Yarn Harlot

As promised here are some pics from the trip Reba and I took to go see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee at Webs in Northampton, Mass.
Stephanie was great, witty, funny, self-deprecating - all the things I love about her. She seemed surprised by the number of knitters (and a couple of muggles I suspect) that came to see her but I wasn't.


Later we went to Webs and get this - I didn't buy ANY yarn! Can you believe it? I think I was on sensory overload. Reba and I were there for a total of 3 hours and there was just so much yarn, too much yarn for my tiny knitterly mind to comprehend. I'm ashamed to admit that I just couldn't handle it. I did, however, get Knitting Rules! signed.


Afterward Reba and I went to A to Z Science and Learning Store,

where Reba bought this sweet kite.


Finally we went to Osaka for some sushi before we hit the road. The trek up the mountain of stairs was worth it; not only was it some of the best sushi either of us ever had but our total bill was $35 - unheard of in the realm of Japanese cuisine.


Unfortunately it was raining and dark on the way home so it took us more like 4 hours than 3 to get home but it was fun. I haven't made a last minute road trip with a girlfriend since before E was born and I had a great time.

I'm the Decider

Koo-Koo-Ka-Choo

Thank you, Anita.

WIPs and Belated Thanks

First I need to thank my Secret Pal for her latest package. Included was a multidirectional scarf

and these beautiful stitch markers that she made herself (there are actually 4 of the yellow ones).

I can't believe she took the time to make both items in my package and I really appreciate it. Thank you!


WIPs
I am in the process of sewing this together:

Making another one in these colors:

and hopefully finishing the pinwheel blanket (and writing a paper) by the 29th for a baby shower.


Coming up: Pictures from the trip Reba and I took to go see the Yarn Harlot.

For Bill

Because no one will appreciate it more...

I Am Hated

Thanks for your email. Please enjoy this not-at-all automated response, and, for a special message just for you, head over to www.listpauser.com.

Best,
Rob

P.S. If you are writing to point out that "Canadian" was on the list twice, please be aware that that is because I hate them double. If you are writing to point out that "Star-Bellied Sneetches" was misspelled, then please be aware that I also hate nit-pickers.

Who Will Be The Next Big Star?

You know the best shows are always the ones where terrible people audition. Is it bad that I really want to see this?

Hmmmmm

If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison, fourth US president (1751-1836)

The White House Needs a Plumber

I just read this story.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide told prosecutors that his boss said President Bush authorized the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case.

My first reaction is good, maybe Bush will be held somewhat accountable. Of course I know that the most that will possibly happen is that Cheney will end up taking the fall for saying Bush gave the OK and I doubt even that will happen. It was, however, a brief moment of hope in this liberal's day.

I'm Not Alone

It's nice to know I'm not the only one...

I'm addicted to last.fm

Where I'm From

Following is an email I got at work yesterday and my results:

Hi all,

In honor of April, which is Poetry Month, this week's poem will be slightly different. This week I offer you a simple activity--a series of questions you answer that will result in your own poem. Now, before you think...uh oh...and delete this message, read on. I want to encourage you to use this activity with other staff, instructors and students. For example, Brattleboro staff is encouraging a diverse group of instructors to try the activity in their classes. And Burlington is posting the questions in the hallways on large sheets, so they can create a collaborative site-wide poem.

The activity is simple and the results are stunning. The activity is part of our SEI Instructor resources and our Top 40 Anthology of Assignments, but it has been done nation-wide with everyone from schoolchildren to senior citizens. It celebrates diversity--what makes each of us unique--while it builds a sense of community. It is quick, easy, and error-proof (You can't do it wrong!). And it is pure magic to see or hear these poems read aloud. Trust me.

Okay, so here's the activity, which is based on a poem by Georgia Ella Lyons, called "Where I'm From.” Simply answer the questions below with a statement that begins "I'm from..."

Where I'm From
What are 3-5 objects/elements found in your yard or some outdoor place you love to go?
I am from?
What are 3-5 things you would rush from your home in the case of a fire?
I am from?
What are the names of relatives, friends, teachers or others who link you to your past?
I am from?
What are the names of animals you've loved or love?
I am from?
What are a few sayings you remember from childhood?
I am from?
What are names of foods and dishes that recall family gatherings or childhood?
I am from?
What are books or songs or television/films you loved growing up?
I am from?
What are smells you associate with your family and extended family?
I am from?
What are a few things you learned to do or achieved on your own that you're proud of accomplishing?
I am from?
What are names of places you remember from childhood?
I am from?
What are childhood dreams you held? What did you want to be when you grew up?
I am from?
What are 3 items that represent your beliefs?
I am from?
What are 3 values you hold dear?
I am from?
What else communicates where you are from?
I am from?

Okay, here is the original poem by Georgia Ella Lyons.

Where I'm From
by George Ella Lyons

I am from clothespins,
from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.
I am from the dirt under the black porch.
(Black, glistening
it tasted like beets.)
I am from the forsythia bush,
the Dutch elm
whose long gone limbs I remember
as if they were my own.
I'm from fudge and eyeglasses,
from Imogene and Alafair.
I'm from the know-it-alls
and the pass-it-ons,
from perk up and pipe down.
I'm from He restoreth my soul
with a cottonball lamb
and ten verses I can say myself.
I'm from Artemus and Billie's Branch,
fried corn and strong coffee.
From the finger my grandfather lost
to the auger
the eye my father shut to keep his sight.
Under my bed was a dress box
spilling old pictures,
a sift of lost faces
to drift beneath my dreams.
I am from those moments-
snapped before I budded-
leaf-fall from the family tree.

And now my contribution:

I am from sun puddles on the canyon red rocks, mesas, goat heads.

I am from my daughter, my photos, my hard drive.

I am from Autumn, Nanny and her soft, soft skin, Shirley, Harry, Mere Claire and Peter.

I am from Ivy, Luca Pumpkin Head, Sam I & II, Watson.

I am from “the moon and back and over the rainbow and back again,” from “stop crying before I give you something to cry about,” from “we’re moving…again.”

I am from mudbugs, gumbo, hushpuppies, Shirley’s sweet tea, jambalaya and fragrant pink shrimp.

I am from Just Me, Rainbow Connection, Good Night Moon, The Rainbow Goblins, Queen, Carole King and Joni Mitchell.

I am from cayenne, lightening, the dank musk of the swamp, incense and patchouli.

I am from surviving, mothering, math, yarn.

I am from Slidell, Salt Lake, Moab, Picayune, Mesa, Long Beach, Champlain, Burlington and points in between.

I am from flying, falling and teaching.

I am from Venus, Jupiter, blood.

I am from patience, honesty and love.

I am from Luna and circle, womyn and power.