SkyWatcher and a new-to-me blog, and Accidental Art, # 19.

This is a raw photo, no changes except for cropping. The sky was amazing over our house yesterday afternoon.

The blue below and the blue above is an amazing color change. 

I don't usually go for commercial sites, and this isn't exactly one.  She has shared her patterns very generously.

This is a blog that I found today after tagging her gorgeous stuff in Ravelry.   I am agog at the amazing, tiny, and precise crochet items that she does.  HERE is PlanetJune.


And I leave you with, Heart on a Fence, as an Accidental Art post... The other side of the fence was painted red, and the knots bled that color through, to my delight.

#19 in an Occasional Series:

Find Hearts wherever you can

Enjoy!

A Restful Day

A few days ago DH's ancient laptop went belly up, pre-deceased by my own desk top which is now rebuilt, but DH needs it to get parts and do research on a lap top.  So, here I am on a net book that is too tiny to use like a  regular keyboard, and only one step above an iPhone for usability as a "fingers" on communication device.  It's really making me wiggy!  Back later on the big one.

Back again...

Several of you know that Thursday was Bernadette's Busy Day.  Yesterday was a hectic mess.   It was my pre-op day.  But it's over and went well.   Those of you who have had them know the drill.  It didn't look very promising when the nurse who dropped me off at Ortho Ex-ray came back a half hour later wondering where I was, and I told her that, no, I hadn't got ex-rayed yet.  She went in and came back out and said, "It will just be a few more minutes."  She didn't know it sounded like someone was having a party in there.  Partay time!

So, she came back a little later.  The worst part of any of this is that it put me behind time with the doctor's nurse and the surgeon!  I was almost a half hour late because of an orderly I do not like from the first appointment, but I digress.

I didn't get to ask my assistant surgeon to show me ( on the computer because they can do these things now) how they were going to straighten out my knee joint.  I SO want to know how they will do that.  I have a sort of "Lazy Y" joint there unstead of a nice stacked "U" joint thing going.  We did talk about ligaments, which he said no one had ever asked about before.  They shorten the ligaments or even lengthen them if needs be.  Whomsoever did my Bro's knee should have shortened them, though I'm only second guessing his military surgeons.  But this will be interesting convo with my Bro, let me tell you!   We can chit chat about many interesting details concerning Knee joints, I'm sure.

Sister and I missed our chinwag on Thursday but I got to tell her about the truly comical EKG guy, as well as the nice nurses.  Oh, and about the shock of some of them, barely concealed, that I took so many supplements.   One of them, probably the head OR Nurse, took issue with some of my sups, saying, "They must make a lot of money off of you."

I told her that one was based on ancient Indian medicine, and for saying so, I got a little sound - similar but not quite - a squeak, and so I didn't tell her that all modern Cox2 inhibitors use the active ingredient in that humble supplement - in a highly concentrated, engineered form - to charge people through the nose, plus take one of their arms and a leg for - in a capsule.  We didn't get into it. lol  

She asked me if it helped, and I said that, yes, I felt a lot better since taking all my sups.  When she made another little noise, and I didn't tell her that if Big Pharma and the Medicos didn't like it, it was too bad.  I know a lot more about modern medicines than I want to know, having been forced into reading block busting downloaded TOMES on the subject and very unwillingly, too!

You deserve a picture after all this blather about arms, knees, legs and noses, so I'll find you one.

The tort report:
They are settling in for the winter.  As soon as Halloween, DH will pull them out of their burrows and put them into the Tort Flat -special boxes- in the garage.  The tiny ones will live inside for a couple more winters, being kept out of torpor with artificial lighting and a heat lamp.  Button is still tiny but he's eating like a horse and trying to "beef up".  I put one of his big brothers in with him from time to time so that he will have some encouragement.  I try to make sure he know that life isn't just tiny black letters on the bottom of a box.

Tomatoes:

From tiny green nothings to full grown, and I won't be showing anything else about them until they are sliced and on a plate!  I promise!  I just wanted my DD who grew them from seed to see that they have survived even our southern summer, and mother's sometimes spotty care taking.  And you probably all wondered why I like cactus.

First planted in late July

Late August

September, showing some heat stress

Since they are green stripe tomatoes we are going to have a hard time deciding when to pick them.  

The knitting report:

The sock heel is done and now for the leg which is plain knitting and will go fast.   Just as soon as that is done, I'll cast on that Baktus scarf because time is running out fast.

Oh, forgot to say.  Yesterday, the EKG tech poked a long stick up my nose and hit the back of my throat.  I jumped and he said, " See, that went all the way through to your brain.  There's a hole that does straight into your brain now"  I said, " Good, now it's aerated!"   He was so fun. He made up for that Partay going on in the Orthopedics ex-ray room.  I still wish I could have remembered to ask for some of the cake, since they made me late!

Happy Knitting!

MSNBC shows Video of the New York Police smashing a camera man's head into a parked car

Part of the video on this broadcast was in the other link.

Let's be clear.  This is not new, what a few police did yesterday, Commanders the news source calls them.  You just don't see this on video tape most of the time.  It's a hidden and very brutal fact that if we don't expose such brutal policemen their departments  will not stop them!



Listen to the commentary, and what Lawrence O'Donnell has to say.   Peace Activists are not strangers to Police brutality, the L.A. City police beat up a woman reporter carrying a video camera right in front of an Italian Restaurant while she was filming them beating peaceful and legal protesters.  They were never punished. 

We can't afford a police force with these people on it, in it or in control of it.  There are too many really wonderful officers who get a very bad name in the eyes of those whom they serve, when the brute squad is not punished.  They need to be flipping burgers or sweeping streets.  We can't have then ruining our law enforcement agencies any more.

Enough is ENOUGH!  Some in the police force, ones with evidently too much power, are getting so brutal that they have to be exposed and stopped.  They are out of control of themselves.

OK, Everyone back to their knitting!

Over at Knitter's Review, there is a discussion of comfort knitting. I know that I'll need to have this sort of knitting. I think it will be a Baktus shawl. But here is ONE, the colors aren't my favorite thing, I like the Raverly one best as far as colors go but if you aren't a member, you probably can't see it. Let's just do a little check on that theory with a link HERE. if it works I'll leave it, and will have learned something.

Right now it's difficult to find a link that doesn't require membership to view. There is THIS gorgeous thing, but of course, it's not mindless knitting! I already KNOW that I cannot do a sock. The heel cup would end up on the toe!

You will see that over time I'll become a little less rational. My anxiety levels are going through the roof, and I'm trying not to EAT too much or WATCH too much of Hoarders - or get too crazy throwing things out for something called "Fall Cleaning" in a game I play on line. Yes, the world is after your STUFF, even in MMPOG'S!

Color me "Madwoman On Steroids"

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Maced

Sorry, I just had to say something about this one, as this is despicable behavior on the part of a police force, anywhere, but HERE?

Another person's view:
"Okay, I found one story in the NY Times that described the incident as a "confrontation." This was not a confrontation but rather a surprise attack initiated by cowards on peaceful, female protestors."

My own comment about this is:
Such attacks should not be ignored or white washed by the press. This is just another example of the escalating violence on our constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights of free speech and the right of peaceful assembly! Goodbye to the late, great United States, former Land of the Free.

And to all Americans who generally ignore things like this, these rights that are being trampled are what wars were fought over, our armies have fought to save Europe from escalating violence in Police States.

So it's not like we, as a people, don't have a precedent to defend these liberties from, for instance, bullies with Swastikas on their foreheads.

How very Medieval! So disgusting!

Yay George Carlin..... this guy has a mouth on him, though, so be warned!

Rain today, then Sun and a little Heat

I'm still not truly good at making collages.  I need a tripod that springs out of the ends of my fingers!  Or, maybe I can have a telescoping tripod installed in my knee while they are replacing other parts?  Would that be cool or what?

While out looking at clouds I chanced to look beneath my feet and there was this beautiful thing.  It fit into the general "theme".  Another wonder from Mother Earth.

Another version of blue and white, the clouds over water.  The little people arranged the stalks and seed head.  I didn't do that.  They like to surprise Human Beings sometimes with skills that are beyond our ken.

Organization report:

I've made a little more progress in the sewing room (actually it is a studio but it sounds like a brag now that I don't sew like in days of Yore) and recycled a couple more big pieces of fabric.  Doll patterns made my heart catch.  I can't seem to let them go just yet.  I want to see the wall decor again, though!  Is it really true that one should not pile rubbermaid containers any higher than five high?  We are talking the big honkers, not the petite ones, my friends.

Oh joy, the new smaller me can wear some of the jeans that were awaiting execution as bits and pieces of quilts or tote bags for friends and family. 

 Sister's day:

Yesterday my sister came over to spend the afternoon, and though we didn't go to the greenware store, which was the plan, we did watch  "Hoarders".   She can't get it on her many channels.   My sister is a neat freak, and I'm sure she would, if she could, be one of those organizers like the ones on the program.  I don't think she could handle the smells and the crawly things but she might surprise me. 

We don't watch television but adore The Netflix, just as long as it doesn't do anything else REALLY STUPID, that is.  I am sure this is the best of all possible worlds, TV shows without the blinking commercials!  DH made us some of his famous sandwiches for supper.  Lovely! 

 

License to Freedom

Rather than continue to rage against the machine that we ALL know is running (and unfortunately ruining) so many lives, I'd like to introduce you to one of our local feminine heroes.  Let us celebrate the beautiful Souls that walk among us!
 
This amazing woman has been in our city since around 2002.  A few years ago, May 18th, 2008, an article about Dilkhwaz Ahmed ran in our local paper.   I had saved the article and came across it while cleaning things in my sewing room.   I don't often save articles from that paper.

It was about "License to Freedom", the organization she directs but in particularly it was about how License to Freedom was helping women to rebuild their lives once they arrived in San Diego.   The organization provided crisis intervention, self-sufficiency programs,as well as advocacy for refugee and immigrant survivors of family violence.

I admire her so much. To me she is a Hero for the Planet, though she would never, ever, see herself this way.

Let me introduce you to Dilkhwaz Ahmed, a Kurdish woman, and scholar, whose organization promotes Azadi, meaning "freedom", to so many newcomers to the United States.  Hers is an organization that celebrates Freedom, in all it's full and beautiful range of meanings, for our sisters in this life.

The poster on the bottom left (that my scanner cut off) says, "Violence doesn't mean love in any language."

At the time of the article, she was not united with her husband, though her children had finally arrived.  Now I am very happy to know that her husband has finally been granted asylum in the United States, and has been re-united with his family.

You can read her biography HERE and read about License to Freedom's award winning program at the web site.

http://www.licensetofreedom.org

How to make a tiny box from a christmas card

I know PJ likes to make boxes so here is another way that I've made little boxes for my creations. 

Starting with your favorite tiny box, flatten it out by opening the seam along the inside.  Find a pretty, old card that is big enough for the opened box to fit across.  Any card stock works, too.  This one is for a Christmas present, but any card that is heavy enough stock is good.

Carefully draw around the outside of the box with a sharp pencil.  Also, carefully draw in the fold lines as they will be needed, too.  After drawing the box make sure to make small hash marks on the fold lines, which you do not want to cut through!  Cut off and discard the bottom of the card - the words side. 

Here we are with the box all cut out.  I marked the words bottom and top on the flaps because they can't be reversed or the box won't fit together right.  Just make a mental note of where these are.

To score the lines you left uncut, so that the box will fold up well, use a steel crochet hook, or similar tool, in a small but not ultra tiny size as they tend to cut the paper fibers rather than crush them, which is what you want.  I used a 10.  With a quilting triangle or metal ruler, anything with a strong edge, lay the ruler along side the line and score it with the head of the hook.  Just do this lightly enough to crush the fibers so that they bend evenly and neatly along the line.  Practice on scraps if you feel more confident that way.

Here's the little box, all glued up and ready to use.  I did have to trim a little bit on the flap so that it fit inside the front but that's not unusual for craft where you are cutting along drawn lines.  The smaller the boxes the smaller the tolerances for nano inch size differences. 


I used tacky glue but you can close it with any thing from tape to paper stick.  a very thin line of Tacky Glue works the best, though you do have to stand there and hold the join for a short while.  Count to 50. hehe

There you go!  You have a sweet little box to put some ear rings or a necklace into and give away.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Now go make some awesome boxes. If someone else made a box, you can, too. Commercial boxes are the best patterns, too, so keep your eyes open for likely donor boxes. Most of all, Have some fun!

Getting Organized Wednesday

Tiny things to do today.  I cleaned a square foot area off the top of my jewelry making bench, that from an accumulation of detritus landing there over several years.  Just bits and pieces of mostly nothing, sort of like the universe full of atoms that are mostly nothing.

Truly, if all the atoms were compressed this expanded world (universe) would fit into something the size of a child's teacup.  Or smaller.  It gets a person thinking about all the care we take of "stuff" that is so truly ethereal and mostly nothing.  The spinning electrons make everything look substantial and solid.

Gad, where did that come from?  I am tired. 

I wanted to share a love of mine.  I love Browns.  Of course greens as well, in honor of the beautiful ocean.  And I love Blue/brown combinations.  The center of this pretty, little, metal and ceramic plate is blue heart shapes - like the white ones surrounding the little jade egg and the three Tagua nuts.  Those nuts are also called Vegetable Ivory because artist's carve them into amazing amulets and other dangles for jewelry making.  They are stunning enough for me in and of themselves!  HERE you can see some of the carvings and where these nuts come from, too.

Tagua Nuts, and Jade egg

Boulder Opal and various shells added to the mix

Life is full of beauty.  Even when you are too tired to do anything at all, you can look out the window at the sky, perhaps there will be clouds, or trees, a garden filled with little birds to watch.

Today, the Winter Wren came back. She ( I call them all she) comes every year, as faithful as the Northern star.  It's amazing to go out in the Fall and hear that little jeering call and know that she is back again for another winter!  She travels down out of the mountains and this is her preferred place to hang out.  I wanted to make her a house but don't know how to make it safe and water proof.  She looks like THIS .  She makes a night nest for herself.  One year she dug all the potting mix out of one of our elk horn ferns trying to make a nest.   She was very disappointed because, as she dug at the bottom, the top kept falling onto her head!

I can't tell you how cheerful this perky little bird is and her mood is catching!

Ok, I'm off to start some laundry, do more cleaning in the sewing room which is looking very good, and more reading when I'm so tired my eyes cross.  zzzzzzzzzz

Happy knitting and if you are tossing things.. Happy Getting Organized Wednesday!

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day, Matie! Harrrrr!

Harrrr! It be Talk like a Pirate Day!

This be the day when we pirates take to the Seas n' blast em wi' our  scurvy personages.  This be all the more fun for the likes of you landlubbers.  Harrrrr!

Pirate Jokes be the rage, so here be one:

"As a child I was made to walk the plank, we couldn't afford a dog."

That there scurvy dog joke comes from HERE 

If ye be lookin for more, ye must sail to the edge o' civilization, as it be known, and haul out at THIS wee isle.  But look sharpish for them privateers.  They be the wicked, and ne'er do they look kindly upon a strange ship.

This be Jack Sparrow.  Wanted...... ALIVE!!

Photo from HERE
Very interesting article about the "REAL" Jack Sparrow
AKA Black Bart

Little Old Lady whoooo

It's not just that she Yodels, she's very good at it!  You can see that  she gets a lot of joy out of it,too.  Hee Haw!

That nice Apricot Yarn for the Sweater for L. and Organizing the SR, part II

When this yarn came in the US Mail, my eyes gave me a shock. The eyes were saying, (screaming?) "It's pink!" This is the yarn for THIS sweater from Knitty. It's not quite as sparkly but at least it won't make her sneeze and be itchy all over.

It's a lovely Apricot, snuggled up to some REAL pinks.

I unearthed my cutting table yesterday...  The last time it was used was for making a spiky bow at Valentine's day.  I'd been piling stuff on and piling it on since then.  Yes, I am happier now that the secret is out.  I had no trouble tossing things, let me tell you.  Fabric almost never gets tossed but I let go of some polyester blend scraps yesterday.

Half way there!

Today, being Sunday, I just slunk around in my PJs until it seemed like I should get dressed. I mean, what if an ambulance crew were to see me in my PJs after I'd taken a header over something on the floor in the SR? So I did the decent thing and got dressed.

Hoarders. Don't you think the people who let other people into their houses are brave? I am not that far gone believe me. We keep a nice house, but there are those pockets of resistance to modern mores, the end of the great room, the big part of the SR, the garage.

There is a wood shop and a big kiln and pouring area in that sorry place, after all. The only thing I do hoard is old blue jeans. You cannot, and I challenge anyone to do this, find old denim in any quantities without paying BIG MONEY for it. So I hoard them.

Currently, I'm reading something that gives me the shivers. It's called Farfarers, by Farley Mowat. Thank you, to Karen, who got me started back on Farley's books.  This book is about Scotland, Ireland, and the dang blasted Vikings, who you do NOT want to show up at your door, even if they are carrying an oxygen bottle that you desperately need to take puffs from.

To me, Vikings explain the Law of Karma better than any other sub group of the Human Family - well, them and "The Hordes" who ran with Genghis Khan. You know?

Have fun knitting. And crafting, and any other little messes you can make. Crafters are just messy people. What can we say? We can say this, like a mantra. "Better a Creative Mess than Idle Tidiness". That used to be on the wall at the Lapidary Shop. heehee

Yes, the big computer is back on line.  Hail to the Mighty Dr. DH!

Hardware

The big computer had a hardware problem so Dr. DH got it some new body parts, and it will be operated on soon.  The netbook, pathetic little thing that it is, is trying mightily to fill in for it's bigger sibling, but really, it has it's limits.  It can't upload pictures without blowing up but is it ever good at streaming video!

So, I'm doing an awful lot of watching episodes of "Hoarders", and balancing that with some targeted cleaning out my small pockets of clutter.   I've donated yarns (while gritting my teeth), and a couple of boxes of misc. frufru to the local Sally's.

I did make the mistake of looking at one of the Ceramics magazines;  it , fortunately or unfortunately, had EXACTLY the project pages I needed for something I'm painting for my sister.  Then I looked at more of them.  I'm not getting rid of those magazines.  Happily, the people who emailed us about them never showed up to get them!  Perhaps the stars aligned to trace a big "Do not Touch These" around the cache announcement on Craig's list?  One never knows, but at least I didn't give away something that useful to me, useful I say!.  Ceramics is going to be in my life for awhile.  It's the easiest craft, on the body, that I do besides sewing and sketching.

Sis came over yesterday and we went through the Cross Stitch booklets, watched some Hoarders, and something called "Cash in the Attic".  That's a fun show.  She didn't take any books with her, Drat!  I will copy the patterns in one of them and give it to her.  She seemed to like that one.   DH got some Greek food, heavenly stuff! 
Pictures of new sweater yarn, which appeared to be glaringly PINK and not the promised shade of Apricot (and happily was not) when the big Picasa capable computer is back on line.

Class For The Undecided

Today was a class for people getting knee replacement.  As the nurse went through some of the items on the big wad of papers we all were given, there were audible gasps from here and there.  We asked a LOT of questions, and she did a very good job of calming the seas.

Afterward, when we were walking out of the building with a man from the class (who was obviously in a lot of pain from his knees) he remarked, "I'm just not sure whether I want to go through with this or not!", echoing my own thoughts at that juncture.  He is a soccer player, and coaches his children's teams.  I could tell he was really thinking hard about being told that heavy contact sports after a knee replacement were not recommended.  In fact, one of the cartoons used in the slide show was of soccer players bashing each other.

   

I remember thinking, "Here's a fellow who is at least ten years younger than I am, and he is very likely to have to give up a sport that he loves and enjoys sharing with his kids, and their friends, on the teams he coaches - and all this wonderful stuff - so that he can be out of his pain.

We talked about having gone through all the other treatments and finally ending up at this place, at this time, with bum knees.  So, I said a little prayer for him to have his heart put at ease and to be guided by those wonderful unseen Hands that are always there, nudging or leading, pushing, and some times grabbing us back from the brink.  I've been expecting to be grabbed back from the brink if this isn't the exactly right thing for me.

My fellow pre-op patient friend had been through the same years of "other" therapies, and that had quit working for him, too, bless his heart.  I thought of Jazzie, and how hard he'd fought to stay alive all the nearly 13 years of his life.  I thought of my little hero.  Ya, I think I can do this thing.

Since we'd skipped lunch, DH asked if I wanted to go to Whole Foods on the way home.  Wow, did I ever!  But, I stayed in the jeep, and did a session of "Clouds With Music Therapy" while waiting for DH to emerge with snacks.  With the beautiful voice of IZ on the car radio, and the crows flying those long, slow glides they sometime fly when they are looking for "downed foods" on a parking lot, it was totally peaceful and wonderful after all that scary stuff in the class.  *snicker*  Yes, I am a wimp!
I felt like I was in Paradise. Here's a Sky Watcher posting!  Make 'em big!  Come fly with me!

Storm's coming type clouds

The Palm trees enhanced the experience.

And the reason we stopped by Whole foods was to see if they had any of my favorite snacks.

They didn't but these will have to do.  I miss Staff of Life.

The Knitting Weather Report:

It's 83 degrees, and Billowing Thunderheads are lurking all along the mountains, with rafts of clouds floating around looking to get together later on after dark.  But,  it's a good day to knit.  So, I'm off to knit more on the socks.   Happy Knitting is wished for all of you!

AND YES!  I am through editing this post!  I'm going to go watch "Hoarders Season Two"!

Where were you on September Eleventh 2001?

I was asleep.  When I woke up, I turned on the computer and went to make some coffee.  

Then I looked at the news on my computer.  It was 7:20 am, Pacific DST. 

I remember that moment clearly.  Seeing a headline at one of my news sites about a plane that crashed into a building in New York City, I went to the URL for it.  Then I saw where the plane had crashed, and into which building.  I felt a big jolt in my gut but still thought it was an accident.  As I was reading, the second plane hit.

The shock of the second crash into the twin tower building ( while I was reading updating news) immediately erased the idea in my mind that this was all some sort of horrible accident.  

Then the towers fell.  Nothing seemed  real about that but you knew that it was very real and absolutely horrific.  It must have seemed like the end of the world for the people who were running down the streets or searching for cover.  I thought of the firemen.  I started immediately to calculate the number of people that could be inside, some 50,000 that could occupy the towers let alone the huge numbers that passed through them each day. 

I am forever grateful that all air traffic was stopped across the country.  Without that happening so quickly, there would have been more tragedy that day. 

Then the heart break grew as the day progressed.   Like millions of others around the world, DH and I sat and watched with great sadness as the news rolled on and on.    Something I'll never forget is the outpouring of love from around the world  - all the candlelight ceremonies and especially the pictures of one in Iran.   All of it was very touching.  What has ensued is a monstrosity of it's own dimensions.

This video is of the Commemorative Monument, to the American People, from the Russian People.





I won't be posting tomorrow.  So, I am going to share this story today.

Edited to add this LINK BACK to a tribute post made on this blog to a victim of the Terrorist attack in 2001,  Veronique (Bonnie) Nicole Bowers.

Electric Excitements, Little Green Tomatoes, Diligent Roses, and "Out with the Old!"

You all probably heard.  We had a big power outage yesterday that affected the most southerly portion of California and actually big parts of Mexico, too; it occurred shortly after I posted about the knitting yesterday. 

Happily, my little weather radio has four bands that aren't all tuned to NOAA.   We got to listen to all the updates, but were very glad when KPBS went back on the air; we didn't have to listen to KOGO anymore.  UGH!  And yes, I am allowed to say I don't like them.  It is allowed.

With no power, we ate by candlelight.  It was lovely!  DH went through the canned goods and found us some dinner. The electric company execs said that the power might be off until the afternoon of Friday. We didn't dare open the refrigerator, so, we split an nice, ripe avocado, on plain bread ( no butter and toast), and split a can of tuna, with tomato around the edge of the little plate. It had that  "Haute Cuisine" look about it,  and it was delicious!   Afterwards we split a largish can of pineapple pieces in juice. It was great!

 DH has made the most delicious Ginger Dressing because we can't get the one we used to buy.  He made it up and is justifiably proud of it.  He doesn't want to share the recipe with me.  I guess the next thing is cookery classes.  Those are dangerous places, I hear, these cooking classes.  Yes, I know he reads this, and I want him to know that it was very, very good.

Is this called, "Kissing Up"?


Queue the Tomatoes: too small to be Killer Tomatoes, yet
 

The blossoms didn't drop in the heat wave.
The key was lots of water!

Our little green tomatoes!  I so want to have these to eat on salads and sandwiches.
Or, maybe I can make them into tomato pickle later on when the plants fade.

And the perennial favorite rose that almost croaked in June.

The Rose that came back from Death's Door. 

Sun Flare and it's bigger counterpart, Apricot Nectar, dropped all of their leaves and went into death spirals.
The key to recovery?  Lots of water!
 

Now for the Organizing!  Yay!  A big metal shelf was in front of this bookcase, and it was loaded with those white topped containers.  I have NO idea what to do with them all.  But did get rid of the white binders full of magazines in the picture below.  It feels good to get rid of things!

I will be sharing these Cross stitch goodies on the left with my sister, who I hope will be delighted.
 The soap making things I want to use again.  I am insane, I know.

Out these go!  I am SO ready to be rid of the majority of other people's ceramic cast offs.
I want to be rid of most things to do with ceramics!  It really clutters up a house! 
I'm tired, and I just want to KNIT things!

September sizzle

As the song goes, "We are having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave."

It's 104F in the shade today, after a thunderstorm with showers to begin this week. September is like this in California.   I hate September.   But the Green striped tomatoes have set fruit and more blossoms.  I hope this means we will have some bragging rights to Heirloom Tomatoes in October.  Yay!

One thing we don't have - usually - is frost at this time of year.  That waits until January and February.   HERE is a page of Heirloom Tomatoes to pour over.  I think ours are Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomatoes but I'm not entirely sure.  Jimmie grew them for her plant sales.  They could be Black Zebras.  I hope we get some tomatoes soon!  I will be watering them, and fertilizing, like a mad woman so as not to have them drop the fruit!

Roll on October!  This is not knitting weather.  But I am forging along with the second Yukon Leaves sock.  The name reminds me that cold weather is on the way, well, chilly weather, when I can snuggle up to the sweaters in the comfy chair and knit as long as I'd like. 

It's looking very nice

They have been a joy to knit!

Woman for Women-- Feel helpless in a world of violence?

This program can, and does, help both people, giver and receiver, to feel more in control of their destiny in this world. It helps children as well as their mothers to survive.

I wanted to feature this again and more than just a link in the side bar.  I feel that this program, like the micro loans that are made through other organizations, is one of the most important things that can be done for women all over the world.

If you help a woman to be self sufficient, you help a whole family, and a whole village benefits.


PS. If you want to share videos from YouTube, and they are too wide, I've found that you can look at the embedding codes and change them.  Some have width and height in two places and both need to be changed.  I always use 420w and 300h but.. this varies with each YouTube. 

Facebook Berkeley Funnies

There was a long list of things to do and not do for one's safety while studying at Berkeley, and this was one of them:

"Don't worry about safety. Why are you outside anyways? Get back in your hole and study. Your life is over."

 Oh, I so agree! LOL!

I saw that Katia gave the whole East Coast a miss, and "I couldn't be happier if I was twins."This was a quote from the Mayor of Grady, and it was enthusiastically blurted out by the Mayor, in the movie "Doc Hollywood",  A dam fine film.

It's late but I have an excuse.  I couldn't take my medicines until after we knew if the BIL was staying overnight for observation at the hospital.  Soooo, now I'm still waiting for the meds to kick in so I can sleep.  I'm not seaworthy enough to drive a car or a boat, and I sure enough can't knit in this condition.  

Nighty night!  I am staying close to home tomorrow!!   

The sky was AWESOME tonight.  Want to see?  I shopped out the wires and poles.  I should have shopped IN the nice half moon.

May you walk with beauty all around you.  Good night!  Sweet Dreams!  These are the actual blazing colors of this sunset.  I risked all to run out and get this photo only to find that I'd left the camera card inside, in the computer.  I dashed back into the house and back out again.  I was breathless with excitement!

If DH had seen me semi hot footing my way across the gravel of the raised bed, he would have had a heart attack.  Beauty takes away the pain.  And, this was glorious Beauty!

Rain! And September again!

This is a real surprise!  The rain woke me up this morning.   Then it stopped.  But, we just had thunder so that means that those clouds up there are growing thick!  I am so happy about this, too!  We just got another small shower of rain. 

Sun just peeking a few minutes ago

Wolfie does not like thunder.  First he dashed under the bed.  When I tried to lure him out with a "cookie", he turned his eyes to that window where the big sound was coming from.  After a little more time I was able to lure him out with tiny pieces of his treat.  He's had some hard times out there in the feral world, this wee fellow.  Right now he's next to my foot under the computer stand.  IKEA made the most lovely adjustable computer desk, big enough that he can lie there without getting his feathered tail run over... usually.   

With this cool weather, I can do all the laundry today!  And, I can sit and knit the sock mate in blissful coolness.  Tomorrow might be different entirely as this IS California after all but today is a great day to knit.

Saturday, we went to a celebration of life for an old friend.  Three of his kids were there, and his one little grandchild, so far.  She is a adorable little dancer of, maybe, three who is the sweetest and liveliest little girl.  I couldn't keep my eyes off her to the point that I thought I might make her shy, so I just sort of faded into the crowd and got involved with the "pictures to take home with you" table.

The boys, his son's, were so sweet.  One of them finished some of his father's slabs and geodes for mementos, so now we have a remembrance of J, aside from the sphere's he made, which he called J's Balls.  He was a funny, endearing man who had lots of friends who cared about him.  

In the slide show his sons presented, we saw J with his first ever fish, we think, caught when he was a lad of maybe 7?  And then one of the last pictures was of him holding his brand new grand daughter.  I'm so happy that he got to do that.

The washer's doneYay!  No waiting until 9 pm to wash clothes this laundry day.  Fall is arriving very quickly!    I've gone out to Michaels already to get a frame for one of the pictures we got on Saturday, of DH, very cute!  And got some more colorful Paton wool yarn for the big tote I'm making soon.   This will bring me up to:

One tote
Three sweaters
One pair of SF gloves
Two pair of socks

I'll be inching along on each using Fran's 10 Minute rule.   And Fran if you can read this, it's very much OK to turn that doorknob and come right in and knit with me.  Love to have you.

DIY Acrylic Gel for crafting. Also, new episodes of Hoarders, Gah!

I'm going to find this out if it's out there.  I think that artists used to have a lot more control over their materials and this has got to be very easy to make.  If it's out there, I'm going to find it.  I've already found THIS.  and THIS , although the second is just a Manufacturer's blog about how to use their products.  .  It's a start.  I'm also looking at glycerine as part of the formula for gels.

Sis and I used Mod Podge in the 60's to transfer photos from magazines to canvas or wood, and that was a super thick form of white glue or possible latex that dried clear.  From there to Acrylic Gel can't be all that far, you know? If you know anything about this process, I'd be glad to have you speak up here, please?  

I'm very tired of paying a fortune for small bottles of stuff that I could probably make my self for something like two bits.   It's time to get out those formula books and have a look.  Some might just call me cheap but I think if someone else used to make it before it got taken over in a factory, the know how is still out there somewhere.  

Night night!  I hope to not have nightmares about that last couple of hoarder's shows.  EeeeeK  The dead pets and the other not a pet dead things.  Shudders!

Just found an interesting new blog. Also, the Knitting report

It's HERE and it's by three young moms who are interested in, basically, the Universe!  It's fun.  Go have a peek?

I've got half the leg of the second sock made, and am trying to finish it before the "dread date".    I also decided that I'd found the perfect little top for my DD and the perfect yarn, Paton's Silk Bamboo.  The top is from Knitty,  The Winter 2006 issue, which I just plugged  in here now that  I found the source.  It's the Apricot  colorway,  Silk Bamboo from Paton.  The only thing I won't like about it is making all those joins in a fairly join resistant sort of yarn.  Gah!

Tonight, with the new Netflix, we are able to finally see the last half of the first season of Hoarders.

Oh my, I think I'll be right back on my organizing schedule in the morning.  I really to want to knit, dressmake, quilt and make sparkly things with metals and beads, etc.  I do not have to deal with anything else or it's storage, in my house.  I need to get rid of this ceramics thing.  It's time has come and gone.   I can still make things but they are going to be very small!

The Tiny Blue eyed grass is Transcontinental

I finally tracked another picture down, and it was taken in Durham, North Carolina. 

Mine is HERE


This far superior Photographer , in Durham NC, took THIS Picture.

Go to the main page for a real treat.   A treat for the eyes!

That's it for today.  Tomorrow I hope to get some more pictures up, of wildflowers, with names.  It's hard to track these things down, these little blue eyed grasses. 

The Green Striped Heirloom Tomatoes, and Back country Campcooking

Make it Bigger, Jimmie.  These are those skinny little Babies you grew from seeds.  They have flowers on the top now.  Trés Kewl!

Now for the camping trip.

DH and the kids wanted to get another back packing trip in before R went off to heavy duty studies at the local Uni.  Yes the big B. Yes, she made it, and with a scholarship. Yay4Gee!

Anyway back to the trip:

They were scrambling to get this put together before cut off dates; the emails, texts and such flew back and forth for days and days.  Since two of them are very experienced back packers, and the other two are pretty darn good at it, too, they made their lists for foods and bug stuff and got all their permits, etc, decided who carried the tents and that myriad of details.  Basically, they had to take care of hundreds of little details that must be remembered when you are going somewhere that doesn't have a handy REI or even a 7-11 for those last minute snack or fuel purchases.

Snow still on the ground in August of a very wet year

This was a very big patch of snow still left at the Lillian lake elevation.   This is mid- August, a very wet year and a billion mosquitoes.  There was lots and lots of snow, but the air was warm during the day.

So, the campfire was always a welcome necessity, though the wood had to be packed in and gathered from downed sticks, etc.  The smoke kept the mosquitoes away, somewhat.  I can't imagine what it would have been like for deer up there.

Cooking was done on two little stoves:

Bee made a Super Cat stove, getting the instructions off the web not exactly  HERE but it's close.  Hers has a shield of cement cloth wire it looks like.  This is the stove that heated water for soups and coffee, etc.  Incidentally, Starbucks has an excellent instant coffee product that is perfect for back packers.  It tastes great!

SuperCat Stove with Mods.  Both this and the Dragonfly are fueled with alcohol.

Gee cooked some of the main dishes on her Dragonfly stove.  Cooking duties were shared, as was wood gathering.  The black canisters are bear proof ones that back packers must carry if they don't want to end up doing the "lasso trees and hang food bags" maneuver which is a major PITA.  If you make the picture big, you will see that the white thing hanging in the air is a super illuminated mosquito that was seeking a photo op, and got it.  There are are chopped onions that will go into the cookpot with the noodles right behind Gee's hat.  There is a pan, on the log behind her, of vegan sausage ready for the stove.  Double Yum!

Yummy food!  The kids carried in lots of fresh foods which made it into the main pot.  All four of the campers ate from the same pot.  It's just tradition in our family.  heehee

Starting the campfire at Yosemite

The Gathering of the downed wood for kindling

Deciding just how to build the fire

Later, making the fire bundle with a striker and some fluff on bark

The bundle on top of the fire.  Dry Pine needles go on that, and the embers fall through to the other dried kindling that is beneath.

The evening campfire.  This isn't a cooking fire but the small alcohol stove was made for that.  It's sitting on a stone in front of the fire.  DH and the DDs made their morning coffee on that little stove.

 

Tomorrow I will show some back country cooking but for now, I want to show you a blue bug that was found somewhere on a hiking trip, probably not in this particular wilderness of snow and ice.

He looks upon you fiercely!

And he looks determined to defend himself against all things, Great or Small.

Ok.  I am off to pick up my sister.  We will then have a good chin wag, watch some documentaries on food, and water my garden.  I don't think I'll have the energy or time to knit until tonight but I did get 10 minutes in this morning, Yayme!

I am still quite worried a friend who lives in the woods of NJ.  Say some prayers for a sweet gal named Sandy, if you have a spare moment? UPDATE:  I heard from her, and she is ok.  Lots around her is not, but she and her hubster are A-ok.  Thanks for those prayers, too!


I am going to bed!  Nighty night!