I will weave on.

I think that I mentioned in one of these blogs that I have recently begun weaving again after a long hiatus, since my college days to be precise.  I am really enjoying the process (I fund it very relaxing) and am pleased with my first four projects.  On  Monday evenings I meet with some friends to keep each other company while we  work on our separate projects. Yesterday I mentioned to the group at large that I will be going on a driving trip with my brother in a few weeks. While my loom is small and light weight enough to carry to these meetings, it it not compact enough to work on in a car, so I will not be able to take my work with me.  Several of the other ladies in the group like to knit or crochet while they are traveling.  I mentioned that I wished I could do that and one friend said that if I would bring some knitting needles and yarn next week, she would teach me how to knit a project like the one she's been working on.  For a fleeting second I was tempted but then I remembered why I don't knit or crochet.  It's not for lack of trying, but my fingers just don't seem to go the way they are supposed to. What looks rhythmic and smooth in someone elses hands is simply a fumble-fingered mess when I try it.  So I will continue weaving. Watch out world, I'm starting on Christmas projects.

What's in a name?

For want of anything more interesting to write about this evenng (a major case of blogger's block) here's a factoid I learned this morning,  Did you know that the longest geographic name in the United States is 
Lake Chargoggaggmanghauggauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg?  This is a lake near Webster, Massachusetts,  I guess Massachusetts wasn't a long enough name. So, OK, if you tell me that you are already familiar with the name of this lake, I will accept that.  But do you know what it means?  According to my source, this a Native American word that means "You fish on you side, I fish on my side, nobody fishes in the middle." While I applaud the sentiment couldn't they condense it into something that means "Fish on your own side?'

a plea for common sense

When I was young and pleading with my mother to let me do something "all my friends" were doing, even though it was probably bad for me, she would use the age old arguement "If all your friends were going to jump off the bridge, would you want to do that too?"  Even though I thought the question was kind of silly (for one thing, there wasn't a bridge for miles around) I understood it as a reminder to use some common sense.  Just this evening I heard about an internet challenge that kids are taking that leaves me absolutely appalled.  A couple of years ago the ice water challenge was a big hit and an interesting fund raiser, that didn't seem to do anyone any lasting harm, but now kids are being challenged to swallow boiling water or pour boiling water on themselves or a friend. Not surprisingly, this evening's news report told of a teen who had been seriously injured when a "friend" poured boiling water all over him while he was asleep.  Really??? Are we, or our children, so lacking in common sense that anyone would think this is a good idea?  Or do people just not have any concept of consequences?  What a scary thought that is.

The farmer's market

I don't make it to the Farmer's Market every Saturday, even though it's only about three blocks from my apartment.  In the meantime, I try to convince myself that tomatoes and other vegetables really aren't that different if bought in the grocery store instead of from the farmers.  I tell myself that, but I know it isn't true.  Today I did shop at the market and the tomatoes I bought taste like real tomatoes, and the corn on the cob was so good. I also bought a special treat, which I didn't need at all, but the sample was yummy.  The label says Organic Blubarb Jam.  It also says in small print that it was made in an uninspected kitchen.  I decided to risk it anyway and it is delicious.  It's a blend of blueberries and rhubarb with a little sugar and lemon juice.  The flavor is tart and sweet and the jam is scrumptious spread on salty crackers.  I know this because Saltines happen to be the only spread-on-able edible I have on hand.  I was tempted to just eat it by the spoonful, but I controlled myself.  Hummm, I do believe it's time  for a bedtime snack.

another artist in the family

My oldest granddaughter, age 16, took a 3-week drawing class at St. Francis University this summer as part of their Pre-college High School Summer Art Academy.  Today we, the family, attended the certificate ceremony and got to see the art work of all of the students. There were at least 60 students involved. Each student had two or three works on display and I was really impressed with the quality of what I saw.  The areas represented included drawing, painting, photography and animation, and, while I admit to some prejudice, I thought my granddaughter's drawings were equal in quality to everything else on display.  The head of the art department spoke briefly and explained that the work the students did was intended to be college level and work that they could keep in their portfolio and use in their college application package. 
Two weeks ago I got to see a lot of my son's art work when he displayed it at the Library Art Fair.  Now, after seeing my granddaughter's work, I can see where she gets her talent. In fairness, her mother is also quite a good artist, and, way back in the day, I wasn't too bad myself.  It's really good to see this talent continued.

Calendar confusion

Two items on my calendars today have me puzzled.  First of all, my Old Farmer's Almanac informed me that you can ask your banana a yes / no question, cut the end off, and see the answer. If, after you cut the end off the banana, the lines in the center form a "Y" then the answer to your question is yes, if not it's no.  I didn't have a question (I'm really not in the habit of discussing my life concerns with a banana) but I did have a banana to eat earlier today so I cut the end off to check this out.  No "Y" on my banana, actually no lines at all that I could see, so I don't plan to use this method.  

Secondly, my special days calendar informed me that today is "All or Nothing Day."  What kind of a day is that?  All or nothing of what?  Does this mean I should eat all of the food on my plate or leave it all?  Should I read all day until I finish my current book or not read at all?  Should I finish off the open bottle of wine in my refirgerator?  Now that doesn't sound too bad.  Actually, I celebrated this day by not doing any house work at all.  I guess I could learn to appreciate this day.

It's about time

It was announced on the news this evening that Fort Wayne Community Schools has bought some new school buses that are equipped with seat belts (actually shoulder and lap). I was delighter to hear this.  I've wondered for years why school buses, and tour buses for that matter, don't come equpped with seat belts in the USA.  In addition to the obvious safety benefits if a bus is in an accident, if children are required to sit down and buckle up, I think it should make for a much safer driving atmosphere for the drivers.  I was a teacher for some years and I've always said that I would much rather face a classroom of students than turn my back on those same students and drive them somewhere in a bus.

In England, Scotland and Whales, (and probably Ireland but I haven't been there recently) all tour buses are equpped with seat belts and the drivers are quite strict about making sure everyone is buckled in before they will start driving.  The last time I was there our driver (who also wouldn't allow hot drinks on the bus) told us that the fine for not using a seatbelt was 300 pounds and if we were pulled over and caught with our seatbelt not on we would be required to pay our own fine.  

It's kind of sad to have to threaten someone to insure that they do something for their own good but that's human nature I guess.  I just hope that America pushes for seat belts on buses soon, especially school buses.

Riding the merry-go-round

Tomorrow is "Carousel Day." I choose to believe that this refers to the merry-go-rounds that people love to ride and not the musical of the same name.  It's not my favorite musical but I do like the ride.  I was having lunch today in the food court at the mall, in sight of the carousel installed there.  The friend I was lunching with, who works in the food court, was talking with another cleaning person there who mentioned that yesterday they had a busload of senior citizens stop at the food court.  She mentioned that, as a group, senior citizens are much nicer and easier to clean up after than a group of teens.  Tbat was good to hear since I'm a member of the first group.  The cleaning lady also mentioned that some of the group rode the carousel. My friend, who is only 28, seemed amazed that SCs would do anything as wild and admittedly childish as riding on a merry-go-round.  I assured her that I would, but I really didn't have time today.  Sadly, I won't be at the mall tomorrow, so my ride may need to wait until next year on July25.  

red ribbon projects

The Allen County Fair is starting tomorrow.  I'm wondering if all the carnival rides that were in a downtown park last week for Three Rivers Festival have shifted out to the fairground now. It would certainly be a convenient move.  Thinking about the Allen County Fair, and especially the 4H components, makes me think about my 4H efforts long ago.  When I was in 4H only the boys showed animals.  We girls studied homemaking arts.  I think I was in 4H for a little over five years and during that time I learned to sew and cook.  Both skills have come in very handy over the years.  Almost everything I sewed (an apron, a skirt and a dress) earned me red ribbons and the same with the things I baked. I never quite broke through to the coveted blue ribbon level but I did have a lot of fun and learned some useful skills.  I might just have to take a drive out to the fair to see what amazing things kids are coming up with these days and if technology plays a part. 

Parent's Day

According to my calendar, today is Parent's Day.  I don't mean to sound like Scrooge, but doesn't this seem like overkill?  I have friends who think Mother's Day and Father's Day are plots by the major greeting card companies to boost their sales and, while I'm not quite that skeptical, I do find myself wondering about Parent's Day.  It seems to me that parents are pretty well covered with Father's Day and Mother's Day.  I appreciate that there are all sorts of family combinations these days.  When I was selling real estate, I sold a home to a family comprised of a woman, her ex-husband, her current husband and a child, but even there any of the parental types would have been covered with a Mother's Day or Father's Day card.  And don't even get me started on Children's Day.  Isn't every day Children's Day?

One more time

Tomorrow's matinee performance will be the last performance of this first ever run of the play "My Dead Clown". As with any play I have been in, it's a bittersweet time.  It will be a relief to have it all over although it has been a lot of fun.  I have made some new friends, renewed some aquaintances, and made people laugh.  That's all good. One thing that alway happens at the end of a production is striking the set.  Immeidately after our final curtain call tomorrow, we will all pitch it to dissassemble the set, clean the dressing rooms and back stage areas, and generally leave the theater looking like the play has never happened at all. It's hard to see it all go away but it also makes it very final. One more fun thing with this play - when a new play is first published in book form, the original cast is listed in the book. So, who knows, perhaps my name will be in a book one day. "Alice Warner played by Luci Foltz."

a taste treat to consider

Today is my daughter-in-law's birthday. To celebrate, we had ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery.  This particular creation was an Oreo ice cream cake made with layers of dark chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream with creamy frosting, chocolate shavings and Oreo cookies on top.  Yumm.  It was so good.  I have never had ice cream cake from this particular company before but I certainly will in the future.  My brother's birthday is tomorrow.  Too bad he lives in Spokane.  Perhaps I should eat some cake in his honor.  It seems like a caring thing to do.  Perhaps I'll even phone him and tell him how good it is.  That would be a sisterly gesture that I'm sure he would appreciate.

An Apple a Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  Everybody knows that, but tonight I learned something new.  An orange a day keeps the macular degeneration away,  I think this is excellent news for two reasons.  First, I have an orange almost every morning for breakfast.  I eat them for the taste but now I can be eating them to help my eyesight.  Secondly, with controlled glaucoma and slowly growing cataracts, I do not need any further visual complications. My eye doctor recently assured me that I don't need cataract surgery any time soon.  What he actually said was "Both of my kids are through college now so there's no rush." 

another great day

Tomorrow is "National Hot Dog Day." I'm telling you this now so you can plan your menu.  An out of town friend of mind recenty mentioned that when she comes to town in a couple of weeks she wants to eat at Coney Island downtown,  They do have very good hot dogs, no doubt, and the price is certainly right, so I am happy to agree with this request.  In the meantime, how do you like your hotdogs?  I like the traditional catsup, mustard and relish combination (a church friend of mine makes amazing relish and gives me some every year) but I'm also very fond of hotdogs with sauerkraut.  That's my usual German Fest choice.  But, when it comes to Coney Island of course I will have to go with their excellent chili dog.  Enough of this hot dog talk.  I will probably be dreaming of dancing hot dogs tonight.  

another memory

Thinking about cows and our country home last night reminded me of another memory from that time.  When we first moved to the country we had a dachshund named Fritz.  Like me, until that time, Fritz had been a city dweller.  Upon seeing his first cow, standing close to the barn about 500 feet from our house, he took off running toward her barking an excited and very loud greeting.  The cow was not impressed and evidently didn't want to be friends.  She took one look at the noisy little interloper, lowered her head so they were eye to eye and said "Mooooo" in a no nonsense voice.  Fritz got the point and made it back to the house in record time.  He never, ever bothered another cow.  It's too bad he's not still around though.  He would have been a contender in the local weiner dog races.

I like cows.

Today is "Cow Appreciation Day" and I do appreciate cows in a variety of ways.  From leather to milk to hamburger and steak, I have lots of appreciation for cows.  I also appreciate them on the hoof.  I never raised a cow to show in 4H.  I think it must be very hard for young people to raise a cow and then see it sold off in an auction, but, considering the prices some prize winning cows sell for, I'm sure the kids appreciate the boost to their college funds. When I was eight years old I moved with my parents and brother to a farm near the small town where my father had grown up. We owned five acres and the only livestock my parents taised were chickens but my uncle kept several cows in the pasture and barn that bordered our property. I discovered that, if I stood at the fence with a handful of grass, cows would come eat it out of my hands.  May favorite cow was a beautiful black one named Daisy.  She had the prettiest big brown eyes and was very sweet natured, so yes I do appreciate cows.  I do remember wishing though, as I fed grass to Daisy, that she would magically transform into a horse but that never happened.  I don't know whatever happened to Daisy but I do remember a memorable dark and stormy night when one of the other cows gor out of the fence and was wandering along the dangerously busy road that ran in front of our house.  My father managed to catch that cow and get her back inside the fence but I'm pretty sure he was not appreciating cows that night.

It's a hit!!

Or at least it's going well so far. Last night was preview night and tonight was opening night for the world premier of "My Dead Clown.'  We had good sized audiences both nights and so far people are laughing in all the right places, which is good if the play is a comedy, which it is.  They even laughed at some of my lines.  What a great feeling.  It's been fun to watch this play evolve and very satisfying to see the final result.  I hope you all enjoy it.

Tooday is "All American Pet Day"

I learned this from a local news reporter so it must be true.  Anyone who has ever loved a pet, especially a cat or dog, knows that every day is "Pet Day." They have a way of demanding lots of care and attention, but they generally give a lot of love in return, so it's a fair trade.  So now I'm wondering what makes a pet an "All American" pet?  I'm familiar with sayings like "as American as Apple Pie" but what kind of pet is typically American?? There are Irish Setters, German Shepherds and English Spaniels but American?  Siamese Cats and Persian Cats but American?  The only American dog I can think of is an Alaskan Husky.  There must be others.  Please send me your suggestions.  

Have the rules changed?

And if so, why didn't someone tell me?  There is a line in the play in which I currently have a small part (not my line) in which one character says to the other "Let's keep this between you and I." A thousand or so years ago when I was in elementary school, we were taught that if the pronoun was the object of a preposition - in this case 'between' - it should be 'me' not 'I'.  It's perfectly ok to use 'you and I' as a subject as in "You and I need to stop obsessing about this." but the sentence in the play should be "Let's keep this between you and me."  Or, if you want to keep things really simple how about "Let's keep this between us."?  In case you're wondering, I did point this out to the director (nicely, I think) and she said she would mention it to the author, but nothing was changed, so that;s why I'm wondering if the rules have changed.  If so, I wish someone would let me know.  Of course I could google grammar rules (and when did google become a verb?) and I will, one of these days. Or maybe I'll just keep thinking that I'm right and everyone else is wrong. 

pass the cookies

Today is "Sugar Cookie Day," a fine day to celebrate in my opinion. and one that brings back sweet memories.  Many years ago, a friend and I, both in 8th grade I think, decided to do a demonstration together to earn some 4H credits. We chose baking sugar cookies as our demonstration,  All summer long we practiced baking sugar cookies, alternating home kitchens. They were delicious as I recall.  Big and puffy and soft and sweet.  Lucky for us, we had willing volunteers to taste test our product.  I had two younger brothers and my friend had one and they ate all we produced (with a little help from our parents).  I do not remember what color ribbon we received for our efforts but the families thought the project was a big success.  However, there can be too much of a good thing.  I haven't baked sugar cookies since.

From the sublime to the rediculous....

...theatrically speaking, that is.  Last evening a friend and I saw "My Fair Lady" at the Wagon Wheel theater in Warsaw, Indiana.  I have enjoyed every play I have seen in this theater in the round but this one was really sublime; excellent singing and acting and beautiful music.  It was longer than I expected. The first act lasted almost three hours, but it was worth every minute.  

Today I spent nine hours (1:00pm to 10:15pm with a short supper break) at the tech rehearsal for the play I'm in that begins this coming weekend.  It is a sometimes rude and crude slapstick comedy called "My Dead Clown."  It was a long day but really very interesting to see how special lighting, sound effects, and smooth scene changes can enhance a production.

It's hard to imagine any two plays more different that "My Fair Lady" and "My Dead Clown" but variety is good, right?

still counting

Well, here's another account of counting.  According to my OFA calendar, honeybees must visit two million flowers to make one pound of honey.  Once again I'm left wondering who's counting this?  And how do those busy bees organize themselves? Assuming 1,000 bees in a hive (I actually have no idea how many bees are in an average hive - I'm just going for easy math here) is each bee assigned its own plot of 2000 flowers? Can one flower be visited by more than one bee?  When was the last time you saw a cluster of 2,000,000 flowers?  How far do these fluffy little flyers have to go to make their quota?  I used to have an old apple tree that was filled with blossoms every spring and attracted lots of bees.  Now I understand why.  How very convenient to have huge clusters of flowers right their together.  My Lilac bush was also a big hit with the bees.  It's nice to think that I was making their busy lives a bit easier. 

more fireworks???

I didn't get home until after dark this evening.  When I looked out my window I saw just about as many flashing fireworks as I saw last evening.  I wondered about this since the 4th is over, but then I realized, the fireworks today must be for my brother's birthday. He's 71 this year.  Happy birthday, brother dear.  You deserve to be celebrated.  

A ring of fire...

...or at least fireworks. Happy Independence Day everyone.  My son and his family came to my place to watch the downtown Fort Wayne fireworks this evening.  We had a perfect view from the parking lot in front of my building and it was a beautiful show.  After that show, they had to leave for home but I got to see the second light show from my balcony. From my 10th floor level I can see fireworks going on from at least 10 different sites far out on the horizon.  It's a panorama of flashing, flickering, multi-colored light, with fireworks going off east, north and west, some far away and some much closer.  Adding to the color fest were the unbroken ribbons of tail lights heading out of town in two directions and, for one more splash of color, there is a boat full of revelers on the river. A beautiful sight wherever I look.  I'm not sure who first decided that fireworks were the best way to celebrate the 4th but I think they had a great idea.

blueberries

This month, according to my Old Farmer's Almanac calendar, is National Blueberry Month.  I'm not sure what makes a blueberry 'national' but I'm all for celebrating blueberries.  According to the calendar blueberries are good for you which is good news because I eat lots of them, especially this time of year.  While I can eat blueberries raw I find they are very good wrapped. I particularly like them wrapped in a bowl of ice cream although pancakes and muffins are also great ways to contain a blueberry.  It seems to me, though, that, since this is July, when we celebrate the red, white and blue, that it ought to be National Blueberry, Strawberry and Vanilla Ice Cream month.  Doesn't that sound patriotic?

bridging the generation gap

I just returned from a long weekend of excellent theater in Stratford, Ontario.  For the last few years I have taken a grandchild with me to let them experience live theater.  This year it was the turn of my second youngest granddaughter who is 15.  We saw four plays but the two that made me appreciate how far apart our generations are were "The Music Man" and :The Rocky Horror Show".  My granddaughter enjoyed "The Music Man" but told me that she had never heard any of the music from it before.  I was shocked. I thought the whole world knew "76 Trombones".  The tables were turned the next day when we saw the musical "The Rocky Horror Show".  You may know the movie version title as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." I thought the play was very funny and also quite weird and when it was over I had to admit that I had never heard any of the music from it. So there we were at opposite ends of the generation span but, happily, still able to enjoy each other's shows, proving once again that theater is wonderful.