Running With Scissors

I didn't read this book (a memoir), so I can't say how the movie compares with the book. I thought the movie was pretty good. It was certainly interesting and strange. There were some funny parts and some sad parts and some disgusting parts. As I looked into it after watching the movie, there is controversy about how true all of the events depicted are, and there was a lawsuit that got settled. I imagine the best thing to do is just to evaluate the movie as entertainment, and in doing that, I found that the story (whether 100% accurate or not) was compelling and well done as a movie.

Shining Star, Part 2

I may end up doing all my pictures outside, as this one really got the colors right. When I take pictures inside, it's always a crap shoot how true the colors will or will not turn out. This one was taken on the front veranda (which faces west) in the late morning as I was hanging out with some of the cats for a few minutes before work. It was nice and pleasant--not too windy and not too hot.

The center piece and the first set of 'diamonds' have been completed on Shining Star, and now the second set of 'diamonds' is being crocheted. One of the things I like about this pattern is how easy it is to crochet over the yarn ends as you go along. It's always a nice thing to not have to deal with a bunch of yarn ends at the end of a project.

So far, I really like how it's turning out. If I'm not too bored with the pattern after I get done with this one, I may do another one for my brother and sister-in-law's baby, due in October. I also have my eye on the Happy Baby Blanket, though, so we'll see.

Whiskers On Wednesday

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We recently adopted Buddy, an adult beagle, and I was able to capture his efforts at getting to know Silvie.


At first, Silvie is very wary and eventually decides to move over to the corner next to the sliding glass door (below).
Buddy takes his time and inches closer bit by bit while Silvie keeps a close eye on him.

Eventually he actually manages to get close enough to sniff and touch, and Silvie allows it.

Finally he works his way little by little all the way up to her face, and by this time she's more used to him and graciously continues to let him check her out.

That's My Answer

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Fill in the blank (not cat)

Who let the _____ out of the bag?

fish

Jimmy Kimmel: Will you take him or leave him?

Leave him--I've only seen him in the spots on Dancing With The Stars with a guy named Guillermo (I think), and I wish those spots had been left behind.

Do you read the Bible? If so, what is your favorite Bible story?

Yes, I read it every day. I think my favorite story is Ruth, but I admit I enjoy the excitement and definitive action of Phinehas (Numbers 25) and Jael (Judges 4 and 5).

Can you believe the controversy of the itsy bitsy spider question?

Uh-oh, here we go again!

Ocean's Thirteen

As with 11 and 12, I enjoyed the twists and turns of this apparently final installment about Danny Ocean and his associates. The humor is fun, and there were plenty of laughs, especially in regard to the poor hotel reviewer. The cast is fantastic, and it's great that they've been so consistent through the three movies.

What I like about these Ocean's movies is that even with all the clever twists and turns, I'm still able to keep up and understand what's going on, or at least be able to put it all together when the characters explain it afterwards. Not all movies are able to do that for me. This is a good one worth watching.

Shining Star, Part 1

I got this book, 50 Sensational Crochet Afghan & Throws, edited by Bobbie Matela, for my birthday. I had been wanting this book mainly because I LOVE the stained-glass afghan on the cover, but as it turns out, that is not the first pattern I'm using from the book.

My nephew and his wife are expecting their first baby soon (a girl), so it's time to finish up Tulip Time (the baby dress and booties that still need their embellishments sewn on), and I thought it would be a good idea to make a blanket to match, so I decided to make Shining Star from this book.

The model in the book is made with a variegated pink and purple yarn and looks really pretty, but I'm making my Shining Star with the same Bernat Softee Baby yarn in Soft Lilac and White that I used for Tulip Time to match. I'm using an H hook to get gauge, which rather surprisingly is the hook the pattern suggests--that hardly ever happens for me. The finished measurement is supposed to be 35 inches in diameter.

I'm going to alternate the colors of the components and end with a white border. After the center is done, there are four sets of six 'diamonds' that go around and are inserted into the spaces between the previous set. Here in this picture, I have five out of the six 'diamonds' of the first set finished. The second set will be lilac and will be crocheted into the spaces between the white ones.

I think using different colors for the components will give kind of a quilt block look to it--at least that's what I'm hoping for. In any case, I think it will go very well with the Tulip Time dress and booties. Since I have plenty of the rose and lace embellishments for Tulip Time, I think I'll also make a baby headband to match and complete this layette set. I love making baby things.

Ten On Tuesday--Favorite Sports To Play/Watch

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All of these (with the exception of #10) are sports I like to watch because I pretty much don't do sports anymore.

1. Gymnastics. This was my sport in my youth, and I still enjoy watching it the most.
2. Boxing. I probably should specify that I like to watch men's boxing, not women's. I believe some boxing matches are the closest men can get to feeling what labor is like. Anyway, that's what it reminds me of with the boxer exhausted in the corner and the coaches encouraging him.
3. Figure Skating. Lovely and graceful.
4. Diving. Ditto.
5. Ice Dancing. Ditto.
6. Synchronized Swimming. Ditto.
7. Surfing. Especially with really big waves.
8. Hockey. I'm always hoping I'll get to see a good fight.
9. Equestrian Show Jumping. I love seeing whether or not the horse will balk, and I love seeing their power when they do jump the obstacles.
10. Poker. Apparently this is considered by some to be a sport, but I'm not so sure. I tend to think sports require more movement than that. But I love watching poker, especially all my favorite players, and if I thought this was firmly in the sports category, I would put it at number 1.

That's My Answer

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If you had to entertain your guests, what would you do?

I'd pull out a game like Imaginiff, or start asking questions from the Book of Questions or some other conversation starter-type thing.

How many miles did you travel for latest vacation?

Zero. We hosted a Sukkot gathering at our home.

What are three things you could live without if you had to, but would rather not?

Books, yarn, pets.

Bev asks: My friends and I have been arguing this for 20 years. What kind of spider climbs up the water spout? An eensy weensy one or an itsy bitsy one?

Itsy Bitsy. My husband is an exterminator, so he's an expert.

Indigo's husband wants to know: What the FRACK is going on on Battlestar Galactica????

I don't know. I'm still bending my mind around 'Lost'.

Home Of The Brave

This movie was okay, not great, but okay. It focuses on the return home of four veterans of the Iraq war.

On the positive side, I think it helped me to better understand why my son, also a veteran of the same war, wanted to go back to Iraq, something I certainly didn't want him to do after sweating it out until he finally came home safely. (His birthday is today--Happy Birthday, sweetheart!)

While watching the movie, I ended up revisiting my now 5-year-long anger and frustration with this war. To this day, I still don't know why all the insanity hasn't been decisively dealt with and put down.

For instance, the movie depicts the soldiers on a HUMANITARIAN mission into a village to deliver supplies when they are attacked and bombed by 'insurgents'. To my way of thinking, any village harboring such 'insurgents' who kill our people doesn't need our humanitarian aid and shouldn't get any until they turn over said 'insurgents'.

There is a perfect example in the Scriptures of how such situations should be handled. When Sheba was in rebellion against King David and hiding in Abel, Israel's army with Yoab as its leader, besieged the city of Abel until Sheba's head was thrown over the wall to him. This was facilitated by a wise woman of Abel, and then the army left the city in peace. (This story is in 2 Samuel 20).