep postage time in mind when calculating how long until Christmas, I'm starting to itch a bit about it. Nothing I can do but keep plugging, I guess. I'm stitching with my fingers crossed hoping to avoid any more ripping out. It's become obvious that my eyes may not be up to this much longer.

I plopped this up onto the kitchen counter to take a pic (there's no good surface to photo this wool, I think) and Cute Boyfriend immediately set upon it. Knitting needles make GREAT plasma swords. "Hands off, pal." "I'm not touching!" "Yet."

Tractor snowblade pivot pins also make great weapons. The old one still hasn't reappeared despite four hours of garage cleaning yesterday, and the new one isn't here yet. Snow was forecast for Thursday and Friday of last week, but we've been spared so far. There's no reason not to the chains on, but I haven't. There's nothing like a foot of wet snow and spinning, chainless tractor wheels to teach a kid some new, colourful vocabulary. heh. Maybe the flakes'll hold off until after Thanksgiving.

I love me a meme, ooh, baby!

I found this test after Googling "enneagram." On a blog I subscribe to, the author had refered to herself as a 4 on the enneagram scale. I had no earthly idea what that meant so I went looking. I'm a 9.

Main Type	Overall Self

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

My score is broken down further into the specific balance I have of all 9 behaviour type motivators. I think it's pretty darn accurate (which is a good thing, because apparently being perfect and good is mighty important to me.)

Enneagram Test Results Type 1 Perfectionism |||||||||||||||||| 78% Type 2 Helpfulness |||||||||||||||||| 74% Type 3 Image Focus |||||||||| 34% Type 4 Hypersensitivity |||| 14% Type 5 Detachment |||||||||||||| 58% Type 6 Anxiety |||||||||||| 42% Type 7 Adventurousness |||||||||| 38% Type 8 Aggressiveness |||||||||||||||||| 74% Type 9 Calmness |||||||||||||||||||| 86% Your main type is 9 Your variant is social

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

Friday Flashback

We lived in Toronto for a few years in the mid 80s, and I worked in the downtown core. One of the favourite places to go eat lunch was Nathan Phillips Square - the park in front of the alien-looking Toronto City Hall.

The square is home to lots of things, many less than pleasant, some more entertaining than others. The chip wagons and hot dog carts are always good for a quick lunch, and there is no shortage of help eating it.

Grab your fries (with gravy AND ketchup, thank you) and wander over to the grass to watch the squirrels. Toronto squirrels are multi-ethnic, but the black ones are by far the most entertaining and agile. We don't have black squirrels here, just fat grey ones, mean little red ones (chickarees) and chipmunks. Perhaps a little black squirrel could have got that pear, as Irene suggested. Fat Bottom just waited and let the wind last night do his work for him.

Oh, now THIS sounds like fun!

Amy's issued a challenge, a Project Runway Challenge. Can I resist? I dunno. I'm not sure I want to. I'm not sure I can play this week, but we'll see.

Stash dive - 15 minutes, then create something fabulous to share before next week. No cheating!

This, however, doesn't look like so much fun. This is the weather we're in for today. It's unlikely to get any warmer than it is now, and tonight all that yellow/green rainy weather will turn (maybe) into purple/grey snowy icy weather. I plan to be sleeping through most of that, thank-you-very-much, but tomorrow morning's drive should be entertaining.

I'm binding...

It's ridiculously warm out right now, so I've switched off the furnace again. (Scroogey of me, yes?) No matter, though, I've been sitting here all evening sewing down the binding on Bevin's quilt. It's coming along nicely - after about an hour and a half, I'm about 3/4 of the way down the first side. At this rate, when it SNOWS! tomorrow night, my toes will be toasty under that beautiful blankey.

Pictures tomorrow, maybe.

Oh, and Irene, the pear's STILL there. I'll snap another pic of that tomorrow too. It's about 25 feet off the ground, at the end of a pretty skinny twig that's at the end of a thorny , brittle looking branch. There must be a hundred pears on the ground, but Fat Bottom Squirrel neeeeeeeeeeeds that one. He sits on the branch and chatters at it, his tale spinning like a windmill to keep his balance in the wind. Silly squirrel.

Hey, what's that on your clothesline?

So this box has been sitting in my mudroom for a couple of days and I thought today it was high time to open 'er up and see what we've got. Heh.

I spread that puppy out on the kitchen counter and was surprised to see this. Huh. I guess I've never actually seen black batting before. I know it exists, but have never actually seen it - it's more... black than I expected. Like I said, huh.

Bevin's quilt has been beautifully stitched by Margaret, everyone's favourite low cost quilter. All she does is pantos, but boy she does 'em like nobody's business. I got the backing trimmed away, then this masterpiece spent the afternoon on the clothesline. Being in a plastic bag inside a ThighMaster box for a week has generated a bit of a funk. It smells like Mr. Furley. ;o)

Must... write... something...

I'm committed to scribble something every day, so here's the bit for today. It's all I got, sorry.

Growing up, I think half the girls I knew were named Susan. The other half was mostly Carolyns. I did not know a single Penny, A single Jackie, or Donna. I do believe, though, that half the women my age in this little town we moved to are named Jackie (after the tragic Mrs. Kennedy, I assume) and the rest is a melange of various Pennys and Donnas. Regional thing? National thing maybe? I knew several Gordons growing up, but believe I have yet to meet one here. But here, there's Bobby. We had no Bobby. We had Roberts and Bobs, but not one of them went by Bobby.

I wonder if that regional trend is disappearing with the internet and cable tv. The world (well, this end of it) is getting smaller, and smaller. I can't imagine that there are many places in the world with a bank loans officer named Perky. And I'm sure that by the next generation there will be even fewer. I'm glad I got to see it, here in TeenyTinyTown.

ps - to Irene - the pear's still up there.

Weekend Update

First, in answer to Eagle-eyed Irene, the gold Christmas ball in the tree is a pear. Our woods has wild pears all through it, and I hate them with a passion. They are ugly, messy trees. Their only, and I do mean ONLY redeeming grace is the one week in spring when they bloom. Then they throw petals everywhere, and I hate them again. They drop thorny branches and inedible, nasty fruit (that attracts yellow jackets), their leaves don't turn pretty colours, and the wood stinks when you burn it. I guess they do provide squirrel fun (more fun for the audience than the squirrel I suspect) so I put up with them until Scott gets around to cutting them down.

The pear is still there today, here's another shot.

And progress, boy howdy! There's progress.

Quilting: The third round of my nesting robin is quilted. Its a little fan of apple leaves to represent The Giving Tree. I contemplated stems and veins, but after some feedback from my other Robin friends, I think I'll go with the simplified look. It fits with what I've done before.

The next book is Make Way for Ducklings, and I think I'll see if I can come up with some stylized continuous line duck print to go around that lavender border.

Knitting: I realized this week that I'd forgotten a niece with my scarf making. Then I realized I'd forgotten TWO! So I quick like a bunny scurried down to Knits and Bolts, picked up two skeins of yummy Frog Tree fingering weight alpaca, and cast on for a Feather and Fan scarf for Alana. She's 15. I think that the two variegated scarves will go to my oldest brother's girls Julie and Hannah, and I'll whip up something else for Katherine. Does anyone remember the 60s era scarves, simply knit with a little pompom hanging off each end? Have you ever come across a pattern? I'm sure I could wing it, but I'm much better with instructions when time's an issue. And ooh, boy, time's an issue.

Joy: Joy continues. I'm back to cross stitching, so far so good with this. I've realized even with the tiara, that this is daytime work. The quilting and knitting I can do half blind, but this requires the full get up - granny glasses, a seat near a window, and fresh batteries in the headlamp. I'm just too cute for words, I tell ya!

Other: I think I might have joined a book club. There's a group of ladies that meet the first Thursday of the month at the women's health center up the street. Neighbour Nancy invited other neighbour Laura and I to join them, and mentioned the book they were reading. Well darned if I didn't find myself at Barnes and Noble this week, and look what I'm reading - Lamb, by Christopher Moore. What a funny, blasphemous, funny, funny book! I can't put it down (and yeah, I have SOOOO much free time to read.) Ah, life is short, and tv is stupid. I'd much rather be doing all of this.

Hold Out

It's cold today. The wind is blowing from the north, and the green still-on-the-trees leaves I marveled at just a week or so ago have all browned, shriveled and dropped. It won't be long now.

I was upstairs a few minutes ago, looking out the window, watching the sun play off the bare branches. It's mostly just shades of black and white out there now. I like the stark colours of winter; spring is energizing, fall is relaxing, summer's just obnoxious. Winter is honest. Bare bones, no artifice. What you see is exactly what you get, at least above the snow. I like that. Bring it on, I'm ready.


This picture is a tiny little nod to the great art shots Deb Richardson shares every day. Thanks, Deb.