The State of Women - IN THE PAST?

This interesting (or maybe mind-boggling is a better term) clip written in 1943 came from one of my pastor friends. I'd like to think we've come a long way from this place! Oi-yoi-yoi! g

The opening line (just to entice you a bit to actually click on the link following) is:

"Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There's no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage.

http://home.tiac.net/~cri_d/cri/2000/women1943.html

February Snow Storm

Not much can really be said other than.....

I LOVE SNOW!

We'll be skiing tonight! It is gorgeous - huge flakes, lots of them.

They say a picture is worth 1000 words - but this one just doesn't do the

beauty and quite of this scene justice.

I feel privileged to live in such a wonderful, beautiful

and quite place in the woods.

I LOVE SNOW!

Did I say

I LOVE SNOW!

I LOVE SNOW!

Winter Break IS OVER!

Well, Winter Break 2008 is OVER! We did a lot. Yesterday we got our 4th Family Ski lesson in. Despite a LOT of rain this month - the conditions were pretty good. All of us are shot tho. Energy was at an all time low - and we didn't do a ton of skiing after the lesson was over.

Today we got back to church after being absent for most of the month. It was nice to be missed, and nice to start getting back into our normal routine.

David and Grace are enjoying their books. Grace is finishing up a section in a FARMING book. SHe is reading all about raising chicks and taking care of chickens. This well MAY be THE PROJECT for Summer '08. We'll just have to see! First - a chicken coop needs to be erected. And, here is what YOU ALL have been waiting for (HA!). My 2nd pair of socks. THE BEST part of these is that they cost 16 cents apiece! My dedicated knitting friend - Lore - bought a high class fashion sweater at Salvation Army for $1. It was probably originally a $60-80 item, not worn at all, and a very nice cappucino color (according to Lore of course). It's make-up is 80% wool, and 20% nylon - perfect for long-wearing socks. She washed it first. Then one day during Nor'Easters - she took all the seams out and then we unraveled and rolled it up together. She gave me the "haul" for the 1st pair of socks. I'm proud to report - that they took 40 grams each - and she should be able to get AT LEAST 2 more pair from the sweater. By my calculations - that is approximate of course and does NOT include LABOR - about 16 cents per sock! LOVE THIS - and am really enjoying my first taste of the lace patterns too. I purchased some nice yarn (on sale - but NOT recycled) and plan to start sweaters for the girls later this spring.. Grace's is acrylic worsted weight in shocking pink (like I'll probably need to wear sun-glasses during construction) and Ingrid's a really nice medium tone purple cotton witih lots of colored speckles in it. I tried to convince Grace to go for a nice soft fluffy pink instead - but she read the ingredients on the ball of yarn (angora and lamb) and opted NOT! "I'm not wearing bunnies and sheep Mommy!" Wonderful - this reading stuff ain't always the best gig in town!!

Winter Break - Take TWO

Hi everyone. Well - we're on the LAST day of Winter Break. I THINK everyone is healthy again. We've battled a nasty stomach virus that has been around as they say. We got to do most all of the fun stuff - so it must not have been too bad. I did a LOT of knitting. Here is my latest creation - baby booties for a family at dance that had a little boy not too long ago. I didn't like the fru-fru on the pattern - so revised a bit to look more masculine! I also used DP needles and modified the decreases so there are no seams. Guess I'm getting back into the swing of knit-purl. Good thing - my knitting class of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders in the afterschool program starts next week. They're expecting me to be an expert!

Apparently Grace has been planning this for awhile. This is the FEROCIOUS Kissie (note paper scowl-growl) pasted on his NOT-SO-PINK anymore l'il face!
And this is "creation number 2" - Kissie after a meal! OMG - the way the 7-yr old brain works
This is Alyssa, Ashley and Ingrid. They were about to start a Winter Break program at the Albany Institute of History & Art. Grace and Amanda went in the morning - then Cah and I swapped and the big girls went in the afternoon. Both programs were on Animal Sculptures. Guess I should have snapped a snot of the artwork before getting on-line. Alas - I guess I'm still a novice at this blogging thing. Grace made a WEASEL - her new favorite animal. Ingrid made a - um - giraffe I think. I got a LOT of knitting done - at, well - the Daily Grind and El Loco.. Yea - some good eats too. I played scrabble last night with some Ford-roaders.. Lost, BIG TIME of course (Polly won - no doubt!!) . Had some good company, good wine, some good yak, and, probably goes without saying - got some knitting done. I'm hoping to finish my 2nd pair of socks today - picture, of course - to follow!
Here are Alyssa & Ingrid in a neat snail sculpture - obviously geared for the "younger set" - but a good photo op none the less.
Then - first thing this am. Ingrid woke me to ask permission to cook pancakes. She's done this before.. So - I got up a bit later to a fully cooked breakfast. Note - Grace is at the table eating, the stuffies (Kissie & Oreo) are looking on, the girls CD player is on the counter (playing a CD of piano music from their lessons - it comes with some of their books) and Ingrid is licking the spatula. BTW - the pancakes were DELICIOUS.

It is snowing to beat the band. We have dentist appointments around noon and are hoping to have lunch and spend the afternoon with Grandma & Grandpa. Thankfully - David left me the Subaru - so I won't have to worry TOO much about getting stranded with Sally Brown. Hope she doesn't feel TOO rejected.

2008 Winter Break Take ONE

A TRIP to the New York State Capital

This is Assemblymen Tim Gordon - meeting with the kids - and trying to shake Ingrid's hand! He is newly elected in our district - and the ONLY Independant party candidate elected to the current Assembly. He was very gracious to met with the kids and talk with them for awhile about NYS Government and being an elected official. An OFFICIAL NYS photographer was there to take some nice group shots. We'll look forward to them soon! The 4H Thrills & Skills Club (and a few Mermaids and family members) went to tour the NYS Capital on Tuesday after we met with Mr. Gordon. Here is "George" our tour guide - pointing out all kinds of neat things in the NYS Senate Chamber. The kids asked some GREAT questions. George was WONDERFUL- really able to talk to the kids at the level they are. The kids were GREAT - well behaved - and seemed to take it all in.









The kids looking at the ceiling in the Exectutive Waiting Area. This is where people with appointments to SEE the governor wait. Imagine if he had walked in and found all these kids passed out on the floor! What a sight.
There is a VERY cool mural on the ceiling. Without being told - they all laid down in the middle of the floor to get a better view! George said that originally it was designed to be viewed from 40 feet away in what was supposed to be a dome on the Capital (which we DON'T HAVE)- so this is INDEED the best way to see it because it is only about 15 feet off the floor!

And here we are on the MILLION DOLLAR STAIRCASE. It is beautiful sandstone, 4 stories high and fully carved with tons of faces, animals and flowers. Quite an impressive sight. Apparently, when Teddy Roosevelt took office at the turn of the 20th century - he suspended all work on the capital - which had then been underconstruction and costing big bucks for some 30 years already. Many features remain incomplete.

Here is an attempt at a group shot ala Gretchen. Mr. Gordon's assistant, Kayla, who helped to arrange all of this was also on hand this morning.

Monday's Dance Class
The first video above is of the TAP routine. The second one is from their JAZZ routine. They aren't QUITE done learning the routines for the June recital. Grace is on the near end in the back row (light blue sweatshirt). Ingrid is also in the back row - about 4 kids down in a yellow shirt. They move around and from row to row - I seem to have captured them in the same place in both videos. Grace has come a LONG way since this time last year! They both seem to enjoy it and talk about what the class will be like next year - and what music Miss Sharon will pick for their class. So I guess I'm in for the long haul on dance class!

The Food Bank Experience!

Grace and I spent a couple of hours this afternoon with a group from our church helping out at the Latham Food Bank. We spent 2 hours sorting and condensing cookies! We unwrapped at least 12 pallet fulls of cookies - unpackaged them from their boxes intended for display - and condensed it down to fewer pallets of more tightly packed cookies and at least 3 pallets full of unnecessary cardboard (that they will recycle)! This will save the Food Bank big bucks in freight charges! Then we went to Price Chopper and bought ourselves some COOKIES! Wish I had taken my camera. Grace was quite a hard worker - but would only sort cookies - not the crackers. Quite the discriminating volunteer!

WHAT AN OPERATION - - - and I mean that in only the MOST complimentary way.. It's HUGE - well organized and does SO much good for thousands of people. Apparently tons of food gets wasted - right at the manufacturer in this country. The woman said as much as 28% ends up being thrown away - that is actually edible. Stuff that is misslabeled, almost expired, past the marketing or labeling it was given, etc.. Raisin Bran with too few or too many raisins, orange juice accidently put in grapefruit juice labels, etc.. Tyically just tossed to the dump. They try to obtain it - deal with it and put it into the hands of Food Pantrys to get to those that NEED it.. I think she said that facilities like this are in several places around the country! Wonderful place to go volunteer for a couple of hours with teens..... It is immense - you should see the freezer. It is several times larger than my house! Grace was intrigued by the pallet FULL of fish sticks!

Ingrid's BIG Wipeout!

OK - so I've had this posted for whopping 45 minutes - and already a COMPLAINT from someone OUT WEST who wants to see the crash video. SICK SICK SICK SICK SICK!!

SO - here is another skiing picture - Grace is sniffling - part of the gig!
Followed by - THE VIDEO! OK? g

Happy Valentines Day!

Well folks, I guess I'm not the best BLOGGER out there. SO much for even getting WEEKLY posts! Thanks for your inquiries - it has gotten me in the mood. I just had a VERY SCARRY WWW thing.. I was DONE with this LONG post - and the WWW service was interrupted. OMG - almost lost all of this! Whew - thank GOD for saving a draft!

It is VERY icy here. The driveway is almost impassable due to the birches that are laden with ice. They are so heavy that they block the way. Ingrid says it is like going thru a car wash. Indeed - Grace agrees! It has been a month - AND - what a month it's been. We've had TWO family birthdays, been skiing, had the sniffles and two cases of pneumonia. Mine is getting better - and David just started antibiotics yesterday. I've been busy with registering 300 kids for BEEP - an afterschool program. SO - that's the snapshot - keep going for some pictures of it all. MOST OF ALL - be in touch - let us know how YOU are and have a

VERY HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!





Here is Ingrid at the kitchen counter working on her project for Grandma's birthday. She likes to work here while I'm flitting about the kitchen making dinner. She really stuck to this. It was a pretty big project with lots of colors. She really stuck to it every day. WHAT A KID!








I think Grandma liked sharing her birthday with her Grandaughters and their creations! The cake was a bit TOO blue - but then it's her FAVORITE color!

Here is Grace working on her FIRST real sewing project EVER. She is beading a smily face. According to Grace - who ALWAYS has a mission - this is strictly for jewelry and make-up! It is for Grandma for her birthday!

Here is Grandma on her Birthday with Grace's creation. It has the smily face on it WITH googly eyes that she wanted. She is very proud.

Here we are playing DOG-GONE-IT. It is a fun - fast paced card game that NORMIE gave Grace for Christmas. I'm not sure who the winner was. I think all of us because we had a fun time together. Note - Grace is explaining it - and David is STILL reading the directions. HE HE HE. Guess we know who has the brains in this family huh?

OK - so I've been wanting to learn how to knit socks for three years. Whoo-hoo! Here they are. With the help of some patterns off the web and and good advice from my friend Lore (including an Italian magazine full of lace patterns) they are awesome! They are 80% wool and some nylon for good wear! I learned how to knit lace, socks, turn a heal with a funky reinforciing stitch I can't remember the name of, and do the kitcheneer stitch to weave the toe together. I must say - they are comfy, warm, wash well and totally awesome.

We are still skiing when we can! This was BEFORE the big January thaw. We haven't been in 3 weeks due to LACK-O-Snow. We're very sad about that - but with the new dump this week - should be back at it - once the pneumonia clears enough for David and I to breathe deeply again! We have two "family lessons" left. Conditions up the mountain are probably perfect. DARN THIS PNEUMONIA!

Oh - the scarry video as promised and a nice picture of the girls in the woods. Pineridge is a beautiful place. This is a very nice level trail that follows a creek. Love being out in the woods with the girls. The video is Ingrid's first HORRID wipe-out. We were near the end of our day, 1/4 mile from the lodge. David was taking video with the digital camera and caught this moment. She was being - will - a bit cocky! Listen for the UUh - click - Oh (or: gutteral impact - skis hit head - Mommy gasps). When she belly flops - the skis fly forward impacting her head and left a NASTY bump. She is a trooper tho. Didn't cry too much and skiied out. What a gal!