Three Good Rats

Out of a possible 100 points, I got...

2008-07-23T14:48:00.006-04:00

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Poor (Failure)

So I don't want to get up early to make breakfast, and I drink and swear and walk around the house in socks. So what? I have many fine qualities as well.

I am extremely grateful that it's not the 1930's.

Summer Knitting Goals

2008-07-22T16:27:00.005-04:00

As you may or may not know, Ravelympics 2008 is almost upon us! If you aren't a Ravelry member, here's the gist: cast on for a project during the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Beijing and finish before the flame goes out.

I've signed up with Team Bloc 11 and I'll be participating in WIP Wrestling, the one exception to the above cast-on rule. In this event, one tries to finish as many languishing knitting projects as possible during that time. My goal is to complete the Lace Ribbon Scarf I cast on for way back on May 16th. I've made some progress since then, but not much and not recently. I think I can finish it in 17 days if I really work at it. (And if I have time, maybe I'll even go back and finish the Blythe coat from last year! Oooh!)

My non-Olympic goal is to finish the back of St. Enda by the end of August. Although I just finished the front last week, I already have a healthy start on the back. That will give me September to do one sleeve, and October to do the other. In November I'll just seam it up and finish the neck, and it will be ready to wear by the time the snow falls. Easy peasy!

Why do I feel like Bridget Jones convincing herself she can pull together a dinner party for 12 people in an hour with 6 missing ingredients?

Little Stalker

2008-07-18T10:04:00.003-04:00

The last book I read by Jennifer Belle was Going Down, a novel about a woman turning tricks to pay her way through college. It was satisfying in that chick lit way, fun and funny, fast-paced, and a little silly. I missed her next book, High Maintenance, though I think I'll go back and read that one now. 2007's Little Stalker surprised me; Belle's writing has really come into it's own.

Rebekah Kettle has been obsessed with the films of Arthur Weeman since she was a child, attending the 10am showing of each one on opening day and always sitting in the same seat. This appears to be the only stable consistant aspect of her life. Her family is disjointed, and her love life unsuccessful. She wrote a successful novel years ago, but has been unable to follow it up. Rebekah befriends an elderly woman named Mrs Williams and soon discovers that from Mrs. Williams' apartment, she can see into Arthur Weeman's window. She begins writing him letters as 13-year-old Thalia, and spies on him to find that he is taking her comments and suggestions to heart, until their lives intersect in a way that neither of them could have predicted.

Rebekah is a fantastically imperfect character, neurotic, stubborn, and witty. Belle has crafted a story that rises far above her first novel. I love chick lit, but this isn't it - this is just great fiction from an author who has sadly been overlooked.

****************************************************

In other female author news, Jennifer Weiner has been profiled in the July 2008 issue of Current Biography. You can read it here. It seems that In Her Shoes is not the last of her books to be made into a movie and, even more excitingly, Weiner has signed a contract to develop and produce shows for ABC! Anyway, it's a great article about one of my favorite writers, so you should totally check it out.

Sweater front is done!

2008-07-15T10:24:00.004-04:00

And it only took me three months! I will need to pick up the pace if I'm going to reach my goal of having this done in time for Eric to wear it this winter.

I haven't blocked it yet or woven in the ends (as you can see) but I may do so soon, before assembling, so that I can be sure of the measurements and because it will dry more quickly if it's just one layer.

I had some concerns with the fit, due to gauge and the wishful thinking of the intended recipient in terms of what size he wears, but it seems like it's right on target. Also, in the original pattern the bottom hem is done in the honeycomb pattern which I changed because I didn't like it. Now I'm losing faith in that decision, but it's too late to change it. I think it'll be ok though - I'm sure you didn't see the picture and exclaim "What the HELL was she thinking with that bottom hem??" Please tell me you didn't.

Goal: finish the back by the end of August!

July: Independence

2008-07-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

A review of Lord of the Flies by William Golding

A group of British schoolboys are stranded on an island, presumably after a plane crash, and in their struggle to organize some sort of society, they instead break into factions leading to violence and death. Kind of like Lost. This fits the Book a Month theme of independence very well, as it is a rather harsh coming-of-age story of young boys who suddenly must survive on their own. Thinking of the month's theme, one cannot help compare them to a newly-forming nation made up of unruly, misguided people.

What this book lacked was context. There was a discussion among the boys about being saved in which someone mentioned a bomb and how nobody was around to save them. Were they on the plane because of the war? Were they escaping from something? Was a school trip? Why did it crash? And who were they before this happened? Not knowing anything about their background, they are all blank slates on the island.

In the notes, I read that Golding intended the story to be entirely symbolic. He wanted to show that the individual is what determines the direction of society, regardless of what sorts of organizations or governments are in place. The boys on the island were a microcosm of what was going on in the world - in the midst of their war they are saved in the end by a sailor with the Royal Navy who was involved in a larger war. Golding asks "But who will save him?" While this commentary adds some depth and context to the book, I can't help but be disappointed by any novel which requires reading author comments or other criticism to have an idea of what it is actually about. Without that, it's still a decent story, but rather two-dimensional.

New Sock

2008-07-06T17:19:00.004-04:00

I'm still plugging away on St. Enda and the Lace Ribbon Scarf, but neither of those are good social knitting projects. I needed something to take to knitting group that I won't screw up while trying to hold up my end of a conversation.

This was going to be two socks knit at once on two circs, since the yardage was stingy and I had to buy two skeins, and I've been wanting to try that technique for a while. I think I was almost finished casting on when I decided to rip it out and cast on for just one sock. A sock is great for knitting group not just because it's uncomplicated, but also because it's portable. But if I have to take two socks instead of one, and two skeins of yarn instead of one, it's not quite so portable. I'm actually pretty sure I won't like the technique, but I'd like to prove it to myself. Maybe next time.

This is the first yarn I've used from the trip to Webs back in May. It's Artyarns Ultramerino and it's so soft and vibrant and wonderful and I almost didn't buy it. I decided to pass, but then talked about it all through lunch and finally, under intense peer pressure, went back to the store and bought it. Thank goodness for enablers!

A bit o' cute

2008-07-01T10:07:00.005-04:00

Just because.

Two Books About Food

2008-06-28T10:49:00.003-04:00

Since I am obsessed with food, I just finished two very different books on the subject.

Such a pretty fat : one narcissist's quest to discover if her life makes her ass look big, or why pie is not the answer by Jen Lancaster

I'll admit I read this book based entirely on the title. It is a chick lit styled memoir about a woman trying to lose weight. She had a very positive self-image and was content with her body, but her doctor convinced her that her health would be in great jeopardy if she didn't lose weight. As Lancaster noted, there would be no point to having beautiful pedicures if she lost a foot to diabetes. So she set out to get fit and lose weight. She tried Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers and rejected them both, opting instead to simply eat a sensible diet and decrease her portion sizes. Most importantly, she hired a personal trainer and pushed herself to work out regularly and become stronger and healthier.

Though it was enough that Lancaster is so hilarious, what really made this book stand out to me was her refreshingly positive view of herself - her weight loss was not a means to make her feel better about herself, or get a man, or fit into a smaller sized dress. She didn't talk numbers at all, in fact. We don't know how much she weighed or what size she wore, and indeed it was beside the point. What we did learn was how much better she felt, how strong she became, what she was able to do after getting in shape that she couldn't do before. Such a Pretty Fat is a fun book to read, but it's also inspiring and motivating.

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan

In his follow-up to the excellent Omnivore's Dilemma, Pollan rips apart nutrition research, processed foods, and the Western diet, which he blames for the high rates of obesity, heart disease, and cancer in the US. As always, his arguments are sensible and well backed-up. I particularly liked this book because I have long been annoyed about how scientific eating has become: there is always some nutrient of the moment that is deified or vilified, many studies are touted which support contradictory claims, and there is an overwhelming feeling that we should be analyzing, graphing and charting the intake of various nutrients to make sure we are eating "correctly." Pollan urges us to go back to eating whole foods (not processed food products) as part of meals that we cook out of food ingredients (not additives or supplements) in our own kitchens and then enjoy with family and friends. Radical!

It's sad that we have to be told these things, and it's also sad that it's so difficult to do. Seriously, I challenge you to go into Stop 'n Shop and find a loaf of bread that contains whole grains, no high fructose corn syrup, and no ingredients that you can't pronounce. And these days most of us have to work for a living and don't have time to stay home and bake bread. Fortunately though, Pollan offers many helpful suggestions and guidelines that will help improve our diets. In Defense of Food is eye-opening and has certainly motivated me to make more of an effort to eat better.

Though very different on the surface, these two books have something important that they share: common sense. Lancaster knew that a packaged food plan that leaves no room for even an annual birthday cake is no way to live, and that despite what she was told by one organization, food is not "bad." She knew that she didn't have to be told what to eat for every meal, but needed to simply learn how to make more sensible choices. Similarly, Pollan argues that we do not need to read scientific studies to learn what to eat, and that we're better off eating unrefined foods - fat and all - than foods that have been stripped of all nutrition and had various things added in based on what scientists tell us we need. Hooray for sense and reason!

When Librarians Attack

2008-06-25T12:21:00.002-04:00

If you subscribe to Publib I'm sure you've noticed the hateful, nasty, bordering-on-violent discussions that have been clogging your inbox for the past several days. Seeming innocent questions on topics such as helping teenagers find books and how to communicate and enforce rules for internet use have resulted in name-calling, accusations, and insults. Why all the cranky? I have some ideas.

Top Ten Reasons Why Librarians Are So Cranky Right Now:

1. Older librarians can't afford to retire and younger librarians blame them for staying in their job so we can't have them.

2. Our pay is stagnant while our bills keep increasing.

3. School has let out for the summer.

4. Although we feel quite young, we are already too old to take part in ALA's Emerging Leaders Program.

5. It's the end of the fiscal year and we dread what the new budget will bring (or take away.)

6. Our coworkers have been in their jobs for way too long (see #1) and their crankiness is contagious.

7. We keep hearing that we are obsolete.

8. We really can get better answers to reference questions using Google and hate to admit it.

9. You keep asking us for things that don't exist and then get angry when we can't provide them for you right this minute.

10. You won't turn off your damn cell phone.

Honeymoon Over

2008-06-18T10:41:00.016-04:00

No, this isn't about the Honeymoon Cami, an ill-advised project I started and abandoned long ago, though that is a great example of what I am writing about.

When I began knitting, there was literally a world of projects before me, everything was appealing, and I wanted to knit it all. Through trial and error I have learned to be more discriminating when choosing patterns to knit. Although I am now slightly less enchanted at every new issue of Knitty or IK, knowing that I won't make most of it, I have better results because I know what to choose. I used to get overwhelmed by all the new patterns, and not know where to start, but now I just enjoy looking at the pretty pictures.

Here are some things I have learned:

- Not to be a guinea pig. I wait to see others' results before embarking on any project.
- Bulky yarns may knit up quickly, but with few exceptions I probably won't wear the result.
- Wide boatnecks are impractical and pointless. This eliminates most sweater patterns designed these days, but no way am I going to walk around with my bra straps hanging out.
- If I would pass it by in a store, I probably shouldn't invest the time and money in knitting it.
- You really can have too many scarves.
- Ditto for hats.
- No matter how cute those tops are, I simply will not wear yarn in the summer.
- I dislike working with mohair.
- If I've never worn a shrug/shawl/whatever, a nice pattern is no reason to think I'll wear one now.
- If the pattern doesn't list a gauge and/or finished measurements, beware!
- Just because it looks fantastic on the model doesn't mean it will look good on me.
- Most objects really don't need cozies.
- Ditto for pets and sweaters. I'm opposed to animal cruelty.

Is your knitting honeymoon over? What have you learned about how to choose patterns?

Hope is sometimes elusive

2008-06-15T19:03:00.005-04:00

It's difficult to maintain enthusiasm in your profession when, on a given day, the most pressing concern of the people you serve is the whereabouts of the flyers from the Sunday paper.

I know it's not for me to judge how people use the library, and that I should be thankful that they walk through the doors at all, but when that happens I always have an overwhelming urge to tell them that if they want the flyers they should go buy their own damn papers.

Nothing else that patrons ask for annoys me nearly this much. Clearly, I have a personal issue. Or maybe it's just that they get angry about this, but not because the air conditioning is broken and the stairway smells like sewage and the walls are literally crumbling. Apparently none of that is as important as knowing what's on sale at Kmart this week.

June: Knowledge

2008-06-12T10:08:00.001-04:00

June's BAM Challenge is a little tricky. One could argue that every book is either about knowledge or contains knowledge, right? But perusing the list of suggested titles, I saw a number of them were on the theme of secrets and Penny Vincenzi's Sheer Abandon fits that bill perfectly.

Three young women meet at Heathrow airport as they embark on a year of backpacking. They spend a few days together in Thailand and then go their separate ways, promising to meet up again a year later when they are all back from England. One of them - we don't know who - returns to England pregnant, has her baby in a cleaning closet in Heathrow and abandons it there.

Sixteen years later, the three still haven't met up again. Jocasta is a journalist with a commitment-phobe boyfriend, Clio is a doctor, and Martha is a high-powered lawyer moving her way into politics. Kate, the abandoned baby, has grown up into a beautiful teenager hoping for a modeling career and, more importantly, wanting to find her birth mother. Their worlds all begin to approach each other, amid much drama and scandal. Their lives are all affected by the secrets they keep from each other, and there are many interesting turning points in the story that come about because of what each character decides to share, and what they keep to themselves. This novel wasn't quite as literary as many of the books I read, but it wasn't exactly Danielle Steel either (no offense to Steel - I'll readily admit to reading all of her books in high school). Sheer Abandon is a great beach read, if you care to lug it there. But don't let the 600 pages daunt you - this is perfect summer fare.

Vacation Reading

2008-06-10T09:22:00.001-04:00

I'm way overdue on this, but better late than never! Here are short reviews on the two best books I read over my vacation:

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The much-awaited (by me, anyway) companion volume to Life As We Knew It takes place during the same catastrophe - the moon being knocked out of orbit, causing cataclysmic weather, deaths, and the breakdown of society - but from the perspective of a different family in another part of the country. In New York City, a teenaged boy and his two younger sisters are at home alone when it happens. Their father is in Puerto Rico at their grandmother's funeral and their mother has left for work at a hospital, neither to return, leaving the three kids to survive for themselves in a world that has become unstable and scary.

Because they're in a city and also very involved in their church, this family is much more informed of what is going on than the family in Life As We Knew It and have a bit more access to support. Like the first book, this one was filled with a mixture of desperation and hope. It is a very different story though, and did not disappoint.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The daughter of a bookshop owner is called upon to write the biography of an ailing writer who, in addition to her many novels, has told just as many untrue versions of her life story. What follows is a fantastic tale full of secrets, lies, betrayals, sinister twins, madwomen in the attic - everything you could hope for in a novel. Unpredictable and creepy, it's a gothic page-turner. If you haven't read it yet, I strongly suggest you do so. This is Setterfield's first novel, and I can't wait to see what's next.

Progress, I has it

2008-06-04T21:44:00.004-04:00

It turns out that I only worked on one project during my vacation, but I got a lot done!

It looked huge until I held it up to Eric and saw how much farther I still had to go. But still, a lot accomplished! I knew that 5 hours of watching Pride & Prejudice had to be more productive than it felt like at the time. Next time I'll take some close-ups of the pattern; I realize you can't see much from this shot.

Before my vacation, I started another project. The Lace Ribbon Scarf from the Spring issue of Knitty, made with Noro Sock that I bought at Webs last month.

I don't especially enjoy knitting lace, and I don't really like knitting scarves, but somehow I ended up knitting a lace scarf. We'll see how long it lasts. I love the yarn though.

I was going to bring the camera to Maine with me, but decided at the last minute that I didn't want to carry that much stuff. Of course, it turns out that I would have had many great photo opportunities. I knew I'd see llamas at my sister's house, but also she got baby chicks the day after I arrived - 52 of them! I have hardly ever seen so much cuteness in one place. Also, I saw alpacas, sheep, and a very cute bunny rabbit that may or may not have been wild. Next time I go I'll take the camera, I promise!

A bit of this, a bit of that

2008-05-25T10:53:00.003-04:00

Remember my post-apocalyptic booklist? Well, it seems that Booklist magazine has totally copied my idea! I opened the 5/15 issue to find "Core Collection: Before and After The Road" which contains many of the same books on my list. Hmm. Very suspicious if you ask me.

Have you seen this survey on the value of an MLIS? Please go fill it out!

In related news, and to further substantiate my belief that librarianship is becoming deprofessionalized, I recently found a job posting here in MA for a reference position that doesn't require an MLS. To their credit they say "MLS or extensive library experience" (emphasis mine) but still, you are just opening a can of worms there, Nevins Library!

Also - I've won more sock yarn! I know, crazy, right? Just a month after winning some Dream in Color Smooshy Sock Yarn I have now won...more Smooshy Sock Yarn! Unbelievable luck, and it happened on the last day of work before vacation just when I thought I'd lose my mind. Thanks so much, Heather!

That's right, vacation! I'll be gone all week, whisked away to the woods of Maine with very limited internet access. So no updates from me, but hopefully when I return I'll have lots of book reviews and knitting progress to show you. Because, you know, there's not a lot to do up there.

Puzzled by sock yarn

2008-05-19T12:28:00.005-04:00

Since I began knitting socks, I've been frustrated by the fact that many yarns do not clearly state on the label that when knit up the colors will form stripes. I know there are some beautifully variegated yarns out there, but every time I think I'm buying some it turns out to be striped. For example, the Tofutsies I used for my Monkey socks. There are so many colors that not only didn't I realize it was striping yarn when I bought it, I didn't even notice it as I was knitting. I'm so daft that I first noticed the stripes when the socks were completely done and I tried them on.

I have nothing against yarns that stripe, but I do like to have some idea how a yarn will look knit up before matching it to a pattern. Yarn stores are full of swatches of their various yarns so you can see how they'll knit up, but sock yarn remains a mystery. No swatches. Do the yarn manufacturers and yarn shop management think that because the yarn is just for socks, we care less how it will look than if we were knitting a sweater?

A couple of weeks ago I was at Webs and saw what I thought was a bunch of swatches stuffed on a shelf, but turned out to be Flat Feet, sock yarn sold in knitted flats. Hey, I thought, what a great idea! Finally, I can see what the yarn looks like knit up. But no, that would make too much sense in the bewildering world of sock yarn. It doesn't look anything like the flat once it's knit up. Why, you may ask, does it come as a piece of knitted fabric?

Because it is portable.

Just think about that for a moment.

I mean, it is such a BURDEN to carry around sock yarn that is wound into a ball, right? Seriously, a ball is more compact than one of these flats which presumably must be folded to fit into your knitting bag and thus will be *more* annoying to unwind than a ball (what with having to unfold it), so I fail to see how one could argue that it is more portable.

Also, "no tangles!"

So, same as a ball, right? There are no tangles in balled yarn until you pull it OFF the ball to use it. Just as this will tangle once you pull it out of the flat. Plus it's all crimpy from being knit up already.

You know how you feel when you're the only person who doesn't get the joke? That's how I feel about sock yarn, especially Flat Feet. Perhaps I just don't truly understand sock knitting yet. In all fairness to Conjoined Creations, the colors are lovely. I just think they could have done without the silly gimmick.

May: Mother

2008-05-14T21:02:00.001-04:00

The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond: a review

A photographer named Abby has recently become engaged to Jake, a single father and is trying to bond with his 6-year-old daughter. Abby takes Emma to the beach one day, looks away for a few seconds to take some photos, and when she turns back Emma is gone. Abby and Jake launch into a full-scale hunt for Emma, but the very few clues they have don't lead anywhere. The strain takes a toll on their relationship and the wedding is postponed indefinitely as their search continues with ever-dwindling hope.

I picked this book for the BAM challenge because the theme for this month is "mother" and I thought the book was about a mother who loses her child. Instead, it is a woman who hopes to soon becom a mother to a child, but instead makes a mistake and loses her. Abby is racked by guilt and questions why she ever believed she could be a mother when she can't even keep a child from harm. Woven into the story of her search for Emma are some of her childhood memories about her own mother and the rest of her family; meanwhile, Abby receives updates from her younger sister who is pregnant with her first child. There are many mothers in this story, and women who want to be mothers, and people without mothers. It fit into the theme for Mother's Day month even more than I expected.

For a large portion of the book very little is happening other than Abby's internal struggles and the impression that she and Jake are doing the same things day after day as the search for Emma stretches on for the better part of a year. But somehow it was strangely compelling and I found myself spending every moment I could spare reading this book. It was dismal, for obvious reasons, but also completely satisfying.

Beaded Rib Socks

2008-05-11T11:39:00.005-04:00

Or, the Socks that Would Not End.

The socks are nice. (Wish I could say as much for my floors. Ugh!)

I really love this colorway of Tofutsies. It's a combination of off-white, tan, and grey that overall looks very pebbly. I used the Beaded Rib Pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. It's rather similar to the pattern for another pair I made recently, which I think is why this pair felt like it took so long. I just got bored, and it didn't help that my other project is off-white. I need to knit something colorful now!

This is only my second pair of toe-up socks and I think I can definitively say that I don't like that method. Short-row shaping is so awkward and messy, and look how terrible the heel looks:

Definitely not the neat orderly sock heels that I love. No! Big gaps and loose stitches on both sides of both heels. I still like the socks though. I'm wearing them now and they are quite comfy, which I suppose is the most important thing.

Libraries and self-published books

2008-05-08T10:32:00.009-04:00

I've been reading a lot the last few days about why libraries don't purchase self-published books. Vanity presses are being discussed on Publib, and the Librarian In Black posted about the elitism and laziness of libraries that won't purchase these materials. I disagree with "elitism" but maybe not with "laziness." This is part of a larger issue of collection development. It is too often a reactionary process - librarians look at reviews being fed to us from a small number of review journals and order what the reviews recommend. It should be more than that: we should be examining the collection, determining what is missing, and then finding it. Otherwise, your collection will be incomplete. There are entire subject areas absent from review journals.

In terms of self-published books, there are good reasons why libraries traditionally don't purchase these books. Generally they're not very good, hence the reason they are self-published. Libraries have a limited amount of money to spend and will spend it on the books that are popular and in demand. Historically, self-published books haven't generated demand as there's no publisher creating that demand through marketing. Although books of quality have been self-published there is no way to find out which ones are worth purchasing without reading them, and libraries simply shouldn't be gambling with their budgets.

But the publishing industry is changing, and libraries need to change with it. Some books are gaining popularity through online resources without traditional marketing or reviews. A Thingology article illustrates a perfect example of this. Getting Real, a book about building web applications, was originally made available in pdf, then released in print through Lulu.com. It is a big seller, but according to WorldCat only 3 libraries own it. If it's popular, libraries should have it, but how are we to know it even exists without looking for it? There is a growing need to start looking at non-traditional sources to guide our collection development and luckily this is becoming easier.

But there's another hurdle: even if a library is willing to purchase a self-published book, ordering it isn't easy. Public libraries order with purchase order numbers and then pay the invoice later, which isn't the way that self-published books are sold. How fantastic would it be if we all had corporate credit cards and could order what we want from any vendor we want? Alas, it is not that easy. Even small presses are difficult to order from using a PO. Sadly, purchasing policy is determined by the cities we work for, so the needed changes have to happen at a higher level than the library. We just need to convince our governing bodies that it's in their interest to evolve. Good luck to us with that!

Aran sweater progress

2008-05-06T17:38:00.005-04:00

I haven't shown you any progress on my knitting in a while and, in fact, it doesn't feel like there's a lot of progress to show. But I'm forging slowly ahead on the St. Enda sweater.

This is a fun project to knit. I like following charts! I changed the hem at the bottom, which was originally supposed to be the honeycomb pattern. I wanted it to look different but wasn't sure what to do. Finally, I decided to just knit it as written, but made an error and liked the result. I don't like knitting the honeycomb - it is tiny little cables, but they are very tight for some reason. I also have to keep checking the key because I get the symbols mixed up. It's starting to get easier though.

I'm getting nervous about whether it will fit. I took a lot of measurements, did math, and thoroughly swatched...so I should have no reason to worry, right?

April: Beauty

2008-04-30T07:47:00.001-04:00

For this month's BAM Challenge I read Dinaw Mengestu's The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears, a novel about an Ethiopian immigrant who owns a convenience store in Washington DC. Sepha Stephanos is caught between two worlds. He cannot go back to the life he left 17 years ago, but neither can he move forward in his new life in America. He tries when he meets his new neighbor Judith and her daughter Naomi; he comes to look forward to Naomi's daily visits and hopes for a relationship with Judith. When he discovers that Naomi's father was also African, he feels as though Judith just wants to fill the space he left and that he cannot possibly do it. He is still very taken with her but they are unable to ever really come together. Meanwhile, tensions in the neighborhood are mounting with increased rents and the resulting evictions. Judith is threatened, and when her house is burned down she moves away.

Sepha's two close friends are also African immigrants. Joseph is from Zaire and Kenneth is from Kenya. Like Sepha, Joseph's father was successful, but they both have very modest lives in America. By contrast, Kenneth's father was illiterate but Kenneth is now a successful businessman who dresses in suits every day and in many way embodies the American dream. Sepha and Joseph both talk about Africa continuously but Kenneth tires of their nostalgia for home.

Many issues are addressed in this book and I see now why some cities have chosen it for their One City One Book programs. It is especially pertinent to certain areas, like Somerville, that are also struggling with issues surrounding immigration and gentrification. But it's not just a book about issues, it's a beautifully told story about a man who just wants to be happy and have a better life, which is something we can all relate to.

Shedir, finished

2008-04-27T21:31:00.004-04:00

This was a fun project. I used less than skein of the Lion Brand Microspun I had in my stash. My head is pretty small so I omitted a pattern repeat (or possibly two, I can't remember). It fits well and it's perfect for spring!

Eating locally

2008-04-23T09:11:00.002-04:00

Author Barbara Kingsolver and her family moved to a Virginia farm and embarked upon a year-long experiment to eat only local foods, most of which they grew or raised themselves. They managed to get through the year in great shape with plenty of food, including what they canned, dried, and froze for the winter. I just finished reading her book about the experience, Animal Vegetable Miracle, and have been inspired to move to a farm and grow all my own food. Since this is a bit impractical right now, I'll settle for shopping at farmers markets and maybe growing just a few things at home.

Kingsolver's book has completely shamed me for not only buying produce out of season, but not even knowing when certain foods are in season at all. I have had vague notions, like lettuce=spring, corn=summer, winter squash=winter but I didn't know that, for example, the asparagus season is only a couple of weeks long. I think my upcoming foray into gardening will help me out in this department considerably.

In fact, we spent a good part of Monday in the back yard, raking up leaves and debris and clearing out rocks, used to outline some long ago garden beds. Also we took a trip to home depot for some plants and seeds. We have little pots of lettuce, basil, rosemary, and peppers on the window sill waiting to be planted, as well as packets of carrot, pumpkin, and string bean seeds. We're going to put a raised garden bed in one corner of the back yard and hopefully will grow something edible.

The farmers markets don't start up until late May, but now that the weather is better it is more practical to go farther afield for a better grocery store. After a long and lovely walk to Central Sq this weekend, we went to Harvest Co-op, my favorite natural foods store. There we found not only better produce than Stop n Shop (which isn't too hard) But! Also! LOCAL tofu and tempeh! Srsly. There's a company in Jamaica Plain called 21st Century Foods that makes tofu, tempeh, and a number of other exciting products. My newfound locavorianism also conveniently coincides with the news that my favorite coffee shop, the Sherman Cafe in Union Square, will be opening a market selling only local foods. How fantastic! It's still in the planning stages, but still - this is great news!

It's not exactly what Kingsolver and her family have done, but for someone living in an urban area I think it's a pretty good start. I'll probably never grow enough produce to can it for the winter (and kill us both from botulism, probably) but I do feel committed to taking these small steps towards a more local diet. I still want chickens, though. Maybe next year.

Smooshy Sock Yarn!

2008-04-18T21:03:00.006-04:00

Remember my mention of fabulous prizes for the February sockdown? Guess what? I won a fabulous prize!

Two skeins of Dream in Color Smooshy Sock yarn:

They were donated by Sonny and Shear (tagline: "I Got Ewe, Babe") and were packaged up very nicely with a lovely card and a couple of packets of yummy herbal tea. The pink colorway is called Petal Shower and the green is Spring Tickle. They also include a small sample of a colorway called Chewy Spaghetti. They are quite lovely - take a closer look:

This is perfect because I have so many sock patterns in my queue, and for some strange reason the local yarn stores just don't have the variety of sock yarns that I require. This is a real treat!

It's the end of the world as we know it: a booklist

2008-04-14T11:04:00.003-04:00

Adams, John Joseph, ed. Wastelands: stories of the Apocalypse
A collection of 22 short stories about human survival at the end of the world by authors including Orson Scott Card, Elizabeth Bear, Octavia Butler, Jonathan Lethem, and Stephen King.

Brin, David. The Postman
A survivor traveling across the post-apocalypse United States assumes the role of a "Restored United States" postal inspector, restoring hope and uniting other desperate survivors.

Butler, Octavia. Parable of the Sower
In a dystopian future in which the world is ravaged by global warming, disease and racial tensions, a young woman suffers from hyperempathy syndrome, a condition that causes her to feel the pain of others as though it is her own. When she is forced to leave her home she spends her journey recruiting others to her new faith, becoming a prophet who holds hope for a new world.

Hoban, Russell. Riddley Walker
Written in a strange yet familiar pidgin English, a story about life in Britain after nuclear holocaust which has reduced humanity to a semi-literate iron age.

King, Stephen. The Stand
A mutating super flu wipes out over 99% of the world's population, leaving the survivors in a battle between good and evil that will determine the future of the planet. This lengthy, complex, and detailed novel contains a cast of richly-drawn characters and metaphysical and philosophical themes.

King, Stephen. Cell
A fast-paced novel in which cell phones turn people into zombies, and those few untouched by this technological warfare band together to protect themselves while helping one man search for his young son.

McCammon, Robert. Swan Song
Frequently compared to The Stand for it's post-apocalyptic themes of good vs. evil and it's strong characters, this novel takes place in a world ravaged by nuclear holocaust.

McCarthy, Cormac. The Road
It doesn't get any more desolate or bleak than this. A man, his son, and their shopping cart travel south after an unnamed catastrophe has destroyed the US, and possibly the world, headed towards an uncertain future.

Miller, Walter M. A Canticle for Leibowitz
This scifi classic takes place after the Simplification, a nuclear holocaust that plunges the world back into the dark ages. Following a group of monks in a Utah abbey, the novel spans hundreds of years to illustrate the cycles of humanity, and emphasize that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Life As We Knew It
When an asteroid knocks the moon out of its orbit and closer to Earth, severe weather wreaks havoc on the world's population. One teenage girl chronicles her life with her family as they struggle to survive in the aftermath. (Pfeffer's forthcoming companion novel is called The Dead and the Gone.)

Rosoff, Meg. How I Live Now
15-year-old Daisy leaves Manhattan to stay with her cousins at a remote farm in England, during which a world war breaks out. Her aunt, traveling in Norway, is unable to return as terrorists take over the country, including the farmhouse, and begin a years-long occupation.

Shute, Nevil. On the Beach
A classic novel of nuclear annihilation. A group of friends in Australia bide their time until the fallout reaches their shores to kill them all.

Stewart George R. Earth Abides
A plague has wiped out almost all humans, and Ish Williams becomes the leader of a small band of survivors in California. Although they escaped death, Ish realizes that the world they knew is gone forever.

Zelazny, Roger. Damnation Alley
The last surviving Hells Angel faces a choice of life in prison, or a job driving a case of antiserum across country to the plague-ridden people of Boston. He chooses the road trip across a war-destroyed America in which the population has moved to the coasts, leaving the interior of the country a dangerous wasteland.