Change of plans

Today had been earmarked for a San Francisco jaunt. Burritos and a yarn store via BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit).

But, after two very full days which included three visits to two yarn shops (I returned to Article Pract for a big score after thinking on it overnight), I decided to slow it down. I realized that, for me, there is such a thing as too much yarn.

So, we had tea with Rachael near her work, then drove out to Alameda (where we had taken a lovely walk Saturday at sunset) and had sushi with a water view that hit the spot (avocado roll and spicy scallop roll for me, sansai soba for B). I had a late urge for sushi on Sunday night. That itch got scratched nicely. Afterwards we meandered over to the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland for some window shopping.

I am officially on the look out for a new bag. My trusty decade-plus old brown Coach bag is coated on the inside with my lovely little German chocolate treat that Silke brought back for me from her trip this summer. Two small bars melted while I watched the Yankees-Red Sox game the day after I received the chocolates. I thought they'd make a good game snack, but forgot about them.

Now there's a layer of dried chocolate caked on to the inside of the bag. The main issue for me is that it was milk chocolate and I don't want to worry about Gem's allergy as I handle the contents of my bag multiple times every day and my fingers coming in contact with him.

So, I looked for a bag. And at the bookstore I looked for Louise Glück and The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante. We stopped into a bead store. Then we scored at Bittersweet, a chocolatier/café. We had some sea salt truffles and I had a white chocolate dream (a hot white chocolate). Yum.

B dropped me off at Mary's. Barbra and Audrey attended a Rosh Hashanah service tonight where their good friend, Beth, was singing. I opted to spend time with Mary. We hung out at her house for awhile where I admired their new kitchen, the wonderful shade of pink of their dining room walls, and their gorgeous cat, Ralph.

Got to spend a bit of time with Nate and Saskia when they came home before Mare and I headed out to Picante for a very satisfying Mexican dinner. I had a carne asada (skirt steak) burrito, "super" with the works, and we split a tasty guacamole side with homemade tortilla chips.

I rolled into her car to go to Black Oak Books where I picked up a collection of stories by Andre Dubus, gently used, for $7. We ended our evening with foamy hot drinks. A decaf latte for me.

Can you guess what I am about to say? When I get home, I'm doing Dragon's Way again! It is so fun to eat and eat while on vacation, but my bod's ready for a tune-up.

I've had a great few days. I am filled to the brim right now. The renewed good-byes are hard, but I can't wait to get back and grab those boys into my arms and bask in the circle of light that is Cap's love.

Tomorrow morning will be mellow. Packing and hanging out before heading to the airport just before noon. I should be landing at JFK around 10pm EST and home before midnight.

Redwoods

I notice the sound first. The presence of redwoods muffles and mutes sound. Frequency drops... or something. There is a qualitative difference I am convinced is quantifiable, as well. The world hushes and the redwoods begin to murmur in your ear, their vibrations touch your soul.

On Sunday, I took a walk in the woods with Barbra, Audrey, the dogs, and, Erika, Malachi, and Jerry (who drove down from Sac to see me). It was hot and dry, the trail a hilly loop. But, there was meaning to it.

The redwoods were a natural reward, the Latin American ice creams that cooled and delighted us afterwards, a human reward.

Jet lag

I was dreaming expectantly of twelve hour solo sleepfests, but that hasn't happened yet. Yesterday my eyes popped open at 5am, this morning at 7am.

Last night we had take out from B&A's fave Chinese restaurant. They are a short drive to Oakland's Chinatown where the restaurant is. Mmmm. Veggie dumplings (the best ever, truly), delectable wonton soup (the broth was brown rather than clear---the east/west coast differences in Chinese food are there and fun to unearth), shrimp fried rice (the fried rice white and not browned with soy sauce, just the way I like it---with lots of egg and scallions instead of onion :-), pea sprouts with garlic sauce (so good), and red eggplant. Yum, yum, yum.

I rarely eat shrimp because Cap is deathly allergic to it. The three times I've already had shrimp on this trip have been wonderful: shrimp kabob at Heidi's, Julia's shrimp salad sandwich yesterday, and the shrimp in the fried rice. I do forget how tasty well prepared shrimp is...

I'm about to have some tea, I brought my Chinese teas (cold prevention and digestion), but the tea bags themselves are unlabeled so I never know which one I'm getting. Good thing they're both good for me :-)

I've got some laundry going down in the basement, morning qi gong is under my belt, and I'm hoping to catch the kids and Cap at Karen and Brent's though I am sure morning adventures are well under way there.

Erika (another dear friend who lives in Sacramento which is about a 90 minute drive from Oakland) should be here in a couple of hours. Other plans for today include a walk amongst the red woods, a visit to another yarn shop, and dinner at B&A's new favorite Ethiopian place.

How lucky am I?

Hello

As it turns out, Barbra and Audrey have a laptop on and available 24/7. Unfortunately, I didn't bring the cord that connects my camera to the computer so I can't upload any pics during my visit.

They loved the throw. I was so moved and happy to be present for their reception. It kicked ass.

I almost missed my flight. That was dramatic. In my mind. I managed to keep my stress reined in though not my pessimism. Cap did a great job of keeping calm and getting me the frack there in time. Arriving in Oakland at 1pm meant driving through Manhattan at 8am because I decided against driving through at 7am (which would have been wiser in retrospect) which would have meant leaving the house at 6am which seemed inhumane to Cap and the kids.

Anyway, the story which really could have gone awry didn't and I made the flight. The flight went fast---knitting does that, I discovered. So do my new headphones and an iPod loaded with Matt Pond PA, Girlyman, Indigo Girls, Steve Earle, and Tomoyo Harada. So do episodes of King of the Hill, Malcolm in the Middle, The Colbert Report and Ellen :-)

Last night B and I hung out with Rach and Heidi at Heidi's house. Just the four of us with some Turkish take-out, Heidi's dog and two hypoallergenic cats, and the debate which we turned off after an hour or so.

This morning I woke at 5am, talked to my boys around 6:45, then did some qi gong and took a hot shower washing all the "plane trip" off me. Julia is coming down from Sacramento. She'll be here soon. She and barb and I are going to a yarn store and then out to lunch.

More soon.

Cavendish

Here is the secret project finally revealed. It is a throw I knit for Barbra and Audrey. Part thank you (they flew me out to Oakland for the visit) and part "state-sanctioned" wedding present (they got legally hitched on the occasion of their tenth wedding anniversary this summer :-)

The pattern is called "Cavendish" and was knit with one of my favorite brands of yarn to work with, Noro. I used 10 skeins of Noro Silk Garden (a blend of mohair and silk---this throw has magnificent drape and warmth).

I was as ecstatic as I look in these photos upon completion of the throw. I couldn't get over how stunning it looked off the needles, with the ends woven in, worn, thrown, folded up... It is a beauty.




I think it will bring Barbra and Audrey much coziness in the years to come. They deserve it for all the light and warmth they bring to others, including, lucky me.

By the time you're reading this, this gift will have changed hands, the secret revealed in real life.

Break

I probably won't post tomorrow. I'll be busy packing and running errands, getting myself ready for my trip and the kids ready for their long weekend in Massachusetts. They will be visiting their Mummu (Cap's mom) on the Cape, celebrating Theo's first birthday in Plympton, and hanging with Olivia and Will.

We're leaving the house by 7am on Friday which should be interesting since we've been waking up between 8 and 9am as of late.

I have one post scheduled to upload on Friday night, but other than that, I've got nothing while I'm away. I'll be back late Tuesday night. On Wednesday I'll be catching up with my boys and shopping and cooking for co-op dinner at our house that night.

So I may not post till Thursday.

In the meantime, I will leave you with some tv tidbits (Project Runway spoiler alert!):

• Heroes rocked in its return! I loved that we got two episodes back-to-back and thought they hit the ground running. I was quite excited.

• How come Kenley didn't get the boot tonight? I thought she was serious toast. I was shocked.

• I can't help it, I am into True Blood. I am, oh-crap-I'm-really-gonna-say-it, a sucker for vampire stories. It's no Buffy (there will never be anything to rival Buffy) and it's no Six Feet Under, but I like it so far.

• Was Mad Men not on this week?

• Amazing Race starts Sunday!!!

Ciao peoples. xo

Off the needles

I'm done! Well, I'm done with the knitting. Of my secret project. I will weave in the ends later today.

Gem said, "what's next?" He's been waiting on a hat for a while. He's going to have to wait just a wee bit longer. I need simpler projects to take with me on the plane. Scarves. One for Julie, one for Danielle. The yarn is picked out (I took D to one of the shops in town so she could pick her yarn which was a lot of fun), I just need to think on patterns and select the needles.

That will be it for birthday scarves.

I am so excited about going to the yarn stores in Oakland and SF. I flipped through my two sock books last night. There are some patterns I want to try. Though my first pair will be a straightforward pair. But, it looks like I'll need in the range of 500 yds. of yarn, regardless, which is what I needed to know.

Hum, hum :-)

I'm also thinking about going to the NYS Sheep and Fiber Fest in October, also known as "Rhinebeck" in the knitting community. What a treat it would be to go and buy yarn for myself. I can barely contain myself. It's all I'll be thinking about once this fab trip to Cali is history.

Have to get dressed to get me and Gem to Vinny's for some body work!

Free bird

Tuesday and Thursday mornings I now have time to myself. I'm still in the giddy running errands kids-free stage of things. Eventually, I may calm down enough to turn my attention to the Y membership I pay for but never use.

Today, it was dreaming of going out to breakfast, but foregoing that because it just felt too luxe. Instead, I got vicarious thrills by present shopping for Theo who is about to turn 1 and his sister, Lilja, because I found something for her I simply could not say "no" to.

Sorry, Jay.

I don't think she knew what to do with me yesterday when I told her, essentially, tough sh*t, I'm getting the boy a birthday present. We got a note from Mommy and Mama stating their desire for no presents except maybe something for a time capsule they're putting together for him.

Sorry Jay and Amy, but I got stuff for both of them.

I ran errands (including some presents for my own kids who I am beginning to miss---they're getting pre-Äiti's trip souvenirs instead of post...), put gas in the car, then stopped in to a new store I've been eying for a few months.

My lunch came from there. A chicken tikka masala pie. Yum.

Some tidbits:

• Gem cut my finger nails the other day. He's been really into doing his own and is branching out :-)

• In the car the other day:
"It's okay, because I'm going to born a baby when I get married." (Sag)
"I think I'm going to adopt." (Gem)
(Lukas and Owen will be welcoming a baby brother this winter. There is some baby-wishing happening 'round here these days...)

• Our sleep schedules are hella late the past few weeks. The kids are falling asleep around 10pm and waking between 8-9am.

• The kids and I are cutting down our tv time. Watching tv takes up too much time! My personal goal/challenge is to watch only an hour a night. We'll see how that goes with the new season underway...we shall see...

• I leave for Oakland early Friday. I am quite excited. I'm going to at least two yarn shops that look like they will blow my mind and kick my ass (in a good way). The smart thing to do would be to look for some patterns (socks, hats, mittens, etc.) and see how much yarn I'd need for certain projects. I'm not that smart though, so we'll see what happens.

Equinox of fall

The half-and-half spice cake. (Nothing says "autumn's here!" like the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg in the kitchen.)





We had our greeting-the-new-season walk around B pond with Lukas, Anna, Silke and Roger, last night. Sag, Lukas and Anna ran ahead when we were about halfway around. Gem, who has been a touch on the needing-to-be-close side of things lately, hung back with the grown ups.

We saw lots of deer and Canadian geese. And a lot of humans walking and running. Always interesting to see what we see and note the changes that the seasons bring.

A thought on my knitting

In 2009 I am planning on knitting almost exclusively for myself. I want to try knitting different things and do more exploratory knitting...trying different yarns, techniques, and patterns.

This will help me destash (use up yarn I already have) and add a new and welcome dimension to this past time---creativity.

I am nearing the end of my first year of active knitting. It all began with a scarf for Cap. After I finish the last of my gift knitting in the next few weeks, I will be bidding adieu to the Year of the Birthday Scarf :-)

Last day of summer

We lucked out ---our day included time at the lake with Danielle and her boys. (The husbands had their annual Pats-Dolphins match up to watch together.)



The boys were bummed about this. In fact, we almost ended up not going because of it. But, Gem's teary disappointment at not going at all changed the kid majority tide.


Owen giving Sag the support he needed.




They jumped and jumped into the shallows with much satisfaction.






They were not posing for my shot!

Hello, L.L. Bean catalog shot.

Making sand angels.

The sky,

the lake,

the non-crowds,

made for an incredibly relaxing and lovely afternoon. Oh the light is bending 'round here...

Home on a saturday

The morning's excitement was this critter hanging out. Sag named it Leaf Bug which seemed quite appropos.

Takai and his family came by in the afternoon to pick up Baxter. We had lunch and played.

("Five little monkeys jumping on the bed...")


(Having a chat about Star Wars.)



Our day ended with the four of us curled up in front of the tv. We watched Surf's Up, a movie the kids have really been enjoying as of late. I like it, too. Some of the animation is particularly fantastic and fun, and the voice work is terrific.

Disclaimer

It has been brought to my attention that some of my dear readers (the count, that I know of, is up to 3) thought that the money pictured in a recent post called "Treasures" was real money.

I wish folks, I wish.

Sorry for any confusion...or horror, I may have caused.

Confession

There's a reason I haven't been waxing poetic about the garden. Or showing off pics of the home grown bounty.

I abandoned it. Yes I feel very small about it.

The way our yard/this area gets infested with mosquitoes played a part. I'd go out at high noon and within minutes would have half a dozen bites. I'm a bit allergic and so these bites would swell and harden and then itch like crazy for 48 hours.

Call me a wimp, but it wasn't worth it.

So I've been thinking about what to do for next year. Bring my herbs closer to me. Maybe some window boxes. Become a regular user of bug repellant (which I have some issues with, like I do with sun block). Create an airconditioned body suit.

But, look what Gem found today.


We had some rain recently followed by some hot sunny days. Mother nature just doin' her thing. This mini-bounty was enough for me to grab the watering cans, snip off the flowered tops of the basil, and give our small patch some attention. We found two green beans. There's a bunch of little green tomatoes that looked promising, as well as, some leaves of spinach.

There's some fresh pesto in my future. Yum.

Long distance friendship

We are rich in friends. Moving about as we do, though, we have friends scattered in far flung locales. Like Connecticut. Massachusetts. Vermont. Florida. California. Japan. Peru.

Last night we picked Janet and Asa up at the airport and had a whirlwind playdate that ended this afternoon when they were picked up by Grandma and Grandpa for a bar mitzvah in Baltimore.

The boys get along famously (as all our college-circle friends seem to do whether it's been 3 months or 1 year or more---what a gift) and enjoyed tv, building, picking the chocolate chips out of the trail mix and playing out back.

Which made for plenty of time for Janet and me to catch up.

This video was shot with barely enough memory in the camera---hence my direction to "just do it" :-)

A blur of a day

I woke past 8 o'clock this morning...the second time in three days. What this means is that the kids have been waking past 8 o'clock. Sag has been sleeping till 9 o'clock or later which is unheard of. Seasonal changes bringing about a hard and deep sleep methinks.


I knit a few rows in solitude, but then the day began to pick up steam and it has flown.

A walk with Danielle in the woods followed by errands in town. (The boys continued work on a stop motion film with Cap.)


More light saber making.

Here's Baxter waiting for something to possibly come his way from the lunch table.

Gem's self-concocted lunch: a spaghetti-ham roll-up. ("I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!" said he :-)

Trader Joe's "French Green Beans" have been a big hit with my guys. A veggie that tastes good to them.

I'm about to drop them off at Danielle's for a playdate and return here to clean the place up for Janet and Asa who will be here for a quick overnight visit before they are whisked away to a family event in Baltimore.

I had grand plans for a homecooked meal, but like I said, the day has flown by. It's going to be a pizza and sushi night.