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Ten

This morning I was grateful to have Neal’s arms embracing me as I stared out of the bedroom window at the beautiful blue sky. Every moment of that awful morning ten years ago replayed like a movie in my mind. My jauntiness as I stepped from the train. The lovely chat with Andy as we headed up the hill to campus. The low-flying plane that interrupted our chat and annoyed me. The slow, slow parade of emergency vehicles. The fear. The grief as colleagues understood their loss. The sorrow. The smoke rising from the tip of Manhattan where once those mighty buildings had glinted in the sunlight.

And the kindness. And determination. And the grit that makes New Yorkers who we are, Americans who we are.

I honor those lost ten years ago. I honor those struck by fear and sorrow. I honor those who acted with bravery. I honor those who strive to live with kindness, determination, and grit as we go on, trying to understand this world.

 

Ten on Tuesday: Knitting Plan Edition

Brielle's Blanket

As Rae wrote to me when I sent her a link to yet another sweater I want to knit (want to wear, really, so must knit), I have quite a line of projects before I can think of something new. Still, I can dream of casting on, and Carole’s topic for this week’s Ten on Tuesday is perfect for such dreams. Okay, fine, Rae, I’ll add some things I hope to finish, too.

Here, then, is my list of Ten Things I Want to Knit this Fall/Winter:

1. Sprossling by Anne Hanson. I tried on the Black Water Abbey model at Stitches East last year and fell in love. I even have the yarn ready for this classic cardi: BWA’s Sport in Pippen.

2. Apocalypta by Amy Herzog (I’m about 50% done). I tried on the model at the Webs book signing event this spring and immediately bought the yarn. Watch out for that Caro and Stitchy! They will coerce you into trying things on that you then Must. Have.

3. Wintery Mix by Amy Herzog. I like the neckline on this, and I think I would wear it a LOT.

4. Elstar Capelet by Erica Lynne. I have some bulky yarn and a hankering for capes.

5. Mohair Bias Loop by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. I have some Kidsilk Haze and a hankering for…you get the picture.

6. Crocheted knee socks. I’m waiting for this pattern book to arrive. Won’t these socks look great with a skirt and funky shoes?

7. Urban Troubadour Cowl by Mary Lena Lynx. Doesn’t this look so fun to knit?

8. A bolero. Not sure if I want to make Ysolda’s Briar Rose Bolero or Pam Allen’s Streakers Shrug, for which I bought the yarn the last time I was in Taos, lo those many summers ago.

9. Earth & Sky Shawl by West Knits. I have two clues completed, two to go.

10. Hawthorne Shawl. I messed it up when I made it last winter, and I want to rip it out and make it correctly. I love the yarn, and now that I “know” the pattern, I think it will be a fun re-knit.

What do you want to knit this coming “high season” of fiber?

 

Sentimental Saturday: Maddie


Seven years ago today, Maddie and I moved in together.

I’d been in Albuquerque for less than a month, and while I had started making friends at UNM, I was lonely. I missed Neal. I missed Tilly. I missed my family and friends. My oldest sister was visiting me for Labor Day weekend. We stopped by Starbucks on the way to Santa Fe, and while she ordered her drink, I looked at the rescue dogs outside of the PetCo. I had been thinking of adopting a small dog, maybe a border terrier, once I had settled into my school routine. The second I caught sight of Maddie, though, I fell hard.

MB returned with her chai, sat in a chair with her eyebrows raised, not making eye contact as I loved on the mutt. My sister has a clear “I’m not getting involved” face, and she was wearing it.

The woman who had to give Maddie had attached a long note to her crate. Then called Tickle, the pup had been found tied to a telephone pole by a shoe lace. Maddie’s sweet first mom, X, removed over 300 ticks and glass from her. I can’t tell you how filled with rage I still get when I imagine the cruelty to leave a puppy out on her own in the high desert, but Maddie was fortunate. A move to the west coast necessitated X put Maddie up for adoption.

The first few weeks were rough. I’ll be honest; I thought about returning her. I had to change my schedule. She was housebroken, but she also had some bad chewing habits (I used open the apartment door and say “here’s hoping” every time I returned home…she had a particular hunger for books.) and hated going for rides in the car. I suddenly was getting up before the sun to walk her. I got super skinny from climbing three flights of stairs what seemed like hundreds of times a day; well, I guess the weight loss and lowered cholesterol were huge benefits of giving in to Maddie’s longing for walks.

Two things changed my mind: Neal told me he would lose respect for me if, after waxing on about how great a dog would be, I turned around and gave it right up; and Maddie barked with ferocity at a strange guy who approached me while we were outside. I didn’t feel threatened by the man at all, but when I told Neal about it, he said that Maddie had bonded with me, that I was part of her pack, and she wanted to protect me.

I was pretty fragile at the time, and while I’ve never before admitted it, I needed some protection. I needed some unconditional love. I needed to matter to someone–even if that someone was my dog–out there, so far away from home.

Maddie may have needed a new home, but I needed her, my wacky, funny, sometimes clumsy, always darling mutt.

Eleven Thirty-three

Flippity flops

I don’t think I wrote about my summer Project 333 endeavors at all, so let me create a recap. I decided at the end of the spring P333 that I was going to shift the time frame for the summer to encompass mid-May through August: my non-teaching months. Here is what I included.

Clothes

1. Gray a-line skirt

2. Blue a-line skirt

3. Black dress

4. Denim skirt (I only wore this a few times; don’t love the fit, so I’ll donate it)

5-8. Black tank tops

9. Gray tank top

10. Black cap-sleeved top

11. White striped sweater

12. Blue sweater

13. Bone cardigan

14. Casual jeans

15. Green pants

Accessories

16. Sunglasses

17. Moop Paperback bag

18. Beige silk wrap

19. Jewelry (if I counted the jewelry I wore separately, it would include my friendship bracelets, silver bracelets, four necklaces, a watch, and two rings…but I decided after the first round that jewelry counts as one item for me)

Shoes

20. Fluevog wedges

21. Flip flops

22. Ballet flats

Ahh, the living really is easy in the summer! I pulled out a few items that I thought I would want to wear, but none of them saw real rotation in my closet, so I will pack them away or donate them. I did also wear black slacks and shoes not on the list when I attended a wake. Overall, though, the laid back nature of my summer made it easy to really pare down my closet.

What did I learn?

  • Good flip flops are worth the price. I’ve worn through more Old Navy flip flops than I can count. This summer, I splurged on a pair of Havaianas, and they feel SO good on my feet.
  • Skirts are far more comfortable than shorts. I’ve only worn shorts when biking or hiking this summer, and I haven’t missed them one bit.
  • Skirts are flexible. I’ve worn the gray a-line skirt most often, and I’ve worn it while sitting on the deck reading, meeting friends for lunch, and enjoying dinner out with Neal.
  • Accessories make dressing fun. I enjoy changing the look of an outfit by adding a scarf or wearing a stack of bracelets. I don’t need a lot of accessories, yet I don’t feel restricted by a limited wardrobe when I have my favorite accessories on hand.
  • I need less than I imagine. Far less. But I learned that during the first round of P333, didn’t I?
I’ve completed 11 months of Project 333, and they have been life changing. I still have some bins of clothes to sort through, clothes I didn’t know if I wanted to give up. Most of them will be donated as I prepare to embark on my next elegant, minimal style project. Stay tuned for more on that!
What have you loved wearing this summer?

 

 

Ten on Tuesday, Storm Edition

Earthquakes, hurricanes…Mother Nature sure has pitched a little East Coast fit in the last week, hasn’t she? While there’s no warning about an earthquake (although there IS a rather chatty post-earthquake Twitter feed to confirm that, in fact, one is not just a dizzy broad, but has felt the movement of the earth), the East Coast did have ample warning to prepare for Hurricane Irene.

We lost power for about a day, and I felt that we were pretty well prepared. Carole’s Ten on Tuesday prompt will help create a good archive of advice for future storms. Here are my Ten Ways to Prepare for a Big Storm:

1. Create an emergency box. I didn’t have one, but I will, just to make preparation easier. Mine will include: candles, matches, envelop of cash, batteries (change these out regularly so they actually work, ahem), and an old-fashioned corded phone. This site has a more extensive list.

2. Gas up the cars. Not only so they are ready to take you to an emergency evacuation point, but also so if you have to charge up devices, you have a little juice.

3. Charge up all devices. Throughout the day on Saturday, as my phone and iPad started to drain, I plugged them in and charged. It was nice to have a little bit of contact on Sunday via my phone’s 3G.

4. Get sensible food in the house. We made a pasta salad (N’s creation: pasta, sliced olives, diced onion, olive oil) that would hold up in a cooling fridge. While I mock the empty bread aisle, it is good to have some bread and peanut butter on hand. And, if you’ve read or seen The Road, you know that canned fruit is a thing of joy in troubled times. Just be sure to have a manual can opener. This is not a problem at Chez Golightly as I have never mastered the art of the electric can opener. Stop judging. You’ll be knocking at my door when the power is out next, now won’t you?!

5. Pre-pop some popcorn. Boy it would have been nice to have a bag of popcorn as a snack!

6. Plan coffee consumption. We had an epic fail on this front. Neal prepped Sunday’s coffee on Saturday; it was ready to plug in and brew on Sunday morning. Except, you know, for that lack of power. My pathetic “no power, send coffee” Facebook post garnered several suggestions:

  • Use a French press to cold brew
  • Get a Coleman stove
  • Brew it on the grill
  • Make it and pop it in a thermos until needed
  • Keep a pitcher of coffee in the fridge
7. Be sure to have a good book to read. I didn’t want to drain my electronic devices by reading, especially since I feared several days sans power, so I had a physical book to occupy my time. A good knitting project would also be useful, but I confess: I knit not one stitch!
8. Fill the tub with water. Flushing the toilet seems like a real luxury when the power is out. I take the stand that it is a luxury worthy of the few moments of preparation. A friend mentioned that her mom filled the washing machine as she does not have a tub.
9. Turn off the television. Seriously, I knew there was a hurricane coming. I felt no need to get whipped into a frenzy by those fear mongering Weather Channel whack-os.
10. Keep Calm and Carry On. Even in the face of several inches of water in the basement, Neal and I told ourselves that we were alive and okay, the dogs were fine, our home was standing. Compared to so many, we were fortunate.
There are other important things to do, too. We cleared the deck, stored the lawn furniture, nestled hanging plants in safe places. When we’re facing blizzards (far more fun, we agreed, as one generally has a few days of fantastic cross-country skiing after), we park the cars strategically, get wood in the house, pile up the blankets, place shovels in easy-to-find locations.  Less important, but equally useful ways to prepare for a big storm include getting caught up on laundry (who knows how long the power might be gone?), cleaning the house (it relieve anxiety, and if I’m going to be stuck inside, at least inside can be pleasant), digging out some good games.
What are your Storm Preparedness tips? Did you feel Irene’s wrath? I hope you came out of the storm as easily as we did!

 

Sentimental Saturday, Meta Style

Celebratory Flowers

I’ve been sentimental all day today. Why? Well, six years ago today I took the plunge into a world that was brand new to me. With a little “tap, tap, is this thing on,” I blogged my first post on Wearing Black in New Mexico.

Tap, tap...

So much has changed in six years:

  • I returned to Connecticut after living elsewhere for 16 years.
  • I married Neal.
  • I adopted Coco.
  • I found a teaching job.
  • I’ve honed my crafting and learned so many new crafts.
  • I’ve written thousands and thousands of words.
  • I launched a writing consulting business.
  • I made tons of friends online.
  • I made several really good friends in CT and MA.
  • I’ve gotten two new tattoos.
  • I’ve had the pleasure of writing for you, dear reader!
This blog has been a consistent joy for me over the last six years. I love sharing my life with you and getting to know more about your world, too.
So, thank you, dear reader, for being a part of my little niche of the Internet!

iPad and Accessories Review

Ipad, Keyboard, Origami stand

When the first generation iPad arrived on the scene, I could not imagine why it might be useful, yet I was attracted to it. No USB port? How could I create with it? Why not just use my laptop? I suppose it could still be argued that my laptop ought to be good enough, but after many long conversations with my brother about how useful he found his iPad and after my passionate affair with Dropbox began, I started to save my pennies and draw up a list of why the iPad might be useful. Ultimately, the biggest advantage of the iPad for me was the ability to critique pdfs that had been saved to my Dropbox and to have my comments stick (I use iAnnotate for that).

Continue reading “iPad and Accessories Review”

Ten on Tuesday: Beach Snacks Edition

Ahhh, the beach! The crashing waves, the salty air, the cool sand: I can’t get enough. Good snacks are important, too, and Carole has asked for our Ten Best Beach Snacks.

1. Pretzels. I like the honey wheat twists; I can pretend they have some health benefit.

2. Celery. I chop it into pretzel stick lengths. It’s pretty refreshing!

3. Watermelon. Again, chopped up into bite-sized pieces, it tastes great in the heat.

4. Cheese sandwich. Maybe a little mustard, maybe not.

5. Tomatoes. I like a baggie filled with sweet 100s or other one-biters.

6. Canada mints. If you have mustard on that cheese sandwich, you’ll want to freshen up your mouth.

7. Frozen water. It will serve as an ice pack, and then the sun will warm it up, and you can drink it.

8. Italian ice. If there is a cute guy selling ice creams from a cooler all along your beach, you can’t go wrong with a cherry Italian ice!

9. Cheese and crackers. As the sun starts to wane, consider it cocktail hour. Don’t worry, the frozen water has been keeping the cheese cool.

10. Glass of Chardonnay. Neal said “beer” when I asked him what the best beach snack was. I confess: I have never had a beer on the beach. I’ve had plenty of glasses of vino, though only during that sun-starting-to-wane part of the day!

What are your favorite beach snacks?

Sentimental Saturday: House Frog

House Frog
I found this toy frog in the tiny back yard of my Albuquerque casita. If you’ve read my blog since its Wearing Black in New Mexico days, you might recall that casita–my adorable home in the North Valley; the site of many a Crafty Friday, spinning adventure, and knitting challenges. I bought it about a month after my co-op in New York sold and couldn’t wait to be in my own place again. I loved living in an adobe home, adored the two kiva fireplaces, and never quite had enough furniture to look right in the place.

Sure, knowing I would be in Albuquerque for only a few years, I wanted to live in an adobe home, and my casita filled that requirement…but it also filled the dog-related requirement: I needed a back yard. When I saw my unit’s yard had a tree and room for Maddie to run around, I was sold.

Shortly after Maddie and I moved in, I started prepping for the big backyard-reno that Neal promised me. Instead of wood chips over plastic, I would have a patch of grass and a stone path and sitting area. As I decided where I best liked my chairs one day, I caught a glimpse of something green.

A treasure from some previous resident, the House Frog took up a place of honor in the casita, and he now lives on the window sill in my studio, New Mexican dirt still encrusted on his legs. When I hold him, I think of all the friends who shared time in my dear little home: Dana and Mike, David, Billy, Jamie, Cari, Mona, Noelle, Lizzie…oh, I’m leaving out far too many of them, but the laughs and conversations and special moments we shared, like that dirt, are encrusted all about the House Frog, my little household deity.

Do you have anything you’ve taken from home to home that reminds you of where you’ve lived? Feel free to leave a note in the comments, or share a link to your own Sentimental Saturday post (pictures are great!).

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