I Am A Knitter - Attending VOGUEknitting Live! in LA

Ever since I joined the Slipt Stitchers Knitting Guild I have been aware that there exists a "knitting underground community."  There are gatherings, knit-ins, conventions, seminars, classes, knitting camps, big-name designers, fiber gurus, yarn snobs, spinners, knitting blogs and virtual knitting communities...things I was totally unaware of when my knitting consisted of afghans made with yarn bought at Michael's Crafts.  This knitting world is a slippery slope and venture into it at your own risk...it can all get quite exciting, motivating and addicting.

Last weekend I took my first step down the slope by attending the VOGUEknitting Live held in Century City.  I went with my friend, Cindy, and since we didn't quite know what to expect, we signed up for a marketplace pass for one day.

Let me say first off, we had a ball!  The venue was not huge but it was packed with spirited knitters...all just so happy to be there.  Even though we had not signed up in advance for any of the various classes or workshops...which were filled very quickly...we still had plenty to do with our Marketplace Pass.  We started out by attending one of the many Fashion Shows complete with a long runway where various yarn shops showed their designs and yarns worn by pencil thin models wearing knitted creations over black form fitting tights and tops.

We had a chance to talk to a mother/daughter team sitting next to us who had flown into LA from New York just for the event.  In addition to Fashion Shows, there were various demonstrations being conducted showing the how-to's of techniques such as blocking, free-form knitting, cabling, felting. And then there was the marketplace.  Be still my beating heart!  Table after table, filled with the most gorgeous colors and textures...

Cindy admiring some yarn.

some yarns so soft that you just wanted to sink into them and never come up.  I had a hard time removing my hand from a skein of MadelineTosh Pashmina....I want!  Seeing so many wonderful items was motivating and gave us great ideas for future projects.

Cowl shawl made with beautiful Classic Elite Silky Alpaca, Garnet

No, I don't think I will knit a bikini!

Some knitting kits were even made up of the yarn and pattern for many of the items we viewed on the runway.  Of course, all of it was beautiful and all of it was "troppo caro"...too expensive.

We came home filled with ideas and desires.  I am glad that we went and experienced it. And....I can see how easy it would be to reach a credit limit and why there might be a need for a 12 step program to help manage the addiction!  Step one...Admit I am powerless over yarn.  Step two....

I Am A Reader - "Falling Palace" by Dan Hofstadter

My son's paternal grandmother's family is from a small town in the center of the Italian boot, Baselice, in the Province of Benevento, in the Region of Compania. Emigrating from the closest port, Naples, to simplify things for their Americani friends, they would sometimes say they were "Napoletani"...from Naples. I have had the pleasure of visiting Italy a number of times, but only once did I pass through Naples. It was during a trip up the western coast of Italy, through Amalfi, then Sorrento, with a stop in Pompeii and a pass through Naples on the way to Rome.  My memories of it are brief...it was large, crowded, noisy, dirty...famous for its garbage strikes and for the popularity of dry spaghetti sold by spaghetti vendors from open air street spaghetti carts in the late 18th century.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself quite captivated by the book, "Falling Palace"

written by Dan Hofstadter.

The book is non-fiction but reads like a novel.  It is a personal account of the author's numerous trips to Naples over a period of many years.  The subtitle of the book is, "A Romance of Naples" and as I turned the pages, I began to understand his infatuation with the city.  What I appreciated most was that his view of Naples was not through idealized rose-colored glasses.  He very authentically described the locale and the people in a believable way.  He introduces various friends he made while he stayed there, especially a young woman with whom he had a relationship.  He interweaves the history of the city with his personal descriptions. I was fascinated with his account of the underground honeycombing of tunnels and caves that exist beneath Naples, how they came to be there and how they are still used today.  During his stay he does all he can not to remain an outsider but to dive in and engage in life.  The characters are priceless..bigger than life.  There is Zio Ippolito, an eccentric banker who during his life went to work in his pajamas and was given a special office so he could continue to work, dressed as he chose.  There is Gigi Attrice, the stuttering, chain-smoking actor, who taught him the Neapolitan dialect and the meaning of the important hand gestures.  There is Benedetta, the young woman he grows to love who is superstitious and interprets dreams to discover winning lottery numbers.  In the end I came to embrace Naples myself...respecting all that she has been through, appreciating her seedy, decaying architecture, her falling palace, seeing her as Hofstadter describes her, "A beautiful and wounded city."

This book is my selection for the month of September in the "Italy in Books Reading Challenge" hosted by Book After Book blog.  To see what others are reading this month, go here.

I Am A Volunteer - The AARP Life@50+ Convention

I grew up with  parents who gave much time and energy to volunteering.  My father helped organize the first Optimist club in Kent, Ohio that worked with the youth of the city, he was involved in Boy Scouts even before his own sons were old enough to participate, and he organized and supported Red Cross Blood Banks for many years in Ohio and California. 
My mother was charter member of many church organizations, chairman of events ranging from ice-cream socials to running national conventions, and served at her local voting precinct for every election into her 90's.  Being available to donate time and energy to making things happen and improving the world seemed to be in their DNA and it made up my world as a child.

Dad Installed As Optimist President, Mom looking on!

So when my friend, Cindy, asked me if I would like to join her in volunteering at the AARP convention Life@50+ since it was in Los Angeles this year, it felt natural for me to say yes!  This was an easy activity...it did not demand a long on-going commitment, just a one shot endeavor.  After submitting my request to volunteer via an online link, I began to receive communications thanking me, encouraging me, and enlightening me on what was to come.

We attended a volunteer orientation about a month ago where we were given a tour of the Los Angeles Convention Center, told how to sign in at our appointed time, how to conduct ourselves and, most importantly, where to pick up our free meal voucher after our shift!  The Orientation room was filled with hundreds of people who had volunteered, some even on a waiting list for assignments.  One person sitting at our table had driven up to LA from San Diego. For many this was NOT their first time doing this.

This past Friday was our assigned day.  We arrived with our free parking voucher and headed for the Volunteer Sign-in Room. After receiving our bright green Volunteer T-shirt, a list of the day's events, and a cup of coffee we were free to enjoy the convention until time for our shift.

Our assignment was Greeter and Counter at the front entrance to the main auditorium. Our role was to greet people "Good afternoon, have a great time!" while pressing the little counter as each person passed through our assigned door, and to try to answer any questions people might have, from "Where is the bathroom?" to "Can you help me find my friend?"  Since our doors were right next to each other, whenever there was a lull, Cindy and I would talk and compare our observations.  The one thing that was most impressive to us was how excited and friendly everyone seemed to be.  There were many women from the Red Hat Society in full regalia, "seasoned" attendees were easily spotted wearing their dozens of past convention buttons streaming across their chests or decorating their lanyards, "professional" convention marketplace people came equipped with wheeled containers to hold all their free give-away "stash" and the most coveted giveaway seemed to from the United Healthcare area where people received sunglasses surrounded with flashing red and blue lights!  Celebrities abounded...Martina Navratilova led a morning fitness class, Kareem Abdul Jabbar participated on a panel, Alex Trebik was chatting with people at a booth and Wink Martindale was stopping to pose for pictures.

When our 3 hours were up, we checked out, completed our evaluation, and received our meal voucher.
Overall assessment...A plus.  AARP really had their act together.  It was well organized by a huge contingent of AARP staff, volunteers were treated with respect and appreciation, information available to attendees was very current and apropos.  Cindy and I both felt energized. 

Would we do it again?, probably...but only if it is local!  Some volunteers were actually planning to go to New Orleans for next year's convention.

What did I learn?...that most large events have an option to volunteer.  Usually it is a fair trade...your time and energy in exchange for free admission and parking, some nourishment, an opportunity to engage with others and....a T-shirt! 

The only downside?  We never did get a pair of those flashing light sunglasses! But...after 3 hours posted at the entrance we could apply for a job at Walmart!

I Am A Hiker - Wandering In A Fog?

I graduated from Marymount High School, an all-girls school taught by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary nuns and tucked away "high on the hills" of Palos Verdes Pennisula. I have memories of driving the 30+ minute trip from the urban streets of Hawthorne, CA ascending the winding 2 lane roads of PV and trying to navigate fog so thick that I, the driver, and Kathy, my car-pooler, each had our heads hanging out the side windows trying to find the yellow line that would keep us in the middle of the road.  So yesterday, when Jay and I set out to join our Omnilore friends for our monthly hike, this time in Palos Verdes, I was not surprised to find us turning left on Highridge Road and entering a fog bank as thick as ...whatever is thick!

Omniloreans are not whimps!  We were all gathered in the parking lot trying to make a sensible decision about what to do as the fog was coating my jacket and my hair was "springing" into tight moisture-activated curls!  John was opting for finding another trail in a lower part of the pennisula and carrying on with our hike.  Cindy was suggesting finding a coffee shop and a warm cup of coffee.  Jay was opting for a nearby PUB! 

John and sanity won out and we caravaned to the Dapplegray area and Bridle Trail. This trail is one we have walked before and it is a gentle hike ambling up and down just a short distance from Palos Verdes Drive.

We shared the trail with horses so one challenge was to navigate the gifts left behind, which Cindy said are called "road apples" in her native Ohio. 

We saw the backs of various homesteads

rubbed the noses of corralled horses

and admired the sometimes loved, sometimes tolerated, sometimes hated peacocks that inhabit the hills. 

About 2 1/2 miles later we ended up at the Nature Center where we enjoyed our brown bag lunches and congenial discussion about "life" and other related topics! 

We appreciate the opportunity to engage with our like-minded friends in activities such as this.  These past few months have brought sad news to us of close friends who are dealing with serious health issues and we are reminded of the fragility of life.  So we appreciate our present health and abilities and want to live each day fully.  Activities like today are a gift to us!  A wonderful time was had by all!!

I Am A Student - Beginning A New Trimester

September means the beginning of school.  When I was teaching elementary school, the end of August and beginning of September were consumed with all the tasks of getting the classroom ready.  Bulletin boards were created, class rosters and grade books were completed, lesson plans developed, books unpacked, faculty meetings attended.  I will date myself by mentioning the smell of chalk and new erasers.  All of this was permeated with a sense of newness, hope, and the excitement of a new beginning.

"The more things change, the more they remain the same." September continues to be the beginning of the new school year but now I am attending Learning-in-Retirement Classes in our Omnilore program.  In preparation I went to Staples and bought a new binder to hold all my class materials, I set up folders on my computer to save my softcopy documents and research, I created group distribution lists in my email of the members of my classes, I cracked open the spine of new books we will read and discuss and all this was permeated with a sense of newness, hope, and the excitement of a new beginning.

I am taking two classes this trimester.  One class is a combination science and wellness class.  We are going to study the research being done in the field of medicine that contributes to expanding the "health span" of humans.  It might be considered an anti-aging topic but it has more to do with how to maintain this body so it continues to serve us well and add to the quality of our lives.  We will use the book written by Ray Kurzweil & Terry Grossman entitiled Transcend: Nine Steps to Living Well Forever as a springboard for research and discussion. 

In our first session last week one member presented his research on the concept of "Concierge Doctors" and we discussed the challenges of the current medical profession and how to go about being a more informed patient.  I am doing my research for my day of teaching on the topic of "Food Nutrients" and will look at what nutrients our bodies evolved to require, where we can obtain them in our food choices and how the process of aging may result in various deficiencies...such as Vitamin D which is now being recognized as important.

The second course is one in a continuing series of classes I have taken on the topic near and dear to my heart...FOOD!  I am the coordinator of this class so I have more responsibility beyond just one session of teaching.  We had our first class yesterday and the room was filled with 18 enthusiastic food scholars eager to continue our ongoing discussion on the food industry.  We will be reading together Sarah Murray's book Moveable Feats: From Ancient Rome to the 21st Century, the Incredible Journeys of the Food We Eat.

The first class set the tone for an exciting trimester with Cindy presenting on "Fish: Wild and Farmed" and my presentation on "The Impact of Food Politics."  Members brought numerous recent articles on what is happening in the media on our topic which we discussed, we talked about the first 2 chapters of the book we had read, and we all left class energized and more knowledgeable about making smart food choices.

Gabriel also started school this week, attending his first days of the 4th grade.

Gabe with his "Back to School" haircut - 4th Grade

I spoke to him on the phone after his first day of school and asked him..."What is your teacher's name?"  and "What did you talk about in class today?"  His response..."First let me tell you which of my friends are in my class!"  Obviously, we needed to talk about the most important aspects first!  Ahhhhhh...new beginnings.

I Am An Optimist - Starting Over Again

Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer and for me it marked the end of my "summer garden" or what passed for my "summer garden!"  This year's bounty was a great disappointment and we pondered the fact that we were fortunate not to be dependent upon our harvests to eat!  Plants that started out vigorous just seemed to give up mid-season.  Tomatoes were scraggly and produced very little fruit.  Beans shriveled and died.  Cucumbers developed powdery mildew and shriveled away.  Was it the overcast and cool weather?  Was the soil, so sandy that it can't seem to hold nutrients, no matter how much we amend?  Was it lack of water due to it running off the sandy soil?  Was it disease or blight due to stressed plants? Was it some fiendish plot by the "garden gods?"  In any case, as I pulled out plants I resolved that I was done.  I am not going to garden anymore.  I am a failure!

Pathetic tomato plant

Pathetic basil plant

However...as we got all the remaining plant material out, my peasant genes began to stir with thoughts such as..."What if we removed some of this sand and added more humus to the soil?  What if we talked to the Master Gardener at the nursery and got some more ideas?  What if we considered putting in a drip system to apply water at a slow, steady rate?  What if we just stayed green this winter with lettuce, spinach, kale and swiss chard...and maybe a few peas?  A little seed of hope began to germinate in my soul and my head began to lift off my chest.  What do I have to lose by trying again?  Maybe this growing season will be different. So off we went to the local independent nursery...Deep Roots.  The gardener said one thing...humus, humus, humus, humus.

My hired hand...works for pasta!

There are many things in life that are not easy to "do over" or to "try again."  Raising children is kind of a one shot deal...but I can affect the life of my grandchildren...to a point!  Taking care of my skin so it won't wrinkle is kind of a one shot deal...but I can moisturize and keep the aging skin soft and flexible...to a point!  In my past I have started over.  In midlife I changed professions and went back to school to earn new degrees.  I walked (no ran) into a second marriage that has continued to enrich my life.  I have ripped out knitted items that didn't hang just right and knitted them over.  Growing a garden is an activity that lets me try again, and again, and again. 

This morning I read a blog post entitled "Labor With Love." It talked about the importance of "doing what you love and following your heart."  Last week I listened to Steve Jobs' commencement address at Stanford in 2005 where he reminded the graduates that we are all dying and it is important to trust your instincts, follow your heart, remember the value of being a beginner again and not to waste your time living someone else's life.

Putting my hands in the soil and nurturing plants, picking fresh items and carrying them into the kitchen for dinner, sharing bounty with friends and family...are all things that fill my heart and make me feel alive.  So today I look at the lower terrace of our front slope and I do not see barrenness...I see a blank palette, filled with potential.

A blank palette.

  and I feel hopeful!