Aidan and I are headed off to my mother's house tomorrow for a week long visit. Aidan is very excited about seeing Grandma and going to Vacation Bible School at Grandma's big honkin' church. It will be good to see her and spend some time with her, but the getting ready to go part is a pain.
I have about four or five lists going, particularly in regards to what to pack for Aidan. What drama there would be if a certain toy did not make the trip or if we did not have the right bedtime book. There is one list taped to my keys that is the "must make it into the car" items, such as my suitcase, Aidan's suitcase, my cosmetic tote, hats, snack bag...you get the idea. For just two people, we require a lot of stuff.
So this is probably the last post for about nine days. Access to the computer at Mom's house, much less time ALONE TO THINK while at the PC, will be very limited. Actually, "having time alone to think" moments for any purpose will be very few and far between!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Scarves
It is warming up here in Georgia and I am still all about knitting scarves. As my upstream pal in the Ravelry scarf exchange, Christie, says: "You can make them as fancy or as plain as you want, but best of all they are finished in a matter of days (if you have the time or are a fast knitter)."
I finished a scarf several weeks ago that will be put aside for mailing to the recipient later:
It really looks lovely out on the deck!
I finally settled on a pattern for my downstream pal in the scarf exchange, Sue, and I am diligently working on it. I had started a scarf, got halfway finished and then decided that it looked like a hot mess, as Christian Siriano would say. I frogged it completely and set the yarn aside for a future project, and may already have a good pattern for it. I would mention the type and color of yarn but Aidan is in the other room muttering and banging around, so I am having difficulty maintaining a coherent train of thought!
I finished a scarf several weeks ago that will be put aside for mailing to the recipient later:
It really looks lovely out on the deck! I finally settled on a pattern for my downstream pal in the scarf exchange, Sue, and I am diligently working on it. I had started a scarf, got halfway finished and then decided that it looked like a hot mess, as Christian Siriano would say. I frogged it completely and set the yarn aside for a future project, and may already have a good pattern for it. I would mention the type and color of yarn but Aidan is in the other room muttering and banging around, so I am having difficulty maintaining a coherent train of thought!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Today, we remember
Today is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance and honor. We spent the day in Senoia, a small town not too far from us that throws a big Memorial Day hoohah in their three block downtown. It was small town Americana at its best: hot dogs sold by Boy Scout troops, ice cream churned by church groups, all kinds of vendors, pony rides and those inevitable bothersome clowns.
But the highlight of the day was the parade. It was led off by a police cruiser and a fire truck, followed by all manner of vehicles and people. There was a small army marching band, a color guard, cart loads of veterans from WWII, Korea and Vietnam, local military personnel home on leave, little girls twirling batons and, of course, Shriners.
It was schmaltzy and cute and patriotic and touching and fun and everything that is good about small towns and true patriotism wrapped up in one day. There were no politicians mouthing platitudes nor was there any kind of loud, "aren't we superior" boasting; it was just simple people showing their pride and gratitude in a pure, kind, loving way.
It was a good day - a good day to wave the flag, to wipe away a tear or two, to smile at cute children. All that was missing was the ubiquitous beauty queen. This is Georgia, for goodness' sake - there should always be a beauty queen!
But the highlight of the day was the parade. It was led off by a police cruiser and a fire truck, followed by all manner of vehicles and people. There was a small army marching band, a color guard, cart loads of veterans from WWII, Korea and Vietnam, local military personnel home on leave, little girls twirling batons and, of course, Shriners.
It was schmaltzy and cute and patriotic and touching and fun and everything that is good about small towns and true patriotism wrapped up in one day. There were no politicians mouthing platitudes nor was there any kind of loud, "aren't we superior" boasting; it was just simple people showing their pride and gratitude in a pure, kind, loving way.
It was a good day - a good day to wave the flag, to wipe away a tear or two, to smile at cute children. All that was missing was the ubiquitous beauty queen. This is Georgia, for goodness' sake - there should always be a beauty queen!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Whose Mom?
When I went to the Mother's Day tea in Aidan's class two weeks ago, the wall outside the classroom displayed decorated cut outs and information about all the mothers of the students - but with no names displayed.We were challenged to find the figure and list that represented each of us. We had a good time reading all the lists and the information our children said about us.
And while some of us found our children's work rather quickly, others were puzzled; until the lists came home on Friday, some of them may never have figured it out!
I like that Aidan thinks I am 50 feet tall and only 60 pounds in weight! One child said his/her mother weighed 6000 pounds, so I got off easy. But I was surprised at some of his answers...for example, my favorite place to go is a Mexican restaurant? Certainly I like Mexican food but I rarely go out for it. And "cleaning" is my favorite hobby? Definitely NOT and one look at our house should prove that to be true.
He got it right when he decorated my cut out with a sparkley necklace and a big honkin' gemstone on my finger! And although I take issue with my nose, I have long taken issue with my actual nose so maybe he did get it right.
And at least he didn't list my favorite TV show as "Jerry Springer", as one of the students did!Thursday, May 22, 2008
Fun in the sun
With only two days of school left, can we really expect anything academic to take place at school? Today was Fun in the Sun day for the kindergarten classes. They packed their sunscreen, beach towels and water bottles and had a few hours of play outdoors. I wasn't able to get many details out of Aidan except that there was face painting (see below), snow cones, picnic lunch, tossing of beach balls and bubble blowing. And fun! Lots and lots of fun. All in all, not bad for school.
I adore the t-shirt that he was wearing when he got home. Each kindergarten class decorated t-shirts with self portraits!
That is Aidan, on the upper right hand corner of the shirt, and for some reason known only to Aidan, he painted himself as green. Artistic interpretation, perhaps?
I adore the t-shirt that he was wearing when he got home. Each kindergarten class decorated t-shirts with self portraits!
That is Aidan, on the upper right hand corner of the shirt, and for some reason known only to Aidan, he painted himself as green. Artistic interpretation, perhaps?Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Just doodlin' around
Artists work in a variety of media, including the previously unheralded Fisher-Price Doodle Pro:
Aidan received his Doodle Pro for his first or second birthday from our friends Evelyn and Jeff. It has endured much abuse over the years but is still going strong. And, as you can see, Aidan still likes to play with it and create vibrant art with it.
The artist and his work:
Aidan received his Doodle Pro for his first or second birthday from our friends Evelyn and Jeff. It has endured much abuse over the years but is still going strong. And, as you can see, Aidan still likes to play with it and create vibrant art with it.The artist and his work:
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Happy day!
Who needs coffee to get the pulse jumping when you can start the day with a fright?
Most days James showers first, while I get Aidan up, dressed and at the breakfast table; when they leave the house for the bus stop, I am still in pajamas and robe. But today I needed to leave the house when they did, so that I could be over at the elementary school at which I tutor by 7:30 am for a thank you celebration. I got up fifteen minutes early and went directly to the shower so I could be out of James' way when he got up.
I kept the bathroom lights as dim as I could and still see, showered, dried off and slipped on my robe. The lights were still dim when I walked into the closet to hang up my pajamas - I did not turn on the light because I knew exactly where the hangers were. Out of the darkness came a voice: "Happy day, Mommy!"
Holy moly. I am not ashamed to say that I screamed. Like a girl. Like a girl in a dark closet at 6:10 am who has just heard a voice she didn't expect. James jumped out of bed while I backed out of the closet and sat down in the chair, trying to calm down. Aidan came out of the closet and said "What's the matter, Mommy?"
Once I could speak again, I explained that hiding in a dark closet and startling me was not a good thing. He said "I didn't mean to scare you" and I know he didn't, but my heart was still racing and my hands shaking.
After that, the rest of the morning was downright uneventful. We all got ready and left the house on time, and the school counselor and tutoring program coordinator had a lovely continental breakfast spread for us volunteers. They said kind words about us, presented us with certificates, took our photo and generally made us feel like the most appreciated people in the world. Very, very nice.
Most days James showers first, while I get Aidan up, dressed and at the breakfast table; when they leave the house for the bus stop, I am still in pajamas and robe. But today I needed to leave the house when they did, so that I could be over at the elementary school at which I tutor by 7:30 am for a thank you celebration. I got up fifteen minutes early and went directly to the shower so I could be out of James' way when he got up.
I kept the bathroom lights as dim as I could and still see, showered, dried off and slipped on my robe. The lights were still dim when I walked into the closet to hang up my pajamas - I did not turn on the light because I knew exactly where the hangers were. Out of the darkness came a voice: "Happy day, Mommy!"
Holy moly. I am not ashamed to say that I screamed. Like a girl. Like a girl in a dark closet at 6:10 am who has just heard a voice she didn't expect. James jumped out of bed while I backed out of the closet and sat down in the chair, trying to calm down. Aidan came out of the closet and said "What's the matter, Mommy?"
Once I could speak again, I explained that hiding in a dark closet and startling me was not a good thing. He said "I didn't mean to scare you" and I know he didn't, but my heart was still racing and my hands shaking.
After that, the rest of the morning was downright uneventful. We all got ready and left the house on time, and the school counselor and tutoring program coordinator had a lovely continental breakfast spread for us volunteers. They said kind words about us, presented us with certificates, took our photo and generally made us feel like the most appreciated people in the world. Very, very nice.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Bottoms up
I was trying out our new digital camera (the Nikon CoolPix S210 - in purple) and Aidan helped me by posing:
Only someone his age would think that an attractive look for a photo!
Only someone his age would think that an attractive look for a photo!
Friday, May 16, 2008
I learned to knit in prison
Although the B12 patches are small, I am sure that they are still visible - after all, I have short hair and I place them just behind my ear. I said to my friend Jane in an email message that I wonder if people who see the patch think I am trying to quit smoking and her reply was priceless: "If someone assumes it's a nicotine patch, tell 'em it's methadone!" Of course - better that people think I am trying to kick an addiction other than smoking.
Her comment made me think of a t-shirt that I saw on CafePress.com: "I learned to knit in prison." That absolutely cracked me up when I saw it; no better way to dispel the image that only little old ladies knit. Well, perhaps little old ladies who have been to prison!
Wouldn't that be a hot topic at the PTO meeting? "Aidan's mom is a recovering drug addict who has served time in prison." "Yes, but she knits a lovely scarf."
Her comment made me think of a t-shirt that I saw on CafePress.com: "I learned to knit in prison." That absolutely cracked me up when I saw it; no better way to dispel the image that only little old ladies knit. Well, perhaps little old ladies who have been to prison!
Wouldn't that be a hot topic at the PTO meeting? "Aidan's mom is a recovering drug addict who has served time in prison." "Yes, but she knits a lovely scarf."
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Happy, happy feet
IMO, there is not much on earth that is better than a pedicure (well, a few things, but I won't go into them here). I adore being up to my knees in hot, fragrant, sudsy water while flipping through a thoroughly trashy gossip magazine. Oh joy, oh bliss.
One of my birthday presents was a gift certificate to a new salon in bustling downtown Senoia, a small town not far from us. The "salon" is a partitioned area in the back of a boutique, with two pedicure chairs, two hair styling booths and one manicure table. It was entertaining to sit in the chair and see all that went on in the boutique (not much) and to look out at the activity on Main Street (quite a lot). Senoia has a great little downtown area, about three blocks long, and is working hard to bring businesses there and create a vital downtown.
Since I tend to be very hard on my hands and can't keep polish on to save my life, I opted for the deluxe pedicure and applied the remaining amount of gift certificate to a future pedicure. In all honesty, it was not the best pedicure I have ever had but it was far from the worse. And for the price - a paltry $30 - the hour of pampering was a steal. The young woman doing the pedicure is rural Georgia at its best, but she was pleasant and diligent. My feet and lower legs were scrubbed, massaged, buffed and moisturized, and my toenails are now a shimmery copper color. Ooh la la!
I do plan to return, but will take my own polish and trashy gossip magazine - the salon did not have a good supply of either!
One of my birthday presents was a gift certificate to a new salon in bustling downtown Senoia, a small town not far from us. The "salon" is a partitioned area in the back of a boutique, with two pedicure chairs, two hair styling booths and one manicure table. It was entertaining to sit in the chair and see all that went on in the boutique (not much) and to look out at the activity on Main Street (quite a lot). Senoia has a great little downtown area, about three blocks long, and is working hard to bring businesses there and create a vital downtown.
Since I tend to be very hard on my hands and can't keep polish on to save my life, I opted for the deluxe pedicure and applied the remaining amount of gift certificate to a future pedicure. In all honesty, it was not the best pedicure I have ever had but it was far from the worse. And for the price - a paltry $30 - the hour of pampering was a steal. The young woman doing the pedicure is rural Georgia at its best, but she was pleasant and diligent. My feet and lower legs were scrubbed, massaged, buffed and moisturized, and my toenails are now a shimmery copper color. Ooh la la!
I do plan to return, but will take my own polish and trashy gossip magazine - the salon did not have a good supply of either!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
This and that
Heard back from P.A. Coral that the recheck of my blood showed that my potassium level is normal. Good news - now I don't have to take a potassium supplement. I do know that I don't eat enough fresh fruit, so I am going to try to continue either eating a banana each day or drinking a glass of orange juice (without vodka or rum added).
I am on my second B12 patch. The normal dosage is one patch per week but my level was so low that for the first two weeks, Coral told me to use patches three times a week. I forgot to ask her how soon I should feel a difference in my energy level...I have no idea when I should perk up.
Regarding the scarf exchange, I am working on my first idea and it is progressing well. I have another pattern and yarn as backup, in case the first doesn't turn out to my satisfaction. I am having great fun choosing items for the goodie bag; since my recipient, Sue, owns a yarn store I am staying away from items that can be purchased in such a store and choosing more simply fun girly items.
I am also having fun looking at bedding. We FINALLY bought a bed for our guest room; anyone who slept on the air mattress we had in there will shout with glee at this news. No furniture, just the bed; we will either craft a headboard from fabric and batting, or James will make a headboard sometime. I am trying not to spend a fortune on the bedding, which is very easy to do, so I will go to Target and JC Penney tomorrow after tutoring.
That's about all the news from out here in Hooterville, Georgia...it can't always be exciting!
I am on my second B12 patch. The normal dosage is one patch per week but my level was so low that for the first two weeks, Coral told me to use patches three times a week. I forgot to ask her how soon I should feel a difference in my energy level...I have no idea when I should perk up.
Regarding the scarf exchange, I am working on my first idea and it is progressing well. I have another pattern and yarn as backup, in case the first doesn't turn out to my satisfaction. I am having great fun choosing items for the goodie bag; since my recipient, Sue, owns a yarn store I am staying away from items that can be purchased in such a store and choosing more simply fun girly items.
I am also having fun looking at bedding. We FINALLY bought a bed for our guest room; anyone who slept on the air mattress we had in there will shout with glee at this news. No furniture, just the bed; we will either craft a headboard from fabric and batting, or James will make a headboard sometime. I am trying not to spend a fortune on the bedding, which is very easy to do, so I will go to Target and JC Penney tomorrow after tutoring.
That's about all the news from out here in Hooterville, Georgia...it can't always be exciting!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Happy Mudder's Day
Whenever Aidan says "mother", it comes out sounding like "mudder", so yesterday was Mudder's Day at our house! James and Aidan pulled out all the stops to make it a special day for me.
Aidan had told me that I was not allowed to get out of bed until he said so...silly me, I thought that meant I would stay in bed and SLEEP! But, no, he just wanted me to stay in bed until he could bring me his presents. Hee hee. He poked me awake at 7:10 am and presented two boxes that held lots of love, a pencil, and a book he wrote. How cute!
James made his special caramelized oatmeal with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Delicous. Then I received my cards and two charms from Lucy Ann - one says Aidan and the other says James. Yes, I suggested those charms to James months ago as a potential gift but nice that he remembered and purchased them for me!
The rest of the day was lazy. James took care of all meals - what a treat - and Aidan told me that I could knit all day, if I wanted to! I did not, but it was nice to have it offered.
It was a lovely Mudder's Day, thanks to my dear guys.
Aidan had told me that I was not allowed to get out of bed until he said so...silly me, I thought that meant I would stay in bed and SLEEP! But, no, he just wanted me to stay in bed until he could bring me his presents. Hee hee. He poked me awake at 7:10 am and presented two boxes that held lots of love, a pencil, and a book he wrote. How cute!
James made his special caramelized oatmeal with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Delicous. Then I received my cards and two charms from Lucy Ann - one says Aidan and the other says James. Yes, I suggested those charms to James months ago as a potential gift but nice that he remembered and purchased them for me!
The rest of the day was lazy. James took care of all meals - what a treat - and Aidan told me that I could knit all day, if I wanted to! I did not, but it was nice to have it offered.
It was a lovely Mudder's Day, thanks to my dear guys.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Not making the grade
In addition to the sebaceous cyst that bought jewelry, the other result from my annual exam was learning that I am deficient in vitamins B12 and D, and potassium. The nurse called me on Monday with the news, and started firing off instructions to eat a banana every day (yuck) and to come in immediately to start a weekly series of B12 shots. When I started asking questions like "why?", she told me that I needed to come into the office this week to speak with Coral, the P.A. that I see.
Great. Shots every week, which likely means I have to fork over the $40 copay and a good 90 minutes of my time every single week. I grudgingly made an appointment for this morning, Friday.
What an experience! By the time that Coral saw me, one hour and fifteen minutes after my scheduled appointment time of 10:15 am, we were both annoyed. She told me that she had been double-booked at 8 am and then had patients scheduled for every 15 minutes, and she was angry that she was so late.
She got even more agitated when she realized why I was there - she said that there was no reason for me to come in, that we could have talked on the telephone. Yes, my B12 is low and she did go ahead and give me a shot, but she said that I can buy patches online that will do the same thing as shots; she has used them. Potassium may or may not be low - it is on the lower side of the acceptable range - so she had the nurse draw blood to retest. Again, there are supplements that I can take if this test shows I need them. Vitamin D I can take care of through OTC supplements.
She told the front office to refund my copay, apologized profusely again, and scheduled me for follow-up blood work in four months.
So, all in all, not as bad as I thought it would be...no weekly shots, no weekly $40 copays and I found a pharmacy in town that stocks the patches.
Great. Shots every week, which likely means I have to fork over the $40 copay and a good 90 minutes of my time every single week. I grudgingly made an appointment for this morning, Friday.
What an experience! By the time that Coral saw me, one hour and fifteen minutes after my scheduled appointment time of 10:15 am, we were both annoyed. She told me that she had been double-booked at 8 am and then had patients scheduled for every 15 minutes, and she was angry that she was so late.
She got even more agitated when she realized why I was there - she said that there was no reason for me to come in, that we could have talked on the telephone. Yes, my B12 is low and she did go ahead and give me a shot, but she said that I can buy patches online that will do the same thing as shots; she has used them. Potassium may or may not be low - it is on the lower side of the acceptable range - so she had the nurse draw blood to retest. Again, there are supplements that I can take if this test shows I need them. Vitamin D I can take care of through OTC supplements.
She told the front office to refund my copay, apologized profusely again, and scheduled me for follow-up blood work in four months.
So, all in all, not as bad as I thought it would be...no weekly shots, no weekly $40 copays and I found a pharmacy in town that stocks the patches.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
A forever bouquet
This morning was the Mother's Day Tea at Aidan's class. Silly me, I forgot to wear waterproof mascara!
The children had on "tea party" clothes and looked wonderful. Of course, in my opinion, Aidan was the most handsome boy in the class:
At each child's seat in the class, there was a place setting for their mom with a laminated custom place mat, Mother's Day cards, a photo key chain and a plant in a custom flower pot. After everyone was seated, each child stood and said his/her name, and the names of their parents. Even at this stage in kindergarten, several children had difficulty remembering their full names and/or the names of their parents. Silly Aidan pretended to be shy at first!
The class recited two poems about mothers, sang two songs and each child presented their mother with a small bouquet of flowers. Well, except for the three children who did not have anyone there. (Side note: plenty of notice was given for this event, along with pleas that mothers/guardians please attend. I don't know every situation, but couldn't someone from that child's life make the time to attend? My heart sighed for those three children and several of us moms tried to include those children in our celebration)
Then Mrs. Gable read that tear jerker, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Several eyes teared up even before she started reading but before it was over, we were all rather verklempt. After we all dried our eyes and hugged the stuffing out of our children, it was time to eat. There was a lovely and delicious strawberry cake, along with strawberries and white chocolate dip. Yum! Aidan definitely enjoyed the strawberries.
It was a lovely time to visit with the children and the other moms. I had Chandler's mom take a photo of Aidan and me: but don't you know that I was dismayed to see that Dick Cheney was in the background!
Text in one of the cards, alongside a photo of Aidan holding flowers:
The children had on "tea party" clothes and looked wonderful. Of course, in my opinion, Aidan was the most handsome boy in the class:
At each child's seat in the class, there was a place setting for their mom with a laminated custom place mat, Mother's Day cards, a photo key chain and a plant in a custom flower pot. After everyone was seated, each child stood and said his/her name, and the names of their parents. Even at this stage in kindergarten, several children had difficulty remembering their full names and/or the names of their parents. Silly Aidan pretended to be shy at first!
The class recited two poems about mothers, sang two songs and each child presented their mother with a small bouquet of flowers. Well, except for the three children who did not have anyone there. (Side note: plenty of notice was given for this event, along with pleas that mothers/guardians please attend. I don't know every situation, but couldn't someone from that child's life make the time to attend? My heart sighed for those three children and several of us moms tried to include those children in our celebration) Then Mrs. Gable read that tear jerker, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Several eyes teared up even before she started reading but before it was over, we were all rather verklempt. After we all dried our eyes and hugged the stuffing out of our children, it was time to eat. There was a lovely and delicious strawberry cake, along with strawberries and white chocolate dip. Yum! Aidan definitely enjoyed the strawberries.
It was a lovely time to visit with the children and the other moms. I had Chandler's mom take a photo of Aidan and me: but don't you know that I was dismayed to see that Dick Cheney was in the background!
Text in one of the cards, alongside a photo of Aidan holding flowers:
"I will love you forever
And forever you will be
The most wonderful mom
You mean everything to me
I thought of buying you flowers
In the usual way
But I knew you would prefer
A forever bouquet!"
And forever you will be
The most wonderful mom
You mean everything to me
I thought of buying you flowers
In the usual way
But I knew you would prefer
A forever bouquet!"
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The scarf exchange
One of my favorite places to visit every day on the Internet is Ravelry, a knit and crochet community. According to the About Us section, Ravelry "is a place for knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, and dyers to keep track of their yarn, tools and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration." I can organize my projects, look at other people's projects, read reviews of yarns, find free patterns, yada yada yada...a whole wealth of great information.
There are also specialty groups to join. I immediately found and joined the Atlanta Metro Knitters, Cleveland Indians fans, and NPR listeners. Then about six weeks ago, I stumbled across a group called the Ravelry Scarf Exchange. Participants submit information about their likes/dislikes, and are then matched downstream with a person who will knit a scarf for them and also upstream for a person who will knit a scarf for them. When shipping the scarf to your downstream pal, you are to also include some goodies, such as yarn, needles, pattern books, chocolate, stitch markers, any fun novelty item.
It sounded like fun, but I was very apprehensive about participating...after all, I have only been knitting a few months and have not moved much beyond knit and purl. After much discussion with and coaching from James and my knitting mentor, Geri, I decided to thrown caution to the wind and sign up.
Last week we received our matches. Much to my initial dismay, not only did I receive a knitter of many years as my downstream pal, but she is also the owner of her own yarn store! OH NO! James was not at all understanding my concern until I put it into a context he could understand: what if he joined a woodworking exchange and he received Norm Abrams as the recipient of his project. Then he understood.
I sent a message off to my downstream pal to introduce myself as her upstream knitter, and to tell her that I am a novice knitter and just a tad bit (okay, A WHOLE LOT) nervous about knitting for her. She sent back the nicest message, telling me not to be intimidated, that people rarely knit for her, and that my projects on Ravelry look quite nicely done. I felt so relieved to have been matched with such a great person.
Sue (downstream pal) lives in Baltimore, MD, where she owns the very cool yarn store Lovelyarns. Doesn't it look like the neatest place? James has a trade show in Baltimore in October, and I am trying to think how I can go with him for at least a few days. Visit Fort McHenry? Wander around Harborplace? Pay tribute to Edgar Allen Poe? No, nada, no way...I just want to go to Lovelyarns and sit and knit with all the fabulous Baltimore knitters.
I am having great fun perusing patterns and yarns, and finding items for the goodie bag that will accompany Sue's scarf. By mutual agreement, I am keeping all details of the scarf a state secret so she will be surprised. And after a few days of anxiety, I also received a message from my upstream pal, Christie, who lives in California.
I had no idea when I started knitting that I was joining such a wonderful community. I now know that wherever I go in the US or worldwide, when I find a group of knitters, I have found a group of friends.
There are also specialty groups to join. I immediately found and joined the Atlanta Metro Knitters, Cleveland Indians fans, and NPR listeners. Then about six weeks ago, I stumbled across a group called the Ravelry Scarf Exchange. Participants submit information about their likes/dislikes, and are then matched downstream with a person who will knit a scarf for them and also upstream for a person who will knit a scarf for them. When shipping the scarf to your downstream pal, you are to also include some goodies, such as yarn, needles, pattern books, chocolate, stitch markers, any fun novelty item.
It sounded like fun, but I was very apprehensive about participating...after all, I have only been knitting a few months and have not moved much beyond knit and purl. After much discussion with and coaching from James and my knitting mentor, Geri, I decided to thrown caution to the wind and sign up.
Last week we received our matches. Much to my initial dismay, not only did I receive a knitter of many years as my downstream pal, but she is also the owner of her own yarn store! OH NO! James was not at all understanding my concern until I put it into a context he could understand: what if he joined a woodworking exchange and he received Norm Abrams as the recipient of his project. Then he understood.
I sent a message off to my downstream pal to introduce myself as her upstream knitter, and to tell her that I am a novice knitter and just a tad bit (okay, A WHOLE LOT) nervous about knitting for her. She sent back the nicest message, telling me not to be intimidated, that people rarely knit for her, and that my projects on Ravelry look quite nicely done. I felt so relieved to have been matched with such a great person.
Sue (downstream pal) lives in Baltimore, MD, where she owns the very cool yarn store Lovelyarns. Doesn't it look like the neatest place? James has a trade show in Baltimore in October, and I am trying to think how I can go with him for at least a few days. Visit Fort McHenry? Wander around Harborplace? Pay tribute to Edgar Allen Poe? No, nada, no way...I just want to go to Lovelyarns and sit and knit with all the fabulous Baltimore knitters.
I am having great fun perusing patterns and yarns, and finding items for the goodie bag that will accompany Sue's scarf. By mutual agreement, I am keeping all details of the scarf a state secret so she will be surprised. And after a few days of anxiety, I also received a message from my upstream pal, Christie, who lives in California.
I had no idea when I started knitting that I was joining such a wonderful community. I now know that wherever I go in the US or worldwide, when I find a group of knitters, I have found a group of friends.
Monday, May 5, 2008
The artist known as Aidan
We parents can be fairly easy targets for companies selling certain types of products, and James and I are no exception. Take the company, First Artworks, for example - they work with the child's art teacher to have the child produce an original painting, frame it, then offer it for sale to the parents as part of an "art show" at the school. They even send home a brochure for the show that is personalized to make it appear that your child's artwork is the star of the event! Very effective marketing.
Last fall, a company that has a similar concept sent home a magnet featuring the child's artwork, with an order form to buy the magnet and/or other items featuring the artwork. Aidan created one of the most awful pictures I have ever seen! He told us it was a scary clown, and he was not kidding - it had wild eyes and a big, evil grin with jagged teeth. We quietly returned the magnet to the school and hoped he would not mention it again.
So we were very pleased to see the lovely painting shown above. It is a flower garden - the theme of all the kindergarten artwork - and that is Aidan at the right of the painting. The painting is cheerful, with bright colors and very Aidan touches. We happily purchased the artwork and it now has a place of honor in the kitchen, where we all can all admire it.
And, thank goodness, he has never again mentioned the scary clown.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Small world
[cue the annoying music]
I grew up in Strongsville, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland that is roughly 700 miles from where I live now. I lived in the same house the entire time I grew up; my parents actually paid off a 30-year mortgage. Although located on the edge of a major metropolitan city, Strongsville is still rather small, with only 44,000 residents. Living way down here in Green Acres, I don't usually encounter people from good ol' Strongsville.
When my high school class had their XXth reunion two years ago, I did not attend but bought a copy of the program. As I flipped through it, I noticed that one address was in the same town as I live in. How odd! I looked at the name of the person, and it looked vaguely familiar. Conversations with my mother and my friend Jane helped me to remember that Mike attended school with me from elementary school on through high school, and that his family actually lived in our same neighborhood.
Fast forward to now: I decided to run for the open seat on Aidan's school advisory council and I had to submit a short bio. When the bios were distributed, I saw that the woman running against me for the seat had the same last name as my former classmate. Her bio also mentioned that they were originally from Ohio, so I thought it couldn't be a coincidence.
When I arrived at the school on Thursday evening for the PTO meeting, I asked the election proctors if they knew Lynn and one of them pointed her out to me. I went over and introduced myself, and after we exchanged pleasantries about running against each other, I told her that I thought I went to high school with her husband. She confirmed that his name is Mike and that he did graduate from Strongsville High School in 19XX. She also said that he would be arriving later so we could meet again after all these years.
Lynn does a lot of work at the school and I soon realized that she knows a lot of people. We had a good time chatting and she introduced me to many people, each time telling them our "small world" story. Shortly before the meeting began, Mike arrived. I could see in his face the boy I know many years ago and he is actually funnier and friendlier than I remember.
It was good to connect with someone from my past. And, for the record, I lost the election.
I grew up in Strongsville, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland that is roughly 700 miles from where I live now. I lived in the same house the entire time I grew up; my parents actually paid off a 30-year mortgage. Although located on the edge of a major metropolitan city, Strongsville is still rather small, with only 44,000 residents. Living way down here in Green Acres, I don't usually encounter people from good ol' Strongsville.
When my high school class had their XXth reunion two years ago, I did not attend but bought a copy of the program. As I flipped through it, I noticed that one address was in the same town as I live in. How odd! I looked at the name of the person, and it looked vaguely familiar. Conversations with my mother and my friend Jane helped me to remember that Mike attended school with me from elementary school on through high school, and that his family actually lived in our same neighborhood.
Fast forward to now: I decided to run for the open seat on Aidan's school advisory council and I had to submit a short bio. When the bios were distributed, I saw that the woman running against me for the seat had the same last name as my former classmate. Her bio also mentioned that they were originally from Ohio, so I thought it couldn't be a coincidence.
When I arrived at the school on Thursday evening for the PTO meeting, I asked the election proctors if they knew Lynn and one of them pointed her out to me. I went over and introduced myself, and after we exchanged pleasantries about running against each other, I told her that I thought I went to high school with her husband. She confirmed that his name is Mike and that he did graduate from Strongsville High School in 19XX. She also said that he would be arriving later so we could meet again after all these years.
Lynn does a lot of work at the school and I soon realized that she knows a lot of people. We had a good time chatting and she introduced me to many people, each time telling them our "small world" story. Shortly before the meeting began, Mike arrived. I could see in his face the boy I know many years ago and he is actually funnier and friendlier than I remember.
It was good to connect with someone from my past. And, for the record, I lost the election.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The bracelet that anxiety bought
I indulged in a bit of retail therapy this morning. But first, the background story...
WARNING: some semi-icky medical stuff is about to be discussed.
On Monday I had my annual exam, that yearly bit of poking, squishing and general discomfort. This year I had a concern about a small, hard knot (never ever say lump) that was located just below my right breast. I wasn't overly worried because it appeared to have a head on it and I suspected that it was a sebaceous cyst, but because of its location and general overall paranoia, it still had me worried. Coral, the fabulous P.A. that I see, confirmed that it was a sebaceous cyst and she could easily take care of it.
Side note: Coral also congratulated me on the 14 pounds that I have lost over the past year, then in the next breath lectured me about my lack of exercise. Sheesh, can't we just be happy about the weight loss?
So, anyway, the nurse got the area all nice and numb, and Coral set to work to open and drain the cyst. She was able to get some fluid out but then said that she couldn't get it all out, that it didn't look right and that I needed to have it looked at further. She strongly emphasized that it still might be a sebaceous cyst but that a dermatologist needed to examine it and remove it, possibly to have it biopsied. I really don't think "biopsy" can be correctly made into a verb, but I just did. Get over it.
This morning was my appointment with the dermatologist. I had scheduled it for about 55 minutes after my tutoring session ended and since the medical office is located about a mile farther than the elementary school, I had a few minutes to kill. I went into a gift shop located in a shopping center across the street from the area hospital, in hopes that I could find Mother's Day cards.
I did not find Mother's Day cards. Instead, I found a fabulous selection of Brighton accessories. While not a Brighton fan per se, I think that many of their items are very pretty. Although I tried to tell myself that I was not nervous about the appointment, I was nervous...insanely nervous. Long story short, I bought a cool little bangle bracelet and wore it out of the store. It's called the Swinging 60s bangle, which I think is a hoot.
As I told the very fun store sales associate, the only swinging I did in the 60s was actual swinging on a swing.
So I went into my appointment wearing my cute little new bangle bracelet. And the doc took a look, poked a bit and declared that it was a sebaceous cyst - albeit a very firm one- and he would get it out in a jiffy. Repeat of the numbing and lancing, and tada, it is all over. Hooray! What a relief.
So, thankfully, sometimes a lump is just a sebaceous cyst. And ironically, my new bauble cost less than the seven gallons of gasoline that I put into my car on the way home!
WARNING: some semi-icky medical stuff is about to be discussed.
On Monday I had my annual exam, that yearly bit of poking, squishing and general discomfort. This year I had a concern about a small, hard knot (never ever say lump) that was located just below my right breast. I wasn't overly worried because it appeared to have a head on it and I suspected that it was a sebaceous cyst, but because of its location and general overall paranoia, it still had me worried. Coral, the fabulous P.A. that I see, confirmed that it was a sebaceous cyst and she could easily take care of it.
Side note: Coral also congratulated me on the 14 pounds that I have lost over the past year, then in the next breath lectured me about my lack of exercise. Sheesh, can't we just be happy about the weight loss?
So, anyway, the nurse got the area all nice and numb, and Coral set to work to open and drain the cyst. She was able to get some fluid out but then said that she couldn't get it all out, that it didn't look right and that I needed to have it looked at further. She strongly emphasized that it still might be a sebaceous cyst but that a dermatologist needed to examine it and remove it, possibly to have it biopsied. I really don't think "biopsy" can be correctly made into a verb, but I just did. Get over it.
This morning was my appointment with the dermatologist. I had scheduled it for about 55 minutes after my tutoring session ended and since the medical office is located about a mile farther than the elementary school, I had a few minutes to kill. I went into a gift shop located in a shopping center across the street from the area hospital, in hopes that I could find Mother's Day cards.
I did not find Mother's Day cards. Instead, I found a fabulous selection of Brighton accessories. While not a Brighton fan per se, I think that many of their items are very pretty. Although I tried to tell myself that I was not nervous about the appointment, I was nervous...insanely nervous. Long story short, I bought a cool little bangle bracelet and wore it out of the store. It's called the Swinging 60s bangle, which I think is a hoot.
As I told the very fun store sales associate, the only swinging I did in the 60s was actual swinging on a swing.So I went into my appointment wearing my cute little new bangle bracelet. And the doc took a look, poked a bit and declared that it was a sebaceous cyst - albeit a very firm one- and he would get it out in a jiffy. Repeat of the numbing and lancing, and tada, it is all over. Hooray! What a relief.
So, thankfully, sometimes a lump is just a sebaceous cyst. And ironically, my new bauble cost less than the seven gallons of gasoline that I put into my car on the way home!
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