purple fish guts

Remembering...

2011-09-11T06:34:00.000-07:00

It has been 10 years, but we have not forgotten those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. I lost my mother to cancer in 2008 and quit blogging. It was too hard knowing she wasn't in Charlotte reading my posts. Cancer I can wrap my head around. Terrorism I can't. Who would choose to take so many lives? All of them loved by family, friends, pets. On 9/12/01 partners woke up in bed alone. Kids wondered when Mom was coming home. Puppies were missing their laps, their hugs. The crater at Ground Zero, the smoking Pentagon, the wreckage in Pennsylvania was nothing compared to the hole in so many hearts. Even in the hearts of those of us without a personal connection. In 2006 I participated in the 2,996 Project to remember those who lost their lives on 9/11. Giovanna was one of thousands who we still miss, still mourn. Her story is just one of so many that we remember today.

Read Gennie's story here and never forget...

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T18:49:00.000-08:00

Who are we?

2008-09-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

The Internet Monk answers the question, "Who are Americans?"

Tears

2008-09-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

This post is a good reminder to me, the greatest of sinners - especially in an election year.

We won't forget

2008-09-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

We remember Giovanna Gambale and all of the victims who died in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC on September 11, 2001.

Ibanez guitar project

2008-09-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of my latest project. It's an Ibanez SCA-220 that I bought cheap on ebay and fixed up this summer.

When it arrived, it became obvious that it had a rough life before coming to me. There were several scratches, the tone control was messed up, and there was what appeared to be candle wax on the fingerboard and around the back control cavity.

After a lot of sanding, a hand-rubbed oil finish, and some new Seymour Duncan pickups, it's a pretty different guitar. Here's some before and after photos.

This picture isn't very good, but if you look really close you can see what I believe are teeth marks at the top of the headstock. I'm telling you... it had a rough life!

Maybe it's just me... but I think they should come from the factory like this.

Back to School '08

2008-09-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Pictures of A's first day of kindergarten (sniff!) and Z's first day of 3rd grade.

Mom

2008-04-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

My sister and I are visiting Mom and Dad in Charlotte, NC. Mom is on the downhill side of a year-long battle with cancer. She was diagnosed Christmas of 2006, and has been a real trooper. It is really sad to see her so sick, and hard to know the end is coming. I set up a blog for Dad to give updates on Mom that you can visit here: Dale's Updates. Thanks to everyone who has been praying for Mom this year.

Look Who's Growing Up

2008-01-26T09:56:00.000-08:00

Z just got her first pair of glasses, and A lost her first tooth. Sniff!

Cool Contest

2008-01-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

Best Buy is giving away an MP3 player at 5minutes for Mom. Check it out.

Caucus nightmare

2007-12-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

I linked to this blog post this morning. (Two posts in one day -- amazing!) It resonated with me, because I don't really follow the news. As Brant wrote: When is the last time you saw something on the news that actually mattered, that minute, to how you needed to live your life? "Oh -- THAT happened? I'm glad I found out NOW, because now I need to..."

On the other hand, I feel privleged to live in Iowa and have a say in the candidate selection. In 1999 we lived in New Mexico, and by the time their primaries were held, it was pretty obvious who the candidates would be. After watching the debate the other day and checking out the candidates' websites, I have it narrowed down to two candidates, and I'm pretty sure who I will support at the caucus.

That being said, I am dreading the caucus. I envy those who live in states that have a primary where you can just go and cast a ballot for your candidate. I don't like to talk politics. I want to register my opinion as antisocially as possible, and although I've never been to an Iowa caucus, I think I'm probably going to have to talk politics. I had a nightmare about the caucus last night. I don't remember the details, but there were a bunch of people wanting to persuade me, wanting my money and I just WANTED OUT!

Kamp Krusty

2007-12-15T06:28:00.000-08:00

IMonk linked to a couple of posts written by Brant Hansen at his blog Letters from Kamp Krusty. I've spent the morning perusing his blog, and I like his perspective and his sense of humor. IMonk linked to his posts on depression which are here and here. He validates some of my lifestyle choices here and here. Check him out.

Some Great Music!

2007-11-30T09:30:00.000-08:00

I saw this on PBS the other night and I just love it. It's Jeff Beck and Tal Wilkenfeld playing "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival in Chicago this past summer.

Sopa de Lima

2007-11-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

Kris and her sweet kids were visiting from Texas last weekend, and it was great to see them. We made some soup that was popular, so I thought I'd post the recipe.

Sopa de Lima
Start with chicken and chicken broth. There are many ways to do this, and I'm not an expert. This time we had had roasted chicken from Target for lunch. I picked the leftover chicken off the bones and boiled it in water awhile. I also added a can of low sodium chicken broth.

While the chicken was boiling I chopped up some onion, and sauteed it in a pan with a can of Rotel. A can of chopped tomatoes and a can of green chile would have worked just as well. When the onion was soft and getting clear, I dumped it in the chicken broth.

Then blue took over the soup making. He added lime juice squeezed from 3 limes (which weren't very juicy at all -- one very juicy lime or two regular limes would have been fine.) Next he seasoned it with salt, oregano and one clove of garlic (squished through the press.) We let it cook in the crockpot all afternoon, and about 1/2 hour before serving added 1/2 cup of rice. We served it with Tostitos. Yummy!

BOO!

2007-10-29T17:45:00.001-07:00

Blogs I Read

2007-10-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

Beyond the Pale
Tracey is a Christian and a cool gal. She is sometimes hysterically funny, sometimes sad, but always real. Here is one of her funnier posts about a customer at the coffeeshop she owned until very recently.

The Sheila Variations
Sheila O'Malley is an actress in New York, a voracious reader, and an amazing writer. This post is called Bombs I Have Been In. The first time I read it I was laughing so hard I was crying. I had to explain to Zoe that I was not upset. Here is one of her most powerful, excruciating posts called : The Total Dark Sublime.

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
Ree is a cattle rancher's wife, an amazing photographer and a goofball. I don't know why, but this story has somehow stuck with me.

Rickety Contrivances of Doing Good
Susan Palwick is a science fiction author, English teacher, and volunteer chaplain at her local emergency department. She also struggles with depression. She also knits. I haven't read any of her books yet, but I intend to. Here is a post I liked.

Internet Monk
Michael Spencer is a Christian teacher and writer. I love his insights. Here is a great post on marriage.

Disputed Mutability
She is a Christian who was a lesbian and blogs about homosexuality and the church. She summarizes her story in this post.

Actual Unretouched Photo and The Amazing Shrinking Mom
Mel is a stay-at-home mom, pastor's wife and homeschooler who doesn't pretend to have it all together. In the last couple of years she has lost a bunch of weight, and I am so proud of her. There have been very few times in my life where I have looked at my weaknesses and done more than feel sorry for myself. She is one of my heroes.

Anywhere But Here
Kris is the one blogger who was a friend in real life before I read her blog. She is one of my favorite people in the whole world. She has a great family, is a talented musician, and is an awesome cook.

Fat Doctor
Although I read quite a few medical blogs, Fat Doctor is my favorite. I prayed and prayed for her when she had her stroke. I still pray it will be her last.

QC Report

Quinn Cummings was a child actress, and now sells Hip Hugger Baby Slings. But mostly she is a great writer who loves to laugh at herself. I can't help but laugh with her.

These are only a few, but it is a good start. I'm off to update the blogroll in my sidebar to better reflect what I'm reading lately. Check them out!

Race for the Cure

2007-10-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Des Moines' Race for the Cure raising money for breast cancer research. Diane is one of my favorite people in the whole world, and she has been training for the 5K run since June 23rd of this year. She was inspired by a program called Couch to 5K, and has been training with her running partner Tara. I am so proud of her!

Here are Diane and Tara:

Here is Diane with her precious daughter Claire:

Here is her son Jack ready to start the 7-year-old boy's fun run:

Time to cool off!

The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics

2007-09-27T15:09:00.001-07:00

This is a sweet film from Chuck Jones. It has cool animation, a sweet love story, and a corny punchline. I love it!

Ravenclaw cutie

2007-09-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

I posted about Z's Harry Potter scarf here. Now I've finished A's Ravenclaw scarf. Cute, eh?

The matching hat is a Coronet -- the pattern can be found here. I adjusted it a bit smaller for her little head. (I did 13 pattern repeats on the cable, picked up 72 stitches, and knit 6 inches before starting the decreases -- although if I were to do it again, I would probably only knit 5 1/2).

We remember

2007-09-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

Last year we remembered Giovanna Gambale who lost her life on September 11th, 2001. We still have not forgotten...

First day of school

2007-08-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here are the girls ready to take Z to her first day of second grade. She's very excited about it.

Amp Project

2007-08-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

For a while now, I've been thinking about getting an extension cabinet to go with my "Mesa/Boogie Subway Blues" amp. I've also been having some noise problems caused by too much vibration in my "Hughes & Kettner Edition Tube 20th Anniversary" combo amp.

So... to kill two birds with one stone... I decided to take the Hughes & Kettner and convert it to a head and cabinet configuration. That way the tubes in the amplifier won't get shaken as much and I'll be able to use the cabinet with the Mesa/Boogie when needed.

Here's a before shot...

And here's the finished product...

Here's a couple shots of the head. I made it out of a piece of oak lumber I found marked down Menard's. I'm guessing someone bought it and brought it back because the grain wasn't uniform enough for them. Personally... I think the grain is pretty cool.

If you look on the back you can see a hole in the metal. The original cabinet had a back panel that covered that area up. I was a bit surprised to find it there... and didn't design with it in mind. I'd like to cover it up with something... so I'm on a hunt for a small, black, really cool sticker.

And here's a shot of the cabinet. It's made out of baltic birch plywood and is covered in some green vinyl I found in the "tacky" section of the upholstery store. I can't imagine having furniture made out of the stuff... but it's great for an amp.

Overall... this was a fun project. It went fairly quickly and I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out.

Harry Potter Scarf

2007-08-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

Z got an invitation to a Harry Potter birthday/costume party. The costumes were optional, but since she doesn't know anything about Harry Potter, I didn't want her to go without and feel totally left out. I quickly went out to buy yarn to knit her this cool Gryffindor scarf. I knit furiously for four days and finished today right before the party. She loves it! (Doesn't it make her look brave?) Now A wants a Ravenclaw scarf. It's not a coincidence that the girls are both Cyclone and Bulldog fans.

I am so boring!

2007-07-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

The Colorful Plastic Tidal Wave

2007-04-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

Mel posts of her daughter's despair (and her own compassion) when a favorite plastic ring was accidentally flushed down the toilet. Coincidentally, the Five Iron Frenzy song "Blue Comb '78" has been going through my head for the last few days. The fact is, kids lose things, and, at least in this household, Mom throws things out. The question is, how can we know what will be forgotten, and what will be memorialized in a song twenty years later?

I don't want my kids to mourn the loss of what is precious to them (even if it is junk to me). On the other hand, our house (and the girls' room) is simply too tiny to hold all of the treasures that come home from school, friend's houses, Grandma's house, ballet class, birthday parties, church, etc. Any suggestions from parents on how to stop the colorful plastic tidal wave would be appreciated.

FIVE IRON FRENZY
"Blue Comb '78"

Summer of 1978,
My sister and I in the back seat just wait.
We pass the time by making lines in the seat that we can't cross,
A thin line like dental floss.
She threw my new blue comb out the window,
somewhere on I-70.
Dad said, "I'm sorry, but we can't go back,
"We're never going back to get it.
It was the first comb I ever had.
Got it just that morning from my mom and my dad.
Light blue in color,
I could never find another comb like that, big and fat...

So tell me, have you seen my comb?
Last time I saw it, it was in her hands,
And then it was bouncing down the road.
It wasn't fancy, it wasn't brown,
But now it might be from lying on the ground.
So tell me, have you seen my comb?

Driving down the road in September,
I was only five but I still remember,
Where the highway turns at the bottom of the hill,
My parents both up front 'cause they loved each other still.
Maybe just a comb made of plastic,
Or an action of a sibling lacking couth,
But something that was thrown out that window,
Was the last great symbol of my youth.

Have you seen my comb?
Last time I saw it, it was in her hands,
And then it was bouncing down the road.
It wasn't fancy, it wasn't brown,
But now it might be from lying on the ground.
So tell me, have you seen my comb?

Works No Longer In Progress

2007-03-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

I've finished some of my works in progress! I didn't get a picture of the white preemie hat before I mailed it to Stephanie for the NY launch of her new book tour. Her vision is to have masses of knitters show up in New York City on Thursday to show the world how many of us there are, and for those that can't make it to mail a hat. I hope it is one of thousands!

Here are the Opal Kid's Socks. They fit my little friend perfectly, and he won't let his mom take them off.

Here is the Moderne Log Cabin blanket that I knit for Mom. She and my aunt were watching a video of the girls knitting (and A was knitting on this blanket) when the UPS man knocked on the door with the blanket. She loves it. I knit it with Bernat Softee Chunky yarn, on 10.5 needles and it turned out 64 1/2" X 44 1/2".
Here is the applied i-cord border. I like the way it turned out.
Here are my cuties knitting this morning.
Z is making her first Log Cabin pattern.

And here it is finished:

My New Guitar

2007-03-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

For a while now, I've been looking around for another guitar. Not very seriously... but seriously enough to say I've been looking.

At first, I was thinking I wanted to get a Strat.... for a few reasons.

1) They're classics. Lots of great music has been with them in a wide variety of styles.

2) It would be nice to be able to get the single-coil sounds that my guitar just wasn't designed to produce.

3) Some people love to ask you what kind of guitar you play. I've never really had a good answer for them. If I go generic and say "Ibanez" or "It's a dual humbucker guitar"... I just get more questions. If I go specific... "It's an Ibanez SA 420 X DR"... I just get blank stares and/or the classic smile/nod action. Life would be so much simpler if I could just say "Strat," get the obligatory grunt/nod, and then move on. (Yes... I know it's a dumb reason.)

Since I really didn't want to spend a lot of money, and since I'm kinda partial to the beat up Strat look, I started watching ebay to get an idea of what they typically go for. After watching for a while and realizing that even old, beat up Strats sell for more than I'm looking to spend... I started looking at some other options.

That's when I stumbled upon the Squier '51. Typically, the only good thing you ever hear about Squier's is that they're cheap. This one, though, got a nod from Guitar Player magazine, appears to have a borderline cult following, and sells for $99.99. Add the fact that it's been discontinued... and well.... I'm looking into it.

It's a somewhat strange guitar. It has the body of a Strat, a Tele neck, and the pickguard and control knobs from a 1951 Fender P-bass. It also has one Strat pickup and one humbucker that can be "split" to act like a second single-coil pickup. Some have referred to it as a "Fender Garage Sale" and I'd say that sums it up pretty well.

After a little more research, I decided to give the '51 a try. I opted for a blonde one I found in a local guitar shop.

Is it perfect? No! In fact it has some really irritating little issues. None of them are deal-breakers or anything.... but let's just say an extra 5 bucks at the Indonesian Squier factory would've gone a long way.

After playing with it for a couple of weeks, I have to say it's a keeper. It's certainly not a replacement for my Ibanez. But it totally nails some of the sounds my Ibanez just can't come up with.... like gritty blues and Tele twang. It also has a sort of quirky, pawn-shop charm to it that's just plain cool. I honestly can't say it's a "nice" guitar.... because it's not. But for $100.... it's a great guitar.

I really enjoy playing bluesy stuff on it. It just sounds right. Sure, it's a cheap guitar... and it feels like a cheap guitar. (I mean.... it's obviously not a PRS or anything.) But you really shouldn't have to have an expensive guitar to play the blues. Should you?

The Girl With The Rhino Tusks

2007-03-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

I suppose it is better to fantasize about head-butting your sister with rhino tusks than to actually head-butt her. It does make me sad that it would be "fun and funny to me" for Z to make her sister cry. Sigh. She did do a very nice job on the bird, though.

Works in Progress

2007-03-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

Here are my four works-in-progress. The pink sock on the left is from Cat Bordhi's book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. I'm at a standstill because they seem to be coming out pretty big, even though the gauge is correct. I LOVE the yarn. It is Regia Silk, and is so soft.

The white in the middle is a preemie hat for our NICU. I almost always have at least one of these going, because they are straight stockinette in the round which is mindless knitting I can do anywhere. They knit up fast, and are for a good cause. (My 12" Addi Turbo Circular needles are perfect for these hats!)

The socks on the right are the Opal Kid's Sock pattern knit with yarn leftover from Kris' socks. (Thanks, Kris for having such small feet.)

And last but not least is the afghan on which they are sitting. It is the Moderne Log Cabin pattern from the Mason-Dixon Knitting book. I'm using the baby blanket pattern, but instead of small needles and baby yarn I substituted chunky yarn and 10.5 needles. I'm almost done with the last side, and then I need to do a border. I don't think I'll do the recommended border. I've been wanting to learn how to do an applied i-cord, so that will probably be the border I use. I should get really good at it if I do it around the entire afghan.

I need to finish at least a few of these up, because I just ordered yarn and patterns for two more projects! Kris (different Kris) at The Knitting Wannabe opened up an online knitting store. Think of the cleverest name you can for a knitting store, and then click here to see if the name you came up with is as cute as the name of her shop. She was very helpful planning the projects, and even did some special ordering for me. (Thanks, Kris!) So I'd better get going on my current stuff, because it will be hard not to start my felted clogs and felted alpaca when the supplies arrive.

Ending Women's Suffrage

2007-03-02T14:42:00.001-08:00

Are kids really this clueless? Didn't they watch Mary Poppins when they were little?

h/t to Alex at http://abillings.livejournal.com/

It's a big day!

2007-02-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

She just got her first pair of Chucks. Cool... Huh?

Blues Slide Guitar Cam strikes again

2007-02-18T16:22:00.001-08:00

I'm not quite sure why... but it's cool.

Okay... Okay... I'll blog more.

2007-02-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

No guarantees on quality, though.

Capital punishment

2007-01-02T05:22:00.000-08:00

I like to give Z a heads up about important current events when they happen. I want her to say when she's older, "I remember when that happened." I also want her to have some idea what grown-ups are talking about. The other day we were in the car listening to the news of Saddam Hussein's execution, and I stated that a very bad guy had been executed. Her response, of course, was, "What does executed mean?"

My reply was, "You know when grown-ups do bad things sometimes they have to go to jail? Well, if someone does really, really bad things the government decides it is better to kill them."

Her eyes got really wide and she asked, "What did he do?" (I think she wanted to make sure it was nothing she had ever done.)

I replied, "He killed lots and lots of people. People who lived in his country were scared for many years. Sometimes he would try to kill everyone in a whole town. He was a really bad guy."

She was thoughtful about that, and we talked a little more about capital punishment. (She was relieved to learn that her dad and I don't agree with capital punishment.) The conversation eventually turned to another topic.

Later the same day, she said out of the blue, "I know why policemen carry guns! That way if you do something really bad they can just shoot you."

I think we set her straight. I think our next civic lesson might be the 5th and 6th Ammendments.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

Well..... it's a miracle. Santa came again this year..... and he left toys. For a while there I wasn't sure the girls were going to make the good list. Apparently the last minute good campaign was enough to win Santa over. Or maybe he's just a sucker for cute kids. Either way.... he brought a bunch of crap.

The hands-down hit of the day is the Barbie head. Z got it this morning and has already mastered the frizzed-out metal-head chick look, put on two sets of fake nails, and done her make-up several times. I'm glad she likes it and all.... but it's kinda weird to look over and see a head and hands just sticking up out of the floor. I mean.... where's the rest of her body? Or.... I guess the real question is..... who's buying headless, handless Barbie bodies..... and what are they doing with them? Hmmmm....

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

HOMEWORK !?!

2006-11-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

This is the assignment that came home with Z from first grade last week:

Dear Parents,
We have just completed the book When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant. The students each drew a picture and wrote about something that happened to them or something that they remembered from their "younger days".

We would like to have our parents join us in this project. I am sending home an extra sheet for mom and dad to fill out. You will need to write a little story at the bottom and then draw and color a picture to go with it. (We will get to see who our true artists are!) Don't worry about how neat the drawings are, I still draw stick people and the kids think it is wonderful!!

Please send the completed sheets back by Nov 13th (Tues.) We will share these in class and then make the stories into a class book to share.
Thank you for your help and cooperation in this project.

My first idea was a picture of a school with the story, "When I was young... I liked to go to school". (I was always a brown-noser.) My main motive was that I was just going to draw a school. Buildings are much easier to draw than people. After giving it more thought, this is what I came up with. It chokes me up.

Blue's first idea was a picture of a kid at a table doing homework and a dad in a recliner with a remote with the story, "When I was young... parents didn't have to do homework. Kids did." Here is his second (and probably better) idea:

It is obvious who the artist in the family is. I hope the girls will take after him in that regard.

Soundtrack of My Life

2006-10-30T14:12:00.000-08:00

This music meme is too funny. I got it from Missy and Cullen. I swear I followed the rules to the letter. Here are the rules:

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool... and alot of the songs fit with the setting.

Opening Credits: BB King-Paying the Cost to be the Boss (HAHAHA)
Waking Up: Sanctus Real - Things Like You (Everyone's Everything)
First Day At School:David Ruis and Sonicflood - Pour Over Me
Falling In Love:Operation Ivy - Junkie's Runnin Dry (I've felt that way after a few relationships.)
Fight Song: Switchfoot - Adding to the Noise (This cracks me up!)
Breaking Up: Amy Grant - If You Have To Go Away (Unbelievable - random, I swear)
Prom: Passion - Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (This one cracks me up, too!)
Life: Casting Crowns - Father, Spirit, Jesus
Mental Breakdown:Chris Tomlin - King of Glory
Driving: John Jonethis - Open House (I like driving to music with a beat, and up pops lounge music - hahaha)
Flashback: All - Not Easy ("It's not easy bein' me")
Getting back together: Passion - I've Found Jesus
Wedding: Cringer - Walk In Closet (I FREAKED OUT when this song came up next. This was IN OUR WEDDING! We have 1325 songs on our computer and the one that was in our wedding pops up. WOW!)
Birth of Child: John Paulo Band - Take Me Now (That title fits childbirth, I'd say.)
Final Battle:Amy Grant - Angels
Death Scene: Concrete Blonde - Little Conversations
Funeral Song: PAX217 - What is Love (hahaha - This is SO not funeral music.)
End Credits: Jennifer Knapp - Trinity ("He died to save a wretch like me..." That pretty much sums it up.)

Fender Footwear

2006-09-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

I'm not inclined to spend twenty dollars on flip flops, but these Fender Footwear flip flops are cool, don't you think?

Quote

2006-09-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."
Scott Adams

Red Scarf Project

2006-09-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

Imagine being in college with no support from home. With no other home period. I can't. That's why this Red Scarf Project at the Orphan Foundation of America inspires me. Included in a Valentine's Day care package to an orphan in college could be our hand-knit or hand-crocheted red scarves. Due to limited storage space they are only accepting donations in January, so we have plenty of time. Here are the guidelines from their website:

Scarf guidelines:
Size: approximately 60” long and 5” to 8” wide. Scarves should be long enough to be wrapped around the neck with tails long enough to be tied in the front.
Style: Think unisex collegiate. Fringe optional. Should drape, tie easily and be soft.
Color: Red! This could mean burgundy, cherry, russet, red stripes with other colors, multicolor hues including red. Other unisex colors, including black, navy, gray, teal, olive or gold, are also welcome.
Finished & tagged: Yarn ends securely sewn in. For the personal touch, attach a tag saying “Handmade for You” with your first name, city, and group affiliation, if any. Donors have also included washing instructions, messages of encouragement, and gift cards/burger bucks/book of stamps.

Thank you! Your scarf may be the first handmade gift a young man or woman has ever received. Your efforts will truly be appreciated!

Mail to (January Only):
Orphan Foundation of America
Red Scarf Project
21351 Gentry Drive, Unit 130
Sterling, VA 20166

Also check out Norma's blog set up to get the word out. Thanks to the Keyboard Biologist for the heads up.

A tribute to Giovanna "Gennie" Gambale

2006-09-11T04:10:00.000-07:00

Following the terrorist attack of September 11th, 2001, Gennie's smiling face was everywhere. Her family hung flyers all over New York. For many New Yorkers, her face was the face of the victims.

Chris from New York wrote: In those days after the attacks, the photos of all those lost souls covered Manhattan like a patchwork quilt of angels. For some reason though, Genni was always the face that stuck with me. Perhaps it was her
smile. Maybe it was her background that I felt that I identified with. Who
knows, but there was something about that picture that always made me stop. I still recall a conversation I had with a complete stranger last September on a street corner in Lower Manhattan where she mentioned Genni's picture too. I have since talked to many other people who remember her photos. I can't imagine what an electric personality she must have had. Even now, she still demands the attention of strangers and is such a loved and remembered person by so many who never even knew her.

Robert O'Conner, a ground zero worker wrote, I will always carry "Gennie" in my heart as a civilian confined space rescue worker from California I found her missing poster fluttering down the street in front of the Hilton New York, New York on the 15th of September and at first I tried to put it back up on a pole but I could not get it to stay up in the rain and her smile was just so beautiful. So I stuck the poster in my pocket and carried it everyday and night on the pile she was my angel watching over me and I was going to be her rescuer alas it was not to be so. Even though I never knew Her Gennie is always in my heart and now when I need strength I ask Her in heaven along with my late Father in heaven to help me overcome and to watch over me.

Gile from Brooklyn wrote, I never knew Giovanna Gambale, but hers was among the first missing person posters I saw around Manhattan, and it always stood out, even when surrounded by dozens of others. Her picture touched me deeply, and although I saw thousands of other heart-rending posters, none have stuck with me the way Giovanna's has.

Those who knew her say that the goodness that shines through in her photograph was real. Moriah Squitieri wrote, I am one of the blessed people who knew Genni. Genni and I went to John Dewey H.S. together. We were 2 stops apart on the F train line. She and I, along with other friends took that long train ride to and from Coney Island every school day for 3 years. What could have been a very boring and uneventful ride, never was when Genni was around. We would laugh and laugh to the point of tears. What a sense of humor she had. I remember that she was so sweet, so bright, loving, kind hearted and generous, a respectful human being who was a natural beauty. I remember how she loved Billy Joel and that she always wore a jean jacket, she loved her family and always did the right thing. I admired her greatly... I just think that it is so beautiful that complete strangers are able to pick up on her warmth and beauty from her photo, all of you are right in your perceptions of her. She was all of those things and more.

Nick Iyer from Newsday wrote of her passion for the Mets: Whenever the Gambale family gathered in the living room of their home in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, to watch the Mets, Anthony Gambale's oldest daughter, Giovanna, assumed her rally position. She would turn her cap sideways, and would sit either at the edge of her chair or on the floor, rooting for the team she gave her allegiance to while she was a student at Public School 58 in Brooklyn."She was always very superstitious," her father said. "Gennie knew her baseball." Studying strategies, trades and team management in her spare time, Giovanna Gambale had an in-depth knowledge of the game, her father said. The 27-year-old vice president of conferences and events for eSpeed seldom lost debates with family members who were Yankee fans and taught some of the men in her family a few things about baseball."She wasn't a casual fan," her father said, as he remembered listening to the outrage in his oldest daughter's voice after a Mets loss or a bad trade.

Nick went on to write this about Gennie: She was "a great listener," her father said. Her ability to blend tact and brutal honesty was rare and attractive to friends and co-workers who sought her counsel. "She was terrific in telling the truth without making the truth hurt," Anthony Gambale said. Gambale "loved to eat, but she hated to cook," her father said. Chinese food was her favorite. "She used to say that she could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner." He said that she had "a tremendous inner strength" and leaves the legacy of "her smile, her giggle," her social graces and her likability. "She was just a fantastic person," Anthony Gambale said. "She was my daughter. She was Gennie."

Genni was vice president for communications and media events at eSpeed, a division of Cantor Fitzgerald Securites. Cantor Fitzgerald lost 685 employees that day, about 2/3rds of their workforce. She worked on the 105th floor at 1 World Trade Center. Her sister, Antonia worked on the 5th floor. Antonia was able to get out, and called her father in Brooklyn to say she was safe. He told her to come home. Then he said, "What about your sister?" The posters soon followed.

I'll close this tribute with a poem written by Alan Stein from Rockville Centre, NY

I first saw your face on that smoky Manhattan morning
You smiled at me from a store window
It was a radiant smile
Memorable.
I saw you again on the side of a building
Then on a lamppost and on a tree near my office.
In the days that followed I began to look for you
And you were always there
Always smiling.
I saw you in the morning on my way to work and in the evening on my way home.
I saw you in dreams and you were an
Italian Princess high above the City in her Tower.
But now your picture is gone
and those of the others are fading or torn.
They say you are missing.
Missing?
You?
It was only yesterday that you were here
Everywhere.
No, you are not gone.
You and the others have left an indelible mark
In our hearts and in our memories and in our lives.
You're not missing,
No, not you.
You will remain forever
With all the others
High above the clouds that now cover our City
In your Tower
A very special Tower
Built for a smile like yours.

I'm not tick-a-lish anymore!

2006-09-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

In the last week or so A has repeatedly announced that she is no longer ticklish (tick-a-lish). It hasn't stopped me from tickling her, or her from squirming when I do, but it must deter some people, for in the last few days she has expanded her theme. Upon being patted on the head she has announced that she is no longer pat-a-lish. When poked by her sister she states she is no longer poke-a-lish. I am saddened to report that she is also no longer kiss-a-lish or hug-a-lish. She's definately not deterring mama in those regards.

Preschool

2006-09-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

Here is A on her very first day of preschool. She can be very clingy, but I was so proud of her for going in with a positive attitude and having fun. As hard as it is to have my babies grow up, it is also fun to see them learn and grow.

Blue is still grateful for his four free hours a week, but they have not quite met his high expectations. Apparantly the guitar shops in town don't open until after morning preschool is over.

First grade

2006-08-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Here is Z on her first day of first grade (with her stripy lil' sis.) A's first day of preschool is coming up, too. Dad is looking forward to having four hours a week to himself. I'm a little sad my babies are growing up.

September 11th Tribute

2006-08-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

The vision is, that on 9/11/06, each of the 2996 victims of the terrorist attacks will be paid a tribute by a blogger. I signed up to write a tribute to a 27-year-old woman who died on 9/11. I scoured the internet to find information on her, and wrote the post last night. I will post it on 9/11.

Won't you please consider signing up? The 9/11 Tribute sign-up site is here. They need many more people. As of right now, there are still 1653 names left to assign. Sign up bloggers! But remember, don't post your tribute until 9/11. (Thanks to Fat Doctor for the heads up!)

Iowans

2006-07-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here are the girls shucking sweet corn with Grandpa. Aren't they cute?

Homemade Limeade

2006-07-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

I LOVE when blue makes limeade. Someday I want to get one of those heavy duty juicers, but the one here is $150 and is just not in our budget.

Limeade (Just substitute lemons to make lemonade)
Juice from 3 medium-sized limes
1 cup sugar
2 quarts of water
mix until sugar dissolves

Don't steal my joy, and I won't steal yours

2006-07-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Kris has a great post here about those who steal our joy with their agendas for our life.

Scripture itself commands us to "Be joyful always," which I interpret to mean that joy cannot be tied to circumstance or opinion. Circumstances change, sometimes capriciously or randomly, sometimes not. Opinions waver as often as the moods of those who hold them. Joy must then be a transcendent thing, something that relies on more than that which I find in myself. Joy, then, can only reside with God... and my own joy correlates directly with my dependence upon God.

So the responsibility for joy does lie with me, but only so far as I am dying to my own desires to please other people, and instead making Godpleasing my sole aim.

Therefore, if something I do (or do not do) displeases you, whether I change depends completely upon whether it's something I actually do need to change or something you need to "get over."

No one's agenda for us is as good as God's. I agree that it is hard to stay on the narrow path and follow God when others are saying "Turn left!" or "Turn right!" Especially if God's narrow path for them is the left or right path and they are persuasive that that is where you should be, too. We all struggle to fit in, but life is amazing when we are exactly where and who God wants us to be.

This post is also a good reminder not to be a "joy stealer". We should all regularly reflect on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Then we need to ask ourselves if our attitudes and actions toward others are a reflection of God's high standards for love. If we truly love others, we will not steal their joy.

When I became a Christian, I was seventeen. Seventeen-year-olds are very opinoinated and judgemental to begin with. Add to that the realization that God had revealed the truth to me, and you have an equation that equals obnoxious. My agenda was to cram my faith down anyone's throat who would listen. I learned over time that it is not my job to save people. That is between them and God. Unfortunately, many Christians, even as adults, never come to that realization. Consequently Christianity is not attractive to many non-Christians. Who wants to become judgemental and obnoxious?

I recently found out that an acquaintance of mine is not a Christian, and practices a very non-mainstream religion. She was very surprised that I still accepted her after learning of her beliefs. However, my job is to love her and pray for her. As one adult to another, it is not my job to save her, or condemn her, or be anything but loving toward her. It is none of my business who she worships or how. If God prompts me to share my faith with her, I will, and it will be in His perfect timing when she may be open to hearing the truth. How she chooses to practice her religion it is her decision.

It boils down to this: God's agenda (at least one of them) is that all join Him in heaven by trusting in Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:3-4)

Our agenda is to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbor as ourself. (Luke 10:27)

One of my favorite posts demonstrating this is Tracey's post at Worship Naked called "some straights and some homos". I just recently stumbled across her blog, but Tracey has become one of my favorite bloggers. Check her out.

Kitchen

2006-07-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Blue has been working on remodeling our kitchen. Kris helped us with the colors. We are going for a beach/tropical feel. We don't really know what it will look like when it's done. Hopefully cool. I love it so far!

WDJD?

2006-06-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

I have the taste buds of a three-year-old. I love Kool-Aid. I hate coffee. The only alcoholic beverages I have ever liked were fruity wine coolers and the "punch" that the guys on our brother floor in college would make at parties. (It tasted like Kool-Aid.) The only time in my life I was drunk was in eighth grade, and I felt sick enough to decide that was the last time I would ever get drunk. It was.

When I married a Southern Baptist guy who was raised in the tradition of abstinence from alcohol, it didn't bother me because I didn't drink. However, I didn't understand the underlying attitude in the Southern Baptist churches that drinking was wrong. I was raised by wonderful parents who are social drinkers and who don't have a problem with alcohol. To me it is a straightforward issue. The Bible teaches that drunkenness is wrong. Jesus drank wine, never got drunk, and I don't think churches should be worried about people doing what Jesus did.

Despite not drinking myself, I feel more comfortable in my current church where drinking is a non-issue than I did in previous churches where there is a stigma attached to those who drink. When I overhear one godly guy in the church say to another "You want to go out after and get a beer?" I feel at home. I like being a member of a church where Jesus and my parents wouldn't be stigmatized.

The Southern Baptists just had their annual national convention in Greensboro, NC, and passed this resolution opposing the "manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and consuming of alcoholic beverages." Sigh. I just don't get it. It is not biblical. It causes non-Christians to see Baptists as self-righteous, judgmental, sticks-in-the-mud, which would be fine if they were taking a biblical stand, but they aren't. The Bible clearly teaches that drunkenness is a sin, but to teach that drinking alcohol in moderation is a sin, is to add what cannot be found in the Bible. I respect anyone who decides to abstain from alcohol for personal reasons, but to teach that everyone who doesn't abstain from alcohol is sinning has no biblical basis.

I love this post by Wade Burleson, who is a pastor of a Southern Baptist Church in Oklahoma, and is on the board of trustees of the International Mission Board. His church's policy about drinking and getting drunk is similar to our church's policy, and he makes a great argument for allowing drinking in moderation for those who choose to. I love Wade's story of the woman whose faith in Christ and reconciliation of her marriage began over a glass of wine. Go read the entire post.

Summer cuts

2006-06-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

My sis wants more pics of the girls on the blog, so this is for you, LouLou. The girls got their hair cut short for summertime, and aren't they cute?

Sock update

2006-06-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

I was excited to get the needles and yarn to try these socks, but still, I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying knitting them. I'm ready for the toe decreases on the first sock. I wasn't sure my attention span could handle such small yarn and needles, but it is knitting up faster than I thought it would. I love the way the stripy yarn makes the sock look like fancy fair isle knitting.

And yes LouLou, I got your hint, and I would love to knit you a pair. The next time you're in Des Moines I'll take you to the knitting store and let you pick out a skein of sock yarn.

Preemie Hats

2006-06-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

We haven't posted in awhile, so I thought I would make up for it today. You'll see what I have been doing instead of blogging. Knitting! The posts below are the projects I have been working on, but my favorite has been hats for preemie babies in the NICU. Some friends of mine and I have been knitting patterns found mostly at Bev's Country Cottage. They knit up so fast, which is perfect for my short attention span. I got a pair of 12" Addi Turbo circular needles, sizes 3 and 8. They work perfect for the little hats, until the decrease rows when I switch to double pointed needles. We have a website here. Check it out. You knitters out there should feel free to donate. The moms and nurses are so grateful. You can't buy hats this small in the stores, and they are so cute!
My favorite is a modification of this jester's hat. I used Bernat's Softee Chunky yarn. To change the pattern from newborn size to preemie, I cast on 42 stitches, did a k1, p1 rib, and knit stockinette stitch until the piece measured 4.5 inches. The kitchener stitch was three sets of 14 stitches. It came out just the right size. (I know when the hats are the right size because they fit Z's baby doll Gracie perfectly.)

Pinwheel Blanket

2006-06-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

Squeaky Weasel is a knitter extraordinaire. She makes fabulous projects which inspire me. When I saw her pinwheel blanket, I had to make one. I love knitting in the round, and it is such a pretty blanket. I had some pink Plymouth Dreambaby yarn lying around, and size 7 double pointed needles and circular needle that I used for the french market bag, so I started right away. Squeaky pointed me to the pattern here. The first few rows are a bugger, and after several tries (and a couple of tantrums) I got to a stable row and it was smooth sailing from there.

The pattern is a little vague, which bugs me. I am not creative -- just tell me what to do! When the blanket has reached the desired diameter, cast/bind off. Now your blanket is complete, unless you want to embellish it with an edging. What is a good "desired diameter"? I researched it, and found a reference that said baby blankets are usually 28" to 36". I made mine 36" which was about 500 stitches on the last row. What is a good edging? I found a bunch of cool pictures from a pinwheel blanket knitalong, and decided to copy Adrian's seed stitch edging. My friend's baby is due June 17th. I hope she likes snuggling with her new blankie!

Socks

2006-06-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

I took a class at Knitted Together in West Des Moines on how to knit socks. We knit a cute little sock so we could learn the techniques without getting bogged down with a lot of knitting. I brought it home and it fit A perfectly, so I made a match. She loves them.

Now that my confidence in sock construcion is boosted (perhaps beyond my actual abilities) I bought a book "Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles" by Cat Bordhi. I got a pair of size 1 Addi Turbo circular needles (16") and a ball of Sockotta color 6669 and got to work. Here is the first sock in progress:

I like circular needles much more than double pointed needles. The person that compared knitting with double pointed needles to wrestling a porcupine wasn't far off, in my opinion.

Felted bags

2006-06-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

I have been knitting a bunch lately. My sister's birthday is in May, as well as Mother's day. I knit a French Market Bag for Mom with Lamb's Pride Blue Boy and Lotus Pink. Sis got a Booga Bag knit with Noro Kureyon color #74. I had some Noro Kureyon left over, so I made a little matching coin purse. (It is unfelted and without a button in the picture.)

Cooked

2006-06-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hanging out on the beach with the girls and other friends on Memorial Day was fun, but about an hour after we got back I knew I was in trouble. Strangers were commenting on my sunburn. I slathered the sunscreen on the girls, but forgot myself. Blue would have made sure I put it on, but he skipped the festivities.

This is so embarassing. I have had extremely fair skin for 37 years, at least 30 of which I have known the necessity of sunscreen. Doh!

I need a costume tomorrow!

2006-04-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight just a few hours before bedtime Z reminded me that she needed a costume for class tomorrow. They are supposed to dress up like something on a farm. I suddenly remembered the note that came home a few days ago. I found it and read it:

Howdy Ya'All,

In kindergarten we are learning about the farm. We thought it would be fun to have a farm day and dress up like something you would find on a farm. Possible ideas would include a farmer, corn stalk, pig, etc... use things around the house and be creative. We will have our farm day on Thursday April 13. E-I-E-I-O!!!!

We tried to talk Z into something fun -- a tractor, mosquito, horsefly. She wants to be a pig. Nothing else. Here is what I came up with. Pink shirt and pants (no problem yet -- 9/10ths of her wardrobe is pink.) Pigtails will do as ears. For the nose we found a plastic Easter egg with two holes already drilled in each end. (I don't quite know why... airholes for a plastic chick???) I drilled two more holes on the sides of the small half and attached some elastic thread. For the tail I sewed a pony bead onto the backside of her pants. I found a small plastic pink slinky, cut off the end and stretched it out, and wound it through the bead on her pants. Voila! A pig costume. Whew! That stretched the limits of my creativity!

Blue Ball Machine

2006-04-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is totally cool!

Rumor has it that this is how your computer works.

Bedtime conversation with Z

2006-03-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

Z: (in whiny voice) Mommy why do you have to work so much?

M: I need to make money so we have a place to live and food to eat.

Z: And water to drink, and to keep the refrigerator door open long enough?

M: (stifling laughter) Yes, honey. Sleep well, I love you.

Z: I love you too; good night Mommy.

Update: Everyone I tell this story to has a blank look until I explain that when Z stands at the refrigerator with the door open, I tell her that an open refrigerator door costs money. She is apparently grateful that we have enough money to get our milk out of the frig for our cereal in the morning. hahahaha

What does this mean?

2006-03-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

"When you live your dreams you'll find destiny is written in your heart."

You see.... the girls have a "Princess and the Pauper" Barbie that sings this when you push a button on its back. They run around pushing it over and over and singing along with it.

I've tried to figure it out. Not that I really care that much about Barbie's thoughts on dreams and destiny and such..... but I figure sooner or later one of my kids is going to ask me what it means. And to be honest, I haven't got a clue what I'd tell them.

Anyone wanna help me out here?

Crowder

2006-02-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

If you're a fan of the David Crowder Band..... or if you just have a thing for chin hair..... here's a site for you.

http://www.growyourcrowder.com/

Note -- I thought about growing "my own personal crowder" for a while. That is..... until my wife looked at me and couldn't help but laugh. --sigh--

Four Things

2006-02-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Squeaky Weasel tagged me for this meme:

Four Jobs I've Had
Waitress
Summer job with a temp company-sent everywhere from an accounting department to a cardboard factory (they frowned on the word "cardboard" -- it was properly called "corrugated"
Veterinary lab histology tech (animal autopsies can be stinky)
Clinical laboratory scientist (jobs including most areas of medical labs-currently in microbiology)

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Breakfast Club
True Lies
Notting Hill

Four TV Shows I Love to Watch
The Olympics
Crossing Jordan
America's Most Wanted
Rock Star INXS (I was addicted)

Four Places I’ve Been on Vacation
Charlotte, NC
Lake Tahoe, CA
Orange County, CA
Eugene, OR

Four Favorite Dishes
Tamales (especially at Posa's)
Chicago-style pizza (especially at Unos)
Gyros (especially at The Vernon Inn)
Chicken Crisp Burritos (only at Taco Time)

Four Websites I Visit Daily
Kris
Mel
Sheila
Maria

Four Places I’d Rather Be
Charlotte
Santa Fe
Chicago
Any ski area

Four Bloggers I am Tagging
You
You
You
and You

Ouch!

2006-02-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

Danielle Burgio has a job I would never do (OK, could never do), but WOW do I admire her.

Congrats, Mel!

2006-02-12T20:55:00.000-08:00

Mel's counter at Actual Unretouched Photo recorded her 100,000th visitor tonight. How do I know? Because I'm silly enough to have wanted to be #100,000. Not silly enough to visit every minute to assure that I would be, but often enough to be visit every hour or so to see how the count was going. In the end, I was 999991 and 100004. She has a following because she is funny, real, and a great writer. Go say hi.

If you thought THAT was a time waster...

2006-02-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

This one is called Falling Sand, but it should be called falling sand, water, salt and oil. Set the oil on fire, grow a plant under the water, make mazes for them to fall through, and try and kill the yellow blob. (Is the yellow blob there for any reason other than to kill it?) This one brings out the creativity even in me. Check it out.

Time Waster

2006-02-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

Check out this time waster. My best time is 18.187. I did brillantly, but just barely, and only after many, many tries. Story of my life.

hat tip: the doc around the clock

Blogger Bash

2006-02-05T06:18:00.000-08:00

We had a fun time last night at the Iowa Blogger's Bash. Joe, Jeff, KL Snow, Royce, Kris, Doug and Jody, Miss Anonymous, Celti and Chris, Mike, and Mike were all there. Kris has pictures here. Thanks Joe for organizing the shindig and for the round of drinks.

One thing I took away from the party: Anyone serious about solving Iowa's problems should host a party of bloggers, and just throw out a problem-laden issue. Say, the Iowa Rainforst boondoggle. Within fifteen minutes a solution will be obvious to all.

Quotes

2006-02-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

Sheila O'Malley (one of my favorite bloggers) recently posted about her commonplace book, and shared many of her entries. A commonplace book is a book in which a person records quotes, poems and writings that are meaningful to them. Many people in history have kept commonplace books, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The quotes from Sheila's book were facinating.

By coincidence, a forum where Blue hangs out alot (and where I occasionally lurk) started a thread entitled "Quote of the day, thread". These are guys (primarily guys) whose bond is that each of them has built their own computer with a DFI motherboard. It is a lively forum in which most of the content is way over my head. Their quotes are quite different from Sheila's, but also entertaining. Having just read Sheila's quotes, I posted on DFI one of my favorites from Shiela's commonplace book: Half the world wants to be like Thoreau at Walden worrying about the noise of traffic on the way to Boston; the other half use up their lives being part of that noise. I like the second half. - Franz Kline

While reading all of these quotes I remembered that I kept a similar book in high school. I dug through old junk and found it. I was hoping to find deep, obscure and/or meaningful quotes, but I was sorely disappointed. What I found meaningful and deep in high school I now find trite. I found poems written by friends (remember how deep the poetry we wrote in high school was?) Lyrics to Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind and Bette Midler's The Rose. Footprints in the Sand. Sigh...

I am comforted by the very same Sheila who posts excerpts from her high school diary every Friday. Were any of us anything but corny in high school?

I'd love to hear one of your favorite quotes in the comments...

The United Nation's Way

2006-01-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

It is my day off of work, and I get to watch Sesame Street with Blue and A. Last Monday when I was off, Norah Jones sang "I Don't Know Why Y Didn't Come." (I love that song.) I was hoping today would be another classic, maybe Martina McBride singing "Let's Pretend."

Alas, today is Kofi Annan teaching the monsters to solve their problems the "United Nation's way." GROAN! What exactly is the "United Nation's way"? Funding terrorists? Raping girls in the Congo? The United Nations is not an organization I want my kids to look up to.

Nerds

2006-01-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

I admit it; we are nerds. Blue and I, on separate computers just spent a large portion of the evening working on this test. In the end, he got more than I did. I'm glad we gave up when we did, because there is NO WAY I would have ever gotten all of them. It was a nice break from Sudoku, though.

Newest Must-Read

2006-01-18T19:26:00.000-08:00

I am enamored with BigMamaDoc at Fat Doctor. I arrived at her blog from Shrinkette, and I couldn't stop reading until I'd read every post. She is a primary care physician, pastor's wife, mom, and is a great read. Check her out.

Stocking Hat

2006-01-12T19:19:00.000-08:00

This is the hat I knit my dad for Christmas. He loved it. He wore it to work to show it off, and enjoyed the teasing that ensued. He had a black one as a kid, and has hinted a couple of times that he would like another. I took the bait this year, and found the pattern here. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of him wearing it, but Z was happy to model it for me. Dad, if you see this, I would love it if you would send me a picture of you modeling it so I could share it with the world :)

Tamales and Alpacas

2006-01-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

We really enjoyed seeing our friends Anne and Wesley in Santa Fe. When we lived in Santa Fe we went to every high school soccer game we could and cheered on Wesley and his friend Stubbs. It was always fun to sit with his mom Anne. She is a very enthusiastic spectator. (Her enthusiasm has even been known to earn her a red card on occasion!) I spent many an afternoon learning the finer points of NFL football (Go Packers!) with Anne while Blue and Wes played PlayStation games in the basement. They are dear friends, and although I am a terrible correspondant and have not kept up with them, I love them dearly and was delighted that we could spend some time with them while we were in Santa Fe.

We met them at Posa's for lunch. Posa's makes the best tamales anywhere. As we ate, we chatted with Wesley about photography (the latest major in his ongoing college career). I am really glad we got to see him. He looks happier than I have ever seen him.

Anne shared with us her latest passion. Raising alpacas. She talked about them the way a brand-new-grandma talks about her grandbaby. It is fun to listen to someone talk about something they are passionate about. When we said we would like to see them, she called work and ditched for the afternoon. We headed out to the farm to see her babies. They were really cute, and the girls loved them. They were really sweet, and I could totally see why Anne loved to raise them.

Here is Anne with award-winning Vito.

Here is Anne with a bunch of alpacas interested in her yummy pellets.

Adorable!

And of course the Wonderful thing about alpacas is their awesome fleece. Here is some fleece and yarn for sale from her alpacas and the alpacas who live with hers. When I come up with a knitting project worthy of such an excellent fiber, I'm going to order some.

Here is Anne's website for more adorable pictures.

Cousins

2006-01-04T14:54:00.000-08:00

It was great to be back in Santa Fe and see blue's brother and his family. Here are the cousins playing with PlayDoh. They love each other, and I wish we all lived closer so they could play together more often.

Skateboarding

2006-01-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of Uncle Sam helping Z out with her skating.

The car trip

2006-01-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2006-01-04T08:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the Christmas Eve service our church had.

I'll probably get in trouble for this one..... but here's red fish singing Christmas carols.

And here is one from the children's program. Z is on the right hand side in the black and red plaid dress. It was funny. She and the girl next to her kept fighting over the microphone.

After the program they had all the kids come up and a grandfather-type read the Christmas story to them.

I was quite impressed with how well everything was put together. The place was pretty full and everybody seemed to have a good time.

Back to blogging

2006-01-04T07:33:00.000-08:00

Time to catch up.

After opening presents on Christmas day we spent the rest of the day packing stuff up and loading the car and all that stuff and then we left for Santa Fe, New Mexico with my parents. They have a house there and they like to spend some time there in the winter and since red got the whole week of Christmas off from work we decided to drive down with them. My brother and his family live there also so it was bordering on a family reunion.

Visiting New Mexico is fun. We lived there for 6 years so it feels kinda like home. We always have places to go and friends to see. And the food is great! I haven't found anything that even remotely compares here in Iowa. Green Chile..... Sopaipillas..... Mmmmm.....

I'll post some pictures.

Beard update

2005-12-23T22:08:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post a couple more pictures of me with my beard...... since I'll probably start hacking away at over the next few days.

I don't mind the beard part. But the mustache is driving me nuts.

Now I've just got to figure out what to do with it.

Ummmm.....

2005-12-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

Mammoth DNA could spark resurrection

Scientists have mapped part of the genome of the woolly mammoth, a huge mammal that's been extinct for about 10,000 years.

The breakthrough could lead to re-creating the creatures.

.... and just WHY do we want wooly mammoth's around again?

What Does Christmas Taste Like to You?

2005-12-17T20:36:00.000-08:00

Blue and I have been doing a lot of baking this year (and I reassure you Mel, that none of the treats we've made were chocolate chip cookies!). I was enjoying a Christmas Holly cookie and stated "This is what Christmas tastes like!" Blue held up his piece of Martha Washington Candy and said, "This is what Christmas tastes like to me!" I wonder which recipe will stick with my girls as their favorite Christmas treat. Just in case you want to try our favorites, here they are:

Martha Washington Candy
2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 stick butter or margarine (not diet) melted and cooled
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chopped pecans
Mix above and roll into balls approx. 1 inch in diameter
Chill 1 hour in freezer
In microwave, melt 4 squares of Baker's unsweetened
chocolate. Dip balls in chocolate and place on wax paper.
Repeat until all balls are covered. May use up to 2 boxes
of chocolate.

Christmas Holly
3 C Minature Marshmallows
1 Stick Butter (Best to use Butter, not Margarine)
Set on 2 minutes High and Melt in Microwave. If not all melted, Add 1 minute more.
Remove and Stir to a smooth mixture.
Add drops of Green Food Color to a good medium green color.
Add 3-1/2 Cups Corn Flakes and then....Toss, Toss, and Toss until all the Corn Flames are covered. (Don't give up on the tossing, as it takes awhile to cover all!)Then, with a Tblsp drop onto a cookie sheet for holly cookies...or onto a single cake pan, in a circle .. to make a holly wreath.Add the Red Hot Cinnamons in triads for berries.

Hmmm.... a Lara Croft / Spider-Man tie....

2005-12-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

I'd rather be Captain Jack Sparrow. But hey.... I guess even action heroes need heroes.

You scored as The Amazing Spider-Man. After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker was transformed from a nerdy high school student into New York's greatest hero. Peter enjoys the thrill of being a super hero, but he struggles with the burdens of leading a double life. He hopes someday to win the heart of his true love Mary Jane, the woman he's loved since before he even liked girls. Right now, he just wants to make it through college and pay his bills.

Lara Croft

58%

The Amazing Spider-Man

58%

Captain Jack Sparrow

50%

Batman, the Dark Knight

50%

Indiana Jones

50%

Neo, the "One"

46%

William Wallace

42%

James Bond, Agent 007

42%

The Terminator

38%

Maximus

21%

El Zorro

13%

Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

Okay.... so I've been experimenting with facial hair.

2005-12-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

It started with laziness. Then came a string of cold weather to further fuel my lack of desire to shave. And now...... I have the makings of a beard.

Every day I go back and forth between shaving and letting it grow a little longer..... just to see what happens. It's itchy.... which makes me want to shave it off and I'm not quite sure what to do with it. But... it might be fun to have a beard. Who knows? I've never had one.

The girls think I should shave. One says I'm "ratchy." The other says I look silly. AND I don't get as many kisses as I used to.

The wife seems somewhat amused by it. She was telling Kris about it on the phone tonight. Kris wanted pictures so we had a mini photo shoot.

So here's just a plain old picture of me.

And me..... if I were french.

And me..... if I were a lunatic.

And here I am with the girls. Just showing that even if I'm "ratchy" and silly looking...... they'll still get in a picture with me.

So.... what do you think? Shave it? Or give it a shot?

Goodwill

2005-12-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

I love Goodwill. Where else can you get a 3 year old 19" Dell monitor (in perfect condition) for 6 bucks?

We hooked it up tonight and now the whole internet seems...... well.... just a little bit bigger. And it seems all the colors have changed a little bit.

Hmmm.... this is going to take some getting used to.

Have you ever...

2005-11-27T17:38:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed both Kris and Sheila's take on this meme, so I thought I would give it a shot.

HAVE YOU EVER:
Smoked a cigarette or tried it: No.

Crashed a friend's car: Several if you consider my dad a friend (I do.)

Stolen a car: No

Been dumped: Once, but I usually did the dumping. I'm not too proud of it.

Shoplifted: Once, accidentally. I thought it was free, and realized a few days later that it wasn't supposed to be.

Been fired /laid off: No.

Been in a fist fight: No.

Snuck out of your parent's house: Many times.

Been arrested: No.

Gone on a blind date: Once. It was a double date, and my friend and her boyfriend were making out as much as possible while this guy that was TOTALLY not my type and I counted the seconds until the movie was over. Every time I hear a reference to the movie Christine I get a sick feeling in my stomach.

Lied to a friend: Yes.

Skipped school: There were no consequences to skipping class in high school until you had skipped a class for the fourth time. The conversation would go something like this:
"Hey, I was thinking about taking a long lunch today -- do you have any skips left in fourth hour?"
"Not today, I have an exam fourth hour. How about fifth hour?"
"Yeah, I would love to. I only have one skip in fifth hour, and Econ is boring. I'm parked in the jock lot today. Meet me at my car." (I see the policies have changed)

Seen someone die: Victims of stabbings, shootings, car accidents, drug overdoses, heart attacks, etc. (I worked solo as the only lab tech on weekday graveyard shifts in a little town that had quite a violent side.)

Been to Canada/Mexico: No. Never been out of the States.

Eaten Sushi: No, and knowing what I do about parasitology, I never will.

Met someone in person from the internet: Yes.

Taken pain-killers: I avoid anything stronger than ibuprofin.

Had a tea party: I have two daughters - six and three. Need I say more?

Cheated while playing a game: Probably when I was a kid.

Fallen asleep at work: I worked gravyard shift, remember? (It hurts to be at a microscope and fall asleep. The oculars hurt your browbones.)

Used a fake ID: No.

Felt an earthquake: No.

Touched a snake: Yes -- snakes are cool. Our best friends have one named Tamale.

Been robbed: Some jerk stole my purse in eighth grade.

Petted a reindeer/goat: Yes. My college friend Terry was a sheep farmer, but she had some goats too.

Won a contest: When I was in elementary school I went to a fun night and won three or four cakes at the cake walk. They eventually told me I couldn't play anymore. I'm not sure how we got them all home.

Been suspended from school: No.

Been in a car accident: I totalled every car but one that my dad bought me in high school. I totalled the Fairmont twice. However, I have had the same car (crash-free) since 1992. (Knock on wood.)

Had braces: No.

Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night: Maybe, but if so I don't remember.

Witnessed a crime: Yes.

Swam in the ocean: I don't like water. I've been to the ocean once, and it was very pretty, but it was December and a little chilly. I was glad to have an excuse not to put on a bathing suit and/or swim.

Sung karaoke: Shania's "Any Man of Mine".

Paid for a meal with only coins: We were on a tight budget when we were first married and we ran out of money once. We scrounged together as much change as we had and went to the grocery store and got the cheapest, most filling stuff we could. (All I remember now is potatoes and eggs.) I cried.

Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose: Hasn't everyone?

Been kissed under mistletoe: Yes.

Crashed a party: In sixth grade, Ann and Matt lived across the street from each other. We would crash Matt's slumber parties, and the guys would crash Ann's.

Worn pearls: Yes.

Jumped off a bridge: No.

Ate dog/cat food: I tried dried cat food on a dare as a kid, but I didn't like the taste the way someone who reads this blog did. (I'll keep your secret!)

Kissed a mirror: No.

Glued your hand to something: Has anyone escaped superglue unscathed?

Done a one-handed cartwheel: As much as I wanted to learn cartwheels as a kid, I never had it in me.

Talked on the phone for more than 6 hours: My first boyfriend and I would regularly talk all night. When Mom and Dad would discover that I had unplugged their phone so they couldn't hear the 11:00 call, I would get in trouble.

Didn't take a shower for a week: One of my most memorable spring breaks was with Lou living in a camper on her father's land in southern Iowa.

Pick and ate an apple right off the tree: Yes.

Been told by a complete stranger that you're hot: No. I tend to attract the shy guys.

There you go. Consider yourself tagged.

Comics

2005-11-27T05:47:00.000-08:00

Every morning I am greeted with and email containing some of my favorite comics: BC, Big Nate, Dilbert, Off The Mark, Pearls Before Swine, and Rose is Rose. It would be an even better list if it had Foxtrot and Baby Blues, but they weren't options when I signed up.

The problem is that sometimes Z demands that I read them to her. Then she wants me to explain why they are funny. Comics lose a lot in the translation to a 6-year-old. Some I'm not even willing to try. Here is BC's comic today. A message is thrown in the ocean with the text, "Over here--this time of year--we gather together to give thanks to God and to partake of our bountiful harvest". The next day a reply is received from the ocean reading, "Dude! Us, too! As a matter of fact, we're smoking ours right now!" I'm not even going to try to explain that one.

Happy Thanksgiving from Z and the Ten-Feathered Turkey!

2005-11-24T03:57:00.000-08:00

Simple Argument for Intellient Design

2005-11-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

I found this in someone's signature at the DFI-Street forum. I like it..... so I'm posting it.

Millions daily drive their cars made of 1000s of parts. We study events billions of miles away expecting laws HERE apply equally THERE. The planets, the moons etc move with such precision that we just hit a comet millions of miles away with a probe. ALL of man's technology depend on the precision and invariability of these natural laws. How also explain their simplicity and their harmonious integration to form a multifaceted Universe which we cannot grasp ? These laws are there. We discover them. We study them. We apply them. Mathematical Precision, Invariability, Simplicity, Harmony. * How a design and no designer ? *

Z's favorite season

2005-11-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

"Hey dad. Do you know what my favorite season is?"

"Ummm.... Spring."

"No."

"Summer?"

"No."

"Fall?"

"No silly! It's Winter."

"Ahhhh....."

"You wanna know why?"

"Why."

"Because after you get all bundled up and play in the snow you can come in and have hot chocolate. Mmmmm! Hot chocolate!"

Longboard Building 101

2005-11-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

How's this for a college class? Go check out the Fall summary. It's pretty cool to see all the stuff they made.

Kid computing

2005-11-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

Since A turned three (or maybe a little before) her skills at the computer have greatly improved. Although she left-clicks the mouse with her thumb which she will probably have to unlearn someday, her mousing skills are quite good, and she can sit at the computer playing computer games for quite awhile. Her favorite website is Clifford the Big Red Dog. The website talks, and does not require reading, and she is able to play almost all of the games by herself. Mommy quickly tires of other websites which require reading and constant "What do I do now???" She also likes this site. Some of the games are beyond her, but she likes the coloring "paper" dolls, and a few others. Most of the other websites on which her big sister plays are too difficult for her. Does anyone have any suggestions of other websites that are good for little ones?

Happy Halloween!

2005-10-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

Me? Barbie?

2005-10-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Barbie clothes for adults? I think I'll stick to jeans and sweatshirts, thank you.

My latest creation

2005-10-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I decided that it would be fun to make a "SoulFire longboard." You know..... a longboard with SoulFire graphics that the kids in the youth group can ride around on and stuff.

Well..... I just finished the board and took it to Kris so she can paint some cool graphics on it. I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with.

Don't try this at home

2005-10-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

Kid A has been under the weather this week, and she is playing the same game over and over and over. Different variations, but essentially the same game. It starts out with Mom giving her something (shirt to wear, cup to drink from, video to watch, food to eat -- you name it.) Then the following conversation ensues:
A: I DON'T WANT THAT ONE!!!!!!!!!
Mom: What do you want?
A: I don't know.
Mom: How about this one?
A: No.
(repeat last two lines way too many times until Mom leaves the room and A cries.)

I've tried multiple variations of the game where I only give her two choices, I walk out of the room earlier, I force my choice on her, etc. but they all end with us both being very unhappy.

She is still saying that her tummy hurts, but she is acting less lethargic today than she has since last Thursday. I'm hoping the end is in sight and she finds a happier game to play. This one is driving me nuts.

Dr. Max and Mombo

2005-10-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Does anyone out there that grew up in Eastern Iowa remember these fellows? School got out at 3:30, which is when Dr. Max and Mombo started. We would run home so we would not miss too many cartoons on the magic board. Mombo would come and do magic tricks every year at our church's vacation bible school and talk about the difference between magic and miracles. Once I got out of school early with the other girls in my Camp Fire group, and we got to be on the show ourselves.

When this subject comes up in our marraige, my husband insists that Duane and Floppy who were on in Central Iowa were cooler than Dr. Max and Mombo. (We've been married quite awhile. Lots of crazy subjects come up.) I heartily disagree. It is a ridiculous debate, since neither of us has watched both programs. We never have any serious fights, so every once and awhile we have to pick a silly one.

Trust me, Dr. Max and Mombo were cooler.

This is a bad idea

2005-10-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is the result of the latest meme going around the blogosphere. Although I wasn't tagged, I got it from The Knitting Wannabe. It goes like this:

1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five people to do the same.

That's right... Our 23rd post's fifth sentence is "This is a bad idea."

I'm not really into tagging, but feel free to take it and run.

Having a chronic illness

2005-10-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful that my family and I are healthy. So many people live with chronic illnesses that are a constant challange to live with. I came across this wonderful description of what it is like to live with a debilitating chronic disease, in this case lupus. The author calls it spoons.

New Longboard pics

2005-10-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty preoccupied lately with the building my my latest longboard creation. I've pretty much been devoting all of my spare time to it. It's that "artist" part of me. When I get a picture of something in my head I want to be able to show it to others..... and see it for myself in real-life.

It's sorta an experimental design..... in the sense that I've never seen another one quite like it. It's made of vertically laminated oak and 1/2" baltic birch plywood with fiberglass reinforcement on the tip and tail.

Here's the top and bottom of the board. (Graphics are appropriate, eh?)

And here's some side views.

Pretty cool, huh?

Except for one problem.........

It broke the first time I took it out for a spin.

Hmmmmm...... maybe that's why I've never seen one like it.......

It turns out that the glue that holds the plywood together isn't strong enough to handle the twisting forces it gets when turning.

Oh well, it WAS an experiment. Still kinda sad though.