Little things make me laugh

I just received my copy of Library Journal with the special cover on “Exploring Nonfiction.” Somehow that makes me chuckle. I don’t know, I guess I thought that every library would have had a handle on nonfic. I mean, I can understand possibly needing to explore the “foreign” and “unique” like Brazilian lit or bridge engineering, but every library has nonfiction. It’s not like it’s new.

Ok, ok. I'll reserve judgment until I read the article. I'll find time......eventually.

Hello out there

I'm not bragging. Really I'm not. I know much of the world is really slogged with winter right now, but I can't help but share pictures of the pansies on Mom's patio. My sister and I planted them in January and they are still thriving despite an intervening freeze.

See? Aren't they beautiful? Possible they can give you hope for Spring. :)

I came out on the train for more cleaning and packing -- as a bonus I'll get to enjoy the pansies and the violets that are in bloom. :) It's been book organizing tonight. Tomorrow I'm hoping to clear out the back porch and do more books. Of course I'll intersperse some work and some stitching.

To continue the process of catching up on photographing stitched gifts I've been honored enough to receive here are a few more:
From SpeedyGA of Cross Stitch Pals (www.crossstitchpals.com):


From ChrisNC:



From Momyar:


From JodyBC:


I'm a lucky ole devil, aren't I?! :)

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I've spent part of the night catching up on my video piles. So from that adventure I bring you a couple thoughts for the day....

"You need historians to draw the lessons from history."
Justice Breyer 10/17/2005 Brookings Institution

"…There is much to be said for the other side – wrong though it may be!"
Justice Breyer 10/17/2005 Brookings Institution

I do so love Justice Breyer :)

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Currently stitching: CSRR Christmas RR (great progress to report on a straw hat!); stained glass window Christmas ornie
Currently reading: Stout The Rubber Band; ; and

Catching up with the world

Sometimes I really wonder about the world. The whole astronaut adventure makes me terribly sad. Imagine working your whole life for something rare and amazing. And what is the picture the world now has of you in its collective memory? A horrible mug shot. No flag backdrop, no beaming smile, no cool uniform patches. There are millions of evocative words we could associate with her life -- space, stars, Hubble, NASA, nebula, atmosphere, etc., but no, the word we'll be stuck with forever now is diaper. Sigh.

Also on the "wondering about the world" front there's the CNN special I jeep seeing ads for: The Journalist and the Jihadi: The Murder of Daniel Pearl. Possibly I'm just sensitive because Daniel's father works a couple floor down from me, but I can't imagine what his family must be feeling. What's it like to have the worst day of your life repeated? Do they call and warn you in advance??-- Hey, we've got this special coming on. We'll be broadcasting ads for it all over the TV -- pictures of your son--reminders of the murder. and we'll sell DVDs of it after it airs! You want we should reserve you one? I can't imagine what that would be like. Is it good because you know on one has forgotten your loved one, or is it like ripping open a healing wound?

Ok, ok. I'll stop being morose. I can't help it what I wonder about!

I got flowers! My very wonderful sister sent them to me a part of a panceratic cancer fundraiser. Yes, I'm a very lucky little sister. :)
I thought it would be perfect to pose them with a pic of mom from when we went to Banff for Thanksgiving. That's my semi-clean office counter. If only my hovel were semi-clean.

While I was taking pictures of my flowers, I took the opportunity to take shots of some of the stitching and art on my office walls. The first is a dragon I did ages ago and only had framed about a year ago. Ok, so I'm slow.


A little closer view of it:


Also in my office, but not hung up is this roses piece I did even more ages ago, but, yes, only had framed about a year ago. :) For the record, I *love* this frame!


I have a lovely gift from Momyar at Cross Stitch Pals (www.crossstitchpls.com)


And a pair of adorables from JodyBC also of Pals:


Some other time I'll show you my paintings. :)

I also received a wonderful Christmas gift from my buddy Julie. She knows me too well. I gotta say I just love this shirt!!! lol



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Currently stitching: CSRR Christmas RR; Vierlanden mystery sampler
Wanting to start a pendibulle, humbug, and a Quaker sampler
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Recently finished reading: Trouern-Trend's Birding Bablyon very nice... I need to go find his blog; Pratchett's Fifth Elephant fun as always; Hillerman's -- Dance Hall of the Dead engaging and thoughtful without horrid gore
Currently reading: Stout's The Rubber Band; Zelazny's This Immortal; Philip Deloria's Playing Indian

Presents and a stitch night

Guess what... I got Christmas gifts! :) See, I'm not the only one in the whole world that runs slow. And it was all for a reason because I've been working my tail off and I deserved a reward... well maybe I did. You can't have the gifts or the stitch night back regardless of your opinion of my worthiness!!!

Christmas presents from Momyar arrived in the mail for me. And boy, what a way to make a girl's day -- a Celtic sundail necklace, Eeyore socks and a piglet ornie! Thanks Sandy!!!!


Sunday night was a combined very belated bday party for stitching friends Judy and Jenn. Judy's daughter Allison joined us with her own crafting. A good time was had by all!

Allison and Jenn showing off their plastic canvas work and tallis bag (respectively)


Me and Judy --- I'm working on the latest arrival in my mail, CSRR Christmas RR (It's a Stoney Creek pile of snowmen. Did I ever mention I don't really like Stoney Creek? Why, you ask. Well, how about 3 stitches, tie off, switch color, 4 stitches, tie off, change color, 1.5 stitches tie off. Ick!). Judy was working on some fall bookmarks. She's taking a break from a whole series of large pieces. Mind you she didn't *tell* me she was tired of large pieces until I had already bought her bdy/Christmas gifts which included a pattern of a jaguar by Kustom Kraft! Yeah, so much for small!!! lol


Look what I unearthed while sifting for the party gifts in my closet. Bent Creek's United Zipper. I did this a couple years ago for my mom. It was supposed to be her 4th of July gift last year.


Now I just need to find a place to hang these darlings.

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Currently reading: Birding Babylon and Pratchett's Fifth Elephant
Probably starting soon: Zelazny's This Immortal and a Nero Wolfe
Currently stitching dutifully on snowmen for CSRR's Christmas Robin
Deisiring fervently to finish some stitched piece!!!!!

The 405 and Learning Patience

For those of you who know Southern California, you *know* the 405 freeway. It's a bane of everyone's existence. Clear and sunny at 6am on a Sunday? It's backed up. It drizzled for 15 minutes 4 hours ago? It's backed up. It's 2am on Tuesday night? It's backed up. Get the picture? Well today is a fresh notch on the 405 bedpost of driver inconvenience... a crane collapsed at Valley Vista (San Fernando Valley, just over "the hill" from Bel Air and Brentwood) and they have closed all of the northbound lanes of the 405 and now part of the southbound lanes are closed too.

Want the gossip? See the L.A. Times at: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-ex-crane2feb03,0,5388864.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Their graphics at the moment include:



My guess -- we will either all learn patience or someone's going to shoot someone on the highway tonight.

Good thing I don't lack for work here at the office. If only I had my pillow I could just stay the night!

Answering questions

I have seen this around and finally have decided to take the plunge courtesy of Karen at My Favorite Things http://karenv.wordpress.com/

1) One book that changed your life:
Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic. It was recommended by a coworker who became one of my very best friends and it got me (thorough him) deeper and deeper into the murky depths of scifi for which I am eternally grateful.

2) One book that you’d read more than once:
Any of Pratchett' Discworld books; Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books; Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn/Chee books; or the scifi-based mysteries of Sharyn McCrumb

3) One book you’d want on a deserted island:
The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke
a. He writes beautifully.
b. It's *really* big.

4) One book that made you laugh:
Pratchett and Neil Gaimen's Good Omens -- oh, that footnote on computer equipment servicce contracts still slays me!

5) One book that made you cry:
Where the Red Fern Grows

6) One book you wish you’d written:
My dissertation ;-)
hmmmm, The Lord of the Rings

7) One book you wish had never been written:
I don't think I wish they'd never been written, but I either think they were too lame to bother typing let alone printing or too over-used: Ben Franklin's Autobiography, Alcott's Little Women; Keyes Black God; Anthony's Balook

8 ) One book you’re currently reading:
Space Cadets, edited by Mike Resnick

9) One book you’ve been meaning to read:
Ill Met at Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber



6 Weird things about me (only 6? That's very constraining.):

1. I was "raised" by a German Shepherd who I think was quite sure I was a defective puppy. he made a *very* efficient babysitter and my parents didn't have to pay him.

2. I hate answering my phone at home. The phone at work is ok, but I just hate answering my phone at home.

3. I hate paying bills at work -- it's not even my money and I just about can't stand dealing with invoices.

4. I like Hershey's candy bars ok, but I really don't like their Kisses.

5. For no real reason that I can think of I almost invariably hum/sing "The City of New Orleans" to myself every morning. I usually only do the chorus over a couple times though --
"Good morning America how are you?
Don't you know me I'm your native son,
I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done."

6. Whenever I see an ambulence going to a scene (lights, sirens, etc) I always think at it "Please let everyone be ok." I used to say that out loud, but a friend said she didn't get why I did and it was "really weird." Frankly, I don't get *that*, but now I say it silently and wish that the world was the sort of place that didn't think wishing everyone was ok was weird.