Thursday, December 30, 2010

Crochet Fever!

When I arrived here in Florence on Monday night I was relieved to see that Mom was cheerful and alert, although her legs aren't doing what she tells them to do.  Even better, at the foot of her bed, sweetly folded, was a crochet afghan, donated by the ladies auxiliary for hospital patients.

half double crochet, stash bin blanket

Sherman Alexie fans might remember Sherman's story about visiting his Dad in a Washington hospital and his description of trying to find a sufficient blanket to warm the old man. I first read the story in the New Yorker, then again in War Dances. Every time I encounter hospitals I think about that story.  Why don't these places provide warmer blankets for their patients?  What good is a bed without comfy covering?  If you are really industrious, you might ask Peter about our bed covering story from about a week ago, but that content is beyond bloggable, unfortunately.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Thank Goddess, Once Again

Driving around in the horrendous rain on the Oregon Coast. Wondering what in the world I can do to help my parents through the next passage in life.  Feeling helpless, feeling overwhelmed, feeling alone, missing my family and friends. And then, there it is again, the magnificent KRVM playing Van Morrison, Celtic New Year.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Clean Coal is Like Dry Water

 Time to clean the tea cabinet.  After years of having "plenty" of tea on hand, I've finally crossed over into the land of no return.  It would seem that I have more tea than is needed in  one household.  In fact, I counted 30 distinct containers of tea. Of teas labeled: women's hormonal, kava anti-anxiety,  sleepytime, immune suppression, joint flexor,  cough-off, relaxed mind, yerba mate of all style, and of course, anti-oxidant.
Naturally, once I've got all the containers stashed away in three distinct areas  of the kitchen, I count
30 boxes of tea.










Speaking of 30, Peter dropped me off at the Alehouse for our group viewing of Ironman 2010 and here it is,

Remember who you wanted to be; God bless the freaks; pro-faith, pro-family, pro-choice; fight terror, ride a bike; the arts are not a luxury; 1984 Bush Cheney, War is Peace, Real families value gay relatives, and so on....

another bumper stickered car.  This time I wasn't going to let the driver get away, so I followed her into the green home products store.  I exclaimed that I loved her sticker collection and wondered where she lived (I had already noted the Oakland Saturn license plate frame) but obviously she has moved to our region.  She lives in Elgin (nowhere near Oak Park) and she told me that she once encountered a woman in Berkeley who had counted bumper stickers.  She has 30!  I realized that I have not taken time or consideration to count ours, most likely in the 30 area, but there's a difference with the smallish-stickers vs. standard bumper sticker size.


This one was everywhere years ago. Now I never see it.  In fact, I mentioned this sticker to a cycling buddy of mine a few years back and he insisted that he had never seen it.  hmmm....



This car even has contact with coalminers and Kentucky! Here in IL a stunning amount of our low-cost electricity comes from coal burning power plants.  We, unlike Midwestern states such as Indiana and Wisconsin  haven't bothered to insist on upgrades to the aged factories and now we're stuck with abysmal smog producing plants....

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Not the Easiest Day

Well, it hasn't been the easiest day. So as we were stumbling around the kitchen this morning i started singing some Linda Ronstadt for the kids. Suddenly, life was better. A few hours later, a bunch of chitchats with friends, coffee, scones and two pumpkin pies created, I have time to practice my new embedding techniques.








Rough around the edges, perhaps, but I'm still learning and it's not like I'm a full time blogger or anything.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Multitasking Installment #1

While out for a run this fall,  Kris suggested
Kris
that it would be great to be able to knit while running.  After all, the lesson of the fifth decade is that there is not nearly enough time to finish all of the projects that we would like to start and finish.  So this multitasking inspiration stuck (in fact, it reminded me of Mark's daughter, who is reputed to have knit while rock climbing).
Yesterday, given the bitter cold, I set my trainer up on the front porch, while Pete and the kids were snuggled up watching football in the basement.  Grabbed my computer for tunes, crochet scarf project and I'm there! Crochet plus cycling plus happy family.  The circle is complete!


This is possible!
I'm even on my aero bars!
darkness descends, and the insanity continues....
Did I select the easiest project? Not necessarily.  I admit, however, that this is the bulkiest yarn (#5) that I've ever worked with, and the fattest hook (P), but who cares?  I'm in the game!  This is winnable!!!!








So, all things considered, another GREAT day!  I've decided that crochet is the needle art of choice for the trainer.  If I knit, I need more elbow movement and a recumbent ride would be much more appropriate.  I've always said that crochet is more portable than knit.








Next installment: blogging while cycling....

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Thank Goddess!

Long day at work, light snow, bitter cold.  Came home today looking forward to checking email, drinking tea, making something.  Mail is here, including this week's New Yorker.  I sit down and start skimming the table of contents and there it is, a Personal History entitled: A Widow's Story, written by herself, Joyce Carol Oates.  No wonder I was singing aloud in the car. It is a good day, indeed. In fact, it just doesn't get any better. I haven't even read the whole thing, but here's the first bit:

Returning to my car, which I haphazardly parked on a narrow side street near the Princeton Medical center, I see, thrust beneath a windshield wiper, what appears to be a sheet of stiff paper. At once my heart clenches in dismay--a ticket? A parking ticket? At such a time? Earlier this afternoon, I parked here--hurried, harried, a jangle of admonitions running through my head like shrieking cicadas--on my way to visit my husband in Telemetry Unit of the medical center in the early evening--anxious, dry-mouthed, and head-aching, yet in a state that might be called hopeful, for  since his admission into the medical center Ray has been steadily improving.

 And on it goes....life is good! JCO can't help herself.  She is, she writes, she delivers!!!!!!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Letters to Eva, Part II (Mushroomitis)

More from my Grandmother to her cousin, Eva, written on Tuesday, November 7, 1939:

Dear Eva and Ruth-
Is this the letter you said I would have to write, a bread and butter note? If so, I'll have to watch and keep it a note. This isn't note paper to begin with so that is a bad start.
We had a very nice trip home, wet pavement only to Otis and no fog, rain, ice or sleet anywhere. Before we got to Otis, i remarked that I thought we were traveling too fast for wet pavement. Art slowed down and kept so until I wished he would speed up but decided we might as well travel along comfortably. Eva, you should have been along. We must have gotten here about 9:30, forgot to look until it was 9:45 and I had done quite a bit already by that time. We were going to check the mileage but as we usually do, forgot to look at it when we got home.
It had been a nice day here all day, Sunday. We have not had any rain since returning except for about 5 minutes of drops, enough to make me run out and grab my clothes yesterday (Mon.) when they were about dry (4PM). Why don't you decide to bring your laundry here and do it and incidentally stay a few days. I'll guarantee that no one will interrupt you and ask you to walk down the road with them.
Yesterday my plans were interrupted. I had hoped to work outside, make some ice box cookies and other odd jobs. Before I had the noon dishes done, the girl who lives in the house up at the hop yard came. She rode down with her husband who is helping in the potato field--her only way of getting here. I do not really enjoy her company but i feel sorry for her. She is the one I told you about--here from North Dakota. She expects her baby in about a month so she gets rather lonesome now and I had told her to come down sometime. I am giving her some of the remaining things I have of Carolyn's.
Today, before taking Carolyn to her music lesson, I took some chrysanthemums  to a lady in Hubbard who has been sick, went to another place and left an old coat of Carolyn's for a neighbor child and then took Mrs. Hatcher to Woodburn with us. Both afternoons have been interrupted--am hoping for a day at home tomorrow.
I still have a dress and shirt to iron tonight. Would rather do it now than to hold it over till morning. Just got thru baking the ice box cookies while I was washing the dishes. Made them this morning. They are called "Cream Snaps", good to have on hand and for Carolyn's lunches.
I surely did enjoy our visit with you and you certainly spoiled me by trying to do everything as I wanted to do it. Of course the decisions were hard on my shoulders but I hope I can let mine rest sometime and see how strong yours are. Them meals, wasn't them grand! Of course the last meal was the hoop=la one but if I could have only one repeated, give me crab and garlic bread!
I am wondering what you will do with all those mushrooms. I'm sure they won't keep indefinitely and you can hardly eat them 3 times a day.
The meat you sent home seemed especially good. Wondered if it were due to sea air or just the way you had cooked it. Art and I had ours at noon and left Carolyn her share to have at night.
How is your jelly or haven't you had time to make it? Wish you had the 2 or 3 extra quinces I have here to use with them. Might not taste so good but would at least help them to jell.
Ruth, Mrs. brown hasn't your stamps yet and isn't sure she can get them. The one time she tried, the wrong man was there (where, Salem?) The assistant was there and she wanted the real one or vice versa. She says she will try again, there are some she wants too. Guess she isn't telling you anything you don't already know when she says to tell you the dollar stamps are worth a dollar and a half now.
According to Art, we left a towel  of some description at your place. He asked if I got the towel he took. Not knowing he even took one, I didn't know enough to even look for it. I might be better off never to see it again.
Wednesday 10 AM
Did you have a storm last night? It blew so hard around here in the night that I expected to hear some of these fir trees crash on the house. It rained too but oh, the wind. All this morning, it has been beautifully clear, sun shining and a beautiful blue sky. Nothing to indicate there had been a storm except my asters and zinnias are on their last legs.
You should be here to see the potatoes hauled in--they go by here across the lane. Hope someone besides you or rather there are people who have more time than you to cook all of them. I'm having macaroni and cheese this noon--a good old substantial dish when one can't think of anything else. Of course I'll have to find about 6 other things for Art to eat or else he won't think he has had a meal.
We had a few mushrooms Monday night with a beef roast we had. Good. Hope you don't suffer from mushroomitis.
We all thank you again for a grand time and I wouldn't mind coming again. Please feel free to come here anytime you feel the urge--a couple hours drive isn't anything. You wouldn't need to let us know except to be sure someone was home. A telegram can always be phoned--Art sent one to me from Toledo not long ago. Remember our phone number is Aurora 903. All this is in case you decided to up and come instead of agating.
With Love, 


Grace

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Tough Girls!

ready in the alley
That's all I can say about this morning.  While I have a gaggle of male cycling buddies that were so proud to be out there today on their mountain bikes on the DPRT or whatever, I'm fully engulfed in the world of parenting and bringing kids to the places that they need to be, rain or shine.  Today, for example, Peter had the car and brought Addie to the swim meet in Berwyn.  I, meantime, had no car and chose to BIKE with sweet Ashby all the way to martial arts for belt promotion test.  This is no simple exam.  It  is  a four hour experience in self control and respect.  What a fabulous way to get the day started, we bundle up while snow is still falling in the very first fall of the year and bike all the way to the Dohjong.  Bad Ass Girls, Indeed!  We are proud, strong, and seriously committed to our own form of singular insanity.  By the way, girl displayed terrific tenacity, focus and strength come testing time.  Check out the video below.
careful first pedal stroke--is it too slushy?

No problem!
 When we were almost at the Dohjong, up drives Peter in the car.  I wonder, what's wrong?  He suggested that perhaps I would like my camera to take pictures of Ashby.  But of course!  First, take a picture of our snow-covered selves!  In case you are wondering, you're now looking at an almost full-fledged blue belt!  Way to go, Ashby!
Almost there!

mama loshen

It's that time of year again... Chanukah at The Buzz!  Michael's leadership was splendid as ever, and what's better on a cold night in December than a sing along Yiddish celebration  served up with latkes, sour cream and apple sauce!  This year our own friend, Mark, has joined the group and we were proud to see him up there on stage.

Speaking of proud....Michael!
Photo by Addie!
In case more than a post or two has passed between comments on BadAss women, well, leave it to Addie to take a photo of the giant movie poster on the wall of the Buzz Cafe.