I'm A Logger...Up From Coos Bay Oregon.....

This Log Cabin Blanket has been a WIP for quite a while.

What is the knitting muse that inspires us to work on a specific project? Lately, it's been leading me to finish this up and get it mailed to Warm the World. :)

I started this blanket with size 7 needles to use up some oddments of a few acrylics that I had around. The colors are meshing fairly well with dark blue, cranberry, purple, white, forest green, and periwinkle.

GREAT BIG thank-yous (yooz?) to Rhonda at http://rnning2wn2.blogspot.com/ for the "Loveable Blog" award! Rhonda, you so blessed my day! In that spirit I choose to pass the award to three of the loveable ladies I've met online:

Tracey at http://fuzzybritches.wordpress.com/

Beth at http://watersedge.typepad.com/felt_like_knitting/

Moo at http://woollymoose.blogspot.com/

and

Paula at http://bassetknitter.blogspot.com/

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Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

Martin

~~ The "I Have a Dream" Speech ~~

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Dogs-n-Books on Thursday

A Glance from Max

This is his happy face!

"This week’s question is suggested by Puss Reboots:
How much do reviews (good and bad) affect your choice of reading? If you see a bad review of a book you wanted to read, do you still read it? If you see a good review of a book you’re sure you won’t like, do you change your mind and give the book a try?"

Yes, to some extent I do choose books based upon reviews, particularly of an unfamiliar author. However, reviewers sometimes write points that are negative to them, but are attractive to me. So a negative review does not automatically cause me to pass on a particular title. If I am sure I won't enjoy a book, a review will not cause me to read that book.

How about you? What role do book reviews play in your selections?

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Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.
 

Proverbs 21:21

Wordless Wednesday --- FRIGHT!

What am I reading?

Moo at http://woollymoose.blogspot.com/ tagged me for this fun book go-round. The instructions are to turn to page 161 in the book you are currently reading and write sentence 5. Here it is:

"It was only seven-thirty; it would still be open."

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Not very exciting all by itself, is it? Since I haven't read that far yet, I didn't scan the page for details. The book is fine reading. The sort of book that a knitter can enjoy, although I must admit that I could put the book back on the shelf this minute and feel fairly certain of where the various story lines are going. The cast of characters are, of course, the knitters who come to the LYS. Each is wildly individual--maybe a bit over-drawn in characterization.

An interesting aspect to this book is the web site attributed to the LYS that is the heart of the book. http://www.walkeranddaughter.com

Then, the book's web site http://www.fridaynightknittingclub.com/

And, the authors web site http://www.katejacobsbooks.com/

Of course, each links into the other in a circle of book promotion. You might enjoy visiting these sites!

If you are reading this, then you are tagged!! Please leave a comment if you post your book on your site. I'd like to see what you're reading!

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Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6

Hat on Pottery

Finished a child's wool hat with Tahki Kerry yarn and size 9 needles. I used ideas from three patterns: a scarf and hat set at http://www.lionbrand.com/ , a Toddler Tassel Top pattern, and ear flaps from the Iceland Earflap Hat at http://www.straw.com/ Since I had to use my phone-cam, this picture is a bit fuzzy...er, fuzzier than the hat. It will be included in the box of woolies for http://www.warmtheworld.com/

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I took my troubles to the LORD; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
Psalm 120:1

AbFab, Add a Bit More Yarn...and Stir...

Nothing like a package from http://www.yarnmarket.com/ to brighten my day! I originally ordered the yarn to use with the mohair in the AbFab throw, however the Tiny Tots colors won't work for that.

The Waikiki will beautifully add some heft to the mohair strands. This ghan has so much mohair---is absolutely gorgeous, however I find that I tire of the filmy yarn and want another fiber to carry with some of the mohair. Hence, I searched for other yarns to work with some of the mohair. This is the Colinette Absolutely Fabulous Afghan kit in Amethyst which I am making for our teen DGD. Sometimes these colors seem so sugary that my teeth hurt! She is all about purple!

I added some short circs to my collection---one can never have too much yarn or too many needles! I love working with bamboo needles!

Happy weekend knitting to all!

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But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16

Dogs on Thursday

Lailah protects her end of the raw hide chew bone with a sense of victory. Max and Lailah love the raw hide chews. I'm happy for them. Happy for me when they are so contented. But, those rawhide pieces can be the nastiest looking things around!! And, forget about stepping on a wet, gooey one in bare feet!!

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Wordless Wednesday ~ Florence, Italy

Lamp Hat

Starting a new decorating trend soon to be seen on HGTV? Or, another completed hat for www.warmtheworld.org ? Did you choose the second? Good! This crocheted hat is based on a pattern at www.garstudio.com I added ear flaps since the Warm the World organization has indicated the popularity of this style.
Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky
Hook: size J
I added a bit of Colinette Heather mohair for interest.
Do you knit for a charity? Which one(s)? My charities are listed in the side bar.

Blessings flow.

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So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 1 Peter 5:6

Hats to Warm the World

My eyes welled with tears when I read the end-of-the year newsletter from Warm the World. So much good has been done through the hands of yarnies, so many items given those in need. It is beyond heart-warming. The newsletter might be at http://www.warmtheworld.org/ where you can read about this ministry. This project is growing by leaps and bounds.

Among the needs are hats with a reminder that teen boys like dark, solid colored hats and scarves. Another item that caught my eye is the popularity of hats with ear flaps and Shirpa hats. There are, of course, other items needed.

Today I used some chunky Malabrigo and size 10.5 needles to make the "Iceland Ear flap Hat", a free pattern at http://www.straw.com/ I added bits of Colinette mohair for fun and convinced Miss Alexandra from my doll collection to model this too large hat on her.

Isn't she just the most precious baby? I had to scrunch the hat since it is not doll-size, but she still is quite fetching!
The pattern starts with the i-cord, then garter ear flaps, 1x1 ribbing, and stockinette. It's a fun knit, however I am now doing a crochet hat with the Malabrigo just for a change of pace.
Hope your knitting is happy knitting!

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Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. Proverbs 15:22

Thursday: Dogs and Books

~~~ Boxers in the Snow ~~~

Max strikes a regal pose as he surveys the back yard and spots Lailah's silliness.

Meanwhile Lailah snuffles around with her muzzle in the snow! I am not kidding! Could she be scenting the resident rabbits under the deck?

Max: Enough of this 11-degree stuff, I'm heading for the door and warmth!

"What new books are you looking forward to most in 2008? Something new being published this year? Something you got as a gift for the holidays? Anything in particular that you’re planning to read in 2008 that you’re looking forward to? A classic, or maybe a best-seller from 2007 that you’re waiting to appear in paperback?"I'm in the process of reading a Zadie Smith book, On Beauty and am looking forward two getting into two books I bought with a Christmas gift card: The Last Mrs. Astor: A New York Story by Frances Kiernan and The President's Table: Two Hundred Years of Dining and Diplomacy by Barry H. Landau. Although The President's Table is a lavish coffee table book, it is heavy on content and interesting insider's information from the author who is a former Head Chef at the White House. It's a lush book, a pleasure to handle.

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God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10

Wordless Wednesday: Putting It Away

2008

Happy New Year!

May your year be filled with love, happiness, and all the things dear to you.

Wibble Wobble One

Here's a free pattern designed by Joann Conklin at http://www.rjconklin.com/keeptalking.htm

Mine is knitted in Noro Silk Garden Lite on size 8 needles, a fast and fun project. The yarn is a dream! The alternating bands of garter stitch and ribbing yield this interesting, wobbly shape. I am sending this off to my dear MIL.

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Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17

Saturday Sky -- Crisp, Cold

MY Sisters Don't Knit!

This is the inviting residence of the owner of the LYS "My Sister Knits" located in a carriage house in the rear of the property.

Snuggled in the warmth of a hand knitted band, the tree in the front screams to Stop! Buy yarn here! (Well, it did to me!)

Large yarn balls cheerfully decorate the planters in case anyone is unsure about the yarn supply.

Walking around the house, I was greeted by this miniature snowman in a festive arrangement.
Along the path is a bird house, bird feeders, and -- can you believe it?--chickens in the fenced enclosure! A charming little house further add to the quaint, snug atmosphere. I learned that roosters are banned but chickens are allowed by city ordinance!

Entering the carriage house, I went upstairs to the yarn shop where I purchased 365 Knitting Stitches a Year Perpetual Calendar to replace one that I had given away last year. It is a small shop with a nice variety of yarns and the requisite knitting table in the middle of it all. I was drawn to visit this shop because of the clever name!

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However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. Ephesians 4:7

Booking through Thursday with Dogs

Max and Lailah stay warm in our snowy, snowy weather. Thanks to everyone who has been concerned about Lailah. She is very-very thin and still on meds. However, we can now add kibble to her prescription canned food. That is a good sign. As of this morning, it appears that the bleeding has stopped. Poor little girl, she has been through so much and remained her happy self! You can see where her leg is shaved for the two IVs she had for a few days. Two-year-old DGS calls her "WAY-lah".


"It’s an old question, but a good one . . . What were your favorite books this year? List as many as you like … fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, science-fiction, business, travel, cookbooks … whatever the category. But, really, we’re all dying to know. What books were the highlight of your reading year in 2007?"
Here are some books I've read in 2007 and especially enjoyed:

***Julie and Julia--A Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell (non-fiction)
in which a 29-year-old faces 30 by challenging herself to cook all the recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. The love-hate project inspires colorful writing. She admits to "talking like a sailor" -- and she does! I had to skip right over some of her grossly detailed descriptions of preparing some unorthodox foods -- to me at least! It's hilarious, engaging, and fun read! Interest in cooking is optional. This book stands on its own.

***Blowing My Cover by Lindsay Moran (non-fiction)
was difficult to stay with at times, but I'm glad I did. This is the story of life as an undercover CIA agent disillusioned after 9/11. She struggles with the knowledge that the President wanted to go to war and the CIA had to provide information to support his decision.

***The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown (non-fiction)
Love her writing--so literate with precise vocabulary. The sham of the British aristocracy is quite revealing. In describing Diana's father Brown writes "As he aged he took on the look of raw sausage."
As I read, I was swept along in Brown's wonderful words, cadence, and tone. The story ends as we know it must. The story is full---Diana's mental health problems overwhelm her life and those near to her. The tragedy of her life emanated from deep within her.

***The Preacher and the Presidents by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy (non-fiction)
delineates the depth and breadth of Reverend Billy Graham's role with U.S. Presidents from Truman ("easier to be strident than subtle") to G.W. Bush. In moments of doubt, BG understood that he must believe the Bible or leave the ministry. We know his decision as he prayed "Father, I am going to accept this as your Word by faith."
The authors describe '50s Protestant faith as "civil religion" substituting for deep, abiding faith. BG emerged as a ministerial leader who dynamically brought the Word of a living God to the general public. He lived with conviction and simplicity. President Eisenhower believed that the courts should handle civil rights questions. He asked BG to work with ministers to raise questions from pulpits to keep politics out of civil rights.
When William Randolph Hearst decided to cover BG in his newspapers and magazines, BG became well-known. Henry Luce, himself the son of a missionary, covered BG in his premier publications raising BG to national prominence.
He had an amazingly deep involvement with the Nixon White House and the Nixon image. He was present at the two-hour meeting -- the longest of Nixon's two terms--where the infamous 18.5-minute gap occurred in the Nixon tapes. H.R. Haldeman's notes of that time reveal that there was discussion of Jews in media and ways to control them, replace them, and reduce their impact. Disappointed with Nixon's dishonesty with him, BG decided to play a lesser role regarding policy with Presidents following Nixon, though he has great friendships with them. The authors noted that "Nixon never lost the ability to look into the camera and make the truth wince."
"Just As I Am" is BG's trademark hymn.

***Schulz by David Michaelis (non-fiction)
Biography of the creator of "Peanuts" comic strip and the empire built around it. The parallels of his life events and the themes in the strip is quite revealing. Charles Schulz was depressive, petulant, and insecure throughout his life. He had four children, two marriages and countless flirtations with young -- usually blonde --women. His great success yielded great wealth and waves of fulfillment bounded by poor sense of self. He was not very likable in his latter years. Michaelis has produced a high-interest, inviting read about a haunted, unhappy man.

***Mornings On Horseback by David McCoullough (non-fiction)
Absorbing biography of Theodore Roosevelt's grandparents, parents, siblings and the personal side of his life.

***The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (fiction)
Humorous novella of Queen Elizabeth II's new habit of extensive reading for pleasure and how it leads to assumptions about her developing Alzheimer's Disease.
It is a hilarious send-up that ends with the Queen's surprising announcement of her abdication so that she can write--not necessarily publish, but write for her pleasure.
Fast-paced and funny!
***The Lumiere Affair by Sara Vorhees (fiction)
Wonderfully engaging book about a female reporter at Cannes Film Festival and her search for the truth concerning her separation from her mother at a young age. Excellent read--a true page turner.

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But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:15

Holiday Greetings

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and New Year.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.Luke 2:14

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Dogs on Thursday

A word about Wednesday: I was on a flight from Dallas approaching Denver International Airport when I snapped that pic on approach. Thanks for asking.


Following a week in the hospital after ingesting 90 anti-infammatory capsules, Lailah came home yesterday to her own private nurse, Max. The next two weeks are critical. She needs lots of rest, many meds, and low activity level. So, she's on a leash or in her kennel at all times until the ulcerations in her G-I tract have healed. She goes back to the vet tomorrow for a look-see. Trying times!

WHERE is she??? THERE her is!!

Christmas shopping was wrapped up a month ago. Then, I went to Petco and got a few gifts for the doggies. Max's green stocking says "spoiled" because he deserves to be! He is a loving, mellow, wonderful boy. The giant size rawhide bone will fill his stocking!

The red stocking says "naughty" on one side and "nice" on the other for Lailah because she is a sweetheart who is a very curious puppy. She likes plush toys so the Santa and red and green bone are for her. The little mat is already in her kennel where she is sleeping at the moment. Just love the Gingerbread Boy and his dog!

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For a child is born to us, a son is given to us…And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Wordless Wednesday: Overview

Room With a View

Bright, sunshiney day -- 9 degrees

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No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. Psalm 16:9

Lost in Yarn

Oh, the luscious Malabrigo and Crystal Palace yarns from my dear SP11!! The gorgeous red calls to me...no, it's the soft to dark grays in the Crystal Palace...wait! the gold to green Malabrigo just pulls me!! I can't thank Alicia at http://www.ponyknit.blogspot.com/ enough for my final package of this swap. Once I tore myself away from touching and petting the yarns, I was tickled by her thoughtful giftie treats for my doggies. I've already sharpened my too-sweet ponies pencil. I discovered that Alicia is a horsewoman! I love the pastel ponies pencil! The Faith Notes will be a continuing blessing with adhesive notes of encouragement.

Thanks to you, Alicia, for the perfectly perfect package! :)

Booking Through Thursday

"Do you use any of the online book-cataloguing sites, like Library Thing or Shelfari? Why or why not? (Or . . . do you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking to?? (grin)) If not an online catalog, do you use any other method to catalog your book collection? Excel spreadsheets, index cards, a notebook, anything?"

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I use Library Thing just for convenience. However, the site was down not too long ago and all of my titles disappeared!! Users were assured that nothing was lost since all the data was backed up. I innocently thought that my book titles would reappear in my library. As of this writing, they haven't. :( I've added a few new titles and keep hoping the old ones will magically return!

I don't use any other catalog method.

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Every day we are called to do small things with great love. ---Mother Teresa