FUGUESTATEKNITS

Must be my evil mind - although I don't know what I'm being evil about, LOL!  I took the opportunity this morning to frog a project I just knew I wasn't going to finish - and another pair  of socks may actually happen someday - now that I'm no longer an anti-socker, thanks to the Yarn Harlot:).  I did find a lovely pattern booklet by the lovely Jillian Moreno - Of Big Girl Knits and More Big Girl Knits fame.  It's called Curvy Knits: Designs for Shapely Figures.  I got Volume 2 - so if anyone has Volume 1, let me know what you think of it.  There's a fair isle vest pattern on the cover that I decided to make, but without the fair isle (I know, kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?) But the yarn is a lovely green/blue mix and I think it will stand up well on its own. I'm also knitting it in a pair of  "square circulars" and it's moving along.  The vest  shouldn't take too long to make and it'll be fun with a skirt or jeans equally.…

I'm typing this at my desk, procrastinating just a little before typing up a couple of pleadings that I'll be filing when I go back for the afternoon docket (I had a drug court meeting and then only one hearing on the a.m. docket, so what the heck, I went home to get organized - hey, it could happen!)
It's nice to see the sunshine after those days of nasty weather - and the snow and ice are melting - not too shabby:)!  I've been up for a while, which is a good thing, since I ended up online until almost 2 a.m. in a chat with a high school friend while waiting for my phone to restore itself after it went through some sort of electronic hissy fit.  The chat started out pleasantly enough and of course was pleasant throughout because this person is one of the nicest I've ever known (I'm lucky that way - my high school class was really kind of a good decent group of people).  Our conversation went to our friend, Marcie, who had died many years ago.  She told me somet…

Well, after that long weekend and an amazing time of inaugural bliss, it was time to get my you-know-what back to work.  The last week or so has been spent in a whirlwind of court, visits, court, meetings, court, visits, and when lucky, extracurriculars:) Of course, I couldn't come back from a week's hiatus without at least a small bit of yarn porn.  This is Paton's stretch socks yarn and it's actually quite pretty and not bad to work with.  I'm doing a pair of toe-up large and stretchy socks for yours truly with the varying width ankles. I have four balls - two colorways each - of this yarn and plan on two pairs of socks while I'm also working on the following: Lace Ribbon Scarf for Donna Aqua Today's Sweater for moi Grey heather Spring Forward Cardigan for moi Spring T for someone else. Well, hey, at least I've got a little variety going - and I'm incorporating projects already begun so as not to feel guilty! Well, things around the Law Firm have been in…

Jacob Weisberg of Slate, the online news and commentary magazine, in an article titled, "W's Greatest Hits: the top 25 Bushisms of all Times,"  collected 25 of his favorite "W" malapropisms - dubbed "Bushisms."  His article was respectful and affectionate and I reprint the quotes from our former Prez here (and thanks to Barry E for the forwarding e-mail - it always pays to be on your e-mail joke list!)

The picture to the right of the "good lookin' dude" is certainly no "W" - just another Republican to whom I happen to be married (or will go back to considering myself married when my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters can do the same thing in this country!), looking out over San Francisco on a trip we went on for his brother's wedding in October 2006:) 1. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."—Washin…

Ok, dear readers, can you tell I'm just a LEEETLE bit excited about today's festivities?  Well, multiply that by about 200 plus thousand and you've got a happy dance going on, people:) Our TV has been on all day, scene from scene from the Inauguration playing.  Despite everything we've been through as a country, we have one of those three lasting virtues: Hope! Now to less interesting, albeit colorful things (well, sort of colorful, LOL):  Der Hut ist fertig! Le Meret et complet:)! The Hat (Meret) is done! Whoo freakin' Hoooo:) OK, I told you it was less interesting, but I thought I'd post a pic anyway: It's still drying, so I won't be able to wear it tonight when I go to bell prx, but that's OK.  Tomorrow's another day. OH yeah, it sure is......

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way, thou who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee. Shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand -- true to thee, O God, and true to our native land.We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day. We pray now, O Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant, Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration. He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national and, indeed, the global fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hand, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations. Our faith does not shrink, though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.For we know that, Lord, you're able and you're willi…

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence…

Bishop Gene Robinson's invocation starting off the inaugural festivities.  (I'm so proud he's a member of my larger faith community!)
Welcome to Washington! The fun is about to begin, but first, please join me in pausing for a moment, to ask God's blessing upon our nation and our next president."O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will . . ."Bless us with tears - for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria and AIDS."Bless us with anger - at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people."Bless us with discomfort - at the easy, simplistic "answers" we've preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if…

It is a cold, wet and wintry holiday weekend in Merlin.  We have been slightly dumped with snow - nothing like our poor neighbors to the north.  Since last I checked in, dear readers, I have finished up a week of hearings and visits, spent a Saturday doing a visit and a college applicant's interview for Middlebury College and stayed  inside (SOOO COOOLD)  and guess what? No trip to New Yawk!I have enough problems having  to drive in the snow and ice, but I'm not going to do it if I don't hafta, and neither is John, so the New York trip was canceled - just as well economically speaking, but not so good in terms of spending time with extended family.
But things here in Merlin are still hopeful and happy, as symbolized by the still blooming flowers on my kitchen window sill:) Tomorrow will be a momentous day in our nation's history. And, although we Merliners are disappointed that the Ravens will not be going to the Superbowl this year, the majority of us are happy and exci…

On August 28, 1963, I was nine years old when the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous "I Have A Dream" speech from the Lincoln Memorial overlooking  the Mall in Washington, D.C. - a place where some 15 years later, John and I, too poor for playdates and "mommy and me" weekends, would picnic with our firstborn baby, Kristin Marie,watching her toddle around with all the other little children, children of all races and nationalities.  



While Dr. King was delivering this stirring speech heard 'round the world and sinking into the hearts of all humankind, including that of this white, middle class kid, a town called Columbia in the great state of Merlin, USA had been around for a few months.  Merlin had an ugly thing called segregation - the tool of ignorant bigots, a tool, in my youthful naivete', that was never a part of the life of this native New Yawka.  But in Columbia, there was no segregation.  Black White Red Yellow and Mixed were going to li…

Nevermind....I am enjoying this scarf.  And it is saving my sanity.  Today was one of those days where it seemed like I could not get anything done, even though in actuality, I did.  It's just that now there so much more to get done, LOL!  Those of you who have been following this blog (and good Lord knows why, LOL) have seen the permutations that this yarn has gone through.  Although I liked the wave pattern, I frogged it (although I will probably use it with another yarn).     The yarn is so much fun and the colors delightful.  Knowing what yarn wants to be is one half of the equation, though.  I have been pondering to whom the scarf wants to belong and it hit me today like a bolt from the blue - why of course - Donna!   For Christmas of 2008! (OK, I didn't say the muse hit me in a timely fashion!)  There's also another thing I'm dying to finish for Diane's birthday some months ago; so much for timely! So I'm going to be taking little scarf breaks as I finish …

Yes, Virginia, we do have a sun at the center of our solar system. It just appears that we live perpetually under the clouds here in Merlin. It's been such dreary weather lately - rain and cold. It's still cold, but the sun is shining - at least for now:) Oops as I'm typing this, the day is going back to cloudy. Ah well, it was good while it lasted.
On Saturday, I did go to that funeral (thank you, John) and afterwards had lunch with Nancy and Rennie. Nancy had to run to work with the children's choir and Rennie stuck around while I finished up. He is a great student of history and genealogy; it's always interesting to hear his family stories and about all the research he's done. I told him he should write a book. It must be something to have such a great sense of one's own family history. I told him he must feel like he's got not only his own nuclear family behind him, but the generations that preceded them. He's even done research back to…