It was a fun day at the in laws and the little family early birthday party for our grandson. Our son had cooked a brisket and beans and had dinner almost ready when we got over there today. We didn't have to do anything to help. That was truly lovely. Our grandson acted like a gentleman today with only a couple of slips. We are going to try to take him to the IMAX before they leave to go on vacation before school starts. However, he liked "The Mummy" with Brendan Fraser when he was over not so long ago that we may take him to see "The Mummy-Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" . Anyone seen it? I'll have to talk to hubby in the morning to see if what is showing at the IMAX is something a 7 year old would like. I thought that movie was showing there, but it wasn't listed. I love going to the IMAX and it has been a very long time since we have gone. It would be fun.
BTW-the big fish was a biggo hit with him! He really liked it. He liked a lot of other stuff, but the fish was something he loved. I'm starting to worry a bit about his infatuation with all things Star Wars and he won't even consider any other hero type stuff. He won't watch Spiderman, or Batman or anything unless it is Star Wars related. This might be something my son needs to really take a look at.
It will be a day or so before the pictures get downloaded to the computer, and I made a little knitted hat to go with one of the scarves after I got home. It is nearly midnight and here I sit typing. Also, I am really tired tonight...and thinking sleeping in late tomorrow morning would be nice.
Had a visitor to the blog today who used to live near where I do who has retired and moved to the Pacific Northwest where it is cool and lovely and the have petunia baskets on the streetlight posts in August. I'm so envious it isn't moral. That is just more lovely weather than one part of the country ought to get. We are hoping for some rain to break our heat. It was 104 today and that is just HOT.
See you all when I get around to the next post. Have a wonderful Monday.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
more on the Olympics...joys and tradgedies
I was sort of surprised by the responses generated by my going on about the Olympics, but everyone is welcome to their say. I'm glad someone is reading it, and I am happy for you to say what is on your mind. I think the surface to air missiles are to protect the participants, not to wage war. We live in an uncertain world these days. However, war has broken out in the country of Georgia, with Russia. They didn't tell the team from there before the opening ceremonies yesterday. A former Olympic volleyball player's father was sightseeing in the city today/yesterday with his family and was killed by a beserker who stabbed him and injured his wife and tour guide, the girl was uninjured. The attacker jumped 130 feet off a balcony and did not survive the fall. Link to yahoo news about this story. Even with tremendous security there can be so much trouble. The article said that attacks on foreigners is very rare in China which makes the attack even more shocking.
I love the Olympics to be able to see excellence in the athlete's fields. I really don't care which country it is. Excellence speaks for itself. We were in and out all day today and this evening I fell asleep on the sofa while watching the games. Woke in time to see the women's relay swim. The Netherlands won that one, but the US took silver and the anchor on the team is a 41 year old woman who has been to 4 Olympic games. Her coach was diagnosed with aplastic anemia before the games and was not able to be with her in Beijing. She may have set a record, even with the team taking the silver. That takes a lot of heart to be able to carry on without the backup she has had for years and still perform admirably. The Chinese men's gymnasts were very good in the preliminaries. Got to tell you...I didn't see too much of anything today, but I held this sofa down like a true Olympic couch potato tonight.
The scheduling for the events is unbelievable. I just looked at the website and oh man! Take a look at this schedule! They deserve a medal just keeping up with what will be going on when and where and with which team! I hope to see some of the sailing (wonder what they did with that huge algae bloom just before the games were to open), and the equestrian competition, too. They have devoted three of the hd channels on my provider's coverage and I don't think that will be near enough.
We are going over to my husband's parent's home tomorrow to have an early celebration of my grandson's birthday. He will be 7 on Tuesday. It really doesn't seem that long on one hand and on the other SEVEN YEARS! That is a long time!
I love the Olympics to be able to see excellence in the athlete's fields. I really don't care which country it is. Excellence speaks for itself. We were in and out all day today and this evening I fell asleep on the sofa while watching the games. Woke in time to see the women's relay swim. The Netherlands won that one, but the US took silver and the anchor on the team is a 41 year old woman who has been to 4 Olympic games. Her coach was diagnosed with aplastic anemia before the games and was not able to be with her in Beijing. She may have set a record, even with the team taking the silver. That takes a lot of heart to be able to carry on without the backup she has had for years and still perform admirably. The Chinese men's gymnasts were very good in the preliminaries. Got to tell you...I didn't see too much of anything today, but I held this sofa down like a true Olympic couch potato tonight.
The scheduling for the events is unbelievable. I just looked at the website and oh man! Take a look at this schedule! They deserve a medal just keeping up with what will be going on when and where and with which team! I hope to see some of the sailing (wonder what they did with that huge algae bloom just before the games were to open), and the equestrian competition, too. They have devoted three of the hd channels on my provider's coverage and I don't think that will be near enough.
We are going over to my husband's parent's home tomorrow to have an early celebration of my grandson's birthday. He will be 7 on Tuesday. It really doesn't seem that long on one hand and on the other SEVEN YEARS! That is a long time!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
More competition...One World One Dream
The Olympic Opening ceremonies in Beijing, China were televised tonight. We have a huge screen tv, you know, because I love tv and watch a lot of it. It provides 62" of crystal clear images espcially when the show is broadcast in hi def as all the Olympic coverage will be.
The ceremonies were so magnificent it was not to be believed, except it was happening right before my eyes in High Def no less! Here is a link to the Opening Ceremonies and it doesn't have any spoiler info on this page. The Official Website does have spoilers, because they have already completed some of the events. One reason was there were just so many people and events they had to start before the opening ceremony, and another is they are 12 hours ahead of the US.
Yao Ming, a professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets in the states, carried the Chinese flag, his home country in the entry. He is 7' 6" and at his side was one of the little boys who survived the tragic earthquake in Sichuan province last month. They 9 year old boy was able to free himself of the rubble at his school and then went back into it to save two of his classmates. When he was asked why he went back in, he replied that it was his duty to take care of the other kids and that he was a hall monitor, so it was what he had to do. They were very much the pair. To see a picture of them walking the route click here. It is a link to Getty Images. There are also pictures of the unbelievable fireworks display at the bottom of that page. Oh my gosh they were so beautiful. And Dirk Nowitzki of Germany will be playing for his home country of Germany and was their flag bearer, too.
We watch the Olympics every time it comes around, because we love seeing the greatness that can come out in the athletes. There have been some unforgettable moments over the years. Like Bella Karoli carrying our gymnast, Kerri Strug, after she hurt her ankle so badly, and who could forget Nadia, if you aren't too young. And conversely there was Tanya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan in the winter Olympics. There have been many moments of greatness and some really poor sportsmanship over the years we have been able to view the Olympics on television. Something that didn't happen before sometime in the 50s or 60s. The games were televised live in 1936, but there were very few television sets as you might imagine during the depression and the beginning of World War II. Special viewing rooms were set up in Berlin and Potsdam. By 1940 WWII had started and the games were canceled. The summer games didn't resume until 1948 and were held in London and the winter games in St. Moritz, Switzerland the same year.
There are issues about human rights and the Chinese government, but hopefully the games will not be ruined by either side. It is a time for which the Olympians have trained for four years or more. However, it was shocking to see ground to air missiles covered in camo just outside the birds nest, Beijing National stadium, on the news the other evening. It has been said by analysts on the BBC news site that this is the most politicized Olympic games since the Cold War.
The ceremonies were so magnificent it was not to be believed, except it was happening right before my eyes in High Def no less! Here is a link to the Opening Ceremonies and it doesn't have any spoiler info on this page. The Official Website does have spoilers, because they have already completed some of the events. One reason was there were just so many people and events they had to start before the opening ceremony, and another is they are 12 hours ahead of the US.
Yao Ming, a professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets in the states, carried the Chinese flag, his home country in the entry. He is 7' 6" and at his side was one of the little boys who survived the tragic earthquake in Sichuan province last month. They 9 year old boy was able to free himself of the rubble at his school and then went back into it to save two of his classmates. When he was asked why he went back in, he replied that it was his duty to take care of the other kids and that he was a hall monitor, so it was what he had to do. They were very much the pair. To see a picture of them walking the route click here. It is a link to Getty Images. There are also pictures of the unbelievable fireworks display at the bottom of that page. Oh my gosh they were so beautiful. And Dirk Nowitzki of Germany will be playing for his home country of Germany and was their flag bearer, too.
We watch the Olympics every time it comes around, because we love seeing the greatness that can come out in the athletes. There have been some unforgettable moments over the years. Like Bella Karoli carrying our gymnast, Kerri Strug, after she hurt her ankle so badly, and who could forget Nadia, if you aren't too young. And conversely there was Tanya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan in the winter Olympics. There have been many moments of greatness and some really poor sportsmanship over the years we have been able to view the Olympics on television. Something that didn't happen before sometime in the 50s or 60s. The games were televised live in 1936, but there were very few television sets as you might imagine during the depression and the beginning of World War II. Special viewing rooms were set up in Berlin and Potsdam. By 1940 WWII had started and the games were canceled. The summer games didn't resume until 1948 and were held in London and the winter games in St. Moritz, Switzerland the same year.
There are issues about human rights and the Chinese government, but hopefully the games will not be ruined by either side. It is a time for which the Olympians have trained for four years or more. However, it was shocking to see ground to air missiles covered in camo just outside the birds nest, Beijing National stadium, on the news the other evening. It has been said by analysts on the BBC news site that this is the most politicized Olympic games since the Cold War.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Joshua Won!!
My favorite dancer on So You Think You Can Dance won tonight. Half a million, and a role in the Step Up 3 movie that is going to be in 3D....guess who will be going to see it! The really wild part is I knew he was from Fort Worth, but he is from an area just a few miles from where I live.
I'm very happy for him and think all the finalists will go far. They were all wonderful dancers.
They did have the dance off with the poppers and Robert Muraine won that. He has such a wonderful way of controlling his body and he loves his dance style so much. He is just amazing.
Another thing I liked about this season's show is the judges. It is so incongrous to see a woman who is not in her 20s by a while talk about how hard it was to find someone to teach her how to Pop dance. All the judges and the correographers are so bright eyed, and smart, and so understand their craft. I can't wait for next season already.
Dancing with the Stars is ok, but they don't have the experience of the dancers on SYTYCD. I'm in the mood to get out my Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly DVDs and watch them. I thought Donald O'Conner was just the best when I was a kid. I loved it when he and Gene Kelly danced together. I guess my love of dance has been a life long thing. They really were that good!
I'm very happy for him and think all the finalists will go far. They were all wonderful dancers.
They did have the dance off with the poppers and Robert Muraine won that. He has such a wonderful way of controlling his body and he loves his dance style so much. He is just amazing.
Another thing I liked about this season's show is the judges. It is so incongrous to see a woman who is not in her 20s by a while talk about how hard it was to find someone to teach her how to Pop dance. All the judges and the correographers are so bright eyed, and smart, and so understand their craft. I can't wait for next season already.
Dancing with the Stars is ok, but they don't have the experience of the dancers on SYTYCD. I'm in the mood to get out my Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly DVDs and watch them. I thought Donald O'Conner was just the best when I was a kid. I loved it when he and Gene Kelly danced together. I guess my love of dance has been a life long thing. They really were that good!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
You Are...
My nephew's wife had this on her blog and it struck me as being so true I wanted to share it with you. Especially with all the beautiful baby pictures from the people who work at Blogger are there when we sign in to our blogs. They are so cute.
You Are
I am your parent, you are my child.
I am your quiet place, you are my wild.
I am your calm face, you are my giggle.
I am your wait, you are my wiggle.
I am your finish line, you are my race.
I am your praying hands, you are my saving grace.
I am your lullaby, you are my peekaboo.
I am your good-night kiss, you are my I love you.
Author Unknown
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
SYTYCD and a Bollywood Extravaganza all on one page
Taking a break from the dizzying world of knitting*, I would once again like to talk about my favorite show this summer...well, other than "The Closer" and "Saving Grace" and that would be "So You Think You Can Dance". Tonight is the first of the finals and my favorite dancer, Joshua will be dancing. He is from my home town and he is absolutely the best male dancer on the show and maybe the best dancer overall. He is very strong and seems to learn the most complex dance moves with little difficulty. I think he is awesome and so hope he wins this competition. He is 19 years old and when he talks you can see the teenage boy, but when he dances he is on a whole other level. He has had almost no professional training, and was street dancing here...somewhere. Lord knows where that could be around Fort Worth.
His page on the SYTYCD website is here. If you even remotely like dancing watch the show tonight. It comes on at 7 central on Fox. http://www.fox.com/dance/
In other dance/singing news**, Snoop Dog is in a movie called "Singh Is King", and apparently helped correograph it, too. It is a Bollywood, Indian, production filmed in Australia. I just love the song, and here is the You Tube of "Singh is Kinng". I'm hopeless...I've got to see this movie sometime....probably after it comes to dvd. It looks so fun and if the songs are all as good as this or even more Punjabi, I'll love it. I wanted to put the picture of the lead guy on this, but that just didn't work out. He looks a lot like the guy in "The Mummy"...the good guy.
My daughter says Snoop is into world domination. Have you noticed he is everywhere and in the news almost everyday. His tour bus was stopped here in Texas the other day. Snoop was asleep, but one or two of his guys were arrested. They posted bond and were later released. Snoop Dog was not arrested...he was asleep. Here is the complete story and even Snoop's real name. The Star Telegram is so in depth on this shocking story that rappers had 2 ounces of marijuana. Read all about it here.
On a more serious note, I've been thinking about writing something about forensics*** and shockingly how many men have been cleared of rape and murder charges recently by DNA after spending 25 or more years in prison . More later...the thoughts are trying to gel on how to write this. My mind is working overtime this morning.
*disclaimer....I am not a knitting teacher!
** disclaimer 2-I know little to nothing about the entertainment world.
*** disclaimer 3-I am not a CSI, but I do have a minor in biology
His page on the SYTYCD website is here. If you even remotely like dancing watch the show tonight. It comes on at 7 central on Fox. http://www.fox.com/dance/
In other dance/singing news**, Snoop Dog is in a movie called "Singh Is King", and apparently helped correograph it, too. It is a Bollywood, Indian, production filmed in Australia. I just love the song, and here is the You Tube of "Singh is Kinng". I'm hopeless...I've got to see this movie sometime....probably after it comes to dvd. It looks so fun and if the songs are all as good as this or even more Punjabi, I'll love it. I wanted to put the picture of the lead guy on this, but that just didn't work out. He looks a lot like the guy in "The Mummy"...the good guy.
My daughter says Snoop is into world domination. Have you noticed he is everywhere and in the news almost everyday. His tour bus was stopped here in Texas the other day. Snoop was asleep, but one or two of his guys were arrested. They posted bond and were later released. Snoop Dog was not arrested...he was asleep. Here is the complete story and even Snoop's real name. The Star Telegram is so in depth on this shocking story that rappers had 2 ounces of marijuana. Read all about it here.
On a more serious note, I've been thinking about writing something about forensics*** and shockingly how many men have been cleared of rape and murder charges recently by DNA after spending 25 or more years in prison . More later...the thoughts are trying to gel on how to write this. My mind is working overtime this morning.
*disclaimer....I am not a knitting teacher!
** disclaimer 2-I know little to nothing about the entertainment world.
*** disclaimer 3-I am not a CSI, but I do have a minor in biology
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Scarves
Melli,
Here are a couple more I made. They are in garter stitch and the dark blue one is heavy yarn and I cast on 8 stitches onto size 11 needles. It is about 3" wide. I wanted it to be narrow and long. The one below was on 15" needles and very soft yarn, and there were 15 stitches cast on. It is 9" wide. It is sort of loopy, but I like it. Hope that gives you a idea for how many cast on and size of needles and weight of yarn factors in. Thought it might help if you could see what the garter stitch looks like and if you think you are doing it right or not. I see there are still some fringe thingys I need to trim on the purple one. This link to a learn to knit page might be helpful, too. Just remember...."It is just yarn, ya'll". I read that at Crazy Aunt Purl's the other night and it is sort of liberating to know that is all it is...yarn. She has some really cool scarves on her blog now. I might have to hurry and finish the one I'm working on now so I can get to that one.
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