The Book, The Knitting, The DNC & More...

 Oh my. So much going on. So I'm writing a book - well, a CHAPTER in a book. And it's done; this weekend, we finish the last revisions. Then it goes to the publisher and in October-ish, we have a book. A. Book. We're keeping the cover a closely guarded secret for right now. This is Volume 3 - and there I am - Pat Perrier...  

I'm so tickled to bring this to you, and as soon as it's available, I'll let you know. I have Volumes 1 and 2, and they're great resources to use during these chaotic times. Laura DiFranco has organized all of these for us and I can tell you that writing the chapter was a great experience. I've been writing since I was a kid. I've written stories, I've written articles. I've edited textbooks. I've written columns, both in the "traditional" newspaper and in the e-zine elephant journal (yes, no caps in the title). My dream has been to write a whole book. And I feel like a chapter is a good start. 

Maybe the whole book will come. I've looked here, and I've been on Blogger for 14 years. Fourteen. Years. So of course, Blogger just recently changed its format. 

The new format sucks. 

SUCKS.

And nobody will help or answer you. They've made it infinitely more difficult to blog. To select pictures. To manipulate the way the pictures work in the blog. 

Now, I'm perfectly willing to tell you that I am not the center of the Universe. Blogger (for that matter, Google, which owns the company) doesn't have to accommodate my process. Usually, I have a topic in mind. And I have pictures. I write the first paragraph, then dump all the pics in. Then write the rest. 

But now? I can't dump pics in; they don't play well with the text. Text doesn't wrap properly. You can load one picture. At a time. For a photo-heavy blog like this one, that's a major pain in the patoot. The "new" Blogger? FUBAR. F-U-B-A-R. 

*normally, "f'd up" but in my clean version: Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition. Anyone in the military will know this one...

I hope that they listen to the multitude of us who've used the platform for over decades - and take it back to the "legacy" version. Don't fix what wasn't broken. 

The Knitting...

It's a baby binge. No, pets -- no announcements are imminent. Though I do have a few "parents to be" - none of them are actually related to me. 

I've done a stash into the "Oddments Bag" - which is where I keep the scraps from FOs (finished objects). So, left to right, the stripey one is Encore Worsted. The center teal one is the leftovers from The Dreaded Teal Sock (bet you thought I'd burned that yarn, didn't you??) - Trekking XL. And right, the other Encore Worsted, with a lighter yellow held double there. Not sure I'm really jazzed about that, but I like the I-cord top knot. All of these are free patterns, from Rav. The two worsted weight ones are Julie Taylor's Tegan Baby Hat, which for the striped one, I just omitted the top knot. 

The teal one is Sesia Bimbo (don't even ask, I have no idea) - Plymouth Yarn's rolled brim baby hat. 

The next one is a combo from a baby blanket I knitted where the yarn was held double - but this time, I separated them and did this rectangle hat. It's from Katinka Knits, on Ravelry, and called "Easiest Baby Hat." Truth. 

The pompoms were my idea. I finally found a pom-pom maker that works. So I'm addicted to them. But not to worry - they won't show up on anything but hats! 

And the final baby hat is a pretty obnoxious green. But that's ok. I'm sure the recipient will adore it. It's the Emergency One Day Hat, which in my case takes more than one day. This is the pattern I used for the 4 Christmas hats I knitted last year. Also free on Ravelry. 

Lest you think I'm a cheapskate, I do actually BUY patterns. I've got a few Wooly Hooligan tee shirts and a few others. They're in the line for production soon. Like Long Sands, which is set aside for a minute till I finish this hat. 

I'm enjoying whacking out these hats. A few will go to definite babies. I still have to work on that one Feather & Fan car seat blanket. And Kid #2's afghan has GOT to get finished this year. In 2020, with all the crap floating around, the Kid is GETTING that afghan this year. 

I Do More Than Knit...

Which you all knew. But here is a shot of just a few of my needlework projects. And a new mask for tomorrow's yoga training. I'm futzing with the elastic and it needs work. But it'll do for the weekend training. 

So, upper left, upper right and lower left are counted cross stitch. Lower right is crewel embroidery. 

This kind of needlework had been my main crafting for decades. Of course, BB (before bifocals)...when I could bring these small projects to work and stitch during my lunch breaks. Now, not only do I have a few that are on big stretcher bars, but I don't see well enough anymore. Not like it's fatal - just being in my 60s has changed what I can easily see in "office lighting." So I keep those home, and pull 'em out every so often and put in a few stitches. 

I couldn't resist this fabric. I went into JoAnn Fabrics SPECIFICALLY to buy pizza-themed fabric for Kid #2. More masks needed for when they go back to the classroom. Right now, that district is remote for the first quarter. But eventually, there will be a wardrobe of masks. 

I'm doing that for myself, too. Because it looks like we'll be doing this for a while. Our rate in our county is 7.9% and 8% is the threshold for going back a phase or two. Time will tell. But I'm not happy about the prospect of closing my yoga studio again. 

Ahem. Back to masks. So I saw this flamingo fabric and got a half a yard. I already had the plain muslin for the back and I did a "ring" of elastic. I need to tighten that up a bit. It has to sit kind of high on my head. But that's ok. I also bought seam binding, which I can stitch up and use as ties if I need to do that. 

They're not exactly heirlooms. And I'm still making the 3-pleat ones for a fundraiser. I believe the fabric is multiplying in the dark because the pile doesn't get shorter. But then, I need to stop shopping... 

Perception is Everything...

I love chocolate covered graham crackers. If I have a "vice," this is it. So I bought some and I didn't pay attention to the package. Normally, I don't buy Keebler - the store brand is usually good, but they didn't have any of those. 

Look. A scandal. Normally, they're about 2.5" square. 

These are not. They are tiny. They aren't "grahams" -- they're "snippets." You can see my index finger as an example of scale. What kind of trickery is this? What bamboozle is being played on unsuspecting fans of chocolate covered graham crackers?

Reminds me of sugar. Used to be, you'd buy sugar in 5-pound bags, but about 5 or 6 years ago (could be more, I'm not sure), they squidged the bags down to 4 lbs. Same price, of course... just less sugar. 

Just didn't make my day. In spite of the fact that they were, actually, pretty good. I really love the dark chocolate ones I can find at Starbucks, but I don't love the price. So, these were a good choice, because they "fixed" my craving. But still. The size. 

Size matters.

The DNC...

For the first time in a long, long time, I actually watched most of the Democratic National Convention. Full disclosure: Biden/Harris wasn't my dream team. Warren/Harris was. Or Warren/Duckworth... 

But. It is a ticket I can live with. Like you read on social media: This isn't a marriage. It's a way to get us from Point A (#MangoMussolini) to Point B (actual reality, rule of law, and progress). 

It's COVID time, so of course it wasn't IRL (in real life). So while that took away some of the energy, it substituted something better: You could actually concentrate on the platform. On the speeches. You could hear everything. 

Some highlights, in my opinion: Tammy Duckworth's speech. Just listen. And of course, Michelle Obama's speech. And Barack Obama's dire warning. It's not "over-done." It's right on target. And if you're not scared, you're not paying attention. Listen here.

Then there was the music. John Legend and Common. The Chicks. The kids singing the anthem. Jennifer Hudson. 

Joe Biden did the best job on his speech. Ever. I've heard him speak for years. But this? He nailed it. 

Kamala Harris did a good job doing what she did: introducing herself to us as a human being. A friend said, "I was afraid they'd label her An Angry Black Woman if she went after anyone." Yeah, she could have. But Barack did it for her. So she could show us that she wasn't just a prosecutor. 

And besides... She made Brett Kavanaugh cry. That's perfect. She doesn't have to prove herself as "the attacker." She's proven that with Barr and Kavanaugh. I'm good with it, and I'm anxious to watch the show over the next 70-some days. 

Please check your registration. Vote. Our democracy depends on it. Go here to do that. Takes less than a minute. Do it now; I'll wait...  

Random Picture...

So in the spirit of a new day.... This is a picture out the back door of the studio from 2017, of a beautiful rainbow. 

During the Obama years it was about Hope and Change. 

Then, it was about .... I'm not sure, but hate and discontent happened and then the rich got richer. Then xenophobia. 

Then a pandemic. And chaos. 

We need a rainbow. We, as a culture, are a rainbow - a blend of people, ideas, cultures. We need to begin to celebrate that again. We've lost it and in the process lost what was good and kind about our country. 

Let's work to get that back. 

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Two levels: Senior ($85/month till September 15 - after that, $95/mo) and Premium (access to over 150 hours of classes) for $125/month. 

No Outrage?

I know we have lots and lots of big issues to worry about. The Nectarine Nitwit is loose in Poland. Poland is going more and more conservative - which is scary in itself. Paul Ryan has decreed that women "must wear sleeves" because apparently OUR "right to bare arms" is scandalous. 

But where's the Twitterverse outrage? Where are the "shocked" reporters because Melania met the president of Poland and his wife in a (hang on, folks, it's a doozy) SLEEVELESS dress? 

Michelle Obama's (flawless and) bare arms generated comments flying right past misogyny to racist, vile and cruel (ape, anyone?). 

Yet Melania wears a sleeveless dress and everyone is all, "Ohhhhhhhh, Neiman Marcus!"

Oh, and Neiman Marcus... Jeeze. I remember walking through there. Nothing I could afford. I mean, I get it. Jackie O wore Halston (the pillbox hats) and her wedding dress was designed by an African American designer who was told, on the day of the wedding, to go to the service door because she was black... Though Jackie had a serious Givenchy addiction, and JFK wanted her to wear American designers. 

Which Michelle did. And Jackie, too. Not sure about Melania, and frankly, haven't been paying attention. And honestly, I don't particularly like this dress. Maybe without the red thing at her hip? I don't get the purple suede shoes, either. 

I'm just kind of stunned because there's been no huge outcry about the clothing Melania's wearing. 

Maybe they're all just happy she's wearing clothing... 

Jackie Kennedy's Wedding Dress

I'm not "slut-shaming." She made some pretty risque choices, and you know what? It's all fair game. She knew what she was marrying and what she was being bought for. 

I'm news-fatigued. There's so much bad crap going on. There seems like there's not enough rope, and Nectarine can just keep on keepin' on and cozying up to Vlad and we do.... Nothing. 

I guess the good news is, Illinois has a budget. We have a long, long way to go. There's a lot that needs to be done to make this state a decent state to live in again. I read Tammy Duckworth's post on this and I can cheerfully tell you that I would have no patience with politics. I realize she must have the hide of an elephant because some of the comments are absolutely nasty. 

How can you accuse a US Veteran of not supporting the country? She gave her legs for it. If you're going to say that John McCain supports this country, you have to give Tammy Duckworth her due. If you don't, then you must be a conservative, because they've got one crazy warped lens with which they view the world... 

Saturday Plans...

So Kid #2 and I are not making the annual vacation trip. If we had, I doubt we'd have gone back to Oxford. We might've tried to hunt up Emily Dickinson. Be that as it may, we didn't plan a trip this year. He was going to go to visit Kid #1 or go to Alaska to visit another friend, but since he's decided to move, he's not doing much travel. 

The Dove bite I had this morning is amazingly prophetic... 

We're going to visit Centuries & Sleuths, a phenomenal bookstore...I've been wanting to take him there anyway, and since I'm not teaching tomorrow morning, off we go. It's an independently-owned bookstore I've talked about before. 

They have a number of writing groups who meet there, and many author meet-and-greets. I actually met Sara Paretsky and had a conversation with her! 

You don't get that at Barnes & Noble. At least not in the ones around my town! 

So we'll probably find somewhere to have lunch (where I can chew something?) and see what we can see in the shop. I do need to get the first Grantchester mystery. I have to say, James Runcie can ignore a contraction like William Faulkner can ignore basic punctuation. 

I'll also say that while I like the "Grantchester" series on PBS, I like the more gentle tone of the novels. James Norton is drop-dead handsome, but I like the way Runcie is treating the story line far better. I won't do anything to spoil anyone's enjoyment, but I will tell you to pick up the novels. 

Knitting...


Continues. The sock is coming along. I was kind of "ho-hum" about the color changes, but it's given me a jolt with the blue stripes. Rather reminds me of one of the Chicago Cubs uniform choices. Minus the red accents. Maybe I should've picked up some red yarn and knitted that in every inch or so? 

Anyway, this is coming along ok. I hope to alternate it between the other Sole to Sole sock (to finish that pair) and the sweater. It's going along quite quickly because it's just plain. 

I think I'm liking the 16-row rib. I've never done that. I have actually (I'll confess) skimped on the ribbing because it's so stinking dead-boring, even while it's necessary. I mean, you've gotta hold up the sock, right? 

I've caught up on my 2 main knitting blogs, and I should revisit some of the others, just to see if I'm still interested. The Panopticon, though? I think Franklin has dropped that entirely now that he's busy teaching and writing regularly for Lion Brand Yarns. It's a shame. I loved his blog. 

Star Trek Original...

Just a quickie: What the heck - from this distance in time, what in the world were they thinking with those women's uniforms? I get that they were "advanced" for their time, but crikey. 

Cheeseball story lines, and Kirk always wins, but I'm looking at a woman wearing a "wrap top" that's barely staying on... Just heard one of the male leads say to the female lead, "As a scientist yourself..." -- all the while, the "scientist" is dressed in a butt-skimming blue number with a scoop neck and scoop back. 

It should be about more than the clothes (see the beginning of this blog). But still - women are always judged on their appearance. And it's not usually kindly. 

Random Picture...

Dinner tonight. Pulled pork and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Don't judge. I do the pulled pork myself. And I felt like Kraft Mac & Cheese. It's all "mushy" and the rubber bands are bothering me today for some reason. I double-checked and they're on the correct teeth. 

But all day today, it felt like my teeth weren't "quite right." I'm pretty sure it's because they're actually moving, but it's very disconcerting to feel that during the day, when you're speaking or even when you're not. 

I've also begun (again) "chomping." Today, I woke up with a bit of an achy jaw. So, moving teeth, chomping jaw... Yeah, that's a recipe for an interesting Friday. 

Back to the sock. I'm feeling like at least that's on a roll! 

It's All Coming Along...

...well, more or less. Honestly, I still have very little time, and life is still chaotic. 

But so it goes. (Thanks, Kurt Vonnegut. I needed that line.)

Today, you could truly tell where we were in the lunar cycle. I spent most of the day defusing blow-ups. Apparently, my "counselor" mode was in demand a lot. Let's just say you can tell that Monday is the Full Moon. 

Knitting...

Because of the crummy nature of my week, I haven't picked up the needles much. But the Pumpkin Baby Sweater is coming along. As you can see, the sleeves are under construction and it's progressing nicely. I can knit this and read, so I've caught up with my "Jean's Knitting" blog, and I have yet to figure out where I left off with the Yarn Harlot. That will come. I miss being able to keep up with my favorite bloggers, so I have to get back to that. 

I'm headed out to the "new" Wool & Company with my friend Roberta tomorrow, after I teach my last outdoor yoga class of the year. I may find some different buttons. I have planned some brown giraffe buttons. But my friend who's getting this LOVES elephants. So if I find elephants, that's what I'm getting. Or maybe pumpkins? Who knows? I might also drag some of the wool + acrylic yarn out of stash and do another sweater, if I get the gumption, and stripe the next one. From the twins, I have a brighter "traffic cone" orange plus a yellow. That combo could be cute with either a number of stripes, or one wide one across the shoulder area. Babies are boxy anyway, so doing that, with a 6- or 7-row stripe, could be adorable. 

So I've linked the Wool and Company website above, and while the site says "under construction," I will comment: This is NIGHT and DAY different from the old shop. Not that I didn't love the original, but the new owner has breathed a new spark of life into the place,which it sorely needed. I can't wait to get there! And Roberta's always good for a road trip! There's a pub next door with the best food, too. And frankly: I need the diversion. (Shhhhhhhhhh - I don't really need any yarn, but you never know...)

In fact, I should be knitting, but I wanted to get all of this down on the blog before the weekend got away from me, as the weekends are wont to do lately. 

Hillary...

Hillary is being blamed by some folks for her HUSBAND'S ways. And let's be clear: Bill isn't the one running for president this time. 

That attitude of blaming Hillary for Bill's transgressions is wrong on about a zillion levels. And like I said, I'm no Hillary fan, but I've been thinking about this for a while now. Even before The Drumpf opened his yap. 

My question is this: Why did she stay? 

Seriously. Sit there and think about this for a moment. Why did she stay? It's not 1818. She's an extremely qualified woman. She's certainly well-educated. She's got skills. She's got money. What kept her? 

Did she blame herself for some reason? Did she think she "wasn't enough" because Bill couldn't keep himself out of the way of other women? 

Or...and this totally just occurred to me... Bill is enormously charismatic. People (I'm told) love him. Even a friend of mine who's a tried-and-true cynic said that, having met Bill in person, he does "take up the room" and she also said, "I was about 10 months pregnant and he looked at me and spoke to me as if I was the only person in that room at that moment, and gave me the impression that what I had to say mattered to him." 

THAT, folks? THAT is charisma. And I'm not thinking Hillary has a ton of that. At least that's not how she comes across. 

From the last debate, with the Orange Menace stalking her, I can certainly say that she's enormously focused, and she stayed on her message. Well, heck - she just gave him the rope to hang himself. It was almost too easy. 

But my question still remains. Why does a woman stay, especially given her "Tammy Wynette" comments in Bill's first election campaign. Especially given that she could indeed write her own ticket. 

Why? 

It's a good question. 

Michelle...

And then there's Michelle Obama. I thought: This woman has TWO Ivy-League degrees. She's raising her family -- her GIRLS -- in a fishbowl. 

And for eight years -- EIGHT. YEARS. She has been called everything from a "monkey" to a "man." 

Say what you will. That speech was powerful. She meant it. And I'm sure the comments from The Drumpf hurt. Because even while you're telling people, "Hey, I don't pay attention to that stuff," you're still a human. And on some level, that kind of hate and vituperation has got to sting. Even if you're not actively reading it or hearing it - you know it's out there. 

Would you be able to stomach that level of intense acrimony, day in and day out? Would you be able to function in a room full of people knowing that there are other people who'd love to see you fall? Would cackle in glee if you made a misstep or "had a funny look" on your face? Where your every choice is categorized, surgically dissected, scrutinized and criticized?

I know I wouldn't. 

The Election...

It doesn't matter, in my opinion, what your party affiliation. You have got to understand that we have descended to a new low. We aren't listening to a "truth-teller" in The Drumpf. We're listening to a charlatan. 

And it's time to wake up and smell the coffee. This election is important on more than just a national level. It's even more important than the "down ticket" mentality of "vote for the people in the local elections even if you can't tolerate either of the presidential candidates" we hear from so many people. Yes, those down-ballot elections are vital, but we have more to think about.

It's important to us as human beings. It's important to women. It's important to our kids and our grandkids. 

We need to not screw this one up, people. 

But we can't be a single-issue voter. We can't just listen to those folks who parrot our own "beliefs" and we must - we MUST - not mistake our "beliefs" as "facts." Because facts and beliefs are two entirely different things. 

I believe the Earth is round. Science (a/k/a FACT) proves me right. There's photographic evidence from many sources to prove that we do, indeed, live on a blue marble in the middle of the known universe. 

I believe that I make the best potica in the world. There are no FACTS to back this up. And there are at least a couple thousand others in the world who believe that their potica (even with the abominations of raisins and chocolate) are "the best." But they as well have no FACTS to back them up. Their families - like mine - will cheerfully shout from hill and dale that they're the best, but that doesn't make ANY of us right. 

While those are two wildly odd examples, they are good ones. We as voters have a tremendously important right to exercise this November. 

And it's up to us to educate ourselves thoroughly on the issues AND the candidates. And get this one done correctly. 

Our world depends on it. 

Baseball...

Let's go Cubs!! I'm so excited! I haven't watched any games. This is a family legacy. Just like my Cub fandom - legacy says that if I watch a game, they'll lose. My granny said so. 

It's this way. I have been a Cub fan for my entire life. I have a Ron Santo jersey that I wore to church last week. I was a reader, so everyone saw me coming and going...and even the priest said, "Preach it, Sister!" One of our fellow choir members complimented me on "the Holy Raiment of Our People." 

The only next best thing would be a bona fide Cubs jacket. I've wanted one for ages...

Anyway, back to why I'm a Cub fan. Because of WJOL and my great-grandma. My great-grandma (the keeper of the aforementioned PERFECT potica recipe, by the way...) came to this country as a young woman and had to learn English. She studied for her citizenship test, but also, in order to learn more, she listened to the Cub games on the radio. WJOL was our local station (still is, but I don't listen to it a lot). So I grew up, helping her in the kitchen, learning Croatian songs, learning how to crochet, and how to cook, and listening to the Cub games. 

(OK, so I just noticed the typos in the graphic... Yikes...)

And two of my favorite players were Ron Santo and Greg Maddux. I think that Joe Maddon has hit on the formula; I think Theo Epstein has Maddon in the right place. And I think the team has the right attitude. Dusty Baker wasn't our guy. Not that he's not a good manager. But this combo of owners + manager + talent... along with a stellar work ethic and team that just meshes? It's a keeper. 

I'll be following along in the paper. And when they (I initially typed "if") get to the final game of the World Series, I may risk Granny's Heavenly wrath and watch it. On pins and needles, though...just in case. 

Random Picture...

So yeah. The week sucked. 

And this is what I came home to. Hubby, making Honey Garlic Salmon with boiled parsley-potatoes. 

This and my dogs greeting me with wild enthusiasm made for a lovely end to a stinking day. 

Hopefully, the weekend is calm. Hopefully, you all will also have a great weekend!