Special Anniversary

It's hard to believe, but 20 years ago today, I left for the Peace Corps. I'm usually not such a sentimental person when it comes to dates, but the dates surrounding this event were easy to remember: we reported to Miami on Leap Day; landed in Costa Rica on 03/03/88 and swore in on 06/06/88. And 20 years later, our group is still pretty tight. It's funny that Osar Arias was president when we were there and he is president once again. And not so funny that there was a Bush in the White House then and also now....

Shop Dogs

I taught needle felting last Saturday at a great little yarn store on the south side of Chicago. My Sister's Knits is nestled in the downtown area of the Beverly neighborhood and is one of the coziest shops I've ever been in. Great selection of yarn and all sorts of fun accessories. Of course, my favorite aspect of the store were the dogs. Cody and Goldie, sweet old Golden Retreivers, pad round the store and keep people company.

Ok, maybe I should't say they are my favorite part of the store (although I do have a soft spot for dogs), because the people there are great, too. The place has a real neighborhood feel to it and the owner Carol, makes everyone feel welcome.

Chris, Mary Ellen and Jenea were such fun in the class and were so enthusiastic. Here are a few shots of them at work:

This Saturday, I head out to St. Charles to teach Felted Scarves at the Fine Line Creative Arts Center. It's the first time I'm teaching this workshop, so it should be interesting!

Skiing in the Big City

Unlike most Chicagoans, I've been completely blissed out over this season's snowfall. This has been the best year for local cross country skiing in several years. Usually I end up chasing a storm into Indiana to take advantage of the lake effect snow, but not this year!

Our usual spot to ski is a golf course right on Lake Michigan. The other night I was out there with a friend and it was beautiful, so we stopped for a moment to take it all in: the moon reflecting off the frozen lake, the glow of the skyline, the branches tipped with snow. And off in the distance, I spotted some little creatures frolicking in the snowdrifts. "Oh, look", I called out, "look at the little rabbits..... no, wait...those are rats..."

It kinda ruined the reverie.

Get out there and VOTE, people!!!

Yeah, you. Don’t make me come over there and drag you out of your house. I don’t care how snowy/rainy/cold/hot/foggy/whatever it is. Get your dupa* into that booth.

When I lived in Costa Rica, it was inspiring to see how dedicated people were when it came to casting their ballots. They knew they were fortunate to have fair elections (in comparison to their neighbors) and how important it was to make their voice known. “Su voto es su voz.” (Your vote is your voice.) Votes were cast with indelible ink thumbprints—people would proudly sport their blue thumbs for days.

Honestly, I just have no tolerance for voter apathy. And as an Illinoisan, I’m so proud to have two strong local choices on the ballot.

Sincerely, Blue State Gal


*Polish for “butt”

A funny thing happened on the way to my mammogram...

So I'm on my way to the appointment, when who should get into the elevator with me but Steve "Mongo" McMichael of the famed '85 Bears. Kind of hard not to do a double-take when Mongo (a rather large fellow) is dressed in scrubs and carrying a bouquet of flowers. Thankfully, two other woman joined us or I would have been tempted to say something stupid like, "So Steve, you a Candy Striper now?", which was what was going through my head. Also going through my head was the Superbowl Shuffle, which I might have inadvertantly started humming, had my floor not arrived Just In Time.

And the mammogram? It's clear that there are many gender iniquities in medical research and that women had nothing to do with the development of this exam. The male equivalent would be somthing along the lines of 'nads in a vice. 'nuf said.

Baby, it's COLD outside!

-22 degrees windchill. NOW we're talkin'. This is the Chicago I know and love. I came home after a wonderful weekend with the whole family and expected the cat to greet me at the door as he usually does. No cat. So I looked under my afghans, expecting to see him burrowed underneath. No cat. I headed to the bedroom, where I could hear muffled meows. I looked under the covers, but still no sign. I finally saw movement in the comforter and realized that he had gotten himself inside the duvet cover and couldn't figure how to get out. I have not idea how long he was in there, but he's no worse for the wear. He's a pretty tough cat, but clearly not the smartest of the litter.

Right now it's snowing great big flakes that I hope will stick. I would love be able to ski tomorrow night after work--I'm going skiiing with my nephew in February and will definitely need to work to keep up with him.

64 degrees. January. Chicago.

Are ya kidding me?!? But here it is, not one but two days of 60 degree weather in row. Of course, it meant that I had to get the bike out, which was nice, but I'm really ready for some more snow. I feel spoiled that we've had two ski-able snows in December--sooo good to get out on my cross-country skis.

I peeked around the garden hoping that I wouldn't see any bulbs coming up. So far, so good, but a few of my dianthus plants had some very green leaves. If this keeps up, we'll see a few of these outside: