249,000 of My New Best Friends...

THE hat...

I marched. Chicago. 250,000 strong. 

It was amazing. Pictures. I took some pictures but like an idiot, I didn't bring the "big camera." My phone died early. But here's what I have... 

On a packed train, a woman was giving out fleece "kat hats" - and no, I will not use that word. So my new friend Dawn and I got one. Our friend Sue had the foresight to crochet her own. I wasn't really sure I was going to wear one, but I thought, "What the heck..."

The train was packed. Men, women of all ages, and even kids and babies. 

So many signs. All kinds. Stuff I would be embarrassed for my mom to see (and frankly, she'd have WRITTEN some of those...), but others witty. Pithy, pointed. happy, sad, pointed. 

The crowds kept coming. And coming, and coming. The initial estimate of 75,000 blossomed and flowered. We took over Grant Park. We stood on every inch. Every. Inch. of the walk route. 

Four news choppers and a drone overhead. Sun. We started with a real pea-soup fog, and I thought, "Wow, this is going to stink - we won't be able to see 3 feet in front of us." 

We found a spot along the fence. We weren't sure what to expect, but the crowd was ... peaceful. Joyful. Purposeful. 

Everyone felt a sense of "we're here for a reason," even though those reasons were as varied as the people who were there. 

My friend Dawn walks with a cane. The people around us didn't crowd her, they even said, "Watch for the bump here," or "There's a curb, do you need a hand?" Everyone was kind. 

I can say that "I sang with the cast of Hamilton" because two of the cast members came out to speak, and we sang, "Let it Be." My friends looked at me and said, "Wow - you CAN sing!" 

As you click on the pictures, you'll be able to see some of the signs. People gradually started opening up their "puffy coats" - hey, it's Chicago. We NEVER expect decent weather in January. Speaking of which, pick out the climate change sign! One of my favorites. I almost didn't grab my sunglasses, but boy, was I glad I did!

The crowd was easily 30 - 40% men. Again - of all ages. Many carrying signs and proudly proclaiming their own feminist creds. 

And yes, men can be feminists. Like the t-shirt says: "Feminism is the radical notion that women are people." My boys would agree with that - and state it loudly whenever they can. 

Lots of signs for women's rights. Lots for Planned Parenthood. Lots for LGBTQ rights. As I said - this march was for each of us. Each of us was there for a different reason. And we supported each of us for ourselves and our reasons. 

What I mean is that if you were there marching for women's rights, and I'm there marching for Planned Parenthood, we chatted. We thought about ways to get both of our causes advanced. We brainstormed. We actually socialized!



Speaking of which - we apparently overloaded the grid! We all lost the cell signal for a couple of hours. That's ok. 

There were plenty of people to talk to!

A gay couple was there with their daughters. Dad #1 had a sign that said, "Women's Rights are Human Rights," and I thought, "Jeeze dude - that's awesome, considering that you just got the right to marry your husband!" A woman was handing out hot-pink hats, and one of the little girls asked for one. She was adorable. 

Some of us protested before. Some of us were old hands at this. Some were first-timers. And we all came together for the day. 

My selfie skills stink!

When the organizers announced the shift from "march" to "rally," it was cool. Nobody moaned. Nobody complained. The crowd started to disperse, but as well, people were still coming in - you can see the photos where people ringed the park. 

Oh, and we stayed off the grass. We were told to stay off the grass. So we did. 

As we drifted off, we actually "inadvertently" marched. We had to get back to our train, right? So we figured we'd take over the city as well. 

Which we did. The crowd swelled and moved, and even among all that humanity, my friend found her daughter-in-law and sister. They joined us on our way back. We all laughed and pointed out signs to each other. Pictures were taken. Those who had batteries were able to text by then, so we were able to get updates. 

We were so jazzed to see the numbers! For a while there, the Chicago march was the largest one next to Washington DC. Drat LA -- they beat us, but ours was still the best!

Even the police - super helpful and cheerful. I know there's been a lot of bad press for the Chicago PD, but they were quite pleasant. 

There were no arrests. There were no scuffles. Nationwide, according to various sources, there were only four arrests. Nationwide. There. Were. Only. Four. Arrests. 

Think about that. Four. 

A couple million people marched. There were only four arrests. 

As we marched back toward the train station, a group of kids were on the top of the subway shelter with a bullhorn. "This is what democracy looks like!" was the chant. 

This is "our" fence

A few of us oldsters started singing the Helen Reddy power anthem, "I am Woman, Hear Me Roar." I forgot some of the words, but hey - the chorus was a good one!

We headed toward the Federal Plaza. At one point, marchers branched out toward the river, to continue the rally down toward the NBC plaza. We chose to go on toward the train station. We stopped at the Chicago Board of Trade plaza for a few moments. 

By the way, you can't sit on the statues. Or lean on them. Or sit on the fountain. And there are no benches. Dawn has two torn meniscii in her one knee and she needed a rest.

Did you know that the stop-and-start walking is more tiring? It is. So she tried to sit or lean on the statues or the fountain. A very nice woman with a walkie-talkie suggested she move toward the fire hydrant. 

One should not sit on a fire hydrant. It's not comfy. But it helped her rest for a moment. We cut through the CBOT plaza and rearranged our return plans to take a different train home. To get to our original train would've meant another mile or so, and Dawn had had enough. 

But before that, as we were just passing the Federal Plaza, a man put his hands around his mouth and chanted, "Their bodies, their choice!"

The women around him responded, "Our bodies, our choice!" 

Then 3 other men joined him. We responded. 

My favorite...

Three more men joined him. We responded. 

It grew and grew till about 20 men were chanting and the women were responding. 

I get goose bumps. 

It was a great day, in spite of the fact that I was hungry and there was nothing I could eat with my braces (man, do my teeth hurt!). I know - First World problem, right? But either way, it was a great day. 

To those who say, "it was anti-trump," I say No. It wasn't. Entirely. The table was large and there were chairs enough for all. Yes, there were some anti-trump signs. There were signs about love and peace. There were signs about women's rights. There were cat signs aplenty. 


It wasn't a one-issue march. And if you reduce it to that, then I'm sorry for you because you've missed the point. 

This was a few million people coming together to join forces. Not to divide. We've had enough division. We've just proved that diverse interests can come together and share space without anyone's brain exploding. 

I came home pleasantly tired and buzzed. I mean, I couldn't sleep the night after the march. 

We made history. We were part of it. We did it. 

Now... keep the momentum going. Do something. 

I have plans. Do you?

Knitting...

So - I have to start baby knitting again... (sigh). I'm not saying I don't want to... But I was enjoying my break from baby stuff, and working on a really nice pair of socks. More pics will follow in the next entry, because I'm still working through all the March pictures. 

So I do have to finish the Shape-It, and I'm going to pick out some yarn for a new hat-sweater-booties set. The baby is due in July. 

I'm now the only sibling with no grandkids and none on the horizon. No worries. I'm fine with that. 


I have NO time to knit this!! Yikes. Better get moving!

Till next time then!

Scroll down for the rest of the pictures. 

Look at the people on the other side of the fence

 

Signs. 

 

 

 

They just kept coming... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frustration...

...on so many levels.

New Glasses...

I got new glasses. A new prescription and different frames. I love the frames. They're a radical departure from what I've had, and they're a bit larger. So there's more real estate for the Varilux lenses. Swarovski frames, believe it or not... Here's what they look like. I was trying to move away from the purple, only to see that these are called "violet." Guess I can't get too far away from my favorite color, even on purpose!

And I can't find the sweet spot. I can't see in the middle distance unless I tip my head far back. Which we know is unsustainable, right? 

So I can't see my computer screen. I can only see the laptop screen (upon which I'm typing as we speak) unless I tilt IT back farther than normal - to keep my chin level. 

I noticed something odd the Saturday I got them; I went to a workshop and wondered why things didn't feel right. Then I knitted a lot - see below - and I looked up every 40 minutes or so, and thought, "What??" Maybe I'd been knitting a long time. Maybe I just need to adjust my gaze. After a week, I came to the conclusion that I need to go back to the eye doctor. 

Anyway, I'm set to go back to the eye doctor on Monday. I tried to work around it because I thought, "maybe the Rx changed enough that I have to get used to it." I could see in the doctor's office, but even though they made me read a little card, I should have thought about looking at a computer screen. 

Hopefully, she can fix what's wrong. Note to self: Don't forget to bring your old glasses!

Knitting...

...and I was at the BIND-OFF on the Shape-It scarf. Then this happened. I swear, I don't know. I don't think I dropped a stitch. Two knitter friends said "just pull it back together with a crochet hook and anchor it with extra yarn." I'm not ripping it all the way back. But I'm unsure how that's going to look when it's blocked. 

Crap. Crap. Crap. 

I think I might have pulled something. I don't think it's dropped, because when you see the rest of it, there's no "runner." It's not like a dropped stitch fixes itself. 

My biggest worry is the blocking and the potential for popping an already weakened area. I've read enough knitting blogs to know the "disaster in waiting" which could happen if it's not blocked properly. Or if it's not fixed properly. 

And as with all good knitting - right now, it's in Time-Out till I can wrestle with a solution. I haven't even bound it off, though I suppose I should do that part, at least. Then I'd at least have a "partial" F/O to work with. 

Oh well. It gives me time to figure out how in the heck I'm going to block it out, too. The rubber tiles are going to take up some room. 

This is its replacement. Another sock! It's a Vanilla pattern, but with a nice variation: 2 sets of 3-column ribbing along each ankle, which keeps the socks from slouching. 

This is kind of an experiment for a couple of reasons. I'm using my 1.5 Cubics DPNs, and Sirdar's "Sole to Sole" which seems a little rough to me. 

The colorway is SH0052 and Lot No. 163089. This yarn is a little rough - much like Opal when you're knitting on it. But I believe it's going to soften up once it's washed and blocked. 

It's a nice self-striping colorway and I think it's going to fit this pattern quite well. The pattern is "Vanilla Socks!" from My Knitted Heart. You can find it here. As you can see, she uses a self-striping yarn as well. 

I'm doing my "patented" (ha) 4-knit roll on the top. And part of the experiment (aside from a new yarn I've never used before) is that I'm doing these at 64 stitches. 


The Sweet Georgia sock was done on 72 stitches, and it's a little too slouchy. So here's the experiment: Is this sock going to be too small? Is it going to fit well? 

I can tell you that my tension is a little...tense. I don't know why; I'm deliberately trying to loosen up. And I think that as I get farther down the leg, it may loosen up. I'm hoping for a 7" leg - maybe 7 1/2" - not sure yet. Depends on if I get bored. I need at least a 7" leg for my own comfort. 

I always panic. I get itchy thinking that I'll "run out" of yarn when I know full well that a 7" leg isn't going to do too much damage with 400+ yards of yarn! But it still freaks me out a bit... This time, I'll try to have more patience. 

Maybe you can see why the 64-stitch size kind of freaks me out: the first few rows looked awfully small! But I think it'll be ok. I've done a couple on 64 stitches, and they've fitted ok. Nothing to do now but press on. 

Essential Oils and Sole...

I'm trying to be a bit more consistent with my use of Essential Oils, and I'm also trying to incorporate a sole (pronounced so-LAY) - a salt detox.

It sounds funny, but sole uses Himalayan salt - with lots of trace minerals. Those trace minerals are often missing in our diets. But replacing them can be daunting. The sole uses water that's infused with this natural salt, and you take about 1/2 tsp. in a glass of water first thing in the morning. Helps for hydration, regulating blood sugar and balancing out the pH in the body. I tend toward the acid side. I can take the finish off a sewing needle, and I have to be careful of the metals that I'm in contact with. 

We'll see how this works. I just have to remember to do that BEFORE grabbing my morning tea. And I admit: I'm a creature of habit. I stumble toward my steaming mug of tea each morning, so I have to make a slight side trip. 

As far as the Essential Oils, I've been diffusing Eucalyptus Globulus in my room every night. It not only adds more humidity (and my nose says "thank you!"), but the properties of the Eucalyptus include improved breathing. 

And every morning, I like to add a little Tangerine to my water. When using essential oils in water, you need to use a glass container. Really good - therapeutic grade - essential oils will mess with plastic. So use glass. Reusable, can be recycled, and doesn't hold a "taste." Sometimes, with my plastic bottles, they hold the flavor of whatever I have in there; whether it's tea or water with a cucumber or lime slice, it never seems to come as clean as it could. Glass cleans up much more nicely, too. 

If you're going to use essential oils internally, please seek out a qualified aromatherapist or practitioner. Not everyone should use every oil. Some oils affect people differently, and there are oils which should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Be careful and do your research, with the help of someone who knows what they're doing. 

Just Breathe Yoga Studio...

So we've been doing a little updating at the studio. We took off the old plastic film on the windows, put up new, light-blocking curtains, and got a lovely salt lamp for the space. 


We also have a booster for the cell signal, but we have to ask the landlord for permission to put it on the roof. The reception, when it's inside the studio, isn't much better than "no booster" and we need a stronger signal. 

Oh, and we have a new screen for the front door. That screen is the "signal" that a class, a private session or a workshop is going on. We have (as you can see) no "vestibule" and no "waiting area" - you walk in, you see the entire space. 

It's been fun to see the expressions of some of the students. Much like when we repainted, they come in and look around and pause... "Did you do something different here?" Yep. We did. It's nice to have curtains you can open again, and as you can see from the transom area (above the door), the film has a bit of a haze on it. It's like a greenhouse film, so the condensation will be minimal - if any. And that means the teachers can open the curtains on a nice day and let in a bit of natural light. 

The Burning...

I thought about a Burning Ritual for the New year. I took apart the numerous "weight loss" notebooks. Grabbed a tin tray, a little bit of dirt, a candle and a book of matches. 

The dirt is a safety measure. The candle is in the center of the dirt pile. The tin contains the fire - since I don't have a fire pit or other kind of container. 

Found a spot outside, away from the wind. 

Then I sat down and thought about it. What do I want from 2017? What do I need to release? Am I nuts? 

It took me about 10 minutes to think about it. 

Then I wrote a bit. I arranged my various bits of paper in a stack and tried to get the matches lit. It's not that it was all that windy. Maybe it was that the matches were old. Maybe I've lost the skill of lighting an actual match, now that we use "flame sticks" more often!


Anyway, I'm sure my neighbors thought I was slightly nuts. It was hard to get things going, but the candle did help. Once the candle was lit, it did help the papers catch. I layered them, with twigs, to keep things going. After the lists were burned, as I watched each weight, each step, each measurement - as they folded up in the flames and turned to ash, I thought about the "release" part of it. 

I thought about those bits of paper turning into pieces of carbon, which I dumped into the garden for next year's tomatoes. I thought about what those pieces of paper represented. My ambitions at the time. My efforts. Sometimes the futility. Often, the disappointment. The valuation of my Self as a number. Reduced to the fact of my weight and the number of steps I took. Summarized by the digits on a tape measure, faithfully written down and preserved for posterity. 

Are those things me? They were. Are they me now? I'm not sure. I consciously burned the papers. But did I internally absorb the actual action of burning - of shedding - of releasing the compulsion to document my life in the framework of my weight, my exercise. My concentration on my own physicality. My own obsession with my outward self. 

Not my inner self. My inner self which can be incredibly self-critical, demeaning, judgmental -- all toward my outer self. 

Why do we do that to ourselves? Seriously, I blather on about not dyeing my hair, about not wearing make-up, about not being vain. I'm not a style maven. I'm not even inclined to regard the latest fashions as anything I'd put on my body. 

But not often because of the styles. Often, it's because I think, "Oh, I'm too fat for that." Or "I'm too old for that," though there's some validity in not being mutton dressed as lamb... 

I've thought about what that burning represented for me. I've already re-purposed one of the "Exercise Logs" as a knitting notebook. But I still cogitate - I still roll around in my head what I'm learning about myself, what I feel as I stare down the fast-approaching 60th year of my life. 

I'd recommend doing a burning ritual once at least. Try it with something you need to release. It certainly has stuck in my head and has given me a lot to think about. 

Random Picture & Political Commentary...

Raisa. When she hears the Cheetoh Troll. Just kidding... She does this quite often. 

Though I'm really not kidding about the Cheetoh Troll. That scares me. I'm not sure where our nation is headed and I'm not liking what I'm seeing so far. From the number of people who don't know that the Affordable Care Act actually IS "Obamacare" to the dismissive and dictatorial way the Cheetoh Troll handled the first-ever press conference. To the refusal to release tax returns. Twitter. The outright, blatant and accepted lies. The obvious, salivating, nearly-wetting-their-pants eagerness of Congressional Republicans to repeal the ACA and cause untold damage not only to our economy, but to the lives of the millions of people who are covered. 

The oldest, whitest, most male Cabinet in history. Or as my mother calls it, "The Cabinet of the Walking Dead." 

The specter of the disappearance of everything we as a society have fought for. That some have died for. That the young women coming after us will not have the rights and opportunities we've had. 

I'm not going to "get over it." And I'm not going to "give the benefit of doubt" to a pathological liar with obvious urges to be Dictator-in-Chief. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do yet, but I can no longer sit on the sidelines.

Or hide my head in the couch. Can you?

A Radical Act of Compassion...

...maybe.

Or maybe a Radical Act of Self-Realization. 

I was doing some puttering around and came across 4 notebooks. And it hit me with the force of a physical blow. 

These notebooks chronicle my long, long, LONG fight with my body. Otherwise known as "My Attempts to Lose (and keep off) Weight." I've done it all. Weight Watchers, Adkins, Cabbage Soup, No-Carb, Lo-Carb, Sugar Detox, Metabolism B (which worked a treat, except I ate no fruit for an entire year and got "derailed" by eating a banana...)... 

I've exercised. I've had pedometers. I now wear a Jawbone Up! fitness band. 

4 notebooks

And I diaried each thing. Each step. Each workout. Each bite of food I put in my mouth. What hit me were the days where I put little "frowny faces" on the entries. 

Look, I'm not aiming to get to where I was pre-kids. I'm not an idiot. I need to be healthier, but more and more, it feels like I'm losing that battle. 

I am looking 60 in the face soon. I have heart issues. My family has a history of awful cholesterol numbers. I had gestational diabetes with Kid #2. My younger brother is already on cholesterol meds and my sister has a slew of conditions including IBS among other things. 

My brother is the one encouraging me to try (yet again) - Whole30 this time. Which, normally, is nearly how I eat anyway. The holidays have caused me to not only "fall" off the wagon, but leap. I eat when I'm stressed. 

I sit here, staring at those notebooks. Wondering. Trying to discern the message they're obviously sending me. 

Strangely enough, I got 3 different journals for Christmas this year. What's the message there, do you think? 

I'm not whining. Realistically (since I know this vessel in which I live and I know its capabilities and restrictions), I need to lose about 20 lbs. I need to exercise more. I need to do a lot of things...and life gets in the way of the plans I have for myself. 

It could be a lot worse (which, I'm told, is self-defeating - not acknowledging the reality of MY reality). I need to do something, and what I'm thinking about is fairly radical: I'm thinking of burning the notebooks. 

Well, I don't want to waste the unused paper, so tearing out the pages relating to weight/exercise/eating. And burning those pages. Starting 2017 off with the realization that "I" am not my "body" but that I do need to take better care of that body if I want it to continue to serve me. 

It's windy today and we don't have a fire pit, chiminea, or burn barrel. So maybe tomorrow is Burning Day. Thich Nhat Hahn says: "If we face our unpleasant feelings with care, affection, and nonviolence, we can transform them into the kind of energy that is healthy and has the capacity to nourish us." 

So it's time to look up Burning Rituals and get my stuff in order. Maybe that's a way to get 2017 in order. 

Knitting...

Pumpkin Layette

Baby Knitting 2016 is DONE. It's all complete, I even bought the bag and card and wrapped it up ahead of time. And I put the gift where I know I'll find it... Don't laugh - you've probably done the same thing. And if you haven't? You will at some point. 

Goals for 2017 include finishing a few WIPs. So last night, I began working again on the Shape-It Scarf. I have about 1" to go on the "wings." The challenge here will be how to block it, because it's going to be rather large. I need floor space. I have the blocking wires (yay! gift to self!) and the foam lock-together tiles. I just have to figure out where to put it away from the dogs. 

I've posted a few of the pictures on Instagram, and it's been a learning curve to figure out what's going on with that program. I feel like a dunce, but I'll get the hang of it eventually. 

As you may recall, the Shape-it Scarf is a take-off on a Sally Melville design. The lady at the Wool & Co. store (before it changed owners) suggested the "cobweb" yarn that I'm using, which is baby alpaca lace. 

I will have a literal half-ball of this stuff left over. It's over 800 yards. So my next task will be "what to do with the rest of it??" There are a few little shawlettes on Ravelry that I think I can wing out of this. Even a teeny little ascot would be cute. 

I think I can get this done by the end of this holiday period. Then I'll start to finish the mates to the singleton socks. And then I'll work on more socks. Dig out the February Lady Sweater. Root through the closet and see what I've got stashed. 

Kid #1 brought me yarn and a pattern with cables. That's on the list. Not sure how that'll work - my experience with cables is approximately --- well. None. But how hard can it be? I'm told it's a piece of cake, so we'll see how true that is. 

Essential Oils...

Last night, I achieved, with the help of two team members, a new rank in Young Living. It looks like this is going to be the year for this business to expand. So I'm doing some "envisioning" and using the YL "Envision" blend, which is really quite lovely. 

I sell these through the studio, and I can ship anywhere. So if you'd like to learn more about essential oils and how they can enhance your life, let me know. 

And that's the extent of my "sales pitch." I can't sell ice to a person in the desert. But skeptic that I am, I'm telling you - I really do enjoy using the essential oils. I like knowing that this company uses sustainable sources. I like knowing that, with their "Seed to Seal" process, everything is 100% therapeutic grade, and not mixed with fillers or other oils. 

I used other oils before. I love blending them for sprays in my yoga classes. So I was re-mixing a spray which had Rose essential oil. I grabbed the bottles that I used last time, and opened up the Rose. Wheeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww! Unbeknownst to me, the Rose wasn't really "rose." It was only 5% rose. Five. Percent. The rest was grapeseed oil. Which turned rancid. 

It was nasty. Tossed the whole thing in the trash. Young Living's Rose oil is 100% rose. One hundred percent. 

It's that kind of quality that I appreciate, and enjoy bringing to my students. Like I said, if you're interested, check here, then send me a message. I'll be happy to help. Do your own research. I'm not going to twist anyone's arm. Quality is as quality does. 

Tippi...

I'm so pretty!

Tippi is a goofball. She "dressed" for the occasion of both New Year's Eve and today, her putative birthdate - and "gotcha" date. Last night, she sat with me while I sat up watching the Twilight Zone marathon and waiting for the inevitable fireworks/noise/hoopla that brought in the new year. Quinn headed for her crate early. 

I diffused Peace & Calming oil and rubbed a bit of Lavender on each of their heads. Not Raisa, though - she wants nothing to do with essential oils, and scorns the elkhounds' fear of the noise. She was just more or less satisfied with settling in to sleep it all away...

So Tippi also did her "Norwegian Couch-hound" impersonation... She doesn't get up on the couch a lot. She did as a younger dog, but lately, she only goes up once in a while. She prefers to lay alongside my knitting chair, since it's MUCH more convenient for her to beg a belly rub from me. 

Norwegian Couch-Hound

Last night, though, in a break from knitting and TV-watching, I got her up there and was able to at least brush half of her. She loves being brushed - no worries there - but was comfy, so I didn't flip her over. 

I ended up going to bed about 11:30 or so...I probably should've just stayed up since the usual woofing, snorting and barking ensued at midnight. But I was tired. 

Woke up today at the usual time, and for a Sunday, remarkably, decided to not go to Mass. Kid #1 and I will go to lunch, probably try to visit my mom (unless she's somewhere else...) and then come back here. I've cleaned off my "junk table" and put away many of the Christmas gifts, so it's one of those days to just check stuff off my list. I did some stuff for the yoga studio, prepared "New Years" cards (for those late-arrival Christmas greetings), and renewed a few magazine subscriptions. 

Work is done for a bit.

Random Picture...

From today's comics section in the local paper. Ready or not - we're in for an interesting 2017. 

I'm not sure what it'll bring. I'm hoping for peace and a sense of safety. I'm not sure about that. I'm not sure about much. But all I can do is go forward. My friend Joan (who gave me the three journals) gave me a mug (Hubby loved that - not)... It says, "Don't look back. You're not going in that direction."

May all of us face forward, square our shoulders and move on. We're maybe not sure where we're moving on TO, but moving forward is our greatest strength. We shouldn't forget...we should move in a positive direction.