A-Frogging -- Again!!

I know the Yarn Harlot has an "easy way to make a hat" but I don't have the book here. And it's probably a good thing that I left the Strawberry Fields hat at home. 

Now, I'm up to 4" or so on the body. Hubby held the needles (so nothing would slip off, which would totally annoy me). I tried it on. 

Or rather, I tried to try it on. I swear it's a baby beanie and the pattern said NOTHING about size. Ok. So I frog. Again. I am determined to make this hat, with the Kauri yarn. So maybe I have to delve into the world of knitting math, but I'm so annoyed with myself at this moment.

And I'm annoyed at the hat. At the designer for not specifying size alternatives. At the yarn for not behaving. And at Zealana for not having more free patterns. Thanks, but no - I don't want to have to purchase an entire book and "hope" there's a hat pattern in it. Can't you just put out a simple hat? Let the yarn speak? 

Yeesh. There are days when knitting is NOT therapeutic. And today is one of them. 

So I found this link: 
http://www.earthguild.com/products/knitcroc/marypat/hatcalc.htm 

- it's a hat calculator. So I figure, if I can get 4 st/inch as the designer did specify, perhaps I can just enlarge the hat. 

I love the pattern. LOVE it. 

It's such a gorgeous pattern with this absolutely sublime yarn. Nuts. I hate when the knitting fairies conspire against me. I do not want to go buy Red Heart yarn for this pattern.

And why is DK yarn not uniform? According to Wikipedia (don't judge -- I'm having a yarn crisis right now...) I'm in the ballpark. But I'm flummoxed as to what is wrong. I have 188-ish yards of this stuff, and I don't want to knit it bald. 

Auuuuuuuuuuuughhhhhhhhhhhh (as Charlie Brown said after Lucy pulled the football away).

Guns...

In today's Chicago Tribune, there's an article: Dangerous mix: Guns, road rage. No, I'm serious. Like nobody's ever thought of that concept before??

So now that Illinois has succumbed to the stupid and is allowing people to carry concealed weapons, NOW someone thinks about guns + stupid + road rage = something not good... Yeah, we're on the ball here, folks. 

I'll save you the trouble of digesting it all. To sum up: "...researchers and police alike worry an increased number of legal guns in cars could lead to an increase in road rage shootings."

Ummmmm. Yeah. It's likely. And there's another wrinkle in this tablecloth: undiagnosed mental disorders, specifically anger disorders. The article notes, "...psychologists say anger disorders are some of the hardest to detect, allowing them to easily slip by undetected and get concealed carry permits." Lovely. I'm so looking forward to this summer. 

I'm sorry: I don't think the 16 hours of training is enough. I don't think people have fully comprehended the concept of carrying a deadly weapon and how quickly things can go bad. And they haven't considered fully the psychological implications of actually pulling the trigger while the gun is pointed at another human being. We civilians don't think like that. We're not trained sufficiently, and we have a romanticized version in our heads of what this new law will do.

And I don't think it'll be pretty when the bullets start flying. People have this image of "only gangbangers will be shooting" but it's not so. Guns have a weird psychological effect on you; they make you think you're actually fit to defuse a situation, and immune to injury because you're carrying them. 

I think people are going to be surprised at how this all shakes out. And I pray that I'm overreacting. 

Yoga...

So I have the script and a basic outline of a sequence for hands and arms. That's the thesis I'm doing to complete my 200-hour training. I have one section on mudras to work on and then I have to get Hubby to film it. I'm doing a DVD. And no, I'm not selling it, nor am I doing much promotion on it, though if I can figure out a way to do it, I may get a workshop out of it!

Apan mudra

Mudras are fascinating. They are hand gestures used in yoga and Indian dance. My focus is on the therapeutic use of these gestures, specifically as they relate to hand and joint health. 

The one pictured here, apan mudra, is an energy mudra. It helps balance the mind and bring clarity to your thoughts. The image is one I grabbed from The Google. It's not my hand; my hand isn't that pretty! 

And yes, I believe this. 

Mudras can be used for meditation; healing; rejuvenation. It's all subtle body work, and maybe the key is that, in this loud, loud, LOUD world, mudras force us to sit still and breathe. Maybe that's a key component to their healing properties. Either way, I'm looking forward to finishing it up. 

I have one Karma (free) class to host, one more private lesson, and one more workshop. Oh, and one more book review, which is a pain because somewhere, I set the book down, and now I can't find it. It's likely buried in the heap that is my office. 

Mud Season...

So it's now "mud season" till the next snow and/or polar vortex. They say it's coming back. Right now, it's "ugly snow" and mud. Lots of mud. I took some pictures on Saturday, because I had to go out and get my new glasses. These are along the river and in the canal area. This is where snow is not pretty. 

The picture to the left is where I parked my car to get to the eye doctor's office. It looks better than snow looked at this time of year when I was a kid. At least this is crud.

Back in the dark ages, children, we used cinders to spread along the roads. Not salt unless it was BIG SNOW. But for everyday snow, it was cinders all the way. 

Tracking those buggers through the house was a pain in the butt. You couldn't get them all cleaned up. They were everywhere. 

For environmental reasons, they stopped using cinders. I live in an area with a lot of coal-fired power plants, so cinders were a totally renewable resource, if you think of it a little sideways and you squint. 

Thaw along the river

I went under the high-rise bridge to get the one here. It's a gorgeous spot, though prone to flash floods because the road is so close to the river. 

This is with phone, so you probably can't see the ducks. It was a grey day, so the light wouldn't have been spectacular even if I had the big camera. 

Hubby took the girls for a walk and came back in record time. He said the trails were so icy - even in the melt, there were large sections of black ice and he wasn't about to risk breaking something. As it is, Quinn slid and was hopping around on 3 legs for about 10 minutes. Nothing was broken on her, but she took a good jolt. I've been overly-careful myself. Today is the first day I'm actually wearing "real" shoes. 

I hear people chirping about "spring being right around the corner." 

Yep. In about 3 months. 

Random Picture...

Hunting Island Lighthouse

This is at the top of the Hunting Island lighthouse in South Carolina. It was a cloudy day. I would imagine that a sunny day would be spectacular!

I think this might have been one of the highlights of The Bus Trip with Mom... Climbing to the top of the lighthouse was something I wasn't sure I could do, because I hadn't exactly been physically fit. More like "physically pfffffffffth" because of my own lack of exercise. But I took my time, stopping to take pictures out the various windows, and then getting to the top. It was dizzying - I mean, I'm out on the deck there, it's a high-ish wind, and I wanted to get a sense of the scope. But I tipped my head up and realized (quickly) that that wasn't smart! Railing notwithstanding, it was a very "Vertigo" feeling! I hope the picture gives you an idea of what I was seeing at that moment. 

It's not exactly Ansel Adams, but it's a cool picture. At least I think so. 

Here's Where I Draw the Line...

Just in case anyone had any confusion about where I stand, let me explain this clearly. 

Women are human, sentient beings. They are not incubators. Test tubes. Hatcheries. Fertilization pods.

We are actually quite capable of making our own decisions. And I get so tired of Republican agendas being all about the uterus. Especially when those drawing up that agenda are white males... Why would any woman be Republican in 2014??

Brain dead...

Dr. Cory Franklin wrote a very compelling opinion piece in today's Chicago Tribune. It's called "When are you officially dead?" and it discusses the very tragic case of 13 year old Jahi McMath, who went into relatively routine surgery and something went horribly, horribly, horribly wrong. She's brain dead. No hope for recovery.

According to Dr. Franklin, the accepted standard of "death" is "brain dead." In other words, you have no functioning brain activity. Oh, you can be kept "alive" on a machine, but you have, for all intents and purposes, flat-lined. Jahi has no brain activity. No electrical activity in the brain. No blood flow to the brain. She's unable to breathe on her own.

Yet her parents sued (and won) to keep her on a ventilator and moved to a facility "...that accepts responsibility for a patient declared dead."

OK. It's horrible to lose a child. She's been declared dead by three neurologists, and the coroner of Alameda County, CA. Yet her parents saw something. I don't know what. And now, the LA Times says her body is "deteriorating." The family maintains that as long as her heart is beating, she's alive. However, a professor of law and ethics says that "once cessation of all brain activity is confirmed, there is no recovery." 

For God's sake. Is there a compassionate physician or nurse or clergy who can explain that the only reason this poor child's heart continues to beat is because of the machinery?  

Speaking of which...

In North Texas, there's a woman who is brain dead but being kept alive against her family's wishes. Because there's this quirk in Texas law (when isn't there a quirk, especially if it screws women?) that says you can't disconnect a pregnant woman from life support. 

The usual pregnancy, all things going well, is 32 weeks. The baby is "technically" viable, though still in extreme danger, at 24 weeks at the soonest. This woman was 14 weeks pregnant when she had what they assume was a pulmonary embolism. That's TEN WEEKS on life support. And that's a big freakin' deal. Because if she's in a brain-dead state, there's no activity. There's no life. She's an incubator, and frankly - not a very good one, because the body will start to deteriorate. And technically, if she's brain-dead, she has no "condition" medically speaking. Dead is dead. 

The family wants her disconnected. The hospital interprets Texas law to say they can't do that. However, medical ethics experts say they can - they just lose immunity for a lawsuit. Seems to me, Texas is once again in the uterus. Where it has no business being.

Knitting...

What would a knitter do? I need a hat. So instead of trucking to my local Target, I cruised around and found a pattern. Found some lovely Kauri yarn in my stash, and I'm knitting a hat. So far, it's going well, and I should have a hat by Sunday. 

Here's the scoop:  The yarn is a yummy Kauri, from Zealana, and it's worsted weight. It's a blend of New Zealand merino, possum and silk. This teal color is lovely, and it's a nice warm beanie. The link goes to Jimmy Beans, but I got this at a lovely shop in Indianapolis, IN. The shop is called Knit Stop and if you click on their name, you can see what they're about. It was a charming shop and was a nice side trip during our visit to the Knit and Crochet Guild event this past summer. 

The pattern is Strawberry Fields Hat, which is looking to be a "mock cable" kind of thing. I'm doing it on DPNs and my only wish was that I had longer DPNs because of the bulk of the yarn. I don't have a 16" size 7 circular...

It's about a 2" band, then about 6" of body and then you start the decreases. I'm really liking this yarn, but I have to say that in the worsted weight, I'd only do hat, mittens, scarf or mitts. Anything else seems like it would be super-duper warm. Way to warm for me with hot flashes!! 

The pattern description says "easy lace" -- which is true: the pattern is quite easy and quickly memorized. With the right beginning knitter, I could teach them this pattern. But lace? I'm not sure yet. I mean, yeah, there are holes, deliberately placed, but the yarn overs and psso technique kind of leaves me feeling "cable" rather than "lace."

What do you think?

Random Picture...

The snow people from my office. Well, actually, they lived in my basement for years. They were a gift from a friend who somehow thought we had (a) a larger house; and (b) a fireplace... We don't. Either of them.

So for a while, we put them in the house, but with the dogs, and just feeling "cramped," they lived in the basement for a long time, and then when I got to the place I work now, I was able to put them out.

First, they lived in the vestibule. But then I thought that the little niche in the front of the reception desk was cool. And they fit! They'll stay there through February. Yes, there's a teensy bit of holly in their hats, but when outside looks arctic, snowmen are cool. 

See? A pun. 

Weak, but a pun. 

Truckin' Through Thursday...

...as in "truckin through the mush." 

Big news: It's snowing again. Now, I don't mean I'm all "Henny Penny" about it. Just saying that our current weather is 19*F with "feels like" at 10* and snow showers. 

Tomorrow, it turns to rain. Saturday it turns to sleet. Welcome, January. We went from -45* at the beginning of the week to Sunday's upcoming high of 40* - ABOVE zero, mind you. Darn nearly spring weather...

So now that 2014 is here, let's get back to the interesting stuff. Not that food, reading and knitting are NOT interesting, but I did take a slight holiday break from "The Insanity." Let's have some discussion, though. It's time.

Women...

From a study done by a Harvard economist which indicated that flexible hours would lessen the gender pay gap to those good ol' boy Republicans who want to legislate women back into servitude. We're head-slappingly going back to fight fights we oughtn't have to fight in this century. 

In the Chicago Tribune the other day, Professor Claudia Goldin (gasp! a WOMAN!) states that gender salary differentials "would be considerably reduced and might vanish altogether if firms did not have an incentive to disproportionately reward individuals who labord long hours and worked particular hours." 

Translation: How come women 25 - 69 years of age, working full time, still make 77% of what men earn? She says that the pay gap in industries with more flexible work schedules (science, technology, health) is smaller than that of other industries with more rigid workdays (those professions include financial and legal professions). 

"Quite simply, the gap exists because hours of work in many occupations are worth more when given at particular moments and when the hours are more continuous," says her study. Here's her solution to closing that gender pay gap: workers must get more autonomy in determining their schedules. Read the entire article here. 

I'm 55. I have worked in office settings where I had to be at a certain place at a certain time. I actually had to pay my kid's Catholic school a fee every month because I was unable to do my monthly "lunch monitor" work. Well, because I had to WORK to pay the tuition. Plus, of course, the fee for not being able to volunteer because I had to work. 

Can you see where this argument goes? Now, I have my MA and my MBA and I work a more flexible schedule. But there are still so many women stuck in "pink collar" jobs - and whether they're stuck by training or inclination, they're still stuck. And I'm not saying that we don't need those kinds of jobs. We do. 

Crap - ANY jobs now are good ones! 

That being said, why must it only be the women who've been able to break the mold of traditional office jobs who can take advantage of that lesser pay gap? Frankly, it's the ones stuck in the cube farm or in other work where the day is fairly regimented who really need the smaller pay gap. 

But of course, we're talking about women. Who, even though they are in large part major contributors to their family's incomes, are still considered "less than" by employers. Men still get more than women, for doing the same job. 

It is 2014, right? 

Of course, with jobs at a premium here in the US anyway, I suppose I shouldn't carp on it, but it bugs me that the fights that were fought in the 70s and 80s are now either being re-fought or aren't won yet. How long will this take?

Sooooooooooo... The Republicans are trying again to legislate birth control and abortion, battles we thought we'd already dealt with. Because, you know, nothing else is going on. 

But there's good news on the ACA front: Breast cancer prevention drugs must be covered. See this link and rejoice! Now, if we can get more research money toward lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer, we'd be golden. 

Yesterday on Make it Plain, I heard Dahlia Lithwick talk about Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor and her rather interesting decision regarding the Little Sisters of the Poor, a religious order with one of many ACA "I don't want your birth control mandate" lawsuits. The issue appears to be a release form. 

Here's how it goes. You object to the ACA mandate. Okey-dokey. Do you fit into one of the categories that qualify? Yes. Okey-dokey. Please sign this form. 

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, says Little Sisters. If WE sign this form then it means SOMEONE ELSE has to give our employees birth control. And we object to THAT. Their ability to give our employees birth control violates OUR religious views. Here's the story. 

Now just hang on a pea-picking moment here, good Sisters. My take on this is thus: It's none of your business what I do. If you object to providing birth control, peachy. Object. Sign the form. Move on. 

But no. You have to force YOUR religion down ANYONE else's throat. That makes no sense. Well, maybe a warped manner of sense. 

So if I object to the war (Doesn't matter which one. Pick one.) and I register that objection, then that's the end of the argument. I don't get to object to anyone else's stand in the issue. Because that slope is more slippery than an Illinois freeway right now. 

That would cause whole segments of commerce and society to collapse. 

Oh, and it would likely cause the ACA to collapse. Regardless of the good the ACA does (see the cancer drug mentioned above), regardless of the countless people it'll help. "Ye Gods and Little Fishes, we WILL NOT HAVE BIRTH CONTROL." (stomp your foot here)

Just because the Little Sisters (or insert your favorite religion here) have that belief does not entitle them to push that on anyone else. Because that, my children, is then called a theocracy. 

And let me remind you of the 1796 Treaty of Tripoli. See the first sentence? This treaty was written under the presidency of George Washington and signed under the presidency of John Adams. 

"As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion..." 

While every one of the Founding Fathers were "religious" - they were most often "deist" - they believed in a God, but nowhere is that God mentioned in the CONSTITUTION, which is our governing document. The Declaration of Independence, a lovely document, is not a governing document. Big difference. 

Fewer Republicans...

I liken this to slavery or indentured servitude. A small percentage of the people decide that they know what religion is best. And the rest of us are forced to go along with it. Remember the old movies? What the master of the house believed, everyone had to conform with. When he prayed, the servants prayed. When the plantation owner prayed, his slaves prayed. What he believed, they believed. 

Because that's what will happen if we keep to the current trend of legislating freedoms. 

Sr. Joan Speaks

How come it's "legislating freedoms" when they do it to those of us with ovaries and a uterus, but when it comes to guns it's all "restricting my rights"? 

How come y'all are "all about the fetus" but, making Sr. Joan Chittister's point, you all could give a lamb's left leg about the baby AFTER it gets here. In fact, not only that, but you slut-shame the mothers of said children as if the fathers had no earthly responsibility toward the child now living in this world surrounded by your condescending hatred of its very existence. Because it's a CHILD now, not a fetus. As if one has more value than the other. 

According to a recent Gallup poll, "record numbers" are registering as Independents. Not Republicans. Actually, the number of registered Republicans seems to be declining. Hey, when you have to have sensitivity training to deal with over 50% of the population (and that's only the gender split, not counting racial lines), then you have problems, kids. 

Now, if the Democrats could get as good of a message-making machine, we'd be golden. As an example, we have the redoubtable Chris Christie...Bridge-gate. But on Fox, nary a whisper. What Christie scandal? 

We Democrats/Progressives should have such a news network. Though we're not really into suspending belief in the face of evidence...that could be a problem. 

Polar Vortex...

Speaking of flying in the face of evidence, there's the "isn't he dead yet?" Pat Robertson claiming that global warming must be a hoax because there are no SUVs on Jupiter.

Ok. And pickles have feathers. 

Because that sentence makes as much sense as Robertson's statement. And for good measure, Hannity, Limpblow, Trump, and the rest of FakesNews chimed right in. 

"There IS NO GLOBAL WARMING because it's cold."

Ok, guys, here's the thing. GLOBAL. That means the ENTIRE world, not just the silly little bubble you seem to inhabit. See, Australia (Remember, that's on the OTHER side of the Earth) is having summer now. That's how it works. The seasons rotate and while WE have winter here in this hemisphere (follow along, it's not hard), the OTHER hemispheres have other seasons, so Australia, in its hemisphere - the SOUTHERN hemisphere - is having SUMMER. 

And they're baking. Record high temps. Heat wave. Massive problems with heat, including wildfires, bats dropping out of the trees and destruction of homes and property. That's why it's called GLOBAL warming. Because the temperatures all across the GLOBE are changing, too rapidly, and because of us stupid humans. 

So while I'm sitting here watching the snow fall in Illinois, Queensland is having a raging fire. Because of the heat wave. 

Because of global warming. 

If you're interested, here's a story on the polar vortex. 

Religion...

As if we weren't already bashing enough, right? Well, look at this video and just let the chills go up and down your arms. Scientology. Religion for profit. Urgh. 

Again, hearkening back to the news lately, it seems like we're on a crusade. Or I should say a Crusade. 

Now I'm the first one to say that, since the dawn of "reality TV" (an oxymoron of massive proportions) society and civility have been going down the flusher. But I don't think a massive swing back to "Puritania" will cure this. 

Common sense will. But as the sage said, "Common sense... isn't."

Knitting...

No pictures. Just a note that my mom likes the Nephew Afghan. I saw the bridal registry. Sorry, but I'm sticking to my own gifts: the afghan, and then I got them a convertible punch bowl/cake topper/dip thingie + a "First Christmas" ornament. Done and done. 

I'm cool with gift registries. But I'm a renegade. I'm the weird aunt who buys the kids books. Obscure books. Reading is cool. 

Oh, and I find I need to knit myself a hat. I've got a cloche pattern for a "fancy church hat" (just for fun, and I have the wool) and a really cute beanie style. I have hats; I just don't have the "right" hat and I have a ton of the grey/black/cream yarn left from the Charity Afghan. I may as well use it. 

I don't particularly care what my hats look like, because like I told Roberta from choir, I have very few (read: NONE) "cute" hats. They're all functional. 

So I've just searched something like 16 pages of "free knitting hat patterns" and I came up with several. Now to just get the time to knit one before spring...

Raisa...

Raisa, f/k/a "Dolly"

We had the home visit. It went fine, for the most part. There were a few stumbles. Like when the volunteer brings Raisa up the front porch and Quinn goes ballistic. Dude... it's HER territory. We should have met down the street. 

Or when, as the dogs were licking faces (and I'm talking Raisa licking the faces of Tippi and Quinn, just like a puppy does) and the volunteer kept sticking his hand between them. Great way to lose a finger or encourage a bite. 

Ok, there's "puppy licking" and the "stare and flick." The "stare and flick" you really want to avoid, because that's the precursor to trouble. With a capital "T" - which we didn't want. But Puppy Licking is submissive behavior. I learned a lot because after we were done, I contacted a friend in England with masses of years of dog experience, and a friend in TN who not only fostered, but bred, and also had years/decades of experience in huskies, elkies, wolf hybrids, you name it. And I talked with our trainer. To a person, each said, "Pfffffffth - he didn't really know what he was talking about." However, our trainer did say that perhaps he had a placement go really wrong, so he was overreacting to what was going on in our house. 

So Tippi responded quite well to Raisa. Then she became oblivious, which is a good sign. Quinn took a while, and it would've been easier if the volunteer hadn't gone all "Cesar" on us and talked about being "the alpha in the room." 

Really? It's MY house. Thanks. Aside from the fact that Kid #2 was there, and Hubby, let's face it; I'm really the alpha female in this household. Either way, the kids grew up with northern breeds and this isn't exactly Hubby's first rodeo either. 

Nonetheless, we are approved!! Raisa comes on the 18th of January. Puppy all over again. As you can see, she not only found the couch, but found the grunting hedgehog. We have the crate ordered; along with a pad for it. I have spare toys, Kong bones and dishes. We're all set except for the first few sleepless nights. 

And realistically, she's our last puppy. I'm in my mid-50s and perhaps at some point, I'll retire. We will have 3 dogs. And when Kid #2 moves out, we more or less lose our in-home dog-watching service. Though he's already said that he's kidnapping -- errrrr - DOGnaping Raisa. "After all, you have THREE and you're only supposed to have TWO." Um, dear child - we will count paws when you leave. 

Anyway, you have to add up the vet costs; the fact that you have to train each of them; the fact that you can't exactly up and take off for a trip. Of course, after everyone's housebroken and trained, we can take them with us, or leave them home longer. But you still have to think about things. Particularly since neither Huskies nor Elkhounds are small dogs. 

Random Picture...

Eskimo Snow

I used to do a lot of counted cross stitch. A lot. Masses. Of course, I still have a cache of WIPs in that media as well. You guessed that, though, didn't you?? Anyway, here's one of the pics in the hallway. I love it. I used a glossy floss on the snowman and I only outlined him. I mean, the fabric is white, so why stitch it over? I don't remember its exact title. But the frame is a lovely denim-dark-blue and it's on the Wall of Fame. One of these days, I have to get a long shot of that. When we repainted, I had hubby gather up all the stuff I'd done and put it all up there. May as well display it, right?

I should put up my Curtis Boehringer snowman for January. I also have one for February, but March is sitting in the cross stitch frame waiting on me. We won't go into the WIPs for counted cross stitch right now. 

It would make me want to retire. Well, a lot of things make me want to retire... 

Winter Images...

Not a cop-out. It's just that we took a lot of pictures in this cold snap. 

And no, none of them are of the temp indicator on our dashboards! 

Knitting... 

Nephew Afghan

Miles (and miles) to go on the afghan, but it's coming along. I have probably gotten close to the half-way mark here.  At 40" x 46" it's two couch cushions wide and just a hair longer. As Hubby says, "That's not very big." But I'm not planning on making a queen-sized afghan! All I want is sort of a "representation" afghan. My granny did the big ones; I'm not going to do that if I don't have to. This is enough for a snuggle afghan, which works for me.

The Namaste needle case for circulars? Urgh. Not impressed. Mine's full and I need about 4 more! So instead, I ordered the clear vinyl sleeves. I have binders, and I think this is probably the easiest way to store them. Sonda was right. I should've gotten them when she carried them!

Winter...

Yes, winter has arrived with a statement to make. What Winter is saying is "HA" -- We've been lulled into complacency with the mild winters we've had. The "February Blizzard" a few years ago was significant, but it was a tease. 

Winter version of the garden

This is cold. Bone-numbing cold. The actual temperature (remember, I said no dashboard pics) from The Weather Channel is -13*F and with the "feels like," which is their new term for "wind-chill," that's -35*F.  Negative. Thirty-Five. Degrees. Farenheit...

Baby It's Cold Outside!!!

Kid #2's car wouldn't start. Of course, it's the original battery, but -35* doesn't help.

He's off school today; my campus is closed. Most everything is closed, even our local free clinic, which is the first time I've known of that since I've been on the board - almost 15 years.

Our west-facing front window 

The wind-chill warning is on till noon tomorrow. "Prolonged period of dangerously cold and potentially life-threatening wind chills." 

-30 to -50* below zero, which are the lowest in about 20 years - for this part of the country. 

Even the dogs - Hubby isn't doing the usual walk. It's too cold even for a Norwegian Elkhound!

Luckily, they're saying that instead of a 2- to 3-day cold snap, this could be it. The picture here is of our west-facing front window at about 7:15 a.m. Frost. On the inside.

So much for Andersen "energy efficient" windows. But then, they're nearly 30 years old, too...

Church...

Sunday, there were 13 of us in the church for the 10:30 a.m. service. There were only 4 at 8 a.m. and one of those was Fr. Matt.

We had the regular Mass, at the back where they have the small altar, since 6 of the 13 were choir members! A hardy bunch, right? 

This is our church parking lot. It's a very old building, as you can see. And there's a drift there to the right: it was so high that you almost couldn't get into the lot. It's in a very old neighborhood, so as we left, the plows were coming, single-file because of the narrow roads. 

Fr. Matt was probably waiting for decades (well, he's not that old) to use this one: "Thank you, everyone, for coming out today and not making me preach to the choir." We did feel compelled to point out that almost half of us in attendance WERE the choir! 

Arborvitae

More pics...

Just captions, with a little explanation. On the north side of our house, we have a row of arborvitae. This is a close-up of one of them. They bow to the snow, and it's actually better if you knock the heavy stuff off. But you have to be careful because they are pretty brittle in this cold. They provide lots of cover for the birds. 

Tippi had a snow-face. I took her out over the weekend (now that Hubby's home, he's doing more of that) and she decided that plowing her face in the snow, searching for something only she knows about, was a good thing. The snow was falling, but it wasn't that cold this weekend. They saved the good stuff for during the week!!

She loved it. I wish we could take them to the dog park, but it's too cold out there for all of us. 

 Believe it or not, even northern breed dogs can get frostbite and hypothermia at this temperature range. Not worth risking it for a romp. 

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: If you see someone stupid enough to leave pets out in this?

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE call the authorities. 

Like I said, I don't care if your dog "always lives outside." It's too stinkin' cold. Bring the dog in. Period. 

Speaking of dogs...

Dolly...

Dolly found the hedgehog

We had our meet-and-greet. While I wasn't jazzed about some of the methods Lance used, I have to say that Tippi took to Dolly right away. Quinn? Not so much. But she's the one we worried about. 

After the outside meeting, we came inside. Mind you, our house is small. Dolly went on a "face-licking fest" and Lance kept pushing her aside. 

Actually, I wanted her to do this. It's a sign of submission and begging for food. It's a sign that she kind of 'gets' her place. She licked both dogs' faces, which was good. Quinn was still a little schizo, but I think it will all work out. 

Lance had some objections, based on Quinn, but we talked to two experts we know, and we're waiting for our trainer to call us. 

If the agency approves us, we'll take Dolly and Quinn to Bobbie and get them trained together; it'll be a bonding experience. 

Dolly found the hedgehog. And the couch. She'll fit right in. If it all works, her new name will be Raisa. That's Russian for "princess." Her middle name will be "Myrna" for Myrna Loy. 

As soon as we talk to Bobbie, we'll have a better idea. They said "think it over for 3 or 4 days." Hopefully, they'll approve our house. Steve, a veteran breeder and foster-parent, said that he didn't hear anything that would raise flags for us. And he's thinking that we should be approved. He was afraid that Lance wanted Dolly for himself, but I didn't get that vibe. I got the vibe that he was done fostering a puppy and wants to get her settled. 

We shall see... As I told Steve, if it comes to pass, then it was meant to be. Otherwise, all I can hope for is that Forever Husky finds a really perfect setting for Dolly. 

Soup for you!

Food...

This is soup weather. So that's what I made the other day. Chicken tortellini soup. It went over quite well. 

Tonight, we'll be making pasta. It's all about the comfort food right now. 

I have a pot roast in the fridge, thawing. That goes in the crock tomorrow. 

I would love to bake, but then I'd eat it. 

Maybe Hubby will do some bread. That would be good. 

For The Birds...

This weather isn't "for the birds." Hubby will take our old heated dog bowl, fill it with water and plug it in. The birds need the water as much as they need the food we've been putting out.

Male cardinal

There's a huge hole in the snow! We figure perhaps a squirrel came to rest last night. He's gone. 

For your enjoyment, one of my favorite birds: the cardinal. And a nuthatch on the bird bell. And frozen doves... 

I was trying to catch the male and female cardinals, but they're not buying my photography bug... 

The doves? They normally roost around the gutters. Today, they figured the sunny spot next to the snow drift was probably a place they could warm up. They're very puffed up - frozen birds, to say the least. Right now, they're back around the seed on the snow, stoking the tummy. 

The bird bell was an impulse buy for Christmas. The finches loved it. It's obviously all gone now, but I was happy to get this little fellow. 

Doves thawing out

I haven't gotten any cute video or shots of the squirrels. They've been rather sparse today. 

I'm done now; I'm off to knit. What are you doing with this day? 

Nuthatch on bird bell

It's Just January...

...not "snowpocalypse" or "snowmageddon." 

Get. Over. It. 

Snow 2014

It's snow. It's January. It's Illinois. It's normal(ish). Normal in that when I was growing up, this is what January looked like. But "ish" in the sense that I've noticed a great deal of climate change here. Too many winters have had us watching those north and south of us get bombarded, and too many summers in drought-like conditions.

So in my book, this is "just January" and we need to go out, have fun and build snowmen if we can! Actually, when Kid #2 gets back, I'm going to see if we can build one in the front yard. It's time! [Update: He said, "BAH Humbug." I guess that means "You're nuts."]

As an aside, I don't know what's up with Blogger... Lately, every time I blog, I get the "an error occurred while trying to save or publish your post" message. What's up with that?? Maybe it doesn't like my Windows 8.1 configuration? Get with the times, Blogger... 

So today, I was going to go into work for a few hours. Technically, we're back from holiday break. Realistically, it's Thursday. Nobody will be looking for us. So I went to the Main Campus to pick up mail. I got out of our alley (sliding a bit); got to the road (good); got to the highway and slid over one lane (not on purpose). I managed to get down the highway ok - it's only about 10 minutes from my house to the main campus. I slid into the drive of the university and slithered my way to the mail room. Got the mail, what there was of it.

And called my boss, saying, "Hey, Boss: SNOW DAY." She agreed. Had she not had an appointment with a Big Important Person, she'd have been at home, too! [Another UPDATE: We just got a blast text that said the campuses were closed. Yep. No kidding.]

Which brings me to...

Knitting...

I had a date with my friend to teach her to knit - or rather, reintroduce knitting to her. She cancelled because her subdivision hadn't even been plowed out. 

So I'm at home. I've shoveled, and as soon as I finish here, I'm getting back to the Nephew Afghan. I've got my chai, my movie channel on, and I'm ready to go. 

Food...

ClaHAM Chowder

The clam chowder in the crock pot turned out just fine last night, even though I did it wrong. I probably have too much cornstarch in it, but I have 3 containers to put in the freezer for later on. 

I'm actually calling this Cla-HAM Chowder. The recipe called for bacon or salt pork. Yuck. I had leftover ham, so I chopped it up and added it. No extra salt was needed, but the recipe (again) called for 3 1/2 teaspoons! Yikes!! That's too much, particularly if you did use either bacon or salt pork. I barely used a teaspoon of salt. Lots of fresh-ground pepper though, and for lunch today, I added a little sprinkle of chili powder.

The bread is an artisan loaf - 3-Cheese bread. Yummy. 

Sorry about the tilted picture. Squint and turn your head a bit...

Random Rant...

Sadly, this isn't actually "random" as I have the same rant every time it snows in this city. Every. Single. Time.

As I drove in my aborted attempt to go to work, I must once again complain. It's Illinois. It's January. It's snowing. 

For the love of what's holy, can people please clean off their cars! No portholes, folks, unless you're piloting a boat.

And by the way, lights would be good. You've got a grey or silver or dull-colored car, with an atmosphere where snow's flying, the light is low, and everything's kind of in black-and-white. Do you know how difficult it is to see you? 

And use some common sense when you're driving. 

To the guy in the small white Chevy: You cut off a snow plow. You ran a read light. I can guarantee you that the snow plow wouldn't have felt a thing.

You? Roadkill. 

Pictures...

Snow in the trees

Brought out the Big Camera and I've been taking some pics. I'll get those off the camera and posted in a later entry. Right now, Kid #2 is moaning about the camera "not being left-handed" but he's trying to photograph the birds anyway. 

He's looking to buy a Canon at some point, so it's good for him to get used to it.

I took the camera on the phone and took shots of the piles of snow, the dogs in the snow... Lots of things. I even got Tippi with a face full of snow. She was reluctant to pose, but that's too bad. I'm the one handing out the kibble here!

House...

Got the walks shoveled. Got the entry to the alley shoveled. Got the trucks cleaned off and I drove up and down the alley a couple of times. I also got the birdfeeders filled, and cleaned out a couple that were clogged. 

Note to self: This spring, tear down each birdfeeder and scrub it thoroughly. I hate that job. But it does beat cleaning the bathroom. 

Dishes are almost done. I think I'll actually have a relaxing afternoon. I'm going to get The Kid to deal with the dogs. That's what he's here for, right?

Politics...

THIS guy. I'm almost at a loss for words, however the comments on his thoroughly disgusting Facebook post do make up somewhat for what has been running through my mind.

Gun lubricant labeled "Liberal tears." Making fun of the shootings in Newtown. 

Yeahhhhhhhhhhh, BIG MAN there, dude. Must be compensating for a small penis. And an even-smaller brain. 

And I'm also annoyed at MSNBC. What is up with how we handle issues like Melissa Harris-Perry's apology? Why is CNN attempting to launch a campaign to have her fired? Why am I thinking that this is a conspiracy to just get MSNBC off the air so that Rupert can control ALL the media? 

And could I be correct??

She apologized. Let's just move along here. She surely isn't as crazy as the Duck Dude who hates gays, "but I'm a good Christian." Right. You also advise men to marry teenagers. 

And of course Poopsie Palin is all "Kids are off-limits."

Really? Like, then, well, ummmmmm - what were those things YOU were hauling out? Props? Fakes? Cardboard cut-outs??

Actually, yes, ALL KIDS should be off limits. But that means for both the Right and the Left. Nobody attacks, and nobody trots the kids out (especially the unmarried preggo one, Mrs. "Christian Values"??) to show how "family oriented" they are. 

If MSNBC fires Harris-Perry, they might as well close up shop. Because then, the bullies have won. Every single time someone from CrazyTown hollers that THEY feel violated (because, you know, only THEY have First Amendment rights. The Left has none.) - well, then MSNBC will be firing everyone except the janitors. 

In the meantime, Poopsie Palin defends Duck Dude without even reading his interview. Because, of course, he's a man. Or, of course, she's stupid. And no, I'm not calling names. I am, unfortunately, stating a fact. The woman shoots her mouth off, doesn't apologize for anything she ever says, and everyone seems to be afraid of her.

Can't imagine why. Unless you want to avoid drowning-by-incoherency, I suppose it might be interesting to try to get into a bona fide discussion with her. But then again, I have a heart issue. It would probably bother my cardiologist if I got that frustrated. 

Snow-face

Random Picture...

Tippi, this morning. After rooting in the snow. 

I wish our yard was bigger. And I also wish the dog park wasn't filled with so many crazy owners. Attendance actually goes down because people bring unsocialized dogs there and then they don't bother to stick with them, so the dogs end up tangling with other dogs. 

I'm not risking my dog on someone else's laziness. Socializing your dogs is important, particularly since our local park is just one big whack of 4 acres. I mean, there's no delineation for a "small dog" area, and frankly, a Cocker spaniel tried to attack Tippi once. When the Cocker was on a leash. We were standing under a tree, just getting ready to leash the dogs up to go home, when BAM! Out of no where, this little red thing goes nuts and snaps at Tippi. She stepped back and just looked at her. 

The poor guy who owned her! He just about fell over. We were talking and the dog, Lucy, now that I recall, just went bonkers. He leashed her up immediately and made us run our hands over Tippi to make sure she wasn't hurt. 

She wasn't. She made me very proud because she just kind of looked at Lucy and didn't react. 

That's why we don't do the dog park anymore. It's a shame. It's also a shame that that wasn't the only incident. And it wasn't only us. 

Off for tea and knitting. Almost time to close the blinds; I'm trying to leave them open a bit so that Arlo gets more sunlight in these dim days.