Well, THIS is Awesome...

...not... 

Lucky me, I seem to have started on the next phase of "the change." Night sweats. Yeah. Fun. Last night, I don't think I actually slept till about 1 a.m. or so. And I woke up soaking wet. 

Now I know what mom was talking about. I need to work on some techniques to quell the hot flashes, since they've been getting pretty horrid. So, I'm a year out from the beginning of menopause. I've had hot flashes off and on, but now they're coming daily - I sat and counted one morning, and in the space of 2 hours, I had something like 8 "flashes." They don't last long, you know. But it feels like they last forever! 

The definition of "menopause" means 12 consecutive months without a period. I've done that time, and it's been another year. So...24 months down. What the heck?

Perhaps meditation and some breathing techniques? Definitely not going the HRT route. No interest in that. But I thought I was sailing along kind of nicely. 

Then this. Urgh. 

Oh, the Danskos... Nobody showed up for my a.m. garden yoga class. I wasn't sure, honestly, if anyone would. 

See, it rained like crazy yesterday afternoon and through the night. The area where we practice is kind of low, and sometimes, it can be a little "swampy." I didn't cancel the class because the rain today was going to happen (and did) in the afternoon. So I did dither. I was thinking about how wet it might be. I was wondering if anyone would think to come out. Would they think, "Oh, it's October, so we're done" even though I hadn't put anything out on the website or social media? Would we have new folks since we did the demonstration last week at the Fall Fest? Maybe new folks would come out to see for themselves... Or maybe they wouldn't and it would be too cold, or too wet, or the area we're in would be mushy and muddy... 

But I figured I needed to be there. I'm 5 minutes away anyhow. It was a gorgeous morning, albeit a bit cloudy. You could tell that rain was moving in, but it was a bit breezy and it wasn't humid at all. 

As I was waiting, I wandered in the space and took some pics. The fall colors obviously haven't peaked yet, and I'm not sure how or if they will. Fall is tricksy, you know...(Hobbit reference) Sometimes, when you least expect it, there's an extravaganza of color. 

And other times? Not. 

Anyway, as I was wandering, I thought, "Heck, I'm wearing fall colors! 

The Fields is going to be open through Thanksgiving, but they're beginning their "closing up shop" maintenance in terms of dismantling the larger fountains and cleaning them up, shutting off the smaller ones, trimming up the more "tropical" plants, like some of the large potted ferns...that kind of thing. Mums are all over the place, and the breeze was whipping the water in the fountains that were still running (click on this picture, and you should see it). The large grasses are turning gold and the sedum is getting red. 

You can see that Autumn is progressing and while many people think of this season as one of "dying," I actually think of it as a beginning. 

Think about it. In the spring and summer, the trees are green. But in the fall, they're brilliantly colored. This seems to me to be the true nature of the tree: to be colorful. To give us something to look at while the time changes, and the days get shorter. To give us beauty before the long winter season. 

So that's my take on Fall. With the brightly colored Danskos as comic relief. 


Knitting...

So the other sock of the self-patterning Plain Vanilla ones is in the works. I closed the gusset and I'm about 5.5" on the foot. I have to get to 7" to start the toe decreases, so I think in a week or so, I'll have a pair. I've got to grab the next bag out of the "Twelve Months of Socks" that I started what? THREE years ago? I think this will be the 3rd or 4th pair of that 12-pair journey. 

I'm not sure what I'll pick out next. Hubby did the bags. So I'll see what happens, and go from there in regard to pattern. 

I'm still working on the shawl; haven't touched the February Lady Sweater recently. I really should get back to that soon, since I wanted to wear it. 

I was wondering about starting some wash cloths for my yoga teachers - not sure if there's enough time for them to be done for Christmas. I'm a little stumped as to what to do for them for Christmas. I would normally just bake, but too many of them are gluten or sugar-free (which isn't a bad thing; just puts a crimp in a baker's style for the holiday!). 

I do have a problem though. It's the SSK. I'm really having a time with it. For the past few pairs of socks, the SSK decrease has left me with "loops" along the one side. The K2tog side is nice and crisp. But the other side has these little things that look loose to me. (You may have to click on the picture. I can see it, but to me it's glaringly obvious!)

I tried to slip the first stitch knit-wise, second stitch purlwise. Then I tried slipping both of them knitwise. I can't seem to figure out how to do it, and honestly, when I've checked YouTube, I get seven zillion opinions. 

Sock knitting is like that. Want to start a war? Walk into a room of sock knitters and say something like, "Magic Loop is stupid." Or "why do you even bother with toe up construction?" You'll be skewered. 

As a matter of fact, on a FB page, someone complained that they were "not treated nicely" by someone who commented on a post. Well, knitters have opinions, and sharp sticks! Seriously, if you're going to ask an opinion on social media, you really do have to have a little bit of a thick skin. You can't hear "tone" - any more than you can hear my tone, though if you've read this blog long enough, you can kind of hear my voice. 

So, if someone gives you an opinion, you may take it as "snotty" or "condescending" because you can't see or hear the person. But I'd still be careful with those of us who play with sticks and string! 

Anyway - anyone that has an opinion on my SSK problem, I'd be glad to try it on the next pair of socks. 

And I'll let you know about the decision on the dishcloths. 


Young Living...

So today I had another essential oils class. I had a lot of fun with the group that showed up. And you know - if you can't get to me, I can come to you! I put on this big thing at the studio because I have room. But I can help with your discovery of the best essential oils on the planet - in the comfort of your own living room! 

I've been working on building the business here, and I think it's a good company to align with. The Seed-to-Seal policy the company abides by is what differentiates it from the other oil companies. And I like having access to science - that's important to me. 

When I was looking to get into oils, I did do the "grocery store" oils. But after doing the research, I've begun to see the difference. Oil that's 100% oil - that's so much more healthy than oil that's part carrier oil. 

I've "ditched and switched" for the most part. I don't use candles in the house (unless the power is out - we keep a box of tapers around just in case, and we have several flashlights). I don't use those scent thingies you put in your outlets. I went through my personal care products and whittled everything out that had stuff in it that was potentially irritating my skin. 

I mean, I'm no purist. I kept the perfume that Hubby gave me. And there's a facial wash I'm partial to that doesn't irritate my skin. That being said, I was having some issues as I went through menopause where my system was apparently changing. I find that I'm more sensitive. 

Either that, or as we get older, we do become a bit "overrun" with toxins. So making this change has been something positive. I want people to understand that this isn't "the latest fad." These oils have been around since ancient times. The pendulum seems to be swinging back. Not that I'm giving up on medicine. 

I'm not crazy. 

I'm trying to attune myself to what my body needs and trying to cut the toxic load on my body. And I can help you do the same. We don't even have to be in the same city or state. Let me know. 

Random Picture...

I was nominated for the "7 day black & white challenge" on Facebook - which I'm sure you've seen. It's a nice change from some of the garbage, right? 

What I did was pull 7 different pictures. It's your life in black & white, so I thought I'd dig around and see what I thought would work. 

I really want to talk about the latest tweets from the twit, but I also want to get some sleep tonight, so this picture came to my mind as something that's beautiful and worth talking about. At least before World War 3 gets started...

This is the pediment from the Customs House building in Charleston, South Carolina. Kid #2 was big into Nathaniel Hawthorne the year my mom and I took that trip, and if you recall your "Scarlet Letter," you remember that in the beginning of the book, there's this whole thing about the Customs House. 

Well, the one in Charleston was quite grand. And I had to grab this shot. I used the "real" camera, and this is the B&W version. That being said, it was a grey-ish day that day, and the pediment was white, as was the pillar, as was the fascia on the overhang... So the "color" version of this one is quite similar. 

Actually, the B&W one brings out more detail. And as usual, click on the picture to get more of a peek at it. I can't for the life of me figure out what those wires are that encircle the acanthus leaves. Any ideas? 

True Confessions...

...I have never seen a World Series. 

The snarky among you might mention that I am, after all, a Cub fan...

But I'm going to watch tonight; we'll see if the "family curse" holds, because my granny used to not watch. Yep. NOT watch. Because she said when she DID watch, they lost. 

I'm hoping the curse isn't really a curse. 

So the first thing that strikes me is the number of people IN THE STANDS who choose to watch the game through their stinkin' cell phones.

People. You are AT THE WORLD SERIES. Put down the phone... 

Most of the time we watch sports on TV we either watch for the commercials (Super Bowl) or to see who's singing the National Anthem and how badly they botch it. Baseball - tonight's game, for example - doesn't start with the anthem. They just started right in.

Well, I don't know if my heart can stand this game!

Knitting...

The sweater continues apace. I'm almost to the point of putting the left side onto the scrap yarn so I can continue with the right front and the rest of the right sleeve. It's progress. It's buttonholes, so on we go. 

Theoretically, I should be practicing my guitar. Christmas is coming... But I'm cranking away at the blog and then working on the sweater. I can't decide my next project. Oh, I know I'm going to shoot for a hat, at least. Maybe socks, if I can find a toddler sock pattern. 

But I need a project for me. I mean, aside from finishing the Shape-It scarf. I have to Stash Dive, though. Yes, I have yarn that I've purchased, but I really need to get into the stash and start some of those projects that have been sitting there for a while. 

We shall see. 

Socks, definitely, but I want something to wear other than on my feet. Or on my neck. Kinda tired of scarves, too (sorry, Shape-It - I consider you lace, not a "scarf" that'll keep me warm with a jacket).

Reading...

I've started "The Citadel." It's an oldie but a goodie. Yes, I have 2 books going, but that's not odd for me. It's a smaller book, so I can drag it to work and read on my (ha) lunch breaks. 

I try to take a "computer break" during the day; I work on computers all day and I get tired of looking at the screen. I usually try to read a "real" book, though I have used my Kindle. I get a lot of my books from the second-hand store, and that makes it easier for me to stay within my "book budget."

Smoothie...

So I made a smoothie with garden kale. Surprisingly, I was unable to find Haas avocados, so I bought something called a Florida avocado. And it stunk... I mean it wasn't ripe, and it felt like it was frozen solid sometime during transit. I had to skip the avocado in my smoothie. I was a bit concerned because it was very kale-heavy, so I added 2 bananas, a pear, a cucumber and an apple. 

As you can see by the picture, the Florida avocado has a smoother skin and it's HUGE. The gal at the Jewel said it was "just like" the Haas avocado, but from what I've read, the calories and the fat content are not alike. Aside from the size (which is the issue with the calories), I'm not all that sure I'd use it again. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to use it at all... It wasn't ripe, and I had to have Hubby help cut the blasted thing. And of course, if they're not ripe, they're not going to get any better when they're cut. I tasted it, and it was like eating a green banana. Urgh. 

I don't know - maybe it would've been better if the thing was actually ripe. Or maybe I should have just sprung for the Haas avocados, but due to a shortage, they were really pricey. 

So in order to "save the smoothie," I ended up adding honey. I rarely add sweeteners because I don't think you need them. But this one needed honey. 

And more. So I rooted in the freezer and found a small bag of blueberries. That did it. It looks a little "dark" but it tastes pretty good. It's a little more liquid without the creaminess of the avocado, but it's something I'd do again...if I can remember what it was I actually did!

The garden is still belching kale, and the carrots have to be pulled up yet. We may yet have an experiment with kale soup. Or kale pesto - that sounds good. While I like my sauteed kale, I'm a little bored with it. I have to think of something else to do with kale that's savory. I have to think about it a bit. 

Random Picture...

From last fall, at the park. It was a lovely afternoon, and we took the girls for a long walk. The colors were at their peak and the light was perfect. So far this year? I'm not sure how the colors will go. It was an odd summer, and it was on the wet side too. Our backyard tree hasn't decided if it's going to turn color yet, and the front yard tree is still pretty bright green. Mr. K's birch tree is a waterfall of green and gold; but so far, nothing else is moving. 

All I can do is wait and see what happens in the next few weeks. I'm afraid it's going to be a "blink and miss it" kind of fall. 

Things To Do, Things To Do...

So the 2014 District 6 Fall Conference is actually upon us. Three of us from our local Zonta Club are leaving tomorrow morning and heading to Indiana for a weekend of all things Zonta. 

Things to do....

Last minute notes to self

I have the list of items to pack. Go ahead and laugh, but I bet that I'm the one who does NOT forget things to pack. Oh, and I just noticed the "casual elegant" notice for the Saturday banquet. Crud... Dressy clothes; I forgot about that. So I'm adding that to the list. It'll be the outfit I wore for The Nephew's wedding, I think. It's easier than a dress. 

I have two different routes - I despise Rt. 80 with a passion I only hold more strongly for absolute idiots. And I happen to think that the majority of motorists who drive Rt. 80 are, for the most part, idiots. There are too many accidents; too many trucks; too many people trying to jockey for the same small patch of asphalt. 

So we're taking the scenic route. My riders already know this, and they're ok with it. 

I have my schedule, credentials, and reservations. 

Credentials & Schedule

I have to do laundry. 

Pack knitting.

Gas up the truck. 

And that morning? I have a 7:30 a.m. board meeting. So I have to then pick up Rider #1 and meet Rider #2 at my house and we'll take off from my house. It's around 4 hours to get to where we're going and I'm adding more time to take into account both traffic and the inevitable construction, since both IL and IN are undoubtedly packing in the construction projects before the end of the Federal fiscal year and before the weather turns to total crap. 

So we'll be coming back on Sunday afternoon, so we'll be looking for a route where we can avoid the Sunday Crazies, too. Fun. 

Health Stuff...

Well. It seems that two of my docs don't necessarily agree with the hematologist. The PCP says my iron levels were normal in 2000 and then started tanking. The cardiologist, who HAS the anemia the hematologist is claiming I have, says "no" as well because he said I'd have had different symptoms which a "decent pediatrician" would have picked up on. So both are going to call the hematologist and discuss. 

Also, the cardiologist asked me to stay on the meds for another 3 months. That's kind of a downer. I was really expecting to get off them. He just said he'd rather I stay on them for now. 

Maximus

The highlight of this visit was Maximus. I think he might be Raisa's daddy - or at least a really close cousin. 

I first met Maximus about 3 cardio visits ago. His owner was rather surprised that Maxie (at least that's what I call him) kind of glommed onto me. I told him that undoubtedly, Maxie knows a Husky-fiend and he also knows I have 3 lovely lady dogs at home. 

Raisa

Maxie is a love-bug wrapped in a ton of fur. He also howled for me on this particular visit. I finally had the presence of mind to ask for a picture and was granted permission. I showed his owner the latest pose of Raisa (at least the latest "pretty" pose - we have a ton of goof-ball poses!) and he agreed: they could be related! Of course, at some level, all Huskies are related, but there are a couple of distinct breeder lines. 

For example, Raisa is thinner-boned than River was and she's far less fluffy. Of course, she's also one year old, but her legs are more rangy. 

Topaz was huge - she was outsized in form and in personality, and she was from a fairly nondescript line. River was from the "old line" model, where the dogs were more true to the actual type of a Husky who was -- husky. A working dog. Not a "wolf-like-hairy-dog" thingie that you see sometimes in overbred lines. Raisa is from a back-yard breeder, and while we've had some health challenges with her already, she's going to mature nicely, I think. 

Anyhow, don't they look pretty closely alike? They both howl like crazy, too. It's just funny. I did tell Maximus' owner that he and Maxie made my day. He hugged me. It was nice. 

On The Way Home...

I stopped to take some pictures. There were several of the 'fall' variety, and one for our club's Facebook page that I need to upload. And then there were these...


It's not creepy. Old cemeteries can be very peaceful places. This is where my paternal grandma and grandpa are buried. I just have to find them. 

This cemetery is old. Not as old as the oldest one in the whole town. But a close second. One can only imagine this trio of stones when the trees weren't this large. 

The older headstones were works of art. I'm awed by the artistry, and had I the time, I'd have spent more of it taking pictures here. I really want to go to the very oldest one. Hubby thinks it's slightly odd... 

But it's stuff like this: the beautiful porcelain medallions with pictures. This and the sculptures on top of the larger monuments. All of this took talent and this was a viable trade. You were a true artist when you created some of these things. 

Now, they're all kind of generic. I get the whole "green" thing - or whatever they call it. Where all the stones are flush to the ground so that the groundskeepers can just mow over things quickly. But the stately stones, keeping watch throughout the years, generation upon generation. Consider that. 

Consider these two people and how long this medallion has lasted on this stone. Granted, there are a number of stones where the medallions are missing or broken. But a remarkable number of them are in really decent shape, given the ages on the stones themselves. 

As you can see by this stone, the guardian angel is in pretty good shape, but the medallion is either missing or was meant to be put there, but somehow never got there. 

You can create a whole story about who's who, why they chose these particular monuments, etc. and I think it brings history to life in an entirely different way. You see families buried for generations. 

You see a sole headstone. Sometimes off to one side. Sometimes in line with a larger group of families side by side. You wonder who these people were? Which community did they live in? (Well for this cemetery, you know the church they attended) What did they do in their daily lives? For those sadly short lifetimes on some monuments, you wonder: Spanish Influenza? Mumps? Measles? All of those things took turns in many communities generations ago to wipe out a certain segment of the population. 

And there are always the military stones. For the longest time, we didn't have a military cemetery in the county. Now we do, from around the late 1990s. My mom chose to keep my dad where he was; he could have been re-buried. My friend's parents were re-buried in the veteran's cemetery. 

Anyway, those were my pictures. It was a nice way to just be outside and breathe for a bit. 

Knitting...

Baby knitting continues. The way I figure it, every 15 rows is about 2.5" so I have about 2 weeks worth of straight knitting, if I can get in at least 15 rows a day. Each pattern repeat is 12 rows. I got in 2 rows last night. 

Cotton is a stinker. There. I said it. 

I'll be extremely, EXTREMELY lucky to get this thing done on deadline. 

And I want to cast on a pair of Plain Jane socks. It's not a pattern name. I guess I should say "plain vanilla" socks. Just to have as a grab-and-go project. 

At the doctor's office, I resorted to reading. It was a good Barbara Kingsolver, but I should have plugged away on this blanket instead. 

It's just that this isn't a good portable project. Even with the square needles, the yarn is too slippery and if I drop a stitch, I will not be happy. 

Like I said, I can get the clothing items off to the New Mommy, and the blanket can come later. I can decide after I see how much progress I make. I'm taking it to the Conference. I'm sure I'll get a stink-eye about knitting during the events, but it works for me. 

And it's baby knitting. I've got a deadline here, people!! 

Unpleasantness...

So I had to have an interview with someone who's had some organizational issues. This person's side of the story is one thing. I'm talking to the other person involved today. 

There are always different styles when leadership in an organization changes. But the organization where I've been volunteering for a number of years (not where I work, by the way) has had nearly 90% changeover of staff. That's a leadership problem. 

My problem is that I counseled one of the people involved, and there was agreement. There was nodding. There was a lot of "yes, I see that." 

But we've had this conversation before. And here I am, back again. 

We shall see how this conversation today turns out. That's what the meeting on Friday is about. It could get interesting. 

And not in a pleasant way. 

I'm totally cool with having the hard conversations. But I'm not cool with spending the time, especially in a volunteer capacity, only to have to repeat them. Then the drill sergeant in me comes out. And people don't like that. 

Random Picture...

Ahhhhh - Choooooo! Yep, it's goldenrod. One of the "fall" pics I took yesterday along a park district trail. The light was lovely yesterday, the clouds were puffy, and the field behind there? It's a hay field, and the piles were all neatly wound into balls - kind of reminded me of cakes of yarn. 

This is my favorite time of year. Aside from winter and spring. Even with the itchy allergy eyes I have today, which make me want to unplug my eyes and stick 'em in the freezer.

This is nature's last blast before the cold sets in. This year, she's putting on quite the show. I love looking out my window to see what's in store every day. I love the crispness in the air. 

I could do without the pollen. But it's a small sacrifice.

It's Underway...

This past weekend was the first one in a long time that I had a "real" weekend. Normally, I'm working most Saturdays, while I have Fridays off. And about once a month, I'm up at "dawn:thirty" to go to a Friday board meeting... 

So there was a very optimistic To-Do list, and another fairly optimistic "Honey-Do" list... 

Working on my craft table...

Hubby accomplished his part: we have The Great Pumpkin out on the porch. No picture; I'll take one tonight after yoga. It's better at night...

Knitting

So it's underway: the assembly of the Elkhound Afghan. This will be auctioned off for charity - or done via raffle, I'm not sure what they want to do with it. 

I didn't make all of the squares; about 4 of us did. There's some lovely Tunisian crochet, there's knitting and crochet... and a problem! 

I had asked for 12" x 12" squares. Well........ Not all of them (including the ones I did) meet that criteria. So we have some "Fisherman" color (cream) yarn that I'm filling in with. This will likely leave the afghan an odd size, but hey - it's home-made. The finishing will include doing a single crochet all the way around this thing and then a scallop to polish it. I had hoped to do the edging in the cream; however our local JoAnn didn't have enough cream. I bought the light grey. I may try to see if they have more cream. It looks like this will take a couple of weekends to do, so I can perhaps find them restocked. 

Afghan on Table...

I'll do something with the grey: perhaps a couple of pillows. And I can either include them with the afghan or I can give them to the kids for Christmas.

The Fluffy Scarf project continues...

Church

We got our new choir robes! They're Cubbie blue... And they were supposed to be breathable, but I gotta tell you --- I'm fanning myself like crazy (and it was about 64* outside during our Mass) and Ken the Baritone says, "Can you move a little sideways?" I asked him why and he says, "So we can share your fan!" 

They need to be hemmed. I guess that the choir robe folks thought we'd all be singing in 3"  heels! One of our members is taking care of that, thankfully. I can hem. I just don't like to. 

Fr. Matt blessed them and said that he hopes they'll make us sing better...Of course, everyone laughed and he said, "Oh, not that they didn't sing well BEFORE!!" And of course, we christened our choirmaster as "Pappa Smurf." 

Oh, the Prayer Shawl Ministry folks appreciated my two big boxes of yarn. Hope to see some of the shawls. They put them out on a table at the front of the church, so you can take one if you need it. 

The List

The list included me exercising (not done); finishing the Other Fluffy Scarf (done); assembly of the afghan (in progress); and cleaning out two corners of the bedroom (not done). Oh, and shredding (done). Hubby did mow the lawn. But the garden boxes needed tending and we didn't get to that.

In my own defense, I got some of my stuff organized. I paired yarn + projects into bags and we did get the Stash busted for the Prayer Shawl Ministry folks. Whoopie! More room for yarn!! (whoops; that wasn't supposed to come out...)

And Hubby had an eye doc appointment; it was time for his eyes to be dilated. So we didn't even get on our bikes. Neither of us does the eye dilating well... 

Cobbler!

Food

The 2013 Christmas Cookie Baking List is done. Of course, it's always fluid; we may add a couple, but we're not likely to subtract.

I made risotto for dinner yesterday - Hubby and Kid #1 had it. I also did some kale and I ate that. 

Still working on the "cleanse" and it's difficult this time around. I feel like I'm eating more and I'm frustrated. 

Of course, completing the "exercise" part of my list would probably help... 

Lunch today was a huge salad, a ham wrap on a low-carb small tortilla, and unfortunately, a stroll past the Halloween pumpkin... Today is just today. It's not a sentence of failure. So I start again. Keeping at it; not giving up. 

I also helped Hubby make cobblers. We had fruit that was "almost." You know the "almost" fruit: in a banana, it's the ones you set aside for banana bread.

This is fruit that was in the bin and was at that point where nobody was going to eat it if it was left there. So he peeled it and I made a quick crumb topping. There are 2 pear cobblers and 2 plum. I think Hubby ate them all! 

Random Dog Cuteness

So today was Columbus Day (or Take Over a Nation and People Day... depending on how you do it...) and we were thinking about the things that weren't going to be open. Normally, Mondays are our garbage days. We put it out anyway, and there were initially 2 dogs in this picture... Both of them always check to make sure the garbage man doesn't take more than he's supposed to. But I swear Tippi can hear me pick up my phone and knows what I'm doing. This is Quinn... Maybe I can catch the two of them at some point. 

It was funny: when the afghan and I were at my small folding craft table, Quinn was in front of me "supervising" (a/k/a napping). And then I had to move to the dining room table. Hubby set up his nice Ott Light so I could see what I'm doing. 

Then Tippi stakes herself out behind my chair. "Supervising." (a/k/a "napping") 

Ideas for the Blog

Annecy Guitarist

I'm liking categorizing the various things I talk about. It seems to work well. What I'd also like to do is perhaps include a picture in each post (or several, depending). I would also like to maybe include some other kinds of writing. 

Kid #2 says "You write like a newspaper reporter." Probably because I was one? And also, I know things tend to sound like "meeting minutes." Probably because I take a lot of them?? I'm well past my secretary days (not that there's anything wrong with that; just giving you some context). But I still remember lots of shorthand and I also type fast. If I'm not writing minutes on a piece of paper, I'm sitting in front of my laptop typing pretty much as fast as you can talk.

For now, I'll just stick in a random picture - here's my guitarist from Annecy from our trip this summer. Still kicking myself for not buying one of his CDs...

Recipes...I don't know. 

Maybe I'll do a photo blog every so often. Heaven knows I have a ton of pictures. Any ideas are welcome. 

Fall Color

What fall color?? With the random weather, we haven't had much to speak of. Here's what it looks like out my back door. Normally, I've got photographers pulled up on a day like this, taking family pictures and generally enjoying the chunk of forest preserve land behind me. 

Fall color?

Not so much so far; and it's mid-October! I need to get out to the Arboretum so that we can see what that looks like. Maybe next Sunday. My next weekend off will be Thanksgiving. But I do have Sundays, after church. Maybe there's a walk in there somehow. 

Politics

Interesting article on Huffington Post about the government shut-down. Click here to read about it. Seems like the Republicans are changing the rules mid-stream. Not cool. 

We are being laughed at. And I'm not sure that it won't happen again. People here seem to be incredibly stupid. They only listen to stuff that reflects their own views. Journalism as I knew it as a kid? Pffffffffth. Gone. It's hard to find someone to speak objectively; I know - I just posted a link from HuffPo. But it's one of the better news aggregators that I've been able to work with. 

Hopefully, someone in DC will have a spine and will  not let us just default. I have to say, I hope that the voters remember this in 2014. The gridlock and partisanship needs to stop. The uber-right -- they need to remember that they're a relatively small percentage of this country. The regular right needs to get them under control. 

That all sounds incendiary, but think about it... The Speaker let a SMALL SEGMENT of his larger party engineer this shut-down. Eric Cantor is gunning for the Speaker's job. The fact that in Colonial times, one man was able to shut things down -- yeah that's part of our history. But that was in the way-back days when there were only 13 colonies.

We need to move forward with the times. Invoke the 14th Amendment. And as voters, we need to have a grass-roots movement to stop Citizens United, and stop SCOTUS from generating an even BIGGER fiasco by opening up private donations to elections. Our politicians are supposed to be elected. Instead, much like slaves, they're purchased. And being purchased, they are, in a large sense "enslaved" to their purchasers. 

It's funny. They're all bleating about "those people" who "gorge themselves at the public trough." But they don't see themselves: career politicians who are paid whether or not the government runs; with honkin' big government insurance; decent government pensions; other government benefits.

But. But. But.... they're not "those people who gorge themselves at the public trough."

Except that they are. And you know what's even more hypocritical?

We keep electing them.