a southern gal in the north

LSU ranked No. 1 by AP, first time since '59
Tigers' win boosts team ahead of USCJonathan Finney

function goPage(newindex) {
currentLocation = getThisPage();
cleanedLocation = '';
// If this is an SHTML request.
if (currentLocation.indexOf(".shtml") > -1) {
// Detect if this is a request that already has a page specification.
if (currentLocation.indexOf("-page") > -1) {
cleanedLocation = currentLocation.substring(0, currentLocation.indexOf("-page")) + '.shtml';
} else {
cleanedLocation = currentLocation;
}
// Only add the "-pageX" suffix when the page index is higher than 1.
if (newindex != 1) {
cleanedLocation = cleanedLocation.substring(0, cleanedLocation.indexOf(".shtml")) + '-page' + newindex + '.shtml';
}
} else {
// Only add the "-pageX" suffix when the page index is higher than 1.
if (newindex != 1) {
cleanedLocation = currentLocation + '&page=' + newindex;
} else {
cleanedLocation = currentLocation;
}
}
document.location = cleanedLocation;
}
function getThisPage() {
currentURL = '' + window.document.location;
thispageresult = '';
if (currentURL.indexOf("?page=") > -1) {
currentURL = currentURL.substring(0, currentURL.indexOf('?page='));
thispageresult = currentURL;
} else if (currentURL.indexOf("&page=") > -1) {
currentURL = currentURL.substring(0, currentURL.indexOf('&page='));
thispageresult = currentURL;
} else {
thispageresult = currentURL;
}
// Make sure the URL generated by this fuctnion is compatible with mirror image.
thispageresult = thispageresult.substring(7, thispageresult.length);
thispageresult = thispageresult.substring(thispageresult.indexOf('/')+1, thispageresult.length);
thispageresult = basehref + thispageresult;
if (thispageresult.indexOf('sourcedomain') > -1) {
thispageresult = thispageresult.substring(0, thispageresult.indexOf('?'));
}
return thispageresult;
}

Media Credit: Aaron Williams Tulane's Avery Williams lies atop LSU quarterback Matt Flynn after Flynn fumbled in the first half of Saturday's game.

LSU moved to No. 1 in the latest Associated Press poll, jumping a Southern California team that struggled to beat Washington, 27-24 this weekend. LSU coach Les Miles said the Tigers still have to improve, even after garnering a No. 1 ranking in the poll for the first time since 1959.

"Anyone who voted for us did not get up and watch the telecast [against Tulane]," Miles said in his weekly media briefing Sunday. "Our football team is looking to improve. There's so much time in the season, and there's no reason to think we've arrived."

Miles said his team lacked the focus and intensity to play well against Tulane in the first half of Saturday's game.

LSU is still ranked No. 2 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, while USC is No. 1 in the same poll.

so what happened to August and September?

It flew by like the proverbial wind – its been very busy around this little village and especially in a certain new apt – my mother moved from one apt to another (MUCH larger one-like 1500 sq ft) .  that started on Aug 20 (although i spent the preceding three-four days packing up the first apt)

we spent that Mon moving stuff from the old to the new and then Tue and wed unpacking and arranging etc.  she had hired her handyman from her Louisiana home, Emil, and his cousin to drive a u-haul up from Louisiana with a ton of furniture and pictures and well, you know things.  they flew out on Friday and then she went to the Berkshire Sister’s house for the next week – to help out with the eldest grandson who was not in school while his mom was.

then back on labor day weekend and the fun continued!  we spent that week getting the Saturn insured and re registered… oh i forgot to mention that my Village Sister decided to upgrade to a Toyota van and thus I got the Saturn much sooner than I had thought.  see the original plan was i bought the old (1998) Honda in Feb and in about a year when the two nephews were a bit older VS would upgrade – but after carting the baby in and out of the smallish back seat – ENOUGH she said – and off she went to buy the van and  i am in the possession of a 2002 Honda SL1 (its a 4door smallish sedan).  We are selling the Honda (its a valiant little car with 190000+ miles)

so where was I?  oh yeah the first week of sept – so we got the car insured and re registered in ONE day – yeah i cant believe it either since i had already been to the DMV once already about this car…. lets just say THANK YOU and a big one to the DMV workers in Yonkers!  really they are the best – especially when they took a “not on the official list” piece of id for the 6 points! 

The next two weeks were VERY productive.  To wit, see the list :

1.  Trip to K-mart for general household stuff and a new LARGE garbage can (since the landlord did not provide one!)

2.  Trip to Home Depot for general household stuff and plants for deck.

3.  Creation of enclosure for garbage can and recycle bins – requiring, yes, a trip to Home Depot for many bags of rocks for the “floor” of the enclosure.  Said enclosure is made up of two sets of “standing panels”  one of plastic and one of wood – maybe ill take photos.

4. Setting up of hose reel and rewinding (several times) of old hose brought up from LA and realizing that the reason there are TWO water faucets on the deck is that ONE is HOT and one is cold (someone must have had a hot tub).  Reconnecting hose to the cold water one after drenching plants with hot water (sigh)

5.  Putting together a FIREPLACE (yes really) I will get photos of this.  At first it was fine until at the VERY END I realized i had put a piece in upside down – oh and it was the FIRST PIECE to be assembled – so yes, the fireplace was put together TWICE.  (and you know so much easier the second time )

6. Potting about a hundred mums – well not really only a couple of dozen.

7. More trips to HD and K-mart (i can provide detailed maps of both stores if anyone wants them!)

8. A trip to the local nursery… yup more mums and this time some cabbage and pansies.

8. Trip to the framing store (50%sale yeah) and then the hanging of another 100 pictures – not really but a lot. 

9. Hanging of many curtains and one especially skanky curtain rod due to the flaky nature of the poor plaster of the wall – of course no molding on that window).

10.  Computer setup and then trip to BEST BUY for new cpu and set up of that – can you say Hello in VISTA  – and then a new printer too.

11.  almost forgot another HD trip for more potting soil during which we acquired a wheelbarrow which had to be assembled.

12  also assembled the large deck box to hold deck furniture cushions

So what's left to do:

1.  hang the seven (or is it eight) window roller shades to put up but that has to wait until i replace the two drill bits that have been broken – one during the deck box and the other one – oh i can’t even remember how it broke.

2.  hang the rod for the shower curtain liner

3.  secure the willow fencing (which we have put around the deck for privacy) to the deck which will require a lot of wire and twisting.

4.  some odds and ends and then general house clean up.

this week’s weather is AWFUL – its like the weather goddess forgot it was SEPTEMBER and decided we needed to be in AUGUST – hot humid and yucky.  BUT there is a cold front moving in tonight and it cant come soon enough.  the forecast for the next week seems to be fallish weather with 50s (!) at night and low 70s during the day  – finally!

unfortunately not much knitting going on – too tired at night to do much but crash. then yesterday I woke up with a back ache and its seems to be a pulled muscle – not much comfort yesterday but lots of aspirin seem to have helped and today its more manageable and i may even be able to knit – but alas, wont be going to knitting group as its still too ache-y.

Ravelry is great but its also another chore – to open all those stash boxes and take photos – yikes – i do have my stash on an excel spreadsheet – maybe ill just put it in without photos and take them later.   I am recalling a lot of projects unfortunately many are long gone and no photos but maybe sometime down the road.  (one is at VS ‘s house so i can get that one – the Celtic Poncho).

ok my sitting at the computer time is done for today – back to the sofa (to play violetta)

Knitting Lace Triangles

by Evelyn A. Clark

In the Author's Words…..
"This book is organized to help knitters design their own triangle
using four simple laces Flower, Leaf, Medallion and Ripple. Each lace
can be used alone or combined with any or all of the others."(pg 6)

From the Introduction…..
"The shawls shown throughout the book are described in the appendix.
Whether these are used as a template or an inspiration, a great way to
plan a design is to think about what it can represent. Personalizing it
with a story can offer comfort, celebrate an accomplishment,
commemorate a special occasion or express a dream for the future.

Flowers can represent beauty, hope and renewal; leaves can
represent growth and change; and ripples can represent waves in the
river of life or the passing of time. The names of the motifs are very
general to inspire a variety of possibilities. Thinking about what the
lace can represent when planning and knitting the triangle gives it
special meaning."

Technorati Tags: "Evelyn Clark" shawls

Powered by ScribeFire.

to Ravelry

I know its hard to read this if you are not in– i hated reading all the praises too but well, yeah, it’s really great – fantastic in fact.

So just a quick update (maybe Ill post more tonight) and I have to dash – look for me as SOGALITNO. 

And yes, I joined a bunch of groups – even created a few – Cable Lovers, Shawl Lovers, MS Knitting Camp, BBC and British Mystery Lovers (what can I say – its fun!)

Work is progressing on Rose Ribbon Shawl from the new Evelyn Clark Lace Triangles book …more later and maybe a photo.  Its a great “how to do this” book.

PS  The other reason for not lots of blogging is settling in my mother in her new Second Home apt here in our small village.  (Now if I can just take away her computer so the UPS man and I can have a rest!)  

I think a life in music is a life beautifully spent and this is what I have devoted my life”
  – Luciano Pavarotti

Latest News

Opera News Article

Powered by ScribeFire.

frecklegirl has invited you to Ravelry!
"Here you go! Thanks for your interest in our little site.
Let me know if you have any questions or problems!

Jess"

Found you!

* You signed up on July 8, 2007
* You are #10384 on the list.
* 36 people are ahead of you in line.
* 18720 people are behind you in line.
* 35% of the list has been invited so far

Ravelry – a knit and crochet community.

more news soon…

• You signed up on July 8, 2007
• You are #10384 on the list.
• 713 people are ahead of you in line.
• 17160 people are behind you in line.
• 35% of the list has been invited so far

crazy days – packing and moving my mother from one apt to another in my small river town… almost done… not much knitting though…

did manage to order some gorgeous stitch markers from my favourite ETSY seller Beadmarkers

and the new Evelyn A. Clark book – Knitting Lace Triangles – but its backordered.

more at the weekend when things calm down.  maybe a little knitting tonight to alleviate all the packing and moving aches!!

The maestro

He is seen as the finest conductor in the world – yet he doesn’t tell orchestras how to play. Claudio Abbado grants Tom Service a rare interview aboard a private jet

Wednesday August 22, 2007
The Guardian

The Italian conductor Claudio Abbado is rehearsing the hundred-plus players of his hand-picked Lucerne Festival Orchestra in Mahler’s Third Symphony, in the splendour of Jean Nouvel’s concert hall in Lucerne, a performance he repeats at the Proms tonight. There’s a moment, right at the end, that embodies the symbiotic alchemy between the conductor and the musicians. Mahler’s final chord is a long-held affirmation of love, of song. The Lucerne players give Abbado a magnificent, full-bodied sound, apparently playing at the limits of their ability. But as the double-basses pick out a sonorous note right at the bottom of their instruments, Abbado glances over at them, and suddenly the whole orchestra is supported by a massive upswelling, a sonic foundation on which the rest of the orchestra floats.

RTWT The maestro | Classical and opera | Guardian Unlimited Music.

Aug 20, 9:34 PM EDT

Harper Lee Speaks at Ala. Ceremony
AP Photo/Rob Carr
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Pulitzer Prize-winning author Harper Lee is a woman of few words and generally avoids media interviews and public appearances.

But the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird” broke her silence briefly Monday at a ceremony inducting four new members, including former home-run king Hank Aaron, into the Alabama Academy of Honor. Lee, who lives in Monroeville, is a member of the academy, which honors living Alabamians, and was in the audience for Monday’s ceremony.

At the end of the ceremony, Academy of Honor chairman Tom Carruthers joked with Lee, saying he knew she had something she wanted to say to the crowd.

“Well it’s better to be silent than to be a fool,” Lee said.

The audience burst into laughter and gave Lee a standing ovation.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

News from The Associated Press.