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Archive for July, 2011

Wooly Winery Part 1

Posted in Books, Journaling, Wedding, Country, tagged , on July 11, 2011| 2 Comments »

Anita talked me into it. “It will be fun,” she said. And since I’m never one to avoid fun, I signed up for my very first designer weekend event at The Needle Lady. You remember, it’s the Best Little Yarn Shop in town. The designer, Chris Bylsma, came all the way from Madison, Wisconsin to instruct and hopefully inspire our motley crew of about 15 women. She was lovely and exuded confidence in our ability. Local C-villians mixed with knitters from Richmond, VA, Maryland and even one who flew in from Ottawa. Just like band groupies, this designer has a fair number of followers.

Chris Bylsma in Blue

Friday night was the “Meet and Greet,” and a chance to pick out our colors for Chris’ beautiful Coloratura jacket. Now I love all colors, and due to my many years spent in a Catholic school girl’s uniform, I stood in front of her luscious display of wool skeins like my son once stood in front of an ice cream display, or my daughter’s first trip to a candy store  – struck silent by the sheer terror of making a choice. I managed to say, “Turquoise is my happy color,” and Chris skillfully picked out a dizzying array of happy blues for me with names like, Alice, Oops, Turquoise Jeans and Ingrid’s Blues.  Claudia center in White

Saturday we got down to work. We had our six variegated yarns (in shades of blue for me, pink for Anita) mostly rolled into balls,  and one silk that would tie the many pieced jacket together like a “…virtuoso of runs and trills.” Chris gently told us to make swatches since we had to be “…on gauge.” She reminded us that we are each very different knitters and there is, “…no normal out there.”

Knitters who Lunch

How to describe a knitting circle that lasts all day? Chris measured each one of us so the jacket would fit perfectly. We laughed and shared stories of our children. We even dabbled with politics, but in a polite way. If only our legislators would knit! Claudia McClean of Claudia’s Handpaint yarns in Harrisonburg, VA had delivered all her yummy yarns the night before and stayed to help, explaining her process of dyeing those 19.5 micron hanks of Italian wool into the amazing rainbow of colors we knitters had in our hands.

Sunday everyone met at King Family Vineyard to learn seaming, have lunch, take a wine tour and watch polo of course,  (to be continued)…

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Atlantis

Posted in Books, Journaling, Wedding, Country, tagged on July 8, 2011| 2 Comments »

We have liftoff! Our last shuttle flight for awhile and I couldn’t help thinking about that day in Boston, watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon in 1969. I was a mere college student, holding my breath with the rest of the world. How to describe that feeling, something akin to pride and awe – patriotism mixed with wonder? We need a new word.

Besides Apollo II, 1969 would prove to be a watershed year for our generation. Nixon was elected President and Vietnam was our bloody political baptism. A friend of mine became sterile from a botched illegal abortion. Bob marched on Washington and went to Woodstock.

…in a school bus.

It’s not right that we’re privatizing space, in my opinion. The first astronauts on the moon left a sign there that read:  “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.” Of course, since then, we’ve had many female astronauts. Today there is a woman, Sandra Magnus, among the final four astronauts heading for the space station, so when we get to Mars, we may have to make that sign a little more gender friendly. What do you say President Obama? RIP NASA Shuttle.

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Twice Bitten

Posted in Books, Journaling, Wedding, Country, tagged , on July 5, 2011| 1 Comment »

Mark Bittman, of the Minimalist cooking series in the NYTimes, posted a how-to video of his Watermelon and Tomato Salad on its front web page over the weekend. There are just a few things I will click to play on the Times site and they include: 1) anything Wedding; 2) that old, fashion guru on a bike Bill Cunningham; and 3) all things Minimalist. This watermelon salad, Bittman said, was an oldie but well worth a redo since it echoes the flavors and colors of Turkey. I was planning on making a special delivery dinner to friends who had just moved into town, so I watched the podcast and went shopping. Here is what you will need for this simple and refreshing dish:

  • 1 small seedless watermelon
  • 1 package of grape tomatoes
  • parsley
  • scallions
  • blue cheese

I love using my melon baller, it beats trying to slice a finger while sliding a knife through a juicy melon. So you scoop out the watermelon sans seeds, halve the tomatoes, clean and chop the parsley and scallions and then make a very simple vinaigrette. 2 T red or white wine vinegar mixed in a glass bowl with 3-4 T Evoo and freshly ground salt (just scored some pink Himalayan) and pepper. Mix everything together and sprinkle on the cheese. If blue cheese is too strong for your family, substitute goat cheese. Picnic anyone?Now everyone knows moving is right up there among the BIG stressors in life, and when you are moving with two small children then you have Stress to the 3rd power (move +  2 kids= 3). This particular Mom is a top-notch neonatal ICU nurse, so she can make moving two babies look easy. When we were packing up nearly 30 years of marriage to move south, and move the Rocker into college, I was also putting steroid drops into my eyes every hour. A West Nile virus carrying mosquito had the audacity to bite me, and that bout of encephalitis nearly took my sight.

That was Stress to the 4th power (move + last child leaving home + nearly dying and only losing partial peripheral vision thanks to one lousy mosquito = 4).  I’m beginning to understand why my 87 year old MIL wants to stay in her house. Here is my moving mantra – “Bloom where you’re planted.”

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Yearning to breathe free

Posted in Books, Journaling, Wedding, Country, tagged , , on July 2, 2011| 1 Comment »

I admit it, I get all teary on the Fourth of July. Something about that parade, with the school bands and fire engines and the troops of boy and girl scouts. But since we moved to Central Virgina, Bob and I like to go up the mountain to Monticello – the home of the author of these words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” This year marks the 49th Annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony, and 77 people from 44 countries around the world will swear allegiance to these United States of America.

Last year we heard Tracy Ullman, the keynote speaker, talk about our spirit of American confidence, with a capital “C!” She spoke about her father, and how he hated paying for the Royals and thought he’d have a real chance at a better life in America. The sky was the limit he thought, whereas in the UK once a shoemaker, always a shoemaker. Other years we’ve heard the artists  Christo and Jeanne-Claude speak, who are known for slinging orange drapes over Central Park, and we’ve listened to I.M. Pei the architect extol our country’s virtues. In fact Pei was the speaker the summer we moved here, in 2005. I registered to vote that day in VA at the ceremony, in Jefferson’s garden.

I wonder if documentary film maker, Alexandra Pelosi, attended our unique event. She traveled all 50 states to interview newly naturalized American citizens right after the ceremony and before they hit the Olive Garden, to find out why they wanted to relinquish all ties to their ancestral homes and become US citizens. Maybe you saw her Jon Stewart interview? She attended naturalization ceremonies at the Mall of America, at a circus, and a number of baseball stadiums. They even had one at WrestleMania. Guess I’ll just have to watch her special on HBO on July 4th, or buy her book,  Citizen USA: A 50 State Road Trip – maybe she caught me taking a picture of Tracy along with our wedding photographer, Jack Looney.

A picture within a picture…if you see Monticello look for me. I’ll be the one in the big straw hat, crying.

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