The last strip

The other strips had mitered squares set into two sides at a right angle. Now I must join it into the round tube of the sweater. So the square is set into three sides. It's tough the first couple of times through.

And here with the third square of the strip.

Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana

Not so long ago, I would have paid no attention to Fred Child's introduction and commentary about a concert in Lugano, Switzerland. Now it means so much to me.

It features Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Violin Concerto at the end of hour two. The hour begins by Korngold's The Adventures of Robin Hood from Robin Hood and His Merry Men, a swashbuckling favorite.

I wish I were going to college with him.

Back of the room

When I posted about my son's speech contests, I mentioned that I had never heard him. It turns out, I probably never will.

I shadowed my husband while he judged over the weekend so that I could get the feel of it. His second round was judging seven of my son's over two hundred competitors in  "Extemporaneous Speaking". It was in "Make up Room C" behind the auditorium stage, a small, windowless room. There were chairs for three judges and room for the speaker. The rules state that there will be no observers, recording, etc. I guess it makes sense. Later speakers may be addressing the same question.  I left my husband to his task. Not only was I unable to see my son, I couldn't watch any of the competition.

Now I can picture my son presenting his arguments, not to the world, but to three judges in a small, windowless room.

It doesn't seem right.

Snatch of the parade

Here is a tiny bit of small town Memorial Day.

Why two?

Why is he going to two national speech contests?

It wasn't until this trip that it sunk in on me. New York State schedules their Regents Exam week at the same time as the National Speech and Debate Association has their tournament. Most students in our state have to take those exams. Only seniors in competition, like my son, have passed sufficient tests to graduate.

The alternative tournament is presented by the Catholic Forensic League. So we went to Ft. Lauderdale where we were part of the contingent from the Albany Diocese. While my son didn't make the cut, it was great to have the experience of national competition. 

Since my husband won't be able to take the time off work, I will be taking the duties of coach and judge. I was able to sit in on some events to get the feel for it all. While it will be overwhelming, I think I can handle it.

After the good weekend, there is some talk of my husband somehow finding a way to get to Dallas. I will gladly give up my credentials to him.

Do you read these things?

This letter came in the mail detailing the privacy policy for an insurance company. What don't they collect? They know where I buy my coffee, how I take it and who I have it with, no doubt. All in the interest of keeping me healthy.

You can almost make it out now

I'm on the seventh of ten strips in my sweater. I have laid it out so that the back side is up. The last strip connects with the first to form a tube. The top of the sleeves are added. Then cuffs and neckband finish it.

Two things I'm worried about. First, the bottom has too much flare. Since it seems to have a nice drape, I'm hoping that it will hang nicely when I'm wearing it. Second, the skeins of yarn seem to have variations in color intensity. The ball I'm using now is much darker than the previous one. And the hope here is that a few washings will temper the difference. Now that I think about it, washing may help with the first issue since it may shrink up a bit, too.

So my motto now is

Make it work. Enjoy the process. The rest will come out in the wash. 

Dentist yesterday

I got a good report from the dental hygienist yesterday. I return for my next appointment after Thanksgiving. That reminded me to make an appointment for my son for December when he will be home from college.

The new insurance is sending checks directly to the dentist. The office help is complaining about their new system. She likes the way it used to be.

We're not going back. The transition is in motion.

Sign of the season

In a college town, the season can be noticed. After the restaurants are empty of celebrating families and the narrow streets are cleared of rental trucks, you can see the remnants of someone's first apartment, mounded curbside.

Those who are left behind clear it away and put out the "For Rent" sign.

Rain and sun on lilacs

The afternoon spring thunderstorms are coming through.

Weekend Warrior award, movies and pipes

That's me. I got a walk in before I left Minnesota on Saturday. On Sunday night, I dragged myself out do a walk around town. My fitness app noticed.

In both cases, I was overjoyed to find my NPR station streaming shows that I love. I felt like I was walking on air. (Shout out to WMHT and their streaming app!)

On Saturday mornings, Lynne Warfel hosts Saturday Cinema which explores the music of movies related to a weekly topic. I have been frustrated to find the playlists. What I have found out is that it is part of the Minnesota Public Radio's 24-hour classic stream. There is a short segment, Flicks in Five, that is a syndicated program, but I can't seem to get the whole show in a podcast form.

This week the show was had the theme of movies about movies. It was perfect. I'm walking with tears streaming down my face to the music from one of my favorite movies, Cinema Paradiso.

On Sunday night, I've written about my love for Pipedreams. They now claim it's available for device streaming, but I haven't checked it out.

What you see in a parking lot

I noticed it out the window of the stairwell. It took me a while to figure it out. This is Minnesota. There aren't any orange trees dropping fruit around here. 

So this is what I think happened. Someone had a rushed breakfast at the hotel and grabbed a few things to eat later in the day. Their arms were full, as they checked out. They dropped the orange as they were loading the car. They either didn't realize that it rolled underneath the car or they couldn't reach it or they didn't think of pulling out the car to pick it up.

Since it was in the middle of the parking space, the poor orange might have stayed there until the snow plow next winter. I rescued it.

Did MoM see it?

Yesterday, I posted about Transparent Man. I've been musing about several aspects of this.

I believe MoM attended the 1933 Chicago World's Fair: A Century of Progress. She and her twin sister would have been five years old that summer. I can see them dressed alike in hand-made frocks. I wonder how patiently they were able to wait in the long lines. 

Was this the summer between their two attempts at kindergarten? Did they chatter to each other in their own language? That was given as the reason they failed the first time. This was before twins were encouraged to develop their own separate identities. 

I wish I could ask them what they remembered about the trip. Did they see Transparent Man? Or did Grandma P. find it too shocking to see the naked man reaching to the sun?

Transparent man

At the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, A Century of Progress, a popular exhibit was presented by the Mayo Clinic. My father and I viewed the still-functioning, plastic skinned display with audio commentary of highlighted organs at the Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center at Mayo Clinic.

This is Minnesota

I checked in at the counter for the shuttle to Rochester. I didn't think twice when he said, "I'll take your suitcase. You can sit over there to wait." It wasn't until after I climbed in the van that I thought to check on the location of my bag. 

A fellow passenger, born on the other side of the world, but now long-time resident, assured me that it was safely stowed. "This is Minnesota."

TV as a luxury

I was in a hotel room alone last night and was able to watch two of my favorite shows while they were broadcast.

I missed the first few minutes of Call the Midwife, quite a tangle of switched love, lifelong love, secret love and second love.

And what to say about the season finale of The Good Wife? We got one last, long awaited scene with Kalinda and Alicia.  I say "No way!" to the teaser. 

Happy Mother's Day

Memories of MoM and Jackie.

Unexpected gifts

Some people have dandelions. Our neighbors have violets growing in their front yard. Grass is overrated.

Challenge progress

My iPhone app has come up with a couple of new challenges for spring. This one encourages me to go 30 miles in 30 days. It emailed me to let me know I've complete 5 miles. It seems so trite and yet it works.

And I don't play with the numbers like the leader who has gone over 600 miles in 34 workouts this week. OK, I'll relax. This should be about me and my fitness. I don't want to compete.

Living in a college town

I watched out my window mid-morning as a truck stopped across the street. My neighbor hopped out to drop off a grocery bag filled with cans. He works for maintenance for a student rental company.

I suppose it's seasonal, close to the end of term when students go through a lot of beer cans. The cans are a source of extra money for those who bother to pick them up.

A gusset

When you make a garment to fit a body, adjustments must be made to allow for movement. A sweater is one big tube for the trunk with two smaller ones for sleeves. This pattern creates the ease by adding an additional square at the underarm, called a gusset.

MoM was a big user of gussets. Pants bought off-the-rack would rarely fit. She would cut off the extra length on the legs and make a gusset for the crotch.

I like that word.

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French gousset, diminutive of gousse ‘pod, shell,’ of unknown origin.

I made him waffles and bacon

This morning, my son is off to take his Advanced Placement Calculus exam. He'll take Physics and English tomorrow. If he does well, it means college credit. He got credit last year for U.S. History. Four courses would free up almost a semester. It's a lot of pressure.

He ate the bacon, but didn't finish the waffle.

The bridge up on the hill

The melt has finished. Not much rain has fallen. Before everything starts to bud out, you can see a lot on the hill.

Colors and pattern

The program of the festival blends into the knitting on my lap. I asked and the image is from a Technicolor test strip. 

This is better

I have done better with the gulasch suppe in my pressure cooker. I used red potatoes this time.
I wonder how I can send a bowl to my sister.

Red

The trees on the hills have changed from the grey colored sticks of winter. There is an apparent red tinge. I didn't think I could capture it with a long distance photo. The maple tree in front of my house has bud casings that were reddish brown. What is it? Spring!