What I Did On My Spring Break....

Wednesday, April 4,2007
0600
Dear diary,
I'm excited today. I am going to pick up E & K in NYC and go to Fl. I'm waiting for Prime Time Shuttle to pick me up to go to Long Beach airport to fly to JFK to meet up with 2 of my favorite nieces & nephews. I can't wait!

2345
We made it to D.C. Jet Blue was delayed for an hour and we spent a couple of hours on the tarmac but we are here. It's cold. We are off to Uncle Jim's house and then we'll start the sightseeing tomorrow. I got a lot of knitting done on the Goddess top. The front part is done (for now) and I've cast on the back. I really like the tubular cast on it calls for. Very tired, diary....

Thursday, April 5, 2007
1130

Dear Diary,
We made it. The kids and I got into DC via metro (God I love the Metro in DC) and got off at the stop by the White House. How cool it was to see the kids as they encountered the White House for the first time. They couldn't believe that we were actually looking at the Oval Office in the West Wing. From the north side of the WH we traveled around to the south side (or the pretty side as Kighla calls it) and got to see it in all it's glory. As we crossed Pennsylvania Avenue Ean got his first glimpse of the Capitol building. It was a wonderful moment.

1230
We wandered over to the White House Visitor's Center and found a lot of great things. Each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia had decorated Easter Eggs and they were on display in the center....check out Louisiana's egg....it's Emeril!


1430

The Smithsonian and the mall....DC really is an amazing place. So much wide open space, lots of beautiful buildings and history. We were going to go to the Museum of American History but it's closed for renovations until 2008. That stunk but we did make it to the Castle, the gardens next to the castle and then to the Air and Space Museum. Very cool!
1700

Back to Virgina and my brother's house. Ashley and Katherine were home from school....that's the last I saw of the kids for the night. All in all, a really wonderful day.


Frday, April 6, 2007
0900

Dear Diary,
We are standing in line to get tickets to the Capitol. It's FREEZING cold and the wind is really blowing. Ashley is with us today and she hates to have her picture taken....we'll see if that lasts for the whole day.


1700

We are back in Virginia again. Today was amazing. From the Capitol, we went to the Holocaust museum. It's very moving. I loved the Hall of Rememberance. From there we went to lunch at the Post Office Pavillion. Then it was on to Fords Theater (closed, no tours today), the International Spy Museum (tickets sold out for today and tomorrow but we scored some for Sunday) and then a metro ride to Foggy Bottom. We walked down to the Lincoln Memorial by the State Department and Navy Hill. The Lincoln Memorial is one of the most awe-inspiring places I have been. It's so incredibly beautiful that it is difficult to imagine it's spleandor without being there. Next up was the Vietnam Memorial....another powerful space. A walk back up the hill to the Foggy Bottom metro (with a stop at Jamba Juice for some lifesaving smoothies....how is it that Ashley doesn't know about Jamba Juice????) and then a great ride back to Virginia. I wonder what's in East Falls Church that everyone gets off the metro at that stop....




Saturday, April 7, 2007
2100

Dear Diary,
Snow!!!!! Did you check the date? Snow!!!!! Today's sightseeing takes us to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia and Antietem Battlefield in Maryland. Two amazing places. We left Kighla and Ashley behind to hang out in movie theaters and pools.....but we added Uncle Jim. Jim challenged us to find the person in the cemetary with the oldest birth date.....We found one person born in 1796. Very old. The confluence of the Potomac and the Shenendoah rivers, midpoint of the Appalachian trail, meeting place of Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. It's breathtaking. One of the coolest things we did....Jim put pennies on the railroad tracks. We went around the town sightseeing and when we got back we went searching for them and found a couple of them flattened out......cool souveniers. Then it was on to Antietem. My camera ran out of disc space so no pictures of the events there. It's hard to believe that over 22,000 American's were killed, wounded or went misssing in one day on these grounds. Another awe-inspiring place. We had a wonderful time and were headed back to Virginia when all of a sudden, in the lovely hamlet of Boonsboro, MD, Jim's car just stopped. I mean....stopped. dead. Luckily, we were in Boonsboro. We were safe; we found someone to tow us back to Virginia.....what fun. A little scarey but we were safe.

Sunday, April 8, 2007
2200

Dear Diary,

We made it back to New York City tonight. It was another event filled day of sight seeing. Ean and I went into the International Spy Museum bright and early. No pictures allowed inside. It's a wonderful place to spend a few hours. I highly recommend it. From there, a quick hop on the metro to Arlington Cemetary. What a wonderful place. We saw Kennedy's grave (both John and Robert), and the Tomb of the Unknown's. We saw the Changing of the Guard. What dedication and precision. Another place I highly recommend. Take the time to go and see the changing of the guard. You will be touched forever by the solemnity and respect of the place. (Note to self, please turn your cell phone to stun during the changing of the guard!)

While Ean and I were being Spy's and Soldiers, Kighla and Ashley went to the Zoo with Jim and Carmen. They got to see the Panda's (both mother and baby), Gorilla's, Snakes and Elephants. They had a great time. From there it was off to the airport and back to NYC.

I am one tired but happy Aunt. This was a great trip and I enjoyed every moment of it. I know my father was watching from heaven and nodding in approval. I might not have known the answers to all the questions like he would have but I think I represented pretty well. I hope we get to go again next year. Now, it's off to Las Vegas!

Kitty Krack, Short Row Hell and DC Bound

(I don't know what's going on with Blogger. Yesterday I couldn't even get it to load to create a post. Today, I can't get it to upload pics.....tried three times for one picture. This stinks! So, I'm going to post without pics and try to go back and edit them in a little later when blogger stops being such a pain!)

12-Step Kitty Krack Program
Hi, my name is Misty and I’m a Kitty Krack addict. Hi Misty……. It all started quite innocently one day. Mary Pat opened up a sample of Flint River Ranch Cat and Kitten food a friend of hers gave her. When she opened up that little pack of heaven, my life was changed forever. Since I was born a short 4 years ago, I have been committed to Science Diet. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. Oh, an occasional nibble of shrimp or the rare leftover bits of tuna in a can were enjoyable but basically, I was a S.D. kind of girl. Since MP gave me a little bit of that Flint River Ranch stuff, I have been obsessed by it. I love it. I love the taste of it. I love the smell of it. I love its package. I can’t get enough of it. I can’t possibly live without it anymore. MP thinks she can hide the little bag underneath the yarn in the yarn bin but I can go find it for myself.
There it is!

I. MUST. Have. IT…..

Now I have to get every last morsel…

Short Row Hell
I have been working on a knit top for a friend and have entered short row hell. It’s not that there are a lot of them or that I don’t understand how to do them. I actually get them wrapped on both the knit and purl sides without any problems. I even do okay when I have to knit back to the end picking up the wrapped stitches. The ones that cause me problems are picking up the wraps on the purl side. I follow all the directions I have found and it still looks like crap on the public side of the garment. Any ideas?

D.C. Bound

I get to spend a few days with my nieces and nephews. I’m picking up E & K in NYC and we are heading to DC. It’s Cherry Blossom time and it’s Easter and it’s going to be FUN!!!!

The Dark, Ugly Place

Do you know where yours is? I'll bet you do. I think we all have that place we go to in our heads that takes us down a road that may be filled with bitterness, anger, frustration, self-doubt, etc., etc. I'm trying to figure out how I go from feeling fine and positive and generally good about life, work, myself, etc. to worrying about people not communicating, being left out; you know, the dark ugly place. I tell myself, it has nothing to do with me, it's that they have stuff going on in their own life/work that makes them not want to play. I find that when I go to the dark, ugly place regarding my work, it will quickly cross over into my personal life and vice versa. I also find that no matter how much breathing, or positive self talk or thinking I do to try to get out of the dark, ugly place, I haven't found the key to getting out quickly.

I am reminded of this very poignant poem I learned about 20 years ago.

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
By Portia Nelson


Chapter I
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in. I am lost . . . I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter II
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter III
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.I
still fall in . . . it’s a habit.
My eyes are open. I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter V
I walk down another street.


I really thought I had progressed beyond Chapter 3 and in fact, I believe I have for many of my "issues." However, when it comes to feeling as though I belong, am good enough, or have value to others, I struggle with this more than most other things.

So, if anyone has some words of wisdom, I'd love to hear them.....

Tailwinds, Headwinds and Everything in Between

Mom's Knee
I was sitting at my computer a couple of weeks ago when my mother called in the morning. She sounded a little stressed and wondered where my cell phone was. It was at the office, of course, isn't everyone's cell phone at the office? She had been trying to call for several hours because the orthopedic surgeon had referred her to a colleague and her surgery would be performed the next morning. I was able to get a red-ey non-stop flight from LAX into Tampa that would get me into Tampa in the early morning. My cousin very graciously tooked me to the airport. The flight was one of the best I've ever taken....140 mph tailwinds....arrived in Tampa 50 minutes early....total flight time = 3 hrs. 40 min. Wicked cool! as they say in New England.

Surgery was uneventful. She was mostly awake through it (she says it was cool, I'll take her word for it) and after a ver rough 36 hours, has recovered very well. She has started PT and expects to be back on the tennis court before her next trip to Daytona in May.

Daytona in May
Mom's team has done it again. They have managed to cinch the Division 5 Senior Women's 3.0 doubles title. They will head to Daytona for the regional tournament in May. It has been tough for her to sit on the sidelines but at the same time, she has been able to watch her team and assess their individual strengths and weaknesses. This is the first time she has been able to do that and while it's killing her (I actually witnessed her sitting in a chair and moving her feet to go after a shot that was being played 2 courts away) it's actually very good for the team captain to have this opportunity.

Headwinds
The trip back to Orange County was uneventful. The karmic forces were at work and the flight from Houston to Orange County flew into 150 mph headwinds. Total flight time Houston to Orange County = 3 hrs 50 minutes. (Plus the 2 h4 20 minute flight from Tampa to Houston) It was not wicked cool.

Tailwinds v.02
My cousin and her cat Zoey moved to NYC today. It has been wonderful having her close by. I will miss her. She's going to have a blast!

That's it for now. I'm going to go on a search for the Purl Soho warehouse this weekend.

Carry On.

Family!

Well, if you read my sister's post you have already heard the news.....

I have seven very funny, brillian, talented nieces and nephews. I don't get to see them too often but I do get to spread the news about them. From time to time you have read about allof them. This time one of my very talented, funny, brilliant nephews was accepted to both LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and the Beacon School in NYC. This is a HUGE deal. The competetion to get into LaGuardia is unbelievable as it is to the Beacon School. He will have exceptional opportunities regardless of which school he attends. I am very proud.

My Mom has done it again. Yes, she blew out her right knee. She will probably have to have surgery but we won't know anything until Monday. I have tried to make plans to travel to Fl., my brother has tried to send my SIL to help her but she is exerting her independence. We are all on hold until Monday. Unless I just can't stand it anymore and just go ahead and go despite what she says. It's the fine line of respecting her independence and wishes and doing what you know in your heart needs to be done.

This is my week to be reminded of the fact that I am a nurse. In addition to my Mom, my cousin had a bad bout of Migraine last night and needed to get to the ER. After she got some VERY good drugs in her, I left her on her couch this morning under the care of her very capable cat, Zoey. I'll be checking in on her later today.

For now, it's back to worrying.....oops, I mean work.

The Sun's Not Shining As Bright Today....

You know how you have those people in your life who are always there, always cheerful, hysterically funny, and know you and all your warts and still love you? That's my buddy John. I heard yesterday that John died 2 weeks ago. I knew it was coming, I just didn't want to ever believe it would happen. John and I got together when we both worked in the open heart ICU in a very small hospital in Florida. We worked the night shift and we usually spent the night laughing hysterically at something or another. It didn't take much to set us off. This was a work environment that neither one of us thrived in and we were like a big irritant to them. After I had parted company (mine was face to face) I got a call from John who told me he'd just been fired......by voice mail!!!!! He then came to work in the same hospital I did in Fort Myers. We both worked nights again in the same unit. John eventually became an evening shift house supervisor, I went on to be a clinical educator.....he went to work for the large health system physician group, I went to work in the central education department........he came back to the hospital as Director of the Emergency Department, I came back as Director of the ICU's. We were buddies. John decided to move to Jacksonville for a new job and just before going, a routine diagnostic showed he had polyps that turned out to be malignant. Surgery, chemo, radiation and still a move later, John continued to do well. He eventually became the Director of Nursing at the hospital in Jacksonville. John's cancer eventually metastasized to his liver. He went on experimental protocols. In December he decided no more chemo. He died on January 19th. I know for me, the sun just won't be quite as bright today and maybe for a few days......I will miss him.

I've Been Thinking....

About a lot of things lately and I thought I would just write a couple of them down.

1. Sometimes in life you just have to face the facts. You grow up believing one thing about yourself and that image works for you over and over and over. Then, you begin to get feedback that is totally contrary to that belief. So, you tell yourself that those people don't really know you and if they did, they wouldn't think that way about you. You hold on to those beliefs because they are familiar and comfortable in their discomfort. I am at the point where I don't think I can continue to accept the perception and belief that I have held for the past xxxxx years, it is time to try on another way of thinking. It is uncomfortable and it is an unfamiliar perception of myself. The reality is that my behaviors don't have to change, just the way I perceive them (which is pretty cool.) At the same time, the revision of the perception may just open up some opportunities that my current perceptions and beliefs prevent me from taking advantage of.
2. When I know that someone I love and care about is hurting and in a bad place, I can only do so much to help. I wish I could help more......I wish I could take the hurt away......

Okay, that's it for the heavy thinking now on to the lighter stuff..... Fried Green Beans ROCK!!!! My sister gave me a cook book from the Red Cat restaurant in NYC. They serve some tempura fried green beans there that are amazing and they put the recipe in the book.(They totally had this going on before Fridays did!) My cousin came over to watch the Superbowl and have some Fried Green Beans. I am slowly (with her help) perfecting the technique. Yesterday, we found that the time to keep them in the oil listed in the cookbook is not enough. We had to keep them in longer to get them sufficiently crunchy. The hot mustard dipping sauce is one of the most amazing sauces I've ever tasted and it's so freaking easy to make. I am trying to figure out what else it would be good with....other veggies, as a salad dressing, on pork or chicken.....mmmmmmm.

I am crocheting a shawl from Lily Chin's Couture Crochet. It's very nice and I love the subtlety of the pattern. The biggest problem with shawls or anything round for that matter, is that they get bigger as you go along. So, I have done 45 rows and you only have another 15 rows to go, my head just can't wrap itself around the fact that I'm probably only half way done. My fingers start to scream for a different pattern and I am constantly trying to think up ways to make it stop. Never the less, I must "Carry On" as Tim Gunn would say.

I bought the Spring/Summer Rowan book on Saturday. There are some very beautiful things in it.....but $40.00.......oh well, I guess it is like a book. I have spent much more money on much less in my life. There are a few things in there I would like to try. My sister gave me a bunch of Jo Sharp Kid Mohair that I would love to do something with. I have not ever liked the results of crocheting with Mohair but do love the way it looks knitted up. I will have to find the right pattern. There are a couple of possibilities in the Rowan book.

No pictures today....it's gorgeous here in Orange County.....no deep freeze or snow or rain here today. I love it.

You Know I'm Thinking of You....Right?

I have to say I am a very lackadaisical blogger. I think about posting.....I really do. Somehow things just get in the way. The last few days, blogger has been so slow, I couldn't get it to load. So here are a few of the things that go through my head when I think about posting a blog:

1. What's going on about which I have something to say? Not much...Does anyone really want to hear about my life....it's not very interesting.


2. I don't have any pictures to post. I got a new camera and there are pictures on the camera but I can't get them to my laptop. I can get them to my office computer though so I just have to do it.


3. I fall asleep.....not all the time but if you know anything about the Cowley side of the family, you know what I'm talking about. I sit down at night and before you know it, I'm asleep. Of course, I'm up at the crack of dawn or sooner.


4. I think about writing something about the political situation ....that's a little touchy.

After all is said and done, I don't get a post written. I do think of you and think about how I should really get it done. I know I don't tell you nearly enough. All I can say is that I will do better.

The Weekend

The weekend has been fairly busy. I did bring some work home and spent a bit of time catching up on a few things. It's actually nice to have some things that I didn't get done during the week to bring home. I really love working and I enjoy what I'm doing so it's not a real burden. Mostly it's been reading some great things about critical care nurses. I just read an excellent article from Chest magazine from the November 10th issue entitled "Changing the work environment in ICU's to achieve patient-focused care: The time has come." It was co-written by a past president of AACN and a past president of the American College of Chest Physician's. It is quite inspiring and hopeful.

Last night, my cousin and I went to Manhattan Beach to have dinner with my Aunt and her boyfriend. They have been dating since July without any interference from family....it was time. So, Ron passed muster. He is a very nice man and they seem very well suited to each other. It was an enjoyable evening and the traffic on the 405 wasn't bad at all...BONUS!!!

Today, my cousin and I met some of my co-workers at the Orange County Swap Meet (I might have called it a Flea Market but no one asked me.) I'm not really much of a swap meet kind of girl but all in all, it wasn't too bad. What I liked about it is that I went in with $11.00, bought a vegetable peeler that juliennes, a big nest type spoon like you would use to scoop stuff out of a wok, a little special hair scrunchy for a special girl I know and a small bag of Kettle Corn. There were great vegetable deals that we found at the end. If I had a bit more, I would have brought home a bunch of fresh vegetables. We spent 4 hours there. It was not bad. It was really kind of fun. There was good company and we had a very nice time.

Knitting and Crocheting Projects

I am currently projectless at the moment....I'm knitting a scarf but that's because I need to do something with my hands. I finished the log cabin blanket and mailed it to my nephew. I think it was a hit. He called and told me he really loved it soooo much. Very cool.

It was a lot of fun doing it and I am very pleased with the way it turned out.

I also finished a second Tuscany dress (the one I crocheted for my sister just before Christmas.) for a friend at work. It turned out well. There is, however, a moratorium on crocheting that particular dress in that particular yarn again for a while.

I am looking for the right yarn to make the Michael Kors crocheted dress. There is no picture on the Vogue Knitting website so I can't show you. I'm forcing it on my cousin....It's one of those situations where I really want to make it so I said to her....what color would you like?

Politics

The Democrats are throwing hats into the ring from everywhere.....Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, it's getting crowded. I have two favorites in this group who I would like to see do well. I am drawn to the candidates that don't have a lot of baggage. Is inexperience really a bad thing? I'm not sure. I'll do a bit of reading, a lot of listening and see where we end up.

I'll leave you with this picture of my best buddy here.....She's pretty cute.

New Year's Observations.

As I sit on this airplane heading home to Ca. from Fl. I've been thinking about a few things.

• What makes it okay for an adolescent girl, flying WITH her parents, to wear her ripped pajamas and scuffed up slippers on the plane? I realize that it’s possible that I'm being somewhat judgmental according to today's "live & let live" philosophy, but come on.....what's next? I also suppose she could be suffering from some sort of disabling disease caused by the odd earring (lip ring, nose ring, whatever) she has protruding from the space between her nose and lip. I suspect the metal used in the piercing jewelry is coated with some sort of biochemical agent that causes lapses in judgment. I think this has also affected the entire family because her brother's version of the disease causes him to lose weight at such an alarming rate that his pants fall down below his butt. I do hope that’s clean undies he's got on.
• Texas has the measles. I took a picture....hopefully it will turn out.

• Dogs are funny. I know they are just dogs and anthropomorphizing them only contributes to their misbehaving but I swear they know what's going on. Saturday, we had a nice dinner with Ellie. Ellie brought Molly (her Lhasa Apso) over. It was great. McGregor had a great time running and playing with Molly. Maggie was suffering from a few insecurities and jealousies. She doesn't do as well with playing with other dogs. She would rather sit on your lap. The pups were totally exhausted the next day. It was great.







• California haircuts don't work well in Florida. My hair is longer now that it doesn't have to be subjected to humidity and a sweaty head. This did not bode well for me over the past 10 days. I would spend a lot of time blow drying it, only to have it frizz and curl and wilt. It was totally scary. I did not have the right product with me and if MacKenzie had had an opening Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday, it would have been all over. She didn’t and I'm headed back to the land of no humidity or sweaty heads.


• I will not be moving back to Florida. Before I headed to Florida for the holiday, my old job became available. I seriously considered going back but, in the end, decided that I just couldn't do it. I am no longer willing to work in an UNhealthy work environment.


• Getting home is nice. I had a fabulous time with my mother. At the same time, it's great to get back to my own shower, and my California hair.

I fell into a coma last night and lost my momentum on this.....(screw momentum, I forgot what else I wanted to say.)

I wish you a Happy, Healthy, Joy-filled 2007.

New Clothes

COLD DOGS

Here I am, in Sarasota....it's beautiful here. Chamber of Commerce weather as they say. It was a little nippy this morning which will explain a lot about this post. As you may know, my mother has two dogs, Maggie (a Shih-Tzu) and McGregor (a Yorkie.....shhhhh don't tell him about his ears.) Little dogs get cold when it's cold outside. They both tremble and shake and just seem miserable. Since neither one has a.) Learned how to use a litter box like their much wiser former roommate Misty; or b.) figured out how to use the human facilities, they must go outside on a regular basis, cold or not; rain or not; heat or not. So, this morning, my mother decided the pups needed their sweaters on for their morning walk. McGregor is all about the walk. He doesn't really care if it's cold or not, if it's time to walk, we better be going. He sets the direction, the pace and he's just not stopping for much of anything. His nose is pointed forward and off he goes. Maggie on the other hand, really would prefer to be carried for her walk. She doesn't like getting her paws wet or her belly cold, or really being inconvenienced in any way. So, putting on a sweater is just more trauma than she can bear. The sweater she previously owned (up until around noon today) just didn't quite fit her anymore. Her body is a little longer than the sweater so she couldn't get her back legs through their holes anymore. It was definitely time for a new one. So, this is what she got:

It's a lovely little, light sweater with just enough sequins to make a girl feel special. This is totally lost on Maggie. She is Paralyzed by her sweater. It's way too restrictive, and she can not possible be expected to walk with this thing on. As you can see, McGregor is giving it the once over to make sure it's safe for Maggie to wear. (He's quite the protective older brother, you know.) Maggie was not at all pleased with having to bear the indignity of wearing a sweater. I'm sure she will appreciate it when it is in the 40's again when it comes time for her morning walk.

As you can see below, sibling rivalry is not just for humans. McGregor seems to be a bit peeved at the lack of any new items for him.

CHRISTMAS RECAP

Christmas was very quiet. Mom and I went to church on Christmas Eve. The Incarnation Folk Group did an amazing job with the music. It was very nice. It was a little melancholy for me because I really miss singing with that group. Since moving to California, I have discovered that there really aren't any churches that have a contemporary or folk choir. The Contemporary/Folk groups that sing at Mass are paid for their services. Anyway, I enjoyed singing with the Church of the Incarnation folk group and I missed it this year. Mom was really under the weather with a cold and felt miserable. We had a nice dinner on Christmas Eve, and then opened gifts.

She's really not well in this picture. However, she is my mother and she refuses to allow herself to be sick. It's sort of like if she ignores it, it will go away. Well, she had to work on Christmas Day and she really was not feeling much better. It was a long 12 hour shift for her and she was done for by the time she got home.

Tuesday, she was in deep denial that she was sick however, she was not able to do a whole lot so she laid pretty low.

She has made a good recovery and is back at about 3/4 speed. She's busy and that's good for her........

It's Beginning to (FEEL) a Lot Like Christmas.....

BRRRRRRRRRRRR.....It's southern California and it's in the 50"s outside.....what's THAT all about? I know better than to complain a great deal because I have a lot of friends and family that live in places that will be much colder with great deals of precipitation in the coming weeks. So, I'll move on.


Holiday Baking....

There's not a lot of it going on but I did make my usual Hot Fudge Ice Cream Sauce and Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sauce this past weekend. It turned out good again. For such a simple recipe, it packs a big punch. I only made two big batches of each this year. It's a lot more manageable making it for 20 than it is for 100.

They sure are yummy!

San Diego Wild Animal Park

On Sunday, I traveled to south to see the holiday lights at the San Diego Wild Animal Park (a branch of the San Diego Zoo.) The lights were very festive and the kids around us seemed to be having fun. Of course, I didn't get any pictures of those but here are a few of some of the animals I saw. It was pretty cold so many of the animals weren't out. I think they may have discovered they weren't in Africa anymore.

Here are some Gorilla's. They were cold.

There were pink flamingo's.....there's a brown one too but I don't think he (she) was in the right pond.

Some Knitting and Crocheting Updates.

I finished my sister's dress! It is so very soft. She has a great picture of it on her blog. The dress was such a hit at the office that one of my co-workers wants one so I'll get to make it again. I'm one of those weird folks that I love making things for other people as long as it is something I like to make. Now if I could just figure out why I have such an aversion to making sweaters, I'd be happy.

On the Log Cabin front, I have two more squares to do. I have been thinking about the layout of them and how to put them together with a border. I think I will actually knit the border on the outside squares and then do a three needle bind off to put them all together.

I saw the Knitty Gritty episode a few weeks ago where they showed how to do a Moebius. I was very intrigued by that and have been struggling for 4 months trying to figure out what the two skeins of SeaSilk want to be. It has tried to be many different things and right now it's resting. It has been knit and unknit so many times......

Only 6 more shopping days till Christmas. I think I'm done shopping but you never know. Be careful out there.

Christmas Magic

Feel free to copy and paste, change the answers and send by email to your friends or post on your blog:

NAME: Mary Pat
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa leaves the unwrapped gifts in the same room as the tree. There were always too many of us for the gifts to go under the tree. He was very organized and would put our stockings on top of the pile of our presents so we knew what belonged to us.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No

5. When do you put your decorations up? The tree goes up the weekend after Thanksgiving

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Mashed potatoes

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: I loved it when my grandparents would arrive for the Christmas holiday and we would help them get all the wrapped gifts out of the trunk of the car and put them under the tree.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. It started when I was a kid that we would only open gifts from the Aunts and Uncles on Christmas Eve. Over time, it progressed to opening all the wrapped gifts on Christmas Eve and the stockings and gifts from Santa would appear on Christmas morning. Later I found out that my Dad was the instigator and the one who really wanted to open all the gifts.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? White lights, a little garland, and special, unique ornaments only....no icicles or tinsel

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Having lived in Florida and now Southern California for the past 16 years, I'm not so much a fan of the snow. I would like it for one day and then only if I was inside. I don't want to drive in it, scrape it off a windshield or get wet feet from walking in slushy snow.

12. Can you ice skate? No. I went once when I was a teenager. It took me 90 minutes to get around the rink once and that was it.....I hung up my skates forever...

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? A couple of the more recent ones are a watercolor from my father and yarn that my nephew hand dyed.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? I love spending the time with family, cooking, telling stories, opening gifts. I also really like that people are just a little nicer to each other at this time of year.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pumpkin Walnut Cheesecake

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Having a really nice dinner on Christmas eve and then opening presents.

17. What tops your tree? A star

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Most of the time, giving. But receiving is nice too.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Silent Night

20. Candy Canes... Yuck or Yum? I'm a little ambivalent about this one. If I'm going to have a candy cane it needs to be a regular red and white peppermint one.....no funky flavors or colors for me.

21. What is your favorite Christmas movie? Holiday Inn followed by Santa Claus: The Movie, Christmas in Connecticut and the original Natalie Wood version of Miracle on 34th Street.


Merry Christmas!

One VERY Proud Aunt

My niece, the lovely and VERY talented Kighla, is acting her heart out in a play at a theater in Manhattan. She was chosen by her drama teacher to be in a play in a theater on the upper west side. It's very exciting. She's an awesome kid with a great heart, a lot of talent and I am very proud to be her aunt.....

You Rock, Kighla!

Thanksgiving Prep

The evening before Thanksgiving and someone in this building is roasting a Turkey. It smells really good. I'll be eating Delta Snacks as I travel to Florida tomorrow. It's definitely worth it though. I am looking forward to spending time with my Mother and seeing a couple of friends. I am thankful that I am able to get away for the weekend. There are so many things I am grateful for.

1. I am grateful that I am working form AACN. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I am having a great time. I hope that I will be able to make a contribution to critical care nursing.
2. I am grateful for my mother. I love that we are such great friends. She is such a great support to me. I love her very much.
3. My brother Jon. I know I don't see him very much or talk to him very much. In my life, he made it possible for me to be alive today. I know that he doesn't like to let it get out but he has a big heart and I am grateful.
4. My brother Steve. I don't see him as often as I like but I know he's there just in case.
5. My brother Jim. He has always been so accepting of me. He is a good brother, son and father. He puts family first and is a just a great guy. He has a great sense of humor and is very smart with computers.
6. My sister Heather. Over the years, we have had our sisterly issues but through it all, she has been my sister. She has been a huge support to me over the past several years and I am so grateful for that. She will never know how many times she calls at just the right time. She is a wonderful Mom.
7. Matt, my brother-in-law, who, no matter what, has always been very accepting of me and welcoming to me. He is a formidable opponent at Scrabble, Scattergories and Uno, but he is always willing to let me think I might be able to win. I love that.
8. My nieces and nephews. From Alex, who is so talented and smart. Nicole who is quiet and beautiful and smart. Chris, who is fearless, funny and smart. Katherine, who is beautiful, smart and a teenager (YIKES!) Ashley, funny, open, and smart. Ean who is talented, loving, insightful, smart, funny and wise. Kighla, who is friendly, gregarious, funny, loving, sensitive, talented, and smart.
9. My cousin who has been so generous with opening up her home to me when I was in need. She is fun to hang out with and she'll go to the movies with me.
10. My cat, Misty. She is always so happy to see me while letting me know that I really haven't been quite as attentive as I should have been. I love that she sometimes thinks I am another cat.
11. My friends at work. I am thankful for Pam, Lee and Luke who have become foster parents to Misty when I go out of town. I am thankful for Linda for being the foster aunt to Misty.

I think I need to stop there.....the list is no where near complete but I haven't packed yet and it's 8:30 pm.

I am loving this new beta version of blogger. It is easy peasy to make changes to the template and layout of the page. I'm sold.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you are with people you love.

Time Flies and Other Stuff

How is it than when you live your life every day, life just seems to go on. Then you go to post your blog entry and you realize that it's been almost a month since said blog was posted to? Today, I actually had quite a nice entry written and then due to some very wierd blogger (or could it be user) issues, it was lost.......lost I tell you, never to be found again. Initially, this just pissed me off because, who knows, maybe that was the best I had in me today and there it was just wasted on typing away and never making it to blog land. So, now, here I sit, several hours later, trying to recreate what was a previously spontaneous, not too bad blog entry. Now, it feels forced and challenging. So, I guess I will take a different tack. I will not try to recreate the lost blog, but instead, move on to other things.

OJ
Earlier today, I did some ranting about this whole OJ situation; how I really didn't understand a society that thinks it's okay to feed this jerks narcissistic needs. Then, my faith was renewed when I read that the book and the TV appearance was cancelled. That really is good. I still have to go back and ask the question though, what made someone think that this really was a good idea? What was to be gained from it. I'm not sure that Ms. Regan (the publisher) is really thinking clearly when she sees giving this guy more attention will assist with her healing over being a victim of spouse abuse. Perhaps THERAPY is a better option??????? I'm just sayin.....
And then I saw that the book had made it to #21 on the Amazon sales list but had fallen to #54 earlier today. I'm thinking we should just charge those people who were stupid enough to order the book anyway and give it to the families of Nicole and Ronald. For goodness sake, haven't they been put through enough already? (I really thought I was over this, apparently I have a few unresolved issues with it.)

I'll move on.

Elections
YIPEEE!!!!! I am very grateful that the Democrats have control over both houses of Congress. It's as the founding fathers thought it should be.....checks and balances and all that. I just hope the Dems don't do anything to screw it up. I say, just keep your heads down and focus on the work. Don't do anything fancy.....don't let John Kerry out to talk, keep him locked in a closet somewhere, just head down and focus. I must say that there is a heavenly Cattaraugus County contingent celebrating. I'm sure Art, Mildred, LJ and Al are all sitting around having a good old discussion about this election.

I must confess that for a short moment, I did consider not voting. When I woke up on Election Day, I figured that I would not have a moment's peace from all the Democrat DNA inside me that I am sure has been programmed to do something awful should I not vote in an election. So, believe me, I was one of the first at the polls. Of course, the California bureaucracy was at work and despite the fact that I registered when I got my Driver's License, my name was no where to be found on the books. Not to worry, California allows provisional voting pending verification of information. They even give you a number to call to make sure your vote was cast. Thank goodness.

Amazing Kids in NYC
This falls under the category of Proud Aunt. Living in NYC can be difficult and challenging at times. It is a completely different experience than most of the country lives. On the flip side, there are some absolutely amazing opportunities that few others in the country have. One of those is the opportunity to go to the LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. My very talented, smart nephew just interviewed for the Drama School this past weekend. He is so very cool and calm about standing up in front of a group of people and performing that I am blown away. Good luck my buddy! Not to be outdown, my niece is in rehearsal for a play at a Theater on the Upper West Side. Her opening night is in a couple of weeks and I know she will be awesome.

Projects underway....
I have been busy working on a couple of projects.

1. Crocheted dress for my sister. The back is complete. I have a couple of 4 1/2 hour plane rides coming up, I'm sure I'll be able to have this one done by next Monday.
2. Special project in the "full circle" category. I'm working on a project with some yarn that was dyed by my nephew....that's all the information that I can give. I am hoping this will be done before Xmas.
3. Christmas ornaments. We do an ornament exchange at work. I found a nice little ornament pattern in Handknit Holidays that's pretty easy. The hardest thing for me was working with Double Pointed Needles. I'm really not that coordinated. Once I figured it out I was able to knock them out pretty fast. They are loads of fun.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all who read this. If you are traveling, safe travels. If not, have a blast and don't work too hard cooking.

Next up, holiday shopping...........

NYC, Rhinebeck and Tough Bugs

Why is it that when I take my camera somewhere, I forget to take pictures? I'm a knucklehead....that's all there is to it.

Two weeks ago I headed to Philadelphia for yet another business trip. This time, I was in downtown Philadelphia. It was my first time and I liked it a lot. We were right across the street from Reading Terminal Market.This is a phenomenal place with all manner of vendors of food, organic vegetables, Amish goods, etc. A truly amazing marketplace. If you are in downtown Philadelphia, I would highly recommend a visit.

Took a nice walk to Rittenhouse Square. A beautiful city park surrounded by a lot of shops and restaurants.

Took a little side street trip to Rosies Yarn Cellar where there was quite a large amount of yummy yarns in a very small space.

The conference in Philadelphia was nice. I had the opportunity to connect with some friends from my past life. It was great to be able to represent such a well respected organization. People were constantly coming up to our booth telling us they were members and loved AACN. I am lucky.

Wednesday, I took the train to NYC. Wow, how easy was that. Amtrak was right on time, an hour and 15 minutes later, Penn Station. No muss, no fuss.....easy as can be. The next few days were spent hanging out with my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew. I got to watch a couple of soccer matches, meet teachers and see an amazing showcase at LaGuardia School for the Performing Arts. NYC has a very complicated process of choosing a high school. The process involves going on school tours, interviews, auditions, portfolios, etc. It is as tough as getting into college. We went and visited Millennium High School down by Wall Street. It's a new school built after 9/11 as a result of the efforts of Sen. Clinton. It's a very nice space. I was very blown away by LaGuardia High School. We saw performances by the Jazz Band, the Orchestra, the choir, some drama students, dancers, and art. Those kids were amazing. The academic program is quite remarkable as well.

I came down with a nasty cold (well, at that time it was a cold) and it knocked me down for a few days. My sister, niece and I did get to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York. It was a couple of hours north of the city and it was a glorious fall day.

There was so much beautiful yarn it was hard to wrap my head around it. It was a delightful trip and well worth the adventure. I

Monday, I headed back to California. Note to self......don't fly when you have a cold. It sucks, I know why babies cry. If I could have cried, I would have. I did take NyQuil before getting on the plane so I did sleep for a few hours. Thank goodness, it was a non-stop flight from Newark to Orange County. Landing was miserable. The only good thing is that the descent into OC is not prolonged so the pain only lasted about 30 minutes. The bad thing was that I couldn't hear much once we landed. My ears were a mess. Since getting back, the past 6 days have been pretty miserable.......cold transitioned to rotten sinusitis. My ears finally cleared up yesterday and I am actually feeling human again.

It's been a heck of a couple of weeks and I am looking forward to getting back to work. I've started knitting again and life is good.

Congratulations to my cousin. She kicked butt in San Francisco last weekend running a half marathon and finishing a full 30 minutes ahead of her estimated time and even better than her stretch goal. She has worked hard to accomplish this and she did great.......

How Many Times Can You Rip Out Your Knitting?

I have this beautiful Handmaiden Sea Silk yarn that I bought a few months ago. It is incredibly beautiful and soft. I know that I want to use it to make a wrap for me to use at the office when it gets a little chilly. My problem is that the yarn is soooooo beautiful with a miltitude of incredible colors that I can't find the right pattern for it. First, I thought I would use the pattern that came with it. It's a lovely pattern and it would be beautiful however, it used both balls of yarn at once and I had to keep trying to remember to to the other end of the row and knit again. For someone who has trouble counting a pattern repeat off 4 stitches, this was a definite challenge. Then I decided I would do a horseshoe lace pattern. The problem wiht this was that I couldn't see the pattern really well because the varigations in the yarn are incredible and the pattern got lost in it. Then after talking to my sister (the most amazing knitter) I decided to do a simple open pattern. I thought, hmmmm, that yarn over, knit two together would be nice. Well, being the novice that I am, I didn't realize that I needed to yo K2tog on every row, so I purled back on the wrong side row. This created a very lovely but trapezoidal shaped wrap. I was not happy. So, I tried a couple of other types of stitches K1 YO P2tog K1, which was lovely but a bear to knit back when I made the inevitable mistake. I tried going back to making a simple shawl which was okay but not great. So after about 20 different tries at using this yarn, I think I am finally on my way. I'm back to the YO K2tog on EVERY row......nice and straight, a little open, simple.....very nice.

Tomorrow is the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival and my sister and I are going. I am very excited because it seems like it's a big event in the yarn world. I'll let you know how it goes.

It's been fun being in NYC although I've been a bit under the weather. I did go outside today (unlike yesterday) and it was good to get outside of the apartment. I have been laying low, trying to prevent this cold from growing into something more. I think I've got enough Advil, Halls and Dayquil to get me through.

Carry On (Can you believe Jeffrey won Project Runway??? I thought Ule was the best!)

Lost Posts and Misty

Last week, while sitting in a hotel room in King of Prussia, PA, I spent quite a while typing a blog and I even had a picture......but when the picture started to load, it kept loading forever and ever and ever and I lost everything. I don't even remember what I was writing about at the time but I am going to move on now. With luck, this one will actually make it to publishing.

This is the story of how one person can become slightly insane about a cat......Last week I had to travel for work for the first time. I had made arrangements for Misty (remember her? Here's a picture just in case.)

Misty went to stay with a co-worker and her family. Her son really wants a pet and this was an opportunity to show his parents that he was responsible enough to care for a pet....PLUS he wants to by an iPod and is looking for ways to make the big bucks. So, Misty went to stay with this lovely family in a large house with stairs and more than one bedroom and people coming and going.....a family. Misty is a very social cat and loves having people around. She's not really a lap cat but she does like being in the same room with people. So, it was a nice place for her to be. Anyway, the son and the Dad really fell in love with Misty and want to get a cat if they could find one as cool as she is (I can tell you that just won't happen.) So, in my moment of insanity or estrogen deficiency or something, I thought maybe I was being very selfish where Misty was concerned an that she would be better off with a whole family. I had myself very convinced that this was what would be best for Misty. I talked with the Mom who told me I really should wait until I was a bit less tired to make that decision but that she would talk about it with her husband. I talked to

my Sister........

I talked to

my Mother.........

I talked to

my Cousin.....

and they all said the same thing. Are you crazy? You can't do that! Misty loves you....you are her human....

Sanity ruled.....estrogen kicked in......Misty's home. I'm happy.

A Hint of Fall

Having spent the past 16 years in Florida, I don't even begin to think about cooler weather until the middle to end of October. Life is completely different in Southern California. I know there really isn't a change of seasons in the New England sense of the word but there is definitely a change in the weather. We have had some phenomenal weather...clear, blue skies, cool temps (70's during the day, 60 at night), no humidity......

I was in Newport Beach yesterday trying out the third (yes, third) hair salon. I don't know if this is as much torture for everyone or if it is just me but this has been a horrendous process. I know I was very spoiled by MacKenzie and the whole atmosphere at The Met in Sarasota. MacKenzie was the first hair stylist in my life that actually listened to what I had to say and then told me to relax, that she would do the driving. I was grateful that she took over the management of my very unmanageable hair. I knew that was special but just how special became very clear to me when I came to southern California. Yesterday, I walked into the Salon and was eventually introduced to the person who would be managing my hair cut and color. Well, the color thing is pretty much a no brainer since I have my magic MacKenzie formula with me....thanks MacKenzie! Of course, the So. Cal stylist didn't have all the right shades so she had to go on a hunt for it. I was a little leary fearing she had made a substitute but it turned out fine so I guess she didn't. Anyway, we get to the cut part.......ARRRRGGGHHHH. In reality, it's not too bad for the first day after a cut....talk to me in a few weeks. I have given this a lot of thought though......As a professional nurse of 20 some odd years of experience, I am expected to apply my knowledge and expertise. If a patient is having chest pain, I don't ask....."would you like me to get you some nitroglycerin? or "what are we going to do for you today?" That would not go over well. I am expected to know what to do and then do what is in the best interest of the patient. I expect a similar response from the stylist cutting my hair. This person is reportedly a professional with many years of experience......I want that person to gather the data about the journey my hair and I have been on and then tell me to relax, they have it under control. I don't want to have to tell them how to cut my hair. I don't want to have to tell them that, yep....I do have a lot of hair....yep, it's really thick.....yep, it's curly too. I understand that my standards are a tad high and I have to suffer the consequences of that. Just know, without a doubt, that I will be making an appointment with my beloved MacKenzie when I am home in Sarasota during the Christmas Holidays.......

Anyway, as I started to say, prior to my little soapbox, I drove from Newport Beach to Laguna Beach by the Pacific Coast Highway on my way home yesterday. I am not sure there are many more beautiful pieces of real estate/beach anywhere. It was stunning, breathtaking, awe inspiring and all those other descriptive words that try to describe the indescribable.






Crystal Cove State Park














Laguna Beach









I am lucky.

Cleaning Frenzy

It's a PURGE party at the office and the place is nuts I tell you! I have had to put a force field around my door so that people will not drop their unwanted crap in my office when I am in the bathroom. It is UGLY out there. You see, people have not purged stuff from this office in this century and now it's time. Being one of the three new kids on the block, I don't have a lot of emotional attachement to the stuff. That is not the case with many of the great folks who work here. It's a painful process and it's scarey but it is oh, so good for the soul. I know that everyone will come out much better on the other end of this. I just have to be strong so my office does not become the repository of all things unwanted and "just don't want to get rid of." I will be strong for those who can't.

Carry on.