The way it is today--well, it's hot! But not as hot as Memphis was the last two weeks. But for most of that we were in San Francisco visiting our son and then to Monterey for a few days va-ca-ing. Our surprise gift on returning home was NO A/C in Memphis 90+ weather. It took three days to return to normal--our cool home.
Enough of that. I just finished reading The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani and loved it. Watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and loved it. Went to ImagiKnit in San Francisco and loved it. Bought lots of Madeline Tosh and Malabrigo. My son brings me yarn from there when he visits home but I was pleasantly shocked with the wonderfulness of the place. I will be visiting there each trip out.
To keep cool we've been watching the NBA playoffs on TV since our beloved Grizzlies didn't make it out of round 1. I'm for the Thunder and the Celtics--and I will probably be disappointed but there you have it. I love the underdogs.
I am HATING the political season--so negative and just plain stinky. No more to say there, except of course I will be voting for our President Obama.
In Memphis we are all about the Memphis Farmer's Market on Saturday, the Levitt Shell for concerts, and the Greenway for biking, along with all the new bike lanes. Maybe I will get to two out of three this summer. I'll let the reader guess which ones.
As the Mississippi Rive keeps on rolling we are keeping cool, that's the way it is here in Memphis.

     The week of Thanksgiving. I'm thankful, for many things, but mostly just thankful. Son, David, comes home tonight for a week. Daughter, Laura and her hub Jon are staying in VA. We will enjoy all our family in KY for two days and then who knows. David is a laid back guy so we will see what happens.

I've been reading and knitting all year. My knitting closet sprung a leak from the roof--no worries, I only lost some dpns and many books and magazines. The yarn was ok! I'm working on using up a lot of the stash--even if I have to give a lot of it away. Nothing like emptying a closet in a hurry that points out just how much I have. Let's just say way..........too much. Read some good books this summer, too. I wish I could remember the titles!

Sixty-two looms near. Once you are in the sixties, it seems less daunting. We just spent a few days in Baltimore at a symposium to celebrate the years of the Children's Medical/Surgical Center at The Johns Hopkins where the hub did training and was on the faculty. The John is opening a fabulous new hospital for children, so this was a weekend to look back. We had great times in Baltimore, not to mention a child. It was beyond fun to be with old friends and tell all the old stories.

Leading up to Christmas is busy. I will be hosting three things in one week. Whew. Then who knows, I may take to my bed for a day. Fortunately only one is here, so only a little decorating is called for. We will be celebrating Christmas in KY this year--first time in three years. Lots of babies and things!

In Memphis--midtown has been hit by two horrible viruses. I have one now and do not want the other. Otherwise it's the same old Memphis and that I am thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving. That's the way it is.............

Storms, storms and more storms. This weekend is exactly one year since the floods that, in Memphis flooded my car, and in Nashville flooded our townhouse. The car was easy enough to bring back to it's original state but the townhouse took a toll on all of us. We had to gut it up four feet and virtually everything is new, including the furniture. I was able to save a leather coffee table, three tables and a bookcase. Just this month we finished it off with new countertops. I must say it is beautiful, thanks mostly to our contractor, Merrill Construction Group, and a friend who helped in selecting the furniture. We were not eligible for any assistance from FEMA or our insurance, so our 'retirement' sports car is now nonexistent!! Oh, well. We had a contract to sell the townhouse at the time of the flood but she backed out of the final sale (don't blame her) so we still own it and I'm enjoying it a lot.
So this year's storms that are devastating the south cause all those emotions of last year to re-emerge. It feels like the world is in a crazy time.
Crazy is a good word for some of the Repubs who are "thinking" of running for Pres against my man, President Obama. Donald Trump?? Puhlease! Enough said.
Now for the FUN---we are loving the playoffs for the Grizzlies, Memphis's NBA team. They are playing San Antonia Spurs in the first round of eliminations and are ahead 3 to 2 games. We have season tickets so are attending the home game playoffs and it is so much fun, not to mention uplifting for a Memphis that has lots of morale problems. To see 18,000 people swinging the towels and cheering is fantastic. We sit with other season ticket holders and have a big time at each game. Next game is tomorrow night here in Memphis and the Griz could win the whole thing. Go Griz.
Knitting and reading--not getting much done there, too much spring fever going on. We bought a rocking chair for the back porch which will be my summer perch for reading and I have a long list on the Kindle ready to go.
Knitting a few things--more about that later.
That's the way it is---stormy and sunny, lots of high fives for the team, and enjoying all the renewal of our townhouse in Nashville.
That's Memphis, never the same but always exciting.

I haven't been on here in forever so I don't know where to start. The way it is in Memphis---is gorgeous! The perfect time to visit us in NOW. Just about every street in mid-town is filled with flowers and shrubs and trees in bloom. It is sunny and bright but not hot or humid, yet. We are able to get by without heat and a/c and can enjoy the night time breezes. So, come to Memphis right now.

I've been busy knitting for all the new greats we are having--a great niece so far and two great nephews on the way. They will be born to sisters so we are excited. That is in addition to two great nephews and a great niece we already have. Remember we lost one great niece a few years ago and will forever remember our Riley with love. Her mom is one of the two having boys this summer.

Our son, David, moved to San Francisco in the fall and has found great employment and a new girlfriend we will meet later this spring.

Laura is in VA with her hubby Jonathan and is learning to be a DC tour guide--she's already giving tours at the Library of Congress. They are first time home owners and experiencing some money-pit situations. Right now they are overhauling their yard--which will take more than one summer!

Good things coming---in addition to all the babies, we will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary over Memorial Day weekend--May 29. All of us will be together here in Memphis. We will get to meet the new girlfriend that weekend, too.

Then in June there are two family reunions--the Bones and the Markhams, both in KY. In July we will travel back to NH for a week on the lake where we last lived.

The condo in Nashville has been completely redone and we are going to enjoy going there just for fun--no more work!

Knitting--fun continues at Knit Night. Sometimes we have fifteen and sometimes we have six. Bu it is always fun. I've been knitting baby blankets galore. A good friend whose daughter I've known since day one is also having a baby this summer. So the knitting continues. I'm working on socks--as always, a lace shawl--having just completed two shawls, one large and the other more a shawlette. I've got a years worth of pending projects so I'm working my way through that before any more purchases.

Reading some good books! Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo and Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler.

Two more book club books to read in May, then this summer I've stacked up a long queue on my Kindle to read through.

So, that's how it is in Memphis. On other levels--Charlie Sheen is crazy; the Republicans are crazy--trying their best to deny the poor as they feed the rich; there's a mess of devastation in Japan; and other atrocities are occurring daily. Yet we carry on. Earthquakes, tsunamis and crazy weather abounds. Yet we carry on.

So, that's how it is. Hang in there.

Knit Night

Tuesday never comes too soon. It is Knit Night at Cafe Eclectic where all kinds of people come to knit for a few hours. Well, mostly talk and knit and eat, too! We just sort of got together when another group left to meet elsewhere and those who stayed formed this new group. We have the greatest time talking about all kinds of things. But it's the camaraderie that means the most. We share yarn, patterns, books, clothes, resources, ideas; almost anything.

I try to be in town and arrange my week so I can go. Tonight we talked about dull parties, swimming, tai chi, knitting, making homemade crackers and ice cream, books and a lot more. For women of a certain age--and that's really women of all ages, there is nothing like knit night.

Summer in the City

Can you believe this summer?! Hot, baby, hot! Reminds me of the Watson's ad that says, It's hot, you need a pool. Of course if you don't know the Watson's girl and haven't seen it, you can't enjoy it's full meaning. But nonetheless, it is HOT. The humidity is overwhelming. Let's hope it cools off as the summer goes, because August in Memphis can be a killer, literally. Well, you know I'm old when I start off with the weather!

Life continues to be busy--we have had such a hard time of it. Our townhome in Nashville was flooded during the May 2 flood there. It's been a struggle to say the least. We had sold it but had not closed yet, so of course, the buyer backed out of the sale. We did not qualify for any aid of insurance, so we are doubly stressed. Fortunately, we had great help with the cleanup, drying out, and gutting and best of all, we hired our friend's son who has just started his own contractor's business and he is on target with the renovations. Merrill Construction Group of Nashville rocks. I highly recommend them.

We are expecting a great July---spending the fourth at our hometown with parents, the next weekend in Destin (oil or not) for husband to give a talk to a medical assn., the third weekend at the Bone-Frazer Family Reunion at Pennyrile State Park in KY, and the last weekend in July getting things reorganized in Nashville.

During the week we will be here in Memphis trying to catch up.

But, we are really looking forward to our vacation in September at Eagle Nest, NM in northern NM near Taos. Rejuvenation for me, fishing for husband.

NOW, to reading and knitting! I was thrilled to go to Stitches South in Atlanta in April. Took 18 hours of classes--loved them all, but most of all loved the Market and a chance to get some new yarns and plan new projects. The most fun will be the jacket from Jane Slicer-Smith's book. More on that when I actually start it this fall.

I fell in love with a knitting booklet--The Fine Line and have made one "practice" shawl called The Volt out of KnitPicks lace yarn but plan to knit it with Isager wool and then to knit The Dawn out of another Isager colorway. Right now I'm finishing some simple already started things to get some FO's. I've knitted some socks out of Berroco Sox that I bought at Stitches and a scarf from Morehouse that daughter gave me for Christmas. I finished a sweater in the spring and am working now on another Morehouse wool shawl and scarf. And of course, socks, always socks!

Reading---recently I've finished A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick, House Rules by Jodi Picoult, and Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom--all very good. Loving my Kindle, I have two pages of books downloaded for the summer.

It's been a spring of sad news about the oil spill, the economy, and the flooding both here and in Nashville--did I say my new car flooded here in Memphis a day before our townhouse flooded in Nashville--OUCH! But through all that we persevere and know there are always reasons to laugh and love.

A special enjoyment has been the grand opening of the LeBonheur Children's Hospital here in Memphis, where husband works. It is a beautiful, massive place and will be a special place for the children of TN, AK, and MS.

Looking forward to our family reunion and seeing all my many, many cousins and having my children there--reason to celebrate, too.

Keep knitting and reading and enjoying family. That's the way it is, here in Memphis in June.

And as a good friend always says, Peace out.

Wow, long time, no post.

Spring is coming to Memphis--slowly but surely. We are busy with lots of the usual things.

I have joined a knitting group---hooray. We meet on Tuesday evenings at Cafe Eclectic, a neighborhood hang out that we all love. It's across the street from the elementary/jr.high and right in the middle of the Evergreen/Hein Park neighborhoods. We chat and eat and even knit some.

The usual activities continue as well--book clubs, volunteer stuff, etc. We just returned from a visit to Fairfax, VA to help our daughter and her new husband get settled in their new home. They moved from Princeton, NJ to Fairfax during the snowmageddon of the late winter--even though the weather was good we still had huge snow mounds to deal with in parking lots, piled up on the street corners and other places that made it hard to maneuver the car. We bought lights and lamps, kitchen cart, etc. We also hung pictures, moved furniture and did a little decorating. They were glad to see us come and glad to see us go--we all needed some rest after four days of non-stop getting it done.

We had a new great nephew in the family. That makes four on my side, one deceased, and three on my husband's side. We love the growing family. A beloved uncle died in February who was 93 and we used his funeral as a celebration of him and a chance to reconnect and have fun together. We have a large family---21 first cousins alone, and 15 were able to be there. I love that family and have the best memories. On the other side there were 16 first cousins. That makes for a huge family!

Reading some good books lately. Just finished The Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. Currently reading The Glassblower of Murano for book club. For April it will be The Reliable Wife and then in May we will read a book by a neighbor, D'Army Bailey. It's a memoir of his time during the Civil Rights Movement and is The Education of a Black Radical. He has agreed to meet with our book club and even offered his home as our meeting place--now that's going to be great.

Knitting--working on too many things and finishing none. An entrelac wrap, socks as usual, scarves--many. One sweater about to be finished, another needing to be blocked. I did give away half of my stash to prepare for more from Stitches South (more on this later).

Our son just started a new job--with benefits!! Let's hope this is a trend since son-in-law just got a great new job, too.

Praying for healthcare reform to pass. Truly believe we are all equal, we should all have the same access to good medical care.

Life is good, even with all its problems--life is good. Just celebrated my 60th birthday and with it the freedom to be, just be.

And that's how it is down here on the Mississippi River. Cheers for 2010.