Coveted Yarn contest on Ravelry

Okay, here’s the scoop:

From now until September 21st at noon eastern time we are running a contest. 10 people (not 1 or 2 but 10) will get FREE YARN!!! How much FREE YARN? It is up to them. The more people they can get to join our group and tell us what their most Coveted Yarn is the more yarn they win.

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Here are the rules:

Each person you send earns you 1 point. This is what they have to do to count

1. Join the Coveted Yarn group (over at Ravelry).
2. Say that you sent them (have them use my Ravelry screen name: mlj1954) on this thread.
3. Tell everyone what your most Coveted Yarn is.

It is that easy.

For example: I joined because Kathy sent me. I posted:

"Hi, I’m Mary Lynn and Kathy (gimpykatk) sent me and my most coveted yarn is anything Malabrigo … anything … preferably in blue, but Malabrigo!"

This will be 1 point for Kathy! Each person who joins and posts can only be counted once. For the point to count you must say who sent you and also what your most Coveted Yarn is and you must join the group before the deadline, September 21.

At the end of the contest the points will be tallied and the 10 highest point tallies will each receive a credit to Coveted Yarn's website of $1 for every 2 points earned (rounded up). This credit can be used for anything on the site (well over 200 different yarns) including patterns, sale and clearance items. There is no maximum so if you get the hankering to go hog wild then please do so, after all we are talking about FREE YARN here. Time to load up!!

All credit from this contest must be used by November 15, 2008.

Someone's boring me. I think it's me.
-- Dylan Thomas, in Rayner Heppenstall, Four Absentees (1960)

Its raining . . . thank God.

Rain is a good thing. We have not had a really long consistent rain (something lasting all day) since the end of June. We have had passing storms. In the long run, a passing storm just gets everything hot and muggy (especially when the temperature is 90 degrees). But what we need is a nice consistent rain. Lawns are brown. Trees are wilting. More importantly, my vegetable garden is so sad. It is sad even though my hubby has watered it every day. We have had a hot dry summer and the veggies are paying the price. But it is raining. It started late last evening and is raining today and is expected to rain all day. And it is supposed to be 80 degrees tomorrow through the weekend.

I am working on the Elf hats for Zachariah and Mary. I keep changing what I am doing so I haven't gotten very far. It is mindless work and something I can do on the bus, as long as I don't nod off. I have yet to cast on for MS4 . . . I know, I know. It is that whole focus thing (or lack of focus thing).

Last night I had a meeting at Church. I am coordinating the sacramental retreats this year. Last night was the meeting with the parents of the children making their first reconciliation this year. The cool thing about this group is that there were so many parents at the meeting. All except three children had a parent at the meeting and the conversation, etc. were very animated. I am excited.

As part of the retreat process, we are changing things up a bit this year. Instead of having the parents spend time with their children in the morning, we are offering the parents an opportunity for their own reflection. One of our parishioners is a fabulous speaker and I have asked her to do the parental reflection time. The children will be spending time with the teachers and I and then we all come back together to receive the sacrament. And, everyone will be done by 12:30. Short, sweet and we aren't feeding them (which I never understood why when we have them for such a short period of time, we would take time away from preparation to feed the kids but it was always part of the day). I did have a couple of Moms wanting to know where they sign up to bring cookies or cupcakes or other stuff. I thanked them, nicely, and explained that no one is eating in the morning. Seriously, don't the kids make it in school from 9:00 to 11:00 without eating? We are not only dedicating more time to preparation but there will be less clean-up and we will save money. Of course, Fr. Neil doesn't know that my motive is that the money we save on not feeding the kids will be spent on other things . . . LOL!

And, so, I got home last night. Dave and I shared a glass of wine and talked about our day. I woke this morning ready to eat a horse, when I realized that I hadn't eaten last night. Nothing. I guess it is just fair that I talk about not feeding the kids at the retreat and don't eat anything myself.

That's it . . .

Simple Woman's Daybook ~ 9/8/8

If man does find the solution for world peace it will be the most revolutionary reversal of his record we have ever known.
-- George C. Marshall

FOR TODAY~ September 8, 2008
Outside my Window... the sky is incredibly blue but the air is getting cooler. You just know that Fall is right around the corner.
I am thinking... I need to start thinking about moving clothes around, except that by the end of this week it is supposed to be 80 degrees again.
I am thankful for... the changing seasons . . . even in the depths of winter, I know that another spring will arrive.
From the kitchen... we went to a clambake yesterday and I made vegetable pizza appetizer. The entire plate disappeared within minutes (crescent rolls (2 packages rolled out and seams pressed together, baked at 400 degrees for 15 minutes; combine 2 8oz packages cream cheese (I use fat free), 2/3 cup mayo (I used fat free), 1/2 head broccoli, 1/2 head cauliflower, 4 carrots (all veggies chopped fine), 1 tsp dill, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp onion salt or powder; spread cream cheese mixture over top of crescent rolls, top with alfalfa sprouts (pressing down into cream cheese), but into 1 x 2 inch strips and serve. Yummy)
I am creating... MS4 . . . why, oh why, Also, elf hat, finished Lindsey's bag and working on her dress.
I am going... a couple of meetings this week at Church and for relocation
I am wearing... brown slacks and aqua knit shirt
I am reading... Nancy Drew (something SPA but I don't remember the exact title)
I am hoping... to get better organized today
I am hearing... people arriving and starting their day
Around the house... we are hosting the swim team Fall picnic on Sunday so will need to clean up even the upstairs (20 girls in swim suits will need lots of space)
One of my favorite things... spending time with my family.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Open House at Dave's school on Tuesday, out Thursday at meeting for relocation, lunch meeting with one of the service providers, followed by meeting at Church for Confirmation Retreat, picking Zachariah up at Chuck's on Friday,
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... hmmmm, well that didn't work . . . what a surprise.

Friday fill in - 9/5/08

You can pretend to be serious; you can't pretend to be witty.
-- Sacha Guitry

1. If I was to walk into your life, you would be surprised that I am so short.
2. Catch a bright star and place it where children can see and realize that dreams can be achieved.
3. And you can send me flowers or yarn or both.
4. Forgiveness is easy but I'm dealing with a memory that never forgets.
5. I'm the innocent bystander / Somehow I got stuck doing the work.
6. What's keeping us apart isn't selfishness, its distance.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to helping Lindsey with her bag and dresses, tomorrow my plans include WW, swimming and violin and Sunday, I want to go the Bob and Annette's clambake!

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Answers to some of the Questions asked in the comments:

Clambakes are fun except when you are doing Weight Watchers. Well, the clams are okay, its all the other stuff. Fortunately, we are walking to it.

My doctor just read me the riot act about my weight (again) and my sugar level (pre-diabetic). I told her that I had rejoined WW (again) and she said that I should do CORE as opposed to FLEX as CORE is very similar to a nutritionally sound, diabetic diet and if I follow it, I could get my sugar back down below the pre-diabetic levels. Well, I didn't even make it one day on CORE and messed up the whole thing, gaining a pound this week. Bah humbug. So, I am going to try it again this week. The biggest problem is bread. I so much enjoy bread, all kinds of bread.

I am short, Jane, and could look you in the eye. I am one of five girls and the tallest of the five. As my husband likes to say, we are splitting hairs since I am only 5'1" and my shortest sister is 4'11". Out of my nieces, who are adults, the heights range, however, from 5'6" to 5'11" (my sisters and I tell them that we saved our height potential for them).

Special Olympics scarf

P9040006
Originally uploaded by mlj1954ohio

You know when you have those times when this matches that which matches this that matches that which matches this . . .

Okay, I had mentioned that I wanted to do at least one of the Special Olympics scarves. I spent time at Joann's on Monday trying to find the yarn. Well, as it turns out that supposedly the only place you can get it is WalMart. I planned on going on Saturday or Sunday to Walmart to get the yarn.

This afternoon at work, I got a call from one of the other managers. She said that someone had told her that I did "yarn stuff." It appears that Sara had also read the thing about Special Olympics needing 5,000 scarves. She had bought the yarn with the intention of crocheting at least one, hopefully two.

About ten days ago, she fell. Hard. On concrete. She shattered her right elbow and fractured her lower arm. She has pins. After being out of work for ten days, she realized that she would not be able to write much less crochet.

She brought me the yarn and asked if I would mind making a scarf. She also offered me a crochet hook.

You know, one of those small world things when this matches that which matches this which matches that . . . amazing huh!

Virtues . . .

No one gossips about other people's secret virtues.
-- Bertrand Russell

I just really enjoy this quote.

We don't gossip about the good people do . . . whether known or rumored.

I enjoy those commercials that show one person doing something good and someone sees them and does something nice for someone else which is witnessed by someone else . . . and so on.

Where I work, I participate on our Volunteer Advisory Group. We have a variety of projects that we work on (tutoring, back to school drives, soup kitchens, Ronald McDonald House, Blood Drives, done-in-a-day projects, charity walks). These are firm sponsored events and the goal of the group when formed was to provide opportunities to individuals who may not know where or how to volunteer. To that end, we have been very successful. We have individuals who once brought to an organization, continue to volunteer on a regular basis.

About every three years, the chair says that we need to survey everyone to find out where they are volunteering and in what capacity. The funny thing is that when we do this, we get a very small response. We have over 900 people in the office in Cleveland and the response is usually less than 20. People are not comfortable in blowing their own horn.

So, where am I going with this . . . our hours are 8:45 to 5:15. Yesterday at lunch, one of my co-workers was waxing poetic about the fact that another co-worker just can't seem to get her butt in the office on Thursdays . . . and she made some obnoxiously rude remark about where this co-worker may be on Thursday mornings . . . with a sigh, I reminded her that last summer, one of our projects was serving breakfast at the Cosgrove Center to the homeless. (Of course, she probably didn't remember because she doesn't volunteer anywhere or anytime because she never has time.)

We committed to do it for three months (also providing our summer hires an opportunity to participate). Since that time Tina has continued to go. Every Thursday. Even last week when she had taken the week off, she went . . . and brought her 14 and 16 year old sons with her so that they could participate.

I hate rude and stupid people. Okay, that's it. My gripe for the day. Thank you for listening! Have a good one.

Simple Woman's Daybook ~ 20

For Today...

Outside my Window... it is night . . . a beautifully clear night with the stars shining like beacons in the dark.

From the learning rooms... Dave spent the afternoon on and off grading papers for his first graders. Yesterday we had our annual non-Labor Day picnic . . . we laugh cause we labor so that we can spend time visiting with friends . . . some we have known only for a short while and some, like Ed, we (and in Ed's case, Dave) has known for years and years. Dave met Ed and Bill when Dave was 13 and he will be 57 this year. Many of them we have known when we were all getting married (most between 1978 and 1982), now are children are getting married and having babies. But, where I am going with this is that from the learning rooms, many of our newer friends are elementary school teachers . . . many of whom spent the day . . . talking about their classes and how the schools have changed. They all teach in Catholic elementary schools and our Diocese is closing and consolidating many of the schools.

From the kitchen... potato salad, pasta salad, cole slaw, bar-b-cue chicken, tomatoes from the garden, along with sweet and hungarian yellow peppers,

I am wearing...shorts, a pink t-shirt, no shoes or socks

I am creating... not much. I wanted to get blue and white red heart yarn for the scarves for special olympics but JoAnn's didn't have the right blue.

I am hearing... the crickets outside the window, traffic on a nearby freeway (it is, after all, a clear night and the sounds travel), as well as a train whistle

Around the house... everything has been tidied up from yesterday, dishes and party stuff are put away, the canopy is down and everything is where it is supposed to be . . . I think . . . at least until I go looking for it again!

One of my favorite things... watching our friends meet and greet each other . . . seeing new relationships develop

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... off tomorrow because a repair man is coming to finish the crawl space, lunch with Wendy, my good friend and neighbor, getting into the everyone's back in school and work and where they belong routine, continuing to pray for those in the path of the most current hurricanes, attending a clam bake next Sunday.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... well, I would love to share it with you but a couple of things happened . . . one, I didn't take it because the moment was gone and two, blogger probably wouldn't have let me load it anyway . . . but, imagine, my husband, 14 year old daughter and 7 year old son . . . they started out sitting under a tree . . . and then they were all laying down under the tree . . . and then they were all sleeping. It was hot day and the shade just cooled everything down to make it prime for a nap.

Ravelympics

Okay, so explain to me why sometimes my pics load without blinking and other times they don't. I have been trying to upload this pic for two weeks.

Anyway, for Ravelympics, I finished two projects. One for the Felted Freestyle (the felted bowl in Knitpicks Memories) and for the Bag-n-Tote Backstroke, I finished the Clutch You Won't Give up in Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in deep red.

Of course, now I can't get the pic of the bowl uploaded . . . bah humbug. Anyway, the Ravelympics was great fun. It forced me to really focus and finish two projects that I wanted to get done. I think both of them would be great projects to make for Christmas presents as they are quick knits, look great and, since I love all things felted, would lend themselves well to hiding my errors . . . oops, I mean, well, you know.

The other thing is that it would be a great way to tuck gift cards or candies or treats in either one. I do think, if I would make the clutch for me, I would have to figure out how to include a pocket on the inside without having to line the bag.

Friday Fill In - 8/29/2008

To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever.
— Henry Drummond

1. When I'm sick I'm usually in denial until I end up having to go to the doctor.

2. When I take a walk, I think about how much farther I have to go.

3. Money can't buy happiness but it can make things easier.

4. Cotton makes me think of ironing and leather makes me think of purses (okay, I'm sick).

5. The strangest person/character I've had lewd thoughts about was Jack Nicholson (he just fascinates me . . . I think he's odd but just love his voice and smirk).

6. My favorite color these days is green because our grass is brown since we haven't had any significant, consistent rain since the beginning of July.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to planning for Sunday, tomorrow my plans include cooking for Sunday and Sunday, I want to have a house full of friends . . . our annual get together!

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As I mentioned earlier this week, our friend Bill died last Friday. His funeral was Wednesday. He was 53. He and his wife had absolutely no plans in place. Linda didn't know whether he wanted to be cremated or buried, did he want a funeral service or religious celebration. She isn't even sure about how much insurance he had or whether or not they had mortgage insurance.

In talking to Bill's brother, he said that after spending the weekend with Linda and dealing with all these issues, he and his wife spent Monday evening, talking about what they wanted, how they needed to increase their insurance, how either would manage.

As Ed said, "the thing about death is that it isn't an 'if,' its a 'when'." He said that because of poor planning on the part of his brother, Linda probably spent more than she should have on his funeral. She was influenced by her mother and mother-in-law who kept adding to what they thought she should include. He is convinced that she spent money that Bill would have preferred that she spend on her living and not his death.

When my Mom died, I remember that her priest was so totally impressed that she had planned everything, including picking out songs and readings and paying for her funeral. He was so impressed that he mentioned it at her funeral. "What a gift," he said, "that this woman so loved her children that she removed that burden from their shoulders during this time of sorrow."

I have to say that, following my Mom's example, Dave and I have very specific plans in place. We have our funeral plots and headstones. We want to be cremated. We know what kind of funerals each of us wants and who to contact. Our insurance policies are up-to-date and would cover the cost of our mortgage plus whatever else we need to continue living the way we have been.

So, anyone who may read this, have you made plans for your "when"? Please do so. Provide your family with the gift that the decisions they have to make are not decisions but just following up on your wishes.

And, please keep Bill and Linda and their family in your prayers.

Reading

A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.
-- Jerry Seinfeld

NOTE: I apologize, for whatever reason, Blogger has decided that it doesn't like my paragraph breaks. I can put in five spaces between paragraphs and it still jams everything together. So I have included ~~ between paragraphs to give a break and assist the reader.

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I don't know about anyone else but I love bookstores and libraries. When I was a child, during the summer, we would ride our bikes to the library at least once a week, more often than not, twice a week. During the winter, we always went to the library on Saturdays.

~~

I can still remember being in 8th grade and having to do my first "big" report and having the librarian take me back to "the stacks." Phew. It was so incredible to realize that what I had been experiencing every week for years was just a micro-organism of what was really there.

~~

The kids know that I go into either one of them, we could be done for the day. LOL. In fact, if we are returning items to the library, and they don't want to spend hours there, they will volunteer to run in and drop things off! On the other hand, if they want to spend time in a library or bookstore, they know it is better to go with me rather with their Dad. He will spend a lot of time in bookstores and libraries too, but not as much as I do.

~~

Most of my siblings all loved reading. I remember growing up when my Mom thought we were ready, she would expose us to different books and authors, Gone with the Wind and Mrs. Mike are two examples.

~~

In 11th grade, our English class was literature. We had poetry and had to read some classics, including Red Badge of Courage, Tell Tale Heart, the works of O Henry (my English teacher was a great fan), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Little Women, Exodus. I remember the first day of English when she was going over what we were going to be reading that year and I sat there going down the list and checking off all the books I had already read. I think the only one that I hadn't read was Exodus. Leon Uris led me to James Mitchner.

~~

So, the question is, do you still read?

What is on your list now?

Do you ever go back and read those books that you read when you were younger?

Are they as good as you remember?

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Our Whoduknit group for September is taking a step back. As you can imagine with the name Whoduknit, we focus on mysteries. So for September, we are taking a step back into childhood and reading any Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery we want. I am looking forward to it.

Right now, I am reading Plains Crazy. I just finished The Last Templar (very good) and Keys to Midnight. Besides the Nancy Drew book, on the table next to my chair, I have the Memoirs of Jane Austen. A friend and my daughter highly recommend it.

For Today - Monday, May 25, 2008

FOR TODAY ~ Monday, August 25, 2008 . . . the last Monday of August, 2008!

Outside my Window... you know it is getting closer to Fall as the day is darker longer in the morning and there is more of a briskness in the air.
I am thinking... that this is going to be an exhausting week . . . physically, emotionally . . . read more down below . . .
I am thankful for... my husband. He is kind and generous. He works hard and listens so well. This week will be hard for him too.
From the kitchen...fresh vegetables from the garden makes the things from the kitchen delicious . . . tomato, peppers and zuchini tossed together with some parmesan cheese and italian seasoning, baked for 20 minutes . . . even the kids will eat it.
I am creating... I didn't get the third thing done that I wanted to for the Ravelympics. I did get the bowl and bag done but am really having problems getting pictures pulled from my computer to my blog and flickr.
I am going... relax tonight to prepare for the week
I am wearing... the usual, white t-shirt, black slacks, red jacket, red and blue necklace, red earrings.
I am reading... Plains Crazy . . . thanks Jane!!!
I am hoping... to do better with my diet this week . . . I only went down .2 this past week.
I am hearing... people arriving in the department.
Around the house... I cleaned off my desk this week, reformated the computer (it didn't help with the picture issue BUT everything does process quicker)
One of my favorite things... sitting out by the pool and relaxing.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... and this is where it gets exhausting . . .

One of Dave's childhood friends is Bill. Dave has known Bill since he was 13 and Bill was 10. Dave, Bill and Ed (Bill's younger brother) were the 3 Muskateers, getting in trouble together, playing ball, volleyball, bowling, etc. We danced at each other's weddings, held Bill while he mourned the death of his first marriage and celebrated when he found the love of his life.

About six years ago, Bill brought some new friends to our home for our annual Labor Day picnic. Since we have an inground pool, Dave's steadfast rule is that if a kid wants to go into the deep-end, they have to pass his swimming test - swimming across the pool and back. Bill's new neighbor's daughter wanted to go in the deep-end but couldn't pass the test. She pouted and complained and her parents told her that she could go in the deep-end. Dave told her that she had to stay in the shallow end or get out of the pool. Anyway, Bill was embarrassed and has not been back to our house since then. We have seen him at his brother's and at his parent's home. Dave and Ed said that this is how Bill is. We always sent he and his wife invitations and Christmas cards. They never came or responded.

Bill died on Friday. His funeral is Wednesday. He was 53. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I wish that we had tried harder.

I have often wondered how long and how hard you should try to seek forgiveness, even when you know that you were not the one who did anything wrong. The answer is forever. I know that we can be comforted in the fact that we kept trying and kept including Bill and his family in our lives and plans. But too often, I miss opportunities to do so with others, especially with my family.

Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

I know that we tried . . . and yet, it still hurts . . .

felted bowl

tooth of time 004
Originally uploaded by mlj1954ohio

So, if you want to see what the finish bowl looks like, look at this and you will know.

Felted Memories bowl

I am watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. And have been trying to post a picture of the felted bowl. For whatever reason, I cannot get it loaded. However, the unfelted version is loaded and you get the sense of the colorway.

P8240002
Originally uploaded by mlj1954ohio

now I got this photo loaded but . . . but . . . but I couldn't get the felted photo of the bowl loaded. Very strange. I will try to get another pic of what it looks like felted when I did it in a differnt colorway.

This was for Ravelympics.

Friday Fill In - 8/22/2008

Zoo: An excellent place to study the habits of human beings.
-- Evan Esar, Esar's Comic Dictionary

1. Dancing to the Rod Stewart's America Songbook albums while making dinner makes me (and my kids) laugh.

2. The last time I went boating I nearly died (or thought I was) from seasickness.

3. When I drive I sing, out loud and loud.

4. I saw glimpses of the kinds of women my girls will be when they were standing and talking to an elderly friend.

5. Give me pizza, give me beer, give me a weight gain.

6. Next week I am looking forward to getting bunches of stuff done before the long weekend.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to picking the kids up early from school and getting the laundry done, tomorrow my plans include my mammogram (it was cancelled the last time I went), blood work, weighing in (not really), 4:30 mass and Sunday, I want to sleep in which is another good reason to go to 4:30 mass!

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For whatever reason, I am unable to post pics from my desktop to anything on the internet which means I am going to have to download the photos from the computer to a thumb drive and load them on my laptop. Very strange.

Zachariah and Mary

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
-Henry David Thoreau

Zachariah and Mary
Originally uploaded by mlj1954ohio

Zachariah and Mary. . . .

They are 15 months apart in age and are siblings. Dave and I adopted Zachariah. My sister, Jacquie and her husband, Mike, adopted Mary.

They are also half-siblings to our daughter Lindsey.
And they do have a great time together . . . most of the time. LOL.

so sad

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.
— Jawaharlal Nehru

In the past two weeks, Northeast Ohio residents have been devastated by the loss of two incredible women.

Fannie Lewis was a Cleveland City Council representative. She was feisty and incredible. She ran for City Council and won 29 years ago at the age of 54. The reason she ran was because she was tired of seeing her community being destroyed. These were some of the things that she believed and drove her to do her job:

• "You must plan your battles. Not everything is worth a fight, but if it is, fight hard. But don't let anybody pull you into a fight you don't want to fight"
• "If good things aren't coming in, it means you aren't giving any out."
• "Nothing supplied by Satan will ever last. Nothing supplied by God will ever fade away"
• "Never run away from a problem. Problems can run faster than any of us, and they'll always be there to greet us when we get to the next stop."
• "Negativity is like static on a telephone line. It interferes with your success and doesn't accomplish anything"
• "You can't stop someone from disliking you. They're allowed. But that doesn't mean you have to dislike them"
• "You're not going to lose unless you become negative."

When Fannie first came to Cleveland she had a deep-seeded hatred for white people. She saw things in Memphis and heard stories that made her hatred consume her. But due to the unlikely help of reputed gangster, Mickey Rini, she learned that her prejudice was unfounded.

When she was assigned to work for the Democratic Party at the Alta House in Little Italy, Mickey introduced her to his friends in Murray Hill as his friend and she has never forgotten his kindness.

She learned "The foot on the neck keeping a person down is the problem - not the color of the foot" She now believes there is no reason to discriminate and has created many strong friendships with white people and works side by side with whoever is willing to help her. "If help comes in a brown paper bag in a dog's mouth - you take it."

She was instrumental in getting the Ohio voucher program up and rolling. It took her 17 years but she succeeded. For her efforts, many Cleveland City students are able to go to the school of their choice. If you are interested, here is a great article about her.

Mrs. Lewis died on August 11, 2008.

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And yesterday, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, an Ohio congresswoman, passed away at the age of 58. Stephanie was such an incredible force. She was a black woman who stood up with Hillary Clinton even when many of the other black politicians were pushing her to back Barack Obama. She stood her ground and wouldn't switch her loyalty until Hillary dropped out of the race. She had been a prosecutor and a judge who refused to allow herself to be manipulated. An article about Stephanie can be found here.

While I not always agreed with everything she said and did, I had to admire the fact that she, like Fannie, were so strong and positive in their beliefs. Both of them came from poor backgrounds and succeeded due to their own determination and strength of character.

The cost to the community of the loss of these two women is incalculable.

Wednesday's musings

In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.
— Janos Arany

Sarah and her boyfriend have decided to wait until she finishes school before wedding . . . good plan. Especially since it forced her to focus on what it is that she wants to do. So, she finally sat down with a counselor and really pulled all her stuff together and figured out that she needs about 18 months more of school. She is grossly disappointed but thoroughly committed to get it done, so much so that she is taking classes all day on Tuesday and Thursdays, Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, leaving her with an opportunity also work. I told her that:

• the time will go incredibly fast
• in 18 months, she will only be 24
• if she doesn't finish now, she will regret it (learn from me . . . I got married and then finally finished school 27 years later)
• if he isn't willing to wait (which he hasn't said it is just something she is afraid of), he isn't worth it
• he wants to be in a stable job (the company he is working for is moving the work to Mexico . . . he has been there 14 years)
• save money . . . she needs to learn how to save money

What I was thinking, was now I will have time to:

• make a beautiful shawl/stole for her (and maybe me?)
• lose weight (18 x 4 = 72 weeks . . . I COULD lose a pound a week, really I can)
• save money . . . I know how to, but choose not to . . . LOL

And, as the quote above says, "in dreams and in love there are no impossibilities."

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Today is Zachariah's first day of third grade. He is very excited. Very, very excited. His teacher is wonderful (almost as good as his first grade teacher . . . for those of you who do not know, Dave was his first grade teacher). His teacher is in her second year of teaching. She came from Poland about six years ago. She is probably about 40 years old. She came to Cleveland, went to college and loves teaching. Dave and I have been at several social events where she and her husband have also been in attendance. They are wonderful people. I just know that this will be a great year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lindsey is also excited about school starting. She is taking AP U.S. History, Honors Chemistry, Honors Algebra II, Spanish III, Orchestra/HandBells (very cool), Theology, Honors English. Her school does block schedule (80 minutes classes, four classes a semester, except for AP U.S. History which is an all year class). So, for this first semester, she has History, Spanish, Theology and Orchestra/HandBells.

The biggest issue she has is that NONE of her friends are in ANY of her classes. Poor thing. I did point out to her that when she started at the Academy last year, she didn't know anyone.

She is also going to be on the Swim team and is toying with track. She had thought about cross-country but decided that she is more into short work than long work.

and Tuesday is here

There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity.
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

So, I have decided that I need to stop WATCHING the Olympics. It is the only chance I have of getting any knitting done.

I thought the women's hurdle semi-final was fantastic. Goodness, they are all legs and incredibly graceful AND fast. And then the men's hurdle finals and the U.S. swept the race. WOW. And I loved the guy that wore the sunglasses in the race. How cool. They made it look so easy. And, they are so nice to each other. Very cool.

And can someone please explain these results:

Results: Women's Uneven Bars - Finals - Aug 18 6:46am ET
1. Kexin He 16.725 Gold
2. Nastia Liukin 16.725 Silver
3. Yilin Yang 16.650 Bronze

If you watched it, you will know that He and Liukin tied. He took a step on the landing. Liukin nailed it. The way the tiebreaking works is that they keep dropping scores until it is no longer even. DUH. It would be better if they told both girls to go at it again!

And in the Women's pole vault, Yelena Isinbayeva won the gold medal. I love the fact that the stadium is called the Bird's Nest because this woman looked like she could fly. She broke her world record and was so incredibly excited.

Jenn Stuczynski of the US won the silver medal with a vault of 4.80m, and Svetlana Feofanova of Russia claimed the bronze with 4.75m. Frankly, Jenn needs to dump the jerk of a coach who, for whatever reason, they decided to "wire" so that everyone could hear his stupid comments to her. You could just watch her shoulders slump. What a jerk he is. She has only been competing in this event for four years and is also awesome.

Ah well.

Simple Woman's Daybook~18

FOR TODAY - Monday, August 18, 2008

Outside my Window... it is darker in the morning as the end of summer is getting closer
I am thinking...it is good that the kids (and Dave) are going back to school this week. Very necessary!!
I am thankful for...my family and friends . . . we spents lots of time with both this weekend. It was a great weekend.
From the kitchen...fresh vegetables in all their glory, raw and cooked and dipped and sauteed.
I am creating...bags, felted bags
I am going...to take deep breaths this week instead of speaking without thinking
I am wearing...black slacks, pink shirt, white and black polka-dot jacket, comfy shoes
I am reading...The Last Templar, At Knit's End
I am hoping...to finish all of my Ravelympics projects . . . maybe
I am hearing...soft music and the beginning buzz of arriving co-workers
Around the house...Sarah needs to clean her room as Janet is staying at our home this week, Lindsey needs to figure out what it is that she is doing with her room and paint the garage door, I re-formatted the desktop computer and haven't heard any cries of anguish yet.
One of my favorite things...sitting on the back porch with Dave and relaxing
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Janet comes tomorrow for two days, Zachariah starts school on Wednesday, Lindsey starts school on Friday, Sarah starts next Monday. I don't have to be so overly quiet in the mornings.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... the trees outside my office window . . . can't see them . . . that's because blogger isn't being nice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Men who never get carried away should be.
-- Malcolm Forbes

Secret Pal 12 - Questions of the Week #10

Question of the Week #10

Here's an odd sort of question...What Olympic event would best describe you knitting/knitting style?

Any kind of sprint or short race (on land or in the water). I like short and sweet projects. Give me something long and it just bores me to tears and ends up slipping further and further down my "to do" list. Plus, races give you an end in sight.

You know summer is over when

It is dangerous for a national candidate to say things that people might remember.
-- Eugene McCarthy

Your 14 year old daughter goes to bed early so that she can practice before school starts . . . she is just too funny.

You go into WalMart and it has floor to ceiling school supplies.

Summer reading list . . . what did I do with that summer reading list?

Meetings . . . teacher meetings, seminars, sponges and cleaners disappear to the school . . . one of the (dis)advantages of having a husband that is a teacher.

Reformatting computer (I reformat our desktop computer at the beginning of every school year) . . . out with the old, in with the new.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love the beginning of school year. All summer I get up early (4:45a) and quietly get dressed and leave while they all snore away. All this week, Dave has gotten up with me because he has meetings to attend.

Lindsey has a meeting at her school today. She is an Academy Ambassador and actually is helping with the training of this coming year's Ambassadors. A real coup for her, as she is just a Sophomore. On the other hand, the woman that moderates the Ambassadors called me last year after open house and told me that in the five years she has run the program, she had never had anyone call to comment on what a great job an Ambassador did in their tour of the school. She had received a call about what a great job Lindsey did. When she was looking for someone to assist her with the training, she called and asked if it would be okay to have her "star" Ambassador help. Very cool.

Plus there are all the things that they all wanted to get done during the summer. HA! The only things that did get accomplished was that the garage and closets got cleaned. Dave did the garage during the week. But, of course, the closets were cleaned on weekends . . . when I was home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Totally separate item: I don't care what anyone says or what their passports say, the Chinese "women" gymnasts are not "women." They are girls . . . and probably no older than 12 or 13. Just my opinion, but seriously . . .

Yard Sale Swap, Wedding plans, Breathing Room

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.
-- Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, in Irving Good, The Scientist Speculates (1962)

FINALLY, blogger and the internet finally let me add the package from Shelly that I received as part of Whoduknit's summer yard sale swap. This is a great package and the picture doesn't show the tea I received. The Last Templar starts off fast and is continuing that way. I highly recommend it. At Knit's End (Meditations for Women who Knit too Much) -- perfect, more about it later and the Cradle Will Fall . . . all designed to keep me away from my knitting. And many small skeins of things that will work well for my favorite one skein projects. Ha!

Thanks Shelly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the initial rush of "let's get married" my daughter and her boyfriend have begun making plans, including the fact that they decided that my husband is an idiot . . . well, they didn't say that . . . what they decided is that she is supposed to be finished with school within a year. Also, his employer is closing and his job is disappearing. So, they have decided to wait at least until she finishes school (YEAH!). He is looking at his various options. His family owns a 250 acre farm and his extended family owns, as an incorporated entity, a 2800 acre farm. Kyle is actually looking at truck driving as a career. The biggest problem he has is that farming takes up much of his time. His family's farm is not big enough to make it a full time job, but enough to keep him relatively busy. His "paying" job provided lots of options, including insurance (health and life), 401k and pension. He also worked either evenings or nights which allowed him time during the day to help on the farm. He also took vacation time in the spring and fall for planting and harvest. It is such a different lifestyle than anyone else I know. Anyway, right now, the wedding is on hold for probably a year. A good thing. I think. The plus side is that Sarah has an appointment to discuss what classes she needs to take to be done. Nothing like postponing something you want to really get you to focus on an interim goal.

Anyway, this is breathing room. A shawl. A dress. Who knows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Getting back to At Knit's End, I was looking through it and came across this, on page 76:

"SWIFT: A twirling reel used to hold a skein of yarn as it is wound into a ball . . . To save time, sanity and my marriage, I will consider purchasing the right tools for the job."

Did I mention that my skein of yarn for MS4 is 1460 yards! So, yesterday, I ordered a swift and ball winder. Finally. I figured it was time AND my husband obviously never got the hint!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I finished one of the purses for the Ravelympics (The Clutch You Won't Give Up). I felted it last evening. I really forgot how fast that it would knit up. Seriously, if only I would do it right the first time!!! It is now drying and needs some embellishments (buttons or a pin or something). The bowl is coming along nicely (I work on it on the bus). It seems shallower than the last one I made but the thing with felted stuff is that as you knit, often it is difficult to visualize what it will be like, cause it is just too big and floppy.

Computer issues, knitting overload, yard sale swap

Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first woman she meets and then teams up with three complete strangers to kill again.
-- Rick Polito, Marin Independent Journal's TV listing for "The Wizard of Oz"
p.s. I love Wizard of Oz, just never thought of it as a murder/mystery

So yesterday I had problems getting photos loaded onto blogger. I did manage to add the Simple Woman pic but not the pic I wanted to share and today, again, I cannot load any pictures.

So, you might wonder what I want to load today. I received my yard sale swap package from Shelly (and if I can get it on Flickr, I'll put a link here . . . if not, the link won't work . . . LOL).

Anyway, the package was great, containing several balls of really nice yarn in colors that I don't have and will feed my one skein project drawer (yes, I have a drawer with one skeins in it AND it also has the One Skein book too). The package also included four packages of TAZO tea (Joy, African Red Bush, Passion and Zen), three books (The Last Templar -- I've started it and it has me from the very beginning, The Cradle Will Fall - by Mary Higgins Clark, and At Knit's End by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee), and a wonderful wool grey turtleneck sweater. Very cool stuff.

Also in yesterday's mail, I received my yarn from Yarn Country. Three skeins of Cascade 220 in two different shades of green for a Lucy Bag that I am making for a friend and also as part of Ravelympics and a skein white Baruffa Cashwool for the Mystery Stole 4 (yeah, and that's 1,460 yards of laceweight yarn).

Oh, and the Mystery Stole 4 will also double as a shawl for my daughter cause she did indeed happen to mention yesterday that she was getting married, next year. Uhhh, yep and she wants me to make her dress. Uhhh, yep, I told her we would go look at dresses and find something she likes and go from there. I did inherit another skill from my Mom. I can look at dresses, combine patterns and make it. In many respects, it is an illness. If she does find something that she really loves and price is reasonable (my niece found her perfect wedding dress on sale at David's Bridal for substantially less than what it would have cost to make), we may buy the dress. It all depends. The advantage to making it is that Sarah is all of 4'10". She has a curvy body and has a terrible time finding dresses that fit right in the boobs, waist and hips.

Of course, last night while my husband and I were talking about it (she wasn't home), he, in his infinite wisdom, told me that he had told her, "why wait?" Is he just out of his friggin mind???? Why wait? How about the fact that I have a shawl and a wedding dress to make. How about that, Dave???? Hmmmmm????

Simple Woman's Daybook~17

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

FOR TODAY
Outside my Window... it looks like Fall. A storm came through Saturday evening, dropping the temperature about 20 degrees. The sky is dark cloudy . . . not summer clouds filled with rain . . . but dark cloudy. But there is blue coming up from the West.
I am thinking...Fall is just around the corner. The cooling evenings is proof.
I am thankful for...living in an area of the country where we enjoy four seasons. It makes me appreciate each in its own way . . . the good and the bad of each.
From the kitchen... since it was cooler, we had barbequed pork for dinner last evening, along with a veggie casserole, you know the kind where you open the fridge and everything that is a veggie goes into the casserole (tossed with a little olive oil, italian seasoning, parmesan cheese and topped with mozzarella). Yum.
I am creating...two felted bags, one bowl and working on a purse that Lindsey designed and I am sewing
I am going...to spend my week in meetings... seriously, I am cancelling some meetings so I can go to other meetings.
I am wearing...navy blue slacks, white t-shirt, red racket, red/blue necklace
I am reading...Mobility . . . a magzine for my job.
I am hoping...that my internet connection will allow me to upload photos soon. Right now, it won't, hence no photos on this post
I am hearing...traffic and wind through the trees
Around the house... we are getting ready for the start of school. Uniforms? CHECK. Shoes? CHECK. Folders? CHECK? Ready? not a chance.
One of my favorite things... riding bicycles. It was cool enough yesterday to do so in the middle of the day.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...meetings, helping Lindsey cut out her sundress, sewing up her bag, spending time with Janet, my bestest friend (next to my hubby) who is coming up from Dallas, taking off from work on Friday to spend time with Janet, Zachariah and Rosemarie (a retired co-worker)
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... nothing . . . my internet connection will not allow it. Maybe later this week.

Friday Fill In - 8/8/8

The greatest homage to truth is to use it.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

1. You know you're old when you look down and see your mother's hands working on your knitting (of course, the fact that I wear her wedding ring adds to the whole thing).

2. My heart is divided between chocolate and coffee. HA!

3. Coffee is what I need RIGHT NOW! (I guess it won!)

4. I have felt the joy of success, I have known the depths of falling flat on my face in front of a bunch of people.

5. Gah, won't these people get off their cell phones.

6. Hug your family as soon as you can!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to going to bed early, tomorrow my plans include going to the eye doctor, a wedding (just the ceremony) and working with Lindsey on her bag and Sunday, I want to do nothing!

and another thing

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.

-Erich Fromm

In case you missed it from Lime & Violet:

"Heads Up: Big Mitten Give
The good folks over at STC Craft are giving away the pattern for Alternating Current mittens. The pattern appears in Knitting New Mittens & Gloves by Robin Melanson. The mittens are worked in a bulky yarn, so they are a quick knit. The pattern lists instructions for a fingerless as well as a traditional mitten. The only thing STC Craft asks for in return for this pattern is that you knit a pair of mittens for someone in need. If we all did that, there would be a lot of warm hands this winter."

So, the challenge will be to make mittens. They make great Christmas presents (and from what I read about this pattern) are a relatively quick knit. I know in my area, many organizations would gladly take the mittens and I am sure most of you know organizations that would do the same in your communities.

SP 12 Question #9

Have you ever entered your knitting (or anything else) in the fair? Would you ever consider it?

I have not entered my knitting in our local county fair (were you reading my blog from yesterday?). I have entered apple pie and pound cake (won blue ribbons for both). My husband did the ultimate sacrifice and ate lots of apple pie and lots of pound cake.

I would consider entering my knitting or sewing. Our local county fair is relatively big (going on right now) and every time I go to see the exhibits, I am surprised at the amount of stuff submitted, some of which is just bad. Often, I am surprised at what wins also and have often regretted that I didn't submit something.

In real life, unlike in Shakespeare,

the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears.

Things are not only what they are.

They are, in very important respects, what they seem to be.
-- Hubert H. Humphrey

I've got nothing today. Seriously. My right arm from my wrist to my elbow has been throbbing (I wore a brace all day yesterday). I decided it probably had more to do with the cleaning and sewing that I did this weekend. We cut out and sewed most of the front and back of Lindsey's bag (4" squares and then cutting the pattern out of the sewed fabric). Seriously, I think it was doing all the cutting because I haven't knit anything since last week. Probably, knitting keeps the pain at bay and since I haven't knit, I'm in pain. What a sacrifice! I guess I'll just have to keep knitting!

I am thinking about going to the County Fair this weekend. I will look at all the knitting and sewing and grumble about the fact that I could have won a blue ribbon for the stuff I do compared to the stuff that people enter. I've never entered anything in the sewing or knitting areas. I have entered apple pie and pound cake and won blue ribbons for those. But honestly, some of the stuff that people enter in the sewing and knitting are just awful. The prizes are great though . . . generally a sewing machine and/or cash and/or gift certificates. For the baked goods, the prize is really small, enough to cover the cost of entering. So I will go. I will grumble. And, who knows, maybe next year . . .

SIX Quirky Things about me

I got this from Kathy and you can find her HERE.

The Rules
* Link to the person who tagged you.
* Mention the rules.
* Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.
* Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.
* Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment to let them know that they’ve been tagged.

My Six Quirky Things
1. I hold my coffee ransom until I drink at least 24 ounces of water and drink it black at home and with cream at work.
2. I love slippers, even in summer, although no socks in summer
3. I keep my office at work neat and clean and the one at home is a dumping ground
4. I have three piercings in my right ear (two in the lob and one in the upper edge) and two in my left.
5. I get up at 4:45 every morning but the only morning I can roll over and go back to sleep is Sunday, but only if we have gone to Mass on Saturday evening.
6. I collect yarn because its pretty or soft and hate acrylic anything.

Okay and taking a page from Kathy, I am not tagging anyone. But while she is having a contest, I am not so, if you want to play along, please do so and let me know. If not, that's cool too.

Simple Woman's Daybook~16

FOR TODAY
Outside my Window...are trees . . . and I forgot my camera so I could take a pictures of my new view . . .
I am thinking... I am really in need of a cup of coffee and our coffee pot's electricity was off all weekend so I have to wait for the water to warm up. Sigh.
I am thankful for...a wonderful marriage, mostly good children, great friends and a good job.
From the kitchen... brocolli, t-bone steaks, GRANDS biscuits, fresh strawberries
I am creating... a bowl, still; a bag with Lindsey (pieced work front), lots of sewing
I am going... to get my office organized. I am still moving things around and around and around.
I am wearing...navy blue slacks, white t-shirt, red jacket, multi-colored beaded necklace, red drop earings
I am reading...Mobility (the magazine published by the Worldwide ERC)
I am hoping... that Sarah likes her new job. I believe she will but????
I am hearing... traffic and the radio . . . it is still quiet in my new space. Give it an hour and the chatter will start.
Around the house... organized my area upstairs, including all the scrapbooking and stamping stuff, had Zachariah organize his toys, replaced a zipper in a pair of slacks, hemmed jeans and slacks, replaced buttons and helped Lindsey with her bag.
One of my favorite things... sunshine and laughter while sitting on the back porch enjoying time with Dave while the kids run through the yard.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...finish Lindsey's bag before she makes me nuts
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Isn't that exciting? I spent a good part of Saturday with my sewing machine while I fixed hems, buttons and zippers and on Sunday while I was helping Lindsey with her bag. She is designing it, I am sewing it.

Today's quote:

The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never any use to oneself.
-- Oscar Wilde

Friday Fill In - August 1, 2008

One of the indictments of civilizations is that happiness and intelligence are so rarely found in the same person.
-- William Feather

1. If I could travel back in time, I'd go to when my grandmother was a young girl in Ireland.

2. Give me yarn or give me roving . . . I will be ohhhhh so happy!

3. I am listening to Il Divo.

4. Somewhere, someone is thinking if I hit the snooze alarm one more time, I just won't get out of bed and not go to work today and have a really wonderfully long weekend . . . . ahhhh.

5. I'll always be a packrat.

6. My idea of a good time includes relaxing with friends and/or family.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to spending one-on-one time with Zachariah, tomorrow my plans include mammogram and fasting blood sugar test, 4:30 Youth Ministry mass (drums, violins, flutes and wonderful voices) and a cocktail party with the teachers from my husband's school and Sunday, I want to do nothing (it is supposed to be in the mid-90s on Sunday . . . we will be spending lots of time in the pool)!

Question of the Week #8?

What is your favorite supper for a hot summer evening?

Anything grilled . . . but if I were to really want to savor flavors and textures, we would be having:

Grilled Kielbasa, served on buns with honey mustard.


along with fresh, crisp coleslaw (I really like Marzetti's slaw dressing and with a bag of coleslaw mix, this one whips up really quickly).






and of course, we would also be having Sangria, make it a day ahead, put it in jugs in the fridge, serve over ice while you are grilled the kielbasa. Lovely, simply lovely!









of course, the only thing the kids will eat would be the Kielbasa, along with glasses of cold milk and probably chips or pretzels, followed up with popsicles.

Dresses and fish

Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.
-- W. H. Auden

Not the best pictures but . . . Sarah needed a dress for a wedding. She found one but wouldn't model it for me. We also found these two dresses for Lindsey for homecoming and winter formal. The black one actually has ruffles that run up and down the dress. She already has jewelry and shoes to go with it.














The cream dress is actually very pretty. It has a "balloon" bottom, which I generally don't like nor does Lindsey. However, she put this on and all three of us decided that when you wear a size 1, a balloon dress is okay! LOL.















A good friend of my family moved from Cleveland to Texas this past January.

Yesterday, we received a box from Frontgate which contained two of these fish. They are battery operated "blow fish." Even though it was soon to be Zachariah's bedtime, we added the batteries and went back out to the pool. He had a blast.

These are pretty awesome things and he just had such a great time.

By the way, he has actually gained weight this summer. Lots of sunshine and he has been eating like a horse . . . well maybe a very small horse, but substantially more than he usually does. He had been to the endocronologist earlier this summer and weighed 38 pounds (no weight gain for three years) but grew 2 inches (the first time in two years) up to 45 inches. Yesterday, he weighed 41.5 pounds and is 46 inches. Woo hoo . . . and he doesn't look like a war orphan any more either!

Cleveland . . the tour

Our tour will start WAY WEST of downtown Cleveland. (By the way, if you click on the pics, it should link you to the website of where we are visiting . . . "should" being the operative word here).

We are going to trek out to Birds of a Feather in Avon, Ohio. Birds is a grand place. The downstairs is a quilt/rug hooking area and the upstairs is yarn . . . lots and lots of yarn.

are you all done drooling . . . great. We will stop for tea at the little tea shop just to the left of Birds. In fact, when the weather is lovely, the knitters sit in the patio area between Birds and the tea shop and knit.

Now we will head downtown:

For our tour, we are going to use several modes of transportation. First and foremost we will be using Lolly the Trolley. Lolly has been doing tours of Cleveland for 20 years.

Later on, we will board the Goodtime III for a sunset dinner cruise. The Goodtime III has been part of Cleveland for years. It is a great time and it does other tours besides dinner tours. A favorite with gradeschool children.






The first place that Lolly will drop off is at the West Side Market. The West Side Market is a combination open air market and enclosed market. It is the American Dream of owning and managing your own business. There aren't any franchises allowed in the West Side Market. When my Mom was a girl, she would
work shelling peas and beans at the West Side Market for $.05 a pint. That is a lot of peas! While there, we can pick up some homemade pastries and cheeses, along with some fresh fruit, the pears I bought there last week were delicious!

Our next stop will be Browns' Stadium. While the Browns are getting ready for the upcoming season in Berea, we can have a grand time in wandering the field.





Oh, and lets not forget the Cleveland Cavaliers. They are currently playing down the street at the Quicken Loans arena. Of course, Lebron isn't in residence right now because he is getting ready for the Olympics.

Maybe we will catch up to him next time.




Since he isn't there, lets go back to the lakefront and visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cleveland is considered the birthplace of Rock and Roll so it is only right that the Rock Hall would be built on our lakefront. Phew, we could spend DAYS there. It is amazing the history and fun stuff that can be found at the Rock Hall. Maybe someday we will even host the induction ceremonies on a regular basis . . . .


Severance Hall is probably considered the jewel by many Clevelanders. It is the Winter Home for the world famous Cleveland Orchestra. The summer home is at Blossom Music Center (south of Cleveland).



This is my library. It is about 2 miles from my home and is only four years old . . . of course, they are already beginning to remodel . . . go figure.





We are fortunate in Cleveland that we have TWO major libraries. There is the Cuyahoga County Library which is the one closest to my home and has branches all over the county except within the City of Cleveland limits.

The City of Cleveland has its own library. This is the downtown branch. Fortunately after years of dispute, the two libraries started working closer together about ten years ago and developed an interlibrary loan service. If one of the libraries doesn't have a book, chances are pretty good that the other one will (of course, neither has Plains Crazy . . . go figure).


And before I forget the Cleveland Museum of Art has reopened. After years of remodeling and limited exhibitions, the museum finally reopened on June 29, 2008.



And as we cruise along on the Goodtime, enjoying our dinner and a glass of wine or two, we can watch all the bridges light up . . .

As my husband has said on more than one occasion, if we didn't have kids, we would live downtown. There is so much to do and all of it is relatively close.

So, there you have it a very brief visit to Cleveland and I didn't even touch on many of the other things you could go see. We have the Botanical Gardens and Cuyahoga River. There are fabulous churches and synagogues. We are lucky to live in an area where medical services are abundant and some of the best in the country.

If you want to learn more about Cleveland, you might want to start at Cleveland+

Thanks for visiting and I look forward to visiting your home too!

Quote for Tuesday, July 29, 2008:

The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money.
-- Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson

I love Mark Twain.

Flash *** FLASH **** Flash *** FLASH **** Flash *** FLASH **** Flash *** FLASH ****

Knit Witch is having a Grand Opening Contest . . . but hurry it ends on July 31 which is Thursday, like in two days . . . .

You should be able to click on the pic but if not you can try here.


And if neither of those works, cut and paste this link:

http://knitwitchblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/contest-time-again.html