what did we do before.....

   My dear sweet hubby is always saying, "What did people do before [fill-in-the-blank]!" Usually he fills in that blank with "cell phones," because it irritates him to no end to see people driving and using cell phones. However, today it is my turn to say, "What did we do before VGA/SVGA monitors!!"    Yesterday I had to take my baby to the doctor... that is to say, my Viao laptop to Best Buy to be sent off for repair. The keyboard, which had been acting a little strange last week, putting a 5 behind every 3 I typed, went completely wonkers inputting 5s continuously. I managed one day of grace using an external keyboard, but even that didn't help come Tuesday morning. So, I switched out the hard drive and sadly left her with strangers. While they fix that problem, I also asked them to look at the overheating problem (again) and find out why the rear USB no longer functions.    Getting back to my frustration, I am now working on the backup desktop using an old EGA monitor that will only set at 16 colors and 600x480 resolution!! And, of course, that is only one of a multitude of little problems. Still, I'm trying to be glad that I at least have finally figured out how to connect into our home network. My sons are generous to let me access email and stuff on their computers, but my eyes strain with their super-high resolutions! (I try to warn, but it does no good.)    There is other nice news though. I bought an iPaq yesterday. And a Bluetooth keyboard. Also, I have gotten emails from half-dozen or so people about the KniTibet project. Thanks so much!    On the knitting front, I finally finished the striped top!! Just working on tying off the ends and fixing an error or three. I have to dig out my kitchner diagrams to do the underarm-body join, then it's ready to be blocked. LC

KniTibet

  A little over eight months from now, I should be on my way to T I B E T !   Along with me I hope to take suitcase stuffed with hand-knitted hats, scarves and gloves for the schoolchildren in Lhasa and surrounding villages.

  As I think I mentioned in a previous post, some of the students who traveled to Jamaica with us this summer took school supplies for serveral of the island's social service agencies. I was disappointed that I didn't know they were doing it, because I would have gladly contributed.

  When the Tibet trip was announced and I begain doing online research on Tibet, I decided that a charity knitting project would be a worthwhile effort -- and a side benefit might be building a foundation for a knitting group at the university.   Further information is available on the KniTibet webpage or by emailing me. I have also started a page of links to patterns and sizing information. There are currently no links to patterns for gloves yet. But I will find some for you! You will also find project specifications there soon. For now, here's what you would want to remember: 1. Items should be wool. Wool stays warm when wet. At the very least, please ensure a high wool content if using a blend. 2. Sizing should be for elementary/primary grade children, approximate US sizes 4 to 6 (the Tibetan children tend to be a bit smaller than US). 3. Scarves should have NO fringe; about 5 inches wide and about 4 feet long.   Please help me spread the word about this project by mentioning it to friends and/or posting about it in your blog and snagging the button at the top of my sidebar. Even just one knitted item from every knitter we can reach would be such a blessing! My contact at Tibetan Village Project tells me there are over 4,000 children on their 'waiting list.'   If you need a little more incentive, I plan to have a 'thank-you' gift for about a dozen knitters who contribute to this project -- awarded in categories, e.g., first received, most items contributed, etc.. LC

25th anniversary

of my divorce... I know. I'm weird.     On other topics, I'm wondering if I should be happy or mad with my father for getting me back into our genealogy research. He asked me (I don't even want to think about how long ago) to gather together what I have for him to send to a cousin of mine. A few weeks ago I downloaded a freeware program from Tucows and started happily creating family tree sheets for him. The other day, I suddenly realized there is no print option with the program. Then I found a family tree template for Excel, so I'm using that now. Plus I added a plain spreadsheet page to do the descendants table.    Of course, along the way, my curiosity has been piqued once again about the unanswered questions and conflicting information re: dates, marriages, etc.. So, I spent a whole day (Wednesday, I think) going through my papers/documents, inputting to the worksheets and nosing around the online sites. Most are terribly unwieldy, in my opinion. And where so much info used to be freely accessible, it seems the more information that is online, the more likely it is that you have to have a subscription to some ad-filled website to access it! I did locate about three likely contacts, but one was a dead address, and neither of the other two have replied.   Knit-wise, I'm finally working on the yoke of my striped top. I have a long ride to Jackson tomorrow, so if I can knit instead of knap, I might actually be very close to finishing it by the time I get back home.    Ahora, va eschucar CDs de español. Ciao. LC

woo-hoo!

    Grades were supposed to be available today (08/11), so, of course, I had to check before I went to bed... all A - A - A - A 's ! ! ! !     I am really surprised to have gotten an A in the Arthurian Literature class, though. Really surprised. I must have done really well on the final.     I'm so pleased... can you tell I'm pleased??? LC

21

    In 1984, about ten minutes ago (EDT) I gave birth to twin sons. It has been a long road -- full of fears and fun. Today my boys turned 21. I am very proud to be their mother and I look forward to watching them finish college, pursue their careers, find their true love and build a family.... not too soon on that last one!     We picked up their grandfather and all had lunch together at a local restaurant. One son threatened me with reciprical treatment if I got the staff to recognize their birthday -- I didn't have to worry. Their grandfather took care of that. And stupid me took the camera but left it in the truck! The rest of the day was 'just another day' after a few gifts were distributed. Brownies made later tonight.     No drinking. No partying all night. Less worrying for Mom! LC

right place, right time ? ?

    Like Jerry Jeff, I 'got lucky' today. During this last weekend visiting with friends, I guess my mind slowed down enough to realize that trying to do a double-major is foolish. I actually only need 27 hours to graduate, and I can do that over the next two semesters. So, I fired off a couple emails and did some pencil-paper figuring to see if I will be able to pull it off.     I realized I would have to take my major department's 'senior capstone' class and my senior thesis class at the same time (spring semester) to graduate in May. Wasn't sure this was do-able, thus one of the emails. The reply informed me that thesis was a nearly year-long process. This set me worrying. After class this morning, I dropped by the Honors College to talk with the advisor. Nice woman. Smart. Bright. Enthusiastic. And helpful! (That's not to say my other advisors are not --- um, well, except they are men.)     The bottom line is that she will substitute the research methods class (required by my major department which I took in the spring) for the prospectus class, and I don't actually register for the senior thesis class until the semester I graduate -- which I can set as August and still 'walk' in May (or wait until December)! What I have to do now is get things set up with an advisor and start working on my prospectus.     And just when I'm feeling great about all this, that little demon creeps up and whispers in my ear, "Too bad your so old. Why didn't you do this 30 years ago? You look so foolish!" I try hard to ignore him. It is easier some days than others.     So, it looks like my break will not be so free of 'school work' after all. I need to refresh my español before I go into 201. And also do some research before talking to the professor I hope will be my thesis advisor.     But I'm STILL going to read some books *I* want to read, and knit, and get hubby to do some long overdue honey-do's. Oh, the next three weeks are gonna fly by, aren't they ?!?!? LC

friendship

    The internet can be such a wonderful thing. Over the past 8+ years (went 'online' in early 1997), I met many people whom I consider friends even though we have never met in person. Even nicer, I have become good friends with a few people I met online whom I then met in person. Rissa is one of the latter.     This past weekend my husband and I spent the weekend with her and her husband. One of the things that was so great about it was that it truly felt like a weekend getaway for us -- I even remarked as I left work on Friday afternoon that "I'm going to Jackson for the weekend." Not for the day, not for a meeting, not for a museum exhibition, but for the weekend with friends.     Sounds sort of silly to put it that way. I guess we just stay home so much, and tend to only go on extended 'family' vacations (which means we go visit family -- not that there is anything wrong with that), or we only go away for a day somewhere. There is another couple we visit in TN (usually on the way to or from a 'family' vacation) with whom and in whose home we are probably as comfortable as we are in our own -- just like we felt this past weekend. And another in DC, too. All three of these friendships developed through the internet.     After all these months of classes and textbooks and papers, I didn't realize how much I needed to get away. Thanks, Rissa (& hubby & dogs & cats) for the refreshment . . . and we dyed yarn, too! LC

progress

    I am beginning to feel like this knitting for Tibet is going to actually happen!    I heard from Colette and now have a better idea of just what we need to do and how to do.    I feel much more confident about this project associating with someone who has, to use the very worn-out phrase, "been there, done that." So, I'm working on a logo, a webpage, and other ideas for getting the word out.    First, though I want to pass it all by the professor and see if we need to also pass it by International Studies or whomever at the university.     I hope to run some weekly knit-ins at either on campus or at the coffeeshop across the street, and also to get the campus newspaper to do a writeup.     In the meantime, I'm trying to stay focused on these last assignments for the summer courses, and knitting on the striped hemp top. Once I get the body done, I think the sleeves and yoke will go quickly. There's really no finishing, so when it's done, it's done. LC

knitting for Tibetans

    I don't have all the details worked out yet, but I am going to mention it now, since I just updated my blog to add the header text you see above.     Plans are in place and proceeding well for a trip to Tibet immediately following 2006 spring semester's end. We will mainly be in Lhasa, but also visiting Shigaste and Gyantse. This will be part of USM's International Studies program, as was the trip to Jamaica last May.     In fact, something concerning that trip is at the heart of this project. The students in one class were asked to bring a suitcase of items to donate to the social services organizations they were to visit. I only learned about after arriving from my two roommates, who were in that class. I regretted that I'd not had an opportunity to contribute.     So when the Tibet trip was announced, a knitting project seemed to be a natural idea. The sponsoring professor gave his approval, and I began to search for information and recipients. Over the next ten months, I plan to occasionally include some of that information, about Tibet, its people, its problems, here on this blog, and provide links to more of it that may be followed up by those interested.     For now, here are the basics -- subject to modification -- :     1)     wool items, or at the very least high wool content blends.     2)     sized for primary-aged schoolchildren,     3)     Tibetans seem to love bright colors (please avoid red-white-blue combinations), red, yellow & orange especially     4)     no novelty yarns     5)     no fringe on scarves There is also care being provided for elderly and I am looking into whether shawl-type items would be well-received.     Please pass this information widely as you are able and desire -- I have a very large suitcase for this project! As soon as I have confirmed exactly to whom these items will be delivered, I will post about it. I have names of several schools and orphanges and am making contact with representatives.     For today, however, I need to concentrate on finishing the reading for my two classes that end in two weeks! Yay! And, then, it's break-time for this kitty. LC

tidbits

    Perhaps it might be a good idea to mention for a change.     Just before I went to Jamaica with the university international studies program, I cast-on for Lanaknits' Stripes Go Round top (Summer 2004 Interweave Knits magazine), using their hemp yarn. As of now, I have about eight inches of the 14 required for the torso. I'm fighting strong temptation to begin something else! Something soft 1and fuzzy and warm -- but it is still much too hot in Mississippi to think about that. However, other than remembering the color sequence, it is mindless knitting. Great for riding, waiting, and laptop reading -- too bad Microsoft Reader's voice program is so poor. I'd get lots more knitting done if I could 'listen' to Malory and Twain instead of having to read them.     I had my first wireless experience today. There's a nice coffee shop across the street from the university that provides free wireless to the customers. Wish I'd been going there every week this term during my break between class and work! I'll bet it is much busier (and noisier) during the regular terms. We'll see. But the manager is really helpful, and the coffee is excellent.     Finally got to see the season opener of Monk. "George" needs to stick with "Jerry" -- on the whole, I thought it was disappointing. Here's hoping Friday's episode with John Turturro as Monk's agoraphobic brother is better.     Two-plus weeks left in the term -- then two blessed weeks of no classes. That means time to read what I want to read!! Not sure how much time off from work I'll get though; will probably have to fight the urge to pick up extra hours. LC

tomorrow! tomorrow!

(posting this just to make Rissa smile) 22.5 hours and counting! LC

moonchildren

    I am so fortunate to have met one of my birthday twins -- a true twin, as we were born the same year-- at least online. Maybe someday we will meet in person. She's such a lovely and sweet lady: Ellen is her name and she is a Kiwi (though she doesn't live there now).    It's already *my* birthday in Tibet, but here in the the US it is still His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 70th birthday, so here's a blessing for all of us...    (His astrological chart says he was born 4:38am LMT (-6:45). My birth certificate says I was born 3:27am EST. So, how close are those times? LC

just wanted to say

3 More Days! LC

on this date

    Did you know that both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day, July 4th, 1826?     Have you seen National Treasure? We watched it a couple weeks ago. I don't think it did well at the box office, but we enjoyed it.     How unpatriotic I am today -- laying around in my jammies, no food in the house, and, of course, no place open because of the holiday. I doubt we will see any fireworks except those on television. Both my sons are around today, so that is especially nice.     I'm nursing my sore back again. Evenso, I spent the late morning sorting piles of bills and receipts. I had big plans for lots of house-keeping chores this weekend. Ain't gonna happen. This afternoon I built a new template for this blog. However, I don't like not being able to right-align my sidebar text, or justify the text of my posts. I seemed to have done all right making an additional box below my profile, so I'll probably move stuff around some more. 4 More Days! LC

summertime... & the livin' is easy??

Wow. Almost six months since I published anything to my blog. I love my blog, so that lets you know just how consumed I have been with my courses for the spring semester! It was probably unwise to take 18 hours, half of them senior-level courses at that, but I managed a 4.0, so I can't complain. My family might, though! When I didn't have my nose in a book, I was just plain too exhausted mentally to do much else. I also started working part-time at the university library. Now, summer semester's half over, and I have already completed 7 additional hours of credit with 6 more to go for the term. I am SO looking forward to the August break... but, ya know, if feels good to keep my brain so stimulated. I have had great professors. I know I am lucky in that. I really only need 24 more hours to graduate (OMG, that's the first time I've actually thought about it that way...), but I was invited to apply to Honors College, and that adds 6 more required hours of coursework, so I'm not going to try to 'walk' next spring afterall. I've done very little knitting in the past six months. A couple of 5-hour baby sweaters, and I started my striped, hemp top in mid-May. Only about 6-inches of the 14 needed before beginning the arm-hole shaping. I pull it out when my mind needs a break, or I'm riding in the car without my textbooks. And speaking of texts, Morte d'Arthur is calling me....oh! But I didn't tell about Jah-maica yet!! LC

"Blueberry" Squares Hat

Finished just a few moments ago, a blue (& acrylic -- ugh!) version of Cranberry Squares by Janis Witkins from the Winter 2004 issue of Knitters: Bernat's boucle would not go down to gauge -- the yarn called for was much thinner -- but all I had to do was make it seven instead of eight units around. My head is really too small for a hat this deep, but to fit a larger head I will have to work the lower edge bind-off again. This project taught me that (at least at this point) I do not much care for modular knitting. A couple of factors play into this dislike:

• too many ends to work in
• too many stitches to have to pick up

I have a good bit of the yarn remaining, so I may experiment with working two-colors on the diagonal and see if a similar effect can be achieved.

I have finished three other hats and two vests over the semester break. I will try to get some more photos up (before I give everything away -- well, the second vest and matching tam are for me).

Spring semester begins tomorrow: Social Psychology; Experimental Psychology; Sleep & Behavior; Spanish 102; History of Mexico & the Caribbean; Mysticism. Plus I got hired to work about 10 hours a week at the university library. Think of me on Mondays and Wednesdays -- they will be 12-hour ones!

I had hoped to have my house in good shape by now, but it still looks like a tornado came through. However, my back is improving and maybe soon I will get things done. The most difficult part is remembering all I need to do!!

LC

Ol' Year, New Year

2004 slipped by for us as quietly as Christmas did. As the last couple of CST hour of today approach, I am hoping my mother's supersitions are indeed just that. We've eaten no pork, no cabbage, nor any black-eyed peas this day. And I have done none of the things I usually do on the first day of every new year -- not even burned a bayberry candle! Gads! How in a rut are we that almost the entire holiday season has passed as if just that many more same-old, same-old days. I did at least cook supper tonight, but nothing at all traditional. Crawfish in a creamy, cheesey, tomato-ey sauce over elbow macaroni. Hubby did proclaim it "the best macaroni" he'd ever eaten, however, he is not a big pasta fan like I am. All I could think of was how far it fell short of tasting as good as Semonlina's Chicken Parmesean or Olive Garden's Sicilian Shrimp. I will also do some knitting as soon as I finish this entry. Son#1 picked up the last Knitting Patter-a-day calendar at the Barnes & Nobles for me today. I looked through the first six-months of patterns before I had to set it aside, seeing at least a dozen things I *must* knit! I had a screaming headache compounded by some weird lightheadedness and dizziness. Son & hubby were watching Lord of the Rings Return of the King: I napped, but awakened feeling even more miserable and took some Tylenol. I swear I must be getting sick; I have felt terrible for a couple days now. Earlier in the week we went to the bookstore, where I gathered up the knitting magazines to see if I wanted to buy any. I decided on the Knitter's and searched the net when I got home for one of the pattern's yarns. At $11.00 a ball and needing two balls, it was out of my price range (for a hat that I'll probably not wear often anyway). I grabbed some Bernat boucle I had and attempted to get gauge. I came close enough to keep knitting the modules. I'm enjoying the pattern, but not all the tails. I can now see that there are ways to reduce the number of ends leftover to weave in. Having so much of the yarn leftover, I think I'll use a larger needle size, increase the size of the squares a little and make a matching scarf. To brag (and bore): I made an A in four of my classes (inluding Spanish) and a B in the fifth for a 3.85 semester GPA, bringing my overall GPA up over 3.7 -- yes, I'm delighted. Finals were a pain, but fortunately well-spaced for studying/preparing. Classes begin again in another week. I haven't done as much reading as I had hoped over the break, but I have knitted a good bit. Made another 5-hour Baby Sweater (tho' it still takes me about 10), a vest, and two or three hats; finished another vest for gift and something else I've forgotten. Used up all my Paton's Cha-Cha on tube scarves/hoods for gifts, too. Got a bunch of Fun-Fur I'd like to use up on something (or get rid of! LOL). Looking back at my resolutions for 2004, and knowing they were not accomplished or are important enough to continue, I again resolve:

• to remember birthdays ON-TIME (and bills)
• to use my creative skills for tangible results to those around me
• to delve deeper into my personal spirituality in order to attain resolution, for myself at least, over several personal situations
• to be content -- always my primary goal

"Four has long been a number of completion, stability and predictability, as well as the representation of all earthly things."

A blessed and prosperous new year to everyone,

LC

dinner, a show & fireworks

Dear hubby and I ran out to a local restaurant for a quick supper, only to find the town Christmas parade about to begin. We slipped in a back way. The parking lot was full, but the place was empty. We watched the parade from our table, then wound around the long way home to avoid the traffic. I'm not quite ready to admit it is Christmastime, but the little parade was sweet. Lots of pick-um-up trucks and trailers loaded with tons of kids in Santa hats throwing candy to everyone along the streets. About a half hour after we got home, we heard lots of heavy engine noises outside the house. Car doors slamming. My curiousity finall got the best of me. I saw police lights flashing at the north end of the street, just past our driveway. But the people were walking past our house. I went to the other end of the house and was faced with this view out my son's bedroom window to the south: Actually, the view I saw was much worse than this photo, which I took about five minutes later and does not truly capture the height of the flames and the overwhelming glow of it all set so close to our home!! We went running outside (with our cameras). I found myself thinking as I ran around the house that I was so glad hubby had spent the day getting the pine needles off the roof. There is nothing but trees between our place and the fire. I was also praying thanks that there was no wind! Brand new house. Not quite finished. No one moved in yet. There's a joke around here about Bubba's wiring work. Well, it's a joke to us anyway. We overheard a conversation just a couple months after we moved here. Two men were talking. One asked the other about the house which had just been rebuilt after a fire. The other commented that Bubba had done the electrical work on this new house too -- seems Bubba did electric work on the side. As for this fire, sure seems like it coule be suspicious? The fire department and police were occupied with the parade... could someone have picked a better time? This all happened about 6:30pm. The engine noise has only stopped withing the last hour. What hubby and I are both curious about though, is that neither the fire nor police sirens were sounded The smell brought back memories from the summer between my junior and senior years of high school. Our kitchen caught fire the day after school let out. It took all summer to get the house back in order from the damage. I'm heading to bed now, more than a little anxious about having bad dreams. LC

bad girl, bad girl

whacha gonna do if the teacher sees you?? I'm skipping a class right now. A class where I am supposed to be taking a test. A test that I know I can make-up... not a common thing on this campus. I'm just not ready. Why? Because I'm compulsive. Not satisfied to depend upon my class notes, I am driven to read all the accompanying chapters even though I *know* that it is probably not necessary. Two of the five essay questions on the test are about lecture material that isn't even part of the text. Lordy, I wonder about myself sometimes. The alternative, however, was to work myself up into an anxiety attack and be physically ill (anxiety is primary trigger for a physical ailment for me). At least I'm not doubled-up in pain and making love to the toilet this morning. And, I prepared a summary of a lecture I attended on Tuesday night for extra credit in another class, so I am not totally wasting my time here blogging for ya. Things are getting quite stacked up school-wise. I've got to be sure to budget my time, and most importantly stay calm. It really IS okay to make a B instead of an A, right? RIGHT?? I forgot my knitting today. Bummer. Sold all my Dazzleaire! And printed out a list of the rest (mostly Lion Brand) to pass along to the knitting group in the dorm here. Life is pretty good on this chilly Friday. Hope all is well with everyone else, too. If not, well, may the powers that be bless you. LC

sunday musings

The saga of the fuzzy scarves continues. I'm on the fourth one. Still struggling with a good cast-on. There's one where you just sort of carry a thread under the loops as you cast-on; that's next. I'm down to 48 stitches on this one. They really do stretch out big when you open the tube. The second one I made has to be totally redone. It is HUGE. Way too long and floppy. I'm liking about 75gm per scarf. Found out that a bunch of the 'co-ed' knit in one of the dorms on Wednesday night. Don't plan to try to join in, but I was happy to know that there *was* some knitting happening on campus. The knit meet-ups have never occurred in town, so I was wondering if it was just grand-ma's knitting around here. Had a good number of people stop at our yard sale yesterday. Most frequent comment heard was how pretty the yarns were, but they didn't know how to crochet. One lady did ask me if I could teach her. I told her after hearing so many wish they knew how, I might consider it and to watch the local free-ad paper for a notice if I decided to do so. Another thing, I think I just might as well list all Mom's books on half.com. I just don't get it. People will go to the half-price book store (or even the regular bookstore) and pay for books, but they think it is outrageous that I want half-price for these books?? MANY which have never even had the binding opened on them! To say nothing that the cover price is only half what new paperbacks are going for anyway!! It's not the heat, it's the stupidity. I know. That wasn't nice. Some times it sure seems appropriate though -- no matter what part of the country you live. Classes already seem to be winding down. Hard to imagine, but I think even fewer are attending class than before fall break. I still have two papers and two short-short thingies to write. Three tests this week. The only thing I think I am really dreading is the Spanish oral on the last day of class. And speaking of, I should do a little more of that tonight, and finish the Statistics chapter. So, I'm off... LC