03.21.05
Tryin’ out some new things
I’m trying out some new things on my blog. The first is this new theme. There are some incompatibilities with the way I have some things coded, but I kind of like it over all. We’ll see how it goes.
Knitting News
I cast on for ChicKnits’ Boat Neck Shell last night. I’m going to try out Berrocco’s Cotton Twist because, after watching Pam create her crochet Clapotis out of rose and green CT, I really wanted to try the stuff.
I had to frog Stellina the other night. Something was just not right. I think it’s going better this time, though I have only done two rows. I would have done more, but I was so tired on Friday night, I had to go home and lie on the couch. I got a little bit done at coffee with TF from the Arizona Forum (GardenWeb) on Sunday, but not enough to really call it work.
I’ll probably go to Essenza tonight to meet up with the other Phoenix SnB folk. I hope I can track down some #7 bamboo circs in time! Grandma’s Boye needles are way too slippery for the Cotton Twist yarn, and besides, they’re straights and they are just way too dang long!
Ginger Green Tea
In the ever present quest for great tea, I am currently trying Hampstead Tea & Coffee’s Organic Ginger Green single estate tea.
The jury is still out on this one.
Government Waste
I had to shut NPR off this morning. You have to understand that if I shut off NPR, it had to be really bad.
It wasn’t because it was NPR, it was because of these ridiculous politicians who masquerade as government officials and members of Congress. I can’t believe that we are even discussing the Terri Schiavo case as a matter of government policy. I am ANGRY that Congress thinks this is something that they should be involved in. If you listen to what they are saying, it has more to do with their personal issues of morality than anything else.
As a person who has had to make health care decisions for an immediate relative, specifically my father, and who had to decide what measures to take when he was terminally ill, I have very strong feelings about who should be involved in those decisions, and it most definitely is not the government. I don’t necessarily believe that the decision Michael Shiavo has made is the right one, but it is my understanding that he is legally the only one who can make the decision. The courts have made several decisions in his favor, and this should have ended.
As a person who has spent the last four years training to become a public administrator, I am embarrassed to say that I work for the government right now. Congress is using their power to make a decision for one family. I wonder how much money it cost to hold a session last night for 3 hours, or whatever it was. That was taxpayer money, by the way.
Normal?
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You Are 40% Normal (Somewhat Normal) |
 While some of your behavior is quite normal… Other things you do are downright strange You’ve got a little of your freak going on But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself |
Ain’t that the truth!
03.18.05
More About Breast Cancer
I received a thank you letter from my Aunt J yesterday (Monique’s mom). I had written to tell her about my Walk in Monique’s memory, and about how much I am awed and inspired by Monique’s life. Monique and I are different in some ways, but I like to think that we both have a love of life and a desire to help make the world a better place. That’s all that really matters in the end, I suppose.
I wasn’t expecting a letter from Aunt J. I just wanted her to know what I was doing, and that I was thinking about her. I can’t imagine losing a child… it just isn’t supposed to happen that way. Her letter was a really nice end to an otherwise kind of crappy day.
I’d found out the day before that a friend’s mother had died of soft tissue breast cancer. This is one of the worst kinds of breast cancer because it is not detectable with the normal kinds of tests (mamograms, monthly self checks, etc.). If I understood LM correctly, they didn’t find SP’s mother’s cancer until it had metastisized. I don’t know all of the symptoms for sure, so I am not going to list them here, but if you have any changes to your breasts that don’t seem like the normal monthly hormonal changes, please talk to your doctor!
I heard this morning on NPR, that there is some good and bad news for African-American women regarding breast cancer. Apparently AA women are 25% less likely than Caucasian women to get breast cancer. Unfortunately, AA women are something like 50% more likely to get this really bad form of cancer (triple negative? I’ll have to listen to the article again later) that has a higher mortality rate. Yikes!
Sorry for the sad post, but I think it all needed to be said. And please, if you don’t feel comfortable donating to my efforts, please consider donating to the American Cancer Society or the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
03.16.05
Knitting Dreams
So, the other night, I was dreaming about knitting a sock. Well, actually, I dreamt that I had knitted a sock (that in real-life I saw on someone else’s blog) and the heel didn’t fit (kind of like on that blog). Nothing much really happened after that, but this got me to wondering: have I achieved some level of knitting expertise (ha!)? Am I going insane? Is it like they say about learning a language, once you dream in the language, you are fluent?
I don’t dream about crocheting like this - or at least, I haven’t yet, and I am WAY more “fluent” in crochet. I don’t dream about my garden like this, and some of you know how obsessed I am about that.
Maybe I just really liked that sock. I’ll have to go search for the post again.
This is Ridiculous!
Now that I am done with school, I am making myself crazy with plans for what I am going to do with my free time. I keep finding all of these wonderful knitting and crocheting patterns that I want to make; I bought 6 plants that I don’t need, for my yard (that are currently turning crispy at home on the driveway as I speak/type); I’m planning all kinds of travel around the world; and then there are all of the books I want to read (picked up The Eyre Affair at the library yesterday).
I guess I shouldn’t worry about it, but anyone that knows me knows that I can work myself into a tizzy over such things. Everyone should have such problems! 
03.14.05
Martha’s Poncho
So, Martha got a poncho from one of her mates from jail. Now, it seems that every yarn manufacturer and designer is creating a “Martha Poncho” for the knit/crochet community. I want to know why none of these ponchos look even remotely like the original? I understand about creative license, but these don’t even make me think of the poncho that was given to Martha.
