Had a GREAT research day!! www.Ancestry.com has the BRAND NEW 1930's census records on line for the FIRST time!! YEA!!! actually found info on Grfather - confirmed he was born in Ireland (family "Thought" he was but...) also confirmed grmother from Ireland as well AND we found aunt 'Babe"s" first name!! found bunches of stuff on other family lines as well. SOOOOOO COOOL~!! i was having so much fun i totally forgot to watch the fireworks!!LOL!!!

Hot Diggity!

Did i mention am a genealogist?? i love researching- wish i could make a living doing it. am doing several friends family lines, KNYVETT, ESCHETE and KARSTENS. Still digging on grandfather "CROFT" too.

AM SOOO EXCITED!! a good friend (who i MISS a lot just let me know her website is up!

CHeck it OUT on my favorite links= Sue's Old Fashions i KNOW for a fact she is an incredible seamstress and a VERY PATIENT teacher!! :o)!!! the pictures dont even begin to show how lovely her clothes are!! if you need ANYTHING in period clothing = she is the Person to check with!!

WhooooHooo! i finished one with OUT major booboo's! LOL!! the only thing i may have goofed on was how many rows of plain knitting at the top. Is a pretty swan- is such fun to finish AND it looks like its suppossed to!!

Did u knit in public today? 10 June 06=National knit in public day!!
YES I did!! LOL!!
went to DH's High School Alumnus Picnic in Garden Grove. LOTS of people came but few from his grad class :( so while we ENJOYED being there and the GREAT weather (its been averaging 108 at home) i had very few to really interact with. so..... :o) i got time to knit. (Yea!) was nice sitting in the cool breeze with all the different people wandering about (i am a bit of a people watcher) i finished a previous KAL from MonthlyDishcloths = i think it was april or march - its a darling garden watering can! the ONLY problem i found with it is that i am STILL having pattern sequencing problems. i had to frog a bit twice. but am even getting better at frogging (i dont have to start over every time now! LOL!!)you can see that i do have that problem on the border.... is frustrating as am NOT SURE what i am doing wrong there tho i suspect i am forgeting to switch back to knit those last couple of stitches.
THANK you to those who wrote suggestion=- the crossing off line by line is helping ALOT more than i thought it would.
we DID refind an old friend this weekend so all in all was a GREAT day yesterday.

the "almost finished' funky color ribbon purse (i still have to complete the handle) its cuter than i expected. :o) and the fuzzy stuff seems to suit it. even my 14yr old says its OK. (high praise indeed from a picky teener!)

I actually DID IT!! i finished my first KAL and my first dishcloth. the pattern is from the yahoo group "Monthly Dishcloths"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MonthlyDishcloths/?yguid=185460809

its such a cute little fishy= i used some cotton i had stored (funny thing- it was sun faded in spots but the resulting varigation is kinda pretty) i already see all my mistakes tho.....:( but i am still having problems following a pattern and the size of dishcloths is great for practicing and learning. i LOVE the feel of the cotton too.

You are Milk Chocolate

A total dreamer, you spend most of your time with your head in the clouds.You often think of the future, and you are always working toward your ideal life.Also nostelgic, you rarely forget a meaningful moment... even those from long ago.

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

LOOKING for Ideas and suggestions.
My dd#2 is in a hs band that will be performing in Shanghai and Bejing China in July 07~~http://www.psband.org/china.html all very exciting and will keep us incredibly busy for the next 13 months (as if a teen doesnt keep ya busy ANYWAY!! LOL!) but we (and others) are facing a financial situation. While we are struggling to PAY for this trip (dont get me wrong its worth it!) we are a two income household so are (so far) managing to hang on by our fingernails.

THe PROBLEM?? dd's BEST FRIEND is in a single income household w/3 kids and the dad has not been well recently (scared them badly recently with a rush to the emergency room) so they DONT have the funds for her to go. :o( ........and WE dont have the funds to send her either.
(we are talking $2500 a head here- i know, OUCH! but its actually very reasonable all things considered)

So whats to do???? HOW do i go about finding sponsors? i dont hang with the rich crowd. most of my friends are in the same boat as we are... struggling to get by in an OVERPRICED part of the country, where (literally) you can be considered below poverty level and STILL make too much money to Qualify for food stamps!

Does anyone KNOW how to find and qualify for corporate sponsorships?? is there some method or letter one can send? i can DO that. i dont know HOW to do "fundraising' kind of things. am not good at getting donations for anything...... but if it involves letter writing emailing, etc - i think i can do at least that.

could sure use some ideas here.....

The politics are starting to heat up here in California- I actually went to my first ever political shindig. (small scale but very interesting) the candidate had a lot to say that I actually approved of . go figure. me, the anti-politician.. will wonders never cease.

If i continue with this i may just back this guy. His name is Steve Westly, and he had some good things to say about where he would like to take the state. As things are really bad now and quickly going in the toilet, he seems to have some ideas on bringing our state back to some semblance of on its feet. i don't hold the hope that he is some sort of miracle man. but we need a new direction and maybe hes got the moxy to pull it off.

I hope that every one who can WILL vote for whoever they choose. thats the most important thing.
could be an "interesting' summer! assuming of course that he wins the primary. i hope so as i dont much like angelides either.
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OTN: found some ribbon on sale ($1 a skein!) couldn't resist as i like the feel of it. is pretty screwy colors tho.. not what i would choose for myself but have enough to make a teener type purse -with matching furry trim. am trying to figure out how to finish it now. is interesting.

am still working on the the sock..... am calling the whole thing my 'pet' porcupine but have made progress finished the ribbing and am working on the leg part now. one of these days i may even succeed and finish the thing. :o) i dont mind tho.. am getting the hang of its rhythm and its surprisingly soothing.

Found a blog from new zealand with the most wonderful pictures!! would love to visit there. the band kids that came to visit us from there were absolutely delightful. i hope that they can come back soon. heres the blog. do check it out. http://kiwisoul.blogspot.com/

Color play


by r18rj18

Some photo experiments

by r18rj18


by r18rj18

Has been a few days but have been busy busy.... FINISHED!! a yummy large scarf for my mil for her birthday and got it and other goodies sent to her. when we called her for her happy birthday call found out bil paul is going into hospital for foot spur and stretching of achilles tendon.... OUCH! i have a LOT of sympathy as i too have foot problems!
The scarf was of a simple varigated boucle yarn of oatmeal lavender and pale blues. worked up lovely and SOFT-- i hope she likes :o)

otn- RESTARTED baby sweater again. i dont know enough yet i guess to be able to look at my work and figure out WHY it doesnt look right. i just know it doesnt,..... so i frog and frog.. :(
this time i restarted it on the vario. got the increases done up til the 21 stitches on each side increase -then the machine had hiccups. ergghh so i took it off and am doing the next part by hand. i really like the row counter on the machine but will see how it goes from here. is pretty in bright yellow & orange,,, i know SOUNDS funky but the yarn is pretty nevertheless! i started the blanket for the shower gift on the machine, ITs pale yellow and pale green very subtle but really nice. if sweater 1 works then i will do a sweater to match blanket. if not maybe a hat? will see.

still working on the looooonnnnnnnnnng blue silk scarf. i was going to give it to a friend for her going away present, but it didnt want to go! every time i tried to finish it that weekend something went wrong ... i guess it will tell me where its SUPPOSED to go eventully. its very soft and airy. am using huge needles with fine yarn.. i like the effect.

THIS IS SOOOOO NEAT!!

ITS OFFICIAL!!

The SPIRIT of the SANDS, Palm Springs High School Band and Visual Corps. is THE FIRST American Band to be selected To Play at the 2007

www.psband.org

BEIJING OLYMPIC MUSIC FESTIVAL!!!!!!

the youngest is going to china!! Oh MY!!!

THis band director does AMAZING things with and for the Kids (how many hs bands do you know get to perform at DISNEYLAND on a regular basis! or is the local city's official band?? OR play in the SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE or TIVLOLI GARDENS, Denmark??

ESPECIALLY as they do it on a budget from the school district of $00000000!!!!!

every dime is raised by the band boosters and the families of the kids.

So From Now on i will also be including band performance info here.
this weekend there is a Bookfest with a LOT of authors here in town selling and chatting up their books and activities. I think i will go and see some favorite authors :o) and also pass out invitations that i have made on my own to as many as i can to invite them to our

Palm SPrings Youth Music Festival & 19th Annual Invitational Field Show Tournament. Its offically from the 2-9th of December in downtown Palm Springs.
SO IF YOUR family is in ANY way involved with your local high school LET THEM know about our tournament. We have an internationally adjudicated program and LOTS Of FUN!!!

Of Finland & Sweden:
I see that I have had a visitor from both these countries. How cool is THAT!! I loved visiting both of them. We went ot Stockholm then rode a train for several hours to a friends home (i dont remember where exactly but it was GREEN~! too too wonderful. there was a forest right across from their house..

Our friends in Finland were in the town/city of Espoo (also forested). Lordy that was a beautiful place. I miss those friends. we have lost touch with them and i dont even know if they are still there. Keith & Leah if you come across this, my dh worked with you in Tabuk!

i know, I know, a LONG SHOt that anyone i know would actually see this but ya never know! LOL!!

I really enjoyed All of scandanavia - is a Stunning part of the world. would love to go back someday.

Where Falcons & Desert Hawks Fly http://kkmcdeserthawk.blogspot.com/ HAs a GREAT shot of a Camel in the desert. Its funny the odd little things you miss about a place. We lived in kingdom for over 4 yrs and those loud smelly unfriendly oddly shaped and equally oddly beautiful creatures are one of them.. strange but there it is....

Discovered A really neat blog Called Infinite Zoom: A Fractal Gallary= while i have NO idea what a Fractal is i DO know when something is really pretty and these images really ARE!!
http://infinitezoom.com/index.htm

Probably the ONLY political thing i will ever put here: Came across a very interesting blog. It has a very thought provoking commentary on Censorship of Blogging - http://internetfreedomforall.blogspot.com/

I have always been very strongly opposed to censoreship - we ALL have the right to CHOOSE what we read/look at= if ya dont like it dont LOOK! Censorship smacks of Fanaticism. there is a quote "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis" when you read and watch the news this very thing seems to be happening all over the US on a daily basis.

The other thing I have been noticing recently is a rather frightening scenario playing out. Here in california there is this catch 22 happening in our school systems. The "state" claims many of our schools are failing (even as they keep taking away their money to function) and if the schools dont PASS certain testings then the "state" will basically take over the running of said schools- a thing that is pretty much a given as the state is removing the districts money & they are failing from lack of resources. an example of WHAT really WORRIES me is that It is this SAME process that has happened in some of the Sacramento School Districts where they have REMOVED the Civil war from their curriculum altogether (apparently that bit of history isnt considered IMPORTANT!@) ---am i the only person to see the parallel to the state controlled school curriculum programming/censorship in pre-WWII germany??
anyway thats my one political "thing" for the day

It Takes a Village.....
i always like that phrase - even fair sized towns can be like one. I attended a middle school band meeting one night & had to laugh. Of the dozen people there i knew one from one job, another from my second job, 1 from the high school band boosters and 2 from girl scouts, ..... as it turned out there was only two there i ONLY knew from THAt school!
what brought that to mind was coming across a blog showing the artwork the lady was doing for her 'Boston Cow". these types of artwork are becoming rather popular. My favorite is still the PandaMania project http://pandamaniadc.org/ But we have one here in town too... (tho reno also has the same critter for their subject i discovered) we have BIG HORN sheep. the art work is quite amazing. http://www.pathofthebighorn.com/


One of the rams was done by a fellow scout leader and band mom and hers is residing in a local library. What the photo does not show Is the huge amount of beadwork that was done on it. in the photo it simply looks like painted bands but some of the bands are actually Thousands of beads glued in place. our friend said if she had had ANY idea how HARD that was she would have done something different. (apparently she had to hold the beads in place as they dried or they would fall off) but the end result is very Bright and eyecatching. is fun

Geee DUH!!!
just got two answers on the passap group about my needle issue on the Vario. THey both told me a page number to check! DUH~!~! last page & guess who didnt see it!!
sheeeeeshhh! - as soon as i saw it Bingo= answered and fixed the problem~!
talk about feeling NOT brilliant..
is still a bit odd to work with but so far is MUCH better to work with than the bond. will play with more.....

went and frogged the sock, and am recasting on. I AM going to figure this out!LOL!~!

Spent the day doing Girl Scout Stuff with dd#2 and got to visit with a dear friend i havent seen in much too long.. got a chance to play catch-up.. :o)
so all in all a good day!