Self-styled Retreat

Rose the Gypsy and I put together our own annual autumn retreat this month (we did it last year too).  

We had a number of activities during our week ...

History of Minneapolis walking tour with food.   I learned things about the Guthrie Theater which make me dislike the new building less.  But the old building was better.  One of my favorite local beers was featured at one of the stops too :)

We went to see great art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, including an exhibit of 18th century Instagram paintings :)

 We went on a Knitting Cruise sponsored by Darn Knit {Anyway}

And we went to an author talk and signing at The Workshop.  (Clara Parkes is awesome).

Yarn was acquired.  Rose the Gypsy was introduced to two more LYS: Amazing Threads and Linden Yarn.  

This is the super-special-edition Knit the River skein from the cruise:

Other shopping was done too, including another book of photos from a museum shop.

And shoes.  Quite a few pairs, as a matter of fact, including these special-edition Minneapolis Toms from the Mall of America ...

... as well as suede Toms in a favorite color.  Seriously, I needed teal shoes and Rose the Gypsy had to get Toms because believe it or not, she did not own a pair before.

I also found a new dishtowel.  I have to set a good example for my grandchildren, after all, by keeping a tidy kitchen.

We had special foods galore including (but not limited to) Murray's, Birchwood Cafe, Tavern on Grand and The Oasis.   

Oh, and we knit too.  I'll post about that later.

Saturday Entertainment

I went to the Little Free Library Festival at Minnehaha Falls on Saturday with a buddy. It was a beautiful day to be walking around the falls and there were many books to look at, and LFLs but I guess the best part for me was the dogs because that's all I took pictures of:

Thing One and Thing Two were the best.

This one was just silly.

I also finally went to see The Book of Mormon which was very good. I knew it was going to be irreverent but was nonetheless a little surprised by just how profane it was.

We went to lunch before the show which turned out to be a brunch buffet.  I guess checking out the menu before you go does not ensure a well-founded decision.  Oh well.  The show was good and the company great.

Read Harder Challenge Update

I keep writing about the knitting but not about the reading goal ...  so here's an update:

Dystopian novel:  The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
I do like Atwood.  This one is described as "wickedly funny" which I do not agree with.  I did find the Elvises funny though.  If that intrigues you then you should read it.  Either way I recommend it.  And for the record, Boy-child's girlfriend gifted me the book for Christmas.  Way to score points!

Transgender: A Queer and Pleasant Danger by Kate Borenstein
Fascinating all around.  This could also qualify as the book about religion as there is a very interesting section on Scientology. I see too that there's a movie so it could qualify for that.  I first heard of the author from Boy-child - he was obsessed with her book, Hello Cruel World when he was having his adolescent melt-down.  I recommend this one for anyone who is interested in the trans-gender experience.

Set in the Middle East:  Habibi by Craig Thompson
I don't have the words to describe this book.  Read it.  I plan to read it again.  It is intriguing and exotic and disturbing and full of hope.  This could also qualify for the book over 500 pages.   It is simply stunning.

Middle grade novel:  Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
I started with a different middle-grade novel but was bored to tears.  I finished Eleanor and Park in a flash.   This is a beautifully constructed story of first love.  Need I say more?

That's what I've finished so far.  I will not talk about the ones I'm in the middle of right now;  I will refrain until I have finished.

Goals for 2016

I'm not making resolutions this year. My approach is to set goals. Modest ones.

First goal - the quarterly knitting challenge set up by Rose the Gypsy.

One project per quarter, in any order.  Use stash yarn and leftovers as much as possible.

• One project to be something you've always wanted to make, but never have.  
• One project to be made using a technique (not a pattern) learned in a class.
• One project to be something you've made before but with a different treatment this time.
• One project to be knitter's choice.

Back in 2004 I took a knitting class at The Yarnery, taught by Shelly Kang.  Shelly was working on a blanket made of leftover sock yarn.  She eventually made the blanket and even won the sweepstakes at the Minnesota State Fair.  She is the reason I make socks and, by extension the reason I have lots of leftover sock yarn.  Although I have given away a lot of the odds and ends, I can manage to make at least a throw with what I have on hand.

The blanket can qualify for the technique learned in a class or for something I've always wanted to make.  I may or may not finish it this year, but at least I've started.

I also started a Sister Syster in a beautiful purple Araucania.   At this point I'm not sure how much progress will be made as I seem to be obsessed with the blankie right now.

Second goal:  The Book Riot Read Harder Challenge for 2016  I was invited to join in a group on Facebook and I'm diving in.

First book:  The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood, received as a gift from Boy-child's girlfriend. 

That's it for now.  I'm going to take it easy this year.  Auntie's townhouse should be on the market soon, so I'll be able to wrap up her estate.   Maybe I'll set more goals as the year progresses.  Maybe not.  

Last Stop: The Library

I don't believe I'd ever been to the British Library before (not sure how that happened), so that was my last stop, after the Victoria and Albert.

There was an Alice In Wonderland Exhibit.

That was about all that could be photographed though.

I remember this image from when I was a freshman in college ... a friend thought I looked like Alice and she sent me a card with this on it during finals.

I also enjoyed looking at everything from the Magna Carta to the Beatles' notes.

There was a great bench in the entrance.

After that I went back to the hotel to rest up.  I was too tired, my feet hurt too much and it was too expensive to go to a show. 

I did think this was an odd combo at Heathrow airport.  I guess you can drop off the kids and go have a smoke.

The trip was a lot of fun; it was just what I needed.

Now I guess I'm ready for Christmas.

More on Books

I went to Books & Bars tonight, where we discussed Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book.  

It was a good discussion.

There will be a podcast of it somewhere, but I'm not sure where.  If I find it posted later I will let you know.  You can listen to it and see if you can identify me ;)

BTW, today is Gaiman's birthday - just one day before Girl-child's birthday.  He is 55 years old, which is my age.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Also, I had a request for photos of the book earrings, which I take to author books signings when I think of it.  It's hard to capture the lewd and lascivious comments that Redmond O'Hanlon wrote, but let me say that his is the most interesting signature so far.

There's Weird, and Then There's Weird

I went to see Jenny Lawson at the U of MN bookstore the other night.  I love the Bloggess.  Sometimes people seem to wonder what kind of messed up I must be to love her.   I wish they would just ask ... I would reply, "all of it."

It was totally worth the two hour wait*... she signed my book AND my earring (she was quite amazed by the earring):




A lot of weird stuff can be seen on the light rail, but seriously, a head?  He boarded with a bunch of people who seemed to be going to the airport.



I think if I were traveling with an extra head I would pack it out of sight. 

Just sayin'.

*Plus I got a lot of knitting done :)

Hagia Sophia

I'm done with work and enjoying a few days vacation before returning home. Today's main stop was the Hagia Sophia. I passed through the Basilica Cistern and went to the Little Hagia Sophia too.

First, the main attraction:

It is actually impossible to capture the scale of the building.

It was a church for over 900 years.

Then it was a mosque for almost 500 years.

Not many of the mosaics have survived the centuries, but there are a few:

There are signs everywhere to not use flash when taking pictures, but the windows are open.  I'm not sure how much longer the mosaics can survive Istanbul air (not to mention pigeons flying around).

There's lots of marble.

Ataturk made it into a museum, so it is no longer a functioning mosque; that's why the mosaics can be uncovered.

Don't know if you've read Inferno by Dan Brown, but that little adventure takes you into the Cistern.  Photos are pretty hard to take underground, but I did snap shots of the two Medusas. I read the novel as part of my prep work before coming to Istanbul :-D

The Little Hagia Sophia is close to my new (modest) hotel.  I hadn't realized it is a functioning mosque until I got there.  Luckily I had my headscarf with me (don't leave home without it).

I wasn't sure they would let me in with my ankles showing ... but they did.

 It's lovely, and yes, it's very small compared with the original Hagia Sophia.

Tax Time

I did my own taxes today for the first time in my life. Yes, even as a teenager I had a tax-man; my mother worked for the IRS so one of her co-workers did them for me.

In other happenings, I finished a baby gift for a co-worker.  She's due in April but I thought I would mail it in March.  She lives in (northern) California.  I went with the three sock tradition, not because the baby will have three feet but because socks always get lost.

I also went to a new book club this past week - Books and Bars at Republic.  The book was entertaining, the discussion was good and the facilitator lively.  I'll probably go again.  The book for February was The Golem and the Jinni.  Next month is Shotgun Lovesongs which is almost local (Wisconsin).  For St Paulites the meeting place is The Happy Gnome (there's a meeting in Excelsior every month too, but who wants to drive to Excelsior?).

While at Calhoun Square I snapped some photos of an umbrella installation.

Not Christo, but fun.

Mary Poppins even makes an appearance.