losing my mind one stitch at a time

Some beach time, Spring style

2011-03-27T17:28:00.007-06:00

Our family, minus Max, went to our favorite beach for spring break. The weather was warmer and sunnier than predicted, which was great except I packed for cooler weather. The water was and always is too cold to swim in March, but some brave souls do. We think they are people who don't get to come to the beach as often as we do. We also saw and heard at least one mated pair of Osprey. We had a regular cocktail hour complete with hor d'oeuvres. Often we would hear and see the Osprey near sunset. They are amazing birds. I was fascinated about them and dreamed of them, thought of them and looked for them long after we returned home. We enjoyed the Blue Angels flying over in practice, but it was hard to get photos. We comforted ourselves in the fact that we have decades of Blue Angels photos. William spent time with friends, as did we. During a card game one night our cat, Zeus, decided to help us play. We've had this motorhome about a year and the dogs and cats love the dash. It's huge and flat and they can view their domain from there.

Lichterman Scarecrow Contest

2010-09-04T15:47:00.000-05:00

Please meet Pretty in Pink. She is the Friend's of the Pink Palace's entry in the scarecrow contest this year. Ginger made her plywood frame and I found all the clothes at Goodwill including the PINK boots (with kitten heels.) She'll be next to the pavillion at Lichterman Nature Center and she's hosting Stomp in the Swamp September 12th. Please join us as we kick off Craft's Fair with some great auction items at bargain prices, food by Germantown Commisary and Ginger and I will be your beverage servers. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Be there!

Family fishing trip to Little Red River

2010-08-09T08:27:00.001-05:00

We took one last family trip before both boys go to school; Max to CBU for college and William to MCHS for HS. Trout fishing on the Little Red was good, though we never caught our daily limit. Did best the last day! Trout every day though and enjoyed time together as a family, as always. Traveling increases my work load and I became increasinly exhausted. I do all the cooking, cleaning, dog walking (at home they have a dog door) in addition to whatever events we are doing on our trip. The stairs down to the fishing dock and the path to the water eventually stopped me in my tracks by about 10 a.m. the last day. I climbed out of the kayak and knew I couldn't lug it up to the RV. Got Max to do it for me. Packed up and on the road. Vista did great! The kittens (now leggy young cats 5 months old) continue to be wonderful travelers!

Newly(re)weds!

2010-04-02T14:43:00.000-06:00

Twenty years, 2 months and 2 weeks ago we had a wedding, reception and cake. Now we are legally married (in D.C. and a few other US states). Check out the incredible knitted bouquet and boutonniere! Delivered in the nick of time.

Life's about the journey not the destination

2010-04-01T07:51:00.000-06:00

That quote has been floating around the Internet for quite a while. I will have to say it is the theme of our Spring Break Trip. Maxwell, graduating senior, chose the destination. Lindy, the RV, did her best to keep us from reaching it. Here is a photo of the boys outside the Air and Space Museum. I was surprised that Maxwell chose to go here, but when I saw they had a black hole show, it all made sense. We are so blessed to have these incredible kids, though some moments I would be hard pressed to say that out loud. Tomorrow we get married. And to show you what a small world it is, the rabbi who is marrying us is a gay knitter who helped me years ago with Max's bar mitzvah. He only helped via email, but when the laws changed to allow marriage in D.C. and we already had this trip planned, it just seemed right to ask him. A wonderful clerk at the marriage bureau went through a great deal of work to make certain our license and certificate were speeded through. Lindy's delays almost cost us the right to marry.
My knee, after total knee replacement, is causing me excruciating pain and my Alzheimer's is wearing me down. The family is supporting and lifting me through this trip. Yesterday Ginger pushed me in a wheel chair all through the Air and Space museum! Then she reminded me to stop early and come back. I hope all of you have people like this in your life: whether they are friends, family or (like the clerk) helpful strangers.

At least the cat approves

2010-03-25T18:42:00.000-06:00

This is a quilt made from "upcycled" tropical shirts. Probably the worst work I have ever done, but it is completed and will be shipped to TX for the Frisco Feeding Frenzy IV auction for Parties that Matter. Parrotheads know how to unit for a good cause.

New wardrobe for the graduate

2010-03-25T08:22:00.000-06:00

Max has been wearing uniforms since he entered public chater school and while he is a snappy uniform dresser, he has discovered the joy of bowling style shirts and silk. One day at my favorite thrift store, I purchased these five shirts and presented them to him as his "college wardrobe". He was thrilled! And he put one on for the dinner that very night. Do male college freshman iron their shirts?? If not, this may not have been such a good idea.

I fought the quilt and the quilt won

2010-03-22T19:53:00.002-06:00

Today I finished piecing the upcycled hawaiian shirt quilt top for the Frisco Feeding Frenzy IV. A trip to the store to purchase batting, because of course I didn't have any batting the right size and didn't want to cut up a queen size bat. Used the spray basting for the first (and maybe last) time. Small margin of time to adjust, if you find a wrinkle later, you're sunk. Then onto quilting and that's where the real "fun" started. Tension, snags, and thread breakage abounded. About 4 hours into it (and 2 needles) I declared a cease fire. Tomorrow I will horrify you with photos of the back of the quilt [shuddering] and the top. My adorable wife says it's not bad and I have nothing to complain about. ALWAYS ask a non-quilter when you know your quilt s*cks!

Help! My Quilt List is getting bigger!

2010-03-21T22:21:00.002-06:00

You saw the great fabric I purchased for quilts for a friend's 2 young sons. That fabric sits untouched because I have not even finished the quilt top for either of the charity quilts I'm making out of upcycled hawaiian shirts. I have no business adding a Quilt-a-long to my list, but I am really drawn to this jelly roll. Its not just that it would be an excuse to purchase a jelly roll (which I have avoided so far). I really like this idea and would love to do it. The real problem is the time line. I'm already basically a month behind so it wouldn't so much be a quilt a long as a quilt behind. Moda has some Jelly Rolls I adore and how can I possibly resist Spumoni BATIKS? I need secret money.

Maxwell Thornton-Leonard Senior 2010

2010-03-19T17:40:00.000-06:00

You can't see how long his ponytail is in this photo, but the official senior portraits will.

quilt madness

2010-03-12T12:17:00.005-06:00

I know nothing of the march madness that goes on in some sport involving a round ball, but let me tell you what happens when to wanna-be-great-quilters get to go to a quilt fabric warehouse; nirvana. And so when Sarah and I were allowed to tour and shop with the tutelage of shop owner Arlene Blackburn we swooned. Here are some photos from our first visit. There will be many many more! I purchased fabric for 2 quilts I've been commissioned to make for Amy's boys. Wow, these photos don't do it justice. There is fabric here you simply can't get anywhere else. And the Japanese fabric? Did you read all about it? :) Locals can sign up for for the newsletters and attend warehouse sales, out of town, state and country people can sign up and benefit from their clearance sections. Her daily prices are so appealing and reasonable that it was almost impossible to show moderation, but I had told myself I had to limit myself to the current commissioned project. I was good! You don't have to be. Visit the store online and tell 'em Diane sent you!

Facebook eats blog

2010-02-10T10:00:00.003-06:00

Ever since I began to learn and actively participate in Facebook (FB), my personal blog has languished. My editor forced me to join FB to promote my public dementia blog on everyday health and it has helped. But there are some crafty things that require much more than a line and this is one of them. I promise to get back to blogging for me, to hold my memories on "paper" and to entertain the few of you who straggle by.
Sarah introduced me to quilting. We like totaly different kinds, colors and styles of quilting so its really best that we are quilt buddies; there is no rivalry for fabrics online or at stores. She also convinced me (this took very little pushing) to start a stash. Sarah's quilt stash is 100% clothing that she fully intends to repurpose into quilts. She has them sorted by color values in a room and its a work of art in itself. I'm a different kind of quilter so I went straight for the sheets, blankets and whole clothe at the thrift store. After that I added in a few XL men's shirts in blue values because I wanted to make a shirt quilt.
today I am feeling good enough, after month and months of surgery, complication, hospitalization, infections, doctors appointments and general lethargy, to start a quick quilt! This will be no work of art; but a work of heart for my PT who is a friend and who stuck it out with me during some of the much more difficult and challenging days. She's a Steelers fan. She doesn't have a Steelers blanket/quilt/throw so I am making her one. Of course everything licensed costs a fortune and is hard to find at the end of the football season, but I did order online and got 2 yards of licensed stuff.
Now the good part. I shopped my "stash" and I think I found the colors I want to complete the quilt! I'll double check with Sarah when she comes over (she's still my quilting consultant) and then I'll get busy. I hope to get at least the top done by Friday.

Another business, Dementia Busy Aprons

2009-08-31T10:15:00.000-05:00

Modeled after aprons I saw online, but the shipping was insane and the cost was $35+, I made these after blurting out in a support group that I would. Poor impulse control is a problem with dementia. I'm selling them for $25 no shipping. They vary depending on the person, this one is for a woman. The toy is optional and specifically for the recipient. For a teacher it might have a pocket full of letters or flashcards. The fabrics are lush and functional. The 4 square patch on the top is sewn on the right side, but the zipper comes completely apart so you can have a kind of flap. Just another bright thing to fiddle with. Hope this is a hit. Since dementia has sidelined my career, and SSDI as not come through for 3 years, money is insanely tight. I will make a tiny profit on these. I use all thrift store clothes to make the additions. I purchased the aprons. I have 5 more to make.

And the wait goes on...SSDI

2009-08-08T19:29:00.005-05:00

about a zillion years ago I applied for Social Security Disability. I wasn't happy to apply, it seemed like defeat. I was depressed at the very thought and found the 3,000,000 forms more than overwhelming. I got through it eventually (took me about 3 months!) and then my doctor didn't turn in any records so I was denied, but that took many more months to find out. That was 2006. I'm still waiting to be approved. I got a letter saying I was slated for a hearing with an administrative judge in September 2009. I have read from other people that the hearing is just another hurdle, it is in no way the finish line. We won't get rich from my SSDI, but it could make the difference between having any medical care and having none. If the two year wait is applied (2 years from date of disability) then I'm past that. I hope they approve me for medicare immediately. SSDI payments could be over a year away.
I wonder when I'll ever be able to contribute financially to my family again? DVD sales are seriously off, no mystery shop assignments from Starbucks (guess they're cutting and back too) and the dog I babysit is finally home. Dementia sucks, but dealing with bureaucracy while battling the effects of dementia really suck. At least I am not in end stage...yet!

Lindy the motorhome gets a quilt

2009-08-08T07:15:00.004-05:00

Sarah has been quilting for a while, my mom asks if I am quilting and finally I can say yes. After making pinch pleat drapes for the bunk sleeping area of the Lindy, I still had fabric left and wanted to make a quilt. Sarah helped me pick fabric, but left the final choice to me so I have no one to blame for the fact that it turned out to be a John Deere quilt. I even cut it out and sewed it in the Lindy during a Kendo weekend! Yes, that photo of me sewing is from inside the motorhome :) I still have to bind it, but we love it anyway. It's for the RV for heavens sakes. Now I have fabric for at least 4 more quilts stacked in the dining room. I must get organized!

Cat updates

2009-08-08T07:03:00.004-05:00

Oh boy has it been a crazy cat year around here. You can see in August of last year we fostered (then adopted) an adorable tiny black kitten. Sad to say, Kellen disappeared in May of 09. Despite being chipped, going door to door and posting signs, no information was ever received.
While we were enjoying a rocking trip to Pensacola Beach in the motorhome, I decided to check craigslist and saw someone had listed a small black kitten. It was abandoned at the side of the road in a paper bag or box (the story was sketchy). We talked about it and asked around about some other kittens, but seemed to settle on another black kitten, tiny, abandoned.
We picked up new black kitty the day after we got home. Max had named him Odysseus before meeting him. I still forget his name and call him Kellen. They look so much alike! He's great, loving, but won't play with Molly like Kellen did and Molly is sulking a bit. He's growing, healthy and we all love him.
My 9 year old cat has been thin for several years. The vet thought it was stress, gave me some meds and left it at that. Lately, she's gotten much worse. For those of you (sarah) who won't get another animal because of the cost, stop reading! After a liver biopsy ($409.) it was determined that it was not lymphatic hepatitis as suspected, it was lympha somethingerother sarcoma. No treatment, no hope. She has improved somewhat and for now we're letting her eat all the raw organic hamburger, greens, roast chicken and butter she wants. She will hopefully pass over the rainbow bridge without assistance, but we are prepared to help her if need be. We refused to let her linger in pain.

Frisco Feeding Frenzy (Jimmy Buffett)

2009-05-21T06:57:00.005-05:00

I found the best group online for Jimmy Buffett stuff (www.buffettnews.com) and stumbled onto a group that was planning a party with a purpose before the show in TX. This, of course, fit my love of volunteering and I quickly signed up. Before you knew it I had signed up Ginger and recruited my brother and SIL too! We eventually (months later) converged on Frisco Texas and the Pizza Hut Park for a phantastic phlocking phull of phun. (get the Parrot head references??)
We over-nighted in the glorious Lindy and were grateful as heck. I was quick to make friends and Ginger wished for some personal space, but we'll do it again next year. I will try not to get as intoxicated...maybe. I will try to keep my shirt on more...maybe.
Here are some highlights. The blanket was one of two charity projects sent to me by other BN knitters. I seamed the squares up (they were not even close to the specs I asked for) and next time I'm going to insist people measure.

Catsup, Ketchup, Catch Up

2009-05-17T17:30:00.005-05:00

No matter what you call it, it's high time I play serious catch up and get back on the blogging wagon again. I admit that Facebook has taken the place of blogging, but will stop that silliness soon.

Hitting the high lights, Kellen, the much loved and affectionate feline who landed in our lives in August 2008, disappeared without a sign Friday, May 7. Despite much calling, posting and asking, he remains MIA. We only pray he is alive and doing well. We miss him more than words can say.
The Swine flu scare didn't scare us at all and we went about life
The boys are enrolled in Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering. Do not believe one word of what you read about it. The teachers are 99.9% outstanding. The administration is 99.9% hot air. We are counting the days until the new administration kicks in and hoping the boys have some other options before next year.
We adore the RV and had a BLAST taking her to TX for a Jimmy Buffett concert. We will return to FL to visit friends for a week and do a little fishing before our summer starts.
Max is going to be riding a bike to the local university (University of Memphis) to take Latin I and II for "fun" this summer.
William is going to be working at Molly's la Casita, attending Future Builder's camp at Bridges and hopefully going to the Library's computer camp and Bridges Peace Jam Leadership camp. The latter two are competative and we haven't heard a word yet.
Max is aiming for MIT, Virignia Tech, Georgia Tech or (his fall back) CBU for college. U of Alabama and Rice have also hit the radar thanks to friends who know his penchant for competition and high academic standards. We're hoping for a full-ride scholarship.
My dementia is slowly nibbling at my life and I rest a great deal every day. I still manage the bare basics of cooking and taking kids to and from school with occasional meetings thrown in
Ginger turned FIFTY.
The kids got us Mother's day presents without any help this year (internet shopping is great)!
We went to the Memphis in May [Mud] BBQ Festival and had a BLAST with the VooDoo BBQ Crew. Thanks Tricia and Chuck for including us. Thanks Gay, Jerry, Nancy and *Kelly* for partying with us.

no good deed goes unpunished

2009-04-02T08:00:00.002-06:00

Hi! Reporting to you today from purgatory, or as close as a Jew can get. The boys' school, who I have high hopes and expectations for, is currently deciding if they will allow me to drive 16 hours round trip to pick up FREE textbooks for teachers. Why, you ask would this even be considered? Ginger firmly believes this is NOT my battle. I, as a long time home educator, have to admit I feel compelled to provide the best education for our children. That means giving as much of my failing brain and body to their current school as possible while still keeping my sanity and health. Why would the school, in existence 5 years, need textbooks? That's too complicated for me to even fathom, but has something to do with the plan to be a textbook free school and the reality that all kids don't have laptops. So here I sit, keeping an interview with Joe Shapiro of NPR on hold, the COO of Pink Palace hanging as well as friends for dinner and the family. Waiting to hear if the administration approves of (and will pay fuel costs) for me to drive to FL to pick up textbooks. A symptoms of my illness is poor judgement. This might be a symptom instead of a good deed!

sand summary

2009-03-29T09:02:00.004-06:00

The RV lifestyle appeals to our family, it fits our personalities to a "T". Despite a glitch in getting to Pensacola Beach in time for our welcome home party (we were 24 hours late!) and spending the night in the parking lot of the Hattisburg, MS Firestone parking lot, we enjoyed ourselves. Even when marooned in Hattiesburg (and I was sorely tempted to call a S'Wheaten friend so we could park in her driveway) we were content. We ran out of fuel because the 3rd tank fuel pump wasn't functioning properly. No problem, despite rain and cold the furnace was working and the kitchen was stocked. I prepared lunch and we sat, as a family, and enjoyed lunch. Then rested quietly while waiting for the AAA guy to show up with fuel. Loss, 2 hours; gain, relaxed family. Moving on to Hattiesburg and we noticed the engine was running hot. We had finally turned off the heater in the cab and that put extra heat on the engine. Quick call to my darling brother who is a Ford-o-phile and a decision to seek a mechanic before it was a roadside emergency, thus the overnight at Firestone while waiting for a part for the 1-ton engine. We enjoyed margaritas, DVD's and a warm dinner. Rainy evening and the kids stayed up to watch the antics of city people in parking lots late at night (from the safety of their RV windows). A great breakfast of sausage and biscuits which had the mechanics salivating and then they got the part and started working. We were all happy, warm, dry and relaxed despite not being at the beach.
The week at Renee's was chaotic. Financial, health and personal chaos ensued, but we helped as best we could, stepped back when we needed to and had the oasis of Lindy the RV to escape to at all times. Packing up and going to the RV shop was even pleasant as we got the best service we have ever had in Gulf Breeze Camper World. Again, as we waited and shopped newer RV's, we were able to step to our RV for drinks and snacks and bathroom. Heaven.
We learned we love turtles, with our home on our backs we are able to be safe, comfortable and connected anywhere, anytime. It's probably a testament to our parenting and love for each other that 10 days with 4 people in a tiny space produced no fights! TV, puzzles, games, Xbox, books, knitting and naps. We'll be back May 29th Florida, get ready!!!

Beach Bound!

2009-03-12T06:25:00.002-06:00

Not to put too fine a point on it, but we are leaving for ten glorious days in Pensacola Beach, FL! And while the water will be a chilly 70 degrees, the weather will be warmer and sunnier than Memphis...at least part of the time. I'm sure Memphis will get nice and warm while we're gone, but we're still leaving! Photos to come, we're unplugged for the entire time, which should be interesting. Are you jealous?

Purim at Or Chadash

2009-03-11T04:28:00.002-06:00

The entire family celebrated Purim this year. Max took a major role in the Purim skit and had the audience rolling. William jumped in and read fabulously at practice and got the part of 2 characters! Despite 4 shots of Seagrams, I didn't fullfill the mitzvah of getting snockered, oh well!

Willi's quilt for Patti

2009-03-11T04:20:00.002-06:00

When Willi (z'l) died, unexpectedly, while Patti was out of town last year, everyone who knew them was stunned. I talked to Patti about Willi's extensive T-shirt collection and offered to make her a quilt out of his favorites. She carefully culled his t-shirts down to these few and after some initial trepidation, I jumped in and made this quilt. Now she can snuggle up with him any time she needs or wants!

more RV updates

2009-03-11T04:16:00.001-06:00

I painted the kitchen and bathroom. Got rid of that wallpaper. Ginger said she didn't even notice it, but I sure did!

The boys can get along

2009-03-11T04:14:00.001-06:00

At least for a few minutes once a day, the boys get along famously. I was fortunate enough to capture this moment.

D&D night

2009-03-11T04:10:00.002-06:00

The kids have been enjoying getting together with a few other teen boys and playing D&D for hours and hours. The adults and littles have enjoyed just hanging out and playing.

2009-03-11T04:10:00.000-06:00

Freakish weather

2009-03-07T06:29:00.002-06:00

Spring in the south is mixed bag. Last week, exactly 7 days ago I went on a shopping spree with a friend and returned to a house with only one teen and fat fluffy flakes of spring snow that lasted for 3 days. Yesterday (friday) was so warm that I left the back door wide open and tried to open the attic fan, but my hands are losing strength. I had to wait for Ginger to come home from work. She got the attic fan working and we slept with a few windows open and the attic fan running. Amazing. I like both kinds of weather, but to have them so closely spaced is a bit challenging for plants and allergies. And in another 7 days we'll be headed to the beach for some time with friends.

Mommy's little helper

2009-03-03T13:02:00.005-06:00

Anyone remember Kellen? That kitten rescued at 4 wks old from the animal shelter? He was never returned to the shelter, not that I didn't try, but it just didn't seem to be in the cards for him to be a foster. He's ours, lock sock and barrel. he is also HUGE and very very HELPFUL. He's in the middle of everything, whether it's playing with Molly (the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier) or sewing curtains for the RV, Kellen is there. Heck, he and JD even "help" me check my email!

Kitchy Curtains

2009-03-03T12:56:00.001-06:00

These are not the best photos, but here are the completed curtains for the living room. What do you think we need to do about the couch and chair? Solids? More Kitchy stuff? Email me suggestions!

New Curtains for Lindy

2009-03-01T15:32:00.006-06:00

Thanks to Sarah for taking the time out of her Saturday to go shopping with me. We ventured out to Joann's and I found the perfect fabric for a project or two in the RV (Lindy). Then we went to a quilt shop. I must learn how to really quilt and soon. Here are the before and after shots of the projects I completed in the RV. From plain to coffee theme in the kitchen, plain to travel theme in the dinette and pink to tropical in the shower. Sunday Ginger went shopping with me and we had a blast. She picked out the kitchiest fabric for the living room curtains (RV).

Hey, ma, look!

2009-02-23T15:11:00.001-06:00

No more braces. And all it took was 2 years and selling the MG.

stupid knitting patterns

2009-02-23T09:21:00.003-06:00

I'm working on a great charity project over on the Buffettnews.com/forum site. It's a beach/JB themed throw done in dishcloth squares of 10". I am no pattern maker, but there are any number of cute patterns out there. However, the people who write the patterns are idiots. I think there's a serious need for a quick and easy PDF entitled "dishcloth patterns for people who think" as opposed to the subtitle that must be on every dishcloth pattern I find which is "patterns for dummies" If you can't sort out the instruction to make a 5 row seed stitch border and keep 4 stitches on each edge in the border stitch, then you are a moron. I do not like to see K1, P1, K1, P1 actually printed on each line of a stinking pattern. Better yet, put the effer in a graph and be done with it. All these letters make my head swim.

off to take the eldest to become BRACES-FREE!!! Hopefully I will edit the latest pattern to the point that it no longer makes me fume when I look at it.

Catch up already

2009-02-19T12:28:00.004-06:00

So, apparently I have been woefully behind in personal blogging. Please forgive me if you even still read this. The purpose of my blogging was originally to keep a bit of a diary of my descent into dementia. Then it was to keep a memory book to jog my failing one. Then I forgot to remember to jog my memory. Got it? So the short history of the last six or so months.

September 2008, beach, beach and more beach. Great friends, food and fun. check
October 2008, more beach, return home and hit reality HARD. William in school, Max in school, life changes. William celebrated surviving to the age of 14 by becoming a demon. we are still adjusting to this and the question of who will survive is anyone's guess.
November 2008 and finally some good news. Barack Obama won the presidential election. There is hope in Mudville.
Thanksgiving with my family in Oklahoma was great, except that Ginger got a wicked cold and had to miss the big meal. We had quite an RV adventure on our first RV shopping trip.
December 2008 we learned that boys who have been homeschooled and then go to structured public school have *issues* when they are given hours of free time for holiday breaks. We will know for the next time to put some structure in there. The gamers OD'd. Ginger indulged the boys in new computers for the big gift this year. we are still paying for them.
January 2009 arrived and we counted the days until inauguration. We had a big party and are hopeful the American public will get serious about personal responsibility and fix what's broken in this country. We celebrated our umpteenth anniversary and my 47th birthday with very little fanfare.
February 2009 and we are serious about this RV purchasing thing. We bought a 1986 Lindy by Skyline and begin to learn about her, fix her and make plans to take her on the road.
in March we'll return to the beach and stay in the driveway of Renee and her family while we live in the RV for 8 glorious days. In April we'll be in Dallas for the first Jimmy Buffett concert of my life!!! Again, in the RV and visiting friends before boondocking in the big parking lot of the Pizza Hut Plaza.
Hopefully we're all caught up. If you want to see dementia-specific articles, go to the everyday health.com site and look up my dementia blog.

Quickie trip to Shelby Forest

2009-02-14T15:15:00.000-06:00

Molly and Kellen at play

2008-11-25T10:13:00.001-06:00

Who says dogs and cats aren't friends? Watch these 2 play! from Diane Thornton on Vimeo.

Family fun on the beach

2008-09-14T08:21:00.002-05:00

Ike's effects in Pensacola Beach

2008-09-12T07:48:00.000-05:00

Ike was 450 miles south of the beach when we had waves breaching the dunes and flooding parts of the island. Soundside got the bigger hits with flooding in several businesses, apartments and parks. Beachside we had erosion and flooding, but we hope the ocean will leave us lots of beach when the waves finally subside (hopefully Monday)

Gamers on the beach

2008-09-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

I swear, within 24 hours of hitting the beach our home is game central. We've told the boys we're limiting the festivities this year to accomodate my decline and to give Ginger more of a vacation. Here are some happy testosterone laden lads with their controls well in hand.

Seeing the ocean for the first time this season

2008-09-06T16:56:00.000-05:00

After the 7 hour car trip with 2 teens and 2 dogs, we unload and ritually walk to the beach to view it for the first time each year. This is a sacred month for our family. There's even a special prayer to say when you see the ocean :)

Kellen!

2008-08-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

Ginger has documented some frustration I had with the City Animal Services and I am happy to say that ultimately I met with the director and hope to continue to expand the volunteer fostering program in the very near future. Until then, this little guy went from foster to adopt and we're thrilled with him (as are the dogs and cats...for the most part). Without further ado, I give you Kellen.

Preparing for Japan!

2008-08-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

William studied Japanese (not as hard as I thought he should), made soap, bought special pens and I knit some dragonfly washcloths for Omiyagi (gifts). We took him out for dinner at Molly's and Aunt Kelly had to have a "shooter" with him and give him some advise. Ginger drove us to the airport the next morning, bright and early and I took him to Starbucks for a little wake up breakfast before sending him off to LAX and ultimately Japan.

Swimming in friends

2008-07-28T12:44:00.000-05:00

One of the senior students who has inspired and helped William for years is Rogers Gossett. After the addition of their first child, (Holland) his wife (Jane) and I have become good friends. They shared their great pool with our family this summer. Here are a few photos to remind us of the joy of friends...

Mini Kendo camp

2008-07-14T12:32:00.001-05:00

Actually it was just another normal week of Kendo, but William had a good friend (Galen) stay with us for the entire week. It was wonderful. He's a great kid and I wish he'd rubbed off on William some more. Fortunately Max was around to give Galen some more mature time. We went swimming twice, the zoo, teen night once or twice, the civil rights museum and Pink Palace IMAX.

2008 US Kendo Championships Las Vegas

2008-07-09T10:00:00.002-05:00

Here are some of the photos I took with William's new (small) camera. Thank you to everyone who supported him on this journey, gave him jobs, money, advice and training. He has a long way to go until next championships in 3 years, but he is determined to return and improve his performance.

Guess who's coming for dinner?

2008-06-22T20:39:00.003-05:00

Half of a hormone-free, grass fed cow! The Mastons have beef, lamb and now even pork available! We're picking up half a cow tomorrow morning. I found them through the Farm Bureau's magazine. I checked out the PickTnproducts.org to see when the Harris' would have their organic blueberries available and noticed the site listed meat too. A few emails later and we had a check in the mail for a deposit on "our" cattle. They give a discount to homeschoolers and law enforcement/fire etc. Give Paulette a call and tell her I sent you! Next up is a sheep in the fall. Wonder if I can spin their fleece? Tomorrow i hope to remember to ask for a few bones for the dogs.

The weekend of insane activity and indulged teenagers

2008-06-12T10:48:00.007-05:00

William's Kendo team practice in Nashville brought about several other activities in the interest of saving fuel. First, here are some photos of William at practice and the obligatory beer and food that follows. For better photos go here. Thanks to Lisa for letting us stay with her. We drove William to the middle of freaking no where so he could stay over night with a homeschool buddy. Returned to Nashville for a brief break before going on a Starbucks mystery shop and pestering Ginger for directions to iD camp check-in. Thank heavens for the new GPS! We got Max checked in to camp where upon he instantly dismissed me and I was free to dash over and meet Lisa & Lynette to go to the CMA Fest. Lisa sweetly obtained a ticket for me! After having massive cell phone problems complete with leaving some bizarre message that alarmed my brother, parents and wife, I finally met up with Lynette and got to the stadium. Great performers, though Billy Ray must learn to shut up. Picked up William the next day and headed home. Beat for the next two days. Today is the first day I could even put 2 thoughts together, unfortunately those thoughts were "vacuum" and "mop". UGH!

the next summer knit top

2008-06-12T10:35:00.005-05:00

Technically I should have done Lotus Blossom first, but I just wasn't feeling it. After knocking Lelah out in 4 days, I instantly swatched for lotus blossom and got gauge! I planned to alter the top (don't I always), but followed the directions for the size large. After one entire repeat it was obvious that everyone was right, this pattern runs outrageously large. I should have swatched a lace section, no wait, I think I did! After some lamenting and gnashing of teeth, I frogged the effer and headed off to Nashville for the LAST SEUSKF team practice. Foolishly thinking I'd have 5 hours to knit. Of course Arai-sensei's wife conned me into timing ji geiko, Masumi needed ice packs, somebody else needed athletic tape and it was "mom to the rescue". The knitting whined. I snuck off and got a bit done later. After 2 repeats I can see I am still going to have to alter this pattern so basically I am lifting the lace pattern and changing everything else. In hindsight, I wish I had purchased Soie Bamboo for this top. The Sonata is stiff and will not have the drape or weight I had wished for, but the cost is right. Hopefully I can beat the heck out of it in the washing machine with a pair of jeans and soften it up.

new FO, Lelah, summer top

2008-06-05T10:58:00.002-05:00

right out of the shower, no air conditioning, no makeup, no more excuses. quick and easy, I think I knit this up in about 4 days!

Cool teenaged boy...

2008-06-04T11:35:00.002-05:00

...with a new hair(against his will), straight (still braced teeth) and new glasses. Life is good!

Health Talk producer comes to visit

2008-06-04T11:21:00.006-05:00

Carolynn Delaney came and shot video with the help of a local camera crew. I think the idea is to make several videos for Health Talk, each focusing on a different aspect of Dementia (diagnosis, living, plans for the future?) She was a joy to work with! I would welcome her back any time! Health Talk is an amazing place with personal stories, professional information and "ask the doctor" format all in one place. I did not take many photos as all, but here are a few.

How to build a patio without really trying

2008-06-04T11:07:00.006-05:00

Have a friend decide to rip out her walkways
have the same friend offer to let you have the bricks if you remove them
get your teenaged sons to help you dig them up and load them in the truck (three times)
Have your hard working teenaged son clean the bricks and stack then neatly
Have your slacker teen marginally clean and horribly stack the remainder of the bricks
con a good friend to come "help" (since he's already built his own patio)
Get busy cooking, watching his kid brother etc...have everyone else do whatever he says
Go out occasionally to move a few dozen bricks.
Provide great barbeque and drinks and swimming compliments of #1&2

Beating Lelah into submission

2008-06-02T07:31:00.009-05:00

I have been swatching for a summer top for weeks. Honestly, I could have knit an entire garment in this time! I'm not always one to swatch, but there is this wicked frugal streak in me and it's showing its determination to find a use for some hand me down Misti Cotton yarn. Lynsey made a keyhole top out of it and had almost 3 full hanks left. We swapped (I gifted her the BS Nature's spectrum yarn I made a cardi out of, handpainted, 100% wool, very neat) and this yarn has been haunting me ever since. I have swatched it on various needles for no less than three different patterns. Beginning with Lotus Blossom (it's way to heavy) then Isabella (the stitch gauge/row gauge threw the pattern off horribly no matter what needles I tried) and then settling on Lelah borrowing these major modifications for my middle-aged lump body. I CO twice, ultimately I had to frog and CO a third time. That's the charm. Now I can report that I CO with a size 10 using my gauge swatch to determine the # of stitches, as the pattern was seriously off. When I followed the pattern for the size large, i ended up with a bottom measurement of 50"! YIPES! I'm decreasing needle sizes to create some shaping. This needs to go from a 40" hip to a 32" under bust. So I'm dropping from a 10 to an 8 then to a 6. The plan is for this to use up the Misti Cotton and some Shine worsted left overs. I am serious about this frugal knitting stuff. Then I will reward myself with Elann Sonata for Lotus Blossom.

Bum Wrap (Curly Purply)

2008-05-27T10:35:00.003-05:00

Dawn had her 4th pregnancy last year and produced adorable twin sons! I sent her a bit of William's left-over premie clothing and now I get to knit a few soakers for them. She has made one for each of the 3 she's got in diapers out of this pattern. I used up some leftover purple Wool of the Andes. I hope they fit! I used some bits of leftover yarn to put a Q and H on them (for Quentin and Hyrum)

More monster socks

2008-05-27T10:32:00.001-05:00

This pair used up not two, but three bits of leftover sock yarn! Certainly not beautiful, but wonderfully frugal!

Alzheimer's Public Policy Forum 2008

2008-05-15T10:05:00.005-05:00

I received a scholarship to attend the Public Policy Forum in Washington D.C. this year. The catch was that I had to share a room with the director of our local Alz. Assoc. The scholarship was apparently limited, I never received specifics. Everything came through the director. Next year I would wish for firm information in hand.
The best part of the week was the event Monday from 9 to noon. It was a Town Hall meeting in which the Alz. Assoc. listened to people with dementia. The moderator asked that caregivers not speak. Unfortunately some of them didn't follow the rules :( It was nice to hear others who are walking this path with me share their experiences, their opinions and their hopes. Next year I hope we have a break out session during the public policy forum just for people with dementia. Once the town hall was over, it was challenging to identify the people who had spoken. I was fortunate in that I was able to finally meet some people I have become friends with through the internet dementia support system. I met James Smith, Jay Smith, Bill Bridgewater, Sue Pinder, Kris Bakowski and joined the Chuckettes and spent every second I could with my dear friend Chuck Jackson and his daughter, Rachel.
The last day on the hill was grueling. Walking, talking, sticking with talking points, supporting information with facts and figures. I think there is a learning curve with this event and next year I would be very careful to make certain a family member could travel with me. Even having one of my son's would have been a help. They know me and know my routine. having to ask for what I needed during the week was challenging. I need lots of quiet [alone time], I need to exercise daily, I need to have great internet access so I can update family and other PWD's about the event. The Hotel this year was phenomenal, but the internet access was pathetic.

Sarah's STASH!

2008-05-10T07:34:00.003-05:00

After months of offering, I finally took Sarah up on the chance to "shop" her stash. This woman's stash has an ENTIRE room to itself! You know she's a quilter right off the bat because everything is organized by color and it's georgous. Sarah's secret? She buys clothes from thrift stores and recycles them into bags, quilts, clothes *anything*! She's amazing! The local paper has picked up her story and plans to do a feature on her. She's been featured on crafster for her recycled bag out of bags. We sorted through every teal fabric she had and settled on one. Now I have to get busy and find time to sew the addition to my bag before I take off for D.C. tomorrow morning.
Sarah has special clothes hanging in the closet, they're all linen. She also has 3 dresses, hand smocked by her mother, from her own childhood. She is one incredible woman!
What I won't show you is the cabinet full of recycled yarn. She's neatly wound them into cakes, kept the original tag and placed them all in large ziptop plastic bags. She even offered to let me "shop" that stash. I remained strong as I now have a "real" stash of my own (according to Sarah).

another kitty pi

2008-05-09T08:02:00.002-05:00

A few months ago I was on a big stash busting adventure and would CO for another quickie one-two skein project each Sunday. This is a hodge-podge of wool that should have, by all rights, been a pair of Fuzzy Feet, but we didn't need any at the time (William has since trashed not one but TWO pairs.) So I threw together this kitty pi bed. I hate to report that they are not using it as much as the other one. This one is a glorified cat litter box mat at the present :(

Tabi Socks for William

2008-05-08T18:03:00.004-05:00

First attempt, knit on size 1's using JaWool for his size 9 foot. Next time I'd tweek how I did the toes, but other than that it seems to be a hit. He's already ordered another pair, knit in heavier yarn for a pair of slippers.

Cinco de Mayo at Molly's la Casita 2008

2008-05-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

The photos are numerous, but oddly enough I don't think I'm in any of them.

On the Road Again (for Kendo)

2008-05-04T10:59:00.000-05:00

William had another team practice for the South East Kendo Federation national team. We drove to Crossville and stayed with Margo, Peggy and Mattie. Gracious and accomodating, we always crash there on these easternly trips. Then it was onto North Carolina for the practice and I met up with Ellen from the soft coated Wheaten Terrier yahoo group. The weather was stunningly beautiful and the dogs were great. We met her 3 and got some sun. After a great dinner (no photos) we crashed at a basic hotel and checked email then left the next day for an extra practice in Knoxville with Hyun-sensei. William worked hard all weekend. We're very proud of him! On Sunday he was so tired after Geiko with Hyun-sensei that he thought he was going to pass out and/or be ill. He drank some, breathed, focused and went back for more!

last week's socks

2008-04-30T10:38:00.002-05:00

These are technically monster socks. Knit from some left over Sock It To Me navy and an unknown German sock yarn that had been gifted, reclaimed and (obviously) skeined backwards. Comfortable and they just went through their first wash. I did a simple 3 stitch cable and ribbing. I ripped them out and reknit them as the first (pictured pattern) was a 3 stitch cable alternating L and R cables and it pulled in too much to be comfortable getting over the heel. The top photos are of the 2nd knit, actual finished and wearable sock.

Ginger had a birthday!

2008-04-28T22:48:00.000-05:00

Due to dementia, I robbed her of a year. Fortunately she caught it because heaven knows she doesn't want to have to repeat the last year! We had a small surprise party for her and though she isn't generally keen on such things, she was a good sport. Kelly and the Molly's La Casita staff gave her gorgeous flowers! I made her a caramel turtle cheesecake and she got some cute cards. Next year we're planning a big 50th celebration at the house with a BBQ cookout.

Alton Brown Feasting on Asphalt, The River Run

2008-04-26T18:28:00.000-05:00

The entire family volunteered during Alton's visit to The Pink Palace. While I wish we had better photos, we were busy helping others take their photos, get information for the newsletter and generally helping all 400 people get their minute with him. He is, always, gracious, warm, genuine and fully attentive to each individual who comes to see him. Talented, smart, and gracious. I can pretty much guarantee he's one in a million. Sorry the photos s*ck, I swear, I took great ones of everyone else (with their cameras!) When he was leaving he asked if I was going to be there the next time he came. I wasn't sure if I had upset him! But he really was joking. ::whew!:: I was beat. Completely exhausted. Dementia is sucking the life out of me, but this was an investment. I do, slightly wish we had been standing in line and actually gotten to have a good photo with him and we all really wish he had been in a setting where he could speak to his fans. He is a wonderful and entertaining speaker. Maybe the magic fairies will let us visit the Good Eats Set when we take William to Atlanta for his next Kendo team practice? (HA!) Need more A.B. fixes? Try these: http://www.chow.com/stories/11061 (older, but still a great read; http://www.roadfly.com/magazine/14/alton_brown.1.html)

The Farm School at Home Experience Day

2008-04-25T13:18:00.000-05:00

a Day at The Farm with other homeschoolers. A BLAST!

Sock it TWO me

2008-04-21T09:58:00.003-05:00

Over a month ago I CO for a pair of Sock it to me socks of my own design (always). While a long and complicated Kendo tournament was going on, I had long passed the heel turn and was knitting merrily away only to discover that the socks were never going to get over my heel. The twisted cable simply sucked up too much width! I frogged these! Oh the pain.
Now, a month later, here is the completed pair. No cables, nothing fancy. The most boring pair of socks on the planet, but they are very comfy.

"What's for Seder?"

2008-04-18T08:46:00.005-05:00

It's the time again! This year, for the first year, we will not be hosting annual rollicking seder. You can thank dementia for stealing this from you. Sorry! I am just not up to it. I have been going downhill a bit. I hope to regain the lost ground, but right now can not manage to organize and cook and clean for 20, or even 12 so I asked the family to have a "just us 4" seder. They agreed. William's only concern? Would I still make chicken soup with matzah balls? Of course! While I traditionally make an orange baked chicken and kugel, william has also asked for roast. Much easier and I'm happy to comply. We'll shop today. He helped me Kasher the kitchen Wednesday. The rest of the house is a little iffy and we'll just be grateful there's a prayer to let the unfound chametz be null and void. Chag Sameach!

Field Trip to Botanic Garden

2008-04-17T13:12:00.000-05:00

William took photos

Molly, Fudge and a few cats

2008-04-09T17:57:00.002-05:00

The Sunroom chronicles

2008-03-30T18:41:00.006-06:00

Out smarting the killer

2008-03-29T16:32:00.003-06:00

Since being diagnosed with Early Onset Dementia two years ago, I have made some changes to my life. I alluded to them in the previous post. For the sake of others living and loving every second of life left, here's my list of changes. As always, take what works and leave the rest! As we say in the hiking world, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)

Embrace life. Yes, the illness is fatal, but you're not dead yet! LIVE
Eliminate stress, simplify your environment
Eliminate High Fructose Corn syrup (glucose fructose) from diet
Eliminate artificial sweeteners (even Splenda) from diet
Eliminate plastic containers for cooking and drinking (try this cool new bottle!)
increase cayenne pepper and turmeric in daily meals, eat whole foods, local when possible
exercise daily or as often as possible
Lose nasty people, negative-energy-sucking "friends" and chronic "worriers"
laugh, hug and love the ones who remain in the inner sanctum
Aricept 10 mg
Namenda 5 mg BID
B12 1000 mcg, B6 100 mg, Melatonin 3mg, Gingo Biloba 120 mg, Gotu Kola 475 mg, Lecithin 1200 mg, Fish Oil 1000 mg (I buy online from Vitacost, great prices)
Daily alcoholic drink, red wine, margarita, etc. (you may like chocolate better!)
ROUTINE, make one and keep one.
Support of like minded people. Join DASN and meet for daily chats, emails etc

Thoughts on testing, diagnosis and the delicate balance between good and evil.

2008-03-26T14:19:00.003-06:00

I have learned a great deal from the DASN regulars. Learned to continue to seek answers even when various physicians were not helpful or encouraging. I learned to listen to those who had gone before me, which is a big lesson in Judaism, and has come easily. I learned to balance my energy and simplify my life. To keep my life joyful and peaceful. To do what counts and leave the rest. Somehow in the midst of those wonderful lessons, I have slogged through several different doctors and diagnostic tests. This week finds me finishing something I started 2 years ago. A research study in NYC that follows people with early onset dementias. Knowing that my life is good, that I have found the way to keep managing, I truly did not want to come back to finish this study. It is disrupting the balance. It is short-lived and I am grateful for a wonderful mom who has come with me and a great wife who is managing work and full-time teenage boys while I'm gone. I do not care to stress myself out over the memory tests. I see no greater glory in enduring poor patient care and non-empathetic medical staff. I will complete this round of the study, but if contacted again, I will decline. Keeping the balance, for me, is about enjoying what is ahead of me, right in front of me. I'd rather push my cognitive reserve to get a kid to a Kendo tournament than push it to answer hours of questions and negotiation airlines and hotels in a distant city.
As Nanny McPhee said "Lesson, learned" (and the wart is going to disappear friday about 6p when I touch down in Memphis and kiss the wife and kids.)

Mom at Molly's la Casita

2008-03-25T17:41:00.000-06:00

Before Mom and I went to NYU for research testing, we had a great dinner at Molly's. I could use one of those margarita's about now.

Atlanta Kendo practice

2008-03-22T14:35:00.001-06:00

Quick Trip to Atlanta (Easter! Good thing we're Jewish!) William is a wonderful sport. Up at 4:30 for a 6.5 hour drive to Atlanta and then 5 hours of practice! Aside for forgetting his hakima, he worked and learned. Big thanks to Ken Strawn-sensei for helping him and to both people who lent him the kekogi and hakima!

Ohta-sensei and Memphis Kendo Club Spring Seminar

2008-03-15T17:50:00.000-06:00

Ohta-sensei came to Memphis to host a seminar March 15th. William was exceptionally fortunate to spend time with him here and in Atlanta. He is a wonderful individual and hopefully William will find the spark that he needs to get through a Kendo problem.

Kendo fundraising idea take 2

2008-03-02T15:59:00.003-06:00

I was scouring the internet looking for a Kendo-themed cell phone case. I found nothing. I enlisted my friend Sarah and we shopped at Hancock for fabric as well as online, where we found some phenomenal stuff. I have made a few bogu bag ID tags and 2 cell phone cases. The ID tags have vinyl, which doesn't show in the photos, so you can slip your business card in them. The other side has a Kendo related kanji on it.

Handrails are coming to our house

2008-03-02T15:54:00.003-06:00

I asked for handrails on the front porch in December. We have sketched several plans and finally ended up with a very simple design. This weekend we bought the materials and with help from each of us, ginger almost has them done. I think I might use a green-tinted stain.

Home Improvement continues

2008-03-02T15:51:00.004-06:00

After a storm a few weeks ago we had some roof damage and water damage in the sunroom. Tearing out the wallpaper and carpet was easy compared to fixing the roof! Ginger, William, Max and Renee did all the work. I left them and went shopping for fabric. Does that make me evil or smart? I did join them all at Molly's later for dinner and drinks though :)

another Birthday gift! Thanks Sarah!

2008-03-02T15:44:00.003-06:00

My good friend and knitster called today and came over with a gift! She even took me to Hancock and walked that entire store looking for the right fabric for a new fundraising idea I had. The very next morning I had to CO for a cell phone case. I live by my cell phone and the internet and this neat purse needed a nifty cell pocket or pouch. I knit it on size 10's and then hand felted. I almost knit it onto the purse, but decided against it.

Knitter's retreat, a smashing success!

2008-02-10T14:08:00.000-06:00

Despite the TN State Parks system's snafu, we rallied and gathered at Embassy Suites. We had a wonderful time. Lots of knitting, some learning, lots of talking, eating and drinking, but mostly lots of knitting. I managed to finish one pair of socks, that's it! I worked on a scarf a bit and some more on the vintage sweater, but it was pretty busy with talking and surfing Ravelry for various yarn and pattern references. I came home with 3 skeins of cotton/silk from MistiAlpaca. I think it's going to be a short-sleeved top, maybe Keyhole?

Memphis SnB (aka DK Knitters) makes the news

2008-02-04T16:06:00.001-06:00

We were delighted to host Kate Jacobs, author of The Friday Night Knitting Club, on January 12th, and would like to extend special thanks to the DK Knitters (featured here with Kate) for their help promoting our event, as well as hosting a special luncheon event for Kate! She had a very special time with us at Davis-Kidd, and we greatly appreciate the support and warm response. The Friday Night Knitting Club fans, stay tuned for the release of Kate's newest book, Comfort Food, which will be on sale at Davis-Kidd this May!

gracious knitters...give gifts!

2008-01-28T16:58:00.001-06:00

I am the lucky recipient of not one, but TWO knitting thank you's this week. I feel incredibly blessed and very happy! First was Sunny Skye who gifted me with the hand made card selection. They are wonderful and I've already mailed out two of them. I showed Sunny how to knit toe up socks this summer. She hasn't finished her pair, but she's busy with young school aged children and travel. She is still working on them though :)
The other surprise was from Jessica H, a lovely and gracious knitter of many years who was flummoxed by a pattern and sought my help. After a few swatches I found the problem with the pattern and gave her some suggestions. Look what she sent me! It arrived the day before my birthday. Manna from heaven. That chocolate with cranberries and almonds is phenomenal. ::swooning:::
I am a VERY LUCKY WOMAN! THANK YOU KNITTERS!!!! :::hugs:::

Sock it to ME!

2008-01-28T16:47:00.000-06:00

The post brought a package from Elann. My friend Tommie graciously gifted me with an Elann Gift certificate last month and when they announced they were debuting sock yarn, we both had to order. Here are some photos of my skeins. I'll let her post her own.

Kendo Dummy

2008-01-24T08:12:00.001-06:00

William and Ginger built a Kendo Dummy over a couple of days.

It's home improvement time, it's organization time.

2008-01-24T07:40:00.000-06:00

Here are a few projects the family has taken on in the last month or so. We put up 2 new book cases, organized 20 years of photos and cataloged them waiting for the time to scrapbook them. Those 2 large rubbermaid bins were full of photos and have been reduced to the photo storage boxes on the new bookcases.

Never knit socks without consulting the recipient

2008-01-20T18:22:00.000-06:00

In an effort to get the 15 year old to wear socks and not just sandals in 20 degree weather, I knit him a pair of sport-weight socks. Granted, they were knit from leftover yarn. The recipient, after posing for the photo, announced he would NEVER wear them because they were "purple". I beg to differ, they are wine. Some of the sock yarn ordered from Elann is for him. He has chosen navy and white, not together mind you. Separate socks in solid colors...such brave choices (NOT)

It's time for a left-handed knitting RANT

2008-01-16T12:31:00.001-06:00

In the peace and quiet of my life, bursts of stupid people occasionally happen. I try to remain alloof, I try to be calm, but when I realize you are poisoning perfectly helpless new knitters I must speak out (again.) I have ranted about the left-handed knitting topic previously and do not want to beat a dead horse, but the knitting community appears to be tuning an incredibly DEAF ear to this subject. Knitters beware. If I even hear you HINT that a left-handed person MUST be taught to knit right handed because [insert stereotype and myth here] then I will poke you so hard with size 0 sock needles as to make you think you have been to the acupuncturist. GIVE IT UP! That means you knittinghelp.com and you fuzzygalore.com and a few twerps on ravelry who insist it's a curse. SHUT up and KNIT.
FACT:

Knitting is 2 handed, with one hand being a bit more active or dominant
yarn can be manipulated with either the right or the left hand
stitches can move off the right onto the left needle without hell freezing over
patterns do NOT have to be reversed except for button bands (and that depends on gender) and occasionally asymmetrical patterns
shaping does NOT have to be reserved all the time, it depends on how you knit (that rule applies to right handed combination knitters too)
it is MORE important to understand how to do something than to blindly follow any pattern (so patterns should say "right leaning decrease" instead of K2tog.
Knitting graphs are universal, look for them and use them left to right
My DVD teaches left handed people how to knit LEFT handed correctly, most websites and books do NOT and one wonders how they've been in publication this long with these errors!
ALL knitters deserve to know there's more than one method of knitting out there. Expose yourself to something new, you might like it.

Why we probably will not be driving to Las Vegas

2008-01-11T09:21:00.000-06:00

View Larger Map
Given my early onset dementia and fatigue level, I'd say a 22 hour drive would take 3 days, 2 hotel stays and take way too much time and energy. I'm shopping airfare and so far NWA is winning at $360 round trip. While we can always drive to Little Rock and fly from there, that's 2+ hours and gas and time is money. I am guessing I'll get a great deal with NWA closer to July, maybe April?

New Year's Eve with the Softball crew

2007-12-31T19:57:00.000-06:00

Thanks to JJ, JD and Mimi for hosting a GREAT Wii tennis tournament and, of course, great food provided by everyone.

patching the couch to buy an elliptical trainer

2007-12-27T14:27:00.000-06:00

We have a great couch whose colors work well in the living room despite the fact that we purchased it over 10 years ago. The real problem is that it's a sleeper couch, never buy one. We were cautioned, but felt the need for the space too much to head the warning. Here I am patching the fabric after years of dogs/cats/boys abuse. I washed the cushion covers in the machine, hand scrubbed the arms and base. It looks good. We're skipping a new couch in favor of an elliptical machine. It was a 3 to 1 family vote.

"christmas" photos

2007-12-27T14:19:00.001-06:00

We gave the family a chiminea/fire pit. They received a dart board and Max was excited about The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare.

Renee, Shelli and Guitar Hero III take the house by storm

2007-12-27T14:13:00.000-06:00

We enjoyed playing Wii Guitar Hero III Monday evening. Renee and Shelli brought their game over and we sipped hot buttered rum, ate popcorn and played/cursed the game. William made it to level 4. Max was sick and opted to stay in bed the entire time. He had been outside briefly and felt horrible after that. poor kid!

"gingerbread" houses

2007-12-27T14:04:00.000-06:00

The Midsouth Eclectic Homeschool group was graciously hosted by Tommie and her family last week. They made gingerbread houses. Tommie made the royal icing, cut the graham crackers and provided some toppings. Families provided the artists/architects and more toppings. Here is William and some of his work. Max played Risk and skipped buildling. William made wall to wall carpet, a fire in the fire place and rock on the outside of the house where the fireplace was. Later at home he added some landscaping. Unfortunately Fudge, the super Yorki, ATE the house while we were at Teen Night. He is becoming VERY bad in his old age, but we still adore him.

Fuzzy Feet for Max

2007-12-27T14:00:00.001-06:00

before and after felting. Fuzzy Feet knit on size 10 needles, 2 at a time. Yarn is Moda Dea Cache purchased on insane discount last year. Felts and wears better than 100% wool, but the colors are less than enticing.

William makes the team for Nationals!

2007-12-25T11:40:00.000-06:00

Memphis Club Members make SEUSKF Team for AUSKF Nationals

Congratulations to Jeremiah Mazurek, William Thornton-Leonard, Yuka Kamimura, and Masumi Kamimura (pictured at William's bar mitzvah celebration) who were all selected as members of the All-Southeast U.S. Kendo Federation Team.

They will compete on the weekend of July 4th, 2008 at the All-U.S. Kendo Federation National Tournament in Las Vegas.

The Southeast U.S. Kendo Federation (SEUSKF) covers 7 states and includes more than 20 dojos and programs.

Of the more than 350 kenshi belonging to the SEUSKF, only 32 were selected for the team.
The above is from the Memphis Kendo blog. On a personal note:
To everyone who knows William and knows that he has to raise all funds for Kendo himself, please save your pennies for his biweekly cookie sales which will begin January 2008 and continue until June 2008. He is also available for casual labor (yard work, construction) and pet sitting. He has to raise about $700 for this tournament as the region does not supplement the team outside of the entry fee. That means airfare, hotel and food are the responsibility of the individual. In addition to this tournament he has plans to go to Cleveland for an April tournament!

New Knitting project; Vintage Sweater

2007-12-05T10:19:00.000-06:00

My knitting process is one of pure inspiration. I keep a knitting sketch and idea book to record these bursts and refer back to it when I'm ready to CO another project.

Inspired by this photo from an old Women's Daily, I have sketched and swatched and am embarking on another sweater for me. I firmly believe in using Ann Budd's handy book of sweater patterns for reference and to cut down my math time. Yet I constantly find myself getting gauge that means I still have to do math! I'm getting 4.5 and 5.5 (ribbing) not nice whole numbers. But the stitches are there (waist x gauge=CO) and I'm working it out. I hope to have this done in about 2-3 weeks. I made a nice semi-circle skirt from some fabric I had laying about and this yarn matches nicely. I intend to study the sleeve cap article in Winter 2007 IK to help me sort out the sleeve cap, though I've never had problems with it. I do have to do lots of juggling between hips/waist/bust and upper bust measurements so I jump between size guidelines in the Budd book. I will not be including any of the patterning you see on the inspiration photo. I'm not that cutesy!
*note, one week into the project and i have completed the back, the front is to the armhole shaping as of 10 am Wednesday 12/12/07.

First Candle

2007-12-05T09:04:00.000-06:00

Chag Sameach! First night of chanuukah went off without a hitch. I kind of forgot how to make latkes, but after sorting out the oil temperature, all went well. The boys are older now and gone are the fun days of reading storybooks about channukah or watching Sheri Lewis' Channukah video, but we had a good meal, lit candles, said the blessings and played driedle. Max won. Ginger busied herself with scraping the wax off the old table. After looking at a shot of Molly under that ancient family table, I will have to polish the pedestal!

kenshi takes a beating

2007-12-03T21:19:00.000-06:00

William was exceptionally fortunate to have a very small practice with his new bogu. Two senior students gave him exquisite instruction to move his Kendo from beginner level to more advanced level. He struggled to change his habits and become frustrated and angry with himself. At one point ( I have the photo!) his poor technique got him hit quite soundly on the head and he discovered that even new fabulous bogu will not protect you from poor Kendo technique. After being furious with himself, he struggled to breath and I had to help him get the men off (I still think that thing might be too small!) but I generally do not get involved in the drama of his life. He pulled himself together (and hopefully apologized to the senseis) and practice ended. toda Raba, Arigato Gozaimasu to Yasuda-san and Register-san!
I was knitting most of the time, don't ask me what, but I was knitting. Probably socks, they're the most portable thing I knit. I need to put a photo up of the current pair of oh-so-boring-beige-socks.

Max's Winter Cardigan

2007-12-01T09:32:00.000-06:00

Knit in KnitPicks WOTA Sapphire Heather and doubled on size 8 needles. Raglan adult sweater pattern kind of. Knot work added at breast pocket area and zipper placket. The photo with his teenage smiling face shows the color more accurately.

The Bogu Arrived!

2007-11-30T20:45:00.000-06:00

William has been working to earn money for his own set of bogu. This is a huge investment (and I half fear he will lose interest in this sport after 2+ years now that he has the bogu!) We contributed 1/2 the cost and he had to raise the rest. This gave him great latitude in which set he purchased. He has looked for months and made up his mind several times only to change it again. Ultimately he purchased bogu from Tozando. Their customer service was outstanding! 3 other Kenshi with the Memphis dojo have dealt favorably with them and that influenced our decision in the end. I worry the men is a bit too small and will ask his sensei to double check. While he would be upset to have to send it back and exchange, this is his first big purchase and I sure don't want it to be wrong.