Heroes pass: Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler has died at the age of 58 of an accident.

Suddenly it seems that all the heroes are going and who will take their place?

What I liked best about Ms Butler was her ability to make you empathize with an alien being; whther it was a person of another sex , another race or from another planet. When I reflect on it, that quality is what draws me to women science fiction writers in general.

As I looked at her list of books I find that I haven't read as many as I thought I had. How did I miss reading "Kindred"? I think part of the problem was that a lot of her books were put out in the more expensive Trade Paper versions. I am stopping at the library tonight to see what they may have that I don't own.

The Vermont Hat

Ok not the best picture - but you get the idea. Also the shape of Vermont got a little screwy becasue of the decreases at the top of the hat. But I am on a tight schedule and the hat needs to go out to Iraq tomorrow. It is very warm and the wool is very soft - I really love it. I think the hat will fit very well under a helmet. I used the same yarn I used for the skull hats I made at Christmas. Knitusa by Lane Borgosesia, a superwash bulky wool.

Overall I am pleased - although next hat I will not carry the pattern so far up. 

Kiri is done! and the hat!

Yea! I am going to wait to post a picture until after I block it. Was going to get right to that but decided that I have nowhere near enough pins and maybe I should get some blocking wires. Also I think I am going to either have to use my bed to block it or push two of the twin beds together – It is big. I did not complete the last 2 rows of the edging because I go nervous about having enough yearn to bind off and I was not going to spend another $9 just to bind off. I think I made the right choice – I may have just made it by completing the last 2 rows but probably not and then I would have been really ticked off.

Now I think I will take a break and have an ice cram soda and then maybe work on the VT hat I should complete for my friend’s son with the VT National Guard in Iraq. By the time I get it done summer will be back in the desert and he won’t be able to wear it.

9:25 pm have finished the hat for my friend's son. Will post a picture when it is done blocking. The shape of VT came out a little screwy because of the decreases at the top. I should have either made it smaller -shorter or compensated for the decreases. Well - it is a very soft wool and the hate is comfortable - so that is the main point.

The Blizzard of Aught-Six

Sounds old-timey, doesn't it?

We're getting a little snow here so far- looks like it started around 6 or 6:30 this morning and we have a bit over an inch at 8:30. It is a very fine snow and falling steadily.

According to the news - they have heavy snow and freezing fog down in the Worcester area- I don't expect to see Ken until tomorrow. And I bet my friends S and B who went to Connecticut for the weekend will be there till at least Monday too.

There is also a chance of thunder snows in the lower NE areas. And the weather service says " AT THIS TIME...A WIDESPREAD SWATH OF 8 TO 14 INCHES APPEARS
LIKELY WITH EMBEDDED HIGHER AMOUNTS WHERE THUNDER ENHANCES SNOWFALL RATES." Hmm - why does thunder enhance snowfall rates? I shall have to look that one up.

Plans for the day #1 not kill the old lady. I don't know if it is the Topamax or what but she is so fixated on things lately and talks about them incessantly. She's worried about the yellow-bellied sap sucker that was in our area last summer. Has convinced herself that he has died in the hurricane down south. Is all crazy about some old books of my father's. First wanted me to go find them and has now over night come to the conclusion that we never had those books - that her failing memory is playing tricks on her. I am taking this as a reverse psychology move on me to make me go find the damned books to prove her wrong. HA! Not going to work, Old lady! I am not poking through that freezing attic. Those are just 2 of her latest obsessions. There are more - but I won't bore you with them. Most involve having me do something - like search for those damned books. ** and I haven't even recorded the hysteria ( yes I don't think hysteria is too strong a word) of Friday night when she couldn't get hold of me on my cell phone for 25 minutes - during which time I was driving home from Springfield.

#2 Try and finish that Kiri Shawl.

#3 Now that I unraveled that old dress I had - I also have a 3/4 finished sweater to unravel. It was from a Perry Ellis design from Vogue Knitting - oh probably 12 years ago. I LOVED that sweater - but heaven knows what I did with the pattern and now that I am not so skinny as I used to be I can see that it will be too short, especially in the front if you know what I mean. So no matter what, I will have to frog it. Perhaps if I find the pattern and it looks up to date enough I might try it again. I was telling someone a while ago about these almost finished projects that wouldn't fit me and whoever it was said - well why you don’t finish them as is and give them away. GIVE THEM AWAY!?! No one would ever understand the effort put into them and there are a few hundred dollars worth of yarn in there and hundreds of dollars worth of labor. I may make little presents for people - but I'm not giving away something big like that. That's right - I am selfish!

#4 Through all of the above - watch the Olympics.

Saturday's almost gone

Well I was supposed to go the Worcester with Ken today. But since the weather is supposed to be so bad down there and because the old lady is totally having melt-downs about me being away I decided to stay home. So Ken is down having fun at the Lucky Dog AM 70's Show tonight and here I am with the old lady. I am definately going with him when he and his trio play in Cambridge in March though. I am hoping that I can find some one to stay with her then. Going to start asking around now to make sure I am covered. Maybe I can find someone through the visiting nurse association.

I decided that there was no way I could join the Knitting Olympics as I KNOW I will not finish something by the closing ceremonies. Howver I am trying to do knitting-type things. Besides working on the Kiri Shawl (almost done - just about ready to start the edging), I also took care of the below - frogged an almost-done DRESS from years ago and am working on getting it ready to be made into something I will actually wear. Here's the yarn dripping over the kitchen sink. It's Coco from Reynolds - 50% wool , 50% rayon, 136 yards and I have (I think) 10 skeins. More than enough for a couple of tops. I might try to start Picovoli with it.

 
 

sky

Take Sky and Ask Yourself Why

Funny enough (or not) I didn't mean to post this picture here - but oh well - Here's the sky this morning thru my phone's eye. At least there is blue sky and I don't have a headache - After more than a week of headaches - let me tell you THAT is a big BIG thing. I am also a little headache shy - if you can call it that. I keep stopping what I am doing to "check" my head - do I feel soemthing? Is it coming back? OK OK - I'll stop.

Irony isn't a big enough word

So that asshole says we're addicted to oil? WE are addicted to oil? My god that's like your pusher telling you you're addicted. No - it's like the fucking Pablo Escobar telling you you're an addict.

I don't have words to express my outrage. I cannot believe that not one person stood up and walked out at that point. Come ON, don't any of you son-of-bitches have any balls? DOn't any of you have any integrity?

whew.

And worst of all - he has worked the old lady up to a frenzy.


*** update 02-02-06 ***

It's OK - thank heavens - He was just lying. Man, I feel so much better now. And rather foolish - I guess everyone sitting there listening to the SOTU knew he was lying when he said it and so that's why they weren't bothered by it. Silly me.