Progress...

And the deck continues. Today, Hubby finished the concrete blocks. Tomorrow, since it got chilly this afternoon, the adhesive holding the blocks will be put on. Then he's got to drill for the footings, and pour those. 

An inspection happens after the footings are poured and then once more after he frames it in. 

It's going to be as I suspected, a "plain Jane" deck, but he's going to do something a little different. See the "upper" corner (upper right hand of the blocks) and the "lower" corner (the corner to the lower right just ahead of the sidewalk)? When spring comes, he's going to create block work that makes those into a pair of "garden" areas. He's also going to extend the paving blocks - the deck comes nearly to the property line, and he wants to "ring" it with the pavers because we have to keep our garbage cans in the back by the shed (local ordinance), and when he needs to bring them to the front on trash day, he wants a firm surface to haul them, especially in the winter. 

Yes, it's the north side of the house, but I think I can get hostas to grow there, or coral bells. Or maybe even some boxwood, for year-round green. If I want to do flowers, they'll have to be shade-lovers because this is "deep north" - there's virtually no sunshine on that section because it's just about the middle of the house, and in our old neighborhood, the houses are kind of close together. 

The arborvitae there are our "best buy." When we started seriously landscaping the yard, we wanted a fence, but we wanted it to look natural. The home & garden store in one location was leaving to move across town. We got just about 30 of the arborvitae for $5 each. They wanted to get rid of them. And the trees just took off in that spot. We've cut a few down, because we needed the room when we did some work to the back yard, but otherwise, they're a lovely fence and the birds and squirrels adore the fact that there's always a hiding place for them. 

Reading...

I finished "The Edible Woman" by Margaret Atwood. It was Atwood. It was a good story, and the end is a twist. Like I said: Atwood. 

I'd recommend reading her stories. I find her imagery clear and her structure really strong. And - she makes me think. Some of her stories are definitely dystopian in nature, but that's what makes her who she is and what makes her writing so impactful. She holds a mirror up and shows us the worst - but makes it redeeming because of her characters. 

Now, I've started "An Unnecessary Woman," by Rabin Alameddine. It's about an elderly woman "with a past shaped by the Lebanese Civil War." Already, I feel like I could sit down with this woman and have a nice chat over some tea and cookies. I've linked it to the NPR review. 

I've set aside Jimmy Carter's tome about women, abuse of power and religion. It's a great read in that there's certainly enough evidence to go around. But it's heavy. It's a book you can certainly pick up and put down, and I think at this point, I need to take it in small doses. I really want to finish it; but with everything going on at work, frankly - I'm exhausted and my brain hurts. I've been billing 4 - 6 hours a day, but that's also with doing overtime. 

I really want to just come home and knit or read something "fluffy." So Jimmy Carter has to wait a bit till things ease up.


Knitting...

The thing is - it's still a partial sweater. It's a little bigger. But not much else has changed. I'm going back to Wool & Co. to pick up my Book of Haps. It's in. They called (it was quick) and Hubby texts me, "Your book of hats is in." 

Yeah. Hats. Haps. He doesn't know, poor dear. For those of you who don't know, a hap shawl is a large-ish shawl that you can wrap about yourself. Think of the way Maureen O'Hara wrapped a shawl around herself in "The Quiet Man," and you'll sort of have the idea. I got hooked on the idea of actually knitting one from "Jean's Knitting" - a blog I follow. So I had a peek at the Hansel (and downloaded it from Ravelry), and then I decided I needed the book. 

When I was at Wool & Co., I thought they had it. I wanted to buy it from a local business. I could've gotten it from Schoolhouse Press or Amazon, but I wanted to support them. And I'm surprised it got here so fast!

I have to ask them for permission to review them for the Addicted to Sock Knitting e-zine. I was all set to write the shop up, but then I found out they were closing. I had to wait to see if they'd reopen, and I'm glad I did - even though the sock-yarn area is a bit smaller, it's an amazing redesign of the shop. 


When Roberta and I got there, she immediately gravitated to the bulky yarns, and they were kind enough to figure out what she'd need for a plain cover for a twin bed for her one grandson. I can't wait to see how it turns out. 

And yes. I bought yarn. I bought some Regia "ragg" sock yarn; I needed (ha - go ahead, laugh) something kind of middling-plain for a nice ribbed sock. And the Sweet Georgia is going to be another Shape-It Scarf. The purple had a rather strong competitor in the lovely pewter shot through with that silver sparkle. Who knows what will make its way into my bag next time...

And I saw the Churchmouse Double Reversible Poncho sitting on a chair and I tried it on. This one, I'm blaming on Roberta! The deep burgundy baby alpaca worsted? 

Yummmmmmmmmmm. I was torn between that and a beautiful beige. I know - you're thinking "Beige???" But it was a stunning deep cream color, which would go with anything I have in my wardrobe and it wasn't "too white" or "too bland." It was almost buttery, but not yellow, if that makes any sense. 

There was also a purple (of course) but I thought I wanted to do something a little different. This poncho is done in two parts and grafted together; it's a ribbed-ish pattern, enough to give it some interest. And then you kind of flip it and graft it. It's not too big. I'm making it with slightly less yarn because I know alpaca can take on a life of its own, and I didn't want something drooping down to my knees. This one hit me right at the hips, so that's kind of where I'm aiming. 

Random Picture...

Hubby reminded me that we had pierogi left in the freezer. So up came a small bag of potato and a small bag of sauerkraut. I ate them. Every one. 

My sister has had surgery on her right shoulder and right foot. The foot was a repair, and the shoulder was a first-time. She's cranky and not feeling like eating. She's a little bit of a thing, and loves my pierogi. So - when she's off her pain meds, I'll drop by and make them for her. I have a bag left in the fridge, and if they're not her favorite flavor, I'll make her some fresh ones. 

Hubby has gone to bed...he was up before the hens and worked hard on the deck. I've turned off the TV because there was a French film on with subtitles, and I didn't want to watch it. I'm enjoying the quiet, with Tippi here snoozing next to me. 

I'll knit a few more rows on the sweater and then head off to bed myself. Haircut in the a.m. and we need to go vote. And I have a private yoga session to teach in the afternoon. 

How's your weekend shaping up? 

Chinese Menu Syndrome...

...no, that's not offensive. It's "proofreader slang" for the innate ability to spot a typo about a million miles away. Oh, and a grammatical error, too. 

This is important for a number of reasons. 

First,it drives everyone around you absolutely bonkers if you can't keep the error to yourself. And of course you can't. You're compelled to expound on the errors you see. 

Second, it actually drives you nuts as well. Here's the thing. My friend S gave me a book for Christmas, by a local author. The book has a nice slick cover, it's from a decent publisher, and the author graciously thanks everyone from her cats to her proofreaders. 

Ahem. 

Not so fast with the thanks. You have a lot of work to do with your own writing (of which I'm not overly critical because it's your first novel). And your proofreaders?

"Mute point." Really?? Really??? That's the one that almost made me toss the book across the room. There were others. Too many, even for a debutante writer. I'm nearly tempted to e-mail her and ask if I can be her proofreader. 

So I'm in the running for an apprenticeship at elephantjournal. This is a big deal. This e-zine/website platform is a large presence in the yoga/meditation/lifestyle arena. After the apprenticeship, if you all like each other, you're offered a position as Associate Editor - which basically means they will then PAY you to write for them. 

The Job Front...

Nothing. Well, sort of something, but not what I had expected. Which is how it usually goes. 

Nothing came of the "anchor" position which the president if the university spoke to me about. However, there's a Board of Trustees meeting in February, which is usually a big deal. I mean, the planet stops moving till after the BoT meets. Then earth resumes her normal activities. 

So maybe the anchor has yet to be launched off the boat. 

I'm networked with freelance gigs, thanks to my friend Nat. I'm working the voice-over thing, though I have yet to hear anything positive from the editor I'm working for. I know he's championing me. It's up to the client. 

And I do have a phone interview; for a job I really don't think I want. Because something else interesting has dropped into my lap.

The potential to run a yoga studio. 

Yes. Stop laughing. It's an opportunity that doesn't usually fall into someone's lap. Will it make buckets of money? No. Is it sustainable? Yes. It pays its bills. I've been its part-time manager when the owner is away. I'm teaching there 3 nights a week. We have a good core group of teachers, and a pretty good following. 

The thing is this: I'm now 57 years old. I have education up to my eyeballs. And I've always worked for someone else. I talked this over with my brother, who's owned his own business for almost 30 years. He suggests I go for it, because I have enough other irons in the fire. 

Hubby wants me to actually get the "anchor" position, if it's ever posted, and work the other things, just having one source of consistent income. And I get that. But I can't shake the feeling that I really, really, REALLY want to do this. And I think I can make it work. 

I know I can make it work. 

Knitting...

My Year in Socks

So the Knit from Stash thing is off to a rocky start. I couldn't get the Strong Heel instructions to make sense. I was supposed to go to the LYS to get some help, but I have a ton of things to do, so that's delayed to sometime next week. 

This is what I'm knitting instead, and yeah, I won't get them done in January. But I think what I'm going to do is just knit the pair, not having to face the potential of TWELVE single socks... So if I complete SIX pair of socks, then I'll consider that a success. Twelve would truly have been a miracle. 

And I can't totally stop buying yarn. This is a colorway that simply fascinated me. It's called Unicorn Farts. And the base yarn has gold sparkles in it. 

Unicorn Farts

Because of course Unicorns fart with gold sparkles. Who doesn't know that? I don't know what pattern this will be, but it's entirely squishable and I can't wait to knit it up. Heck, I almost can't wait to get it on the winder to make a cake. 

It's from Purple Goddess Designs. Check her out. Awesome yarn, fantastic customer service and a lovely Etsy site. 

Necessity...

...Is truly the mother of invention. While I've been home, I've done more housework - which you can do when you're not away at a desk... 

I was looking for my handle for the dusting sheets. I couldn't find it, and I needed to dust the fax machine because I had to send out a fax. 

So I pulled out my size 10 needles. And did what you do when you don't have the handle to your duster sheet...

Did it work? For the most part. Of course 2 days later, I found the handle. Which is now in the box with the duster sheets. 

But hey - the fax machine is now clean. 

Random Picture...

Once again, I question my wisdom. I really wanted a La-Z-Boy recliner that could be my knitting chair. 

I have the recliner. But for the most part, I don't recline it. 

Nap time

Why, you ask? Well. It's either Quinn with her head under the back of it. 

Or Tippi hiding under it when I do manage to recline it, thereby rendering me stuck in my chair till she decides to move.

Or Raisa. Who is part cat. Because she can get almost 100% of her considerable husky body under the chair. 

This was yesterday, before I had to put her in her crate because I was leaving the house. I'm still not ready to leave her roaming with the other two dogs. She's at that age where she thinks she's Big Dog. 

And she's not. But as with most huskies, particularly those going through adolescent phases, they're rather oblivious. 

I'm ok as long as she doesn't decide to stand straight up. She could. And I'd be toast. 

Witch-hunting as a Congressional Sport...

Aside from the obvious, what is WRONG with Darrell Issa (R-CA)??? He cuts the microphone on a colleague and decides that apparently, it's all over. 

Check out that link. He's cut off the ranking Democrat on that committee. Where does he get off doing that? Apparently, while he was out witch-hunting (this is what, the 4th or 5th hearing on the non-scandal of the IRS??), he neglected to review his Code of Conduct. Here it is if you want to see it in its entirety. But the passage we're most interested in, is amazingly enough, RULE NUMBER ONE:

1. A Member, officer, or employee of the House of Representatives shall conduct himself at all times in a manner which shall reflect creditably on the House of Representatives.

Darrell, dear... You blew it. You cut off Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD). First off, let's just get this on the table. Your "scandal" on the IRS? It's a non-starter. There's no scandal. You are wasting OUR money. 

Don't the members of your Committee have anything else to do but try to score political points against the first black POTUS? Apparently not.

Do you even CONSIDER the veterans that could be helped by the BILLIONS of dollars you've spent investigating "scandals" for which there are really no facts. But why let facts get in the way, right? That would surely gum up the works.

And then there's math and manners. Darrell, darlin' -- you've been in your position 14 years. Rep. Cummings has been there EIGHTEEN years, and while there's not a huge age difference between you (Cummings b. 1951, Issa b. 1953) there's still this whole thing about playing nice, being respectful of each other and perhaps NOT dinging the already-bashed reputation of your House and your Committee.

Or can we use race? Are you being a snot because you're a white guy and Cummings isn't? He's the Ranking Member. He deserves respect, and you're probably upset that this man has called you out on your foolishness.

Darrell, doofus: Back off the IRS non-scandal and prepare to eat crow and apologize to Rep. Cummings. You did wrong. Man up. 

Weather...

Whether or not we like it, we're not done with snow yet. About 3" this morning, more called for through the week. I think we'll be breaking the record... 

It's not Arctic-style cold, but I think we're all snow-weary. The plows are sporadic now and you can tell salt stores are running low. 

I slipped around every corner I took this morning on the way in to work - and I wasn't speeding. Actually, the only benefit of all this snow is that apparently drivers have recovered their "snow-driving" skills and they're not acting like lunatics.

The plow came just before noon; I had to move my truck to the back and once everything was plowed, I moved it back. Note to self: wear your snow boots. Your in-the-office Birkenstocks are not snow-proof!!

The Great Lakes are about 90% frozen over. That hasn't happened since I was a kid. Groundhog or not, Spring will be late. If it shows up at all.

Wine...

Pumpkin-head wine

You all know that I know zip about wine! Well, we have a charitable event coming up and every board member was asked to buy a bottle of wine. I actually bought some champagne for the donation (which I recognize because of commercials) but then I saw this in the "bargain bin."

And Hubby says that's where it should have stayed. Hey, it was $5.... It's from Illinois Valley Winery and it's a blend of "pumpkin, apples and spices." I told him he could stick it in his wine stash if he wanted, and all he said was, "Ummmmmmm. No." 

I thought the label was cute. And I liked that it was an Illinois wine.

This is why I do not buy wine. 

Knitting...

The pink sock is coming along. I decided I needed "brainless" for a while, and this sock fits the bill. For now, till the heel, it's just about 6" of mindless round-and-round and I can do that and watch TV or read (yes, it's possible) or just zone out. 

I have to figure out what kind of percentage system I want to give to myself for completion rates. Maybe if I divide the total number of inches by 4, that might give me a good comparison, considering 25-50-75-100 as a ticker. But my chart shows all the gradients, so maybe 5% gain on the chart for every inch?? Happily, the sock is 15" long from cuff to toe, so if I did the math, I could arrive at a fairly sensible result. Or I could guess. Hubby says it's about 6.6% per inch. 

It's only us. I'm cool either way. I found the "macro" setting on my phone's camera. You can see my poor winter-ized hand!! There's not enough hand lotion, I think!

I'll probably zip along with this awhile, but I did find these adorable Penguin Jackets. No, seriously, jackets for penguins. 

See, it's right here.  The Penguin Foundation has called out for knitters to help them. When penguins are caught in oil slicks, they are covered in gunk, which really messes with their coats. They get rescued (hopefully) and  cleaned off, and they have to be protected till they're all fixed. When they're wet, they can't stay warm. They get wet to the skin because the oil removes the insulating properties they have, and then sometimes they try to clean themselves off and die because they're basically sucking down oil.

So.....If you have wool and a little time, do some charity knitting for the penguins... You'll be happy, they'll be happy. Why not?

I think everyone should do some sort of charitable knitting. It's good for the soul. Pick your charity. Or do one organization per "whatever time span you want." Maybe a year of doing Warm Up America blankets. Maybe a quarter doing knitted cage throws for the local animal shelter. Maybe 6 months of chemo caps. You can even ask your local hospital if there's a program for newborns - blankies and hats. Or your local homeless shelter might be very happy with some afghans. Your local nursing home might need some lap robes. Depends on how fast you knit, your stash or ability to purchase appropriate yarn, and your desire to do something good. And your ability to commit the time to do it. 

Pick an organization and devote some time to it. You'll be a knitter who's earned your Golden Needles in the afterlife. Or you'll have brought a smile to someone else's face. 

Either way. It works. 

Hairy Houdinis...

Where's Raisa??

That's what some folks call Siberian Huskies. And it's true. A determined Sibe can be cat-like in its ability to escape. Or contort itself into the oddest positions. Or try to hide. Or dart, at the speed of light, at a 1" opening of a door.

In Raisa's case, it's a situation with my knitting chair. It's a lovely Queen Anne-style La-Z-Boy recliner. Which hasn't really reclined much. 

Because there's usually a dog under it. It started out with Quinn hiding under it, till she couldn't fit anymore. Now, she just puts her head under it. 

But Raisa has figured out a way to worm her way sideways under the chair. I'm sure that she's trying to be friendly with Quinn, but there's clearly the matter of one of them jumping up and tipping the chair (with me in it) over. Or even if I'm not in it -- someone canine will be mushed. 

Granted, my camera on the phone is slow. When I first caught this, you could only see her tail. 

What to do with that dog??

Quinn naps in the sun

And here's Quinn, early Sunday afternoon, snoozing in the sunny spot on the couch. I guess she wasn't interested in what was on TV. Come to think of it, neither was I. I was finishing off a novel, and then I was knitting. 

Everyone was napping or just very quiet that afternoon. Kid #2 was off running errands. Hubby was off getting a haircut and delivering a server box to a client. 

I was home with the dogs. Which is where I like to be most often. I know - I probably should have rolled out the yoga mat and done something "constructive." But to me, knitting and reading ARE constructive. Not active, to be sure... I can't get up enough speed while knitting to make any significant calorie burn. But even mindless knitting is good for your brain. 

Napping

Here's another Raisa shot - she was napping as well. Alongside the table. Turned upside down. It's not a great shot, but she's quick to move when she thinks we're taking a picture, so it is what it is. 

She is also apparently a yoga-dog. I'd forgotten how they can all up-end themselves. 

Some say it's to keep their bellies cooled off. I'm telling you: Elkhound and Husky bellies are rather warm spots! Maybe this helps regulate their temperature. 

Whatever it is, it's cute. 

Random Picture...

Speaking of cute, Tippi and I had a gig yesterday even though it was Spring Break at the campus. I knew there wouldn't be many people there, but I thought that the students might appreciate a visit from their favorite therapist and I wanted to show off her Mardi Gras beads. Which she broke in an excess of shaking herself. 

We had a nice visit with those that did come by and this gal hit the jackpot. She got the first Belly Rub of the Day. And it was a full-blown one. 

Click on the picture to see the sheer bliss of a dog who's totally immersed in the moment. 

Ahhhhhh, bliss!

Maybe this is the picture I have to show my yoga students when I tell them to "be in the moment." Believe me, Tippi's not thinking of a single thing there. She's enjoying the attention. 100% -- just as we all should enjoy what we love. 

Sometimes, I wonder if I'm "wasting" my time. Sometimes, I feel totally overwhelmed with working full-time, teaching yoga, community involvement that's somewhat mandated by my job.

I wonder if, by doing all this, I'm spreading myself too thin. Yet I see women who do more. I wonder how they do it. I wonder if it's just me. My natural tendency to be introverted exerting itself? The fact that I have such trouble sleeping, making me have less energy and less motivation to do things?

The fact that in all truth, I'd really rather be retired? Who knows. 

All I know is that I look at that picture of Tippi and I think that (a) it was a good thing we came to the school that day, even if there were hardly any students there -- this gal got a charge out of it; and (b) Tippi takes her bliss where she can get it.

There's a lesson in there somewhere. 

Reconnected...

I had a nearly-hour-long conversation with my friend "N" yesterday. 

I hadn't spoken to her in almost a year (I mean in person or on the phone). She had this job. It was a soul-sucking, time-consuming, all-encompassing job. Such that just about every month, she traveled 50% of the time. And when she was in town, she worked 14-hour days.

Which isn't remarkable as such, since so many people do that today - just to keep employed. 

But what she did was remarkable. She quit. She resigned after dealing with an entirely toxic department, a supervisor who shoveled crap on top of her and then chastised her repeatedly for "not performing to expectations" under conditions which can be considered "hostile" to say the least. After giving directions to an assistant who wouldn't do her job, and then being told that she was being given a "job improvement notice" because she couldn't manage. After writing up the assistant and the assistant complaining to HR about her. I just shake my head at that kind of garbage. 

And she did it the right way. She submitted a resignation note, cleaned out her office without fanfare and left. 

It takes guts to do that. She told me about it while I was in the midst of a therapy visit with Tippi, so I had to wait to call her back. And then during our conversation, she said something which made me stop. "You were the first one I thought about. And I knew that, unlike so many people, you wouldn't have tried to talk me out of walking out."

She's right. I have left soul-sucking jobs. I have done the "travel every month" thing, while trying to raise 2 kids. I would have helped her draft her resignation note. 

We discussed what she wanted to do, what her immediate goals were, and yes, we made plans to get together soon. 

I had missed her. We e-mailed; I tried to network to find her a new place; but she was always on a plane. She was unable to sustain friendships, was having trouble with stress, and was missing out on so much of her family life. 

Was quitting the best response? She's lucky enough to be able to do it. And yes, for her, it was the absolute right thing to do. Yes, the economy is still recovering. And yes, she's at the top of her field and will likely not find another job like that. Which may be a good thing. She's being tagged by the corporate world as "too expensive" -- they can hire 25-year-olds for about 1/3 of her salary. 

And she's ok with that. I have been in her shoes and I have been lucky enough to be able to shed a job that wasn't doing me any good. I look forward to seeing N accomplish her goals: to be a present parent; to concentrate on HERSELF; to learn to knit. Those are things that will matter. Not the job. 

The Turkey...

Lola

So I wrote a check for the turkey yesterday. And about had a heart attack -- this bird had better be good!! Three Maples Farm is a lovely spot; we got to pet the horses and cows. This is Lola. She likes peppermint candies and is shy. 

Hubby about had a fit, too, with the price of Mr. Turkey. But we agreed (sort of) to try something more organic. So we shall see. Right now, Mr. Turkey is in the fridge at work. It'll take him 5 days to thaw, so while I'm at work Saturday (we're having our Thanksgiving early, remember), Hubby will come by and get him. If needed, he'll be getting a cool-water thaw. 

Lola will eventually be hamburger. The woman who runs the farm was telling us that she's been involving her kids in the farm. They understand about "raising what you eat" and the concept of attachment. All her animals have names, and all of them, for the most part, end up on a table somewhere. So the next time we go there, it may very well be that Lola's in the freezer. But if you want to make sure your food is not injected with garbage or fed GMO grain, you go to a local farmer. And you ask. 

The dogs, of course, had a sniff-fest when I came home. They recognized "horse" since I have come home smelling like that. But "cow" was entirely different. They loved it. It's a shame I didn't get to pet the goats or the pig... Three Maples also sells hand-made goat's milk soap. That's on my agenda for gifts. Support the local farmer. 

Various papers

The Storms...

The Shorewood Police Department is acting as a collection spot for storm debris blown up north-east by the horrible storms. Here are some pics of what Hubby collected. He and the dogs were written up in the Chicago Tribune. The Facebook pages coordinating the storm damage "let's return their stuff" efforts are very busy, and I'm so glad social media is working for something good instead of "this is what I ate for dinner" trivialities. 

Some storm debris

Imagine, if you will, losing everything. And then potentially having your identity stolen. Seriously - Hubby found checks, bank statements, a car title, school transcripts, an adoption order. This is tremendously sensitive stuff. If you're in the area of the tornado damage and you have found stuff, please pick it up and bring it to the local police department -- you could be saving someone a lot of heartache. Along with the good folks who pitch in to help - there are also scummy people who'd steal an identity in a heartbeat. 

Sorry about the sideways shots. You get the idea...

Knittting...

The sock comes along. I did nothing on the afghan yesterday. It seems like between the turkey and the Tuesdays with Tippi, I was running all day. 

Migraine News...

Well, I'm having a few more migraines. I'm sure it's because "things are changing." My mom said it gets worse just before you stop having them.

On a good note, though, I just read about a "home remedy" for migraines: the self-induced brain-freeze. In the Chicago Trib's "Health" section, there's a column about various medicines/medical issues. This doctor wrote in, saying that he (or she) suffered from migraines and was caught short without the prescription meds.

So his (or her) friend had him sip ice water and then "gobble down" a bowl of chocolate ice cream. The resulting "brain-freeze" stopped the migraine in its tracks. 

Wow... and I bet there was no Rx hangover!! Hubby said, "Well, I guess I go get some chocolate ice cream!" I can get behind that. My health insurance recently switched me to the generic of my migraine Rx. And it works, but the "hangover" is more significant than with the brand-name. But I won't be able to appeal it on that basis. The basic fact is -- the generic works in this instance, so I'm stuck with it. And the day-long "fuzz" I have afterwards. But at least it stops the migraine. 

However, that "chocolate ice cream" thing...it's tempting!

Dr. Who...

Yay!!! I found a YouTube channel that will simulcast the premier of the Dr. Who 50th Anniversary episode. I have to work. I want to see it. In case you're interested, it's going to be simulcast at www.youtube.com/bbcamerica -- I can't wait. 

I'm a come-lately Whovian. A novice, if you will. My first Doctor was Christopher Eccleston. I've been on a Dr. Who gorge ever since BBC has had their "takeover week" this week. 

I seriously want to knit a Dr. Who scarf. In all the specials, that Doctor said that the director at that time gave "a batch of wool" to a lady and said he wanted a scarf. The woman (I can't remember her name) was given no further direction, so she knit all the wool. That's how that 12-foot scarf came to be. I know - I'm what? 5' 4" if that... a 12-foot scarf knit entirely in garter is crazy-talk. But I want one. What can I say??

Christmas...

I'm done shopping. Sorry - I do a lot online and I am usually early. Well, I have one more thing to get: a chain for Kid #1's girlfriend. I'm giving her an amber charm, and I want to have a chain for it. 

We still have no idea of when we'll actually do the Christmas Eve dinner. It's too early to figure that out yet. I know I'll be doing Midnight Mass and we still have to figure out how to wire my guitar. 

Just about all the online stuff has come in. Hubby teased that he'd "already wrapped" my presents. I will be doing that this weekend; just because once I finish the afghan, I can reclaim my dining room table and we can put up our small tree.

We will probably use the big tree again once our canary goes to Canary Heaven. Right now, his table is in front of the picture window, and our room is small. I have no place to put a big tree - that the dogs won't knock over! I haven't gotten presents for the dogs. I did get Larry the grand-cat a couple of gifts. I figure since I'm baking, it's easy to just bake them some treats, and I wouldn't put those under the tree anyway. 

Politics...

What's wrong with this picture? First, the Bishop in Springfield, IL holds an "exorcism" for Governor Pat Quinn because Quinn's signing a gay marriage bill. Now, this: a Methodist pastor has 30 days to renounce his own gay children. Renounce. His. Own. Children. Classy, right? Just click on the word "renounce" here and see what he says. I admire his stance. 

Gay marriage is not a threat to society. Just like interracial marriage didn't collapse the whole universe. If you don't like gay marriage, don't marry someone of your own sex. Is that a "simple" answer? Well yeah. Because nobody's forcing you to do that. So don't. 

We need to solve unemployment. We need to solve the poverty gap in our country. We are simultaneously the richest and poorest country in the industrialized world. Shame on us. Education needs help (not reform necessarily and certainly not reform by CORPORATIONS because kids aren't widgets). We need to dismantle the "too big to fail" banks back to their original sizes.

And all you want to carp about is gay marriage? Get a grip.

Also, happy birthday to Vice President Joe Biden!! 

Random Picture...

Shades of Blue by Sonda

Digging back in the picture archives. This is a hank of my friend Sonda's hand-dyed yarn. I made a hat out of this. I still have some left. I will probably do something with it, but I'm not sure what. I did also use some to make a bag for my mala beads, but I have at least 100 yards left. 

Sonda started dying her own yarns and then she got sick. I'm not saying that the two are connected. It was just horrible circumstance that she had a malignant melanoma. And they didn't find it till it reached her brain and her lungs; she died at age 55 and I still have trouble believing she's gone. She was a talented knitter and designer, having patterns in several "One Skein" books published. My knitting friend D and I had purchased this yarn, and we gave full hanks back to Sonda's mom. She's using it to knit shawls for Sonda's nieces for Christmas. I had that yellow - it was a tangled mess, and I took it home and spent a weekend unwinding it. I gave it back to her - and it's where it should be. 

I don't have enough of the blue to make an impact so I'm keeping that. 

Time to dive back into the real world. I need a stretch break. 

Things That go "Snort" in the Night...

My dog snores. Snorts. Sometimes so loudly that she wakes herself up. It's amusing in a way, but when her own DAUGHTER leaves the room in a huff, you gotta wonder...

It was really funny last night. I couldn't figure out if she was having a dream OR snoring, or perhaps having a dream AND snorting. 

Either way, she eventually woke herself up and toddled out to the living room. 

If reincarnation really does exist, as many people believe... I want to come back as my dogs.

Therapy Gig...

Today is another Tuesdays with Tippi day, and for this festive season, she's dressing as a witch. This is an "extra" since October has 5 Tuesdays. Normally, we go the first and third Tuesdays, but I figured this special one was worth it. 

Lucky for us, the rain is holding off. Tomorrow is supposed to be a "buckety" kind of day, and Madame does not get wet. She's very grumpy when wet. Not to mention sorta smelly...

Yarns...

She's still enjoying it, so we keep doing it. She's not exactly jazzed at the costumes, but she gets salmon treats. It's all in how you look at it, right?

Yarn...

So, yarn pics as promised. And the lovely bag from LMR Knittery. Love the quote on it, "Get they to a knittery." Shakespeare made a bunch of references to knitting anyway, so this is just catchy.

Top to bottom: Madelaine Tosh sock weight, specially dyed for Le Mouton Rouge Knittery; Opal sock; Cascade Paints. The MadTosh specialty dye even impressed Hubby. I know this one and the Cascade Paints look similar, but they're destined for two different things. MadTosh is going for a lovely cowl. I haven't figured out where the Paints is going, but I will. 

Knittery Bag

And of course, the Opal will be socks. Pretty basic ones, though, because the yarn speaks for itself, and often, knitting can get in the way of what you're doing. I mean, yes, I could do a lacy leaf-ish pattern. I actually have that pattern. But then, I could also do a Simple Sock and the yarn would shine. All in what you're aiming for, and I think that sometimes "brainless" is better. For both the knitter AND the yarn.

The Fluffy Scarf project is temporarily stalled while I work on the assembly of the Charity Afghan. That's rolling along nicely. I have 15 squares done, 9 more to go. That includes on-the-fly filler of single crochet, and then a border. 

Good thing my family stopped procreating. I can knit on other stuff. But I'm still holding onto the idea of starting a sweater for myself really, REALLY soon. Maybe in that lovely merino + silk in that pretty lilac color. 

Politics...

So now Mr. Graham is having his own hissy fit. Lordy, Lordy - what's up with these Bible Belt Conservatives? Is "Benghazi" the new "Nazi" word?? Love Rocky Mountain Mike's take on it here. Of course, anyone who can parody so quickly is a total genius. 

Clinton nails it. Do y'all remember Medicare Part D? Yes. Do you remember the pillorying that the Democrats gave the Republicans when the computers crashed during Part D's implementation?

Of course not. Because there wasn't any. Look, Democrats are hardly squeaky-clean. But in the case of Medicare Part D, they just rolled up their sleeves and got the thing rolling, without so much drama as we see today. 

I mean, my God. You'd think that the ACA was the ONLY social program to have ever had a computer problem. Darrell (Witch-Hunt) Issa is now calling for Secretary Sebelius' head. 

Grant you, I'm thinking they should've done more testing prior. And used an American developer. Right-on there. But obviously, nobody in the Republican party will ever admit to having been through a roll-out of a software program that has galumphed right into massive potholes. I don't like it, but it's fixable. Without throwing anyone under the bus. 

Fall...

Back yard tree, late afternoon

So the cold snap everyone was complaining about here? Lookee... This is what happens. Our back yard tree is coming into its color finally, and the front yard one is also moving right along. The back yard tree is a Norwegian Maple. And the front yard is what's called a "Lipstick Red" color when it's all decked out. It's a Flame Maple, I think. All I know is that, when they're in full color, our house in the middle of the block is actually visible at either END of the block because of the brightness of the trees. 

Yoga...

So I got hurt in Therapeutic Yoga training! Well, not hurt badly. Just yanked around a bit. I was having an adjustment in Ardha Candrasana II involving a strap at my standing leg's hip crease and ending on my raised leg's foot. As I opened up, the instructor increased the traction, which felt really good. 

Till I got in the car to drive home. By the time I reached my driveway, in a relatively swift drive of about 45 minutes, I was not happy. It's eased up now. 

I have the 3-day Sanskrit training this coming weekend, so by that time, I ought to be pain-free. It was a little interesting teaching my Monday night beginners, but I told them I got hurt, and used it as a teaching moment to underscore the fact that yoga is a great thing, but as with anything involving the physical body, you have to be aware of your own self. 

Fall Sky

Random Picture...

The other day, the sky looked so lovely outside my office. I took a picture of it. I love the "painting" of the clouds on the blue sky. I often bemoan the fact that there aren't a lot of trees in the area of my building, so the parking lot can get really hot. But on the other hand, I have such a lovely view of the sky. 

Trade-offs. I'll take the sky. I love the way I can see incoming storms, the "Michigan Mountains" (storm clouds building over Lake Michigan), all the air activity because we're so close to the airport without it being obnoxious, and all the birds. We have owls, hawks, geese, crows...Just a great area to remember that along with the humans and "civilization" we also have a good chunk of Mother Nature here. I couldn't work or function in a concrete jungle.

Food...

This is my new favorite salad blend. It's just a treat in a salad raw, and then you can also saute it or use it in smoothies. 

Great salad mix!

And as you are all aware, of course, you still have to wash it, even though it says "triple washed." Don't believe them. Wash it anyway.

And if you're eating it cold, use a basic vinaigrette dressing. It'll help to soften up the chard and kale. While baby kale won't knock you across the room, it's still best with O & V and not a creamy dressing. 

I would also use this in addition to a regular lettuce blend, just to share with people who "don't eat greens." Because the flavors are that subtle and enjoyable. 

I'm glad I decided to try this. I've never eaten chard and I always wondered. 

Mostly Knitting Today...

Just a few things to note today, mostly having to do with sticks and string, but some other stuff will inevitably crop up. It always does.

Working toward toe shaping

Knitting...

The Teal Socks are ONE-HALF done!! I finished the first one yesterday. It looks a bit long, but it's a rib - k3, p1 and the pattern called for the foot to be a bit longer than I'm used to. I haven't tried it on yet, but I will be casting on the second one in a day or so. 

I'm still having problems with my Kitchener Stitch - I get points at either end. I have to find an alternative toe - maybe a round toe? Or a star?? Something else. But that'll be for the next pair of socks.

Detail of cuff and ribbing on leg

Here are some shots of the yarn I purchased. Maybe I'll do another Franken-sock with the red, and utilize the star toe. That would be good seeing as I'm thinking of Christmas.

I will continue to work on the charity afghan tomorrow. It's going to be a particularly interesting day weather-wise, so it'll probably be in my best interests to just plug away at that. I do have to attend a board meeting tomorrow night, though.

Sock #1 done!

More about the yarn... As you can see on the sock picks, it's a very bright teal. I seem to be on a "bright" binge after lots of purples and darks. 

That's cool. Diversity in yarn is good. Wool and Company have so many lovely sock yarns, it's difficult to choose. But I made some choices that I think will be good in the long run; mostly in a weight that I'm used to working with. 

The Trekker that I'm working with on the Teal Socks is quite a bit thinner than normal - more like the Opal that I haven't started yet. 

Though I could use some of that Opal for a nifty tea cozy! 

Dream yarn

This blue is shot with silver; it'll make a nice pair of socks in perhaps a rib pattern on the leg. Most of the yarn I have for socks has at least 80% merino wool in it. The silver is not only for the sparkle, but silver is supposed to have anti-odor properties. So perhaps no stinkie tootsies?? If that's so, I may have to make silver socks for both kids!! 

I have a good pattern in mind for this blue. I love the play of colors in it and I think that if I work it right, doing a sort of simple rib will allow for the beauty of the gradient to play out. 

The Liberty Wool is a special impulse buy. Our church choir just got new robes, in what I call Cubbie Blue - and I figure that the Chicago Cubs need divine intervention. 

I did make mitts for myself. It's an old church - well over 100 years, and so old that there's not even a bathroom in the sacristy! And it's limestone. It gets chilly in the choir area. First, because we're by the door. Second, because we're by the stained glass window; and finally, because there's apparently a breeze coming in from near the organ pipes! 

Liberty Wool Light

Our old (and I mean OLD) robes were burgundy. The mitts I made matched them; so I bought this Liberty and will make some that match our new blue robes!

I guess I'll stagger the remaining pictures below so we're not "naked" at the bottom of the post!

The red Kraemer yarn is also shot through with silver. Since it's a solid red, though, it'll most likely be lace on the leg. I might do a "Strong Heel" on that. I figure it this way:

All this sock yarn just enables me to try different things. So I can Frankensock my way through a variety of techniques, see what works and what I don't like, and voila!! I get socks in the bargain! 

The denim blue below is a lovely merino + bamboo. It's so soft - I know the merino will help with the wear and tear a sock gets; the bamboo alone would be too fragile for feet. 

Politics...

So Ted (Cuban/Canadian) Cruz is STILL blathering on about how "the American people have spoken" and he thinks they're saying that he must continue tilting at windmills and CONTINUE to waste taxpayer money trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act. 

For Christmas socks...

Yes, Ted. The American people have spoken. Can't you read polls? Or do you read nothing but Talking Points Memo or Fox News(?) reports???

The American people want Congress to DO SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL and stop screwing around. That's pretty clear. Republicans are now rated as lower than lawyers (sorry - Shakespeare reference) and whale crap. And that's saying something for both lawyers and whale crap. I apologize in advance for annoying lawyers and being disrespectful of whales and whale crap.

My assistant says he'd love to get a "Ted Cruz for President" campaign working - just to get him on the ticket so that the Dems can be ASSURED of a victory! 

As for the ACA website and the "debacle" about its inefficiencies, I do have a couple of questions: Why are we using a CANADIAN company? I have no beef with our friends to the north, but what? There wasn't an AMERICAN company that could've done this? 

And why is the CANADIAN company a hold-over from GWB??? Who said something to whom about using them? Since they were most likely used to do with something regarding defense, I would think that perhaps this website might be a little outside their scope?

Merino + bamboo mixture

I talked about the cost with Hubby, who works with these things. He's not surprised at the cost - it can take that much, apparently. What he's shocked at is that there was no "load balancing" -- or testing to see if it actually WOULD stand up to the amount of traffic. But hey - he only works for an AMERICAN tech company...

Halloween...

This year, we're doing All Hallows at our church; it's a prelude to All Saint's Day and we're doing an evensong service. That will be interesting. It'll be my first one, and I'm excited. 

We were told what the songs were, but I can't remember now. I guess we'll see them when we get there. I'd better sharpen my sight-reading skills. 

Garden...

So the weather situation I mentioned? Apparently, there's a "strong possibility" that there will be a snow/rain mixture tomorrow. That means my friends will get a load of green tomatoes, and maybe we should do something about the remaining carrots in the garden beds.

Yesterday, we took down the hanging pots and emptied the herb pots - all but a really good batch of tarragon that's still going strong. I don't believe the hummingbirds are going to be back, but we'll leave those feeders up for a few more weeks - we may get some stray birds flying past on their way south. 

African Violet

I can most likely cover the tomatoes, if we think we're in for a "false frost" that won't kill them off. 

Random Picture...

This African Violet normally resides on a table in my campus. It was taken when it was in bloom. 

I love them. They remind me of my grandma. 

Yoga...

I'm procrastinating about finishing my yoga homework. I can't imagine why. I just want it done. This coming weekend, it's a 2-day Yoga Therapeutics workshop, which I've been looking forward to. But I still have a bunch of stuff to do to finish the certification. And the homework has a definite deadline! And it's not all that much. It's all sitting here under my desk. 

I just need to get it done. I don't know why I'm procrastinating. Usually I don't. I'm ahead of myself. But this time, I'm just in a rut, I think. 

Anyway, time to clear out and get home. Speaking of yoga, I'm teaching tonight, and I haven't even decided on my sequence yet! Pushing my luck, I think.