She Said It, the Wrap-Up

"It seems to me we can never give up longing and wishing while we are alive.  There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good, and we must hunger for them." -- George Eliot

Today is the last day of March. . . which also makes it the last day of Women's History Month.  To wrap things up, I want to share this song with you.

Thanks for celebrating Women's History Month with me!

And now . . . one last little celebration of the legacy of women. . .

Celebrate your story!  Celebrate Women's History Month. See you next year!

One More Sign

Despite freezing temperatures, the signs of Spring's arrival are all around me.  Crocus trying to bloom.  Trees trying to bud.  Robins.  Potholes.  Birdsong.  But, on Monday, The True Harbinger of Spring arrived.

Yes.  Bell's Oberon Ale is once again available.

Oberon.  "An American wheat ale with the color and scent of a sunny afternoon."

I'll drink to that!

Welcome Spring!

Shhhhhhhhhh!

Shhhhhhh.  Quiet!  Today's Ten on Tuesday takes us to the library.  Here's mine:

The Portage District Library.  (I'm actually closer to the Kalamazoo Public Library, but my "official" library is the Portage library.)

Ten Reasons to Use the Library:

1. It's free. . . providing
2. Great access to almost anything . . . and
3. A quiet place to read or study.
4. You can find a great variety of resources . . .
5. with the help of knowledgable assistants.
6. It's a community-focused institution . . . with
7. Programs for every age group.
8. There are comfortable spaces for reading, browsing, learning. . . and you can make
9. Connections with real people and real books and real materials.
10. Tap into your local treasure!

 

Extra-Action Kid

My son, Brian, is an "extra-action kid."

He has always enjoyed that "easy" place . . . where athletic ability. . meets daring. . . meets perserverence.  He walked early (9 months); he rode a 2-wheel bike early (4 years); he was a solid skateboarder by 7; I don't even remember teaching him to ski -- and he taught himself to snowboard.  He was a late-comer to ice hockey (at 9), but made up for it quickly. I learned early on to hold my breath, enjoy the excitement, and try not to panic! 

(Brian; age 7 or 8)

(Brian; age 12)

(Brian; age 13)

He went through a skateboarding phase.  It lasted quite a while . . . But it ended about the time he went to high school (where he busied himself with a more intense level of hockey, snowboarding, cars, and a girlfriend).  He just kind of outgrew skateboarding.

Then. . . he went to college.  And discovered . . . longboarding.  Sort of like skateboarding.  But not.

(Brian; now)

Brian just returned from a spring break trip with his buddies to California.  He is now a "sponsored" longboarder (which means he promotes equipment for deep discounts and "free stuff"). 

He's having a great time!  Here's a video from his "Cali trip" (Brian is the rider in the green shirt for the first half of the video, and then the white shirt/jeans for the second half).

Yep.  My "extra-action" kid!  (I don't even worry anymore - much - when I see the oncoming cars.  Really.  I don't.)

She Said It, Week Four

"I feel very adventurous.  There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them."  -- Elizabeth Taylor

March is Women's History Month. 

To celebrate, on Fridays during the month of March, I'll be honoring women by highlighting quotes by women. 

Celebrate your story!  Celebrate Women's History Month.

Getting Perspective

Of late, I've been . . . consumed. . . with a couple of issues I'd like to solve.  Not family-related; not health-related.  Really, minor things.  But challenging.  Frustrating.  Maddening.

Sometimes, unresolved issues end up taking over your psyche.

But now, it's time for me to . . . let it go; get it all in perspective.

Knitting helps.  Planning out my gardening tasks helps.  Studying French helps.  Reading helps.

And thinking about the scope of my problems. . . compared to the scope of REAL problems. . . helps immensely.

I know that much of the world's philanthropic efforts are headed to Japan right now, and that's a Very Good Thing.  (I've helped -- I purchased Kay Gardiner's Mitered Cross Blanket pattern.  More on that another day.)  As for me, though, I've decided to focus my Perspective and general Letting-It-Go-ness on a different type of philanthropy.

I'm going to put my support behind an excellent Heifer International project.  I'm going to put some money into building holistic communities in Nepal.  I'm going to fund goats, water buffalo, and pigs - along with cooking stoves and biogas units - for women in Nepal!

I may not be able to solve my issues.  But I can change my perspective.  And I can help build a holistic community for women in Nepal.  I feel better already.  The power of philanthropy.

I think that's pretty cool!

 

At a Leisurely Pace

It occurs to me that I haven't written about my knitting in a long time.  A really long time.

Let's try that again.  With emphasis.

A rrrrreeeeaaaallllyyyy long time!

Like, nearly two sleeves long time.

This is Heidi Kirrmaier's Summer Solstice cardigan.  It's really got an interesting construction -- each "piece" is constructed by knitting on to the previous piece.  So there is no seaming.  And you start right out with sleeves.  I feel like I'm knitting a giant tube with a bit of yoke built in for fun.

At one point, I thought I might finish this in time to take on my vacation in a couple of weeks.  But I'm not moving very fast on this project, so . . . probably not!

I've also stalled out on I'm taking a little break from another project.

This is Kirsten Kapur's Clepsydra Mitten.  Love it!  (Trust me, the thumb looks distorted in this photo; it is not that large in "real life;" plus. . . it needs to be blocked.)  Problem is, I knit the first one, and now I've lost steam -- and the passion -- for mittens.

Where am I on Clepsydra #2?

Um.  Not far.

So.  Knitting continues.  Just at a leisurely pace!

 

Welcome Spring. . . Fickle Spring

"The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another.  The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month."  -- Henry Van Dyke

Earlier this week, we welcomed the Spring Equinox.  Which, of course, does not mean we welcomed spring weather!  But that doesn't stop us from thinking of the Ten Reasons to Be Glad it's Spring.

1. No more snow (she said, hopefully . . .)
2. Fewer layers when going outside
3. Less people at the gym
4. More daylight
5. Gardening season
6. Blooming bulbs
7. Fresh air
8. Asparagus
9. Bird song
10. Vacation!  (think . . .Paris in the spring. . .)

Spring is fickle, that's for sure.  Welcome anyway!  Stay awhile. . .

"In the spring, I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours."  -- Mark Twain

 

 

 

The Hipster Life

As you know. . . iLove my iPhone.  iDon't, though, love its built-in camera.  Fine in a pinch, but, really, not so hot. 

Until.

I found the Hipstamatic app.

I'm having so much fun playing with the Hipstamatic!

Best $1.99 I've spent.  (Well, except maybe for the Zen Garden on my iPad. . . but that's for another post.)

The Hipstamatic.  It makes ordinary things look . . . well.  Hip.

Cool, n'est ce pas?

She Said It, Week Three

"Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved.  The real milestones are less prepossessing.  They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit, and simply never leave.  Our lives are measured by these."  -- Susan B. Anthony

 

March is Women's History Month. 

To celebrate, on Fridays during the month of March, I'll be honoring women by highlighting quotes by women. 

Celebrate your story!  Celebrate Women's History Month.