tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99208092024-03-23T11:12:20.541-07:00Deborah's Daily DilemmasDaily rituals of suburban living performed by a recovering urban misfit all while knitting, cooking, reading, writing, screaming, laughing and trying to enjoy the journey.Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.comBlogger267125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-14623034076183382172010-02-08T07:41:00.000-08:002010-02-08T11:27:27.694-08:00My Mandela Moment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhop5D5C5ZT2IK4eVQTGT5TAznbW2muxWbvLhw9W4w3bP93lpLRwyMyWYurlyfEOhgpLTPRpTPjGWTF5dRYDgDAPFKWwDpyqClb1D4i7zOUXS0pDWj2sruqJLFvKSfqsXp58uYYfA/s1600-h/mandela.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhop5D5C5ZT2IK4eVQTGT5TAznbW2muxWbvLhw9W4w3bP93lpLRwyMyWYurlyfEOhgpLTPRpTPjGWTF5dRYDgDAPFKWwDpyqClb1D4i7zOUXS0pDWj2sruqJLFvKSfqsXp58uYYfA/s320/mandela.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435900894882891506" border="0" /></a><br />February 11, 2010 markes the 20th anniversary of the release of South African political prisoner and father of a revolution, Nelson Mandela.<br /><br />This morning I sent members of my family to South Africa for 5 days of festivities that my friend <a href="http://deedeenetblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/massive-update.html">Duma Ndlovu</a> and the South African government have planned. Because of a very serious business commitment, I could not go (sob, sniffle, wail). But I will definitely enjoy hearing all about the thrilling events to come including trips to Parliament, dinner with MosDef and President Zuma, events with Nelson AND Winnie Mandela, a symbolic walk from that dreadful prison where so many dissidents were beaten, tortured and murdered, speeches, teach ins, song, dances and great food.<br /><br />No doubt had I gone, I would have found the <a href="http://www.besweetproducts.com/ladies.php">Be Sweet</a> folks and spent many hours fondling their lovely goodness!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgCR_xhbjCs8puMdnNHznzrfeeATnMUGEABQ5P51fzeKdpxCkynAJFyTGY9h0gJjc3oXFAAOQLuNLGxJLmmxuFWNom4AGJnuugToEBJi3D42WNHOro1Gm_-al0JRkiFB-VyKBFQ/s1600-h/special_knobby_1264318040.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgCR_xhbjCs8puMdnNHznzrfeeATnMUGEABQ5P51fzeKdpxCkynAJFyTGY9h0gJjc3oXFAAOQLuNLGxJLmmxuFWNom4AGJnuugToEBJi3D42WNHOro1Gm_-al0JRkiFB-VyKBFQ/s320/special_knobby_1264318040.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435928269723004178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqGLAsIThBtmP-dVWJT8EDNSgBqNNO8SQ17AEvwyBQp57HcxqbE6mpWxfSc3rcT1SH2jDguOOOj1Fy0pHIRo2f2cWDRLMcQytqZzzjZ6ABNekyK6okIjOirRVNiqAezU7bvgM8Q/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqGLAsIThBtmP-dVWJT8EDNSgBqNNO8SQ17AEvwyBQp57HcxqbE6mpWxfSc3rcT1SH2jDguOOOj1Fy0pHIRo2f2cWDRLMcQytqZzzjZ6ABNekyK6okIjOirRVNiqAezU7bvgM8Q/s320/3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435927146159143474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkIfq00d6nduyrlqicHt345eLaXXRGZtInSOEJkbQMztiSk7RVUI4EWDH6bmdAHgiLHWBWcnayz0mDxkp0ofNcmDorq7OHRbdUOQHnIECYKAlKJCX18g7xsLkiJKLKV2W9omqxw/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkIfq00d6nduyrlqicHt345eLaXXRGZtInSOEJkbQMztiSk7RVUI4EWDH6bmdAHgiLHWBWcnayz0mDxkp0ofNcmDorq7OHRbdUOQHnIECYKAlKJCX18g7xsLkiJKLKV2W9omqxw/s320/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435927093920960994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So tell me, what was your <a href="http://www.mymandelamoment.com/">Mandela Moment</a>?Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-36865548308323492242010-01-29T10:50:00.000-08:002010-01-29T11:04:39.065-08:00Historian Howard Zinn, 1922 - 2010<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMt7cFFKPeM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMt7cFFKPeM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Way back in May '07 <a href="http://deedeenetblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/knitting-lectures-and-books.html">I attended</a> a reading of the <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Peoples-History-of-the-United-States/Howard-Zinn/e/9780060838652/?itm=1&USRI=howard+zinn">People's History of the United States</a>. Danny Glover, Steve Earle and others joined Prof. Zinn to read passages from the book. It was a last minute decision to go and when I hesitated my friend <a href="http://www.barbarademarcobarrett.com/">Barbara</a>, all the way from California, insisted that I go. Thank you <a href="http://penonfire.blogspot.com/">Barbara</a>! It was a marvelous evening filled with energy, solidarity and history. Prof. Zinn died yesterday. I'm so glad I went.Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-34695241396502960682010-01-16T16:40:00.000-08:002010-01-27T17:28:40.102-08:00An almost empty nester<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW8vyHtfarA8l5qLhV5dXR9i3YQDry9mak2CCmtFy9xXTGK_-z44gSqS7jCO3EvUdxhj2nSzf_F7D6MGJaNegb81bggUx9fh8iktmB6avx7jot_8etglpZmFtixzFEJ_KjhgUbA/s1600-h/cloisters.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW8vyHtfarA8l5qLhV5dXR9i3YQDry9mak2CCmtFy9xXTGK_-z44gSqS7jCO3EvUdxhj2nSzf_F7D6MGJaNegb81bggUx9fh8iktmB6avx7jot_8etglpZmFtixzFEJ_KjhgUbA/s200/cloisters.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427517519145684978" border="0" /></a>I hear a lot of people lament about what will there be to do when they become empty nesters. It is true, your children, having been the central theme in your life for two decades or more, being without them can be scary. It is so important for us to attend to own interests and identity(s?) so we don't feel useless when our children leave the nest.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Watching a master do a bobbin lace</span></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_QfXAWTYDT7xvrj2tuU-zG4wfsHEljQz53WYGHV59K0By8bs9YIr9NIgRwU8ZlLU4GCgHV4OfLfl9VlU51KfWVtNjrX5gSgYd5uHZDo3t885aLEcgcVrDUY4rfSgKgqJOfrGXA/s1600-h/bobbin+lace.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_QfXAWTYDT7xvrj2tuU-zG4wfsHEljQz53WYGHV59K0By8bs9YIr9NIgRwU8ZlLU4GCgHV4OfLfl9VlU51KfWVtNjrX5gSgYd5uHZDo3t885aLEcgcVrDUY4rfSgKgqJOfrGXA/s320/bobbin+lace.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427514932163421602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >from a Fall day at the Cloisters, NYC</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfW3mdsj-mngkSyAeIX95Ac_kGPM-mWgLl_pvMWREsN8PYWkq_ZRe6vu0tFkxvONg7I8eGNn-eTM5RjNA1lbw3lpkwgQJFe-USJawG666Ty_88VHqUBKNYaXtsEdnT8LskRhbzAw/s1600-h/186.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfW3mdsj-mngkSyAeIX95Ac_kGPM-mWgLl_pvMWREsN8PYWkq_ZRe6vu0tFkxvONg7I8eGNn-eTM5RjNA1lbw3lpkwgQJFe-USJawG666Ty_88VHqUBKNYaXtsEdnT8LskRhbzAw/s200/186.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427515499802335906" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I imagine myself spending each day meandering through gardens, craft demonstrations, lectures, museums and stumbling upon street fairs....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0pEDKhsMiiehc6EpmYqi0DCiybZWTGvDrxcyjN1Uw8LUiLPhz-rnEjt38sVv5P6xHE4d4mWkXgGqd2TOLD4dIxwLjdB_uMYxNnuMvnkSkMWtWHTO1Ketbw2PyRer_dZDU3W4fQ/s1600-h/street+fairs.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0pEDKhsMiiehc6EpmYqi0DCiybZWTGvDrxcyjN1Uw8LUiLPhz-rnEjt38sVv5P6xHE4d4mWkXgGqd2TOLD4dIxwLjdB_uMYxNnuMvnkSkMWtWHTO1Ketbw2PyRer_dZDU3W4fQ/s320/street+fairs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427514640019569266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtqiL7bnFK2c9qU771PJvayXI5XVALhlaX-NzmloAYx8gJMh0TI72Zf85Tz3yaxdCs43LHA4w9l8Qd6ssfCaAjIdgowugzomsepMpTe3lRWFZLbcsaLH071tg_Yk7PoLs0zapOA/s1600-h/yarn+fair.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtqiL7bnFK2c9qU771PJvayXI5XVALhlaX-NzmloAYx8gJMh0TI72Zf85Tz3yaxdCs43LHA4w9l8Qd6ssfCaAjIdgowugzomsepMpTe3lRWFZLbcsaLH071tg_Yk7PoLs0zapOA/s320/yarn+fair.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427514366654594466" border="0" /></a>and yarn fairs<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb90FKcMVhlBXv-Ije_9iMFl0d2caCekV-ylk3Mj0_2snrB-Iyy4qFKpwi75m_DaJBB8lsIwKb7vt-nJgbmaNXklpX4OZHvyh3Kj55mGe8cRNEeL02vrsMP1Qxezw1hHVkqOsrSQ/s1600-h/luncheon.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb90FKcMVhlBXv-Ije_9iMFl0d2caCekV-ylk3Mj0_2snrB-Iyy4qFKpwi75m_DaJBB8lsIwKb7vt-nJgbmaNXklpX4OZHvyh3Kj55mGe8cRNEeL02vrsMP1Qxezw1hHVkqOsrSQ/s320/luncheon.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427514165336280898" border="0" /></a>and attending luncheons galore!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">But I'm not an empty nester, I still have one more big guy to look after. And with all the lovely things I dream of doing and sometimes get to enjoy, there just isn't the kind of time I imagined there'd be when I sent the second son off to college...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEz-aCpXh-ggkzAQ51f3IaXx1a-n-io6VUqBjMVwuziOeZ-X6F1JxHYOqXjCl7WWpd6gUt1jtUUBkUXpKPnkhZdiRO78u4qLRlkPZ3EXZxr2uh5uh7j7u2Els21w8X2jN4I3QoWw/s1600-h/jon+first+day+of+school+09.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEz-aCpXh-ggkzAQ51f3IaXx1a-n-io6VUqBjMVwuziOeZ-X6F1JxHYOqXjCl7WWpd6gUt1jtUUBkUXpKPnkhZdiRO78u4qLRlkPZ3EXZxr2uh5uh7j7u2Els21w8X2jN4I3QoWw/s320/jon+first+day+of+school+09.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427503092232826434" border="0" /></a>Jonathan's first day of high school sophomore year this past September<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBc46WQhGyNnGj_g6tLKAB2qIRjCj9juP41hCEkTOGPoFWAtkMtb7wGKeqkq4yQuHf3zk0RZ7dHqo-Z53J3PcIEPbFVwz4QuDpi4YnXY6c6XbNz2fE9v7Frfs5Tb20BGbKhV9GQ/s1600-h/andrew+jon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBc46WQhGyNnGj_g6tLKAB2qIRjCj9juP41hCEkTOGPoFWAtkMtb7wGKeqkq4yQuHf3zk0RZ7dHqo-Z53J3PcIEPbFVwz4QuDpi4YnXY6c6XbNz2fE9v7Frfs5Tb20BGbKhV9GQ/s320/andrew+jon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431593607540172162" border="0" /></a>Andrew's first day of school, kindergarten, with Jonathan standing by<br /></div><br />Being a parent of a sophmore in high school is not for the squeamish. There are curfews to enforce, girlfriends to scare off (just kidding); serious homework to patrol and teaching them to take care of themselves - eventually<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUt41Q-wF-vNBszfxUylkoZBCZSGMI9IMKnd5kwmQj30nxb4tKktjM6h4RgwSHfg4VE06vIgrAH48ryFoxuGCZI20buskarRCTMPY-BkAzTKqLuo1Zfrf5uDkbRdijikcWwDvcg/s1600-h/cooking+lessons.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUt41Q-wF-vNBszfxUylkoZBCZSGMI9IMKnd5kwmQj30nxb4tKktjM6h4RgwSHfg4VE06vIgrAH48ryFoxuGCZI20buskarRCTMPY-BkAzTKqLuo1Zfrf5uDkbRdijikcWwDvcg/s320/cooking+lessons.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427513264117101746" border="0" /></a>breakfast food cooking lessons<br /></div><br /></div></div><br />Oh yeah, there's football laundry<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwwbHb5VwqzXEbQ5LCRq7jIyFdZqpJHoYjgJuMEyCU4BOpfZa_PlUjA9pRvHGyj-ujtkNQxPRn6XUEhqNSshWqF1ZsrvjxQblQubd4uMW_phPVhyphenhyphen3rWpf2CpKEJTzOhP0UaF4Fw/s1600-h/153.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwwbHb5VwqzXEbQ5LCRq7jIyFdZqpJHoYjgJuMEyCU4BOpfZa_PlUjA9pRvHGyj-ujtkNQxPRn6XUEhqNSshWqF1ZsrvjxQblQubd4uMW_phPVhyphenhyphen3rWpf2CpKEJTzOhP0UaF4Fw/s320/153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427505241584284594" border="0" /></a>believe me it smelled far worse than it looked<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUaVs9_YhGvFpZp_8FnbNmsVLZgVKMmn6QKhUWEVn2Ep_6mHQbWIzWng7EyqhR0KbQe35hk_kF6ijvtohK1gSNeGM3zyItSL_dMi_WMSbNCH2HTvpfE8qiLt7rSEXwAjPoPid3A/s1600-h/after+the+win.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUaVs9_YhGvFpZp_8FnbNmsVLZgVKMmn6QKhUWEVn2Ep_6mHQbWIzWng7EyqhR0KbQe35hk_kF6ijvtohK1gSNeGM3zyItSL_dMi_WMSbNCH2HTvpfE8qiLt7rSEXwAjPoPid3A/s320/after+the+win.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427503306600782466" border="0" /></a>football games every Saturday and Monday<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKR59ft5ay8bc9I7fqJunRc8OcC08cPimVDz1WXLQIaDa0PQDcJzG2E84O7IwaawbH6-YzrzmI4X0pPY687SfiNkFLGSr8G8_UeHu91ihiCi_lgib_pM2dW2R-6zNO0iK-Hd2JQ/s1600-h/facebook+shot.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKR59ft5ay8bc9I7fqJunRc8OcC08cPimVDz1WXLQIaDa0PQDcJzG2E84O7IwaawbH6-YzrzmI4X0pPY687SfiNkFLGSr8G8_UeHu91ihiCi_lgib_pM2dW2R-6zNO0iK-Hd2JQ/s320/facebook+shot.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427502948245037218" border="0" /></a>helping to cater football pasta parties every Friday<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxjhor2zS948BHNRokQOIik2UT5KR70441v6ACvUSZXfCmnXLbX6aX3dOekaOHDPsXrcafSFllAt_Y' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Jonathan #86, Free Safety<br />Keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no trips to the ER<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And all of this happened before December! Here, in this new year of 2010 I wonder what life will bring. I have a big surprise to share with you hopefully this spring but in the meanwhile, I am trying to find peace and blessings in the day to day adventures (and dilemmas) this new decade will bring.<br /><br />My college student sons are growing up and away. I miss them so much but am so proud of their new wings.<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRGcaWeGHta2yNTqCbMWMHrvq0wYW-xBQabERusd7COTVI5dlgCSO5SKKNTj4rq7G-JhOGeM-jDySu8ROZQBrbn2HiPecLKXm5uvU4Df0AsuWEejEPAXjwFvWu5pCxCsXTyuNxg/s1600-h/me+and+the+awardee.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRGcaWeGHta2yNTqCbMWMHrvq0wYW-xBQabERusd7COTVI5dlgCSO5SKKNTj4rq7G-JhOGeM-jDySu8ROZQBrbn2HiPecLKXm5uvU4Df0AsuWEejEPAXjwFvWu5pCxCsXTyuNxg/s320/me+and+the+awardee.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427505944750185586" border="0" /></a>One of the last pictures I took with <a href="http://www.savannahstate.edu/stuact/orgs/sga/classofficers.html">Andrew</a> (click on Freshman class)<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuuF3Q19NtX5wiUJBNeA_mLtPswxA1z7_VxOFZvAoWbcYaYVph-E3xV9L5pylhMkaQxyXQepON5m-WOcMpWyhuwkl-2lWtcfvu6ZMO9ujGP0jNIH2iyufez1MqIhoWcE5BCOmcw/s1600-h/marcus+in+brooklyn.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuuF3Q19NtX5wiUJBNeA_mLtPswxA1z7_VxOFZvAoWbcYaYVph-E3xV9L5pylhMkaQxyXQepON5m-WOcMpWyhuwkl-2lWtcfvu6ZMO9ujGP0jNIH2iyufez1MqIhoWcE5BCOmcw/s320/marcus+in+brooklyn.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427502752155411298" border="0" /></a><br />My <a href="http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper281/documents/0rk8n678.pdf">Marcus</a> can be so mild mannered at times, but as a true gemini, there's that other guy....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPZzeJeMUYC8EVFHsEagU14KtVIGi0Q7bujWbGBfi8QZefVdB5UcVLSRvTyR5uUjCvmvmxgTW8KOlyNf_jjnCh9q1iJv8T669Imj8F7j1f3dZv6E5fVQPTfClCut5vxSjsAK2QA/s1600-h/120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPZzeJeMUYC8EVFHsEagU14KtVIGi0Q7bujWbGBfi8QZefVdB5UcVLSRvTyR5uUjCvmvmxgTW8KOlyNf_jjnCh9q1iJv8T669Imj8F7j1f3dZv6E5fVQPTfClCut5vxSjsAK2QA/s320/120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431526391995543954" border="0" /></a>and yes, there is always knitting<br /><br /><br /></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-10538876953702126622009-10-23T06:17:00.000-07:002009-10-23T08:21:19.587-07:00Massive UpdateYes, yes, it has been awhile. Suffice it to say that soooo much is brewing that I simply couldn't settle on what to feature that I would not regret months from now. So here is a safe update on all that's been cooking for the past few months.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">#1 Son's Semester off</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJJDkVie0AnDvmbrvCHwXkL_ggt-N7pLFT57ZeWVTdpBToSr8SzEjltJaezvYCWPT4wky_gKbbejlTW3dmcjn84rfjOkXN_gp_Utdy-lSMkA5yIfrvhhjyHK0JarxnSoyXze6uw/s1600-h/Marcus+Headshot+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJJDkVie0AnDvmbrvCHwXkL_ggt-N7pLFT57ZeWVTdpBToSr8SzEjltJaezvYCWPT4wky_gKbbejlTW3dmcjn84rfjOkXN_gp_Utdy-lSMkA5yIfrvhhjyHK0JarxnSoyXze6uw/s320/Marcus+Headshot+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395788115556544626" border="0" /></a>My oldest son is an actor. Has been all of his life, however, I wasn't one of those stage moms so he was not a profesional child actor or model. Last summer, as he was about to enter his junior year at college, he decided to actively pursue his career - for the summer. He was casted in a bunch of films and he was the standin for <a href="http://www.corbinbleu.com/">Corbin Bleu</a> in a HBO tv series. Now he is working on another HBO show, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/30/hbo-picks-up-two-new-show_n_115809.html">How to Make it In America</a> and I hope he gets on camara for that one.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">#2 Son graduates high school and goes off to college!</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC5fbh_aDOfu68Gedf50FZAq6o9pSMI52oweTJ19CAHCJ2O49QaaQ2OfZ50ZtchBxUrEjpYTHpLpzEQ08dTBsRSugO5N6u8rdRm_Ylt32vH42V1bZZdz-4BqPHxVx9tM8mLYZ-A/s1600-h/016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC5fbh_aDOfu68Gedf50FZAq6o9pSMI52oweTJ19CAHCJ2O49QaaQ2OfZ50ZtchBxUrEjpYTHpLpzEQ08dTBsRSugO5N6u8rdRm_Ylt32vH42V1bZZdz-4BqPHxVx9tM8mLYZ-A/s320/016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395791868312891906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrM1nBRVZmpDa4fWTmnVKcV1v8GL9THj_d5PxackbTatSkTA-2Xw6EDJ5eGC3yXcQ3l6jsDXvgXbnwLLdcSLM3H9qivixC2juzr9MBeqZNluPTE_2fPfYpPoy-2UANcj5LGoc2bQ/s1600-h/andrew+and+me.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrM1nBRVZmpDa4fWTmnVKcV1v8GL9THj_d5PxackbTatSkTA-2Xw6EDJ5eGC3yXcQ3l6jsDXvgXbnwLLdcSLM3H9qivixC2juzr9MBeqZNluPTE_2fPfYpPoy-2UANcj5LGoc2bQ/s320/andrew+and+me.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395791163623431938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcrno75-gmip03mO6Z07SnPAx_7qRYMf7kNflvW0B-8EL3TsMfyf2oW5s3RSa0aS-jJzjFFOQLx5NruAS5LlUC1wigevD8Y11HgufWZGwpXxeqW9rrEWOfDRq34FyllbFI8BSKw/s1600-h/andrew+dorm+shopping.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcrno75-gmip03mO6Z07SnPAx_7qRYMf7kNflvW0B-8EL3TsMfyf2oW5s3RSa0aS-jJzjFFOQLx5NruAS5LlUC1wigevD8Y11HgufWZGwpXxeqW9rrEWOfDRq34FyllbFI8BSKw/s320/andrew+dorm+shopping.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395793110182973858" border="0" /></a>The dreaded dorm shopping<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSa9ykBf-ZkXmgjI6UebKTo-TLIyTq5A59DzGHNVRp2Rtu7DH5a0Bo9By36Qb8jG08rjZ-osXyysOCTudVX8SxraGZ34tnUfIHFTqnfeZs9Du3-Lve2I7C4hnzQ4YbxoOHCXKcw/s1600-h/day+before+dorm+movein.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSa9ykBf-ZkXmgjI6UebKTo-TLIyTq5A59DzGHNVRp2Rtu7DH5a0Bo9By36Qb8jG08rjZ-osXyysOCTudVX8SxraGZ34tnUfIHFTqnfeZs9Du3-Lve2I7C4hnzQ4YbxoOHCXKcw/s320/day+before+dorm+movein.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395793632756590706" border="0" /></a>Last day at a Savannah riverfront hotel before dorm move in<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vegas with #3 son</span></span><br /><br />Jonathan played in a national basketball tournament in Las Vegas. That place is the debil.<br /></div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjettjAt5ihjUKV2pOVLGe-M_zannmJBk-AqsU39IL-EVYQlGYh0wMzCsApv6-eZPqxQVmxtfx27MUDyKrF5hMv3ni8Q_faMvrKXjXXcuZ38BnRJgSctFlFfDLbzQPAGQA0v-gQ/s1600-h/073.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjettjAt5ihjUKV2pOVLGe-M_zannmJBk-AqsU39IL-EVYQlGYh0wMzCsApv6-eZPqxQVmxtfx27MUDyKrF5hMv3ni8Q_faMvrKXjXXcuZ38BnRJgSctFlFfDLbzQPAGQA0v-gQ/s320/073.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395796148564526402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4fQQZSen1xgPsffZ-_opfkKctWhnPcf6OX5ObaZxuelLQ-IGr14lKRC7ArZWl9KdFyYPgljR6YpBZOLnwW-kDNNkqF-TUHCW5E4BzFPEmO0lzRKssdb6RfRLImseETGnmYgc9g/s1600-h/117.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4fQQZSen1xgPsffZ-_opfkKctWhnPcf6OX5ObaZxuelLQ-IGr14lKRC7ArZWl9KdFyYPgljR6YpBZOLnwW-kDNNkqF-TUHCW5E4BzFPEmO0lzRKssdb6RfRLImseETGnmYgc9g/s320/117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395795638606531234" border="0" /></a>Why does my child take coaching from his coaches with his full attention and I have to threaten bodily harm just to get him to stand still and listen? </div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A weekend vacation to French Town, NJ</span></span><br /><br />I took a long weekend away to French Town. It is a really pretty place. I also drove to New Hope and Lambertville and they were nice too but it was in Frenchtown where I found this:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4Gx6X5tLAYw4876T9i5ZT5Wm1_qNKVMk5aoaGRUvHeL20VmWyey2VKHosw6ItBLYy-FVZfB7mMsBqo3CtCXhjs-86nMV36tvCk6hrzmXKPCg6Pqyyep_KUBeBbnHVo6JBoevtA/s1600-h/065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4Gx6X5tLAYw4876T9i5ZT5Wm1_qNKVMk5aoaGRUvHeL20VmWyey2VKHosw6ItBLYy-FVZfB7mMsBqo3CtCXhjs-86nMV36tvCk6hrzmXKPCg6Pqyyep_KUBeBbnHVo6JBoevtA/s320/065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395798182024490658" border="0" /></a>Visited the Spinnery<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcBGvu40G_emdmD7_6nbhuYkppu20mlpycieznknYLnDhi8HOI_e3nPdLZy31BHoo0gkpi3gjPzQe6dQ8UAo_goG_dm_X8NXGnIfkG4KFEeVO07nVrGnYt1Q4kUDj1zQ_XfeIyQ/s1600-h/061.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcBGvu40G_emdmD7_6nbhuYkppu20mlpycieznknYLnDhi8HOI_e3nPdLZy31BHoo0gkpi3gjPzQe6dQ8UAo_goG_dm_X8NXGnIfkG4KFEeVO07nVrGnYt1Q4kUDj1zQ_XfeIyQ/s200/061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395806449461774098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zJeM9b0_iFrJ0fP5ddl3F58HVFddAA7oc6z1a0gEK-QtqPpFDsCglBOYLs5lbSxgJMBJdltsu_dF1DN_NTR2GE-X_Df7gtMoxWeL2jxhCqQkVFRLDIUler5kfDIJJccWYSZcKw/s1600-h/054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zJeM9b0_iFrJ0fP5ddl3F58HVFddAA7oc6z1a0gEK-QtqPpFDsCglBOYLs5lbSxgJMBJdltsu_dF1DN_NTR2GE-X_Df7gtMoxWeL2jxhCqQkVFRLDIUler5kfDIJJccWYSZcKw/s320/054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395797967879289266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Spent quality time with dear friends</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSUYX4GgskOo1cJVzB4WVInbeHJj-QEG056l0-aJcWESlmMXqyCr5u50UdMiyEYb_6sPIQgYB4z5BynVq_hVTK0Gvf1UYOprkmziWuqobdOXhzDombPJJdAMec6XKmSFT-EfRuA/s1600-h/008.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSUYX4GgskOo1cJVzB4WVInbeHJj-QEG056l0-aJcWESlmMXqyCr5u50UdMiyEYb_6sPIQgYB4z5BynVq_hVTK0Gvf1UYOprkmziWuqobdOXhzDombPJJdAMec6XKmSFT-EfRuA/s320/008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395799616005400658" border="0" /></a>My Pal Phyllis and cat<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIgJ2kRBo4vFVLLvW-qZgwmBnJWgbEng7MPFgfvBsEkGtUB9pXP80uX3OULVLfardF9DJsQxniOSfggTsaQNvcZYORIgk8spN4vqPPbtc56bww6kaJRMHtAlkpChSu9lsal8Xtg/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIgJ2kRBo4vFVLLvW-qZgwmBnJWgbEng7MPFgfvBsEkGtUB9pXP80uX3OULVLfardF9DJsQxniOSfggTsaQNvcZYORIgk8spN4vqPPbtc56bww6kaJRMHtAlkpChSu9lsal8Xtg/s320/003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395800248255481746" border="0" /></a>My oldest friend, <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Amir+Bayyan">Amir</a><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22iP1SBAzMBRvHw0TbTTXAcfqgo2DG6-UlxqAnXrUC_zQlVHmoHqlVMrrxsSdd_tOgJS_oXrhkwPPsObI4ekJlNORQTKTtA6F7GsbLxzH6X4_iqGy9mTqHM63ehqUbuBW7BuXtw/s1600-h/buddy+deb.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22iP1SBAzMBRvHw0TbTTXAcfqgo2DG6-UlxqAnXrUC_zQlVHmoHqlVMrrxsSdd_tOgJS_oXrhkwPPsObI4ekJlNORQTKTtA6F7GsbLxzH6X4_iqGy9mTqHM63ehqUbuBW7BuXtw/s320/buddy+deb.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395801135733145858" border="0" /></a>My buddy Deb<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSTUPk_l6uGVvdSyIQF-lB82HJFqzREW_5-Fw-mfbHjixNx2lJFoLIocjVI4mmZL_zkiouTjPX6KNwOEKdlsuy0BtePAI7UR__XJUHTap8mjzceqCyEsrH6YQB_yMbOXExKHrFg/s1600-h/duma.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSTUPk_l6uGVvdSyIQF-lB82HJFqzREW_5-Fw-mfbHjixNx2lJFoLIocjVI4mmZL_zkiouTjPX6KNwOEKdlsuy0BtePAI7UR__XJUHTap8mjzceqCyEsrH6YQB_yMbOXExKHrFg/s320/duma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395802082267908818" border="0" /></a>My foreign phantom friend <a href="http://www.muvhango.co.za/dumandlovu.aspx">Duma</a>. I met Duma almost 30 years ago when he lived in the US in exile from apartheid South Africa. He returned after Mandela became president. Whenever he visits here on business, he always finds the time to give me a shoutout.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">So you see, a lot has been going on. Have I been knitting? Oh sure,<br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r0Hvuj1roOEq7S6zu53bQdVHGN0TfKdZI_VvKMn1_svcPdBIQr977_ROZtIJrHKdx1uvTbF2O8yh57aGP1bbscFN0Pmkt_ytrXWOQL0pR3pTaivCbEeIzWa8xX05Vb-MVw9chw/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r0Hvuj1roOEq7S6zu53bQdVHGN0TfKdZI_VvKMn1_svcPdBIQr977_ROZtIJrHKdx1uvTbF2O8yh57aGP1bbscFN0Pmkt_ytrXWOQL0pR3pTaivCbEeIzWa8xX05Vb-MVw9chw/s320/006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395809035869424802" border="0" /></a>Noro silk garden sock, yarn gifted to me by my pal Phyllis<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxgrIdlaUSpU8WNz8JiCudoHY8iqbYnDhXBIOVjuQtSKZhQvH0v_uM8Q1FGMZXJpFNZ1r8h_YnfkUVT16EDCzhIiAUTnKwTcbKfFHF9ROnu1MfXmUKvDZmiMSpjOU1oF4J1tSMw/s1600-h/bolero.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxgrIdlaUSpU8WNz8JiCudoHY8iqbYnDhXBIOVjuQtSKZhQvH0v_uM8Q1FGMZXJpFNZ1r8h_YnfkUVT16EDCzhIiAUTnKwTcbKfFHF9ROnu1MfXmUKvDZmiMSpjOU1oF4J1tSMw/s200/bolero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395810485361900610" border="0" /></a>A really grainy picture I took with my camera phone of my Malabrigo <a href="http://blueskyalpacas.com/pattern_detail.php?patterns_ID=74">bolero</a>. I love this! Fast and knit in one piece!<br /><br />Whelp, that's it for now. Time does fly!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmVQV4HIR182PYKzeLV7g-06FbeKfRR1LD7mm6rjabU8ZZYDTc7aPjrLb2P7PQ5orCWDk21dpkEJizHYKP8dDCIlsvdtLO-h_x7aDBm3SBKJ08GYJdoVrVfJxQ_cPhD_P2CS5vQ/s1600-h/the+boys.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmVQV4HIR182PYKzeLV7g-06FbeKfRR1LD7mm6rjabU8ZZYDTc7aPjrLb2P7PQ5orCWDk21dpkEJizHYKP8dDCIlsvdtLO-h_x7aDBm3SBKJ08GYJdoVrVfJxQ_cPhD_P2CS5vQ/s320/the+boys.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395811474244728130" border="0" /></a>Jonathan, Marcus and Andrew - a long time ago<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysOM_KllZRAefAjD2dLNTm8StczdsDvsqi9rkEfSwcNU_5aD98RjfI93WIdOKU5QGGAChkSS63ULbXxYV8zitJzf3M13zUdhyphenhyphenwTbpe58e1PjPiuJwJA0vBlXZ-vQ-wh5sc-Z4LA/s1600-h/027.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysOM_KllZRAefAjD2dLNTm8StczdsDvsqi9rkEfSwcNU_5aD98RjfI93WIdOKU5QGGAChkSS63ULbXxYV8zitJzf3M13zUdhyphenhyphenwTbpe58e1PjPiuJwJA0vBlXZ-vQ-wh5sc-Z4LA/s320/027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395812011615532850" border="0" /></a>Marcus, Andrew and Jonathan - June '09<br /></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-41830413204087419522009-06-05T07:29:00.000-07:002009-06-05T07:55:57.649-07:00One on one with #3 son<div style="text-align: center;">This is my darling 3rd son.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw8_PVpiNXbqEGcdaoOIljsnS0Qgi-UbDw6Oa317yhorb5kH_-HnlSqxx6vaUd_k1TB28W6Wo5XB7RDddUxc5QwOPRQLYkLxFxFSOR7JC9y_aRgKhEuMpyTd6CVKfVisE7dI-ow/s1600-h/jon+and+garden.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw8_PVpiNXbqEGcdaoOIljsnS0Qgi-UbDw6Oa317yhorb5kH_-HnlSqxx6vaUd_k1TB28W6Wo5XB7RDddUxc5QwOPRQLYkLxFxFSOR7JC9y_aRgKhEuMpyTd6CVKfVisE7dI-ow/s320/jon+and+garden.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343850942372422738" border="0" /></a>Many years ago, while the two older boys were away at school for the day, he and I would hang out in my garden.<br /><br />He is now 14 1/2 and nearly 6' 1" tall. We don't spend a lot of time one on one anymore. He will not even play one on one basketball with me anymore!<br /><br />A couple of weeks ago, I kidnapped him and took him out to dinner. Just the two of us. He spent most of the time asking why I was doing this and the other half of the time txting his friends. I resorted to other diversions...<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz5kc9ebdpjd6ACWo4uWvKiC8ZXt9_8gqdE131KEOAMRCKl5DjOIpYMVvJ9PO9ydDXuDSNanKwoFjM' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />The two girls in the booth in front of us were the complete opposite of us. While my son barely spoke to me at all, one of the girls in the booth in front of us NEVER STOPPED TALKING! I couldn't help myself, I had to film it. As you can see, it did get Jonathan's attention.<br /><br />Even though the outing didn't go as planned, it went far better than this disaster, below:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJRDqTyvXjf96hIlze7-p2QmAgjeG96L2uQwA3HNSj_wq-H1cA5WCvPiHZdwwkOl3kTInY6RREUmGZMBC5G54sgWIY4QgRtIuooMDpo0pBjQqQMLXW1DX-3sF5SfvfJ68Nn8YDg/s1600-h/big+noros.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJRDqTyvXjf96hIlze7-p2QmAgjeG96L2uQwA3HNSj_wq-H1cA5WCvPiHZdwwkOl3kTInY6RREUmGZMBC5G54sgWIY4QgRtIuooMDpo0pBjQqQMLXW1DX-3sF5SfvfJ68Nn8YDg/s320/big+noros.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343851350195938498" border="0" /></a>Silk garden socks, way too big!</div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-8605030603391894932009-06-02T08:29:00.000-07:002009-06-02T09:33:14.663-07:00Prom Weekend survival guideMy pal Phyllis called me up over the prom weekend to get me out of the house. She is so clever. The ruse? The sun is out, she had to buy plants for her garden, she had to drive way upstate New York and she needed a gardening friend (I'm really her knitting friend).<br /><br />It was a lovely drive to this beautiful garden center she found. I didn't know where to look first - perennials, shade garden plants, trees, shrubs...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHZuiHxsT9NQoMij8RW3GspqDe8_2muJZr0KpFAELOmI_bPN6QsCTRV3UP3rzgq9ZuHF8plPhBgmDx-Ho_PaP-3rN7BieoIrr7y229jMj5mPshBDWi9g9nlxECiHPb-zvhnzAZA/s1600-h/125.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHZuiHxsT9NQoMij8RW3GspqDe8_2muJZr0KpFAELOmI_bPN6QsCTRV3UP3rzgq9ZuHF8plPhBgmDx-Ho_PaP-3rN7BieoIrr7y229jMj5mPshBDWi9g9nlxECiHPb-zvhnzAZA/s320/125.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342758048533096402" border="0" /></a><br />I spied lots of shrubs that wanted to come home with me<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiJXhii9wn6X0NVM9XJWUu9s1Oz5rFbyxJW0PFi2qov3W7pO2bfQU5Ew_vc8sWNDuAMa4BWGtBLrORfsntjBZZdRq2j989J1r4Njm0fRNQi5mQgmO_FUfuWL48cBbNi3ni-1dvQ/s1600-h/131.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiJXhii9wn6X0NVM9XJWUu9s1Oz5rFbyxJW0PFi2qov3W7pO2bfQU5Ew_vc8sWNDuAMa4BWGtBLrORfsntjBZZdRq2j989J1r4Njm0fRNQi5mQgmO_FUfuWL48cBbNi3ni-1dvQ/s320/131.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342754823447811106" border="0" /></a>a beautiful smoke bush that I resisted<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcDTHTa6S6FL7BsgHP5f2Y0cT7kn0RAQqzOgWv3SBs1T3w0hUYexGp_fbC0T8Ro5kb5AeF7cC0KDeB6Jbi64H9qzm2pQoNt6UYinatGCAp-xDZozSmHCzBSu2m9iVDBkXexVC7A/s1600-h/130.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcDTHTa6S6FL7BsgHP5f2Y0cT7kn0RAQqzOgWv3SBs1T3w0hUYexGp_fbC0T8Ro5kb5AeF7cC0KDeB6Jbi64H9qzm2pQoNt6UYinatGCAp-xDZozSmHCzBSu2m9iVDBkXexVC7A/s320/130.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342756292886415250" border="0" /></a>a sweet almond bush I couldn't resist<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYHgr2ApwOkXXNMkZQmiQlmXFakQVXJBU3RUb1zw73epcwB0P6DysiaNhVdfQ6_Oa3tnGs7XumKGRzYnhMEZoDyGLijEanCq8USBN1iAUyd7rZ_Yiac69uTt_PbVAjtsfctlMEA/s1600-h/128.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYHgr2ApwOkXXNMkZQmiQlmXFakQVXJBU3RUb1zw73epcwB0P6DysiaNhVdfQ6_Oa3tnGs7XumKGRzYnhMEZoDyGLijEanCq8USBN1iAUyd7rZ_Yiac69uTt_PbVAjtsfctlMEA/s320/128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342759939352041842" border="0" /></a>No matter how tempting, I did walk away from the wisteria. Giverney will have to wait for another life, in another garden, in Paris perhaps?<br /><br />While I meandered about checking out the waves of fauna and enjoying the blazing sun that I was beginning to think was a phantom notion never to return to our planet, Phyllis was taking care of business with the garden guys<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KnbfOo9tYSb4TNJTHsSYgXKtyhyphenhyphenkW84YeUsiBxVkcdWHGJexzrNCusm5UReiclW2DklC3MMooEElP2JbHPVAdyd3ECtP-vk4oGcjAd5hpYxRBzh39xQfIhFLOk_wqBT1piJ4oQ/s1600-h/126.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KnbfOo9tYSb4TNJTHsSYgXKtyhyphenhyphenkW84YeUsiBxVkcdWHGJexzrNCusm5UReiclW2DklC3MMooEElP2JbHPVAdyd3ECtP-vk4oGcjAd5hpYxRBzh39xQfIhFLOk_wqBT1piJ4oQ/s320/126.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342756692317057890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtl7thDpoptg-F6SiXGS9V4igfIyJi2TUju_KS6ETUhWth-w8fpzJNzfd4-ZSEgXH9VWQDWtpIz4FN1e6UOs-L3ercUEk3WF2SnvRp9f_KqZnfeXjW1FzbercDtsLKrFwFbZh_g/s1600-h/123.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtl7thDpoptg-F6SiXGS9V4igfIyJi2TUju_KS6ETUhWth-w8fpzJNzfd4-ZSEgXH9VWQDWtpIz4FN1e6UOs-L3ercUEk3WF2SnvRp9f_KqZnfeXjW1FzbercDtsLKrFwFbZh_g/s320/123.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342759623562837138" border="0" /></a>If it wasn't for the neat key to Phyllis' plans that kept our focus, we would have been wandering around this place all day just gawking at all the possibilities, well at least I would have. I have such trouble with ADHD, OCD and all the other hoarding disorders yet to be named brought on by the short fuse I've acquired dealing daily with teenagers and dumb politics, sorry, i digress...<br /><br />Hungry and dehydrated, we set out to find food. While enjoying a nice lunch in a tavern that had a nice outdoor garden, Phyllis and I got to eat, knit and plot her planting schedule when BOOM!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDwnYW108CbqV_pL1hEnGjppHvkNxm9gvf99kCtVNZpIV7DC_XSrv-YVO1XdrLX70JTT7qamVxx5-MnQHMPwUqKRtW6e5p1JK1nxjJVdcReDeEtzALUfMYa0QKSQV06nnZ0hCXA/s1600-h/135.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDwnYW108CbqV_pL1hEnGjppHvkNxm9gvf99kCtVNZpIV7DC_XSrv-YVO1XdrLX70JTT7qamVxx5-MnQHMPwUqKRtW6e5p1JK1nxjJVdcReDeEtzALUfMYa0QKSQV06nnZ0hCXA/s320/135.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342754481606973234" border="0" /></a>Free Entertainment!<br /></div><br />A car wreck where no one was hurt brought what seemed like the entire town and every first responder on and off the payroll, in and out of uniform and some who didn't bother to finish getting into uniform!<br /><br />When I got home, I got a call from the prom dude that he was coming home early, yes! So, in celebration, mamma baked him a cake and made so much barbecue that I swear my hair is permanently infused with smoke. No matter, my son is safe and was all prommed out!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLROrPgQZfB4dexYFb5bmzqZ-JSsmdtALupcXebeE8RbirSSx53Gva2M1C84_zMRMjIT0TwiXX_An0nZhBaOsogdebxAQJeCUyXkOqp6stPiNrkJm8o5P9-jst7De3-YtdlqLng/s1600-h/024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLROrPgQZfB4dexYFb5bmzqZ-JSsmdtALupcXebeE8RbirSSx53Gva2M1C84_zMRMjIT0TwiXX_An0nZhBaOsogdebxAQJeCUyXkOqp6stPiNrkJm8o5P9-jst7De3-YtdlqLng/s320/024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342765509204030178" border="0" /></a>LIFE IS SWEET!<br /><br /><br /></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-1814962843048995422009-05-31T10:16:00.000-07:002009-05-31T11:07:37.866-07:00Prom Nite, middle child<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkgd6dnVVGsV4Ftqyafw8S1XdGn_ycIrniORtZMba-1K_WDD2tpD1p-dPyg-McFffRbbCu_8FjQ17AyoYWmK8eXEjgnUKLxDltqmylmsE5ZZSDNt7AYPfO4m9P0FRRwMAzBJ2mQ/s1600-h/andrew+tux.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkgd6dnVVGsV4Ftqyafw8S1XdGn_ycIrniORtZMba-1K_WDD2tpD1p-dPyg-McFffRbbCu_8FjQ17AyoYWmK8eXEjgnUKLxDltqmylmsE5ZZSDNt7AYPfO4m9P0FRRwMAzBJ2mQ/s320/andrew+tux.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342039584656544898" border="0" /></a>Well, I survived another prom nite. Will I survive the weekend? I'll tell you when he comes home from the shore. Supposed to be today, Sunday. Traditionally they stay out from prom nite through Monday morning. Don't ask. I graduated high school in the dark ages, 1977. I can't imagine what my parents would have said if I said, "Mom, Dad, I'll see you in a few days."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXCgjC4s6N57eTmH5n4hz403mwKtSMN2rJP45Ot67g0IogVIeVE6jxTXO4Lmlh0HK8FLp5ihFsXxrGSIden21x8teXhpkBEEUd4KeOn96AZOaL2CkmwAMZnpQNPZme9VJpdvEGA/s1600-h/064.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXCgjC4s6N57eTmH5n4hz403mwKtSMN2rJP45Ot67g0IogVIeVE6jxTXO4Lmlh0HK8FLp5ihFsXxrGSIden21x8teXhpkBEEUd4KeOn96AZOaL2CkmwAMZnpQNPZme9VJpdvEGA/s200/064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342040064006832210" border="0" /></a>Another tradition here in my town is to have the pre-prom party. One of the families graciously lends their home for all of us worn out parents to come and wear out their lawns.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Obpem0ugVH-uC3dO3rqivB-SutZi8bICKLshyphenhyphenqLwC8sLMFS_cNWnz3dHbbUcVJm97gE62L4JYwIspofcwbt4cLBG76Q95klHR_LQiYjVuq1f-aQfF_MWTaiOzkazEmIURzli8g/s1600-h/072.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Obpem0ugVH-uC3dO3rqivB-SutZi8bICKLshyphenhyphenqLwC8sLMFS_cNWnz3dHbbUcVJm97gE62L4JYwIspofcwbt4cLBG76Q95klHR_LQiYjVuq1f-aQfF_MWTaiOzkazEmIURzli8g/s320/072.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342041193463087954" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycBxrRz8KQdcXcAuzl2M9mlFXT6XMKdRrIZIAV0kRPfYh1Cnh7on-nr20xhSCiQp2h5EqkfZpiNeqOkGVvbvVl-pRNSRSVHhWQcDa-1ysFcWVpxGSVwbo7eK8bEOsxYT0jvSPxQ/s1600-h/107.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycBxrRz8KQdcXcAuzl2M9mlFXT6XMKdRrIZIAV0kRPfYh1Cnh7on-nr20xhSCiQp2h5EqkfZpiNeqOkGVvbvVl-pRNSRSVHhWQcDa-1ysFcWVpxGSVwbo7eK8bEOsxYT0jvSPxQ/s200/107.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342042771098629394" border="0" /></a>...and block their traffic<br /></div><br />Then we attempt to line the promies up to get group shots.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulu64cnQdiX6ZqvyzCyOHHld_6QcOOuufIfOjGCjsUH_MXtTbfqef1RAwaJlJ-cowo6PpVzp1NukCXaA7IIDGILt3STODRaqYLJtFzi6sivMooQSchB4ZUt0zUbgH77ffoR1hnw/s1600-h/071.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulu64cnQdiX6ZqvyzCyOHHld_6QcOOuufIfOjGCjsUH_MXtTbfqef1RAwaJlJ-cowo6PpVzp1NukCXaA7IIDGILt3STODRaqYLJtFzi6sivMooQSchB4ZUt0zUbgH77ffoR1hnw/s200/071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342042586896341762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvt81zcaQQ2laW3dUlrh5VFJewFX_oOfN_rdv5WOqaz-zgJ5S1aqunTJTEO1LrJ4FWsx-r7FDFoxviz8eM4EWxQZFXzSZAFHMUq4MF4oc3TuKFqM096hrxPPWgAlR0sheWHGdXA/s1600-h/073.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvt81zcaQQ2laW3dUlrh5VFJewFX_oOfN_rdv5WOqaz-zgJ5S1aqunTJTEO1LrJ4FWsx-r7FDFoxviz8eM4EWxQZFXzSZAFHMUq4MF4oc3TuKFqM096hrxPPWgAlR0sheWHGdXA/s320/073.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342041545217340738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRO-Mn2PytTDDv7zZ35EkdRfLBH4_cEmS7ci6noewpq2bWdn7NwkqsLvvNdBlqKsShZSEewRdgefCUJhtVaErj2KZkdG4UmozYHHf-klphEsRXmeLkJzjdTHxDPBfUNxtvkLTVyA/s1600-h/078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRO-Mn2PytTDDv7zZ35EkdRfLBH4_cEmS7ci6noewpq2bWdn7NwkqsLvvNdBlqKsShZSEewRdgefCUJhtVaErj2KZkdG4UmozYHHf-klphEsRXmeLkJzjdTHxDPBfUNxtvkLTVyA/s320/078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342041822018599522" border="0" /></a>So easy to find your child in a crowd when they have the darkest tan<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZzGfxagF1u85IRFM38jFhEKIe7Cv8z16MQ9ysBpGBfC3JmBARZ6xgYnMyb97M9wlQhYUGBTReYJa5KcN6Ar01WbtaT8YTzXOOp_oqoleVko9vid_gvLLifiO0z2pamBNy01YAg/s1600-h/076.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZzGfxagF1u85IRFM38jFhEKIe7Cv8z16MQ9ysBpGBfC3JmBARZ6xgYnMyb97M9wlQhYUGBTReYJa5KcN6Ar01WbtaT8YTzXOOp_oqoleVko9vid_gvLLifiO0z2pamBNy01YAg/s320/076.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342043984428132098" border="0" /></a>parents playing paparazzi<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVJqXl9JyZcML2F4Pn1bZ-V6AHThNUTQRutNA9Vtt0BgpDkfHb0OiLSZPQTDmhfOU0MgQJKigAwheNZ8Cchie-DGfvByHFsC-TEMNDJ2cTiTZy5oeqgR3EuLZx9BAjSeLwB3N6w/s1600-h/andrew+and+dad.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVJqXl9JyZcML2F4Pn1bZ-V6AHThNUTQRutNA9Vtt0BgpDkfHb0OiLSZPQTDmhfOU0MgQJKigAwheNZ8Cchie-DGfvByHFsC-TEMNDJ2cTiTZy5oeqgR3EuLZx9BAjSeLwB3N6w/s320/andrew+and+dad.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342045431664351554" border="0" /></a>It is amazing how much they actually look alike!<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGkAMkpWzwT9EsY3axxVeeLKQECNTmfcCmyxg8NYkxnCIsJSPu9v92IHweOyft-aYk1FGaBA9nDzW-sOJnbRs6vXneuUXzvvlcTn5o-YEqSxjch6iCziYETPpZH6rH5nGR0VBnw/s1600-h/disco+limo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGkAMkpWzwT9EsY3axxVeeLKQECNTmfcCmyxg8NYkxnCIsJSPu9v92IHweOyft-aYk1FGaBA9nDzW-sOJnbRs6vXneuUXzvvlcTn5o-YEqSxjch6iCziYETPpZH6rH5nGR0VBnw/s320/disco+limo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342045120776312674" border="0" /></a><br />...and they took off, with the $150 tux, $150 limo, $200 prom tkts, $250 beach house rental and $25 dollar hair cut (he went two days in a row).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I was a little worried, of course, so I tried working on this back home<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXdi3LYBLBK24Q9t04ZXe6o_9M3O4o7iZQW8tE5q4WALLsyVwmk_dlPBzKmGPdedFGqPdmK6TavGPGUbB3TXlPppfiJM4TpvAkEDAQNkt4vfWUawuig1H3gZp0d2G-eVNotsmqw/s1600-h/vine+lace+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXdi3LYBLBK24Q9t04ZXe6o_9M3O4o7iZQW8tE5q4WALLsyVwmk_dlPBzKmGPdedFGqPdmK6TavGPGUbB3TXlPppfiJM4TpvAkEDAQNkt4vfWUawuig1H3gZp0d2G-eVNotsmqw/s320/vine+lace+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342047068033140082" border="0" /></a>Piece of advice, don't try working on any lace project when something is on your mind. Even if it is a simple two line repeat, you'll regret it...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGt2sEQpAZrGsbxtIL2PXBnGcVIYX9N7Tf3-aMu1gsKmuD5421m83JB17Mat_Q8YdZXDeRARuFOSODXIcbBFi3mQYuU_zGCG0Qr9-PZ90OQtYxcPBnG4LWdXvuVqni4QFZVdbceA/s1600-h/125.JPG"><br /></a></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-56114264550107681052009-05-27T21:16:00.000-07:002009-05-31T11:16:58.795-07:00Another College Road Trip<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhRUrYa7m-vchVunUDvnWa1dj5t1UEPTFQNJQdWDAOMuHxvsmsyDg2KUhqn44BCkwLs-lcc0tVotJFHjUNF1G54pHxuWIsXgx2R2bqsBAkuPdxNDYGhJkSodIAUi1V_QDA5PCYQ/s1600-h/tour+with+a+smile.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhRUrYa7m-vchVunUDvnWa1dj5t1UEPTFQNJQdWDAOMuHxvsmsyDg2KUhqn44BCkwLs-lcc0tVotJFHjUNF1G54pHxuWIsXgx2R2bqsBAkuPdxNDYGhJkSodIAUi1V_QDA5PCYQ/s320/tour+with+a+smile.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340730474472309602" border="0" /></a><br />My Andrew is graduating high school next month. He has decided to go to college in Georgia. He has also received an academic scholarship to go to school in Connecticut, far closer to home. No manner of coaxing or bribing would sway his decision but I thought it would be a good idea to at least SEE the school.<br /><br />We left on the Sunday after his spring break, problem #1. We left on a Sunday, problem #2. We left 3 days after he spent several days in Georgia looking at the school of his choice, problem #3. It was raining, problem #4. It was the Sunday before finals so there wasn't a soul ANYWHERE on campus, problem #5.<br /><br />After Andrew decided that he would rather see the rest of the school from the car window, I went into my favorite building of any college campus - the library. There they were, all the good children, cramming for finals. But my Andrew didn't get to see any of these scholarly while hip hipsters. We left after only 40 minutes! It took nearly 4 hours to get up there and 40 minutes for the child to decide. Actually, he was decided before we even loaded up the car the night before.<br /><br />My pal Phyllis, who is a repository of great advice, suggested that we stop at the <a href="http://www.marktwainhouse.org/">Mark Twain House</a> after Andrew got bored (how did she know?)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMyU_HaRfrUIfimggoawg_eaXxGPagcju8CMITrzy-ZlHCh28kPDBl00cEhpUMQTYT3hX9AQm0TAxRkLiBJ4c6BzooxZ6h_cBL0mXvOUq5EO-k578mHK3R0kKneHzKAqHIB6BjQ/s1600-h/twain+house.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMyU_HaRfrUIfimggoawg_eaXxGPagcju8CMITrzy-ZlHCh28kPDBl00cEhpUMQTYT3hX9AQm0TAxRkLiBJ4c6BzooxZ6h_cBL0mXvOUq5EO-k578mHK3R0kKneHzKAqHIB6BjQ/s320/twain+house.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340727170478615858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVWKr_9UWcQ3LCdL-YmnEqtFhezHwAUx6cVi43Ei7uuvfAoBQTZZPdQ9dipRI-JwEWfJUwUilGrHFZEuuRs8Ezl3HhyphenhyphenwZg6eqiMcwwhGeg6VhimdqwAgsA-Q7wsfVxOKJl70LOQ/s1600-h/roof.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVWKr_9UWcQ3LCdL-YmnEqtFhezHwAUx6cVi43Ei7uuvfAoBQTZZPdQ9dipRI-JwEWfJUwUilGrHFZEuuRs8Ezl3HhyphenhyphenwZg6eqiMcwwhGeg6VhimdqwAgsA-Q7wsfVxOKJl70LOQ/s320/roof.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340731235756759538" border="0" /></a><br />In a constant drizzle we walked along the grounds of this lovely restored home. I got to see wisteria in full bloom<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQiR24H4T0InwznmCSX7BVGAq17Z0E_CTzc5vzSlmEARzWmx68mSu7eGTXOM8MDvagbnYowAqc7GScB6SnIAVrgJSAX557ACagtFashpucpO5Uqz8U0Kp8H4FJgX7DtvW0zqZFw/s1600-h/wisteria.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQiR24H4T0InwznmCSX7BVGAq17Z0E_CTzc5vzSlmEARzWmx68mSu7eGTXOM8MDvagbnYowAqc7GScB6SnIAVrgJSAX557ACagtFashpucpO5Uqz8U0Kp8H4FJgX7DtvW0zqZFw/s320/wisteria.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340726651180874450" border="0" /></a>Why is this important? I nursed a wisteria vine for 8 years with visions of Monet's gardens at Giverny in my mind. 8 years! Not a bud, nada! So, whenever I see a vine in full bloom, I stand in awe.<br /><br />Inside were various exhibits of Twain memorabilia and lots of facts about his life and work. Displayed were the many poignant quotes and irreverent views he published on just about everything.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrWgrUdJ3tU8P4FqeZRcRlpRcWJtr4bySn2ShK6SgOSRZSnV-Nhg3AHkA6vG4td_vkCEtU3DNDcwY7HdUtZCKtMKP9hxVyy-bEj-baThM0AxXx4ULO4WqnWaNSaMN-dMzslQ0vg/s1600-h/097.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrWgrUdJ3tU8P4FqeZRcRlpRcWJtr4bySn2ShK6SgOSRZSnV-Nhg3AHkA6vG4td_vkCEtU3DNDcwY7HdUtZCKtMKP9hxVyy-bEj-baThM0AxXx4ULO4WqnWaNSaMN-dMzslQ0vg/s320/097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340731532196362002" border="0" /></a>Andrew is a huge baseball fan and he was excited to see an old time exhibit on display.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNor5tPk9HqrUdYln9OKFSvaPyyPg9GLfRzrwMYdKIu2N2czx2x6GsAkW0fH-5BmLLUjqJ8jjBdDJZ4cEBnzoYhzqaAnI1jVdKJHLU0xsi54drK_Jvx27Bcfwwaf9k2ZcwbITgQ/s1600-h/077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNor5tPk9HqrUdYln9OKFSvaPyyPg9GLfRzrwMYdKIu2N2czx2x6GsAkW0fH-5BmLLUjqJ8jjBdDJZ4cEBnzoYhzqaAnI1jVdKJHLU0xsi54drK_Jvx27Bcfwwaf9k2ZcwbITgQ/s320/077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340739465931126450" border="0" /></a>But there was this...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_E-wlLZ17lRXkvDX83rueZbW9YwYGxxXfx1blz8RuLAB4UmlWkFXVpBWRNK_ksePxZ97YQzeKIuQr4HKVc0o0Mpd7eSt_6mWRYKxf83bJehbZxiF7Uj5K-Pozj4PK9JjaNE8Nnw/s1600-h/disclaimer+sign.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_E-wlLZ17lRXkvDX83rueZbW9YwYGxxXfx1blz8RuLAB4UmlWkFXVpBWRNK_ksePxZ97YQzeKIuQr4HKVc0o0Mpd7eSt_6mWRYKxf83bJehbZxiF7Uj5K-Pozj4PK9JjaNE8Nnw/s320/disclaimer+sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340730836624331170" border="0" /></a>This note was posted on a screen you had to go around to see the full exhibit. Inside were sad pictorial depictions of how nasty white america perceived blacks -<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYNTWV5_3n4TiJPACwv34evh8BedbsF0M2P2q-R6oOwpdhDl8sSu0dTs4HJzITAhgLglAIf_62NnlnGRJ9mVoP2JO7KipIXQN2C_rStpvDAC2iY1lkmwW7zgPwu7nffm8QaYJoA/s1600-h/all+american+sentiment.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYNTWV5_3n4TiJPACwv34evh8BedbsF0M2P2q-R6oOwpdhDl8sSu0dTs4HJzITAhgLglAIf_62NnlnGRJ9mVoP2JO7KipIXQN2C_rStpvDAC2iY1lkmwW7zgPwu7nffm8QaYJoA/s320/all+american+sentiment.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340734547950855810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTwDB5QEeV0Am3oUQN1wseRUeiNt_oIhOnlADT29xVP1fYJCtWdxQ2r6aoFaMNgvac9yJF981gO5xS_-uapW7pnAI9EoAtydsGEhRGOUWttc8IM8TKsWJUvjGP7Gdjb21fCK2XQ/s1600-h/all+american+game.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTwDB5QEeV0Am3oUQN1wseRUeiNt_oIhOnlADT29xVP1fYJCtWdxQ2r6aoFaMNgvac9yJF981gO5xS_-uapW7pnAI9EoAtydsGEhRGOUWttc8IM8TKsWJUvjGP7Gdjb21fCK2XQ/s320/all+american+game.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340734345204910434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Well, it is looking backward after all and as long as we remember the history and are mindful of the odious signs, we can continue to move forward toward a better understanding<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTY6iSrFKr7HSlSaJUXjxhM0MOKCxDO4fvOCuVTnACx9kUdgPAuSqvepvBaRdmO0X9VWkwvCUO9IxQF4GjuosmxqwHzjU-cLE12NqDfUKtL9qpwcZBqDQsinKU-q57CNkwyx2Mnw/s1600-h/wtf.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTY6iSrFKr7HSlSaJUXjxhM0MOKCxDO4fvOCuVTnACx9kUdgPAuSqvepvBaRdmO0X9VWkwvCUO9IxQF4GjuosmxqwHzjU-cLE12NqDfUKtL9qpwcZBqDQsinKU-q57CNkwyx2Mnw/s320/wtf.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340726492229659058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpBfRhEvzIza9Ybp2XI4ovarhoEzlAsH-tZrVIl_6mCvqbCOVWsXt-RaKuuctQRzAUu6ZURS0tlz4kFgkgARttNi3tsnvJMWsQp9UJ2-4v-CppnJ796T41IIYUvA2PEziu2pwcQ/s1600-h/supreme.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpBfRhEvzIza9Ybp2XI4ovarhoEzlAsH-tZrVIl_6mCvqbCOVWsXt-RaKuuctQRzAUu6ZURS0tlz4kFgkgARttNi3tsnvJMWsQp9UJ2-4v-CppnJ796T41IIYUvA2PEziu2pwcQ/s200/supreme.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340742562300109170" border="0" /></a>Moving forward while <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22983.html">others</a> prefer backwards...<br /></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-51619761871536857992009-05-16T19:37:00.000-07:002009-05-31T11:18:10.559-07:00Dorm by stormMy son had to clear out of his dorm. The deadline was exactly 1 week after finals, 1 day before he was to leave for Ireland (to sing in the cathedrals there) and two days before he had to sing for the school's graduation. I thought he could use a hand. It was Mother's Day weekend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SnV2sNTgryxAkOdvq-Gze-skM9GR5eUywqg65uEabxnnk-4d3MPE99RVCvYce2d_HtD9xWiLDNVuTI0_LGs2TcilcLBLG9zRLOECb6GjzwFJGAJrBGrFXRNkbhXnlBMrP0FATA/s1600-h/dorm+dumpster.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SnV2sNTgryxAkOdvq-Gze-skM9GR5eUywqg65uEabxnnk-4d3MPE99RVCvYce2d_HtD9xWiLDNVuTI0_LGs2TcilcLBLG9zRLOECb6GjzwFJGAJrBGrFXRNkbhXnlBMrP0FATA/s320/dorm+dumpster.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336617052730378578" border="0" /></a><br />As you can see I wasn't the only parent helping out, except ain't no way was I getting <span style="font-style: italic;">into</span> the dang dumpster!<br /><br />The mom you see up there, was rescuing some crap that darling daughter could not part with after dad decided he wasn't going to haul whatever it was across country. Mom to the rescue.<br /><br />I didn't take pictures inside the dorm. The room should have had biohazard tape strung across the dorm door. We threw away all linen, towels, underwear, socks and all of the contents of the refridge, bathroom and whatever that was inside the microwave...<br /><br />I arrived on Saturday before Mother's Day. We immediately got to work. After clearing out 10 bags of garbage, we raced to the mall to replace the underwear, sneakers (phew), and socks. We needed a receptacle converter, toiletries, and a tuxedo shirt. Imagine, that child has been wearing the same one all semester, I was afraid to ask him how often he washed it...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEJQ-UkR-Hh2WqSvY_T6KxFGUe9SHEYmBfar6K0ez9Ko3EDSWbcJB4r22VeJqJh7783XkaQtz_yqUnNJaMP2LqX89oxotLURAIXM84VRJPihzo6MPtEf2b9EbMkNKffdT630cNg/s1600-h/loadin+up+the+bus.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEJQ-UkR-Hh2WqSvY_T6KxFGUe9SHEYmBfar6K0ez9Ko3EDSWbcJB4r22VeJqJh7783XkaQtz_yqUnNJaMP2LqX89oxotLURAIXM84VRJPihzo6MPtEf2b9EbMkNKffdT630cNg/s320/loadin+up+the+bus.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336618790123996546" border="0" /></a><br />After we packed his luggage for the trip, I had to box up his remaining stuff and ship that home. Two boxes of books, 3 boxes of clothes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipi3nnhi2mqwaqZ7TQb3fE5SnKfm9i22B8oMo-pTAPoQQb1MOidg-LPxFw1A8Rlw3YfGJ9nnE10W3iycRmzwjbE2CqsuY9rzZVWrpaticzQZjpIguz-ID-HpEc0WwOWdC1n8x12A/s1600-h/quiet+campus+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipi3nnhi2mqwaqZ7TQb3fE5SnKfm9i22B8oMo-pTAPoQQb1MOidg-LPxFw1A8Rlw3YfGJ9nnE10W3iycRmzwjbE2CqsuY9rzZVWrpaticzQZjpIguz-ID-HpEc0WwOWdC1n8x12A/s320/quiet+campus+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336619032994704434" border="0" /></a>The campus nearly silent now that all are gone. It was hard for me to leave, I did get a bit tearful. It seemed like yesterday that I first dropped him off here. Now he is about to enter his 3rd year. The time, where does it go?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvdOn7tCZU5se07ZVhyxH8Uf17lEFcHPZLBfZP9CLmkUTmF3qWsUNUEFXLSwecXMvz-DT3SYkXmbDoq7i6sv2vhyYhbZdVxPhIKL_mPNm6seNYe8EOZD_590lGPbyzhOyHTS0hQ/s1600-h/quiet+campus.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvdOn7tCZU5se07ZVhyxH8Uf17lEFcHPZLBfZP9CLmkUTmF3qWsUNUEFXLSwecXMvz-DT3SYkXmbDoq7i6sv2vhyYhbZdVxPhIKL_mPNm6seNYe8EOZD_590lGPbyzhOyHTS0hQ/s320/quiet+campus.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336618428129782274" border="0" /></a>Then a group of geese walked by -<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8in4SedMi_5E0B69w3kYPRq8Vt-YazF6LNuptdj7ivYhljsTh5U2MQM5in8KWWcVFClWxsvEw9MDDLu7Gt7f3lBQJAYIxTQg1kKoMivR64MSWVLCQAXHgTzWSW1b6k7nLqLubA/s1600-h/guilford+goose.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8in4SedMi_5E0B69w3kYPRq8Vt-YazF6LNuptdj7ivYhljsTh5U2MQM5in8KWWcVFClWxsvEw9MDDLu7Gt7f3lBQJAYIxTQg1kKoMivR64MSWVLCQAXHgTzWSW1b6k7nLqLubA/s320/guilford+goose.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336621156942643746" border="0" /></a>They weren't even concerned that I was standing right there -<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLAmoXRjBLMEp5VP5GtahUMo9VbE7-ZbG6i0Z9MOxvdp4sZFflH1LrChp1hdXXOltLRZwZrL0bGPlAmSOQu5U1kRwna2JhFbM8v7iFPgz-J7InKtHVCDnJRqRC2VxpyOkc0zxZg/s1600-h/guilford+goose+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLAmoXRjBLMEp5VP5GtahUMo9VbE7-ZbG6i0Z9MOxvdp4sZFflH1LrChp1hdXXOltLRZwZrL0bGPlAmSOQu5U1kRwna2JhFbM8v7iFPgz-J7InKtHVCDnJRqRC2VxpyOkc0zxZg/s320/guilford+goose+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336621657314406210" border="0" /></a>they marched right on by, slowly grazing as they waddled<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6S8t-9bnagp2cskhWKUeoOUNbT1YB6HOOmwPDRE-VDjh05yT9O62YXfW3vKPhDSzKdB6rAW_SrlyZgu7oPFlPzkRJsOMo3lZdTffAE892OpNmUlVmf1h9LwmulIttTjHfWmSLhw/s1600-h/130.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6S8t-9bnagp2cskhWKUeoOUNbT1YB6HOOmwPDRE-VDjh05yT9O62YXfW3vKPhDSzKdB6rAW_SrlyZgu7oPFlPzkRJsOMo3lZdTffAE892OpNmUlVmf1h9LwmulIttTjHfWmSLhw/s320/130.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336622243816739122" border="0" /></a>My son told me that none of the animals that live on campus are afraid of the students. Squirrels, birds, bunnies - none ran away from me. Cool.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3_VidymaQfQD-lZHFxKtIGdeSWdznk8G0JwrezSGD7BbRsaXjLQjjYkqqhJrIXBFuzsqebXBYwAFOA6sACyRgdlrVUtfXwYa7oMGq0Uwv9abtjgfKo0IjStRQEYK9nHoTZXEMQ/s1600-h/sit+n+knit+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3_VidymaQfQD-lZHFxKtIGdeSWdznk8G0JwrezSGD7BbRsaXjLQjjYkqqhJrIXBFuzsqebXBYwAFOA6sACyRgdlrVUtfXwYa7oMGq0Uwv9abtjgfKo0IjStRQEYK9nHoTZXEMQ/s320/sit+n+knit+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336623913209738018" border="0" /></a>I found a huge magnolia tree that really wanted me to sit and knit next to it, so I did.<br /><br />I had the rest of Mother's Day, alone. My hotel had a special Mother's Day tea and brunch. I decided on the tea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzABt10bRoy7NL9CklGwz_Kp5xx27lhRnBLBRcojdt-XapDym4IGUwZmqvInhvaRoJ4ShJg9IoplX6ufEhK8iZuXWhiKwhY6VnO4KMm1vOOpczXd1LyAA0In0VoJ3oa6QeBKm-w/s1600-h/high+tea+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzABt10bRoy7NL9CklGwz_Kp5xx27lhRnBLBRcojdt-XapDym4IGUwZmqvInhvaRoJ4ShJg9IoplX6ufEhK8iZuXWhiKwhY6VnO4KMm1vOOpczXd1LyAA0In0VoJ3oa6QeBKm-w/s320/high+tea+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336625079449885202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm69iYAur-9SgTtltH6i-MI_FzW9EU1ppZykE4MVgE1vqPBkvfYrTopeuVfVJltbH7ViTounY07H5pI2apJudGHLCdSzDviLZqyUL6GyLTZaazTb6_2EOi1SpBDJ7opRJnxyV8tg/s1600-h/high+tea+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm69iYAur-9SgTtltH6i-MI_FzW9EU1ppZykE4MVgE1vqPBkvfYrTopeuVfVJltbH7ViTounY07H5pI2apJudGHLCdSzDviLZqyUL6GyLTZaazTb6_2EOi1SpBDJ7opRJnxyV8tg/s320/high+tea+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336625377199027010" border="0" /></a>I had scones, finger sandwiches and the most delicious chocolate truffle I've ever eaten (even though the truffles <a href="http://www.barbarademarcobarrett.com/">Barbara</a> brought me from California were pretty good too!)<br /><br />Then, the sweetest thing happened. Stacey, my <a href="http://crimsonpurl.blogspot.com/">Crimson Purl</a> blogger buddy called! She said that we could meet half way between Charlotte and Greensboro at a Starbucks she knew of. I jumped in my rental and drove. Did you know the speed limit in North Carolina is 70mph?? It is only 55 in most places in Jersey. I felt like I was flying!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQH3QU7IeV2_BS8DPjDducJ_G9KANns7d75cjZPbgzPSk8rI4YGKAyKA5AthcSOisS42Jl5w1abhKzlYDqkzZl4Ca_Ckros6Igq0cPZcNYNmtt1lBWsHOjo3k2QxKgc0kSpN2yQ/s1600-h/stacey.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQH3QU7IeV2_BS8DPjDducJ_G9KANns7d75cjZPbgzPSk8rI4YGKAyKA5AthcSOisS42Jl5w1abhKzlYDqkzZl4Ca_Ckros6Igq0cPZcNYNmtt1lBWsHOjo3k2QxKgc0kSpN2yQ/s320/stacey.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336627466674617570" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzDdmHtgSsKghUM-8Snha3Cxd0ocQGPnq8KD7fcnX9FQu3kBlQ7L20OPv7oOVRvO3j8fP0gbd2px_4qR03xuP4tRSI2HQoE_cGYmMGtsyL_EpXr28tx592zq6Iu8gqsDF9hP63w/s1600-h/stacey+and+me.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzDdmHtgSsKghUM-8Snha3Cxd0ocQGPnq8KD7fcnX9FQu3kBlQ7L20OPv7oOVRvO3j8fP0gbd2px_4qR03xuP4tRSI2HQoE_cGYmMGtsyL_EpXr28tx592zq6Iu8gqsDF9hP63w/s320/stacey+and+me.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336627701718463618" border="0" /></a>We talked and talked for hours, like old friends. Knitters are the best! Thank you Stacey for filling my quiet Mother's Day away from home with knitting fun, friendship and laughter!Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-38132436242805345472009-05-09T07:18:00.000-07:002009-05-10T08:38:03.627-07:00HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dybZGdq6Gbdy1P5W5edVNSk7gJqS6g91M7-LE_0YnJekVzQbhAvJGx3b-dwAMIBn6fDxT17Lg1ShbA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-16130525011360245712009-05-03T01:00:00.000-07:002009-05-06T06:53:25.622-07:00Coming in From the ColdI've been missing in action, burying my face in CSPAN programming watching everything and anything associated with the new White House trying to convince myself that while the economic sky is falling it is way better than listening to those clowns from the former administration f%$#up the country. Now, with that said, and to keep from indulging in a full on pity party, this is some of what I've been up to.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLZwbYr8NB9caE2LH215NDDq7cga5nkh5dLZh-aEZfSVMwq4kUeUPpccxD9KjXiJ5c-kdLUKusbHaLJivGatZfrkrwwzSd9LbugZOl-xOwbjWEupAIRIeIYuOsrwwTEQCeN4L/s1600-h/symphonic+knitting.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLZwbYr8NB9caE2LH215NDDq7cga5nkh5dLZh-aEZfSVMwq4kUeUPpccxD9KjXiJ5c-kdLUKusbHaLJivGatZfrkrwwzSd9LbugZOl-xOwbjWEupAIRIeIYuOsrwwTEQCeN4L/s320/symphonic+knitting.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331426558088361042" border="0" /></a>went to visit son #1 in North Carolina to hear him sing with the North Carolina Symphony<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLy0475PK9MOkM-yk_zm8vyklMFElH5iS6XSXZcQnIVCe6WSrTQ0G6xwWV6bI-7Y81zrwJrL4l6Nc2vzrrICcmoWf4WG9zdCYyhfnNxP_e2RLkL3oJfyIeKISqTVx1oVynGno4/s1600-h/symphony.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLy0475PK9MOkM-yk_zm8vyklMFElH5iS6XSXZcQnIVCe6WSrTQ0G6xwWV6bI-7Y81zrwJrL4l6Nc2vzrrICcmoWf4WG9zdCYyhfnNxP_e2RLkL3oJfyIeKISqTVx1oVynGno4/s200/symphony.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331427077455173250" border="0" /></a><br />This is a partial sound recording of the <a href="http://note-perfect.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7_68_69">Carmina Burana</a>. Not my favorite choral piece, sort of reminds me of a scary movie but it was my chile singing so...<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzC-q4fIhwC_Dpb1adAnuwUKlIPea9O2eNIsiXnaqT6A7IVJ67CVL9XBXCMI1N50l536TS2ceK6JSg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br />Got caught in the historic <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=6685770">nor' easter</a> snow storm. Tried to get out of town before it hit and the lady at the airline checkin said, "honey, if anybody in North Carolina <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">thinks</span> it's gonna snow, we close down the city! Better find you a hotel and sleep in." Well, after I checked out of my very <a href="http://www.ohenryhotel.com/index.html">nice hotel</a> with a great wine list and midnight cheese and fruit platter room service -<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSU5ieNxGUmqGb329PqO0kqE5BVl1EZmZpJMgaDE3ELYWNVo15gYMfvLYCfp7B22QyJQU4xajDS1ZbBB97oaLwSWkmzh7BK3qc7j9Gro8eJL1RyU_2Z_0er5CH85lZCnR29HsX0w/s1600-h/155.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSU5ieNxGUmqGb329PqO0kqE5BVl1EZmZpJMgaDE3ELYWNVo15gYMfvLYCfp7B22QyJQU4xajDS1ZbBB97oaLwSWkmzh7BK3qc7j9Gro8eJL1RyU_2Z_0er5CH85lZCnR29HsX0w/s200/155.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331439992463241074" border="0" /></a><br />I found myself thankful for any room at the airport hotel. Even the crows were confused.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEyLbyOE9PEvBSXV6ZJTgOKD2wxiThQfEblNxE7wE89dMXsbat76E5gCBKdnOHwQBjBrTfm3PkkvG8v8gj2MBnV-r1l4awpixK-pYgyb39c2DrISDyxkd_sE4SZ92jj9s9H4b/s1600-h/nc+snow2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEyLbyOE9PEvBSXV6ZJTgOKD2wxiThQfEblNxE7wE89dMXsbat76E5gCBKdnOHwQBjBrTfm3PkkvG8v8gj2MBnV-r1l4awpixK-pYgyb39c2DrISDyxkd_sE4SZ92jj9s9H4b/s320/nc+snow2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331428366104450450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmnWfVA_exWBTOHeaT9wtj06-k0eFh-spSKFt0MxlUZan3k70Y97j7WtMnUxetOfr_Y52lSnoyWGUd-tVjLOBDsYLk0Lf-NYq90b3wvYpH9yCWd_veuCoA5cUXP5l4bg3pgAz/s1600-h/spiral+blanket2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmnWfVA_exWBTOHeaT9wtj06-k0eFh-spSKFt0MxlUZan3k70Y97j7WtMnUxetOfr_Y52lSnoyWGUd-tVjLOBDsYLk0Lf-NYq90b3wvYpH9yCWd_veuCoA5cUXP5l4bg3pgAz/s320/spiral+blanket2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331429740191456114" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Made this gorgeous <a href="http://www.alexislayton.com/radiating-star-blanket/">Radiating Star Blanket</a> as a baby gift (pattern found on Ravelry).<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4rJrBV9DTPH2gg9ZGq4W2LW52jM53JkbbBoGP1k50SDPZWfxnZ6U-R4sFuKOtJhx2lkZ_YkVDhXuDzwnAXDVPVCtKyVPPQWBoeNaUczQN4QiQ6-OpQuqEB07e12aZ-boUgO7/s1600-h/calendar.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4rJrBV9DTPH2gg9ZGq4W2LW52jM53JkbbBoGP1k50SDPZWfxnZ6U-R4sFuKOtJhx2lkZ_YkVDhXuDzwnAXDVPVCtKyVPPQWBoeNaUczQN4QiQ6-OpQuqEB07e12aZ-boUgO7/s200/calendar.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331430336513131634" border="0" /></a>Tried to follow the <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/">Harlot's</a> advice with the stash...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQL6bc2OT435d6XHN9OlMn3odjYmjCCvaA-8BY0rBWWbuud1x-7hM7B_yHNTE_pb10OZKhjLJSPs2jtmuuHkd9jjETIrDdBzxzKSgxMF-DYZ7cX69u7RJyAIk38DyDxiT9PBCL/s1600-h/stash.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQL6bc2OT435d6XHN9OlMn3odjYmjCCvaA-8BY0rBWWbuud1x-7hM7B_yHNTE_pb10OZKhjLJSPs2jtmuuHkd9jjETIrDdBzxzKSgxMF-DYZ7cX69u7RJyAIk38DyDxiT9PBCL/s320/stash.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331431602837275042" border="0" /></a>FAILED<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6Q0nyVtq1R0P_gS-9aXNzZ2zNh6IywJORPy0tEbjZacPx2fGvztIpi0n-NYDjJ4ZvB1fgekWOkc1jTP7AEvGhicdxkP2nJ79C2jP-NLQcrn43P7A5ZApj9Wagba6IzMX4oBp/s1600-h/labels.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6Q0nyVtq1R0P_gS-9aXNzZ2zNh6IywJORPy0tEbjZacPx2fGvztIpi0n-NYDjJ4ZvB1fgekWOkc1jTP7AEvGhicdxkP2nJ79C2jP-NLQcrn43P7A5ZApj9Wagba6IzMX4oBp/s200/labels.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331434961113009842" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Why did I keep these??<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPK0zZhKyjCtimopu_7eRJmojTRyAxkQ4AOfoXkpbb3bfWUtyZfdDA_hXiGlKYLCFu0qLTc9RQupKJ6l67E6_5SGTiYiXzkdpaU53CpbFbBQVjVgU0YMghmC6agdqz53IsZSx/s1600-h/finch+food.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPK0zZhKyjCtimopu_7eRJmojTRyAxkQ4AOfoXkpbb3bfWUtyZfdDA_hXiGlKYLCFu0qLTc9RQupKJ6l67E6_5SGTiYiXzkdpaU53CpbFbBQVjVgU0YMghmC6agdqz53IsZSx/s320/finch+food.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331431246449171474" border="0" /></a>There were months that brought me little or no joy - except for this occasional backyard visitor.<br /></div><br />My pal <a href="http://closeknityarns.com/knitting/">Phyllis</a> tried hard to lift the gloom, we explored yarn stores and old fashioned soda fountains. I had my first vanilla ice cream soda in many years!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2fkIMHCM5KktIBB-G1tVClKcsU3_VRPpefDXVBeOTnUzIBXx8kVCLya30CZxryjkfNiO46_PItgFUi7VNwtm3TUUx1vYt4YtPmSp83wcay7nmDlxlnZ2yNDUwCIhZ3Qsh0AI/s1600-h/diner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2fkIMHCM5KktIBB-G1tVClKcsU3_VRPpefDXVBeOTnUzIBXx8kVCLya30CZxryjkfNiO46_PItgFUi7VNwtm3TUUx1vYt4YtPmSp83wcay7nmDlxlnZ2yNDUwCIhZ3Qsh0AI/s320/diner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331436331244207154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OxF4Hwc2rIrVT7U4kNb-jQD2-4gwuMwDA8VQ7USzloV7YIQ3H4btukgZ1KZELJSe1dKGx88IY9rSh3nIfMTsOGDM-oEOmAVWXIUDsUoEAUAR3CiIG2VJ9qftvpmyUiAtzmuL/s1600-h/birthday+delights.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OxF4Hwc2rIrVT7U4kNb-jQD2-4gwuMwDA8VQ7USzloV7YIQ3H4btukgZ1KZELJSe1dKGx88IY9rSh3nIfMTsOGDM-oEOmAVWXIUDsUoEAUAR3CiIG2VJ9qftvpmyUiAtzmuL/s320/birthday+delights.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331437156827592962" border="0" /></a><br />She even baked me a cake and brought me some noro sock yarn and those <a href="http://www.kollageyarns.com/needles.html">cool square needles</a>!<br /><br />I pulled myself together long enough to host one of those local Obama <a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/kainestories">house meetings</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYuiGGmEWiSpi4VqQux-EWJUM8Ywyu86dXIw0T0p3T7XLFR_6nZTJDbekLjN2HxDeIZd1EdEoMM24lA5iXxbjHivsp5riIQdPBxm-HxNLMrlCG-TMXyaCnXnG6gjbL2lVmeL9/s1600-h/obama+chat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYuiGGmEWiSpi4VqQux-EWJUM8Ywyu86dXIw0T0p3T7XLFR_6nZTJDbekLjN2HxDeIZd1EdEoMM24lA5iXxbjHivsp5riIQdPBxm-HxNLMrlCG-TMXyaCnXnG6gjbL2lVmeL9/s320/obama+chat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331438362027596994" border="0" /></a>There were a few of them around my town. My friend Arlene, a professional chef, did one with desserts and champagne!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pqHcYCKcmGwiLATLk1ml94us07MqqPrmc-XJ6ca85IO_LZB8q4HLhLcDkKPlwBsbgF9IiyOMrMk377xHf_NibxgN8EqgXXoiBfHtfxbYljpugK3e3ftFFMo_qI6EmqQ5ctny/s1600-h/inauguration+party2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pqHcYCKcmGwiLATLk1ml94us07MqqPrmc-XJ6ca85IO_LZB8q4HLhLcDkKPlwBsbgF9IiyOMrMk377xHf_NibxgN8EqgXXoiBfHtfxbYljpugK3e3ftFFMo_qI6EmqQ5ctny/s320/inauguration+party2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331438780307276514" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Went to hear a <a href="http://www.cornelwest.com/">Cornel West</a> lecture with my boys. That was a really good day.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiCEmhiKKQhd1qJEs-8XVDmmRp2iTemV7P2nRha7nq9hpjCxbOL4cQoC_u3wyt009_v2SsPb4UGZcCwZVqnyub3vg9TOd94mtjkPhtLqLw0ycjbc-taaDrR7xZSU5OVPqplH1tw/s1600-h/cornel.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiCEmhiKKQhd1qJEs-8XVDmmRp2iTemV7P2nRha7nq9hpjCxbOL4cQoC_u3wyt009_v2SsPb4UGZcCwZVqnyub3vg9TOd94mtjkPhtLqLw0ycjbc-taaDrR7xZSU5OVPqplH1tw/s320/cornel.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331442359952575330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0RoSuPFUPhmm6LYkee57zI5-98K1wcyO8QSRTcIj3SAejDL8JEWeMbOvGVtFx0el9tMuIV4xfNz3w6_ocmFZ9ZE5JHiOyABud3pD4Dn6tucrzHM0zoH4yPogyYDVq4H_TrZNMw/s1600-h/cobin.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0RoSuPFUPhmm6LYkee57zI5-98K1wcyO8QSRTcIj3SAejDL8JEWeMbOvGVtFx0el9tMuIV4xfNz3w6_ocmFZ9ZE5JHiOyABud3pD4Dn6tucrzHM0zoH4yPogyYDVq4H_TrZNMw/s320/cobin.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331443081253319570" border="0" /></a>Attended my town's library's <a href="http://www.harlancoben.com/">author</a> luncheon. Guess who?<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAL7Ni4oAXJzb5Wb5tkAZvPYfvLvjJNkXJLPE8AaPCkTsy8A7dlEHAIRkxLrkCHTyqkqKP_LMnxsEpJNsLWkhEqeCuIs2Ypi_kWR7zeKCAD8iUiAFew4CD3akCyvyLVW7Pb_5wdQ/s1600-h/bee+basket.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAL7Ni4oAXJzb5Wb5tkAZvPYfvLvjJNkXJLPE8AaPCkTsy8A7dlEHAIRkxLrkCHTyqkqKP_LMnxsEpJNsLWkhEqeCuIs2Ypi_kWR7zeKCAD8iUiAFew4CD3akCyvyLVW7Pb_5wdQ/s320/bee+basket.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331443328775396018" border="0" /></a>I auctioned off several baskets with baby hats. And, the poster below from the Democratic Convention's Women's Caucus that Michelle Obama presided over.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3DE2vXQEwXwd5imQB67yxt_gtjmHa-UYs-FZThws9L205rinjMOFrihNBg1dwgL77K80D4H-Z-VZov6J5ulhDRbiwTZz1BF5kAmRehO_NvSpysCU5vSS-YRxRR1vBt-6DHGoEQ/s1600-h/hope.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3DE2vXQEwXwd5imQB67yxt_gtjmHa-UYs-FZThws9L205rinjMOFrihNBg1dwgL77K80D4H-Z-VZov6J5ulhDRbiwTZz1BF5kAmRehO_NvSpysCU5vSS-YRxRR1vBt-6DHGoEQ/s320/hope.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331443601787268770" border="0" /></a>So, hope still remains and is perhaps all that is left when we succumb to our darkest worries and can't seem to see the light. Thanks to all of you who have written to encourage me to write again and to report on my whereabouts. I'm sorry I've been gone so long.<br /><br />P.S. if you would like one of these historic posters, I have another that I would like to share so, just comment here with your name and I'll do one of those random selection thingies and send one to you, sorry, it is not signed and I won't be able to frame it.Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-34017212947992862642009-01-26T07:40:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:04:05.392-08:00Time...Next month I turn 50. I've been thinking about time a whole lot. What have I achieved in these adult years and have I healed from those childhood fears?<br /><br />I tend to look at everything with a sociological lens, so obviously much has changed but I wonder about those pitfalls, you know the ones that keep us divided, away from our common selves, our human selves? I've grown a lot since those post Jim Crow years.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRGSZyadKqFBtKKvWwiVbF_tDBWRrZfeb982A7s1RqHMaSaaku8Zc1o58hyphenhyphen4MlXy2K8Wq0xd63srnoea9KlcRaUFmiU0nqYr3-k3_P_G9fMXQAY2-6ojQQ5lfFNhQloEJu-1V/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRGSZyadKqFBtKKvWwiVbF_tDBWRrZfeb982A7s1RqHMaSaaku8Zc1o58hyphenhyphen4MlXy2K8Wq0xd63srnoea9KlcRaUFmiU0nqYr3-k3_P_G9fMXQAY2-6ojQQ5lfFNhQloEJu-1V/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295638531900306082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">That's me on the right with my bestest friend, Toni. It's my 8th grade graduation from P.S. 11 - an all white school black children were bussed to. Wasn't fun.</span><br /></div><br />Can I imagine a post racial world? I've been reading Randal Robinson's, The Debt. Trying to understand the ways in which I may have been damaged because of America's ugly past. How have I been affected by the exclusion of Africa's contributions to world history? Has this affected my sense of self? <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZw2MhjDqdioq5n8QdnZ6L_8j1NQZ2EXWexfVKheT6Lm8ZMCkEwhYqbYXm1ck1zf-wQ5XbMrys3h7hzeYnNhattXHMeOg5iR_tWuYVM6sKk9lQ2aVrAHLHfa5Iusd07GpFDjgB/s1600-h/051.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZw2MhjDqdioq5n8QdnZ6L_8j1NQZ2EXWexfVKheT6Lm8ZMCkEwhYqbYXm1ck1zf-wQ5XbMrys3h7hzeYnNhattXHMeOg5iR_tWuYVM6sKk9lQ2aVrAHLHfa5Iusd07GpFDjgB/s320/051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295645340017578194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">I saw this sign while visiting the New York Botanical Gardens. Finally, the story of my culture, my history are unfolding in the places I so adore<br /></span></div><br />Will time help me to figure out how I can embody the hope that President Obama is challenging us all to realize? How is it we teach our children the best ideals that we, ourselves, have difficulty believing?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyYUMPzw_35ymM36iJ5ZxkaFG2d98mvjGlf0kzJ31JYE0KgRol1C_WBDWrlr1kgVn5vgwRUCE7KNeaX9SpXxJebKCmXV9RFXA3fFxMFR8OGXD-grP3Y0EvonJRU_33jqrbi2w/s1600-h/036.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyYUMPzw_35ymM36iJ5ZxkaFG2d98mvjGlf0kzJ31JYE0KgRol1C_WBDWrlr1kgVn5vgwRUCE7KNeaX9SpXxJebKCmXV9RFXA3fFxMFR8OGXD-grP3Y0EvonJRU_33jqrbi2w/s200/036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295643235570814834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">My middle son, Andrew, watching the inauguration. My oldest son was there somewhere in the crowd!</span><br /></div><br />So, I wonder about time. Nina Simone's, Who Knows Where the Time Goes, echoes in my mind more frequently now. I recently found this picture of me taken when I was 21 and my first trip to the Caribbean. I've always remembered the water, it's clarity and the warmth but now, looking at me standing there, I wonder why I can't clearly remember what it was to be so young...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-PlYjFz7c3Q3MBvO2YwAHZ0C0VgURRTDH2hJVPVNp-8G_loO1jN3Th2UPoY_IaUkPwyPWTGkPl_wVjB5_hPTSKXmaRndkfG1w5zfsRNCniwVf0E-P4eVhc6LlL8cExr_IxVA/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-PlYjFz7c3Q3MBvO2YwAHZ0C0VgURRTDH2hJVPVNp-8G_loO1jN3Th2UPoY_IaUkPwyPWTGkPl_wVjB5_hPTSKXmaRndkfG1w5zfsRNCniwVf0E-P4eVhc6LlL8cExr_IxVA/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295628607975483410" border="0" /></a><br />Well, one thing has improved, if nothing else. I couldn't knit then!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtM0q0C9cBT6EzA-aOgeb_pOFckkNAbTc16tqd2S6mHJMgCM0M1e-UXcbOt9BgxlEzHPOxn9KxFvzSItAxEVCuQpWA0DX6j4kr3DtuFGXH8uy7E0qr6d_EAukJixK_lKGaZQ5M/s1600-h/055.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtM0q0C9cBT6EzA-aOgeb_pOFckkNAbTc16tqd2S6mHJMgCM0M1e-UXcbOt9BgxlEzHPOxn9KxFvzSItAxEVCuQpWA0DX6j4kr3DtuFGXH8uy7E0qr6d_EAukJixK_lKGaZQ5M/s200/055.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295648117860411778" border="0" /></a>My favorite felted bag<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgskpMyv_N3JHYHLyJFzmQSs6lVlzbBcrlqhZB3i96mcTjPdvA19t2FGSjKScHJ9Nkdyo3iNSQEh9h46HzawrV0Lx87dGQmZPznNoiU9XVdl8yLHUZXucsfhDNpDpI2QHebYVh/s1600-h/069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgskpMyv_N3JHYHLyJFzmQSs6lVlzbBcrlqhZB3i96mcTjPdvA19t2FGSjKScHJ9Nkdyo3iNSQEh9h46HzawrV0Lx87dGQmZPznNoiU9XVdl8yLHUZXucsfhDNpDpI2QHebYVh/s320/069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295648821381358578" border="0" /></a>My curious case of benjamin buttons hat, knitted while sitting spellbound watching that movie!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lVPEhKRfHNAolsUgLulqm5MrRFLmPAT8ysInhWd7y8HgjwJKcMNZUyo0btCQG5yL-x2W8-B9BLHbUXPNw19lvM38TpoPLLNkuGQ5lmdqOkgzkDIYWLDZXTzb3OsM60GoRmLG/s1600-h/046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lVPEhKRfHNAolsUgLulqm5MrRFLmPAT8ysInhWd7y8HgjwJKcMNZUyo0btCQG5yL-x2W8-B9BLHbUXPNw19lvM38TpoPLLNkuGQ5lmdqOkgzkDIYWLDZXTzb3OsM60GoRmLG/s320/046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295649193454260290" border="0" /></a>Well maybe there is still more to learn. I can't seem to be able to knit a tam that isn't too small or too damn large!</div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-29069546181481402552009-01-21T06:16:00.001-08:002009-01-26T10:04:26.379-08:00A New Day in the United States of America<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eVh1lPytFQA6QZDLQ5xWcrI8MVg_q5bTidZPwbWetiZ90OxZbbIUArvarnGrjiaYzs0nrqsEaSiZYynchDKw9bESTfUN9BEiuGcqNLvIQ4-58VgRC5POit9rQqDufNSdhAoQ/s1600-h/changeobamawhitehouseL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eVh1lPytFQA6QZDLQ5xWcrI8MVg_q5bTidZPwbWetiZ90OxZbbIUArvarnGrjiaYzs0nrqsEaSiZYynchDKw9bESTfUN9BEiuGcqNLvIQ4-58VgRC5POit9rQqDufNSdhAoQ/s320/changeobamawhitehouseL.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293751026746712578" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Check out the new <a href="http://whitehouse.gov/">White House</a> website!<br /></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-21230150506987037582009-01-20T07:27:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:04:46.033-08:00Our national nightmare is finally over...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXJ7xbdq3LDOEZ-DdMMToLBMlxThvgImFOv-lt3MHv1syg9ONv5zZ6S04S7_Izr7USYrVss-MEWEHMsM228nz-zWZOoSeaUx3kaJONvqAtPLTsmD9KjENy9kwPz4LJzwvs1_L/s1600-h/ds_bush_flag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXJ7xbdq3LDOEZ-DdMMToLBMlxThvgImFOv-lt3MHv1syg9ONv5zZ6S04S7_Izr7USYrVss-MEWEHMsM228nz-zWZOoSeaUx3kaJONvqAtPLTsmD9KjENy9kwPz4LJzwvs1_L/s320/ds_bush_flag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293398053761979170" border="0" /></a>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-46255151785354774522008-12-24T05:22:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:05:38.123-08:00What if.....<embed src="http://www.theonion.com/content/themes/common/assets/videoplayer2/flvplayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" flashvars="file=http://www.theonion.com/content/xml/86081/video&autostart=false&image=http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/EXISTENTIAL_COIN_TOSS_article.jpg&bufferlength=3&embedded=true&title=Pre-Game%20Coin%20Toss%20Makes%20Jacksonville%20Jaguars%20Realize%20Randomness%20Of%20Life" width="400" height="355"></embed><br /><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/video/pre_game_coin_toss_makes?utm_source=embedded_video">Pre-Game Coin Toss Makes Jacksonville Jaguars Realize Randomness Of Life</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:lucida grande;font-size:180%;" >HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE</span><br /></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-52394210045872728222008-12-17T10:19:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:06:22.787-08:00ResearchaholicMy Andrew announced that he'd like me to make him one of those hats with the ear flaps. I was shocked and amazed. Shocked that he asked me to knit him something and amazed that he chose an earflap hat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5FafYDkAmxyntEkvJqZ3fEIFgisHTz0uGlpu9pVFRzQxUuVFi1T7ojRUSlFGWYcgK3G3rmQDnBLn986N_1ljO1q0S_uofyfQjZYrrJ8qBOHmH1SXvpD5fPH_Igmvtn0XtZJQ/s1600-h/051.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5FafYDkAmxyntEkvJqZ3fEIFgisHTz0uGlpu9pVFRzQxUuVFi1T7ojRUSlFGWYcgK3G3rmQDnBLn986N_1ljO1q0S_uofyfQjZYrrJ8qBOHmH1SXvpD5fPH_Igmvtn0XtZJQ/s320/051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280838907377517698" border="0" /></a>I immediately began running this search program I had installed in my head (mothers have super powers of course - and, y'all know that ain't me in the picture with him). I wanted to be certain that I would pick the perfect pattern using yarn that I have "in stock". You see, like many of you, I have tons of knitting books and binders and folders stuffed with patterns. Last night, rather than sit and <span style="font-style: italic;">start</span> knitting the first hat pattern I found that met the "hat with earflaps" requirement, I decided to rummage through ALL of my pattern books and patterns.<br /><br />No way could I just be satisfied with Kirsten's <a href="http://throughtheloops.typepad.com/through_the_loops/2008/11/thorpe-revisited.html">Thorpe</a>. I had to consult Ravelry too and well, I don't need to tell you the hundreds of possibilities that I found over there: the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snowboarder-hat-that-rocks">Snowboarder Hat that Rocks</a>, and the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/andean-earflap-hat">Andean Earflap Hat, </a>the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/large-earflap-hat">Large Earflap Hat</a>... The choices and the yarn possibilities were endless. I wanted to press onward until I found the one pattern that I felt was absolutely, positively the best choice and would become the most perfect first hat for my '17 year old and soon to be off to college senior in high school'! Then, this dark desire overtook me and I ventured out of the safe confines of Ravelry and went to the Google. That is where danger awaited this humble and unsuspecting knitter...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhvhYXJA2RbzRkt8p5EbmFI3djF2WGDks4GT1qPlo65l4VishxOiF5W0hkrI-utgXkDV3ha0e6j1GH7MAdNQPzCvyVozTIDR8OIVH81CG0L8Ms9TflXedmorZXxtoICqPITOk/s1600-h/knit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhvhYXJA2RbzRkt8p5EbmFI3djF2WGDks4GT1qPlo65l4VishxOiF5W0hkrI-utgXkDV3ha0e6j1GH7MAdNQPzCvyVozTIDR8OIVH81CG0L8Ms9TflXedmorZXxtoICqPITOk/s320/knit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280829417673252882" border="0" /></a>My pal Phyllis commented that she hoped this wasn't where all those helmet liners ended up...Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-34479380645685141822008-12-09T08:52:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:07:24.078-08:00Grand Theft Auto<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdhvfwpqnNkMicnqWttYziIYBckDLfUwDOoNYXOZkcDK-GOBkXGiIeACj0FXEDAWvKST8_3R14jbN5LzugDuVbrX767-rohyphenhyphenBLFRNTsHja_T-NlTIVB95wPehwt9R7v2rrhTn/s1600-h/auto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdhvfwpqnNkMicnqWttYziIYBckDLfUwDOoNYXOZkcDK-GOBkXGiIeACj0FXEDAWvKST8_3R14jbN5LzugDuVbrX767-rohyphenhyphenBLFRNTsHja_T-NlTIVB95wPehwt9R7v2rrhTn/s320/auto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277835383342270850" border="0" /></a>For years I had successfully imposed the, "No violent video games in my house" rule. If any of my boys even hinted that they wanted one of those games, they would have to endure endless hours of my stories about how unglamorous it is to grow up in the projects or the ghetto or a major city if you can't employ several body guards to walk around with you.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUc6lRjNSo2UWni8FL694oRm4ACv3Wd1knbv-xTQDtgAMzGB8IWhKnrm0iw1TdllffC9YA42XW4osPK0-GIvN1yMJOiNVcU7wUOmdh12FPgx3DlF5c4jk6h1CNj0ifAwjptOQ/s1600-h/auto+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 67px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUc6lRjNSo2UWni8FL694oRm4ACv3Wd1knbv-xTQDtgAMzGB8IWhKnrm0iw1TdllffC9YA42XW4osPK0-GIvN1yMJOiNVcU7wUOmdh12FPgx3DlF5c4jk6h1CNj0ifAwjptOQ/s320/auto+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277836220805316706" border="0" /></a><br />I'd make my sons listen to me go on and on about how I could not walk <span style="font-style: italic;">or</span> drive through any number of sections in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, Manhattan or the Bronx because I could be <a href="http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/press/bvvcpr.htm">attacked</a> by <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2DB173DF936A35752C0A961948260">bigoted mobs</a> with baseball bats, mobs intent on robbing me, <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/law/20040220/13/876">wilding police</a> or just plain ol' sicko rapists. Why, having lived this, would I want my children playing with a game that celebrates this madness?<br /><br />Well the other day, I happened into the living room and there they were on the $300 plus xbox playing this "game". I went crazy! Their response? "Mom, we are responsible teenagers now, not middle school dorks who don't know the difference between a game and a bad influence..."<br /><br />Ironically, while my AP and Honors student tried explain why he lost his mind, playing in the background on my kitchen TV was the CSPAN <a href="http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=282476-1">hearings of even bigger car thieves</a> - the CEOs of the so-called Big 3 auto manufacturers. Visions of Michael Moore's Roger and Me converged in my brain with flashbacks of my risk soaked days living the viva loca in New York City in my way cool pre-war apartment and how I traded in all in for a Chrysler mini van, 3 kids and a mortgage with an interest rate scheduled to reset in a few years. WHY????<br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xPNmHPjkxdk&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xPNmHPjkxdk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><span style="font-size:130%;">Well, there is always knitting...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqDxOYhkE3EcNUrwdpygDxdb1JSDxnKI9R0uftDyGQL5-2YLqW0Ph_W8mjXAhXLdwyInDtXrAkk4AXvMbFUe1c2J1Gj7UE0zLdo8sT7rAQ4EER-RKGhD0ou5eWILhwRgkfR3n/s1600-h/024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqDxOYhkE3EcNUrwdpygDxdb1JSDxnKI9R0uftDyGQL5-2YLqW0Ph_W8mjXAhXLdwyInDtXrAkk4AXvMbFUe1c2J1Gj7UE0zLdo8sT7rAQ4EER-RKGhD0ou5eWILhwRgkfR3n/s320/024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277863218366971922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4Q3pIVabrtM7QP143N0GfUt3MJT-ST9VDQsQ4WmkRYiCQPSo9HU9wpSNcGznVlKBd_lmgYtzCwHp_4cTOBGXstbd2lLO0Ih4rQVrr3E2tUMqzLj1fMi1-cHyRbitlNIarPsY/s1600-h/025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4Q3pIVabrtM7QP143N0GfUt3MJT-ST9VDQsQ4WmkRYiCQPSo9HU9wpSNcGznVlKBd_lmgYtzCwHp_4cTOBGXstbd2lLO0Ih4rQVrr3E2tUMqzLj1fMi1-cHyRbitlNIarPsY/s320/025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277862801518656370" border="0" /></a><br />And escapes to cool knitting spots -<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRtwub7mu4u5uqDm-_JGRkMF0xYQUCUesdAJaobvr0DzmgGIX7njXeCdq1lNdahdBYLPR1cY0z0ELDsB1G-WJcmHQxFJ3ia1k7IDxroyG_hs8jNKebriVR2OPRXMQHJPcrIde/s1600-h/090.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRtwub7mu4u5uqDm-_JGRkMF0xYQUCUesdAJaobvr0DzmgGIX7njXeCdq1lNdahdBYLPR1cY0z0ELDsB1G-WJcmHQxFJ3ia1k7IDxroyG_hs8jNKebriVR2OPRXMQHJPcrIde/s320/090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277864633520681282" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Charity yarn being sorted at <a href="http://www.creativeknitworks.com/">Creative Knitworks</a> in Hillsdale, New Jersey. The many bins of yarn will go to afterschool programs in Paterson, NJ and other youth programs in and around New Jersey!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMp1xsWd9WVxDfz0wrpgdnAslkZ1c49-pMTulGpTCaS6BiVn8xEl_pMiX4BM9MbHJuEL1oZONd0AlJ7dXJa3HzbNegKgkY2Y3icFL_7n3_1pDSySIWpJwUe8P_MbhZaAwlcRoX/s1600-h/091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMp1xsWd9WVxDfz0wrpgdnAslkZ1c49-pMTulGpTCaS6BiVn8xEl_pMiX4BM9MbHJuEL1oZONd0AlJ7dXJa3HzbNegKgkY2Y3icFL_7n3_1pDSySIWpJwUe8P_MbhZaAwlcRoX/s320/091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277864421934734546" border="0" /></a>That's Sharon, the owner, enjoying being in textile heaven!<br /></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-37654344477565166512008-11-24T10:22:00.000-08:002008-11-24T10:24:56.601-08:00Too Chicken<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipA2yN6QlFeXeXhqVXRPggPDGZBUerVraVzQaUya2Is6wZowDGawIjH_PpN7XDXWI6-5BA93uUUQ7d22aIxr90jvkqrubHmAipEpMO_sgbmfp2gzZMc4FILTNIwyjpb_aWer1q/s1600-h/IMG_0007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipA2yN6QlFeXeXhqVXRPggPDGZBUerVraVzQaUya2Is6wZowDGawIjH_PpN7XDXWI6-5BA93uUUQ7d22aIxr90jvkqrubHmAipEpMO_sgbmfp2gzZMc4FILTNIwyjpb_aWer1q/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272291173205698498" border="0" /></a>There's something I have to do but I'm too chicken. Ever had that happen to you? I know I'll feel better after it's done and just like the picture suggests, it should win smiles. If only I can make the first move...Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-11768171808144133772008-11-17T09:14:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:08:25.063-08:00Thank youThank you to everyone for your kind notes and words of encouragement and sympathy. The funeral was this past Saturday and our family was comforted by so many of my brother-in-law's friends and colleagues who traveled from all over the world to be with my sister, my niece and nephew during this time.<br /><br />Funerals are strange events for me. Reluctantly, they become giant family reunions...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRLtWtmBrL_gxujANy8V1h6GyoJnSke4zz4x39fuZIzIYXIFaUwcKsqCyX3J8Lt_NydNtYhaQOWvBc3dZMwfZv-DJEz7q-hhneXs0fFo432vnDrcOpnIU298Fc_MT5HoP0EA2/s1600-h/015.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRLtWtmBrL_gxujANy8V1h6GyoJnSke4zz4x39fuZIzIYXIFaUwcKsqCyX3J8Lt_NydNtYhaQOWvBc3dZMwfZv-DJEz7q-hhneXs0fFo432vnDrcOpnIU298Fc_MT5HoP0EA2/s200/015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271132392581045314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">That's my Jonathan there in the tie. Yes, that is a smile. He was so glad to see all of his cousins again especially his buddy, Daniel my baby brother's youngest son.<br /></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /></div><br />...and/or massive networking extravaganzas which is such a bummer because it all takes place at the same time my mind is trying to figure out mine and my loved one's mortality, ugh.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZVL4iE0qQa4At1LXqu_cdGUZUgu2TyLgb4EnkPrf7nZ8nWOnZShxOh81FlKQCwkp5pnUyeIj23MlQGMBHRfIWf4s4gAqw1jW5nwE7vxKK3M8GC3VujRNQ9mGWfmpXgYeLS9v/s1600-h/021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZVL4iE0qQa4At1LXqu_cdGUZUgu2TyLgb4EnkPrf7nZ8nWOnZShxOh81FlKQCwkp5pnUyeIj23MlQGMBHRfIWf4s4gAqw1jW5nwE7vxKK3M8GC3VujRNQ9mGWfmpXgYeLS9v/s200/021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271127480008784514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Former Olympians Marty Liquori, John Carlos outside after the funeral</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1f9Rb1p9llS_JvQ-U4RNh4V_XhSzt0d40ZhmVagz9n3VqprMtIDwUOW7pOc8LD8x32Ai-3oRDEWVB1ndTgqM8WBE_dgZlj5exkRTGihDf1qWC9PU1RaHwnZMMPLJrYP4d8Ky/s1600-h/018.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1f9Rb1p9llS_JvQ-U4RNh4V_XhSzt0d40ZhmVagz9n3VqprMtIDwUOW7pOc8LD8x32Ai-3oRDEWVB1ndTgqM8WBE_dgZlj5exkRTGihDf1qWC9PU1RaHwnZMMPLJrYP4d8Ky/s200/018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271129570501967906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Funerals don't stop requests for autographs - Vince Matthews agreeing to one</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span>Driving from the funeral to the burial was a sobering experience despite the prodding of billboards whizzing by...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheh6eXfAj0PWE7DFjAgcqXFgs-NXLIApuV02JAF8Kiwbs7QGUSucTMoiWSKWyx2ptA5RegW1Ji4FynAa5APLNIGmMwr83SUhTi8MW7_pg_znTwHOhfZ1v2V-C3fIDUhJoUuvlG/s1600-h/035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheh6eXfAj0PWE7DFjAgcqXFgs-NXLIApuV02JAF8Kiwbs7QGUSucTMoiWSKWyx2ptA5RegW1Ji4FynAa5APLNIGmMwr83SUhTi8MW7_pg_znTwHOhfZ1v2V-C3fIDUhJoUuvlG/s320/035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271133531876798706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">I wonder if I would have cried less had I had a shot before the buriel??</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MLrEVNnDE_enAUqpgKqC_phYeCq1gPsfGCU2Sl92fQinNcznPM1eNTqgq85-2XsGUppJ2KAEgBB3yb30lrshbfmJxREG5_ObgY4WoMqJfFKrs-NWuKTcxAxbt8m3p_JnSLyg/s1600-h/033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MLrEVNnDE_enAUqpgKqC_phYeCq1gPsfGCU2Sl92fQinNcznPM1eNTqgq85-2XsGUppJ2KAEgBB3yb30lrshbfmJxREG5_ObgY4WoMqJfFKrs-NWuKTcxAxbt8m3p_JnSLyg/s200/033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271123795331233954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">We had a mile long processional that passed through 3 towns</span><br /></div><br />During the drive to the burial, I couldn't stop reflecting on the many drives my Dad took me and my younger sister, Antoinette, to visit Cynthia and Larry.<br /><br />I remember these roads so well. As soon as I got my driver's license, me and my sister Antoinette would take the 2 hour drive to see our new niece and nephew, Tamaiya and Bonn, in a heartbeat. We loved those kids so much, we wouldn't think twice about driving way down South Jersey to see them. Now they have their own children, and it was strange to realize time passing through the faces of the next generation -<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3E5XLmQt3kbwIQV_LWH4GjIVMN0O15-5dH0Swf2RigcFwGxcDX5i3ht2YIjPxjJCuSgXdqBrSD76KyZj7DGwilM1bVe0_Wv8AcbWpK3Idmqmskal7SDpS1r_ttsMpuxO5Syj/s1600-h/065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3E5XLmQt3kbwIQV_LWH4GjIVMN0O15-5dH0Swf2RigcFwGxcDX5i3ht2YIjPxjJCuSgXdqBrSD76KyZj7DGwilM1bVe0_Wv8AcbWpK3Idmqmskal7SDpS1r_ttsMpuxO5Syj/s320/065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271135275622560866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">my brother with the children of our niece and nephew and Larry's grands</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCidwBCwiib4t0idP0aGS7CggHZvcKg8DcLzK7IkkdNuORdwIGuGP6EJ1AaD4qntblCIew43BOtC0xf5MtG76TpSIMPlAy4ijzsCkw74rcVEYwlJq9hH3gRUjyQ3ssyZ-wB6Dg/s1600-h/034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCidwBCwiib4t0idP0aGS7CggHZvcKg8DcLzK7IkkdNuORdwIGuGP6EJ1AaD4qntblCIew43BOtC0xf5MtG76TpSIMPlAy4ijzsCkw74rcVEYwlJq9hH3gRUjyQ3ssyZ-wB6Dg/s320/034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271126496518743458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The long ride through Atlantic City showed the changing landscape from marsh and brush</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_CVDddjoIV_qbSPVnaGxb2xUc86pcRU2JSsOFewwj2Zp48_NdYpeS1RTM4H9mhGqjmGcMeUydIPs1Zg6P1adWAdB8po4UBnLbrK89l5aZppgUqHKNdnyX2thXH189BhWnMto/s1600-h/025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_CVDddjoIV_qbSPVnaGxb2xUc86pcRU2JSsOFewwj2Zp48_NdYpeS1RTM4H9mhGqjmGcMeUydIPs1Zg6P1adWAdB8po4UBnLbrK89l5aZppgUqHKNdnyX2thXH189BhWnMto/s320/025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271125626404908674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">to Casino towers and remarkably -</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChYLQYTBphcG_yP7aZ9_-Sfvf8M9-5RlPfeX5oDGz2foyr87L329ylUEHwxYPDbeIoGX9_bKXgt2uGG1NL-IVVxkw4rqj8A8uK5jWQBTl_wtkh1KNqzHSdW3Tf2E9EifebzKH/s1600-h/023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChYLQYTBphcG_yP7aZ9_-Sfvf8M9-5RlPfeX5oDGz2foyr87L329ylUEHwxYPDbeIoGX9_bKXgt2uGG1NL-IVVxkw4rqj8A8uK5jWQBTl_wtkh1KNqzHSdW3Tf2E9EifebzKH/s320/023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271125152155778386" border="0" /></a> WINDMILLS<br /></div><br />All in all, I am often left a bit weaker after any funeral. It is just too difficult to comprehend. There are never any words or expression of sympathy that ever seems appropriate. Oh, there is one expression, "We all want to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die."<br /><br />So, for now, whenever I feel kind of blue, I'm going to look at pictures of my children, nieces and nephews, who seem to love each other's company, and find a way to smile.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsyK_mNNjj0GWOpyirFYI8ABD_YST9UXL4nQtSOtSO21_gpjxGQiN7psJVchIHS2Dmm9LRxGs7o_Ok-9ie_VFz1TNLOpIN2P59nInYaB90p3eqB3dRpkrtH1jBNkpIwXNq9pd/s1600-h/090.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsyK_mNNjj0GWOpyirFYI8ABD_YST9UXL4nQtSOtSO21_gpjxGQiN7psJVchIHS2Dmm9LRxGs7o_Ok-9ie_VFz1TNLOpIN2P59nInYaB90p3eqB3dRpkrtH1jBNkpIwXNq9pd/s320/090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271130597006611554" border="0" /></a>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-14881833803352179742008-11-12T09:09:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:09:19.635-08:00Larry James 1947-2008My <a href="http://deedeenetblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/skillz.html">brother-in-law</a> died on his birthday. He was 61. Below is a reprint of one of the many obituaries written about him.<br /><br />--------------------------------------<br /><div class="orgurl"> <h1>G. Larry James dies at 61; runner won gold, silver medals at 1968 Olympics</h1> </div> <div id="wrapper_500"> <img src="http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-11/43250609.jpg" alt="Reunion" width="500" height="334" /><div id="emailpic" style="display: none;"> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/lat-james_k9zl2wnc20081108015053,0,3845748,email.photo" target="win_43250609" class="emailpic" onclick="if (window.windoid) windoid('','win_43250609',470,410,'resizable=0,scrollbars=0')">Email Picture</a></div> <div style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 0pt 0pt 5px; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin-top: 1px;"> <div style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 9px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: right;">Richard Stockton College</div> <div style="padding-bottom: 5px;">When Richard Stockton College honored G. Larry James, left, for four decades of excellence on Dec. 1, 2007, (from second left) Vince Matthews, Ron Freeman and Lee Evans joined their fellow Olympian for the festivities.</div></div> </div> <div class="storybyline" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 15px ! important; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important;">By Claire Noland <br />November 8, 2008 </div> <div id="article_body" class="storybody"> <div class="storybody">G. Larry James, a middle-distance runner known as "The Mighty Burner" who employed his streaky speed to win gold and silver medals in track at the 1968 Summer Olympics, died of colon cancer at his home in Smithville, N.J., on Thursday, his 61st birthday.<br /><br />His death was announced by the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, where he spent 28 years as athletic director.<br /><br /></div> <div style="clear: left; font-size: 1px;"> </div> <div id="article_related" class="box_striped box_float clearfix"> <div class="content"> <ul id="article_galleries"><li class="photo_article"> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/lat-james_k9xzwlnc20081108013801,0,1990093.photo" target="win_43250475" onclick="if (window.windoid) windoid('','win_43250475',760,570,'resizable=0,scrollbars=0')"><img src="http://www.latimes.com/media/thumbnails/photo/2008-11/43250475-08013805.jpg" alt="Solidarity" width="140" height="110" /></a> <div><h2><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/lat-james_k9xzwlnc20081108013801,0,1990093.photo" target="win_43250475" onclick="if (window.windoid) windoid('','win_43250475',760,570,'resizable=0,scrollbars=0')"> Solidarity</a></h2></div> </li><li class="photo_article"> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/lat-james_k9zkx4nc20081108020203,0,3215677.photo" target="win_43250735" onclick="if (window.windoid) windoid('','win_43250735',760,570,'resizable=0,scrollbars=0')"><img src="http://www.latimes.com/media/thumbnails/photo/2008-11/43250735-07181014.jpg" alt="Speech" width="140" height="110" /></a> <div><h2><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/lat-james_k9zkx4nc20081108020203,0,3215677.photo" target="win_43250735" onclick="if (window.windoid) windoid('','win_43250735',760,570,'resizable=0,scrollbars=0')"> Speech</a></h2></div> </li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="storybody">James won his gold medal in Mexico City by teaming with Vince Matthews, Ron Freeman and Lee Evans in the U.S. 4-by-400-meter relay. He also won a silver medal in the 400-meter individual race.<br /><br />James was a sophomore at Villanova University outside Philadelphia when he qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 1968, a year when the nation was rocked by the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and riots in several U.S. cities.<br /><br />Some of the African American athletes on the U.S. team proposed a boycott of the Mexico City Games as a way to make a statement protesting the treatment of blacks in America, but James wanted to race.<br /><br /></div> "For me, it came down to: Do you want to go there and be seen, or do you want to be an asterisk in the record book?" he said in an interview with the Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., in 2007.<br /><br />Lacking consensus, the athletes decided to compete.<br /><br />But the issue came to a head after U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos won gold and bronze, respectively, in the 200-meter race.<br /><br />At the medals ceremony, while "The Star-Spangled Banner" played, Smith and Carlos stood on the podium and raised their gloved fists in a Black Power salute.<br /><br />The athletes were booed, and the International Olympic Committee insisted they be expelled for making a political statement during the Games.<br /><br />Two days later came the 400-meter race. The U.S. runners swept the event, with James taking silver in 43.97 seconds, second to Evans' world-record time of 43.86. Freeman was third.<br /><br />All three men recorded their best times ever, and James and Evans were the first to break the 44-second mark.<br /><br />"When we had the press conference after the race, all anybody wanted to ask about was Tommie and John," James told the Star-Ledger. "I was thinking, 'Doesn't anyone want to talk about what we just did?' "<br /><br />Next up was the 4-by-400-meter relay, held two days later. This time the U.S. runners set a world record in 2 minutes, 56.16 seconds, with James running the third leg.<br /><br />The winning time was matched in 1988, but the record remained unbroken until 1992.<br /><br />For their medals ceremony, the relay runners chose to wear black berets and black socks, but when the national anthem played, they removed their caps and stood at attention.<br /><br />"Pictures of us . . . appeared in Black Panther newspapers," James recalled in a 1991 interview with Sports Illustrated. "And in the main media, we'd won for our country. We had something for everybody.<br /><br />"We were agents of change, but . . . we were so unprepared," he said. "We were suddenly expert on everything, man, on toothpaste. You get caught up in it, the love affair the public has with athletes. You learn how it embraces you, and then you learn how it tires of you."<br /><br />James returned to Villanova, graduating with a bachelor's degree in business in 1970. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve, attaining the rank of major, and later earned a master's degree in public policy from Rutgers University.<br /><br />He was hired as track coach and assistant athletic director at Stockton College in 1972. He used to tell people he had planned to stay for three years, but they stretched into 36.<br /><br />James became athletic director in 1980 and transformed the athletic program into a Division III power, the highlight coming when the men's soccer team won the Division III national championship in 2001. He also led efforts to build a $17-million multipurpose recreation center in 2000. He stepped down as athletic director Aug. 1.<br /><br />James stayed involved in the Olympic movement over the years and held a variety of positions with USA Track and Field. In 2003 he was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.<br /><br />Born and raised in Greenburgh, N.Y., George Lawrence James was 15 when his mother, Martha, took him to Washington, D.C., in August 1963 for the March on Washington at which King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.<br /><br />"I realized there was more to life than just me and my neighborhood," James told the Journal News of Westchester County, N.Y., in 2004. "There was a whole world of people that wanted to make a difference."<br /><br />Survivors include his wife, Cynthia; son Larry B. James; daughter Tamaiya Forbey; five grandchildren; his mother; and a sister.<br /><br />Contributions in his name may be made to the <a href="http://intraweb.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=145&pageID=1">G. Larry James Legacy Fund</a> at Stockton College, <a href="http://www.stockton.edu/">www.stockton.edu</a>.<br /><br />Noland is a Times staff writer.<br /><br /><a href="mailto:claire.noland@latimes.com">claire.noland@latimes.com</a>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-54224086373971354302008-11-05T06:16:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:10:36.505-08:00A New Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4hMElttrpQLwuVBMqr0J1Tq0MIJ89Vhpqs7SRJFGN_nEzwsXaibpFcC5y1YAfl7PIq7hjohsiJhQUJBNPGpu6rMcY-1gqwE8cqXjDYinHABQ4G2wWReFgqE4Cb0xvGOaRLPQ/s1600-h/obama+teaching.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4hMElttrpQLwuVBMqr0J1Tq0MIJ89Vhpqs7SRJFGN_nEzwsXaibpFcC5y1YAfl7PIq7hjohsiJhQUJBNPGpu6rMcY-1gqwE8cqXjDYinHABQ4G2wWReFgqE4Cb0xvGOaRLPQ/s320/obama+teaching.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265178791001876674" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">It is safe to be smart again<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyFovXWUAZBKgGaQwT3j8g41_zqTbazOZwSxOJCw0UYEUHumplx3KeSjx3anzlvr1Pg0Vz4zIPZapBvisAhkWAhN_JChEFAh4UzfkaCriBLtZ4Hsyd8pB4rIO6brvaQmFeah4/s1600-h/obama-reads-533.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyFovXWUAZBKgGaQwT3j8g41_zqTbazOZwSxOJCw0UYEUHumplx3KeSjx3anzlvr1Pg0Vz4zIPZapBvisAhkWAhN_JChEFAh4UzfkaCriBLtZ4Hsyd8pB4rIO6brvaQmFeah4/s320/obama-reads-533.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265179144399952866" border="0" /></a>It is safe to learn about other cultures again<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTwEojpXgjjxZYavk-1Bt2Na3hepanEhD-n54HqD-6AoDSJwtzKTscCVZxJexCtoTfjzzLvbhPjgEWCckaZyq-X1GpcM2quAi6UFAg80N4_5dNCBnQCDksLNK5JjWLnGTj4vj/s1600-h/obama+tutu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTwEojpXgjjxZYavk-1Bt2Na3hepanEhD-n54HqD-6AoDSJwtzKTscCVZxJexCtoTfjzzLvbhPjgEWCckaZyq-X1GpcM2quAi6UFAg80N4_5dNCBnQCDksLNK5JjWLnGTj4vj/s320/obama+tutu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265181076212758466" border="0" /></a>It is safe to be humane again<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTx2eD7TIfJaXtWw75PRPYP_C8slU6fknbOV4wvqCJMzS4oZcK84giHnxdN8OH_qyJUmxMA2MGdZLUq-KYg2iK-3AmISybBnFBd782F9u5SukuziwCDPRebXC9oNsdZWTFh0S/s1600-h/grandma.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTx2eD7TIfJaXtWw75PRPYP_C8slU6fknbOV4wvqCJMzS4oZcK84giHnxdN8OH_qyJUmxMA2MGdZLUq-KYg2iK-3AmISybBnFBd782F9u5SukuziwCDPRebXC9oNsdZWTFh0S/s320/grandma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265181589076750034" border="0" /></a>It is safe to know who we are again...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHXcO7NY99bxVS5gRXFxrg1xYuf-yWB_968yE3iobXG5C1rcYuxPLlGZGAOIl_obI8vE_tOeXKExAGZMdzGeT88oPKFNU3D28b05SnIBRdyOuKFu0ig6Raqeks6voas3E-8mE/s1600-h/grandma+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHXcO7NY99bxVS5gRXFxrg1xYuf-yWB_968yE3iobXG5C1rcYuxPLlGZGAOIl_obI8vE_tOeXKExAGZMdzGeT88oPKFNU3D28b05SnIBRdyOuKFu0ig6Raqeks6voas3E-8mE/s320/grandma+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265181733365034770" border="0" /></a>...and where we came from<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiD1Lu5C2Tbu6lz4w_oNk3lWWCTpuMdF24vNlC9eYapIjEXa7TefbARAwGwPNI40BLmmrvQVgjRzg8qnNuMMmXadPvMwI8stR6GHHI-ltOMro_oPhcnKa5uNbog1A4sHzN5yUa/s1600-h/barack-obama-4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiD1Lu5C2Tbu6lz4w_oNk3lWWCTpuMdF24vNlC9eYapIjEXa7TefbARAwGwPNI40BLmmrvQVgjRzg8qnNuMMmXadPvMwI8stR6GHHI-ltOMro_oPhcnKa5uNbog1A4sHzN5yUa/s320/barack-obama-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265179581656934418" border="0" /></a>It is safe to know the immigrant in all of us again<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtYE8vq5bL-HMZLWpqRpUsh4kl52-eB7h8Byvv4fEFOtUaS3q3OlWWNaUs8Rcq2yLLotxg0j9E-8dsRX8OArT6O22Sk-uanHd3rFHQv1cThRFXn_q5Clp16UwPtCMD8Uii77w/s1600-h/rally.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtYE8vq5bL-HMZLWpqRpUsh4kl52-eB7h8Byvv4fEFOtUaS3q3OlWWNaUs8Rcq2yLLotxg0j9E-8dsRX8OArT6O22Sk-uanHd3rFHQv1cThRFXn_q5Clp16UwPtCMD8Uii77w/s320/rally.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265179885035975362" border="0" /></a>It is safe to love our President again<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br />We all have work to do now. We must work together to heal our country. We can't leave that burden to President-Elect Obama alone.<br /></div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrsTS3ZAih10mmHwh-ehF20jeixy0jkfo6mfd8-utALAHB454etGtlSpyhcbZPmZ3XfiWcOs1-a6c8ulzQ3zJPccVeSV5GhzNtVTShVWr3c1cUGbIEiqDaABYycax1WYBi99U/s1600-h/obama+in+stairwell.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrsTS3ZAih10mmHwh-ehF20jeixy0jkfo6mfd8-utALAHB454etGtlSpyhcbZPmZ3XfiWcOs1-a6c8ulzQ3zJPccVeSV5GhzNtVTShVWr3c1cUGbIEiqDaABYycax1WYBi99U/s320/obama+in+stairwell.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265177573793647490" border="0" /></a>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-67925871992934259072008-11-03T08:33:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:11:15.516-08:00Fear and Loathing in New JerseyAnything can happen with this election. <a href="http://www.blackboxvoting.org/">Stuff has been happening</a>, voter purges, vote flipping, false information, <a href="http://www.bradblog.com/">threats</a> and long ass lines.<br /><br />I'm not one for doing the fear thing. But, on the front page of my local newspaper last week featured <a href="http://www.northjersey.com/multimedia/video/33392509.html">some stuck in the past people</a> invoking fear. They went on about how America should be fearful of a black president and that as white people, they can't bring themselves to vote for a black man. Nevermind that I've been voting for white men ever since many black and white people died so that white people would finally allow me to <a href="http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/sayitplain/flhamer.html">vote</a>.<br /><br />Anyway, fortunately for most Americans we are all trying to deal with this race problem in more constructive ways. Ron Howard has weighed in to share how he is dealing with this election:<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="464" height="388"><param name="movie" value="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf"><param name="flashvars" value="key=cc65ed650d"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><embed flashvars="key=cc65ed650d" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" src="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="464" height="388"></embed></object><div style="text-align: center; width: 464px;">See more <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/ron_howard">Ron Howard</a> videos at Funny or Die</div><br /><br />Regardless of the outcome of this election, Obama's candidacy has moved this country forward finally after having gone so far backward in these past 8 years under Bush. Now is the time to get to work and clean up this mess for our own sake.Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-19887755897333570292008-10-30T07:18:00.000-07:002008-10-30T08:20:03.833-07:00Better than Rhinebeck?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvV5pFYVKKNWea6wYhfN2Tjm3D9pEUz7paepI6FsrBlQxk133RFOot7lxDSPyxBe0NrlOVhv_JoR9KdKmbiXTIIPWwNPj10Nr9ai7ZAgXIT0oo_hXFjyY_ohIrPURgpFnVUQ-/s1600-h/235.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvV5pFYVKKNWea6wYhfN2Tjm3D9pEUz7paepI6FsrBlQxk133RFOot7lxDSPyxBe0NrlOVhv_JoR9KdKmbiXTIIPWwNPj10Nr9ai7ZAgXIT0oo_hXFjyY_ohIrPURgpFnVUQ-/s320/235.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262955421072304418" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For those of us who live in the Northeastern United States, what, you ask, could be better than Rhinebeck? Sure there are millions of vendors and sheep and goats and llamas and all of that out door flava going on, but man, let me tell you about this amazing experience I had a few weeks before Rhinebeck.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBzKwWgf33yadmXxjPgm3ham-h5O_yRyOia9dZ7ZvGIy6VfGih7jJs1v39FJqA7gBm-08-Fhs5fFWNwYBylCTeVYkEsu7xqZe-Fc65RTKUfiPfBEUCOEVZzjX1Qc9lYXYSyTV/s1600-h/176.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBzKwWgf33yadmXxjPgm3ham-h5O_yRyOia9dZ7ZvGIy6VfGih7jJs1v39FJqA7gBm-08-Fhs5fFWNwYBylCTeVYkEsu7xqZe-Fc65RTKUfiPfBEUCOEVZzjX1Qc9lYXYSyTV/s320/176.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262953442047036146" border="0" /></a>WEBS!!! You know, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.yarn.com">Yarn.com</a><br /></div><br />Phyllis and I left around 8 in the morning to drive all the way from New Jersey to Massachusetts. We were going to see our knitting pal, Carol, who just relocated there. Carol was going to take us to lunch and we'd get to hear all about her new life in New England.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_fMqdUttm_2kaA_ZPFS-r9rOrJ6y3s6VF2xSG9Vx7N56xkzLkYFhopecN64fUic0LU_sSfHw0FMgOco4Rje6FtwjoV-D7ho7g_EThsmYkh8NZKdxDgvX4OpaknPxQEcY7rOa/s1600-h/180.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_fMqdUttm_2kaA_ZPFS-r9rOrJ6y3s6VF2xSG9Vx7N56xkzLkYFhopecN64fUic0LU_sSfHw0FMgOco4Rje6FtwjoV-D7ho7g_EThsmYkh8NZKdxDgvX4OpaknPxQEcY7rOa/s320/180.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262954063748017058" border="0" /></a>Meet Carol, that's her absolutely beautiful sweater she made with Louet.<br /></div><br />On our way up (3 hours of driving), Phyllis said if we had time, we'd visit her daughter at college too but most importantly, that no self-respecting knitter would ever go to Massachusetts without visiting Webs. So, I say, why not? I'm always up for seeing another yarn store wherever I go. People, I was not prepared for this -<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc35q28pnRI3Z0XJS6znwzPLOEz2tZWM4MWaMblHyCJCYwAgpmdUkcety44jDak_tJtZbluQn1qmYNg_JPH2LBBObAkExWvc_RHK7wEPNidJEIED0Lgw0taJCMPejKiq4c7mXw/s1600-h/178.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc35q28pnRI3Z0XJS6znwzPLOEz2tZWM4MWaMblHyCJCYwAgpmdUkcety44jDak_tJtZbluQn1qmYNg_JPH2LBBObAkExWvc_RHK7wEPNidJEIED0Lgw0taJCMPejKiq4c7mXw/s320/178.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262953703331550466" border="0" /></a>Mountains of yarn in every brand<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPYD2TA7q4UDmy_ke2ePRa6Im6TC6ZosI6B7qvCRVdI0AWgpc0CP7NRYiVTJMb0-_Z384ECsujt6EiHPuEORSYOb91rx3D80AA_qfmhNFgYtZCm_ZFi3Q_W4Or4fRxspfyf34/s1600-h/179.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPYD2TA7q4UDmy_ke2ePRa6Im6TC6ZosI6B7qvCRVdI0AWgpc0CP7NRYiVTJMb0-_Z384ECsujt6EiHPuEORSYOb91rx3D80AA_qfmhNFgYtZCm_ZFi3Q_W4Or4fRxspfyf34/s320/179.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262953877027934850" border="0" /></a>and in every colorway!<br /></div><br />I felt myself hyperventilating. I was at a major dilemma. Do I blow my Rhinebeck budget now (and entire bank account) here at Webs or do I just buy the stupid <a href="http://hat-attack.com/">hat attack</a> yarn, SWTC Therapy, that I said I would limit myself to (Why stuipid?? it cost $10 bucks a skein - seriously overpriced.) What would you do?<br /><br />I managed to calm myself and simply buy the Therapy yarn and a random skein of Kureyon which is what I do each time I visit a new yarn store, I buy a random skein of Kureyon, yeah I know, big whoop.<br /><br />We left and headed off to a lovely vintage hotel and had lunch. I had authentic New England Clam Chowder which is so much better than anywhere else even better than the Jersey shore.<br /><br />So what else? Oh right Rhinebeck. I think the Webs trip affected my appetite to buy too much at Rhinebeck, and, it didn't help that the stock market crashed and my bank practically went into receivership before it was purchased by another bank (whose stock I own but is now waaay below the price I bought it at) and life will probably get really screwy for me by christmas time but as there is practically nothing I can do about that now, I might as well enjoy life this moment before I find myself on some charity's soup line selling random skeins of Kureyon but I digress...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttpbXh5mqsqzOfd5v3XJRb8QMfAPor1CK7ebTqLxWOA6erWIM_J-Zx5kb_Kvsokt7HhZwp8PD_3RfoA9XyXPxetX1gfJsyqdAAD8qyVD3a7aANEjBSMF4Fgw4LBMAE87fADqw/s1600-h/233.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttpbXh5mqsqzOfd5v3XJRb8QMfAPor1CK7ebTqLxWOA6erWIM_J-Zx5kb_Kvsokt7HhZwp8PD_3RfoA9XyXPxetX1gfJsyqdAAD8qyVD3a7aANEjBSMF4Fgw4LBMAE87fADqw/s320/233.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262955092566173234" border="0" /></a>The Mason Dixon ladies didn't seem at all worried about the stock market, they gave a fun talk about their new book. As soon as I'm able to deal with the subliminal message that 'mason dixon' has on my psyche, I may one day buy their book.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGv8Ts4pE7BdsU_VjqwWC-CoRhyphenhyphenKpMcOMThhaAUASUEswVkDRG_hhi4Jqed-b_buq_bOji1KdcOGalVQhowhRRU-EdXvaTmN0ffj9hyphenhyphen1s-KSllnZEUoWb-jkAtE4-HaYKKpfCS/s1600-h/218.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGv8Ts4pE7BdsU_VjqwWC-CoRhyphenhyphenKpMcOMThhaAUASUEswVkDRG_hhi4Jqed-b_buq_bOji1KdcOGalVQhowhRRU-EdXvaTmN0ffj9hyphenhyphen1s-KSllnZEUoWb-jkAtE4-HaYKKpfCS/s320/218.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262954600934353202" border="0" /></a>I just had to bring Phyllis and Elaine to see the <a href="http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/newmoon/">Socks That Rock</a> booth. People go berserk here every year and it is so much fun to see it live!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhRx4Hha7iZW3TDQ12qs-nhWh8Nv4bQzyDZW4tVzVeQCmGcX286Lbc6XDN-lLNa_faiWLBBcFzZb29tshbXF97WxFP9Qk4ActDRf3s7QxpNXr3b6ZLrt8G38AAGbwtNuejuhv/s1600-h/221.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhRx4Hha7iZW3TDQ12qs-nhWh8Nv4bQzyDZW4tVzVeQCmGcX286Lbc6XDN-lLNa_faiWLBBcFzZb29tshbXF97WxFP9Qk4ActDRf3s7QxpNXr3b6ZLrt8G38AAGbwtNuejuhv/s320/221.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262951859407454946" border="0" /></a>Did anyone spot this lady? She was near the Socks that Rock booth, spinning angora and seriously wearing that gorgeous sweater she spun and knit.<br /><br />Well, yes, Rhinebeck is fun. But I can't wait to get back to Webs!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3wYVTiybb0FWKzXNox4P5BM4QtiAZ0PW9JZ7jqqvm6Kzxt_GEM1GI2fqRXbR4saY21uMxdkRKQmj_w6PNP-454g62chHMpJbT4FrLccGmS-l95d7fFkRqf_7bim_FvJfGbIA/s1600-h/185.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3wYVTiybb0FWKzXNox4P5BM4QtiAZ0PW9JZ7jqqvm6Kzxt_GEM1GI2fqRXbR4saY21uMxdkRKQmj_w6PNP-454g62chHMpJbT4FrLccGmS-l95d7fFkRqf_7bim_FvJfGbIA/s320/185.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262954322641082306" border="0" /></a>Phyllis' daughter's equestian class<br /></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-90327647759274393312008-10-21T10:22:00.001-07:002008-10-23T14:47:41.694-07:00Long time, no see<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-Tnm0c-NoiehuUi_NEYhzoET-pwK0ydv9-MEepiFC4CwWjmcT4f1aYykOur2Uiw2tClNv8cDPCeDFDF7gjlWkOld-bLfdqEtuVX46hx5C5BMdHtPCC2XvRITSs8BCTCrEGWw/s1600-h/deb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-Tnm0c-NoiehuUi_NEYhzoET-pwK0ydv9-MEepiFC4CwWjmcT4f1aYykOur2Uiw2tClNv8cDPCeDFDF7gjlWkOld-bLfdqEtuVX46hx5C5BMdHtPCC2XvRITSs8BCTCrEGWw/s320/deb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259660589117903682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsEGVb4veRRqS5Onq6NYSznB2gg51zfVYMNArRZjBPH3mdAJzJNeHEmYde6kxFb_fQIVBOK1_Q0Br0u-XtnDezedBHnw1XTdfCLgABIbPR6mMlqsYOhyswsG_8EoKf9JSd0TD/s1600-h/236.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsEGVb4veRRqS5Onq6NYSznB2gg51zfVYMNArRZjBPH3mdAJzJNeHEmYde6kxFb_fQIVBOK1_Q0Br0u-XtnDezedBHnw1XTdfCLgABIbPR6mMlqsYOhyswsG_8EoKf9JSd0TD/s320/236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260358049174434674" border="0" /></a>Hey yall, bet you thought I had abandoned this ol' blog. Nope. My dang computer is sick with the slow disease and I've not had a spare 4 - 5 hours to talk with some call center geek to get it fixed. I've decided to use my son's brand new computer while he is at school during the day.<br /><br />I've been a good knitting girl though. I have lots of goodies to show you. Not the least was my fabulously fun day at Rhinebeck with my pals Phyllis and <a href="http://workingwritingwoman.wordpress.com/">Elaine</a>. Elaine and Phyllis took the pictures of me wearing my new pinwheel sweater!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Rhinebeck '08 yarn finds</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKs5r0UfLYeVq6-FVb-S3xrnrM7pBvK61zp9xzyMUkkxrqWku2chi9L56b9t51eQby1zAvEtijUyboarfRNXL_Im5lB79z8bjbBHEM6osSl5RmcWdQ6evddFnuaDDiO2eFBqmX/s1600-h/252.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKs5r0UfLYeVq6-FVb-S3xrnrM7pBvK61zp9xzyMUkkxrqWku2chi9L56b9t51eQby1zAvEtijUyboarfRNXL_Im5lB79z8bjbBHEM6osSl5RmcWdQ6evddFnuaDDiO2eFBqmX/s200/252.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260350321882056274" border="0" /></a>lovely silk and merino laceweight<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegi0UAYCGeXmFkIc9-jpTb5zb8R-qlDLwwWJ96fxAVZS7Hr3hW8sZ1nsx6LKaW4FuCULFhaSnXXvXXkatX1o5hZXGA1W5yt8i6V51CnKBpfjcqzPaaPT6ECT_ZY0hA6P9LsoO/s1600-h/248.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegi0UAYCGeXmFkIc9-jpTb5zb8R-qlDLwwWJ96fxAVZS7Hr3hW8sZ1nsx6LKaW4FuCULFhaSnXXvXXkatX1o5hZXGA1W5yt8i6V51CnKBpfjcqzPaaPT6ECT_ZY0hA6P9LsoO/s200/248.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260353555443987586" border="0" /></a>5 bucks a skein wool for felting<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9s_MBpCkGPuw10-z1Tsdc5pi7F0JvpY5Cen831XX8UfPARLzd80bnXvhz2Mo17b39i7YfE-kB3qA3HFX2Ken9NAZqC6yob5x6Z4AeZX3QeeTGX7onFGpctwXRoYzmMOt-YQ5/s1600-h/249.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9s_MBpCkGPuw10-z1Tsdc5pi7F0JvpY5Cen831XX8UfPARLzd80bnXvhz2Mo17b39i7YfE-kB3qA3HFX2Ken9NAZqC6yob5x6Z4AeZX3QeeTGX7onFGpctwXRoYzmMOt-YQ5/s200/249.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260352609210094210" border="0" /></a>I got this group for $6 bucks, hopefully for felted mitts<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuWQiI27sh4guZnASNis4r0q3ohp5OUvY7CbP5fizX01gug9p4kNpp3UlZgkeVwvdRfSJf6ZqU47gMYsrQ5hlOB2YEA-TN6pmN1ji0D4sk-La_qRxETyhrqXSm_z3dJWkBxjZ/s1600-h/250.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuWQiI27sh4guZnASNis4r0q3ohp5OUvY7CbP5fizX01gug9p4kNpp3UlZgkeVwvdRfSJf6ZqU47gMYsrQ5hlOB2YEA-TN6pmN1ji0D4sk-La_qRxETyhrqXSm_z3dJWkBxjZ/s200/250.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260351872794699586" border="0" /></a>Ooh, Socks that Rock - mill end for $16<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6ciY82wkfWgD4guAvMpyRvLnJxpiA4i6US-6IiOolgDzFwL-1cq1Klqh2fs6Vg72AXnmMTCk8pcYLhK5paQcAbmoBYmVZP6TPkV69S1PWC_8UvEKhphlCm9wKhPVmRU9UUa0/s1600-h/251.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6ciY82wkfWgD4guAvMpyRvLnJxpiA4i6US-6IiOolgDzFwL-1cq1Klqh2fs6Vg72AXnmMTCk8pcYLhK5paQcAbmoBYmVZP6TPkV69S1PWC_8UvEKhphlCm9wKhPVmRU9UUa0/s200/251.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260350966676089170" border="0" /></a>more silky lace weight<br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >So who'd we see?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09JxI43X6Vg3ebNaeL1jDEy4ITLAqLsqdCaKVbg2TqmpvkJtSpUl36zfSOlMSyyZM9RFtFuKufthRDOC1mMyzCZLgweTC9xPk-QrdEAVUVR5Nl3ZXjctZpNRz624kuf5WGfPM/s1600-h/232.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09JxI43X6Vg3ebNaeL1jDEy4ITLAqLsqdCaKVbg2TqmpvkJtSpUl36zfSOlMSyyZM9RFtFuKufthRDOC1mMyzCZLgweTC9xPk-QrdEAVUVR5Nl3ZXjctZpNRz624kuf5WGfPM/s320/232.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260358927035587698" border="0" /></a>The Ravelry Oracles themselves! All together now, everyone stand and salute!<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUio6E1a_u2M9v0M007nloaSbU4VzMqYtdTO0fQLNd52Qfy7MulKwIcnT4fUs09tJoxWeQQK-sjaGWe3Wpudb1FmwiwR4ng7VnID02r6TNZ4dABCIudQoA_sg-NiF7HBJIgVg8/s1600-h/226.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUio6E1a_u2M9v0M007nloaSbU4VzMqYtdTO0fQLNd52Qfy7MulKwIcnT4fUs09tJoxWeQQK-sjaGWe3Wpudb1FmwiwR4ng7VnID02r6TNZ4dABCIudQoA_sg-NiF7HBJIgVg8/s320/226.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260360685545742834" border="0" /></a>Thats Phyllis with the very funny <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/">Yarn Harlot</a>, Stephanie<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvGx4AJ1LOYjJhyFHTHDwtPxMFOj6z4Y1m_l7FnHUBQByBIxbWqHMOexg_n2_iEo1VxxbOUvSNpUKD6wDxG8pYRWPGJAk282ynGSTdvQ0WTJy5RDBYoQ38adxxnbEyUBlLKIV/s1600-h/240.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvGx4AJ1LOYjJhyFHTHDwtPxMFOj6z4Y1m_l7FnHUBQByBIxbWqHMOexg_n2_iEo1VxxbOUvSNpUKD6wDxG8pYRWPGJAk282ynGSTdvQ0WTJy5RDBYoQ38adxxnbEyUBlLKIV/s320/240.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260361948313262402" border="0" /></a>I was so glad to run into some <a href="http://www.modernyarn.com/">Modern Yarnies</a>. There were others in the group (<a href="http://deedeenetblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/field-trip-montclair.html">Kristine</a>...) who were a bit camara shy...<br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >So what have I been knitting?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2y0U20XhQqj5rDv3jr7Lz3t2oYGJaKWIPT5XMi_0GOCYfCrTVygBcs8J9kIZPJjh6nIX2gZmZurW48gcOgJI_BXhA3xlLuMhmWbzoefxDn0Ezj8E6E5-00z2lLzwX3k3AaMC/s1600-h/258.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2y0U20XhQqj5rDv3jr7Lz3t2oYGJaKWIPT5XMi_0GOCYfCrTVygBcs8J9kIZPJjh6nIX2gZmZurW48gcOgJI_BXhA3xlLuMhmWbzoefxDn0Ezj8E6E5-00z2lLzwX3k3AaMC/s320/258.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260366680632834114" border="0" /></a>Still working on <a href="http://inaugurationdayscarf.blogspot.com/">My Inauguration Day</a> scarf - I decided to do it as a sampler stitch idea. I'm using <a href="http://02a1fae.netsolstores.com/">Black Bunny Fibers Unity Yarn</a>.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbgKfBj4hefmUgO2Oa1crvndggP6BVvc-m2nafimFCIsDuKB3waxh8qceFlp3znASD6Zp9Sz2xgQ8PWrlDV6MiLffuTuiP3vKvCoIDf9rRhee_hEjLAk8RpDNDl6bTvjldwcf/s1600-h/157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbgKfBj4hefmUgO2Oa1crvndggP6BVvc-m2nafimFCIsDuKB3waxh8qceFlp3znASD6Zp9Sz2xgQ8PWrlDV6MiLffuTuiP3vKvCoIDf9rRhee_hEjLAk8RpDNDl6bTvjldwcf/s320/157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260367933985678610" border="0" /></a>Finished a pair of <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTdashing.html">Dashings</a> for my brother-in-law<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvQTnbVV1JG7MqipGCJ5ZqXaVM_fbsuZN0h3FkYes4unHuUaz3vRLzbGNPcYDBk8-2hp0XQHQR9ZpIYwq8sUxdcUwfbvlL0cND901cCz7ShBIpHEXceP_GIiu3eB-he0Qo7id/s1600-h/259.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvQTnbVV1JG7MqipGCJ5ZqXaVM_fbsuZN0h3FkYes4unHuUaz3vRLzbGNPcYDBk8-2hp0XQHQR9ZpIYwq8sUxdcUwfbvlL0cND901cCz7ShBIpHEXceP_GIiu3eB-he0Qo7id/s320/259.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260366902844538338" border="0" /></a>Ugh, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/hat-attack">hat attack</a> hat. Still waiting on where to send her...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlsDTQ3jnikTn8F50arjmBbCAmIHc7fXAHoB5NVrfwZmvQLu5uu37Ze_nQyd0RQK1lwgPjGe9j5LvHozpV3ZCmg4RI0mKf3xjVRaZmeV6VJ5dc2jL6ljw41-La5Fy7xZiN8SU/s1600-h/244.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlsDTQ3jnikTn8F50arjmBbCAmIHc7fXAHoB5NVrfwZmvQLu5uu37Ze_nQyd0RQK1lwgPjGe9j5LvHozpV3ZCmg4RI0mKf3xjVRaZmeV6VJ5dc2jL6ljw41-La5Fy7xZiN8SU/s320/244.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260356689087027778" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/argosy-wrap">Argrosy</a> wrap in 5 different Kureyons<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gRATrYFqz8cyM26nKd-l70WmcUn18hq5ofeslm79fs5CwgQ47lYNdlvZVL-WFJpVfZJm4YcCenCsYoo1YYgGBoh773_n8qzB6J3JLlST2PA9kWrJzVSUzAxyzGpRyHcy6bvI/s1600-h/247.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gRATrYFqz8cyM26nKd-l70WmcUn18hq5ofeslm79fs5CwgQ47lYNdlvZVL-WFJpVfZJm4YcCenCsYoo1YYgGBoh773_n8qzB6J3JLlST2PA9kWrJzVSUzAxyzGpRyHcy6bvI/s320/247.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260356341212229474" border="0" /></a>There's lots more to tell and more pictures of Rhinebeck that I'll save for another installment. Take care, and don't forget to vote!Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9920809.post-84221765541183399032008-09-25T09:29:00.000-07:002008-09-25T09:53:55.258-07:00Predators in the nightLast night, at around 2 am, I heard noises. Sounded like someone had a pick ax and was whittling away at something. I got up and went downstairs. The sound was louder - in the wall. Dammit. It was coming from my new, state of the art electronic thermostat that is part of my 3 zone heating system.<br /><br />I take the cover off and dropped it when all of this fuzzy stuff falls out. Guess what was inside?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQnGjGekmrlndMilmUhoDHw_BG-VTpj0tx5_KvDce9Kp437RMsZvhywNRwTVitmf8sPVA8-HUO6ZHZ3crj7DE306gmci2ipmmL59FYZ_9H1UgeNdZ3dfPOYAvNjqVit8QePCb/s1600-h/DSC05358.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQnGjGekmrlndMilmUhoDHw_BG-VTpj0tx5_KvDce9Kp437RMsZvhywNRwTVitmf8sPVA8-HUO6ZHZ3crj7DE306gmci2ipmmL59FYZ_9H1UgeNdZ3dfPOYAvNjqVit8QePCb/s320/DSC05358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250000235377171298" border="0" /></a>Need a closer look?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfzlUng3j1Vck3ZMN7GcC2I1rptmCnwLnt_u4zyeX8nENqAWftQ_LQg9O5n1X2b24YiOTvdG45HU7XAFe_D_WdQ_N29CX4FcnMJ5kPlX5jd7L4gSFKOciq6RBEubcIRA-di2U/s1600-h/DSC05352.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfzlUng3j1Vck3ZMN7GcC2I1rptmCnwLnt_u4zyeX8nENqAWftQ_LQg9O5n1X2b24YiOTvdG45HU7XAFe_D_WdQ_N29CX4FcnMJ5kPlX5jd7L4gSFKOciq6RBEubcIRA-di2U/s320/DSC05352.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250001245736833490" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">and that ain't no mickey mouse... why me?<br /></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204539920858202588noreply@blogger.com14