Purls and Lace

Place an X by all the things you've done. This is for your entire life:
(x) Smoked a cigarette
(x) Drank so much you threw up
( ) Crashed a friend's car
( ) Stolen a car
(x) Been in love
(x) Been dumped
(x ) Shoplifted
(x) Been laid off/fired
(x) Quit your job
(x )Been in a fist fight
(x ) Snuck out of your parent's house
(x) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
(xx ) Been arrested
(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Lied to a friend
(x) Skipped school
( ) Seen someone die
(x) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been lost
(x) Been on the opposite side of the country.
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x)Felt like dying
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x ) Made prank phone calls
(x ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x ) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(x) Blown bubbles
(x ) Made a bonfire on the beach
(x ) Crashed a party
(x) Gone roller-skating
(x ) Ice-skating

I have been trying to make Creme Brulee lately. I have actually gotten the creme part down pat. It’s the burnt sugar crust that has been a problem. I have tried putting the little brulee’s under the broiler of my gas oven. It burns one side and doesn’t even touch the other. I bought a torch (from my favorite store manager). It worked for three brulees and then when I tried to fill it with butane, it broke. So, back to the store it went, and I came home with a new one. It worked great! Lasted for a week, because unfortunately one of my sons is a pyromaniac and used the torch to burn coke cans, and melt just about anything he could find. So, I try to fill the torch and again it breaks. So, I take a screw driver and took it apart to try to fix it myself. That didn’t work.

So, I asked Paul today if he would take it back, even though I kind of wrecked it. He said he would. It only cost 14.00. So maybe I need to find another kind of torch. If you search for kitchen torches they run around 35.00 or so. You can find other torches for less, but are they all going to have problems when I fill them? Maybe it’s me, but I doubt it.

Yesterday was a sad day for some dear fellow aviators. Nicholas David Nilmeyer was a rising, up and coming stunt pilot. He was only 23 years old. He was one of the Stars of Tomorrow Acrobatic Team. Last year at Airventure 2005, my daughter was very impressed with the team and with Nick, himself.
My husband had talked to Nick just recently to have him come to our EAA Chapter to speak about stunt flying. HIs father, David has flown many Young Eagles for our Chapter in a Christian Eagle. My heart goes out to Nick’s family.

Some time ago, I got home early enough to see Oprah, and she had the entire cast of “Crash” on. It was a very intense show, and it definitely made me want to see the movie. But as life tends to interfere sometimes, I never did get to see it in the theatre, and never got around to ordering it through NetFlix. But when it won the Oscar for Best Picture, I decided it was time to watch the movie. It was at Target for only 14.00! Whoo Hoo, a deal!

Last night I watched it. It is a very real, gritty film. I can understand why it wasn’t really in everyone’s top choice. It is not very politically correct, but it’s real. It makes you think. It certainly caused a bit of conversation in our house. Suddenly, things that I just kind of gloss over anymore jumps up and bites you in the ass.

Such as, recently we were looking for new furniture for the living room. Next to my husband’s work a new furniture store. He went in there with a co-worker and this guy was all over them to get them to buy furniture. So the next week, we go in, hubby and I, to pick out some furniture. To say that this guy was cold would be an understatement. I didn’t really think anything of it, since I wasn’t impressed with his selection. But now, after seeing the movie, my husband connected the dots.

You live with prejudice so long that you don’t really notice it unless it is blatant in your face. This guy was just cold, and didn’t offer us any help at all. Unlike the yarn stores I spoke of in an earlier post.

I think the interesting part of the discussions we had is that the children (who are 17-22) didn’t really get it. They feel that we, adults, are making a mountain out of a mole hill. They have never really experienced prejudice as portrayed in this movie. As I have said before I live in a really nice neighborhood in Northern California. There is such a huge melting pot of ethnicities in this neighborhood. My son has told me before, he doesn’t even notice color or ethnicity. This is a good thing, right?!

So, why do I feel that they need to understand what their parents, and grandparents have been through? To understand that it still really does happen. It is so important for them to understand the past to continue on with the future. Or maybe they are right, and we are making too much of it.

The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black

-- Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, Jack Daniels in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

To Savor: appreciate fully

1. Chocolate
3. The ability to write
4. My ipod
5. reading
6. my commute (or more the alone time during my commute)
7. sleep (when I actually get some)
8. yarn
9. knitting
10. a good hot shower
11. Target
12. pink
13. summer
14. music
15. did I say chocolate?
16. my friends
17. lists...
18. my daughter
19. my boys
20. Lost
21. our kitty, Bob
22. a good cheesecake
23. Clerks
24. creme brulee
25. I must have said chocolate...

I read this yesterday and it really explained a lot about why I knit at home by myself. To me this is just another form of prejudice. I know that knitters like to think of themselves as really open and nonjudgmental, but they aren’t.

I have gone to about three different knit groups in my local area a few times each, and have always ended up deciding that I would much rather knit at home, alone. It is very hard to get accepted by most established knit groups, and I think the only way to make sure you are accepted is to start your own knit group.

I live in a very affluent area of California. I have noticed a couple of things about the knit shops in this area, the main being that they are in extremely white neighborhoods. In three of the knit shops in the area, the first time I ever walked in, I was followed around the store, not to give me help, but to make sure that I am not stealing from them. In one of the stores, when I picked up a hank of rather expensive merino, I was told by the sales person that I would probably be better off shopping at Wal-mart, because the yarn was much more reasonable in price. This clerk had no clue as to my income, which most likely is four or five times more an hour than what she makes. She didn’t know that I went into the store with the intention of spending at least $100, because yes, I know how much merino costs. The only thing she knew about me was that I am not white. It upsets me when I realize that people assume because I am of Mexican heritage, I don’t knit, I am only there to steal.

It’s not just knit shops where this happens. I have been stopped by the police right down the street from my home (which I own) and questioned as to why I am in this particular neighborhood. Profiling at best, bigotry at worst. I like nice clothes, but have trouble getting help in the better stores because of my skin color. I have been told to leave stores before I got more than two feet in the door.

So, it really irritates me to read “and everyone has their spot at the table. We have camaraderie. We know each other so well that I think we’ve managed to scare off some new folks. But as new folks show up only when they need help, well there’s just no room at the table.” Believe me, new people can really feel that they are an intrusion and will not return. I do not show up because I want help, I want camaraderie too! And if it’s the first time I show up at a knit group, I probably won’t have something on my needles from the store, but if I am welcomed and enjoy myself, you can bet that I will spend my money there.

There is one store, a new one, in my area in which they make me feel welcome every time I walk in. I will buy lots and lots of yarn and books from this store (even though I know their prices are a bit high) because I have never felt like an outsider there. I am in love with this store.

So, the next time someone comes in to check out your knitting group, remember you don’t know this person, so don’t judge them until you take the time to get to know them.