E-Valentines.

This is an example of one of the many e-Valentines you can send from the Kate Spade site. Check it out.

An idea. A poem. A challenge.

SERVICE
by Dallas Clayton

You should leave your house today
with an empty garbage bag
and some walking shoes
and start off toward no where at all.

On the way you should pick up every piece of trash you find
that hasn’t already been claimed
by a smaller animal
and stuff it into your bag.

You should see how far you make it
before your bag is full,
and once it is
you should turn around and walk back.

On the way back
you should think about your neighbors
and how they aren’t bad people
and don’t consider themselves filthy
But how they managed to waste so much
and leave it all out here
for you to carry home.

When you get home
you should put the bag on your kitchen counter
and draw a face on it with a magic marker
and give it a name
and take a picture of it
and make it some tea.

While you drink the tea
you should talk to it,
and tell it a secret that you’ve never told anyone before.
After you’re done you should stuff it into a trash can
and gently close the lid
and put it out on the curb for collection.

After that, you should go lay down
and close your eyes
and think about yourself
and how you aren’t a bad person
and don’t consider yourself filthy
and how nice it is to go for a walk
and clear your head
on a beautiful day like today.



Dallas Clayton is a children's book author, illustrator, artist, and generally clever man. He just released a new children's book called The Awesome Book.

Wordless Wednesday--The "Auntie" Edition.

I Wish I Could Send You Some of This Water.

We are drenched in water right now... rains and melting snows and I'm praying it all dries up before it turns to ice again. Yeah, right. I'm sure we won't be that lucky.

Right now there are thousands of people in Australia without homes, entire towns were torched in the freakiest display of bush fires the country has known. At least 130 people died in these fires, but for some reason this sad little koala is the one who moved me to post on this. I feel an ache in my heart for those in Australia who are so in need.

A koala sips water from a bottle offered by a firefighter.

"David Tree noticed the koala moving gingerly on scorched paws as his fire patrol passed. Clearly in pain, the animal stopped when it saw Tree.

"It was amazing, he turned around, sat on his bum and sort of looked at me with (a look) like, put me out of my misery," Tree told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "I yelled out for a bottle of water. I unscrewed the bottle, tipped it up on his lips and he just took it naturally.

"He kept reaching for the bottle, almost like a baby."

The team called animal welfare officers to pick up the koala Sunday, the day after deadly firestorms swept southern Victoria state." Read the entire article here.

The following images are from an email sent by my pal Julia before the fires, when the biggest problem everyone was facing was the insane heat wave in Southern Australia.

Love is Love is Love.

Under the Hallmark Holiday assault by all things love and pink and chocolate, I've been pondering the power, the emotion, the commitment, that fuels this day and makes people get up and celebrate. I watched two films over the weekend that offered up examples of sacrificial love--love that couldn't be simplified by a trite phrase on a sappy greeting card. For me the jury is still out on this day we call Valentine's Day though I'm feeling more friendly toward it and all holidays this year. Then today I got this video in an email and I was reminded again of a kind of love so many people want to ignore. I think, in watching this, what becomes even more clear is how love is love is love. You can't label it and put it in a box marked wrong. It exists. And it is celebrated. And really in a world so full of hatred and pain, shouldn't we all be celebrating love wherever we can find it?


"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.


On December 19, 2008, Ken Starr and the Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund filed legal briefs defending the constitutionality of Prop 8 and seeking to nullify the 18,000 same-sex marriages conducted between May and November of 2008. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in this case on March 5, 2009, with a decision expected within the next 90 days.

The Courage Campaign has created a video called "Fidelity," with the permission of musician Regina Spektor, that puts a face to those 18,000 couples and all loving, committed couples seeking full equality under the law.

The Duchess

Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes star in the 2008 film The Duchess, nominated for two Oscars (art direction, costume design--Not terribly surprising for a period piece set in the late 1700's.) Fiennes plays Duke of Devonshire who, oddly enough, seems to be the only person NOT in love with his beautiful and charming wife Georgiana, played by Knightley. Her failure to produce a male heir adds to the tension they already experience in their marriage--perhaps due to G's unmet expectations, you know, that her husband be civil, tender, love her at least as much as his dogs, and possibly offer her a bit of the passion he tends to dole out to whatever handy serving wench he decides to bed next. Things turn up, at least temporarily, for G. when she befriends Lady Elizabeth. Though, that is really just the beginning of G's greatest happiness and her most difficult trials.

The story seemed rather sad to me. One of disappointment. Of loss of individual freedom. Of betrayal, and heartbreak. I had no idea it was based on real people--Duchess Georgiana (1757-1806), wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Actually, the film is based on a book by Amanda Foreman, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. I find it interesting that while watching the film, one of my companions speculated whether Princess Diana might have experienced a similar experience in a loveless marriage. Then as I read about the real Georgiana, I realized she was a Spencer... an ancestor of Diana's. I didn't love the film. I didn't particularly love the art direction or costumery... at least not in the way I adored the style of Coppola's Marie Antoinette, a few years ago. It wasn't bad, don't get me wrong. I just didn't adore it.

Here's a bit that I learned about the real woman:

Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire was born Lady Georgiana Spencer on June 7th, 1757. Georgiana Cavendish was the first wife of William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire. Her father, John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer, was a great-grandson of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. Her niece was Lady Caroline Lamb. Among her descendants is the present Duke of Devonshire (via her granddaughter). Another was Diana, Princess of Wales (born Lady Diana Spencer), who was descended from Georgiana's brother, the 2nd Earl Spencer.

Georgiana Cavendish was a celebrated beauty and a socialite who gathered around her a large circle of literary and political figures. She was also an active political campaigner in an age when women's suffrage was still over a century away.

Georgiana married William Cavendish on June 6, 1774. They has a son , William George Spencer Cavendish who became the 6th Duke of Devonshire and 2 daughters. They were Georgiana Cavendish (1783-1858) and Harriet Cavendish (1785-1862).

Georgiana was famous not only for her marital arrangements, her beauty and sense of style, her political campaigning, but also for her love of gambling. She was reported to have died deeply in debt, even though her own family the Spencers and her husband's family the Cavendishes were immensely wealthy.

During her years in the public eye, Georgiana was painted by Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds. Gainsborough's famous painting of her in a large French hat was lost for many years. It was purchased a decade ago by Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire for the Chatsworth collection.

taken from here.

Craving the Delicious.

Stitchable World Map Postcard.
Use thread to trace your travels on the map.

I loved the books, I'm eager to see how the movie compares.
Confessions of a Shopaholic. Releasing February 13

If you've ever wanted to add zip to your desserts with chocolate shavings, you might consider chocolate pencils!

Neko Case has a new album releasing March 3rd. Yippee.

And bacon. We could all use a slice of bacon now and then. See here. And here. And here.

I just discovered author/illustrator Carin Berger and I love her style and am eager to get my hands on some of her books. Check out the interview at Seven Impossible Things.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Last Sunday, Marci and I indulged in a little Oscar-nominated film fun at my place. Vicky Cristina Barcelona was on the menu and we agreed--Woody Allen served up a sweet treat. We laughed. Shook our heads in surprise. Contemplated love and life... and love faced with the ever-present ex-wife. And felt that this film hit the right note. I love that it begins and ends at the airport. The final image of them departing sort of bookends their "wild adventure" in Barcelona. The two women seem so different, it was difficult, at times, to understand their friendship. However, as the story wore on, perhaps they were not so different after all.

Mmmmm... Brooding, sad, suicidal Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz). I usually don't like her as an actress, but I have to admit she's fantastic in Spanish. :)
This scene made me want to go, not to Barcelona, but to Granada where I felt I got to see this side of life for a couple days hanging out with some British and Irish ex-pat artists and language learners. It was great fun.

This was a great scene when Javier Bardem's character, Juan Antonio, propositions Vicky (Scarlett Johansson) and Cristina (Rebecca Hall). I love how Cristina just rips into him. She's bold and clearly NOT impressed.

A Stitch in Time.

I really like the work of Alanna Cavanagh.
Check her out here.

Two knitting events have got me thinking of headin' out of town with my needles and yarns. I haven't tried any new knitting projects since I finished my lengthwise scarf and I'm eager to try either the shrug or a couple others I've picked out. I should really try the top-down sweater pattern I picked up this fall. For some reason knitting has been sidelined lately. I need to remedy that and soon.




On Feb. 14th & 15th, in the Twin Cities, folks are gathering at the Mall of America for a major knitting/crocheting event. Click here for details. It is almost too much for me. Slightly overwhelming. Where does one begin? Classes? Seminars? I'd just like a chance to have some TIME to knit. Man. I could probably just do with a weekend with nothing planned, some tasty coffee, and me and my yarn.

On Saturday March 7th, a little closer to home, Boucle Yarn Studio is hosting a Midnight Madness knitting gathering after hours at their store in downtown Fargo. They supply popcorn and a movie. We show up ready to knit and hang out from 6 pm to midnight. I think that sounds pretty good.

I'll Take You There.

A few days ago I read a January 14th blog post by Roger Ebert, "I feel good! I knew that I would" that described a phenomenon that many of us experience but find difficult to describe. He calls it "elevation" or "uplift." Here's how the article starts:

"I've been saying for years that I never cry during sad moments in the movies, only during moments about goodness. At the end of "Terms of Endearment," I didn't cry because of Debra Winger's death, but because of how she said goodbye to her sons. Now I've have discovered a scientific explanation for why I feel the way that I do, and there is even a name for my specific emotion.

I wasn't seeking an explanation, and I'm not sure I really wanted one. And, for that matter, I don't really cry, at least not in the wiping-my-eyes and blowing-my-nose fashion. What I experience is the welling up of a few tears in my eyes, a certain tightness in my throat, and a feeling of uplift: Yes, there is a good person, doing a good thing. And when the movie is over, I don't want to talk with anyone. After such movies I notice that many audience members remain in a kind of reverie. Those who break the spell by feeling compelled to say something don't have an emotional clue.

It doesn't require a tearjerker to create this aura. "Fargo" is far from a tearjerker, but at the end, when Marge Gunderson snuggles up to her husband Norm and tells him how proud she is about his design for the wildlife stamp, it made me feel so warm. And it was at the very end of "Do the Right Thing," when the quotations from Martin Luther King and Malcolm X appeared on the screen, that I felt: Yes, that is the choice. And I hope we make the right one."

Please read the rest of the article here.

The comments following the article are wonderful, too, and full of profundity. I felt "uplift" as I READ this article and saw how much it means to so many people. On that note, I thought I'd share my moment of "elevation" today.

I'd already watched this once before, but I stumbled up on it again today and this time saw a "making of the commercial" clip too. I'm posting a T Mobile Commercial shot in Liverpool with 400 dancers mixed in with an unsuspecting rush hour crowd. When the music cues, everyone starts to dance and before long even the bystanders were joining in. For some reason this is heartbreakingly wonderful.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Our book club is as much about the tasty food as the books some months. This month I hosted and I was determined to find a new soup recipe to try. I loved how it turned out and I served it with buttery, crusty, sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches using farmer's cheese. Mmmm... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Here's the soup recipe: from Taste of Home

8 SERVINGS
20 min of prep
10 min cooking

INGREDIENTS
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
* 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
* 1-1/2 cups milk
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 to 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in tomatoes, soup, milk, sugar, basil, paprika and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Apparently you can make this "low fat" (look at the website for suggestions and nutritional info) and I wish I'd known this before, so I could have tried it that way first. I made the fully fatted version and it was delish. It will be hard to do it any other way!

Wordless Wednesday -- Not a One-Note Woman

From a Tiny House to Mine.

A few weeks ago, Jessie at Tiny House offered a giveaway on her blog. Perhaps my luck is changing, as I am now the proud recipient of one of her handmade sewing kits. I even got to pick the fabric. Yellow is so cheerful.

Inside the pouch is a needle booklet (one of my favorite bits of the whole thing is how she embroidered "Needles" on that!) The pin cushion is reversible.

Thank you, Jessie! I'm excited to use it.

Reading, Watching, Listening... January in Review

What I Read in January:

Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
The Sisters Grimm Book 2: The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley
Gidgets and Women Warriors by Catherine Gourley

What I Watched in January:
Autism: the Musical
Burn After Reading
In Bruges
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Marley and Me
Lilo and Stitch
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
High School Musical 2
The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
A League of Their Own
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Chicago

What I Was Listening to in January:

Little Honey by Lucinda Williams

Giant Rummage Sale Fundraiser Finds

On Saturday morning I actually paid two dollars to get in on the "early bird" aspect of a local church's annual fundraising rummage sale. I went straight for the kids' books and I found a few I had to have. I'm sure I'll be blogging them over on my Wayback blog before long.

I also bought a kitchen utensil I've been eager to try but didn't really need. A silicone basting brush/pastry brush. For a quarter. You just can't beat that!

I didn't bother with clothes too much, but I am in need of some new workout pants since I have been at the gym daily and I don't do laundry THAT often. I picked up a couple pair for a reasonable price.

I got a copy of Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut.

And because I'm forever collecting Christmas stuff, I got the little wooden ornament above for a quarter and the odd little advent calendar you see below. I probably should have tried to clean it before taking pictures, but I was feeling imapatient. I'm not sure if I'll use this next year but something told me I just needed to have this little dutch girl wall hanging. I was all in a rage to buy/make an advent calendar this past Christmas, I figured this was at least something.