Thanksgiving 2006

Among the many things for which I am especially thankful this year are:

* DEMOCRATS. Hallelujah! Jim Webb, the lushly purple state of Virginia and the proudly blue city of Alexandria. On to 2008!

* Cool rainy days and good aged firewood

* The pizza place at the corner of Suedwestkorso and Wiesbadener Strasse; the lake by the Schelands' house in Leipzig; the sand pit at the IBZ; the U-bahn; sunset at 10 p.m.; a good (long) stroll through the Tiergarten (and past the Spanish Embassy twice!) with 14 of my favorite people

* Josie's other mom, Katy

* kids playing instruments; handknit hats; the Maury playground after school; the dog park; La Piazza; afternoons on East Walnut Street; Karen's pies; a good laugh

* modern antidepressants

* my children's grandparents

* the house on Bradley Hill Road; the breathtaking slideshow Steve made of it

* the back porch

* email exchanges, sometimes frivolous, sometimes profound, with Tracy and Susan

* 13-year-old girls (who knew how much I'd like them!)

* knitting blogs

* having Paul around

* the children's classes of the Choreographers Collaboration Project

* Friday happy hour with Karen and Mary Jo

* so-called book club

* netflix

* family movie night

* Steve's willingness--not to mention ability--to oversee a 7th grade science fair project

* Choral Arts, St. Albans, and anybody else that wants me to sing for them; the members of my choral family who are no longer with us, and the musical moments that can only happen at a choral singer's memorial service

* Tommy's impressive social life

* my indispensible Potluck family, whose gifts are beyond words

* did I mention Democrats?

Happy Thanksgiving, Bloggolites.

I'm ambi-mind-rous!

You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

linen woes, fo's, election throes

Thank goodness I am finished knitting the linen hand towel.



Pattern: Mason-Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Euroflax linen in champagne
needles: US4 circs

I haven't done the part where I wash it and it gets all drapey, mainly because I'm not sure how I'm supposed to wash it. I know, there should be (and probably is) a ballband around here... but I want to know the BEST way from someone with experience. Machine or hand? line dry? block with pins? soap? what kind? Please advise.

Another FO:



Pattern: borrowed from the Harlot
yarn: wool ease from my stash
needles: US10 1/2 dpns

Penguin Boy recently became a 5th grade safety patrol, and some of those autumn mornings at 7:20 a.m. were a little nippy, so I thought he needed a hat. I knit him one. He loved it. He wore it two days. It got lost. I never even got a picture. But I made him this one, and he likes it too, so yay.

Speaking of yay... welcome to the brave new world of the post-November 7 political landscape! I didn't dare post anything until Allen conceded yesterday at 3 p.m. (the movie maven and I sat in the car for about 15 minutes on a perfectly perfect fall afternoon just to hear the moment on c-span radio). Hooray for Virginia! Hooray for northern Virginia! Hooray for my city, Alexandria, which went 2 to 1 for Webb (and, by the way, also went 2 t0 1 against the ignorant and bigotted marriage amendment, which passed anyway, the only dark spot of the election outcome)! Hooray for the brilliant, self-correcting democratic process!

Oh, it's going to be so much more fun to watch senate judiciary committee hearings.

Finally, gratuitous autumn poodle shot: