Best Friends

When I was in the middle of fifth grade my family moved from a small west-Ohio town to the Greater Cleveland area. I left behind a few good friends. My best friend, Connie, and I stayed in touch with letters back and forth for years. A couple of times we had long weekend visits and such.

We even kept in touch through college, although a little less often. I was so pleased when I received an invitation to her wedding in the mail. My mom and I were able to attend. A little over a year later, Connie and her husband were able to attend my wedding.

Somewhere around the time of the weddings my mom mentioned to me that she and Connie's mom were surprised that we kids had managed to keep in touch through all those years. That really surprised me when she told me.

Now I'm looking at the picture from another point of view. The Artist's best friend is moving to Texas next week. These two girls are right around the same age Connie and I were when I moved. I know it will be difficult, but I will definitely be encouraging them to write long hand, snail mail letters to each other. Because it does take more effort, I believe more of ones self is put into a physical letter. And it is so much fun to receive a nice fat letter from a friend in the mail! But I talked to Best Friend's mom and got her daughter's email address as well.

When my best friend came to my last birthday celebration in our old town she gave me a beautiful flannel nightgown as a gift. It was so pretty! I was thankful that it was a little big at the time, because that meant it would last longer. I did have it for several years. It was a fitting gift because we had had so many sleepovers when we lived in the same town.

Some time last summer Artist and Best Friend planted some apple seeds in the middle of the lawn in my back yard. You may be familiar with the success rate of planting seeds from grocery store apples. The girls were incredible disapointed when nothing came up. They still insist it was the lawn mower that did their apple trees in.

This year I shop at a new produce market that opened near my home. One time they were out of my favorite gala apples so I bought some pink lady apples instead. Imagine my joy the first time I cut one open and found the seeds had started to grow roots! I planted them in some soil and now I have three apple seedlings (darn chipmonks destroyed the other three) about an inch and one half tall, each with six nice leaves coming along. Tomorrow at Tae Kwon Do the Artist will give two seedlings to Best Friend to remember her by. We'll keep the other one here and it will be treasured. It would be truly amazing of one if these grew on to flower and bear fruit one day.

Charles Dickens

Recently, I spied a Signet Classic paperback at a rummage sale. The old English major in me is ever curious about what may be considered a classic these days, so I flipped the book over to examine the title. Hard Times by Charles Dickens! The spine was not even cracked! What luck!

There was a time when I would have wanted to pass this by, but knowing it was "good for me" I probably would have bought it to read 'some day'. This must come from being so horrified by images from Nicholas Nicholby when it was dramatized on Masterpiece Theatre a few decades ago that I could not bear to watch. I banished Dickens from my desired reading lists for a long time.

About two years ago, I took another look at Charles Dickens. When preparing materials for teaching third grade, I noticed some of his books were recommended. Specifically, The Child's Story, A Christmas Tree, and A Christmas Carol, were on the recommended reading list. I was familiar with A Christmas Carol, but not the others. After a trip to the library, I read and enjoyed them. I supposed that turned things around for me in my relationship to this author.

Having come to know Great Expectations since that time, and being entertained and impressed by Bleak House even more recently, I was motivated to give this little book a go.

Wow! I finally finished it this morning. Wow! I loved it. The brief criticisms included in the introduction were not enough, so when I'm done with this post I'll see if I can find some more notes on-line to help me thoroughly digest the work.

I am amazed that Dickens wrote so many great works in serial form. The formatting, space and time requirements must have been a nuisance or even a burden at times. I wonder how the works might have been different if he had been able to write without those curbs.

In other reading, I just completed Bartelby by Herman Melville, and just started Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. I'm finally remedying two great wrongs in my education: I am incredulous that I could graduate as an English major without reading Tale of Two Cities or Moby Dick.

Drat!

Oh Drat! I took a lovely photo of my Easter lilies in bloom in the garden and I cannot share it with you.

Oh Drat! The family PC has most definitely breathed its last. Rick and our friend Die Schreiben von Schrieber have been discussing the symptoms and Dr. Die Schrieben has an idea where the problems may be. At present, the CPU is unscrewed and all its innards are exposed. It underwent a thorough vacuuming yesterday. It will need to wait for the rest of its surgery! Perhaps we can replace a bad part rather than replacing the whole thing. That would be nice, right now I don't have access to any of my school documentation, any email addresses, etc.

Oh Drat! The sweater I am working on for Rick is, at this moment, exactly where it was last time I wrote about it. I had completed several more rounds when I discovered an error. But I could not find the source of the error and the best way to accurately pinpoint the last good row was to rip back to the lifeline. Frustrating though it is, that is easy enough most of the time. It becomes complicated, however, when 54 stitch markers need to be kept in their places!

Thankfully, I did not have to rip back as far as this photo shows,

it was just the most convenient re-tread photo to show the stitch markers.

So my ripping back was done in 3-, 4-, and 8-stitch segments for about five rows. No wonder it took me a week! Tonight I'm ready to move forward with it again.

Truly now, if these are the things I have to complain about, I've got it made!

Safety Town

The Engineer is going to Safety Town at a local elementary school these two weeks. After the first day yesterday he seemed a little disappointed. He explained to me that he did not get to read anything. But he did see two videos! He enjoyed that part.

Yesterday the children learned about using a cross-walk to cross the street. They also had an art project, a roadway scene with a child crossing the street in a cross-walk.

Today they will get to go outdoors and ride big wheels around the little town. They will get to practice using a cross walk in the town, stopping and going at the appropriate times with the traffic lights, and I'm sure playing in the play houses.

I was most worried about leaving him because of his introverted personality and desire to be with Mom. Thankfully, my worry was needless. I think I'd prepared him well enough by showing him the classroom facility and the town the week before and by explaining numerous times over the past week that he was big enough to be at Safety Town without Mommy. He was super and he enjoyed himself.

Augsburg Confession Conference

I think I'm beginning an era of photo-free blogging for a while here. The PC I use to work with photos is caput.

Over the weekend Rick and I were able to attend a conference on the Augsburg Confession. It was very informative, as I expected, and it delighted me by being more interesting than I expected.

Our hosts at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Marion assembled some engaging and well informed speakers to expound on several subjects within the Confessions.

Though I'm a life-long Lutheran, raised both at home and in churches by a Pastor who is best described as "confessional," meaning one to adheres to the confessions, further study still never fails to bring me further understanding. Understanding of the history of Lutheranism beginning with 1517, understanding of Lutheranism in America, and the widening gulf between conventional and confessional Lutheranism world-wide.

Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Favorite Apron, for your hospitality and for posting some photos of the day.

On Tap

Every June we change our water filter on the tap in the kitchen sink. This year is the dirtiest I ever remember the old filter being. That stands to reason, as we have been drinking more water and less milk and juice this year. Here is the picture worth 1000 words:When I get around to thinking maybe this is an expense we can do without, a sight like this will jolt me back to reality. Generally, we have been very pleased with our filter and we plan on keeping it around.

We'll appreciate the filter more than ever since reading The ABCs of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus at the recommendation of a friend. Following the techniques in the book have helped Rick tremendously. I'm very confident now too that the Engineer's next cold will not lead to an asthma attack.

A Different Kind of Astronomy Viewing

The Engineer is a visual learner. And he has demonstrated that he learns well from videos. He showed us this when he repeated his times tables to us at age three and one-half. He watched the Artist's multiplication video along with her enough times to pick it up.

At this early hour he is at it again, this time with his new favorite, the Standard Deviants' Astronomy Adventure. As you can witness here, he is engrossed. Here is what he is enjoying: How will I ever keep up? ( Answer: I will not.)
Do you see why we nicknamed him the Engineer?

Slow Sweater

The sweater I'm making for Rick is slowly but surely coming along. The Swish Superwash by Knitpicks feels nice and is very easy on the hands.
The pattern is complicated. There are three cable patterns repeated several times around the trunk of the sweater. Later, when I get to the sleeves I'll learn three more patterns. The patterns are complicated in that the first completes a pattern repeat in four rows, the second in eight rows and the third in six rows. When they are all working together I need to knit 24 rows to get the whole picture. At around half an hour per row...you can see why I have not had much to show since May 21st when I introduced it. Right now, it is almost 13.5 inches long. Tonight or tomorrow I'll be jumping the track I'm on and learning how to increase for under arm gussets.

Mint Almost Jelly

My dad and I recently went in together to buy a hogget from a farmer. In just a few days we will be putting the meat into our freezers. And in my mind I'm savoring the aroma of roast leg of lamb with a bit of garlic and oven roasted potatoes, basted with the juices from the lamb, on the side. A fresh salad from my garden and some mint jelly would finish the meal.

Lately I've been reading in blogland about canning, preserving, cordial and jelly-making. I suppose it has me feeling like I am missing out on something. I especially thank Little Jenny Wren and Isabella in the 21st Century for my inspiration.

When we bought our house, I was able to start this successful mint patch.
So I thought it was time to dive in and see what I could make. Years and years ago, when I was in high school my mom made jelly. I remember helping to measure sugar and stir the pot and listening for the jar lids to seal when she took them out of the water bath. I had to dig way back into forgotten grooves of my mind to recall much at all. So I was relying heavily on what I had read on blogs and the recipe I printed from the web.

I picked and cleaned a number of mint sprigs. I carefully measured the water and set the leaves to simmer. Here I'm straining the infusion. Next I added sugar, lemon juice, green food coloring (else the jelly is a pretty gold color -- just not the way mom did it) a wee bit of butter, ever more sugar and let the concoction bubble away. Last the pectin was added. Then came the step I was most nervous about, the water bath. Would the jars seal? I didn't have any confidence. I needn't have worried. As the jars cooled I heard two of them pop. I must have missed hearing the third, but soon all three lids were snug as I could wish. I had three beautiful jars of MINT SYRUP.

Yes, mint syrup. My biggest error was using pectin mom bought about a decade ago. I read later that pectin has a shelf life of two - three years. Even if one tried stretching it to five years,
ten is asking too much.

I'll be happy with my mixed results of this kitchen-homemaking experiment. The part I was most worried about, sealing the jars, was a success. Next time I visit the supermarket I'll see if I can find some fresh pectin.

Kitchen Hand Towel

Last week Isabella in the 21st Century showed me a way to meet a need in my kitchen. Rick and I had been given many of these kitchen hand towels as wedding shower gifts.

But, as you can imagine, after 16 years of use they were well worn and never looked clean any more, even when fresh from laundering. Isabella gave some great links and I plan to try many of them. I have at least six towels that are ready for the trash bin as soon as I can replace them. They are so threadbare, they would be ineffective as cleaning rags.

So far, I've completed only one. I am very pleased with it. This one is the Reverse Diamond Towel from Dish Cloth Boutique. I did not have enough of a single color to complete the towel, so there is some improvisation in my sample.

Yarn Holding 101

A non-knitting friend asked me if I could make a cover for the handle of her cast-iron frying pan. I thought that sounded easy enough, so I was not discouraged when I did not find any patterns on the web.

As this is something that should be nice and thick to provide the best insulation, I thought of using wool that I could felt. Too bad I don't have any bulky or chunky weight yarn on hand.

Then I remembered that twined knitting makes a thick fabric.

I experimented with it. In no time I was frustrated by having to stop to untwist the red and gray balls of yarn as I went along. With a little more experimentation I figured out a way to hold one yarn in each hand. Clumsily, I plodded along, dropping my yarn, losing stitches from the needle, getting my right and left confused...you get the idea. I was back in kindergarten, learning how to hold a pencil properly.

For several rounds I wrapped the red yarn around the working needle backwards and ended up twisting the red stitches. After I got that glitch worked out things sped up and I was able to finish the project quickly.

The wool did not shrink as much as I expected, but it still will work pretty well. I would like to try again with heavier weight wool.

I have heard that the twined knitting technique makes a thick warm fabric. Now that I have experienced it for myself (and knowing what a freeze-baby I am) I plan (at some unknown time in the distant future) to make a warm winter tunic sweater for myself with this technique.

I found this video clip demonstrating the technique.

Flag Day

Celebrate Flag Day today!Here is a tidbit from About dot com : Homeschooling

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress proposed that the United States have a national flag instead of the British Union Jack. The 13 stars of the flag represented the 13 new states. There were few public ceremonies honoring the Stars and Stripes until 1877, when on, June 14, it was flown from every government building in honor of the centennial of the adoption of a national flag. Schools had unfurled American flags over their doors or outside the buildings long before this; but in 1890, North Dakota and New Jersey made a law that required their schools to fly the flag daily. The first official Flag Day was observed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1893. New York also proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day 1897. Other states were slow to follow. Some people thought that the day was too close to Memorial Day and Independence Day.

In August 1949, President Harry S. Truman proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day. Since then the President proclaims the commemoration yearly, and encourages all Americans in the country to display the Stars and Stripes outside their homes and businesses. Individual states determine how they will observe the day.

There is also a Flag Day Quiz here.

Starry Starry Night

Starry, starry night.

Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.
(partial lyrics to Don McLean song about Van Gogh)

The last two nights were perfect for star gazing. We set up our telescope and trained it on Venus. It was the brightest glow in the western sky between 9 and 10 at night Eastern time. Under double magnification the planet looked like a glowing ball.When we changed from our low power lens to the higher power lens we saw the fat waning crescent shape of the planet. It was really neat to see the curve of the orb distinguished from the black sky around it.

Through our telescope we saw an image very close to this one provided by the Calvin College Observatory. The orientation was just a little different.

A Demonstration

Sunday afternoon Parma Family Martial Arts Center gave a stage demonstration at the Parma Rib n Rock. What a great presentation! It was very exciting and featured about 25 students of all ages (5 to upper 50s) and levels (white belts through black).

The stage could have been a little sturdier. Actually, most of the demos were done on the dance floor for fear the stage would collapse with some of the moves. In fact, the dance group that performed after the martial arts demo had to wait for some pins to be replaced in the stage before they could go on! Thankfully one of the dancers heard a pin fall out of place and alerted the stage crew.

Here our group is preparing to take the stage. They usually line up in belt rank order, but this time some changes are made so the shorter students are in front. The performance began with some sparring matches.
Next some punching and kicking technique drills were conducted.
What about those shoes? Some of the children-- those who were going to perform on the top stage at any point in the demo--did have to wear shoes. The top stage was constructed of pieces of plywood with great potential for slivers. It had also had a carpet stapled to it at one point, and lots of bearded staples were protruding from the wood. The ones that were not bearded were broken into sharp little spikes. Ouch!

For lots of the kids this was the first time they had ever kicked, turned and otherwise performed their art form with shoes on. It was a bit of an adjustment.

Next students were paired off to do One-Step demonstrations, in which the martial artist has one step to subdue or elude an attacker. While our Artist is not vanquishing her fake foe, she likes hanging out with his big sister.
Following the one steps, students of many ranks performed some forms. Here the Artist is listening for the signal to begin. Her friend is on the top stage behind her about to do the same form. Somewhere along the line the two girls' timing was not the same, so they are facing different directions in this photo. The Artist is in the lower left of the picture.
As the demo went on it got more exciting. This was the first time one of the young black belt men broke a brick. He did a great job. I have no photo or video clip to share so you are left with my word for it and the somewhat unsatisfactory you had to be there feeling. My apologies.

Many other students then demonstrated board breaking. The loud sound of boards snapping and flying to the wood floor and the fast pace made for a good show. Once again, having to wear shoes threw some folks off. I saw kids who usually have no trouble having to use two or more tries. At first I thought wearing shoes might make breaks easier. Ahem. I was wrong. The Artist breaks some boards.
Advanced belts did some showy jumping, spinning breaks.
The best part was saved for last. One of the young teen black belts demonstrated several ways to overpower an attacker. I had not seen her throw her instructor (the man holding the board in the above photo) to the ground before. It was amazing. I was so proud of her. I can just imagine how proud her mother, seated a short distance from me, was feeling.

For the grand finally, the instructor had four helpers. Two students stood on either side of him, facing him. They had the flat of the blade of a sword balanced on each of their heads. The other two students were holding the swords steady. An apple was wedged onto the tip of each sword. Then the instructor did two wheel kicks, kicking the apples from the swords and smashing them into the audience, which erupted in gasps and applause (and some applesauce).

The Blues! (profanity warning)

Wow! What a Weekend!

Rick and his band, Running in Circles, had a tremendous opportunity this weekend. They were invited to provide the entertainment at Columbia Chemical's company party at the House of Blues in downtown Cleveland.

Neither of us had been to this venue before. It was an incredible, fun experience. I'm not sure words can describe it so I'll use just a few words with these photos.

The stage.Show time.
Balcony shot.
Back Stage.
The crowd was dancing.RIC lets birthday celebrants and other honorees play tambourine along with some songs.
The band was given star treatment.I wish I had taken some photos inside before the doors opened. The art work was intriguing and I would have liked to explore it a little more. That will have to wait until next time!

Will you join Running in circles for their next show? The evening of June 29th they will perform on the lawn at Legacy Village as part of the Legacy Live concert series.