NO ON 8 - Oppose discrimation and support separation of church and state

Money from a religious group in another state is the primary funding source to change OUR CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION! I think they should stay in THEIR state and have their laws, but leave MY STATE LAWS alone!

I urge you to say no to bigotry, hate and ignorance by voting NO ON 8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9T7ux8M4Go

Star Wars is life, the rest is just details - A New Hope

I'm rarely political outside of my own personal bubble save for the little things I choose to share. So much is at stake this election. I have to say that in the primaries, I wasn't opposed to McCain. He certainly would have been the better of the two in 2000, but something happened along the way.

Since I'm a major Star Wars geek, I'll use some Star War references to help explain my feelings. The McCain of 2000 and early primaries 2008 was like the free spirited kid-Anakin Skywalker - full of ideas and promise, but something happened on the way to the Presidency during the general election.

Cut to: the moment that Anakin Skywalker finds his mother dying at the hands of the Sand People. Cue music crescendo and... **POW** a nut goes loose and things start to get hairy... the lines between good and not so good get blurred, the means to the end become slightly askew. I had hope he'd get back on the rails, but then we get the Rogue Diva and never before have I NOT connected with a woman in my life. She's so different I'm not even sure I can find an adequate Star Wars character by which to compare her. Darth Maul.. well they both have painted faces, but wrong timeline... maybe she's more like Emperor Palpatine. After all she's gone rogue and once in a campaign rally referred to it as the Palin/McCain ticket. These are the dark times... the Clone War era, if you will.

Cut to: Princess Leia as her ship is being attacked by Darth Vader. She places information in R2-D2 which is later viewed by Luke Skywalker.

These are the words that I think are the most germane to the time.....she says:

"This is our most desperate hour. Help us Obi Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope."

Yes it is our most desperate hour and I've got my eyes fixed on a ray of hope and his name is Barack Obama.

I believe in HOPE over fear and UNITY over division

A New Hope

Vote for Pat Finger?!

Maybe I have the mind of an 11yr old boy. So what? Undeniably funny.

Amy Poehler, genius!

Well, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are great friends... and both fantastic entertainers. At least they both give me a chuckle and make me feel better.

Catching Up

"Life moves pretty fast.." yes, Ferris had it right. So much has happened in the past couple of months. I suffered a wicked blister on the bottom of my foot during a compass hike (somehow it ended up competitive), celebrated Chris' birthday, learned to play chess at the tender age of 36, visited the new and improved California Academy of Sciences, celebrated 15 years of marriage with my groom, enjoyed a week in Mexico with the fam, trick-a-dooring at school, night before Cal-UCLA game party, Haunted Halloween hikes, corn mazes, TB test for volunteering at school, running like a hamster on my treadmill, running in Veteran's park with deer to keep me company, donating to the Obama campaign, putting up red ribbons at school with awesome families and getting ready for Halloween. Oh yes, and I was a magicians assistant in Mexico! :o)

Here are some photos from Mexico. Click to enlarge.

Happy Birthday Chris

Today is my hubby's birthday.

He still has that boyish impishness to his face when he crinkles up and smiles. I love to hear him laugh. I wish I had magical powers to give him anything that he wants for his birthday and every unbirthday. For now, I'll just give him all of my love.

Maggie and I are lucky girls to have him.

Love you, babela. Happy Birthday!

Omnivore's 100

Thanks to cousin Brandon on this one...

Everyone is doing it these days, so now its my turn. Pass it on.

Here are the instructions:

1. Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2. Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3. Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4. Optional extra: Post a comment here linking to your results.

The Very Good Taste Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding (BAM tried to get me to eat that.. I knew better)
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart (I’m counting the ballpark here)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche (as in the latte from Starbucks?)
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi (Timmy's in the well?)
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (unintentionally, things move fast on a Vespa)
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV (at least I don’t think so.. I would probably be dead.. very lightweight.. we Asians can’t process the hooch)
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail (once and if you put anything in butter/garlic it’s palatable)
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare (had braised rabbit once)
87. Goulash
88. Flowers (nasturtium)
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta (once and hated it)
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

34, not too bad?

I don't think I can stay here if it's going to be this hot

I finished my "Disneyland queue knit project" yesterday. I always like to bring a little knit project to whittle away in the queues at Disneyland. I created this little chapeau for Maggie. It's a pattern I've adapted .. I replaced the single Knit Rib with a bobble for fun and more texture. This is made with Noro Silk Garden though I forget what colourway.

Maggie was so excited it was done, she didn't care it was 75 by the time she left for school wearing it (it's 103 today... bleh)

Third Grade

Special day today... today is my mom's birthday. She would have been 72.

Today is also the day that my baby begins anew at school and enters 3rd grade.

It was exciting (and a wee bit disorienting - see "looping") lining up for first bell in a new line, with new classmates and walking to a new classroom! Our school "loops" for 1st/2nd grade and 3rd/4th grade which means they have the same class/teacher/classmates for two years.

Maggie's teacher is Mrs. Pennybacker and meeting her first thing in the morning I knew we had won the lottery. She greets the kids every morning with a handshake as they walk in to start the day off right. Our class mascot is The Bookworms! Which is right up our little family's alley as we are certified book nuts.

Speaking of books... I am reading the most quirky, amusing book right now. I highly recommend this book!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.... The year promises to be an incredible one filled with new ideas, new learning and .... cursive! Haa! We sure miss our 2nd grade teacher Ms. Rivas but Mags already found her and gave her a hug on the first day.

What was really cool was waiting to see Mrs. Pennybacker after school... a couple of newly minted 5th grade gals popped by to see her and asked Maggie if she was in her class. When Mags said yes, they both heaved an emphatic "you're soooo lucky.. you're going to LOVE HER!!!" You can't get a higher endorsement than tween girls, in my humble opinion.

Still, a little part of me is the tiniest bit sad that we're inching into the "upper elementary" years and soon ... middle school. Sigh. Time really does fly when you're having fun.

click to view larger

Happiest Place on Earth

Shakespeare had it right when he wrote "Summer's lease hath all too short a date". Where did the time go?

To celebrate the beginning of a new school year, we had a last summer hurrah in the Happiest Place on Earth or as Maggie says "we're home" :o)

Here are a some photos from our fun times in Disneyland and DCA. Click to view larger.

Babes for the Brave - Flo, Liberty & Drake

Save for the remaining itty bitty lace skivs I'm knitting for Flo... ze Babes et Dude are feeneeshed. I must say I find them tres jolie and I'm very excited to be sending them imminently.

Below are a few photos of the Babe friends. I was a little miffed at myself that Dude Drake's shirt doesn't close, but he looks so surfer I figured that was cos he wants to show off his surfer washboard abs. I should probably give these kids some noses. I almost always forget that part.

Maggie presents Babes for the Brave!!! YAY!

~ Fin ~

Babes for the Brave - Meet Drake

Mags loves to name the Babes for the Brave. I think she has a good eye for naming their personalities! We introduce Drake!

This is the last of the 3 Babes for the Brave I am knitting for this first batch. Drake just needs some clothes as you will see.. I'll be working on that next! Yes, that is Drake above behind a wild fig plant that has sprouted in our garden :o) How very cliche, I know, but innit it cute?

I had a hard time coming up with a mouth cos I'm used to making heart shaped girl-babe mouths! I think his expression is pretty good though. Maggie likes him so much she'd like me to make a Dude for her next! I'm rather fond of his unruly surfer-dude hair.

At any rate, I hope Drake, Flo & Liberty make some kids happy. These are pretty addictive to make so I'm sure I'll be making more to send to Ronni after I finish some other projects. Wouldn't it be wonderful if like Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium... the Babes and Dude come alive?

And as Mr. Magorium says...... Your life is an occasion..... rise to it!

Update - August 18: Made clothes for Drake over the weekend .... though he's a surfer dude and hip, he loves to keep current on scientific discoveries.

Let us eat cake!

Cake is what we ate... indeed! Sure it was 95 out yesterday and not really good baking weather, but Mags asked to have meatloaf for dinner and I usually try to honor dinner requests when feasible and it gave me a good reason to kill two birds with one stone and finally use our new cake pan! This is the Giant Cupcake pan by Wilton.

So that little pan, makes THIS wonderful cake!

Babes for the Brave - Meet Flo

Flo is done! Now I just have to make up the Dude and add some clothes and I can send them to Ronni!

Babes for the Brave - Meet Liberty

One down, three to go! I have one of the Babes for the Brave finished, the next is ready to be assembled and I only have the legs to knit for the Dude before assembly.

I found some sumptous Cashmerino by Debbie Bliss on Saturday while visiting my fave yarn shop in Pacific Grove - Monarch Knitting. I picked a lovely pale yellow to make soft blonde hair.

Meet Liberty! My hope is she gives a wonderful little girl a lasting friend which to tell her fears, secrets and hopes. I hope Liberty will give that little girl just one more iota of strength to fight cancer.

Napkins for Earth!

Indulging in my need for sewing has added benefits.

• Supporting local economy by buying lovely fabrics at In Between Stitches
• Perfecting my sewing skills
• Indulging my anal-retentive side with order and detail
• Providing clothing for the donated Babes for the Brave
• Making our own earth friendly reusable shopper totes (imminent project)
• Possibly finding something cool enough to sew for Maggie!
• Cloth napkins to lower our carbon footprint!

If nothing else, I feel like such a girl! :o)

Sew irresistable

Because I cannot seem to get the gather stitch right (one thread always snaps) I've taken to indulging the anal-retentive perfectionist side and have pinned pleats. Oh my how delightfully detailed this minutiae! I thought I was finished Friday night, but a little Sunday afternoon jaunt to Joann's proved otherwise. Maggie found this delightful lace edge to put on the end of Jessie's Tea Time Frock.

Yes, I also got inspired and made 8 new double sided napkins last night using Spring Petal Party Farmer's Market line by Sandi Henderson for Michael Miller. We're having some good friends over for fish tacos tonight and I wanted eco-friendly napkins to dress up the table :o) Wow... this sewing stuff is worse than heroin. Though this is supposition on my part as I could never stick a needle in my vein, but I CAN stick a needle through (repeatedly, and at high velocity) some fabric!

Old Tyme fun at Great America

Yesterday we visited Great America for the first time in about a decade. Our last trip Chris and I were "childless". I can remember my folks taking me and letting me bring a friend which is what we did yesterday. Maggie invited her friend Lindy. We had a really good time. Pictures to come later, but this one was sure fun to do with Maggie. Chris calls us Saloon Sally and Nasty Nell. I didn't realize those props were real! The gun was surprisingly heavy!

So here we are a couple of saloon desperados armed and defending our right to booze and gambling.. or something. Who knows?

Another dark rabbit hole!

Well, what can I say ... I am Alice following the White Rabbit (fiber arts). Because of these Knitted Babes need clothing I'm teaching myself to sew since I dont' want to knit every item of clothing. Each little piece I sew is getting better with experience.

Then I found In Between Stitches and I fear my return to normalcy and a singular fiber craft is over. They have the most divine fabrics.. my favorites like Amy Butler, Michael Miller, Anna Marie Horner. Its intoxicating the way yarn is. I am a Muggle drawn to the Dark Arts.. fiber arts.....not just one now, but two! And when you buy Fat Quarters (square 1/4 yard fabric pieces) it seemingly harmless. Just look at these little rolls of fabric art! They practically jumped into my waiting arms needing a home!


So far I've only sewn little clothes for the Knitted Babes, but as my confidence grows so do my aspirations.... I dream of making napkins and placemats... special linens for our tea garden... hankies... pillows... bags! ARGH! Even the little piece worked quilts are starting to look tempting. CURSES! Anyhoo... making something from nothing (essentially) is liberating and exciting. We'll see where this rabbit hole takes me.

Here is a photo of the latest couture I have sewn for the Babes.