Sunday, September 18, 2011

September

We are galloping through September! Book Club, which meets on the third Monday of the month, will be tomorrow night. We're discussing Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, by Helen Simonson. ( I'd have underlined that title if I knew how to do it in Chrome, but I can't find that option. ) It's her first novel and is very clever, readable and enjoyable.

This morning I blocked a shawlette I've knit for our bride-to-be. This is the second go at the pattern. The first was knit with Legacy Lace, a merino/nylon blend from a farm in Nebraska. It worked up well, but the color wasn't so white as I wanted. When I saw some nice Italian merino in Wildfiber, I bought that and started over. A lot of work for something that may or may not be worn, depending on the weather that evening, but she'll have it if she needs it. I think I'll keep the first one for myself, but I might give it to her too, to take on their honeymoon.

Wedding-wise, I have three dresses, two of which will be returned shortly, no shoes, and no underpinnings. Each dress requires a different style of bra, so this week I must decide which dress to keep, which to return, and then go find the proper support. Shoes are on the calendar for next week.

Last week I worked up the menu for the rehearsal dinner, and sent it off to the restaurant to be sure those choices were still available. It was returned with "corrections, " which made me laugh. Their menu is strewn indiscriminately with upper-case letters, and my descriptions had none. These had been carefully replaced, so that we could offer "...Half Chicken, Roasted in an Oak Oven..." We'll be using my version.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

August

Sometimes I start posts and forget that they are still in Draft...

So now we are approaching the end of August, summer is nearly over and a new school year awaits. Although it has been ages since I spent these upcoming weeks getting a student outfitted, I still respond to the academic calendar. The old year is winding down now, tired and hot and ready for a long rest. The new year begins when the classroom doors open and children head out bravely into new adventures.

I spent the summer doing various things, but every Monday I had Knit Club. Twenty girls signed up, and there were five when we ended. Several of the original group were there just for that first week, but I hadn't told them they couldn't come and try, and now I have several kits with only a few rows on the needles, some without even the requisite 16 stitches cast on. Those I'll take apart, peel the name tags from the bags, roll the yarn again into the balls, ready for the next girls who want to learn this skill.

Our county Fair stretched into August this year, four weeks of fun and strangeness, bad food I no longer eat, interesting artisans displaying their skills. One day I had a chance to knit with a group working on the World's Largest Sock. The project has been moving around the world since 2006, when it was begun in Great Britain. I got a sticker for my participation.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Happy Independence Day

Photobucket




Last night I forgot to bring in our flag, and this is what I found this morning.

The police report calls it attempted arson. It was probably a crime of opportunity, some stupid kids walking by with matches or lighters. The flag was out, not visible from the house. I wonder if they were surprised to see how fast it burned. Did they linger to see the black, melted drops fall to the concrete? Did they even consider what might have happened had the flames reached the overhang? Probably not. Probably stupid kids, neighbor kids, perhaps, because who else is roaming this street at night?

This flag was given to my boys by their late grandfather, who came to this country to escape brutal tyranny in Europe. It was lovely, sewn stripes and embroidered stars, and we'd had it for nearly 30 years. I don't know if we can find one like it, but we've already hung a cheaper, printed cotton flag in its place.

Flag burning is a form of protest, but the protester usually brings his own flag. He would have no right to burn my flag. I don't imagine that the burner of this flag thought that deeply, no idea of protest, if he had any idea at all. It was stupid thoughtless destruction. Stupid.

I have started scraping the mess from the driveway. A grapefruit knife seems to work best. It will be a long and boring job, but I don't want reminders of last night. I wonder if the culprit will pass by and giggle to himself or if he'll even see a connection to his actions. Stupid, just stupid.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Race Day

There were tutus, bunny ears and tails, Batman's capes, glitter and sparkly skirts, crazy multi-colored wigs, and that was just the racers. Most of them wore shoes, and some of the shoes had toes. Today was a sunny day as the OC Marathon ran past our house, and I was out there to cheer them all on, from first to last. The race began at 6 AM, and the leader completed in 2:22:45, shaving nearly four minutes off last year's time. I was out with my latte and a bowl of strawberries to see him glide through just after 8:10. The first woman came by 37 minutes or so later. The final walker, tailed by a motorcycle cop, came through at 1:25 this afternoon. I clapped for them all.


I love watching this race and have done so for the past few years. The early runners are focused, the last are walking, mostly smiling still, glad to be between miles 24 and 25, nearly there. There was a water station up the road a bit, and this year they had music, a brilliant addition. The songs cycled through Chariots of Fire, Eye of the Tiger, Rocky's Theme, Born to Run. The runners could hear the music as they approached our house, and it was nice to see their faces brighten at the sound.

Family members and supporters swoop in to run the last miles with their athletes, kids on bikes trail racing parents, neighbors walk down the sidewalk to chat, cops and cadets keep half the street clear. Nearly everyone remembers not to turn into the race lane.


This year I remembered to put on sun block. Next year I will remember to take my rings off before I start clapping.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year!

It has been a bit of time since I've written here, but life has been busy, life has been good. Our baby girl celebrated her first birthday, mostly by tearing paper and trying to eat it, but she is growing well and thriving, as are we all.

The holidays were lovely, gone too quickly, but so enjoyable. The boys came home, and having them here was the best present, because I know it is difficult for them. It was nice to have them all here, being silly and watching the baby and eating, eating, eating.

I am slowly putting decorations away, the lights are off the house, but I won't take the tree down till Epiphany. Need to have some lights to greet the Kings!