Monday, July 19, 2010

Skybar

Ever since I can remember, Skybar has been my favorite chocolate bar. In Pittsburgh it was everywhere but I recall after moving to DC it was difficult to find and for years it dissapeared altogether. In the past five years it has resurfaced in odd places: the Marvelous Market on 18th at K (where they are usually stale) and the Tiger Mart at Connecticut and Porter.

Imagine my surprise this evening to find a repackaged Skybar as a Twilight promotion in Walgreens. The pieces are twice the size of a normal Skybar and the filling isn't as good.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Whole Lot of Shaking

Earthquake: It happened as I was washing the coffee carafe. At first I thought the rumbling was thunder as we've had quite a number of storms in the last few days. But has the rumbling roar and shaking continued. I put the carafe in the drainer and waited. As it continued I then thought it was an explosion somewhere. Imagine my surprise to find out I'd experienced my first earthquake. It was a 3.6 and happened about 20 miles northwest of where I live. It seemed to me that it was more than 30 seconds. But I seriously can't imagine being in a 6 or 7 or more earthquake. The surprising thing was the noise. It was all encompassing rolling thunder that shook the apartment building and rumbled under my feet. Afterwards there was such magnificent birdsong led by the robins that for a moment after I stepped out of the kitchen I thought one of my nature sounds DVD's was playing. After Friday morning, I know those sound effects in earthquake films aren't made up.

The excitment of the earthquake and emergency preparedness emails during the day with instructions about what to in the event of aftershocks was followed on last night by a terrific thunderstorm with brilliant lightening and slucing rainfall. My windows were steamy and the screens still damp when I got up this morning.

It's been hot again this week, but there was a nice breeze yesterday afternoon. But the mugginess is getting to my sinuses and I had to take an Aleve to lessen the inflamation that was making my right eye feel like it was ready to pop out.

I Write Like: I submitted this bit from A Catered Affair:

Ricky stifled a giggle as they took their seats on the chintz covered chairs and couches in Lady Elizabeth’s morning room. Mark could barely contain his awe at meeting a real aristocrat or being in such opulently appointed surroundings. He stared at the elaborate silver teapot, creamer and sugar bowl occupying on the silver tray on the table in front of Lady Elizabeth. Both men seemed mesmerized as Lady Elizabeth poured, prepared, and handed out the delicate china cups on saucers. Ricky caught Mark’s eye and lifted the little finger of one hand. Mark gawked at her.
Lady Elizabeth settled herself comfortably against the pillows of the couch and crossed her legs holding her cup and saucer easily in one hand.
“This must be important.” She said looking at them.
Ricky looked at Trevor. His uncertain expression told her he didn’t know where to start.
“Detective Forrest is with the MPD in Washington.” Ricky began. “He’s been investigating a murder case, and in the course of that investigation, learned that a person wanted for questioning is a citizen of the UK. He contacted Trevor, and asked him to make inquiries based on information. Trevor did so, and reported back to him on what he learned.” Ricky took a breath. “Through an anonymous tip, it was learned that the person, who is female, was seen in London and items found in her residence in Washington, led the police to consider her a suspect. Detective Forrest came to London; Scotland Yard agreed to open an investigation to locate and question this woman. Since her whereabouts in the UK was unknown, a press release was put out with her picture, asking for information.” Ricky took a quick sip of her tea. “A response to that press release, came from Washington DC, from someone who knew the woman and saw a British newspaper. That person was interviewed along with other people that he led the police to. Information from those interviews, as well as other information collected by the police on both sides of the Atlantic, has led the police to believe there is an association between this woman and Senator Jed Stanton.”

And this was the result:




I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I'd not heard of him before and so looked him up on Wikipedia.

Knitting:
Gaiter (Gator)
This is my contribution to Operation Helmetliner . This is an effort to replace the DOD issued helmet liners, scarves and gaiters given to our troops in Afghanistan. The DOD-issued articles contain polyester which means that when they are subject to high heat (an IED explosion) they melt creating terrific injuries. Knitters are responding to the need for wool replacement. Wool does not burn. Wool also breathes. The gaiter or gator will go around the throat and can be pulled up to cover the mouth and nose for warmth.

Winter Leaves Stole by Colleen Archbold
This was just one of many Ravelry patterns that caught my eye. What engaged my imagination was the thoroughness of the instructions (both written and charted in colour) with not only row count and section notations, but stitch counts for each row. To top it off, the pattern is free. An amazing feat of detail and generousity which I felt compelled to honour by knitting it.
Spider Stitch Shawl

No it's not this one. More info here. This is the Spider Shawl designed by Sarah Fama from Yarn Forward Issue 18. This is a fun triangular shawl which has gotten too unweidly for the bus knitting. But thanks to the World Cup, I was able to make good progress.
Speaking of bus knitting and bus knitters: I spy more of us everyday. We're out of the closet and coming to bus near you!

Olive Oil: Interesting study. I am a notorious ingredients reader in supermarkets. I've noticed that in salad dressings most claiming to be "olive oil" + whatever are most times a combination of one to several other oils + sometimes olive oil and in a few cases no olive oil listed in the ingredients.
Now why is this interesting or important: I'm focussing on eating at least one salad a day sometimes two. I'm always concerned about fat, sugar and carb content in any food and wanted to make sure that I'm getting what's advertised. How disheartening that more often than not, you can't trust the labels.
A History of the World in 100 Objects. Click This has to be one of the best BBC World Service Programmes I've ever heard. It fullfills the promise and exceeds the mandate that educational programming should aspire to achieve. Without being interested in the subject being presented, the listener finds themselves drawn-in, intrigued and transfixed thereby in the end learning. I applaud the programme for it's global focus.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Heat Stroke

It must be the heat. Why else would I have two shawls on the go with a plan in my head to start designing the M shawl on paper.

Movies:

The Last King takes all of the political intrigue, challenges, issues and events covering 1649-1685 and makes them interesting watching.

The Piano Teacher features two of my all time favorite actresses: Annie Giradoux and Isabelle Huppert in a movie that I could not finish watching.

Howard's End. I have seen this before and fell asleep before the ending and now I have to rent it because I can't remember what happened. Excellent cast: Helena Bonham-Carter, Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins and Samuel West (who is just to die for)

All this between knitting, end of year at work, and the World Cup.

Writing:
Nothing on paper, but I've got characters, scenes, and actions in my head. Emma is going to be the character through which the Littlejohn family and events that affect it our viewed. She's querky. She's very concerned with security...feeling safe and being able to protect herself. She's a little nerdy with her collection of words and attachment to books. But she has her mother's spunkiness and temper; and like her mother, the world views her as secure and self-assured. But events that happen just before the novel opens finds her changing. The most outward sign of that is she's making a real effort to keep her entire bedroom tidy...not just the shelf with her fireman dolls. She's going to bond with Jane (Pink Fringe) who has come to live with the Littlejohn's after the death of her mother. This will make interesting writing because Jane is giving in a very different way from her mother and Scissor. But all this mental work has me looking forward to November.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Watch This Space

It's been blazing hot here for days. Today even the breeze was hot. I sit here with the AC on high and it's warm. Toupie walks a few paces before laying down.

The morning commute was a nightmare. I should have listened to the news before leaving for work. It seems a truck containing cooking oil dumped it's contents on U Street between 16th and 14th. The pavement had to be sanded. Although traffic was diverted on some of the north south streets, the spill started or stopped at my street. What a mess.

I treated myself to a Lion Bar today. Very odd. Still trying to figure out the contents. Gooey and crumbly all at the same time.
Now for the Lantern Moon advert from the 2010 July-August Piecework.
In 2007, ideas were solicited from the various programs at work to include indigenous products from the regions where we work in the members' catalogue. After looking at a variety of different products, the woven beaded cloth produced by the Ta Oi women in Vietnam was chosen to represent the Mekong Program. I worked on the project with the field and Marketing to get table scarves woven and beaded as an offering in the holiday catalogue.

In 2008, the opportunity arose for me to travel to Vietnam. The one place I wanted to go was to the village to meet the weavers. I did that at the end of my trip. Spent an afternoon seeing a weaving demonstration, touring the small farms in the mountain valley, and then was treated to an evening of traditional song and dance. Returning to Hue, I was taken to the Hope Center charity shop which employs handicapped people in making everything from uniforms to table cloths to laptop covers. They also support the traditional handicrafts of women like the Ta Oi by incorporating their weaving in items sewn in the shop.

Ta Oi men weave rattan baskets which are used for foraging in the forest
Ta Oi performing traditional song and dance.

A water buffalo grazing.

I was amazed by their skill, excited at the prospect that their traditional craft could be a source of non-forest income. That year, we were able to fund their attendance at the Hue Festival. Last year the women sewed tigers for this year's Year of the Tiger campaign. So retrieving the current issue of Piecework, flipping through the pages as I walked through the halls of my apartment building, I stopped in my tracks when I saw the Lantern Moon advert.

The morning mist shrouding the Ta Oi village.

The rest of the mail was dumped as soon as I returned to my apartment. I immediately went to the Lantern Moon website. Now I knew that Lantern Moon works with village communities in Vietnam to source bamboo knitting needles from sustainable bamboo. As I read about the bags,
I was so excited. Could these be created by "my" women? A few days later, I had confirmation from a colleague in the Hue office. The women have a contract with Lantern Moon to weave the cloth and the bags are made up by the employees of the Hope Center.

Employees at the Hope Center Charity Shop



Traditional Ta Oi Cloth