My 45th Year

Introducing HandCraftedLife

2008-05-27T20:05:00.004-05:00

When I started this blog last year, my friends asked me what I would do when my 45th year ended, since I named this blog specifically for my 45th year challenge. My reply, as those who know me well would expect, was, "I'll think about that when it happens."

I thought I might find blogging burdensome, and I didn't want to commit beyond a year. Sometimes the length between posts is longer than others, but all in all it's well worth the time in what I get from back from it...a sense of creativity, expression, and community.

Now I'm ready to kick it up a notch. I'm moving to a new blog, HandCraftedLife, with a new focus.

Read about it here.

45 years and 45 miles

2008-05-27T19:45:00.004-05:00

See RocBike for a full ride report of my 45-miler.

And my flickr set of the ride is here.

Here are my favorite pictures from the day, a swan on the nest

protected by its mate

and a family of Canada geese

Remember that quote about a young man's fancy turning to thoughts of love in spring? Same for birds...

Unfinished business

2008-05-22T19:58:00.002-05:00

So, my 45th year is over. I had a sense of being at a turning point when I started this blog, and while I can say I’ve rounded the corner on this particular turn, I’m not quite back onto the straight road.

The growing independence of DD and DS has been one major cause for this turning point. I’m still learning what it means to parent at this stage of the game. I consider it a major victory that we all still make it a point to spend time together…not just me, them too. It's a funny thing with parenting…just when you think you’ve got it down, they go and change again!

The blog has been a great place to not only document my 45th year challenge, but also to process various things happening in my life. Some things I’ve discovered about myself:

1—I really like to write. When I don’t have time to blog, I feel out of sorts and kinda mentally constipated…like there’s just too much stuff in my brain and some of it needs to get out!

2—I also like to take pictures of the things around me. The act of documenting helps me see things with new eyes.

3—I like being part of an online community. This blog and RocBike have introduced me to people and experiences I wouldn’t have known otherwise.

4—Now that I know I can do this blog thing, I’m ready to move into something new that I think may have an appeal to a broader audience. More on that in the next post…

But first, for the unfinished business…

Here are my last 3 finished objects (finished before my birthday, I swear!), modeled by DD in between homework and watching "So You Think You Can Dance."

A yoga mat bag for T (from the same pattern as this one

Scrap striped scarf. (I am all about using up the stash right now. Don't worry, it will pass.)

Colorful scarf from various yarn scraps, with no particular pattern. I just switched yarn and pattern as the mood struck.

There's also a random hat somewhere which I made to use up some yarn, but I can' find it. That's okay, it would be number 46, anyway!

Up next…the ride report from my 45-miler! Then, on to the next stage of the blog.

I did it!

2008-05-06T18:53:00.003-05:00

I completed my 45-mile bike ride today (and none too soon, as tomorrow is my birthday!). I covered terrain from Rochester to Lake Ontario, back to Rochester, to Perinton, and BACK home to Rochester. It felt great...complete ride report to follow.

FOY (First-of-Year)

2008-05-04T20:43:00.009-05:00

For those who watch birds avidly, FOY stands for First-of-Year. My first Great Blue Heron of the year, seen on a bike ride on the Erie Canal, near Lock 33.

Every Spring, we go out to a special spot in the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. If you go at the right time, you'll hear a chorus of frogs singing their mating song. It's kind of eerie (made a bit more so this year by a rather intoxicated man circling the trail and talking loudly and angrily, but he was harmless). Hearing the frogs was worth it. Here's a picture taken just before the song began (which intensifies right as darkness falls).

Yesterday, T. and I went to Highland Park to look for FOY warblers. We saw the following: black and white, black-throated green, yellow-rumped, and lots more. Plus a blue-headed vireo, the first I have seen (that's called a "lifebird" if you're an aspiring bird nerd like me).

I couldn't resist the magnolia blossoms which had fallen to the ground.

Up next, my FOY flower bouquet from my garden--forsythia, the last daffodil and some other things whose names I don't know.

And it was the FOY South Wedge Farmers Market. You really should go to the website and watch the short video of the festivities, including DD, dear friends Hillary and Vicki, and favorite kids Max, Quinn, and Katie, among others, dancing around the maypole.

I picked up some Asian greens at the Market from Freshwise, and I already had some feta and chevre from Lively Run, so I modified a recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone to make a double-crusted fresh spring greens tart. It will be tomorrow's dinner.

And by the way, my 45th birthday nears. I have completed the hand-made objects, although they may not get uploaded right away as my time is limited due to end-of-the-semester grad. school and work stuff. (I realize it probably doesn't seem like that, since I sound like nature girl in this post. This stuff has happened over the last 2-3 weeks, interspersed with bursts of research, writing, and conversations where I use words like "pedagogy" "theoretical" and "retention" as though I were talking about my children.)

The bike ride is coming soon...stay tuned!

Creeps

2008-04-29T05:02:00.004-05:00

I was walking to class a couple of weeks ago and was blown away by this view in front of the library.

This despite the fact that spring is a bad allergy season for me, although Chinese herbs and dietary changes have made it more of a minor annoyance than the season of headache it once was.

Speaking of which--those innocuous looking yellow flowers are buttercups, which according to weather.com, are a common allergy trigger in my area right now.

Huh...DD and I just pulled a bazillion of them, the "creeping buttercup" variety from the yard. (They're just as insidious as they sound.) And I thought that good feeling was just from the satisfaction of getting rid of them.

Recently seen on my bike

2008-04-28T19:43:00.003-05:00

(Cross-posted at RocBike).

After a powerful Earth Day sermon that echoed many of the themes in Michael Pollan's recent call to each individual to do something about climate change, and included a mention of the Rochester Chicken Club (of which I am a proud member--more on that topic to come), I came out to find this on my parked bike.

And this week, on my ride to yoga class, where I met my daughter, my new Ortlieb panniers managed the task of carrying our two yoga mats admirably.

I splurged on the panniers after I decided that an XtraCycle is not right for me, at this point. An XtraCycle is great if you want to be able to give someone else a ride, but my 17 and 19-year olds aren't likely to want to be seen on the back of their mom's bike. And everyone else I might be traveling with would likely ride their own! So, I got the panniers instead; they hold plenty of groceries and are very easy to use. I recommend them if you're in the market.

Bikes, chickens, and yoga...what more could you want?

Delayed gratification

2008-04-24T21:26:00.000-05:00

I must like this...that feeling of preparing the soil, nourishing it with garbage that turns into luscious, nutrient-filled food for life...planting my little seeds, lots of them, which other creatures try to dig up and root out...watching the many seedlings come to life regardless...carefully plucking out the uninvited plants to keep the desired ones healthy...giving them lots of food and water to keep them growing, while working hard to keep the pests away that would injure them...giving them support as they grow so they don't fall over and collapse from the weight of all that new growth...until they finally reach their fullest potential.

The first new spring pea, fresh summer tomato, fragrant oregano--that's what I call delayed gratification. But not as delayed as the gratification I got last week...

It's hardly original of me to compare gardening to parenting, but in Spring, just too impossible to resist. Cliches are cliches for a reason...because they speak some truth which we really need to hear and remember.

I'm sure DS' fullest potential has much more room to grow, along with some continued need for nurturing and support, but still, it felt like a milestone.

He's been playing cello since the second grade, and over the years we've watched his frustrations, his nervousness, his stumbles, along with his successes and joy in playing.

Most of the people at this particular concert were probably family of students performing in the orchestra or choir, and between us, we must have logged millions of miles, hours, and money in supporting these musically-talented and hard-working young people. At the end, they got a lengthy standing ovation. It was as though the collective feeling was, "WHEW! My kid made it to perform at Lincoln Center. I am going to enjoy this moment and I am going to stand and applaud for as long as I damn well feel like it."

I don't take credit for the tomato...it had its own inherent "tomato-ness" to reach that has nothing to do with me. Similarly, I don't take credit for the performance. He's the one who practices for hours a day, who's passionate about his art, and who has a work ethic and attitude admired by his teachers and fellow students alike. But supporting a kid in their passion is no doubt a family commitment. So I'll take a little of the credit for preparing the soil, planting the seed, warding off intruders, providing support. And never mind that it took just short of 2 decades...the wait was worth it.

And when I say, "I must like this," it's because the ways in which I choose to spend my time all have this similar feeling. Lots of quiet waiting, interspersed with bursts of fierceness and a constant love. Gardening and parenting yes, but also counseling and teaching college students, community service and activism, knitting, cooking, research, and even yoga and meditation.

There's a lot to be said for patience.

Back in the Saddle

2008-04-14T20:20:00.003-05:00

Read all about it at RocBike.

Mania meme

2008-04-10T07:34:00.000-05:00

Radical Cross-Stitch tagged me for a meme. Does it sound like I'm speaking a foreign language? If you don't know, memes are kinda like chain letters. I always hated chain letters, but memes can be fun. You learn something new about people whose blogs you read, and you get to direct people to other bloggers they may not have discovered.

In this one, you're supposed to tell 6 things about your life which look like manias or tics, and then pass it to 6 other persons. So here are mine.

#1. Bike helmets--I've written before about the people I've known who've been seriously hurt or killed while cycling. While there is some controversy within the cycling community about the promotion of helmets (some argue that helmets don't protect you from the many different kinds of injuries that can happen and/or that they give cyclists a false sense of protection), I'm all for protecting brains. When I see a cyclist without a helmet, it's all I can do to refrain from yelling at them, "PUT A HELMET ON!!" Generally I do refrain from yelling it, but should anyone have the misfortune of being in the next seat/on the next bike to me, they will hear me rant and rave for several minutes about stupid cyclists who don't wear helmets.

My favorite comment about helmets is from The Art of Urban Cycling. Wear a helmet, but bike like you're not wearing one.

#2. Hummers--Actually, any SUVs. Hummers do not belong on streets. SUVs are not necessary for urban driving. (My mom calls them UAVs...Urban Assault Vehicles.) They waste gas and their owners too often drive as though their mere size gives them the right to hog roads and parking spaces. We should have more regulations which discourage driving these gas-guzzlers and encourage saner forms of transportation.

#3. The serial comma--You don't know what that is? Obviously you didn't have me for your high school English teacher. Here's the Wikipedia definition.

The serial comma (also known as the Oxford comma or Harvard comma) is the comma used immediately before a grammatical conjunction (nearly always and or or; sometimes nor) that precedes the last item in a list of three or more items. The phrase "Portugal, Spain, and France", for example, is written with the serial comma, while "Portugal, Spain and France", identical in meaning, is written without it.

I believe in the serial comma. I admit that there is no logical reason for this other than the fact that that's how I was taught by MY high school English teacher. I just think it nicely separates each item in the series, according them each their own space all to themselves, without the conjunction running right up against them. Is that too much to ask?

#4. Proper pronunciation--If you are related to me, I will most definitely correct your pronunciation any time necessary. I may or may not refrain if your boss, dad, or best friend from high school is in the room. I am not trying to humiliate you; I just can't bear mispronunciation. In my mind, I am doing you and everyone else a favor by enlightening you as to the correct pronunciation of societal, paradigm, and epitome. (And you did notice my serial comma in that last sentence, didn't you?)

If you are not related to me, I may refrain from correcting you. Or I may not.

#5. Effective meetings--Have you noticed that these are getting more obnoxious as I go? In my mind, meetings (whether I'm at work, volunteering, or doing a group project for school) should be to-the-point and efficient. If they're meant for team-building and getting to know one another better, fine, but let me know in advance. Otherwise I expect meetings to have agendas, to move those agendas along in a timely manner, and to actually get things accomplished. I like to socialize, but I'll do it after the meeting, thank you very much. Get in, do what you need to do, and get out...that's my philosophy about meetings.

So, yeah, not everyone shares that philosophy. When I'm the boss, that's how meetings go...but I'm not always the boss. Then I get cranky at ineffective meetings. It's not always pretty. I'm trying to be more flexible.

#6. I am woman, hear me roar--I tend to take on too much in life. Yes, I do. I admit it. It's related to my eternal optimism. But god, there's so much good and fun stuff to do, it's hard to resist at times. I could have worse traits, right? (such as the belief that only I know how to correctly pronounce every word in the English language and how to run good meetings, perhaps?)

So there's my list. The one thing I feel a bit uncomfortable about with memes is any perceived pressure on the people I tag. So I'm going to tag these 6--but you know, it's your blog, do the meme or don't do it. I won't be mad. Here you go--Tracy at RahChaChow, Ann at Purls off a string, Michelle at Crafting Sanctuary, Melissa at Elemental Stitches,Patti at Patti's Purling Place, and because I think his list would be really funny, Jason at jasoncrane.org.

Signs of spring in Rochester

2008-04-07T18:15:00.007-05:00

Tulips from the Public Market. Not only beautiful, but fragrant as well. Makes the whole house smell amazing.

High-schoolers on the Genesee River.

Crew teams doing their thing.

College students with frisbees.

While the fire alarm, undoubtedly pulled as a prank, blares from one of the fraternity houses across the river.

All from my short bike ride after work today.

The dark months

2008-04-04T12:36:00.003-05:00

Well, winter in Rochester is always a little bleak, but this one seemed more than usual! Not that that completely explains my lack of posting. Let's just say I took on a little too much for a normal person (turns out I'm not actually SuperWoman), and something had to give...sadly, it was blogging. Here's a little update on what I've been up to.

--I took on an extra teaching gig, which I absolutely love, but it's made for some loooonngg days.

--Still doing the grad. school thing...I applied for a transfer from the Ed.D. program to the Ph.D. I got it, and I even got some financial aid, which will definitely help out!

--Good thing I'm close to my 45 FO's, because I've had NO time for crafting. But I do have a couple more things to add to my list.

--Those things haven't been added because my camera died. I'm getting a new one this weekend. I had really gotten used to walking around with the camera, and it really helped me see my world in a different way. I can't wait to get back to shooting some pictures.

--I performed in The Vagina Monologues on March 8. It was an amazing experience! I'm hoping to get some pictures to share with you all.

--I got the worst case of the flu ever...sick for 10 days, with the cough lingering another 7! Yuk!

--I did my 45-hour retreat, although not solo. I decided that I wanted the opportunity to do a retreat with Toni Packer, so I signed up for one with her. Unfortunately she was ill, but I'm still glad I did it. In fact, I had a roommate (which I've never had on retreat before), and let's just say that negotiating with a roommate you've never met, on a silent retreat, is not exactly easy. I think a solo retreat would have been easier than what came up through those interactions.

In other news, T.'s show at RoCo was a success! Her pieces looked great, and she sold 7 of the 12. DD got her driver's license (yikes!). Actually, she's a very responsible driver so I don't even worry (too much) about her driving. DS is back at college and playing some amazing music. Hear his premiere of a composition by a fellow student here.

Much more frequent posting in the future...probably lots of attempted artsy photos as I play with my new camera!

Still here

2008-03-19T10:10:00.001-05:00

Busy, now sick...too boring to tell you about. I'll be back soon!

Famous fuzzy

2008-02-27T13:07:00.003-05:00

Betz White, author of Warm Fuzzies, has highlighted the cupcake which Brianne and I made, in the Warm Fuzzies Flickr pool.

Go check it out for some snowy day inspiration!

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-18T06:50:00.001-05:00

We celebrated this weekend, and above you see one of my gifts.

These olives come from Cut Out + Keep.Here's what they look like up close (with too much flash).

The label is backstitch on some green burlap-y cloth I found at Craft Bits and Pieces.

Hope yours was just as sweet as mine!

Almost there...

2008-02-17T15:01:00.005-05:00

At least when it comes to 45 handmade objects! (The retreat is scheduled for next week, and the bike ride for late April. Which is good since my birthday is May 7, and that's my deadline!)

Here's what I've been doing...First, I made some gloves for DS. These are his annual pair, ever since he allowed me to knit for him. (He loses them every year...maybe this year will be different?)

Alas, I have no picture because my camera was on the blink, and I finished them just in time to give them to him before he headed back to college. He has since declared that he loves them and they are "snug and warm." They are basic black, Lamb's Pride Worsted, as he is that kind of guy.

Next, DD declared one day that she wanted to spend it crafting with me. How could I deny that request? Together we designed, and I sewed, this purse for her.

The outside is a thrifted, felted sweater, lined with a fabric from a thrifted shirt (also the source of the external patch), and the cow button has just been waiting for its rightful place!

We also made a cupcake, from thrifted and felted sweaters, from Betz White's book, Warm Fuzzies.

This next one is so simple I almost feel like I shouldn't claim it. But they're so practical that I'm going to...long gloves, loosely following the instructions at Craft Addictions. They're made from those inexpensive stretch gloves, sewn onto a sweater sleeve. They fit perfectly under my dress coat and keep my warm while I'm waiting at the bus stop. Before then, wind would blow right up my arms. Now I too am "snug and warm."

And seen at the top of this post, one of the most popular projects on Ravelry, My So-called Scarf. This one will be available at our (nearly) annual holiday artists' swap (minus the adorable girl, in her hand-crocheted hat from a friend).

And finally, I feel a bit sheepish claiming these as well...

These are my version of the Peekaboo Mittens from Magknits, except that they are actually made from a pair of socks I made, which were too big. I felted them but didn't know what to do with them. DD said, "those look like mittens!" I cut a hole in them, and now I have the perfect winter-shopping-at-the-Rochester Public Market gloves.

That adds six more to my FO list...up to 41. Actually, I have two more, but they'll be part of a future post. And those flying mittens...well, the first one is finished...if only I can muster the fortitude to finish the second one now...

Flying mittens

2008-02-11T22:19:00.000-05:00

Conversation after the half-knit mitten went flying through the air, still attached to the ball of yarn:

T--Don't do that!

Me--(As I reel in the mitten from 10 feet across the room) Why not?

T--It just doesn't seem like a good idea. What's wrong with it anyway?

Me--It has dropped stitches.

T--How do stitches get dropped anyway? (For the record, she is a knitter, but not quite a Knitter)

Me--If I knew that, I wouldn't be throwing it across the room.

That's just how I feel about patriarchy

2008-02-04T10:42:00.000-05:00

In light of my recent feminist rants, here and here, I direct you to an awesome site, Radical Cross-Stitch with a perfect cross-stitch pattern that sums it up, here.

I've already ordered my kit.

Happy anniversary

2008-01-28T08:41:00.001-05:00

My card to Tanya on the occasion of 12 years together. I'm thrilled with it, and she loves it. It's made from hand-dyed felt, with images cut from last year's calendar by Nikki McClure. You've seen the fabric a lot because I got it on sale when Fabrics and Findings went out of business. I love it...its earthy tones reflect our favorite colors and the decor of our house.

Her card to me said, in part, "Twelve wonderful, amazing, loving (and sometimes difficult) years together and I feel more grateful for and committed to our relationship than ever." We both laughed about the "difficult" comment. But it's important.

When we first got together, it seemed like nothing difficult could ever touch us, because we were so in love. I suppose a lot of new lovers feel that way, and I don't think it's a bad thing. That early glow is a great thing to have in your memory bank when things do get tough. And, life being what it is, things will get tough.

Surviving, and even thriving, through all that life brings, gives me more confidence and security than ever in our relationship. Let me tell you, security may not sound sexy, but to have another person know you, and still love you, at such a depth, and through times when you, she, or life in general was really horrible, that is cause for great celebration and rejoicing.

Feminine Psychology?

2008-01-24T18:58:00.000-05:00

Threading Water has linked to an employers' guide to hiring women from 1943, which states...

Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick, and wash her hands several times a day.

I'll be sure to let my supervisor know...

And now for something totally frivolous

2008-01-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

Betz White, whose book Warm Fuzzies is highlighted over there on my sidebar, posted about her celebrity look-alikes, or so she's told, and then a commenter mentioned this website which scans a photo you upload and spits out something like this...

I'm glad to know I look more like Meryl Streep than Larry King! Actually, in my 20's I was frequently told that I look like Meryl Streep, but not so much since I cut my hair short!

Who do you look like?

The personal is still political

2008-01-17T17:49:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about women's lives a lot lately. I used to think about them all the time, when I headed up a university women's center. I'm proud of the work I got to do there, but got pretty burned out (and just plain burned) and had to take a mental break.

However, being mom to a seventeen-year old daughter means growing up female in the U.S. is never too far from my consciousness, particularly in a week when there was an attempted abduction of a young high school woman in the area.

Then today, T. and I got to talking about how it seems that in the 1970's and 80's, progressive women who got married kept their last name (I'm not going to use the word "maiden." Please!) Or, maybe they and their husband hyphenated or created a new name altogether. Since the 90's, it seems that more and more women are taking their husband's name.

Now when I was a teenager growing up in the 70's in my small Indiana hometown, the library was my sanctuary.

I happened upon the one shelf of feminist books. I have no idea of the book or author, but I read a very powerful essay about the politics of the name issue. As I remember it, the author asserted that the tradition could be traced back to the days when a woman was considered the property of her husband. She made a powerful argument that our name is our identity...when we change the name we are given at birth, we are allowing a part of our identity to be subjugated. I vowed at that moment never to change my name, and I never have.

I'm not going to make this a polemic about the issue, and certainly many of my close friends have made a different decision, and I respect their choice.

At the same time, we must always remember that the personal IS political...it cannot be otherwise...and we too easily forget the historical and political context of our choices. (Well, Hillary is very aware of the political context. She's essentially gone from Hillary Rodham to Hillary Rodham Clinton to Hillary Clinton.)

And finally, when I went to a church we're thinking of getting involved in, and the minister said, "We come to church so we don't forget," I remembered. I remembered that feminism is the first social justice issue I cared about, not just because of that small library shelf, but also because of the very powerful ways in which I had personally experienced and witnessed violence against women.

So, I'm gonna continue to do my part. Sometimes it's a little thing, like wearing my Take Back the Needles shirt. You pretty much have to be both a feminist and a knitter to get it, so I mostly just get looks of befuddlement when I wear it. Depending on who's asking, I might offer a bit of an explanation. I might tell them about the Take Back the Night movement. I might tell them that knitting needles were once used to induce abortions, when desperate women had few options. And I might tell them about the newest generation of diy/riot grrls/young feminists who subvert traditional notions of women's crafts and create awesome works of art in the process.

(Coincidentally, today, my Stitch 'n Bitch calendar featured Barbara Walker, who most knitters revere as the author of treasured knitting patterns. But most of us DON'T know that she also wrote The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, along with several other books about women's spirituality and history.)

And I'm gonna do my part in a somewhat bigger way. Today I went to a casting call for our community V-Day production, a performance of The Vagina Monologues, to benefit our local Rape Crisis Center and the women of New Orleans.

I have a long history with VDay, going back to when I helped RIT become the first college in the area to participate, back in 2000. It was a life-changing experience, and it is also one of the reasons I got "burned," as mentioned above.

Now I am ready to move to a next step with VDay, where I get to participate only as a cast member (rather than as producer/counselor/advocate/lightning rod).

Like everyone, I have a lot of things going on in my life. And my personal life hasn't had a lot of political activity in it lately. If I'm going to honor my ethic of living a life that attempts to live up to my ideals, I have to make the time. Just like I made the time to grow my own veggies, support my local Farmers' Market, preserve a lot of homegrown, handpicked produce to carry us through the winter, and commute by bike/bus whenever possible.

And this is a way I can be a part of reminding members of my community about the lives of women...from all the ways we experience our vaginas, through birth, sex, violence, and power.

How can that NOT be political?

The performance is March 8, 8 pm. More details to come...Save the Date!

Ode to Toronto

2008-01-09T13:53:00.000-05:00

You gotta love a city with this public sculpture.

I already published my cycling Ode to Toronto, and, since I love it not only for its cycling resources but also its crafting, I had to write about it here as well!

We visited the Kensington Market neighborhood, home to Lettuce Knit, a beautiful yarn store with a lot packed into a small space.

While in the neighborhood, T. and I both tried to cure our cold with miso soup and hot and sour soup from this really yummy vegan Chinese restaurant.

Then, over to Romni Wools, which is truly the largest yarn store I have EVER been in (and I've been in a LOT of yarn stores). They were having a boxing day sale, and it was great fun to look around, and even fun to wait in line for 20 minutes. It gave us lots of time to admire all the hand-knitted hats, scarves, and gloves worn by the knitters of Toronto.

If you ever go to Toronto, stroll along Queen Street West. Once you get past the chain stores, you'll come upon amazing deals on fabric and beads, and a cool book store, paper store, and more yarn. I always find just walking in and out of the stores to be inspiring.

On the next day, we went down to the harborfront and saw some contemporary art, along with a whole craft center, with a fiber artist in residence who de-constructs old sweaters and re-creates them into beautiful sculptures.

Finally, I highly recommend the Textile Museum. Even for non-fiber artists, its exhibits are interesting and inspiring. Unfortunately, my camera died the day we were there, which is too bad because there were some beautiful pieces. So, you'll just have to go yourself!

Handcrafters' holiday meme, part 2 (AKA, Better late than never!)

2008-01-08T21:27:00.001-05:00

Although I'm a little late, I'm finishing up some of the questions from the Sew, Mama, Sew meme.

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

So many...my favorite one that is carried over from my family of origin is the Christmas eve pizza dinner. My mom always had tons of cooking to do for Christmas day, so Christmas eve dinner needed to be simple. What to do? Homemade, everyone helps out, pizza! Being a working mom in the midst of the canned foods revolution that swept the Midwest in the 60's, our pizza then came from a mix...dough from a box, sauce from a can, pre-shredded Mozzarella, pepperoni slices, and a few fresh veggies.

Now, with my family, I make the dough, everyone who wants helps spread it (that's the hardest part, so often it's just me and maybe DD). Then we each pile on our favorites...choosing from mozzarella, cheddar, feta cheese, homemade pesto,(usually) homemade sauce, lots of veggies, and maybe some fake ground beef or sausage.

I love how it brings us together in a low-stress way to share a great, low-key meal. When the kids were younger, it was also a great activity to occupy them as the moments till Christmas morning d..r..a..g..g..e..d by.

Have you started any new traditions with your family that you didn’t practice growing up?

We make a "Feast for the Animals." (However, this may be the last year for that, as we've discovered that we need to come up with some new traditions as the kids become young adults.) T. and I like it, though. We string up popcorn and cranberries, and put out fruit, nuts, and so on, for the birds and squirrels.

If you’re making gifts this year, what are you making?

Now I can tell you about them! A bag for DD's new yoga mat, along with a yoga eye bag, and a yoga blanket. The bag pattern is from Fig and Plum, the eye bag is a knitted rectangle with a muslin bag inside filled with flax seed and my home-grown lavender, and the blanket is just fleece on one side, with fabrics pieced together on the other side, mostly from my stash.

I also made two hot water bottle cozies for the daughters of friends, in exchange for an acupuncture treatment (I love bartering!). The cozies are made from sleeves of an old sweater, slightly felted, and embellished with homemade Fimo clay buttons and other sweater, fabric, and fleece scraps.

More holiday photos, including some from Toronto (which I'll write about next!), here.

Holiday happiness

2007-12-25T13:52:00.000-05:00

How much are you willing to pay for cheap food?

2007-12-20T20:38:00.001-05:00

Michael Pollan in the New York Times asks if modern food factories are related to the recent epidemic of MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant form of staph infection which now kills more people in the U.S. than AIDS. And just why are all those bees dying and what does it have to do with the monocultural mode of modern agriculture?

And just what does sustainable mean, anyway?

Go here for the article.

Catching up

2007-12-20T19:46:00.000-05:00

Been quiet around here lately. That's because most of my spare time the last couple of weeks had me staring at this...

But one particular night, I got to at least hear some great music from Meyer and Mcguire at Equal Grounds.

Haven't had much to pay attention to the upcoming holidays, though several projects will hopefully be completed in the next 5 days, since the last paper was turned in, the last day of work is done, and DS is home. But for now, I'm in bed to catch up on some rest!

Win Free Stuff! (Pay It Forward Handmade Style)

2007-12-12T20:01:00.000-05:00

UPDATE--Please send me an address to send the handmade items, after you comment, at my45thyear(at)yahoo(dot)com. Thanks!

Meg over at Blog Less has a Pay It Forward exchange, which I joined. Here's how it works:

Like Meg, I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it before my 45th year is over! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

So, if you are interested in receiving a handmade something from me, leave a comment. It could be something knitted, sewn, food, re-purposed...who knows? You could even let me know if you've seen something here that you like...and I will try to send you something similar!

Consider it my holiday greeting to you!

Felt you can feel good about

2007-12-05T20:34:00.001-05:00

Well, besides being a bad pun, I suppose that title requires a bit of explanation to non-Rochesterians. The predominant grocery store in Rochester is Wegman's. Some people love it...their displays are beautiful, and you can find anything you could possibly want from exotic produce to fine china to Godiva chocolates. Me...not so much...too big, overwhelming, too much food from god knows where.

Anyway, they had an advertising campaign that theirs was "Food You Can Feel Good About."RocBike team member Adam Durand proved that that's not always the case in his investigation of Wegman's egg farms.

But I digress...I've been finishing some very easy felted projects lately. And I can feel good about it because they're all recycled from failed knitting projects or sweaters bought secondhand.

The messenger bag, above, has me so delighted that it will get its own post, including a little tutorial. But I'm so happy about it that I had to post it right away! I made it last night, in about an hour. More on the bag in a future post...

Remember the summer's laptop cover? It's not very sturdy, so I made another one from a felted sweater from Marianne's Consignments. (When this sweater came in, Marianne saved it for me just for the purpose of felting.) I would never wear it as a sweater, but I love the pattern. I just cut out a rectangle a tad bit bigger than my laptop, by laying out the sweater and cutting from the bottom up. The side seam remained, so I just had to sew up the other side seam, and voila! (Yes, that's my dinner, because I was attempting to blog and eat at the same time.)

And a couple of weeks ago, I took a couple of swatches which I had seamed together and felted, added buttons, cut the buttonholes right in the felt, and now I have some fun wallets (which will likely become Christmas gifts for some friends on my list.)

Also in that picture, a hot pad. One side is a swatch that T. made, and the other is cut from a felted sweater from Goodwill, stitched together with running stitch and a loop for hanging it to boot.

And, an unfelted project in the background above, a simple garter stitch scarf with yarn from Rhinebeck 2005,which will likely be my Mom's January birthday gift. (Mom doesn't own a computer, so no chance she'll find out!)

Let's see...how many finished objects is that? Messenger bag, laptop cover, 2 wallets, hot pad, and a scarf...6 more down!

First Snow

2007-12-03T21:17:00.000-05:00

I took this picture with my phone, on my walk to class. I'm sure you notice that no one else is walking to class. That's because either:

a--Some people were already in class by the time I got there, as I was late due to traffic jams caused by drivers who, although they've lived in Rochester for 20 years, forget how to drive in the snow.

b--Other people were even later to class than me.

c--The rest of them decided it was a good night to skip class.

We're having our first major snowfall of the year, and, although I'm not as crazy as Joey Mac or Rochester's Wednesday night Cruisers, I am looking forward to getting out and playing in it, at least on skis, and maayyyybee on my bike.

Now if I could just get a snow day from work and school!

Handcrafters' holidays meme

2007-12-01T19:58:00.000-05:00

Sew Mama Sew is promoting handcrafted holidays through its meme, wherein bloggers answer some questions about their own giftgiving. Here are some of mine.

Do you have a favorite gift that you love to give?

Every year I make jams, sauces, pickles, and relishes all throughout the summer. This year, I made more than ever. They're all from fruits and veggies that are organic and locally grown, and many of the fruits are picked by my very own hands!

As an example...plums and peaches (picked at Hurd Orchard) are so easy to pick, that I got a whole refrigerator-full back in July.

If you’re making gifts this year, what are you making?

Oh, I can't tell because they might read this...but every immediate family member gets something that's handmade!

Do you have any good stories about handcrafted gifts you’ve given or received?

My very favorite requires a bit of background. My DS is deeply averse to knitwear. He is more a fan of the torn t-shirt and khakis from Goodwill look, pretty much regardless of the season. Knitting is my main crafting passion, so this has been a source of great consternation. In addition to handmade gifts, we are big promoters of "gifts of time" in our family, where you promise to do something nice for the other family member.

So, three years ago, I got a paper certificate, denoting a gift of time, from him to me. I opened it up, and it was a certificate which gave ME the gift of making HIM a pair of gloves, which he promised to wear, WHEN the weather was appropriate.

What could I do? I made the gloves, he loved them and wore them all winter, and he promptly lost them at the end of the season. Those were replaced by another pair, which we are still searching for as this winter season is upon us!

Do you have any great gift compilation ideas (a grouping of gifts just perfect for certain recipients?)

I do, but I can't share it! Let's see if you can guess. ______ has just discovered a passion for ________, but needs a ______ to call her/his own. Along with the _______, s/he needs a ________to put it in, and a __________ would be a really nice aid in unwinding. (I'll fill in the blanks after Christmas!)

That's all for now! I'll do more questions from the meme as the season progresses.

The life cycle of parenting

2007-11-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

Toddler--Child cries hysterically any time you step out of sight.

Teenager--Child finds the time to call you from college approximately once a month.

Toddler--(In reference to toys) Child screams, "MINE! MINE! MINE!"

Teenager--(In reference to friends, academics, their very life) Child screams, "MINE! "MINE! MINE!" (Also to be understood as "NOT YOURS, STAY OUT OF IT!")

Toddler--You fall in love with your child, not comprehending why every person who passes by doesn't stop in their tracks at the amazing cuteness of your precious one.

Teenager--You still love your child, but realize that a reminder from other adults of their assets can be helpful, who tell you what a courteous, polite, and respectful young person they are.

Toddler--You are like "home base" for your child. On the playground, they go off and play, then come back just to connect with you every once in a while to know they're still safe. If they get hurt, you rush to their side to console them. Indeed you might be the only person who CAN console them.

Teenager--In theory, you're still home base. But your presence, while important, is way in the background, and you are required to wait until asked to provide succor. They've got other supports in their life now.

Toddler--You spend half your life trying to get them to sleep, praying for them to take a nap, go to bed easily, sleep through the night, and awaken later than the crack of dawn. You're constantly sleep deprived from trying to get them to sleep.

Teenager--You've had half your night's sleep before they come in for the night, you've put in half a day's work before they get out of bed, and the crack of dawn arrives for them at approximately noon. You're often sleep deprived from trying not to wonder and worry.

Toddler--No matter the tantrum they just threw, they can melt you five minutes later with a look, a hug, an "I love you."

Teenager--No matter the adolescent challenges, they can still melt you, AND THEY KNOW IT.

Toddler--Your heart hurts each time they skin their knee, feel slighted by a friend, or beg you not to leave them for work, school, or any other obligations.

Teenager--Your heart doesn't just hurt. It breaks over and over again as you watch them learn to navigate this crazy world.

The heartbreaking loss of their childhood remains.

But it shares equal space with the heart-filling amazement of who they are becoming.

The problem with sharing your goals with others

2007-11-25T17:13:00.000-05:00

...is that they will ask you if you actually accomplished them.

I told colleagues, friends, kids, Team RocBike that I was planning to do my 45 mile bike ride over Thanksgiving weekend. All week, I've been watching the weather forecast, so that I could go on a relatively warm and dry day. Today was forecast to be in the mid-40's and mostly sunny. Perfect!

I woke up this morning with the sniffles, but not to be deterred, T. and I set out. We headed out to the Erie Canal Trail in Fairport, with the plan to bike to Newark and back, until we reached the magic number.

Don't we look cheery and optimistic?

The first 10 miles felt pretty good. By then, I had removed a lot my cold weather gear (fleece, gloves, hat, and sleeves off the biking jacket.) I was very comfortable, in terms of the weather. However, the terrain was not what I expected...(wet) crushed cinders. I expected the cinders, but hadn't considered the effect of the recent wet weather on the surface. At times it felt like I was biking in sand. You can see the mud that's splashed up on my bike (along with the remnants of Thanksgiving's snow).

I caught up with Tanya munching on her apple at Palmyra's Aqueduct Park.

When I told her that we were 1/4 of the way done (the odometer read 11.73), she uttered some words from which I will spare you. She hated biking on the surface we were on. What's more, when we did the math, we realized that we were going quite a bit slower than usual (I was biking about 60-75% of my usual MPH), and that there was no way we could get to Newark and back to the car before nightfall. Not wanting to bike after dark on the unlighted canal, since we both have headlights more useful for being seen by others than illuminating darkness, we came up with Plan B. Bike back to Fairport, have lunch there, then bike on to Genesee Valley Park, on a paved portion of the trail, and BACK to Fairport to the 45-mile mark.

Well, that seemed reasonable. We even biked a bit on the road just to give ourselves a break from the cinders. But here's another thing we didn't consider...the wind. That was the one thing that hadn't seemed perfect about the weather forecast, predicting gusts 15-20 MPH. I didn't think it would be too bad, but we were biking right into it. The last 6 miles to Fairport felt like twice that.

When I started out, I had told myself that if I started to feel like I was really making myself sick (since I had the sniffles), that I would stop. Those last 6 miles, I was feeling pretty achy. When I got to Fairport Village Coffee...

T. was already ensconced with a cup of coffee. We ordered some veggie chili and a portabella panini, plus I got myself a ginger soy decaf latte (all were excellent, by the way). And then we both agreed that we were done for the day. We would have had to really push it to finish before dark. It made me feel a little better that she, the stronger and faster athlete, was achy and tired, too. She had just biked her usual 20-mile route yesterday and had felt fine. We could only guess that the combination of the terrain and wind, quite frankly, were just more than we were ready for, given the time we had given ourselves to complete the ride.

But you know what? It's okay...I have till next May. I wanted to do it now, because I know it will be harder to get out on my bike over the winter months, and I've been cycling quite a bit this fall. But this will be incentive to keep in shape and keep biking! Considering that, until I set myself this challenge, biking 8 miles was about as much as I was willing to push myself, and then only in warm weather, I feel okay about it. It will happen! Can't you tell by the look on my face, at 24.24 miles? p.s. For cycling lessons learned, see my post at RocBike

Identity politics?

2007-11-21T14:36:00.000-05:00

(Cross-posted at RocBike, because some days I just can't decide between the two!)

On the RocBike podcasts, Jason refers to me as the "knitting cyclist." Actually, I should write that as the "Knitting cyclist." Note the capital "K." There are knitters who knit more than me, knit better than me, have knit for longer than me. But that doesn't mean they are a Knitter. Knitting with a capital "K" means you have a Knitting Identity. Inevitably, you have gone through the painful stages of:

--questioning (will my family still accept me as a Knitter?);

--isolation and reaching out to community (where can I meet other Knitters like me?);

--acceptance (okay, I'm a Knitter, now what?);

--coming out and proud (I knit wherever and whenever I please, damn it, and you will just have to deal with it! This phase also often includes the procurement and display of various knitting-related tools, jewelry, and bumper stickers); and

--identity synthesis (yes, I'm a Knitter, but I'm also many other things...don't fence me in).

Today it occurred to me that I may be in the process of becoming a Commuting Cyclist. I needed to run some errands, which could have been done quite easily by bike. But it was a bit rainy, I was tired and pressed for time, and I thought, "Oh, what the heck. I do my part to save the planet. Today I want to drive!"

Wouldn't you know, while in Abundance Co-op, I ran into Jack, still with his helmet on. Oh, the shame!

But it was more than shame that sparked this realization of a newly-forming identity. On the drive home, I really did wish that I had biked. It would have been so easy, it wasn't raining that hard, and the fresh air would have helped me wake up.

I see some more bumper stickers in my future. Do you think they make any that say "Knitting Cyclist"?

Actual news items

2007-11-19T11:35:00.000-05:00

Too busy to post much, though lots of stuff is percolating!

Thus, these two items from this week's news.

1. "Senator Alesi introduces bill to ban text-messaging while driving."

That is an actual headline from the Democrat and Chronicle, our local newspaper. My first reaction? "Isn't that like needing a law to tell people to have their eyes open while driving?" Even more astounding (to me), when I said that to my kids, they said, "Do you know how many teenagers text while they're driving?" Apparently they think of it as a loophole to the "no talking on the cell phone while driving" law. The cop can't see you text when you drive by, the same way s/he can see you with the phone up to your ear. Okay, maybe we do need a law that you should have your eyes open while driving.

2. "I was an English major in college, so I was forced to read Beowulf."

That statement came from some critic I heard on the radio, and you should know that I ONLY listen to NPR.

Now that is a little bit like saying, "I was a physics major in college, so I was forced to learn Einstein's theory of relativity."

Geez, just because Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem in the English language doesn't mean English majors should be FORCED to read it!

Things I learned this weekend while on my bike

2007-11-11T21:29:00.000-05:00

(Cross-posted at RocBike)

--Biking with others makes you feel more empowered on the road and gets you more respect from drivers.

Here's Team RocBike (and friend Liz Henderson) after our Saturday morning ride to Rochester's Public Market.

--Wind Chill isn't just a stat that the TV meteorologists (who take an approach to weather that can only be described as "weather as horror flick") came up with to scare us into watching their forecasts (and accompanying ads).

I left the house this afternoon in 50 degree weather, with only Lycra tights (yes, I do own Lycra, but in my defense it was purchased in the 1980's...and although in perfectly good shape, is in the fashion of the 80's), a tank top, and a cycling jacket. When I stepped outside it was downright temperate. When I started biking, I realized it was a bit windy. My uncovered ears and fingertips were FREEZING! Next time, I'll make sure the extremities are well-protected.

--Give the bike a good once-over every time you ride.

That would be a picture of my rear reflector caught between my back tire and my frame. It came off during today's ride. I was in a rocky area, and I thought maybe I had a rock caught in the spokes. All of a sudden I couldn't move AT ALL. Had that happened in traffic or going downhill...yikes. Major wipeout.

--It's all about the gear.

I finally got some Power Grips (and new pedals) put on my bike by the good people at Full Moon Vista, along with a new helmet, which is much more comfortable and lightweight. So much more comfortable for head and toe.

--Brighton has a new park! I accessed it off the Erie Canalway Trail, just east of Clinton Avenue.

I took DD and DS to many soccer games at Meridian Centre Park, back in the day. They've recently added a trail and boardwalk system (still under construction, I believe) through wetlands adjacent to the fields. Note to soccer and baseball parents: This would be a great place to explore in between games.

--I can't get enough of nature this fall...I find the colors intensely inspiring. I think someone famous already said this, but it seems to me that art is just our inadequate way of trying to capture the inherent beauty (including the starkness of decay and death, soon to come) of the natural world around us.

--Crows start their pre-roosting activity as early as 3:45 pm this time of the year. (That's when they start to gather to fly to their roosting site, where they will sleep for the night.) There's a reason that Halloween decorations always conjure images of crows. This is the time of year, after families have been raised, that they begin gathering in flocks at night. Pay attention the next time you notice a bunch of crows gathering. The noise coming from a large group of crows is quite impressive.

--And one thing I learned, thanks to our car. Sometimes driving is worth it. We drove out to Wayne County to see a Rufous Hummingbird, a bird whose typical region is the Western U.S., who's strayed way off its path. It looked cold!

One of my favorite people

2007-11-08T21:56:00.001-05:00

turned 30 today. Happy Birthday, Anna!

(I loved that the colors of the gift wrap were the same as the last cherry tomatoes.)

Anna and I worked together in a women's center and got to go to a women's march in Washington, D.C., back in 2004.

We worked closely together to bring Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues to the campus, so we had to get a picture of this guy.

I may jest about certain things, but the message on this sign is is a matter of life and death, especially in Africa.

To give you an idea of Anna's personality, here's a little anecdote. In Deaf culture, people are often given name signs which reflect their personality. As a hearing person, it takes quite a while to "earn" a name sign. It took Anna hardly any time, and the name sign she was given uses the handshape for the letter "a" and the hand movement for the word "radical." (Apologies to ASL users for not describing that any better!)

I love your fierceness, Anna! Thanks for the decade of friendship, and here's to decades to come!

(More) Small and Sweet Pleasures

2007-11-04T06:42:00.000-05:00

Keeping up with the blog has made me much more aware of these moments of pleasure, and, since gratitude doesn't always come easily...it's important to take note when it does...

--going to the Rochester Public Market with DD (at HER insistence), where we talked to a local farmer with this charming sign

--the smell of basil from last week's harvest, finally turned into pesto and herbal vinegar

--the last fresh flowers of the season (I think!) to be put into Mary Barringer's vase

--an autumn that won't end (pictures taken in Mt. Hope Cemetery)

--with a dog that loves nothing more than rolling around in the leaves

Why I bike

2007-11-02T20:51:00.000-05:00

(Cross-posted at Rocbike)

I’ve been cycling off and on since forever, but when I started working within two miles of my home, two years ago, I began to bike more frequently. It seemed ridiculous to get in my car and contribute to the melting ice caps, all to go a distance that I could get to just as quickly on bike as by car. That led to running errands, visiting friends, going food shopping, all on bike. Since my 45th year challenge, I’ve stepped up the cycling even more. It all started when Pat from the Rochester Bicycling Club wished me a happy birthday, and suggested that I should bike my age in miles.

I thought, I can do that…in fact, I probably could have done it that day (which was my 44th birthday), but it undoubtedly would have hurt. I’m going for the low-pain ride…so, in addition to the daily cycling, I’m going for longer and longer rides on the weekends. My goal is to do the 45-miler over Thanksgiving weekend.

But there are other reasons that keep me biking, beyond the first motivation of cutting my carbon footprint and the second of celebrating this turning point year, in which I can finally feel myself relaxing into the sheer unpredictability of life.

I keep biking because it connects me to my neighborhood, my community. For example, I take night classes at the University of Rochester, also only two miles from my home. Most of my classmates (like me) are full-time employees and part-time students. They say that they don’t really feel that connected to the graduate program, because they drive in and drive out, often in darkness…straight from the parking lot to the classroom, and back again.

On the other hand, I bike up Mt. Hope Avenue, alongside the Genesee River, past the UR tennis courts and apartments, past the library, and behind the academic quad to my classroom. On this ride I think often of my former father-in-law, now gone for fifteen years, who worked at UR for many years. When I first met him, he gave me a tour of the campus and told me its history. I’ve forgotten most of it, but I do remember that where the campus stands was once a golf course. I often picture that golf course and think fondly of him, one of the most loving and ethical people I have ever met.

On Halloween, I saw undergrads in costume heading out for the night on the UR bus, graduate students in the library (probably oblivious to the fact that it was Halloween), and on the way back, I biked parallel with another student heading from campus to our neighborhood. (Actually, I passed her going up the hill on McLean, and since she was half my age, this made me quite pleased with myself.)

It really does make me feel connected to be on my bike, instead of ensconced and climate-controlled in a car. And to be perfectly honest, there’s nothing like bike commuting to give you that slight, “I’m so cool AND I’m doing the right thing” tinge of self-righteousness. I might be overtaken by the self-righteousness if I weren’t having so much fun noticing the changing of the seasons and feeling the strength in my body that comes from propelling yourself rather than letting a motor do it.

And speaking of strength, I’m also noticing a huge leap in my strength and endurance. My 20-mile bike ride last weekend felt like nothing, even without padded bike shorts! (For more on the significance of that last detail, see Hubris.)

As the weather turns cold, I’m wondering if I can maintain this level of cycling throughout the winter. For one thing, I have to dress “professionally” for my job, and carrying the layers of clothing needed to change into, along with the layers I’ll need to wear, feels like a bit much. For another, money put into the current bike to outfit it for winter is money that can’t go towards an XtraCycle next year! I’m counting on the RocBike community to give me the right tips and help me keep the motivation to keep it up!

Frost warning

2007-10-30T18:29:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning I learned that there was a freeze warning for the night. That meant I put aside some of my other plans for the day in order to bring in the harvest (but not without finishing that little pumpkin, from Curly Purly, that I felt compelled to make over the last couple of days.)

Mostly herbs (TONS of parsley, also basil, oregano, mint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, rosemary, nasturtium, tarragon)

Also, some green tomatoes, green beans, tomatillos, kale, and Swiss chard.

And (probably) the last of the flowers...

I brought the herbs that I'll eventually move inside, along with a "bowl" of lettuce, into my garage-sale greenhouse.

And I noticed that even at the end of the season, Rebecca still looks fabulous.

I DID SO go to Rhinebeck!

2007-10-27T19:19:00.000-05:00

Girl on the Rocks is having a fake Rhinebeck contest. Wherein those of us who couldn't go pretend that we went and post about all the wonderful yarn we procured (which is actually from our stash).

You see, all these cool knitters and bloggers converge upon the New York Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck, then come back and post about it on their blogs which just makes us feel even sadder that we weren't there (although, of course, being mature, we are really happy FOR THEM)...so this is our way of saying, hey, we're cool, too...we have cool yarn, too...we have cool friends, too...look and see...

So, I saw some beautiful foliage on my way down to the Hudson Valley...

stopped and got my fall pumpkin fix...

Once there, I met up with all my pals from Ravelry, said hello to all my friends in the authors' tent, like Stephanie, Ann and Kay, and even Clara, who saved a book for me!

I brought back some amazing yarn, like this from Kristin Thomas (sadly, she has moved on to other things and is no longer spinning)

I have 3 balls of each color...it wants to be some kind of yummy cardigan, I do believe.

And in my spare time, I resurrected this project, based on the Farmer's Market Bag in Weekend Knitting, and a chart with the word for "peace" in different languages from a long-forgotten website.

I got to stay in luxury accommodations, too...

I can't wait to (not) do it again next year!

Small and sweet pleasures

2007-10-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

It really doesn't take a lot to bring me pleasure. No mood-altering chemicals, windfall of money, or adrenaline rush needed...

Here's a non-inclusive list of tidbits from daily living to show you what I mean.

October Dahlia

A walk at Taughannock Falls State Park,

complete with dozens of these miniature cairns in the stream

An impromptu knitting-that-was-supposed-to-be-studying night, after visiting Village Yarn and Fiber Shop with T. I promptly got to work on the Curly Purly pumpkin and RocBike ear warmers.

Making apple pie filling (recipe from Mary Jane--see books sidebar) from apples picked at the aforementioned trip to Hurd Orchards.

Having T. meet me at the University of Rochester library when my class gets out after 9:30 p.m., so that I don't have to bike home by myself.

Walking with T. to Corn Hill Creamery, along the Genesee Riverway Trail, with a great view of the city of Rochester.

Having Marianne, of Marianne's Consignments at 792 South Clinton Avenue, open up even when she was technically closed, because I desperately needed a pair of boots I knew she had in there! (I needed them because my own, which had been in my 12-year-old unlocked car to be taken to have the heels repaired, had been STOLEN! But that is not small, sweet, or a pleasure, so let's move on).

A simultaneously perfect fall sunset to the west

and a full moon to the east

Did someone say something about sox?

2007-10-24T19:10:00.000-05:00

True facts about myself:

Today I heard the radio anchorman say, "You probably know that tonight is Game 1 of the World Series." Um, actually, I didn't know that.

Tonight when I logged into Blogger, I noticed that the featured blog was The Joy of Sox. I thought...hmmm, maybe it's a new blog about knitting. Really, I did.

Even though the radio announcer had earlier reminded me of who was playing in the World Series.

Let me know who wins, will you?

Argyle (and other) updates

2007-10-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

While I generally try to compose a somewhat coherent post, complete with relevant pictures, I am still feeling rather pathetic, and a list format is about all I can muster.

1. I lost a part of a tooth today. This is not good news. A crown and possible root canal, along with other unsavory-sounding dental procedures, may be required. This is also not good news for our unfinished porch, as the money allocated for the outside of the house may have to go to the inside of my mouth. At least they broke the news gently at the dentist's office...I think they feared, justifiably, a meltdown on my part.

2. In better news, I am working on some argyle-related patterns for Rocbike. First, some ear-warmers. However, as best I can figure out, the decreases would make a knitted-in argyle pattern pretty tough. So my newest idea is to knit them in a solid color (probably dark brown, the dominant color in the Rocbike argyle), then use duplicate stitch to add a diamond, argyle-ish pattern in the widest section. Knitters, what do you think? any other thoughts, suggestions?

3. I'm also working on a design for a felted cover for the deck of Jason's Packet Boat, his super-cool commuting/grocery shopping/kid-carrying bike. It will be argyle of course. I figure if it's felted it will be pretty rain resistant. I'm excited about getting to work on that, as well, and am positive I'll meet Jason's deadline of completing it within the next 50-60 years. Again, knitters, any general argyle-knitting suggestions? I've knit intarsia plenty of times, and I have a good article from Interweave, but I'd still love any tips from you more experienced argyle-knitters (hint, hint, Molly!)

4. According to Blogger help, there is no way for me to automatically reply to your comments individually. So whenever you post a comment, I will first go to your Blogger profile (if you have one) to see if I can get your email. Otherwise, unless you include your email address in your comment, I will respond to you in the comment thread for that post. Make sense?

Okay, I'm gonna go try to make my mouth feel a little better. Next post will be more coherent (and probably interesting!), I promise!

p.s. Oh, and I feel like all the cool kids are going to Rhinebeck this weekend. Wish I could go!

Fall scenes (AKA pretty pictures relieve stress)

2007-10-18T23:39:00.000-05:00

I am having quite the stressful week, so all I can muster now are some scenes from a bike ride a couple of weekends ago where I took the Genesee Riverway Trail through Genesee Valley Park, and on to the Genesee Greenway Trail. The pictures are all from miles 0-2 of the Greenway.

And, since I'm photographing and painfully documenting all my UFO's on Ravelry, here are some shots of things long ago begun and never finished.

Well, they're not finished, but they're still kind of pretty. I think I feel a little better now.

Break the Bottled Water Habit, Win a Prize and Cut Your Carbon

2007-10-15T18:22:00.001-05:00

For Blog Action Day, a challenge to pledge to give up bottled water. To take the pledge, click on the button to the left.

Here's the information from the Carbon Conscious Consumer's ongoing challenge.

When you want pure, healthy drinking water, you should reach for bottled water, right? Surprisingly, on neither a personal nor a global level are you making a healthy choice.

For each gallon of water bottled, two gallons are wasted; producing the plastic wastes the energy equivalent of a quarter-bottle’s worth of oil. And what’s in the bottle could just be tap water.

This October we’re asking you to think about where the water in that bottle came from, and where the plastic is going…take the Carbon Conscious Consumer pledge and drink to a healthy ecosystem.

Each month from July to December, Carbon Conscious Consumer (c3.newdream.org) will highlight a new, simple way each individual can make an impact, plus show the difference each person makes both individually and along with the people they’ve influenced; prizes go to participants who influence the most new pledges.

During October, make a conscious choice to slake your thirst without drying up our planet’s resources. In addition to benefiting the environment, participants will have a chance to win a free condo for a week at a ski resort in Idaho. (Julie's note--although if you have to fly to Idaho, you'll significantly increase your carbon footprint!) Click the button at the left now to get started.

My hometown

2007-10-12T20:12:00.000-05:00

My hometown is the kind of place…

--where the self-professed “only Democrat in town” describes the town as stuck in time, “like a bug in amber”

--where his wife says, “That’s what I like about this town”

These painted figures on a building on Main Street, faded but still there, for as long as I can remember.

--where they meticulously maintain their historical society and museum

--where the cornfields end right at the town limit

--where you can run into a classmate from 26 years ago and be greeted with a hug and an invitation to dinner

--where, during a conversation with someone you’ve just been introduced to, you learn that her boss is the same man who hired you for his new factory so you could earn money for college, and that she is also friends with your former English teacher

--where that high school English teacher still remembers you

--where your neighbor spends a few hours mudding (plastering) the new walls in the old house you’re renovating, on his day off and without your even knowing it until you come home

--where you can walk out your front door and hear a belted kingfisher over the river within five minutes

--where the riverbed still holds a car that was dumped there many years ago

--where a past acquaintance (and new friend) knows the people living in the house you used to live in, and moreover, offers to call them up the next morning so you can see the inside of the house

--where you can let your kids walk around at night

--where they still have paper boys and girls

--where the out-of-the-house options for a good time on a Friday night consist primarily of: going to the high school football game, going to the Mexican restaurant for cheap Margaritas, or driving half an hour to see a movie

--where a waitress says to the former Americans visiting from Australia, “If you’re from Australia, how can you speak English so well?”

--where your African-American friends from out of town are reluctant to come visit, because they have to drive through an area of KKK activity

--where you're out of luck if you don't have transportation and need to get to a reproductive health clinic

--where you were introduced to feminism through the library

--where the residents had such a hard time switching to a new emergency phone system that the local newspaper ran the headline, “To Call 911, Dial 9-1-1”

--where they had to run that headline because people kept trying to reach 911 by dialing the town’s 3-digit exchange first

--where that newspaper is titled The Rushville Republican

--where the names on the election signs are the names of people you went to high school with

--where people who barely know you go out of their way to let you know that you are welcome, even if you are a bisexual feminist tree-hugging Buddhist progressive

--where at noon, a church carillon plays “Let Freedom Ring,” followed by “Grand Old Flag,” and the finale, “Let There Be Peace on Earth”

--where you realize, finally, that the town was neither as good or as bad as you remember, and is, in the end, no matter how far away you travel, your hometown.

p.s. For more pictures of Rushville, Indiana, and a more narrative reminiscence, go here. (It will make more sense if you click the "Arrange" tab and choose "arrange by date taken, oldest first.")

Halfway there

2007-10-11T19:28:00.000-05:00

So...in case you haven't noticed (and why not??)...I'm half way to two of my three goals.

I have 21 projects (okay, that's not quite half, but close enough!) and many more under progress.

Clapotis.

Calla Coasters.

Signs of fall-inspired socks and cross-stitch.

The projects have slowed down a bit, but I'm working on a couple argyle-licious designs for Rocbike. Stay tuned as more will be revealed!

I'm also preserving a TON of food, but I'm not counting it as a project unless I picked AND preserved it!

The flowers keep coming, especially the dahlias, zinnias, and now, Jerusalem artichokes.

And I've been LOVING fall, and spending it with some of my favorite young people (and their parents, of whom I'm also a big fan!)

And two weekends ago I rode for twenty-two miles up the Genesee Riverway Trail to Lake Ontario. (For a fuller description of this trail, see the first ever RocBike podcast!)

I hope to do the retreat sometime in the winter, so I need to get my meditation mojo (I think that's an oxymoron) working.

Blog action day

2007-10-05T06:53:00.000-05:00

Is October 15. Bloggers from around the world will write about one issue on that day--the environment. Go here for more information and to register your blog. And come back here on October 15 to see what I come up with.

Homeward bound

2007-09-28T17:20:00.000-05:00

Sort of...I consider Rochester my home, but my formative years were spent in Rushville, Indiana. (The picture is a view from the air.) According to Wikipedia, there were 5,595 people in Rushville as of the 2000 census. When I left town (1981), there were about 7,000 people there.

Some other facts of note from the 2000 census: The racial makeup of the city was 96.45% White, 1.58% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.

There were 2,434 households, and the average household size was 2.39. The median income for a household in the city was $30,233, and the median income for a family was $36,646. Males had a median income of $30,127 versus $22,440 for females. About 8.1% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Sounds like fun, huh?

In a few days, I'm going to visit the one high school friend I'm still in touch with, who now lives in Australia and is coming back to visit. She's a truly lovely person, and I can't wait to see her, but I am feeling somewhat traumatized about the thought of going back. I had some great high school teachers, and truly great piano and band teachers (married to each other), but otherwise, growing up there as a bisexual feminist Buddhist tree-hugging vegetarian progressive (even if the only one of those identities I realized at the time was feminist) was quite stifling.

Franklin just visited his parents in Indiana, and he seemed to survive just fine, but he had an amazing yarn store to make up for any lack of cultural diversity. I googled "yarn store Rushville Indiana" and came up with a quilting store that doesn't look like my style, although perhaps I'll check it out just in case!

As my lovely friend from Australia said after reading our classmate Monica Holloway's book, Driving with Dead People, "People in Rushville don't really want to see what's going on around them. They just go on as if everything is fine, even when it's clearly NOT."

Of course, our memories are filtered through the angst of adolescence, troubled families, and the death by suicide of one of our closest friends. And of course, people in Rushville, while not ethnically diverse, are just as diverse as anyone in their ability to deal with life's difficulties.

Nonetheless, rural isolation, a lack of social and cultural resources, relatively low incomes, and a dwindling population and economy add up to a less than ideal world for people to enact their highest and best potential.

At least that's how I remember it. I'll let you know what some 25 years have brought to the town when I return from the Crossroads of America.

A(rgyle) B(icycling) C(onspiracy)

2007-09-24T12:10:00.000-05:00

Some people are sneaky...like Jason...a little while ago, he asked me if I would write a "guest essay" for his fairly new site, RocBike.

Now, this was shortly after I started my own little blog here, and I was heady with the prospect of being "published" at not one, but two (!) websites. So of course I said yes.

Then, about a month later, Jason asked if I would write another. Well, how could I deny him? However, this time I took quite a bit longer to produce, the sheen of celebrity having rubbed off somewhat.

Jason, being sneaky, sent me an extremely witty email, asking could I please, pretty please, submit my essay. The combination of wit and flattery gets me every time, so I promised him, and even gave myself a deadline.

The next thing I know, I am being asked for a bio and a photo, I've been added as a member of "Team RocBike" and now have posting privileges!

What's more, Adam came up with a new look for the site, and can you believe it, it's ARGYLE!

Obviously, this is another sneaky way of sucking me into their cycling conspiracy...for heaven's sake, anyone knows that a knitter, upon seeing argyle, is going to be compelled to design some bike-related accessory with said argyle pattern.

Clearly they are teaming up against me to make sure that I neglect work, family, graduate school, and my OWN site, all with the plan of drawing me into the world of the cycling blog-o-sphere.

I admit, I am powerless against their sneakiness.

Cycling on Cape Cod

2007-09-22T16:45:00.000-05:00

I had some great bike rides on Cape Cod, back in early August, including the Province Lands dunes...

and the Cape Cod Rail Trail, where I saw this cormorant on the line by a pond.

and one not so great heading in to Provincetown...here's the infamous intersection...

Check out RocBike for the back story.

Good news and bad news

2007-09-20T09:04:00.001-05:00

The bad news is that DD has a cold, and now I am home trying to fight it off too because I canNOT get sick!

The good news is that I got my invitation to Ravelry yesterday so now I have an excuse to lie around all day and explore!

Sure signs of fall

2007-09-17T19:28:00.000-05:00

A sleepy DD at 9 am on Rosh Hashanah, a school holiday. If you love the shirt (how could you not?), she got it from Alternative Outfitters.

A spider has taken up residence on our front porch.

The goldenrods and asters are in bloom.

The first leaves have fallen.

A lone osprey, finished raising its young, fishes along the Erie Canal.

Zoe, invigorated by the brisk air, gallops down a trail.

There are apples on my favorite apple tree in the forest.

The sky is more beautiful and varied than any work of art I've seen in a museum.

I walked out of Finger Lakes Fibers with a skein of yarn that matches the natural world I've been enjoying all weekend...

...not consciously...after running into a friend from Rochester, which is 2 hours away, I focused all my energies and walked around this lovely store with three skeins of yarn, all variations of those colors, chose only one so the budget wouldn't take too much of a hit, THEN realized the connection.

I am so smitten by the yarn, Lola by Schaefer Yarns, that I signed up for a sock knit-a-long with the good people at Finger Lakes Fibers. I'm trying to learn to love knitting socks, so I'm hoping that between the KAL and my other purchase of Cat Bordhi's new book, I will make the leap!

Preserving the Harvest

2007-09-12T17:17:00.000-05:00

A dear friend has asked for recipes for preserving. I am happy to oblige by sharing my favorite books. (These are linked to Amazon so you can get a good feel for them, but I encourage you to support your local library/independent bookseller/used bookstore.)

My "bible" (somewhat literally, since the growing and preparing of food is definitely a spiritual practice for me) is Preserving Summer's Bounty by Rodale Press, the same folks that pioneered organic gardening before "organic" was commodified by corporations and codified by the USDA. This book has everything you need to know on canning, freezing, drying, and juicing pretty much every variety of fruit or vegetable, and it has a section on herbs as well.

There's another cool book published by Chelsea Green called Keeping Food Fresh. Actually, it has a different title on the website, but I'm pretty sure it's an updated version of the same book I have. This book has techniques for preserving foods without freezing or canning, by using salt, oil, lactic fermentation, and other methods. I haven't made as much from this one, but the recipes I have used are great, leading to some great pickled veggies for summer potato salad! Many of them are from traditional European methods.

Another favorite, which I found in a used bookstore, is Putting It Up with Honey. I prefer to use local honey whenever possible, rather than sugar which is mostly imported from faraway locations.

And I gotta tell you, I love Mary Jane's farm...her Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook, for the Farmgirl in All of Us (don'tcha love that title?) is just that...chapters on preserving, cooking, needlework, and more. It's chock full of ideas!

Now go to your garden/farmers market/u-pick place closest to you, and get busy!

Zinnia Season

2007-09-11T21:07:00.001-05:00

Like me, the zinnias are pretty energized as late summer closes in!

And the dahlias are right behind.

A favorite knitwear designer, embroider, artist, blogger of mine is Kristin Nicholas. Check out her books and blog for lots of zinnia-inspired designs.

Late Summer Excesses

2007-09-09T14:40:00.000-05:00

According to Chinese medicine, my dominant elements are Earth and Water. (Okay, you can stop reading now and skip to the pictures if you find yourself snickering at that first sentence. But, I'll just tell you that principles and treatments from Chinese medicine and ayurveda have changed my quality of life dramatically.)

Aaaaanyway, late summer is associated with Earth, and for me, that manifests as having a ton of energy and a desire to reap the benefits of the harvest, put up a ton of food, and organize, organize. Lucky for me, I'm a full-time educator and a part-time student, which benefit from this high-energy state. Not so lucky, I tend to overdo it, have difficulty sleeping, and find it hard to relax.

This past week was the first week of school for me at graduate school, my place of work, and DD. So, that means my time was spent: admitting, testing, advising, and registering community college students; buying school supplies, including going to 3 different big box stores to find the right color of binder as prescribed by the teacher (okay, we never found one and I said "make do!"); and getting myself geared back up for lots o' reading and writing.

But, there are benefits from all this energy...these

became these.

(There's actually about 5 times that much, but it's in a dark closet.) T. and I picked 34 pounds of peaches and 12 pounds of plums, and I turned them into spiced plums, plum jam, plum butter, peach butter, peach jam, peach preserves, dried peaches, and peach cobbler.

And the piles, bags, shelves, hidden-under-the-bed with god knows what else stashes of yarn (no pictures...I have some dignity)...became neatly organized into this:

And today, tomato and pepper excesses turned into the winter's salsa...

I did take some time, though, to enjoy the view from the hammock.

Finally, some knitting

2007-08-31T05:19:00.000-05:00

Oh, I miss the knitting time...I could blame it on the graduate work, but to be honest, it's more like the gardening/preserving/sewing/assorted other creations that are really getting in the way. As long as I'm making something, though, it's all good. I started this baby sweater last August and promptly put it aside because I got confused somewhere with the colorwork.

When I picked it back up this August, I realized it didn't really matter if I made a mistake since it's MY design...well, sort of. The basic pattern is Classic Cashmere Sweater from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erica Knight, and the colorwork incorporates a couple of designs from knitting god Kaffe Fassett's Pattern Library. Anyway, the back will just be stripes, so it should go pretty quickly now.

I love knitting this yarn, Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. At the time I started it, there were 2 babies on their way in my friendship circle. Here's one of those beautiful babies, far too big now, as you can see.

I'll just have to wait for the next baby to come along for it to be properly enjoyed! (Oh, that and finish the sweater...soon, I hope!)

When all else fails, make something

2007-08-28T07:27:00.000-05:00

Whether you knit, sew, garden, cook, “craft,” or make “art” (the quotations are there to include all who make something, whatever your making “identity”), it’s likely that, when you make something, you are working something out. For me, it could be something as simple as a hectic week, a re-connection with the earth, an expression of passion, healing a loss, a release of pure joy.

Making something can also be a way of expressing outrage, sadness, a call for justice…even when your cause seems unwinnable. Take, for instance, The International Fiber Collaborative.

Artist Jennifer Marsh is collecting 800(!) 3-foot square panels to cover an abandoned gas station, as a means of addressing our country’s dependence on oil. She needs fiber artists to crochet, knit, sew, stitch, quilt, or patch panels for this project. She also needs donations of yarn for the gas pump handles which she will crochet herself.

Some commenters on her site have questioned the purpose of the project, with the unspoken question being, “Does art really make a difference?” I guess it depends on what you mean by “make a difference.” Does it change minds? hearts? policy?

I do believe that some art is pretty navel-gazing and self-indulgent. When I’m in a contemporary gallery, sometimes my working-class, practical Indiana background gets riled, and I start muttering things like…”These people need a real job. Don’t they have anything better to do? I can’t believe someone actually gave them a grant to come up with that. I could have made those scribbles.” (When this starts, T. knows it’s time to get me out of there before I start talking with a Southern accent--yes, in my part of Indiana, there's a distinct drawl--and walk right up to the artist/gallery owner/nearest patron and launch into a full-on, anti-elite, anti-art establishment, anti-anything smacking of bourgoeisie...well, you get the picture...rant.)

On top of that, if you’re making art about social justice, global warming, environmental destruction, and the like, I’m not going to be able to really take your art (or you) seriously if your lifestyle choices reflect no intentionality about those actual issues. Not that there’s ONE right way to live your life, but there are some things we know and can do--reduce our energy consumption, reduce our driving, eat local foods, buy fewer things--for starters. Making a movement in those directions seems imperative.

But The International Fiber Collaborative? I LOVE it. I love that the handwork of people from all around the world will make something beautiful out of something ugly. I love the irony…an abandoned gas station as a symbol of extreme dependence on petroleum. Most of all, I love what it gives me…that’s me, the one who takes her choices about how to live in harmony on this earth Very Seriously. Who speaks Very Earnestly at community meetings about the importance of This Issue or That Issue. So Seriously and Earnestly that I am quite sure that I can be just as annoying as the aforementioned self-indulgent, navel-gazing artists.

Will we “win” this issue of dependence on oil? End wars related to that dependence? Reverse global climate change before it really is too late? It pains me to be unsure…to think of my children and theirs (and yours) having to cope with the destruction wrought by mine and previous generations.

In the meantime, I can make something…yes, there’s some self indulgence there…it will make me feel a little better, but it will also mean one more panel towards that 800. Will it make a difference? It will make a difference for me. It will provide me with some hope, with a creative outlet, with a way to bring up the subject with other people, with a way to connect with others who care about the same issue.

And I can make a difference by telling other people...so, go to the website, make a panel, donate yarn, help with the installation, go to the reception(I'm planning to--we could carpool!). Tell a friend, drive less, consume less, make a change. Do something! No, don't just do something. Make something!

Life in the garden (and other places)

2007-08-27T07:40:00.000-05:00

The garden is alive and it is created to endure just the way a human being comes into the world and lives, suffers, enjoys, and is mortal....Is the cycle any easier to accept in the garden, than in a human life? Both of them are hard to take! In both cases, there is a sense not only of obligation, but of devotion. (Stanley Kunitz, The Wild Braid).

And so, no matter how preoccupied with self this human life, the garden carries on, volunteering big orange pumpkins,

and one perfect carnival squash.

And continuing with its own cycle of life...

(That's a monarch butterfly on the zinnia and a bee coming in for a landing on the morning glory.)

Meanwhile, I finished my paper and promptly got swamped with work, taking DS to college, and preparing and delivering a speaking engagement in the Midwest on a whirlwind one-day trip. By the way, here's the view from DS' (temporary, tripled, intended to be a lounge) room. Not bad...

I have managed some more finished objects, all food-related, as I work to put up as much food as possible before the garden rests. I picked some Saturn peaches and some MORE blueberries at Hurd Orchards a couple of weeks ago, and made peach/blueberry preserves from Gourmet Preserves.

Then, last weekend, T. and I spent some time in Buffalo for her birthday. I can hear you...you're saying, "Why Buffalo?" First, Delaware Park is an amazing place to have a picnic of homemade scones with blueberry jam, pasta salad with fresh tomatoes and home grown tomatillos and herbs, and melon/cherry tomatillo honey fruit salad.

Second, the Albright-Knox Art Museum is a premier contemporary art museum.

Third, the Niagara Riverway bike trail. We biked from Riverside Park in Buffalo, up through Tonawanda to where the Niagara River meets the Erie Canal. Some industrial sections, but mostly very charming.

And fourth...it's rose hip season!

We picked rose hips along the trail, and since I've never used them before, I'm trying out different recipes. A jam with honey recipe from a very old used book...a little too sweet. Then Euell Gibbons' (raise your hand if you're old enough to remember his Grape Nuts commercials) barely cooked recipe, which will be good for getting our Vitamin C in the winter, and definitely tastes like it's good for you, if you know what I mean.

Finally, one from The Neighborhood Forager, still in progress, which looks promising. The rest will be dried for tea. I hope to pick more throughout the fall.

So those are some of the obligations and devotions in my life at the moment...Next time, a knitting-related post...

Give up your gym membership

2007-08-17T16:56:00.000-05:00

Wanna get in really great shape? Today I got quite a workout and it didn't cost me anything! Here's what you do.

Change from work clothes to cycling outfit. When the big boss says, as he sees you wheeling your bike out, "I hope you don't get caught," ignore the gray sky and nod confidently.

Head home on your bike. Ignore the flash of lightning. It's really far away anyway. When the cyclist at the stoplight next to you says, "Oh, I feel rain," put your handy dandy new Pearl Izumi cycling jacket on as you smile and say, "Yep."

When you get to the bike path, notice that you're barely moving, even though it feels like you're biking as fast as you possibly can. Ignore the gusting wind and pelting rain and the fact that the jacket only covers your torso.

Briefly consider stopping someplace. Realize that your home is only a mile away, and there's really no other place to stop between here and there.

Ignore the flashes of lightning and peals of thunder getting closer. Push from your mind the fact that your laptop is in your non-waterproof pannier. There's nothing you can do about either.

Head back onto the street towards home. Shoot the evil eye at the backed up line of cars, especially that one car who is inching into the intersection. Wonder why they're all in such a hurry to get home, since they are not the ones getting drenched to the bone.

You're in the home stretch. Pour on the energy and get home in record time.

Make yourself a nice homemade pizza with fresh peppers, locally grown heirloom tomatoes , locally produced feta cheese, and some corn on the cob fresh from the South Wedge Farmers' Market.

Read Jack Bradigan Spula's post at RocBike.com and be reminded why you bike.

Stop blogging and go finish your research paper.

Get your Walk Score

2007-08-14T20:44:00.000-05:00

Want to improve your quality of life?

Walk more, drive less...you'll become physically and emotionally healthier, reduce carbon emissions, get connected to your community, and support your local economy. Here are some great tools to give you more reasons why and tips on how to make it work.

First, move to a walkable neighborhood. Go to Walk Score to find out if you already live in one! The site tells you how far it is to libraries, grocery stores, coffee shops, and more.

My neighborhood scored 77 out of 100...I already knew it's walkable, but who doesn't love a score to validate one's own opinions? (Why do you think those Cosmo quizzes are so popular?)

For more information on reducing driving, check out the Carbon Conscious Consumer button in the sidebar, and take the Downshift Your Driving challenge.

And to really motivate you, check out the Gas Calculator on the sidebar over at RocBike and see how much money you could save by giving up or at least minimizing your car commute to work.

That's what friends are for

2007-08-12T19:26:00.001-05:00

I have a paper due at the end of this week, so with everything else going on, there won't be much time for posting. I will post some quick pictures or thoughts every so often in the meantime.

Today's theme is in the title...

Playing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" with you at the South Wedge Farmers' Market.

Willingly and cheerfully sitting in a box when you run out of chairs.

Loving your baby and giving you a break.

Remembering the Titanic (the movie version, of course).

And being grateful you made it back to dry land for a nice rest.

Blog-o-sphere and other important social commentary

2007-08-09T21:05:00.000-05:00

If you're not up on the knit blog-o-sphere, first, what's wrong with you? Even if you don't knit, there are some really good writers out there...check the sidebar for my favorites.

Second, allow me to provide you with a couple of updates. Ryan over at Mossy Cottage is no longer doing the Dulaan project, which I wrote about here. Sounds like there's a story behind it...like most relationships that end poorly. Rochester knitters, any suggestions for other "knitting for others" to occupy ourselves with over the long cold winter?

Annie Modesitt is a designer I've long admired and a teacher I've had the privilege of learning from. Her husband has a rare form of cancer and they are currently at Mayo for treatment. I admire how she has let loose with the full range of emotions she's experiencing, from grief to fear to downright black humor.

I also admire--no, I'm amazed--how she still takes the time to talk about anything else in such a difficult time. Her thoughts about the movie Hairspray are quite to the point. I too loved the movie, and on one hand, I thought John Travolta was amazing. On the other hand, what would it have been like to have a woman in that role? Aren't women allowed to fully express themselves, regardless of size? Why was it okay for adolescent Tracy, but not for adult Mrs. Turnblad, to be played by a woman?

Or, why not stick with the premise of the original version, which cast Divine as Mrs. Turnblad? There are lots of fabulous drag queens out there, and that casting rounds out the anti-oppression messages of racism and sizism by taking on gender conformity as an equally oppressive social problem.

Don't let all this overly-earnest commentary dissuade you from seeing the movie! Musicals should be fun, and it is! I happen to like it even more when they have something important to say as well, a la West Side Story. And Hairspray actually does. If only we COULD solve racism with signing and dancing...

We Are Fa-mi-ly (say it with me)

2007-08-08T07:24:00.001-05:00

I'll just hit the highlights of our week in Cape Cod...

Happy campers (that's DD and her wonderful best friend, both charming and well-mannered young women, delightful travel companions)

Humpback whales up close and personal

I'm not strong enough to resist the proverbial sunset scene

Strolling our favorite secluded beach (and I'm NOT telling you where it is!)

The famous COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) Show and Tell, the culmination of Family Week.

More soon, including thoughts on the movie "Hairspray," another guest essay, touching on sexism, cycling, and SUV's, over at RocBike, and vacation knitting, when I recover from vacation and its ugly aftermath.

Virtual garden tour

2007-08-02T14:53:00.000-05:00

Click here for a photo tour of my garden, on the date of the NOFA-NY organic garden tour.Here's a sneak preview, because I love the hidden mystery of beans.

More FO's for your amusement

2007-07-30T14:56:00.000-05:00

I've always admired those knit sacks that make it easy for you to carry your knitting around, but I didn't feel like shelling out the money for something I'm pretty sure I could make myself.

I looked on my forgotten UFO shelf and found a felted bag, needing nothing but handles. I got out the scissors, cut the handles, and attached a ribbon loop to the inside to thread the yarn through. Voila!

And the white ball is a contribution to my friend's new home decor...I'll have to explain that later! (Ah, the suspense...)

Living your own life

2007-07-27T19:39:00.000-05:00

I will be away from my computer for a little while, living life unplugged for a time, so I'm leaving you a quote to think about, courtesy of Jason at Rocbike.com.

"Driving a car versus riding a bike is on par with watching television rather than living your own life."( Bruce MacAlister)

I'm hoping to put a couple of posts "in the can" which will post while I'm away, about such exciting news as a garden update and more FO's!

Hubris

2007-07-25T19:00:00.000-05:00

I am generally an optimistic person. For example, my approach to balancing the checkbook is, "Why bother? I'm sure it will all work out." I suppose you can guess how that goes over in our household (and who balances the checkbook!).

My optimism has its advantages. For example, I think it is perfectly reasonable to work full-time, be a relatively competent and loving parent, pursue a Ph.D., work on causes important to me in the community, and have a great intimate relationship and a life rich with meaningful friendships. Oh, and finish 45 hand-made objects, bike 45 miles, and do a 45-hour retreat all in one year.

By and large, I'm mostly successful at the above list, which, of course, only feeds my optimism and makes me think I can do more and more. Thus, occasionally, my optimism turns to hubris. I have recently been reminded of this in the most indelicate way.

Case in point--my seat.

I've been thinking...45-mile bike ride...no big deal. To any of the Serious Cyclists out there, you're saying, "Yeah, NOT a big deal!" But I am not a Serious Cyclist. No, I am a mere dilettante...I actually bike for mostly practical purposes, commuting to work and around the city, to reduce my own contribution to climate change, to see some new scenery on the weekend, to get a decent workout, and to have fun.

Notice, I said to have FUN. Things I do not find fun include: biking huge hills, biking on roads likely to hold enraged Hummer-drivers, or, truly, any kind of exercise-induced pain.

Which takes me back to my seat. T. and I biked 20 miles this past weekend, through Genesee Valley Park and on to the Erie Canal Trail to Schoen Place in Pittsford, then back home. Great ride! Really beautiful and with a break for ice cream in the middle.

On the way back, and I know some of you cyclists have done this, I occasionally had to stand on my pedals just to relieve the pressure...you know where. Yes, I have a comfy seat, and yes, I have cycling pants with extra padding so I feel like I'm wearing a diaper.

But nothing makes up for the fact that, since I haven't been cycling that far at a time, my seat endurance, so to speak, is not what it could be.

Ah, the hubris...sure, 45 miles, no big deal. What, do you expect me to actually TRAIN for that?

Needed a tune-up

2007-07-20T17:45:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago I inherited a sewing machine from a friend who was moving to England. It had belonged to her mother, but had sat unused for quite some time. Her mother was a skilled quiltmaker, so I knew it had to be a quality machine, but the last time I had an encounter with a sewing machine was in seventh grade home economics (while the boys were in "shop"). That encounter ended badly and I hadn't tried sewing since.

So I've been struggling along, sewing a few things here and there. (Remember the pillows? Those are my biggest project thus far.) Finally, some thread got stuck in the bobbin and I decided it was time for a tune-up.

I just got it back, and can I tell you....I now LOVE this sewing machine! I never knew what I was missing! It feeds like a dream. I can't WAIT to play with it some more.

I have gotten three more FO's out of it, all in one day. They're small, but they were very much needed, and it felt great to get them done.

First, a new cover for our coffee table, to match the pillows.

Second, a laptop sleeve for the new laptop.

And third, a sewing machine cover to keep the dirt out of my new and improved machine. (I used this pattern, minus the piping.)

I worked on those the same day I kicked T. out of the house for a few hours. I NEEDED my own space. She was gracious about it, and by the end of the day, it was as though I had had a tune-up as well.

Sometimes you don't know how much need it until you get it.

Less than 6 degrees of separation

2007-07-18T18:10:00.000-05:00

Jason over at RocBike asked me a few days ago to write a guest essay.

I sent it to him, wondering if he might find it a little too much of a downer since it talks about some serious cycling accidents in my life.

Come to find out, Jason had actually witnessed and assisted in the most significant accident.

Read about it here and be sure to click on Jason's comment for the full story.

I should say I have known Jason in "real" (i.e. non-blog) life for several years now, as a local activist, radio host, and caregiver of one of my favorite young people.

But I didn't know him at the time of the accident, and we never put 2+2 together until the blog-o-sphere connection!

Jason does a great service to Rochester cyclists, especially commuters, and obviously he did a great thing for me and my family. Thanks, Jason!!

Reasons not to move away from Rochester

2007-07-16T17:10:00.000-05:00

For several years, T. and I imagined the places we might move to after the kids left home, or at the least by retirement...they all happened to be in Massachusetts...first it was Northampton, then the Berkshires, then Cape Cod.

But as the time has gotten closer when we might actually be able to move, the prospect has gotten less and less appealing. So much so that we were just saying that we can't imagine moving from Rochester.

There are some great reasons for living in Rochester...go see what Rachael has to say about the art and culture scene, then come back here for more.

1. Lots of great fiber art and resources for fiber artists. I've visited at least half the stops on the Finger Lakes Fiber Tour and I highly recommend it.

2. Speaking of the Finger Lakes...the Finger Lakes National Forest is only two hours away. This incredible resource offers great hiking, biking, and secluded camping. We spent a week there this June, which included a beautiful sunset over the horizon and a full moon through the branches. And an incredible dinner, as always, at The Red Newt . They have the best Gewurtzraminner going!

3. We have wonderful natural resources right here in Rochester. The Genesee River, offering kayaking right downtown. The Erie Canal with miles of trails for walking, biking, skating, kayaking, boating.

Mt. Hope Cemetery full of history, and a peaceful sanctuary.

Highland Park designed by noted landscape designer Frederick Olmsted, where yesterday DD and I viewed a local production of Romeo and Juliet.

Just yesterday we discovered some new hiking trails in Victor.

4. We have found spiritual and political communities that feel right to us. Places like Springwater Center, Rochester Zen Center, Metro Justice, and our neighborhood, the South Wedge.

So there are a few reasons...I'll add more throughout the year.

What do YOU appreciate about Rochester, or wherever you happen to live?

Headlines from W's presidency

2007-07-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

Warrantless wire-tapping.

Hurricane Katrina.

Torture of prisoners.

CIA operative's name leaked.

Daily American and Iraqi casualties.

Libby's sentence commuted.

Refusal to comply with Congressional investigations.

The vice-president's office no longer a function of the executive branch of government.

Scientific evidence squelched in favor of theology and ideology.

It all begs the question...

Twenty-five pounds

2007-07-09T12:33:00.000-05:00

...is a whole lot of cherries. Especially if you picked them yourself (which I did, once again at Hurd Orchards ).

All twenty-five pounds came from this tree. That took about two hours.

Then of course, there's the pitting of the cherries. Fortunately I have a double action pitter which I got from Lehman's . So that took about four hours.

Finally, there's the freezing of most of them and the making of cherry topping. That's probably another two hours. I would show you a picture but frankly it would look just like the strawberry rhubarb jam pictures.

Instead you can just lose yourself in the cherries.

The eight or so hours were totally worth it.

Biking makes you good-looking

2007-07-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

I just left a comment for Jason over at Rocbike, a blog about bike commuting in Rochester, in which I said that my blog has a bicycling aspect to it. Then I realized, I have not posted ANYTHING about bicycling, even though that is one of my 45th year goals!

So, yes, I have been biking. I bike almost every day to work. It's only about 2 miles, but it is such an invigorating way to start the day! I bike along the Erie Canal, and this is my view as I head into downtown.

I also bike around the city to a lot of my errands. Those little trips add up, but they don't really prepare me for 45 miles in one day. So, I've started doing longer trips, mostly at various points along the Erie Canal. First 8 miles, then 12, then 15. I have a fair amount of endurance, although not a lot of speed. My bike is a Specialized CrossRoads, which is a perfect commuting bike, but heavier and slower than a road bike. That's okay, I'm not really in a hurry. My goal is to complete my 45-miler in early October.

There are all kinds of good purely recreational reasons to bike...it gets your body moving, it connects you with your neighborhood, it reminds you that you are a part of the natural world, it's a time to de-compress from the everyday.

And you already know the environmental reasons, I'm sure...you know, global warming, peak oil, yada yada...You have heard of a little movie called Inconvenient Truth? Made by someone we elected president?

Okay, if you're not convinced yet, I send you to the powers of the Yarn Harlot. She mentions the most important part about biking...it makes you feel "pretty good-looking"!

Go ahead, just try to resist getting out on your bike.

Strawbaby Season

2007-07-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

Most of the time I call them strawberries, but for one summer when he was around four, DS called them "strawbabies." And since I'm still in "weepy mom whose son has left the nest" mode, I couldn't resist the nostalgia.

This year I picked strawberries at Hurd Orchards with my four-year old friend Katie. (While Katie seems to like me just fine, she has the four-year old equivalent of a teen rock-star crush on my DD, constantly saying, "I love your daughter. She's the best one." Of course, I'm not about to argue with that!)

The day of our picking was the same day that DS left for the summer (see previous post). I rode with Katie, her sister, and her parents, who had organized a strawberry picking outing for the local gay families group.

I was totally unprepared for my emotional reaction. There were several kids there, all under the age of four. As I pushed Katie on the swing and watched all the others running around, I teared up. Believe me, not because I want more kids! I can't really even explain it...something about knowing that I'll never have that experience again, to see my little ones running around with such abandon.

Even stranger, my conversations over the next several days included the word "grandchildren"! No, kids, don't start yet!! But wow, talk about a primeval impulse...to start thinking about grandchildren the day DS leaves!!

Anyway, the good news is that I got another FO out of the day! A lot of my free time in the summer is spent picking and/or preserving fruits and veggies, and I've decided to count a day's worth of preserving as one finished object. That seems fair, right?

I made some strawberry-rhubarb preserves (rhubarb from Genesee Valley Organic Community Supported Agriculture).

Don't you love those jars? Finding them at Wegman's made me unreasonably happy, particularly striking since, although most Rochesterians love Wegman's, to me they epitomize America as the land of free consumer choice. Give me small scale food stores and farmer's markets, like Abundance Co-op or South Wedge Green Grocer's or the South Wedge Farmer's Market. I don't need twenty brands of potato chips and soda. I need good, nutritious food that is no more well-traveled than I am and has ingredients which I can pronounce.

Sad to say, as of yesterday on my sweet cherry-picking trip to Hurd, strawbaby season is already over...like four-year olds and grandchildren, every living thing has its time, and that time always seems too short to those who love them.

Saying good-bye (and other safety rituals of parents)

2007-06-23T04:24:00.000-05:00

This morning, two days after his high school graduation, I sent my son off for six weeks, after which time he's home for two weeks, then away to college, so it really felt like sending him off to adulthood. I said to him, "Don't be a stranger. Call your mother." That's just what my mom would have said to me.

I had been talking with a friend about the things we do to try to keep our children safe, including these kinds of statements, which she called "safety rituals." A few months ago, TJ said he felt that I wasn't treating him like an adult because I peppered him with admonitions like "drive safely," "the roads are icy," "be careful." T. let him know that I talk like this to everyone I love. She's right, of course, but I will admit that my kids get more of that than my other loved ones. After all, in my mind, I've been keeping them safe their whole life. How could I possibly stop trying to protect them now?

And that's what the safety rituals are...they're my version of a magic spell...somehow if I say them, everything will be okay. They're borne from the deep knowledge that sometimes everything isn't okay, that I can't truly protect them from all the things that would hurt them--disloyal friends, romances gone wrong, any number of accidents and illnesses, their own internal struggles, disappointments in their pursuits and passions, global warming, you name it... and since that's too heart-breaking to contemplate, the safety rituals are my defensive armor against that knowledge.

I'm not the first to notice that parenthood is all about saying good-bye, letting go, from the very beginning...

But this year, and especially this week, TJ has let me know in a million different ways that it's time...In the past year, he's gotten his driver's license, been accepted into a great school, won competitions with his chamber ensemble and his school's national orchestra award, overcome some tough personal stuff, and generally learned how to manage his life.

In the past week, wow...his recital was amazing. His opening chords of the Elgar cello concerto literally brought me to tears. I don't have a tape yet, but you can go here and click on May 13, 2007, to hear him play a Bach cello suite.

In the words of his uncle, he doesn't play the cello, he makes love to it. He is completely focused, fully present, and intensely passionate when he is playing. It is a sight and sound to behold.

He played that recital, maintaining a rigorous schedule of rehearsals, while also taking his final exams, keeping his part-time job, graciously spending time with parents, siblings, and grandparents, and doing a serious amount of hanging out with friends.

At his graduation, I watched him and other kids I've known for over 10 years walk across the stage, remembering when he played soccer with that one, did school projects with this one, was good friends with another one. Now they are young men and women, and they will do what young men and women have been doing since eternity...leaving their parents, going out to make their way in the world, and simultaneously filling their parents' hearts with pride and breaking their hearts.

So yes, it's time to say good-bye. Good-bye, my dear son, my firstborn, my baby boy, my young man. You are ready for adulthood. Eat your vegetables, go to bed at a reasonable hour, don't forget a jacket, be safe, and above all else...call your mother.

p.s. More pictures from graduation here.

My definition of a family

2007-06-17T19:33:00.000-05:00

Includes: one soulful cellist, one charismatic trumpet player, one soulmate. And today, at the aforementioned cellist's senior recital, I realized it includes much more.

My definition of a family also includes:

--a mom from Indiana who may not have a sense for classical music but knows what to do when there's cooking and cleaning to be done

--friends who left their families on Father's Day because they knew it was important for me to have some of "my people" around

--older, wiser friends who understand the bittersweet realities of being parent to a young adult

--family members from my kids' dad's side who greeted me with hugs and graciousness

--people who've helped me get through day to day life, as colleagues, as support people, and by taking care of my kids.

It's been quite the day, and I really wish I'd gotten pictures. DS and his step-brother played wonderfully--great musicianship, technical skill, and adept handling of the little things that didn't quite go right. I made some excellent and beautiful food. And I was so busy connecting with family that taking pictures was the last thing on my mind.

More big events to come as the week unfolds...

Do something TODAY about violence against women

2007-06-15T18:20:00.000-05:00

Larissa is running for Congo women, who are living in the midst of the deadliest war since World War II, coping with rape, torture, and the death of their children and husbands. Go here to read more.

She's running on June 23, and her goal is to raise enough money to sponsor four women. She's asking for just a donor a day to give $14 .

I just gave...now it's your turn. Hurry and run (metaphorically) to her site now so that her (literal) run will be that much more meaningful.

Bee sex and other news from the garden

2007-06-13T20:31:00.000-05:00

Bee sex

So I'm literally sitting in the dirt in my garden, putting in new plants and pulling out unwanted plants (sometimes called weeds by the un-thinking). And I hear this prolonged "Bzzzzzzzzz." I mean for minutes. So I look around, and on the cosmos next to me I see one bee on top of the other.

Unlike others in the non-human animal world, the bees apparently take their time. At one point, another bee came up and tried to join in, but the male buzzed him away. Finally the female had gotten what she wanted and flew away...when the male tried to chase her, she buzzed HIM away.

Wren courtship

Unlike the bees, as far as I can tell, the house wrens seem to have quite a period of courting before they get down to it. We've had a bird box in our yard for years, and the only thing that's ever nested there were wasps, which met their untimely end after chasing me from the garden to the house.

The male wren leads the female to potential nest sites, singing his bubbly song all the way, and he is really trying to convince her that our nest box is just the place to raise a family...good neighborhood, lovely garden, and no cats. She doesn't appear to be convinced, but I'm still holding out hope.

Garden sweetness

Is there anything sweeter than pansies?

Yes, pea blossoms!

Wait, I found something even sweeter in the garden!

Bedtime for WMD's?

2007-06-10T20:39:00.000-05:00

Do you know about the WMDcozy project ?

Go check it out...the idea is to create conversation about disarmament by creating a cozy to fit a real weapon of mass destruction! Now why didn't I think of that?

Is anyone interested in a WMDcozy knit-in? (after the current rush of major life events happening in mine and friends' lives, of course! maybe even in the fall?)

Mother-daughter yoga

2007-06-07T13:46:00.000-05:00

DD and I have been taking yoga classes together at this lovely place for the past several weeks. I've practiced yoga off and on for ten years; she just started, first at home with my yoga practice tapes.

While our classes have been good, last night's was OUTSTANDING! It was a much smaller class with a different teacher, and I knew it was going to be good when he started by first poking the small of my back, then hers, to see how alike or different they were! (Different at the beginning, alike by the end, as she learned about proper alignment.)

The teacher was so attentive and provided just the right amount of challenge. By the end of class, my whole body felt like it had been stretched, straightened, and strengthened. WOW! We walked in feeling tired and like we probably wouldn't have come if we weren't doing it together. We walked out feeling energized and inspired!

I'm so glad we can share this experience. Recently T and I discussed the fact that, because our spiritual practice is meditative in nature, it's not exactly easy to pass along to the kids. I like yoga because it is physically, intellectually, and spiritually challenging.

For me, spiritual practice is about mindfulness, or presence, the ability to be fully present with your body, heart, and mind. Yoga is great because the practice, if done with attention, REQUIRES such mindfulness.

Of course, Toni Packer and many other spiritual teachers say that such presence is always accessible.

She says: Awareness, enlightenment, wholeness--whatever words one may pick to label what cannot be caught in words--is not the effect of a cause. Activity does not destroy it and sitting does not create it. It isn't a product of anything--no technique, posture, activity, or nonactivity can create it. It is there, uncreated, freely functioning in wisdom and love, when self-centered conditioning is clearly revealed in all its grossness and subtleness and defused in the light of understanding.

For those of us who need a little more revealing of our self-centered conditioning, though, yoga can be a great path, and I find that the more I practice mindfulness, through yoga, sitting, and regular life whenever possible, the easier it is to get to that state of awareness.

On knitting for others...

2007-06-01T17:39:00.000-05:00

Above, some finished objects for the Dulaan project. If you're not familiar with Dulaan, let me give you the synopsis.

Dulaan was started by Ryan over at Mossy Cottage Knits. Her cousin is a Buddhist monk in Mongolia, and they got their heads together and realized two very important facts. Fact 1--there are lots of cold children and adults in Mongolia, many of them homeless and living in heating ducts during the frigid winters.

Fact 2--there are lots of insatiable knitters around the world...you know the kind...they've knitted hats, scarves, sweaters, gloves, tea cozies, socks, and more, for all their loved ones, and even for some people they don't particularly like. So much so that family, friends, co-workers, and strangers passing on the street stay away for fear of receiving yet one more knitted item. These knitters can be convinced to knit for good causes rather than beleaguered loved ones, rather easily, in fact.

I happen to know a few knitters like that, so I got together with the lovely and charming Molly (pictured above) to organize some knitters. Thanks to Amy, Monica, Saundra, Tanya, Ginny! (did I miss anyone?)

Seriously, we knit for Dulaan because we love to knit, yes, but also because the stories that Ryan posts are heart-breaking. When I was a young adult, I truly believed I could "save the world." Or at least make a significant impact. I still believe that there are people who have big ideas that have a big impact on the world.

But I also believe that these small acts of compassion are just as important, just individuals making the time to do something for someone they don't know, halfway across the world, to say, "We know that you are cold. We wish we could do more. We wish we could make sure that you and everyone else had a warm home to go to. We don't know how to make that happen, but we're thinking about it. Meanwhile, here is something to keep you a little warmer. We hope it will help a little."

And by the way, this is not 'charity.' This is a small portion of the debt owed by those of us who happened to have been born into circumstances where we can turn our heat up to 80 if we want. Dulaan reminds me that the lifestyle which I take for granted is unsustainable from a global perspective, and is mine at the expense of others.

Excuse me while I get back to my knitting...

Re-entry

2007-05-30T19:49:00.000-05:00

Re-entry is my term for the transition from some kind of respite from everyday life back to the usual routine. We had a wonderful 3-day weekend, great food, weather, and relaxation. We spent some lovely time reading, walking and talking in Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Zoe had to put on her newly-mended sweater (knit way back when as my first color-work project), because she gets chilly even in 70 degree weather now that she's had her summer haircut.

Now it's re-entry time..there's a job to go to, research to start, and oh, yes, a son to get graduated and ready for 6 weeks away from home, before he comes back and then really leaves, for college, in August. In truth, there's not much I have to do for that last one...my work was all on the front end. These last few years have been mostly his doing, and I have just been trying to survive the rapidly changing role of being his mother. (It's myself that has to get ready for all these changes...talk about re-entry!)

In other news, I am up to 10 (!) finished objects! Not five, but six, sofa pillows, finished 4 hours before the deadline. The two side ones have a knitted log-cabin front, the others were made following basic pillow directions from the book Last-Minute Fabric Gifts.

Two squares for the Hokie Knitting Project ...and one hat for Dulaan...

Expect a lull in FO's as the beautiful weather lures me to the garden in the spare moments when I'm not studying!

Thoughts on being a parent

2007-05-30T17:45:00.000-05:00

The Yarn Harlot wishes her oldest a happy 18th birthday today. Have the tissues ready...

A healthy relationship with deadlines?

2007-05-25T17:10:00.000-05:00

I promised T that I would make new cushions for our sofa, before her parents come to visit. They'll be here tomorrow afternoon. Two out of five are finished.

Last night, after a long day, instead of working on the pillows (my original plan), we took a walk up to Highland Park, came back home, then went to a celebration at our next door neighbor's, complete with amazing chocolate cake from Premier Pastry. Now, all those things were totally worth it, even though I will probably have a late night tonight, after DD's concert, finishing the pillows.

But it got me thinking...the NEXT day after I turned in my last project for the semester, I started this blog, which as you'll notice, is actually ALL about meeting a deadline. Apparently I can't get enough deadlines in my life. On top of that, whenever I have a deadline to meet--a gift, a grant proposal, a paper--I am invariably working on it up to the last minute.

Generally this works well for me. I do good work under pressure. And it's not like I don't start in advance...I do, though not nearly as soon as people with a lower tolerance for anxiety might. But it also means that I don't always finish things by the deadline, or finish them to the level of excellence that I would like.

I think this mild procrastination is a way of rebelling against schedules, since so much of my life is dominated by them. On the other end of the continuum, one summer I had a lot of unscheduled time, and came to realize that there IS such a thing as too little structure.

So, the trick is having enough structure, but not so much that I rebel against it, procrastinate and thereby make myself nuts as I work against deadlines!

I'm not making any promises about improvement in this area, but I'll keep you posted as to how it goes!

Meanwhile, some pictures from Highland (downloaded from here) are interspersed as a reminder that some things are worth abandoning the schedule.

Growing up in rural America

2007-05-23T17:15:00.000-05:00

This isn't directly related to my 45th year challenge, but I recently learned that a woman I graduated high school with has written a memoir. So, of course, I read it as soon as I could get my hands on it!

Publisher's Weekly describes Driving with Dead People, by Monica Holloway, as follows, "Her memoir sings with the power of a disenfranchised woman finally finding her own voice, and her brutal memoir is hard to forget."

I have to say that her ability at capturing our hometown's sense of place and culture is uncanny. Although Monica and I didn't socialize outside of high school, we were in many classes together. And, of course, I would never have guessed what she was dealing with outside of school. Nor, I'm sure, would she have guessed anything about my personal life.

The book reminded me of how overwhelming being a teenager can feel, and also of how we all find ways to deal. Monica and I were similar in that we both coped by achieving. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but as I've lived my 44 years, I have realized that tying one's identity to achievement is a tenuous proposition.

The spiritual teachers to whom I relate, such as Pema Chodron and Toni Packer, would remind me that tying one's identity to ANYTHING is problematic!

So, perhaps this is about my 45th year challenge...working with feelings of image and identity are a big part of meditative work, and as I've begun to think about my solo retreat, I've realized that it may be a tiny bit harder than I've imagined. Nearly 2 whole days with no externally-imposed schedule, no one to be responsible for or to, no one to ground me in some sense of role or identity? Yes, it might be a little more challenging than I initially thought.

Oh, by the way, if you read the book, no, I'm not in it, but my best friend is mentioned. Ask me and I'll tell you who.

Like a fine wine...

2007-05-23T09:53:00.000-05:00

Don't age me before my time!

Several of you have written me saying, Happy 45th Birthday! No, no...not that there's ANYTHING wrong with being 45! In fact, I hope to be 45 NEXT year! I just celebrated my 44th birthday, which makes this year my 45th year!

Got it? Okay, thanks!

Carrie L. French

2007-05-18T19:23:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday morning I finished stitching Carrie's name. The stitched name will become a part of a larger finished object, through the Mother's Day Project. Even so, I am considering this, my contribution to the project, my first finished handmade item of my 45th year.

I chose the color purple because Carrie was baptized as a Christian while in Iraq, and, according to this website, purple symbolizes penitence and mourning in Christian liturgy.

When I googled Carrie's name, several websites came up: this one from the military, this memorial from her family and friends, and one particularly disturbing site to which I refuse to link.

Remember the church group that gained notoriety after Matthew Shepard's death, for protesting at his funeral with signs saying "God hates fags"? They're still out there. One of the links that came up was a woman's account of the day that she went to protest at Carrie's funeral. She claims that "God killed Carrie because God hates America." Why does "God hate America?" Because of the fags, of course.

As a Buddhist-influenced spiritual practitioner, I really try to bring compassion to every situation and every being. This one, I find hard. My immediate reaction is amazement and anger. And that's without even getting into the homophobia, which is so extreme as to almost be laughable.

How dare they affront Carrie's family and friends like this? To have to face such hatred while mourning the loss of a loved one is inconceivable to me. I hope that my small part in the Mother's Day Project, through which I got to know Carrie just a little, will do a little bit to counter-act that negative energy.

Nearly everything in bloom in my garden at this time of year is purple...a fitting tribute...

Blog inspiration

2007-05-14T20:03:00.000-05:00

Isn't that a beautiful family! These are some of our very best friends, with a blanket I made for the newest member of their family.

The blanket they are nestled in was inspired by the log cabin madness of Mason Dixon Knitting, along with the Scrappy Blanket at Philacraft. Blogs like those are a big part of the inspiration for my own blog.

Yes, I know it's bright...babies like bright colors, right?

It was simple to do, and I loved watching all those bright colors come together, not to mention reducing my stash of yarn. I gathered yarn in yellows, oranges, and reds, made 6 log cabin squares using colors pretty much at random, knitted a strip of orange for the middle, then crocheted them all together. For the back, I used three different fabrics, with a red fabric binding all the way around, using the same binding technique as Philacraft used in the Scrappy blanket.

Since I don't have any finished objects for my 45th year to share with you yet, I thought I'd take a moment to share one from my past. I should have one(small)FO to share by the end of the week.

Walk a mile for Mother's Day

2007-05-13T08:01:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we miss the wisdom in cliches because we've heard them so much that we stop listening. Mother's Day is rife with cliches, so today I'm taking a moment to really think about it.

Mother's Day in the U.S. was first proposed as Mother's Day for Peace in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe. This year, I've volunteered for The Mother's Day Project, a project to remind us that war is personal. I've been sent a piece of muslin with the name of Carrie L. French, a 19-year old U.S. soldier who died while serving in Iraq. I will stitch her name, return it, and it will be used to create a tote bag, along with the names of the other 79 women who have died (so far) serving in Iraq. When the bag is complete, each stitcher will get to carry it for a while. We will document our experiences stitching and discussing the bag.

Carrie had graduated from high school just a year before she died, where she was a varsity cheerleader. She joined the National Guard to pay for college.

My own son will graduate from high school June 21 and leave for college in August. After a particularly painful time in our relationship, when I was trying to describe to him how I felt, he said, "I can only imagine what you're going through. I really won't be able to understand it until I become a parent myself." Ah, how true. Reminds me of that cliche about not judging someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes.

Parents, especially mothers, face a lot of judgment in our culture, for all the "mom and apple pie" rhetoric. There is one thing I know about being a parent. I love my kids fiercely and I want the best for them. I imagine that most if not all parents feel the same way. (Yes, I know there are parents who are abusive and downright mean, and I'm not excusing their behavior, but I bet even most of those parents wish they could do better.)

Although I haven't walked a mile in the shoes of Carrie's parents, I will think of them often as I stitch her name. And the next time I think of judging another parent's style, I will remember that they cherish their children as much as I do mine. And that what all of us parents need is more support, not more criticism, as we stumble through, and sometimes soar, in our own parenting journey.

p.s. To my kids, thanks for giving me a reason to celebrate Mother's Day! I love you!

My new project

2007-05-12T16:13:00.000-05:00

I turned 44 this year. It has been quite the year, actually the past 5 years or so have been years of growth borne from life's usual difficulties and of course lots of joys. For some reason this year feels like a turning point. Maybe it is because my oldest is going away to college, or because I have started working on a Ph.D. or just because I feel myself moving (I'm not there yet!) to a stronger and wiser place.

One of my colleagues at work, who is a serious bicyclist (I am a commuting/recreational cyclist), wrote on my card "Now you need to bike your years in miles." I thought...I could do that! Well, maybe not today or tomorrow, but before the snow flies, certainly. Then I thought, what else could I do 44 of? Actually, I decided on 45 because it's a nice round number, and technically, this is my 45th year.

I meditate some and do yoga some, but I've never made a serious commitment. I've done silent group retreats, and one solo retreat during a key transitional point in my life many years ago, so my second goal will be to go on a 45-hour solo retreat, at some point during the next year. I don't THINK 45 hours will be much of a challenge, but taking the next step to 45 days would be way too long for me! The point of this goal is to make a deeper commitment to spiritual practice.

Deciding on my third goal was easy. I love knitting especially, and dabble in making all kinds of things, from sewn items to handmade paper to homemade preserves. This goal won't be as easy to execute as it was to decide on, because I tend to flit from one project to the next without completing things. I probably have at least 12 knitted UFO's (I refuse to count the exact number!). So this goal is to complete 45 handmade items. They can be things I've already started, in fact, that's part of the point.

Thanks for reading about my journey! It should be an interesting year!