I didn't mention in my last post (probably because I'm not always comfortable with my own sexuality), but having Pk look at me in that way he has, makes me feel sexy.  Knowing that he will appreciate the way I look is all it takes.  And looking sexy for him is all I need.  It makes him happy and he makes me happy.  'nuff said.

We've had a busy week.  Work has been busier since I'm losing a doctor (she's moving to Chicago) and we are juggling to make sure people get seen as needed.  Our Director came around today showing someone the building.  She came by my office and said "here are two of our case managers" (I envisioned a sign by the door saying "Case Managers thrive in captivity").  She wanted us to tell him what we do.  I said "We put out fires"  and was gratified to see the young man got it. 

I spent most of the morning putting out those fires and helping people find funds to move into apartments, helping people get authorizations from their insurance companies for their medicines and planning what to talk about in group. 

Group today was a continuation from last week.  Forgiveness.  Of yourself especially (very very difficult thing for some people).  I also provided a form for writing apologies to ask for forgiveness from someone you may not have the chance in real life to ask it from.  We talked about what if feels like when someone won't forgive you for something and how much that hurts.It sometimes helps to write things down.    It was a good discussion.  Karma came up and we talked about being polite and kind to people.  Good group.  It's hard to keep a discussion going in an afternoon group when the sun is shining outside the window. 

chocolate cake photo courtesy of Hershey

Emily's birthday is Saturday and we're going to her house for dinner on Sunday.  I'm making a chocolate cake since the bakery we usually use makes great cakes but their chocolate ones are a little dry sometimes.  I found my favorite chocolate cake recipe, Hershey's Collector's Cocoa Cake.  I first got the recipe when I was taking cooking in middle school (so sometime in the very early 70's) and the teacher gave us the recipes that she probably got from Hershey.  The cake is amazing and moist and very chocolatey.  I'll skip the peanut butter frosting and make a plain vanilla buttercream (or chocolate, I haven't decided).  We bought Em's present and I can't wait to give it to her.  I'm terrible at keeping presents secret.  I love to give gifts and absolutely love to see the look on someone's face when they open something I chose just for them. 

Em is going to love this present.  (I wish I could tell you!)

Elanor has decided she wants some new handknit socks so she is buying some self striping yarn and wants me to make her a new pair.  I offered her a pair from some of my stock of sock yarn but she said that she didn't want to use my yarn, that she should buy her own.  She ordered some yarn from Knitpicks (felici; capri for her and goth for me).  She bought some for me as a bribe to make her new socks.  I finally decided to treat myself to a set of Harmony sock needles and can't wait for them to come.

Otherwise, life goes on here.  Quietly and normally.  And I'm totally cool with that.

I came to work this morning with my heavy winter coat and mittens.  It's cold outside, the temps hovering just around freezing.  This is just not normal.  I should be attempting to leave the sweaters at home and just wear a long sleeved shirt to work but I'm not.  I am still wearing long sleeved shirts with sweaters on top of them.  And it's almost APRIL!

I have this daydream that one day we'll wake up and it will be 95 degrees (and my closet will still be filled with winter clothes) and the weather man will be telling me that we have skipped right over Spring and moved into the heat of summer.  There will be people coming out of doors and looking confusedly at the sky and wondering what all the light is from.  And there's snow/sleet/freezing rain in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow. 

Pajama day was terrific.  We spent the day eating foods that are not good for us (chocolate covered raisins, red licorice, chips, Cracker Jack) and playing computer games and knitting and putting parts into the computer and taking parts out of the computer (you have to be a computer geek to understand why that is fun).  We ate food on paper plates and cleaned up by throwing things away.  (Just for the record, we don't use paper plates and such often.  Ecologically disastrous).  No one did any real work, just play.

And Pk and I had a discussion about what makes a person sexy.  That's a hard thing to answer.  Attractive is easier to define but sexy is one of those "I know it when I see it" kind of things. Is it a body type, an attitude, a way of moving?  So individual and hard to define.   And then we discussed feeling sexy.  At 53, I will admit, sexy is not the way I often feel.  I'm not sure what age has to do with it, probably more body image than number.  I do feel attractive some days (and just normal on others).  And I love it when he tells me I'm beautiful but am always suspicious that he sees me through love colored glasses. 

It was an interesting discussion and I was thinking.  When do you feel sexy?  When did you last feel sexy?  How about beautiful?  I was not raised to think of myself as even attractive let alone beautiful so I always feel funny even thinking it.  And WHY don't we think of ourselves as beautiful, attractive, sexy things at any age, weight, body type?

I know, profound questions for a Tuesday morning but hey, whatever keeps me from checking the phone messages and starting work.......

They took the precipitation our of our forecast for today.  We're in for some sunshine but none of the warmth.  It's ok, I'll take it (as if I have a choice!)

You know that I think I have one of the best husbands around, right?  Well, here's another reason.  When I got home from work on  Tuesday, this was waiting for me in front of my favorite chair.  We've taken to calling her Daisy so it will probably stick.  When I left on Tuesday morning, she was still in pieces with her last coat of shellac (which Pk makes up in small batches) drying.

When I came home, she sat quiely glowing waiting for me.  And we work well together.  Daisy has a scotch tensioner which is new to me and I am learning its intricacies. 

Today is our pajama day.  This means clothes as comfortable as we can find.  In my case, big old baggy sweatpants, t shirt and sweatjacket.  Pk has decided to be cute and is putting on the same color clothing as me.  The girls always tease us that we're almost old enough for matching leisure suits in mint green.

We planned carefully for this day.  While we were grocery shopping, we chose our meals for the day with an eye toward ease and taste.  For breakfast we are having baked omlettes.  These are very easy to put together and put into the oven in disposable pans.  We bought some disposable plates so there will be very minimal clean up.

Dinner will be stuffed shells and meatballs.  The meatballs were made yesterday and are in a disposable pan in the fridge waiting to go into the oven.  The shells are made and ready to go into the oven.  I may make some garlic bread, but that's easy, too.

I made a carrot cake so we have desert if we are in the mood .  Soon, the weather will be too nice to stay indoors and have a day like today so it's a treat. 

Pk will be playing with his computer.  Did you ever take the sides off your machine?  NO?  I thought everyone did.  Well, this is what the insides of the new computer look like.  Those blue tubes are its circulatory system.  Well, the coolant system.  This computer has a water cooled system.  It uses an antifreeze just like a car engine. There's a tower that stands next to the computer and contains liquid.  It sounds counter intuitive to me but Pk assures me it's necessary (and safe to have the liquid next to all the electric bits).   The processor gets very hot and there are 2 or 3 fans as well.  It is really quiet.   Just a bit of a whirring noise.  The case is black and shiny.  If you put some wheels on it and stuck it to a cab, it would easily function as a semi.  It's big.  And it has electric blue lights.  What amazes me is that when it came, it was just a big empty black box and Pk has filled it with bits and bobs and now it's a powerful computing machine.

I will spend the day working on the last few rows of my kal shawl.  And maybe spinning some.  I'm having some lower back pain so we'll see how that goes.  We'll probably watch some movies and snack and be slug-like all day.  Before you know it, it will be time for bed and the work week will be beginning.

And Hobbes will spend the day much as he spends all his days, asleep on the bed.  He just waits for me to sit down and then moves onto my lap.  He can't figure out why we don't spend all OUR days on the bed along with him.  He let me make the bed around him this morning but that's as far as he's moved today.  Lucky cat.

So, I wish you all a good Sunday.  Tomorrow, Pk has jury duty and I have work so we'll enjoy today.  I hope you're enjoying today, too.

Because this is in the forecast,

I thought I'd share this.  It explains it all.  Snow in the Spring must be an act of terrorism!

Spring!

hee hee, I slay myself sometimes.

Actually, as I sit here at work, there's snow (a wintry mix) falling.  The temps are hovering around freezing and the heat is not working in the building.  I am so cold.  Apparently, over the weekend (when the temps were more moderate) our Crisis Center, which is open 24 hrs a day 7 days a week, got too warm and asked to have the heat turned down.  I think they turned the switch to a/c because seriously cold air is coming out of the vents.  I have a long sleeved t shirt under a long sleeved shirt and a fleece jacket on.  I'm contemplating putting my coat on but that would be uncomfortable.  I've been waiting all week for them to fix it.

Pk is currently enamored with a new game on his iphone, Words with Friends.  He's playing with Kate and now Bells.  I had my doubts about this because as dear and wonderful as he is, the man can't spell to save his life.  The game is like Scrabble (almost exactly like Scrabble) and so spelling is a good thing to be able to do.  He's holding his own and getting a lot of pleasure out of it.  I am trying to stay out of it and let him win/lose on his own but he's funny to watch.

And speaking of being dear, when I got home from work on Tuesday, he'd put my wheel back together.  The fact that he was supposed to be working from home since he had class isn't important.  He spent a half hour reassembling Daisy.  Yes, Daisy seems to be the default name since she has daisies on her.  It's so lovely to sit and spin and have it be easy!  It's so much less work to spin a bobbin full than it used to be.  Now, I'm going to be haunting the places that sell roving to find new and interesting things to spin!  I have two bags of shorn alpaca but it needs to be washed.  I don't like the way it feels to spin it unwashed. And then it has to be flick carded or hand carded to work it into a spinnable state.

I had a group yesterday and we talked about Forgiveness.  We discussed what it means, how hard it is and how important it is and what's Unforgiveable.  When I tossed the question at Pk yesterday morning, he said the only thing he probably couldn't ever forgive me for was if I harmed one of the girls.  I kind of felt the same way.  Most everything else could be forgiven-eventually.  Forgotten?  That's another story.

The group said that cheating was unforgiveable (personally I would have to look at why the cheating was taking place before deciding whether to forgive) and that mass murder was unforgiveable.  It was an interesting discussion (which can be rare in the afternoon groups when everyone is ready to go home).

It made me think for a long time about some of the things I carry around in my head that I haven't really forgiven people for.  I also have a tendency not to forget.  I read somewhere that carrying a grudge is like letting someone rent space in your head for free and I like the image.  I am making an effort to let some stuff go (and boy is some of it old and dusty!)  Then I can have empty space in my head just waiting to be filled with other trivial things!

Nothing much else is going on.  We've got some cold weather in store for the next week or so.  Those days last week were just a tease and nothing more.  March has a lot of warming up to do if it wants to go out like a lamb!

Here it is Tuesday almost lunch time (or the second Monday of the week as Pk says) and we are adjusting to the upgrade of our technology here at work.

Yes, Knittech, we did get the upgrade installed.  No, it didn't work in all cases.  You can't install a large program like the one we use (along with Windows ofanykind) on 512 mg of memory. Yes MG of memory.  I am finally able to look at and download schedules, something that is essential in my job.  They changed the format of the schedules and I don't like it.  Part of that, if we're being honest, is that I don't like change very much (just ask my husband).  It takes more brain power to decipher things when they change, you get to do less on automatic pilot.

Partly, the change is confusing and days run into each other on the schedule which will make it difficult to file and to pull charts.  Mostly, however, it is going well.  Today seems a bit less frantic as more and more bits are integrated and people learn to deal with the changes.  When we finish the hardware upgrade and everyone gets new computers then things will improve.  In theory. (My computer still won't let me plug my mp3 player into it to charge.  It doesn't play well with others).

Olivia, I always fall asleep within the first ten to twenty minutes of listening to a book when I go to bed.  I have to wake up and "rewind" (now there's a term that will become extinct, just like "broken record") to where I fell asleep.  I also have to make sure I'm not listening to something exciting, like a mystery, or I'll stay awake and listen for a long time.  I have music on there, too and can listen to something soothing if I'm having trouble falling asleep. 

Last night, I woke up about 3 am after having some horrible nightmare.  I was too scared to get out of bed and go to the bathroom.  I couldn't fall back to sleep and am paying the price today (tired and headachy). Usually, I can reach over and cuddle next to Pk and that soothes me but not this time.  I don't know what I was dreaming, probably better that way.

I have just a few hours left in the day and I am so glad.  I am out of sorts, probably from the dream, and not concentrating well.  I'm going to eat my yoghurt and animal crackers and drink my tea and head off to clinic.  Fortunately, the doctor wants to leave early so I won't have to be here late.

I hope you are all having smooth days where you are!  And that there's no sleet/snow/rain in your forecast for tomorrow.  My poor bulbs will be covered in frozen precipitation. Good thing they're hardy.

 Anticipation,


Anticipation is making me wait.

It's keeping me wai-ai-ai-aiting......


The first daffodil is almost out.  This was at 5 pm this afternoon.  It will probably make it's formal debut tomorrow and when we come home from work, I'll have daffodils. 

I'm also in anticipation mode for the finishing of the wheel.

Pk took it apart last Monday to put a finish on it.  (It's 100 dollars more to buy it already finished and since I live with a wood worker, it seemed pointless).  He rubbed it with tung oil and then is putting on the last of several coats of shellac.  I bought some rub on decals of daisies and ferns to put on the outside of the wheel.  They were only partially successful.  It was a lot of work and they don't adhere as well as you'd think.  Pk put three coats of polyurethane on top to hold them on.  And now the whole thing just has to dry so it can be put back together.  It's looking really good.

This was an anticipatory week all the way around.  We made soda bread and Irish potatoes for St. Patrick's Day.  They were a hit. 

I was at work late on Friday so I could help the IT squad load our new program on all the computers in the building.  It went rather well until I sat down to test one of the most used documents.  It can be entered but not recalled.  Since it's a progress note and it's really rather important, it's a BIG deal.  We played and played with it but kept getting an error code.  I hope the company fixed it this weekend or tomorrow morning will be hell on wheels.  Pk came down to meet me and we went on an abbreviated date night.  We were just tired and it felt good to come home. 

We had a quiet weekend.  We worked around the house, cleaning and doing laundry.  I knitted and did some spinning on Saraspunda (the new wheel doesn't have a name yet).  We watched several episodes of Castle, our new favorite show and slept in this morning.  Pk worked on the new wheel and started building his new computer but hit a snag that will have to wait until next weekend .  Just a nice (but all too short) weekend. 

And now, we're getting things together to face Monday morning.  My gym bag is full of clean clothes and packed and ready.  My work bag is packed and ready.  I have a little bit of time before my eyes start to drift closed.  I'm going to listen to my new story, The Calligrapher's Daughter by E. Kim.  It's a novel based in Korea during the Japanese occupation in the early 1900's.  It's wonderfully written and performed.  I'll let the narrator read me to sleep. 

Have a good week!

Today is the 14th of the month and it's time for a Day In My Life (Monday edition).

5:00 am.  Pk's alarm goes off.  I don't recognize the sound and spend a full minute wondering why it won't stop.  It occurs to me that it's the alarm and I turn it off.

Pk heads into the shower and I fall back asleep. 

5:45, Pk comes back into the bedroom and I get up and stumble to the bathroom.  I am slightly disoriented and drop everything I pick up.  I shower, dress and head downstairs.

6:30, I am making sandwiches as Pk scrambles some eggs for breakfast.  We eat and leave for work.  We're about 15 minutes behind schedule. 

I walk down Locust street and notice that the sun is in my eyes.  I'm now about 20 mins later than usual and the sun is bright. 

At my desk, I listen to the phone ring starting at 8 and every few minutes.  I don't answer it.  I read blogs and my favorite online comics and check email and phone messages.  One cancelled appointment for the day.

I get the charts and drop them off with the doctor and wait for the 9 o'clock person to show.  She's perpetually late and today she does not disappoint.  An hour late.  We manage to see her anyway and I tell people that the doctor is leaving at the end of April and I'll have to get back to them regarding followup appointments. 

12 noon.  I eat lunch and order the computer parts Pk has decided to get with his part of the bonus.  He's excited and can't wait. 

1:00 and the afternoon clinic starts.  I have to spend a half hour with the IT people in preparation for the installing of our new computer program which is happening on Friday.  I am familiar with loading software so it's no big deal.  The fact that it will take over an hour on some machines IS a big deal.  I'm not looking forward to it.

4:20, clinic is over and I leave and walk to the train.  It feels so good to get out of the building.  I am reminded of what one of my clients said to me.  "When I walk into Hall Mercer, I go aaahhhh because I know people will take care of me and treat me well".  I thought to myself, "I go aaahhhh when I walk OUT of Hall Mercer".  Just a difference of perspective.

I get off the train to see Pk waiting in the car.  We pick El up and head to the mall to replace his worn out work shoes.  He finds shoes, El and I find sneakers (it's a discount shoe store.  New Balance sneakers for 35 dollars). 

We drive over the Big Timber Creek (pronounced Crick and no, I don't know why) and head for one of our favorite places to get take out.

Samuel's and Chef Chan's.  We get mu shu pork and the General's Chicken and El and Pk get sushi.

We drive home and put on our comfy clothes and eat our dinner.  It's delicious.  I make the mistake of watching last week's episode of Bones while I eat (will I never learn?) but fortunately, this one is less grisly than others.

And now, we are relaxing and I can't believe it's almost 9 o'clock!  I had plans to help Pk put some finish on my new wheel but that'll have to wait until tomorrow.  Kate is bringing her wheel over so Pk can help her put a finish on it, too.  She is thinking of naming her wheel Arthur or Sven.  I haven't decided yet.  I did order a high speed lace flyer and it will be here soon (along with some extra drive bands, Pk insisted.  "You have to have a spare!"  We got one for Kate, too. 

I finished clue number 3 on my In Dreams shawl yesterday and tried to take a photo today.  This color doesn't even come close.  In reality, it's a burnt orange/rust color.  It has over 1800 beads on it already and there are 4 more clues to go.  I love it so far.  Once I finally got started, it has been pretty easy to follow. I did have a bit of a mishap in clue three where I noticed I had 2 extra beads in a row.  That meant two extra stitches.  Once again, I was faced with the dilemna, leave it alone? or fix it?

I chose to tink back the 6 (beaded) rows and fix it.  And I'm glad I did.  The next clue comes out on Friday and for once, I'm ready!

In another hour I'll be in bed and hopefully asleep.  The day flew by and I'm not sure where it went. 

Tomorrow is not quite as busy.  Kate and Patrick will be here for dinner.  I have to find something easy for dinner because we'll get home around 5 again.  I'm thinking Chicken of the Good Woman.  Easy, one pot meal and everyone loves it (even Patrick and he's a picky eater).

Wednesday El and I are going to make soda bread and Pk will be making Irish potatoes to take into work.  They are a favorite of ours. Pure calories (but such delicious ones).  

But, I'm getting away with myself there.  It's still Monday and I have a few things left to do before I go to bed.  Have a peaceful night y'all.

Things that are New.  We have our first crocuses of Spring and we have our first new spinning wheel.

The crocuses just suddenly decided to show their faces after several days of rain and then some nice, kinda warm sunshine.  I was so happy to see their little bits of color peaking out of the mostly dead garden.  The daffodils are 6 inches high now and look like they might burst one day soon if only the sun keeps making return visits.

The spinning wheel is new.  When Pk found out he was getting a decent bonus this year (after no bonuses last year and layoffs to boot), he said he wanted to spend it on something fun.  He sent me a link for a spinning wheel that he thought I might like.

Now, you know I have a wheel. An old wheel that I have used to make some lovely yarns and upon which I spun all the yarn for his sweater in fact (on tiny bobbins).  But Saraspunda is wobbly and I work had to make that yarn and it's time consuming.  It never bothered me much since I'm rarely on a deadline.

But, the thought of a new wheel that moved smoothly and quietly (Saraspunda has an integral squeak) was enticing.  I thought about it and decided I wanted a wheel that was easy to travel with for when we go to the park, or to take to Em's house.  I went to my favorite yarn store and they had the Kiwi in stock and I got to play with it in the store.  I fell in love with it.  I bought one there and then.  Kate was with me and decided she wanted one, too. So, we had two wheels on the back seat of the car.


It's lovely to use, so smooth and easy.  It doesn't take much to make me happy.  My husband makes me happy.  He's going to spend his part of the bonus on computer parts.  Probably.  Or tools.  Maybe.  He's undecided.  He's going to put the finish on my new wheel this week and even offered to paint velociraptors chasing people around the edges for me.  Isn't he a sweet guy?  He's still going to make me a new wheel.  Now, instead of a travel wheel, he'll make something like an Ashford Traditonal with its graceful lines and clean looks.  He can take his time and plan it out. 

I spun a bobbin this afternoon and will endeavor to try the navajo plying again.  I hope it comes out well since the colors are so beautiful.  Sorry about the flash but it's nighttime here and I was excited to show you.

It's also Daylight Savings Time tonight.  I keep reminding myself to turn the clocks before I go to bed so I'm not quite as disoriented when I wake up.

Have you seen this game?  It's called Angry Birds and it's a hoot (no pun intended).  Pk played it on an ipad while Kate was looking at phones.  He got hooked very quickly and bought it for his iphone.  I was a little jealous so I found out I could get it for my computer.  It's fun and frustrating.  And a terrible time waster.  (Kate is sitting here next to me playing right now).

Tomorrow we have to do the laundry that didn't get done today due to the interference of the new wheel.  And grocery shopping or we won't have food.  And then we can relax and enjoy what's left of the weekend. 

And on Wednesday, there's snow in the forecast.  Sigh.

" Spend some time alone every day."
~His Holiness the Dalai Lama

I do this most every day.  During the week, I spend about a half hour to an hour alone at my desk.  This is a quiet time for me.  I check email, read my favorite comics and check in on as many blog friends as I can.  I don't use the overhead fluorescent lights, just the desk lamp.  It's peaceful and my favorite part of the day.  When my office mate comes in, he turns on the lights and the mood is gone.

But it's enough to get my day off to a gentle start. Today, I think I need it.  I feel discombobulated.  Thought and speech are not connected and my brain is slow.  I know my body is moving slowly into peri-menopause and I'm getting my second period this month (it's like being 12 all over again before things settled down).  I'm clumsy and forgetful.  I left my lunch on the counter this morning.

So, I'm sitting here drinking some chocolate milk, my comfort beverage of choice, and breathing slowly and trying to focus my thoughts and energies for the upcoming day.  Fortunately, it's Friday and although there is plenty of work to do, most of it is paperwork at my desk.

They upgraded my work computer.  It's faster and has more memory.  Problem is, it's incompatible with my (very) old printer.  Most of my coworkers share a printer which is down the hall in the mail room.  Their offices are clustered around this mail room. My office is at the end of the hall.  I enjoyed being able to print my documents right here at my desk and not have to walk down the hall every time I printed something (and I print a lot).  I could also do double sided printing which saved paper.  They'll probably not replace it.  We're not supposed to each have a printer.  Too expensive.  But I miss it.

The new computer and I are getting acquainted and it has already asserted it's authority and superiority.  I cannot plug my mp3 player into the usb to charge.  The computer told me NO.  I can't download library books to my mp3 player, the computer told me NO again.  It's frustrating but I'll learn to live with it.  It is, after all, a work machine and I have a computer at home for these purposes.  But it was so convenient when the library sent me an email to just download my new book and be done with it.  And the IT guy who gave me partial admin capabilities on my old machine is no longer here.  It'll take some getting used to.

Pk and Elanor are going to the Phila Museum of Art tomorrow.  He has been trying to spend more one on one time with the girls and this is what El chose.  Good choice since Pk loves the art museum.  For me, it means a day to myself.  Win/win situation here.

And Saturday/Sunday is Daylight Savings Time here.  I will admit I am not a fan.  The days are getting longer all by themselves and really don't need our help.  On Monday when I leave for work, it will be dark again and it's so hard to make myself leave the house.  I think it's a construct we no longer need and I would be glad if we did away with it altogether.

I had some more springtime images to add to put some color into this post but for some reason, I can't.  I hope you all have a peaceful Friday and a glorious weekend.  And lets send some good vibes to the people on the Pacific Rim.  Imagine knowing a tsunami was headed your way.  I can't. It must be terrifying. 

Welcome to the almost-spring edition of What You Think On Grows.  In 2 weeks, it'll officially be spring but the weather has been so erratic that it might as well be spring now.  We have 40 degree temp changes in the early parts of spring.  It starts out at 25 and ends up at 60 or so.  This means that I am wearing woolen things in the morning that I am carrying home in the afternoon.  This will go on for about a month until April comes in and sets things to rights.  April might not be too steady herself, but she's moreso than March.

Tomorrow morning, our IT guy is coming to "exchange" my computer for a new one.  I am currently working on a machine with 512 mg memory.  If you know anything about computers, you know this is NOTHING.  i don't know that much but I know that the lack of memory is part of the reason that my computer is slow.  We run Windows XP and an electronic medical records program that eats up memory so everyone is getting an upgraded computer. 

I use one of my favorite photos of Peter Kevin as my wallpaper and I had to make sure that I had a copy of it somewhere so I can put it on the new computer.  I found it on my flashdrive so I'm ok.  I love turning on the machine in the morning and seeing his smiling face and remembering what a fine day that was.

Today is Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Tuesday.  Wiki says  "In the United Kingdom and many other countries, the day is often known as Pancake Day. Making and eating such foods was considered a last feast with ingredients such as sugar, fat and eggs, whose consumption was traditionally restricted during the ritual fasting associated with Lent."  I love pancakes, both the skinny crepe-y kind and the light fluffy kind that sop up lost of butter and maple syrup.  I think I know what we're having for dinner.

While I was looking at Google to find Shrove Tuesday (which has a longer page on Wiki if anyone is interested), I learned that today is the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day.    This year's theme is Equal access to education and science and technology; equal jobs.

Doesn't this all sound familiar?  Haven't we been fighting for these same things since women started to take those first tentative steps out of the kitchen?  I remember singing a song when I was in grade school for a show.  I Enjoy Being a Girl.

I'm a girl, and by me that's only great!
I am proud that my silhouette is curvy,
That I walk with a sweet and girlish gait
With my hips kind of swivelly and swervy.

I adore being dressed in something frilly
When my date comes to get me at my place.
Out I go with my Joe or John or Billy,
Like a filly who is ready for the race!

When I have a brand new hairdo
With my eyelashes all in curl,
I float as the clouds on air do,
I enjoy being a girl!

When men say I'm cute and funny
And my teeth aren't teeth, but pearl,
I just lap it up like honey
I enjoy being a girl!

I flip when a fellow sends me flowers,
I drool over dresses made of lace,
I talk on the telephone for hours
With a pound and a half of cream upon my face!

I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be
In the home of a brave and free male
Who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl... like... me.

When men say I'm sweet as candy
As around in a dance we whirl,
It goes to my head like brandy,
I enjoy being a girl!

When someone with eyes that smoulder
Says he loves ev'ry silken curl
That falls on my iv'ry shoulder,
I enjoy being a girl!

When I hear the compliment'ry whistle
That greets my bikini by the sea,
I turn and I glower and I bristle,
But I happy to know the whistle's meant for me!

I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be
In the home of a brave and free male
Who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl... like... me.
I sang this song with a chorus of girls and the funny thing is, we saw nothing in the least odd about it. We preened and strutted on the stage and not in an ironic way but in the spirit of the song.  It was the late 60's early 70's and this was women were still being taught to aspire too.
I can't imagine a chorus director even considering a song like this one today.
We've come a long way, baby.

(and thank goodness for that!)

Saturday morning is Peter Kevin's time to browse flea markets and estate sales for old tools.  He gathers a wad of one dollar bills (the better to bargain with) and heads out to the Berlin Farmers' Market.  This is a local land mark and is an interesting place inside.  They have everything from tchatchkes for every holiday to a butcher stall where they sell some of the best (or so I'm told) kielbasa to an old fashioned barber shop with a pole out front and everything.

We go to the farmers' market mostly for the kielbasa and Pk gets his hair cut there.  They have hand made soft pretzels which are hot out of the oven and worth waiting in line for. 

For Pk, the real reason to go to the farmers' market is the flea market that's there on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  The market is only open Thurs-Sun and the flea market is a weekend thing.  The flea market has just about everything.  It amazes me what people will sell.  They just pull up their cars/trucks/vans and empty the backs onto the ground. 

We  bought an internal frame back pack for Kate for 15 dollars one year.  Yesterday, we bought a keyboard so Pk can do some troubleshooting on an older computer, a tool for Pk's collection and a copy of Stephen Kings The Stand which is one of Elanor's favorites.

We passed on the pulpit.  Just don't have the space for it in our house.  I did offer it to Emily, though.  They're looking for a coffee table and we thought they could put it on its side. She said No Thank You.   Where would someone find something like that?  At a church going-out-of-business sale?

It was cool but the sun was warm so it was an enjoyable way to spend the morning and we had a good time walking among the things people didn't want and were trying to sell. 

There was a large R2D2 cooler that we were admiring but decided to leave it there.  Where would we put it?  And besides, there was a kid admiring it and trying to talk his dad into buying it.  Who am I to deprive a small boy of owning a life sized robot ice chest?

We came home and decided that since today was supposed to be a rainy day anyway, we wouldn't do any chores.  We spent Saturday doing things we enjoyed.  I did some spinning and worked on my mystery shawl and Pk spent most of the afternoon in the garage.  It was wonderful but today is the day of reckoning.  There's a huge basket of laundry to be done and some cleaning needs to be accomplished.  If we don't dawdle too much, it won't take long.

It is raining this morning but it's not freezing.  It's warm enough to open the windows a bit and let some air in.  Soon, it'll be time to wash the windows and curtains, but not today.  Today I'm going to bake some scones for breakfast and make some fried chicken for dinner and wash a ton of clothing.  In between loads I can spin and knit and just nap in my comfy chair.

Not a bad day at all.

March is such a heartbreaker of a month around here.  There are days when it's obvious that Spring is coming.  The sun shines hard and warm and you can take off your mittens and expose more skin to the Vitamin D. 

We had one of those days yesterday.  The air was softer than it had been and it just felt nice to be outdoors.  I went bowlling with one of our groups and decided to take the bus back and walk 8 blocks instead of taking the subway and wasting the sunshine underground.

Today, not so much.  Today, the wind is biting any exposed flesh and the temps are below freezing.  Despite my wool socks, my toes are cold.  My nose is red and running from the frigid air.  And we have a 2 hour mandatory "compliance" training today.  This does not bode well for the day.

Peter Kevin is feeling optimistic. He bought 4 packets of seeds for Wildflowers.  We have a patch in the back that doesn't grow grass well and is not good for much else so we spread some mulch and then the seeds and let it do its own thing in its own time.  Some years, we've had great results and have a bed full of lovely colors.  Some years the birds get to the seeds first.

I have found that I am not picking up the needles at night.  After the marathon sessions to finish the In Dreams shawl in time for the next clue (due tomorrow), I have no real desire to knit.  That and I'm just tired at the end of the day.  I did work on my current travelling sock at the bowling alley yesterday (all the while listening to people tell me "I don't have the patience for that") but that's about it.    I am almost ashamed to admit that while browsing Netflix, I "discovered" 3rd Rock From The Sun and have been watching it and laughing out loud.  It's silly and the acting is hammy and very campy but it seems to be what my brain/psyche needs right now.  I like how it pokes not-so-gentle fun at our foibles.  And I really like John Lithgow.  He is such a talented man.

I was riding on the train this morning (alone since Pk is in class on Tues and Thurs and works from home).  There were two young men who were talking loudly,  seemingly obvlivious to the people around them, about 'warrants' and how good it felt not to be under one. Now, the train stops at City Hall in Camden where the courthouse is and where people with outstanding warrants go (and where we go for jury duty), so it's possible that they were on their way to a court hearing.  It just struck me how different their lives were from mine.  We all have worries and problems but sometimes they're miles apart. 

And just because I found this a good thought for the day, I'll share it with you.

" Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."

~His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Once again, he hits the nail squarely on the head.
Have a good one.