Trump is back and very grumpy. Of course part of his bad humor is that the leaders with whom he met weren't impressed by him. Except the Saudi kingdom, of course, but that's because of the rich airplane deal they got from Jared. But Macron and Merkel made it clear that they think he is a buffoon. Besides that, his manners were appalling, including trying to intimidate everyone he met by squeezing their hands until the knuckles creaked and shoving the poor prime minister from Montenegro. Now all of this may have been Trump's intent since he believes that European countries are stiffing the US so offending them serves his purpose. Never mind that encouraging countries to increase their military capability has never worked out well.
The Russians are chuckling because what they wanted to happen has happened. We have a moron as president and our believability and reputation has plummeted. Good job all you Trumpets.
In the meantime I have finished block number 5 and nearly finished block number 6. My son was thrilled with his yukata and washing it after I sewed it did remove most of the musty odor. I am also laboring to repair several Noh theater masks that my mother-in-law collected and then took to Hawaii. Of the half-dozen that arrived, four have serious damage. Some of it may have been in the latest travel from Hawaii, but some is clearly from just being in Hawaii with its high humidity. Noh masks have a variety of construction techniques, and the masks that are wood are easy to repair. The masks that seem to be plaster of some kind are much harder. The breaks aren't at joints but more random, as plaster in a damp environment would display. Gorilla Glue is very good so my fingers are crossed.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Sunday, May 28, 2017
How Much Can You Stand?
Trump's adventures abroad were at least without tweets. There are even reports that now that he is back in the country, lawyers will try to "vet" his tweets before they go out. Given Trump's personality that doesn't sound like a winner. In the meantime, Jared Kushner, whose taxes and loans are more transparent than Trump's, is on the hotseat because he proposed secret communication to Russia using Russian channels to avoid scrutiny by US intelligence generally and the Obama administration particularly. Everyone knows that Jared is deeply in debt to Russian sources for some of his NYC properties, including 666 Fifth Avenue. In a booming real estate market where 100% occupancy is more the norm than the outlier, 666 is far below that. Kushner even asked the powers that be in New York to renumber the building, thinking that people are avoiding renting space because of the biblical connotations. Of course so many New Yorkers who have enough money to rent space there are serious fundamental religious people. Right.
More Stuff From Grandma's Attic
Box after box arrives at my house and most of it now is books--old books. Not super old like treasured folios of Shakespeare but early 20th century copies of some classics and editions of the books that my husband's grandfather wrote. He was relatively famous once but completely obscure now unless you have an interest in early 20th century Japanese political writers. Most of his journals are also in the boxes. Apparently someone once told my brother in law that there was some value in these items but all they are to me is an annoyance.
But some of the boxes have other stuff in them including one very elaborate kimono and several beautiful obi along with some yukata fabric, still rolled up and never used. This material has been in Hawaii for nearly 40 years and it has a strong musty aroma. I have been airing out the silk goods and I am making my son a yukata out of one of the old rolls of cotton. I hope that once it is finished that washing will get rid of the funky aroma. I have no use whatsoever for the obi or the kimono but the fabric is gorgeous. If I could get rid of the smell I could display them somehow.
Since my husband and I are thinking seriously of moving some time soon, having someone else's old stuff is an issue. This is even more true if we follow through on plans to leave the USA. Certainly we want to leave Utah. I have never liked it much here but I have endured it while my husband pursued his career. Now that he is retired and the odd contract work he does is all on a computer, he doesn't need to be in Utah. The state is very Republican, very conservative, and becoming even more so. 26 years is more than long enough for me.
But some of the boxes have other stuff in them including one very elaborate kimono and several beautiful obi along with some yukata fabric, still rolled up and never used. This material has been in Hawaii for nearly 40 years and it has a strong musty aroma. I have been airing out the silk goods and I am making my son a yukata out of one of the old rolls of cotton. I hope that once it is finished that washing will get rid of the funky aroma. I have no use whatsoever for the obi or the kimono but the fabric is gorgeous. If I could get rid of the smell I could display them somehow.
Since my husband and I are thinking seriously of moving some time soon, having someone else's old stuff is an issue. This is even more true if we follow through on plans to leave the USA. Certainly we want to leave Utah. I have never liked it much here but I have endured it while my husband pursued his career. Now that he is retired and the odd contract work he does is all on a computer, he doesn't need to be in Utah. The state is very Republican, very conservative, and becoming even more so. 26 years is more than long enough for me.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
All Those Daring Young Women
Watch out world, they're coming. One of my former tutees, now a rising senior at Harvey Mudd, is coming over today to tell me about the semester she spent at the University of Edinburgh. I encouraged her to take the opportunity rather than spending that semester at HM because she needed to spread her wings, not stay clipped. Another of my former tutees is going to be graduated from Harvard College on Friday. After that she plans to take a gap year in Vietnam before medical school.
I do not just tutor young women. There have been nearly an equal number of young men who are either still in college (Bowdoin, Berkeley, etc.), or have gone on to careers. The difference is that the young women keep in touch more. I do see the guys occasionally, but the women come by every time they are in town.
Today I will finally meet Sarah's parents. In what always strikes me as odd and somehow dangerous, most of these kids (and they are kids when they first come to me) don't have parents who want to meet the tutor. Perhaps I was over protective but I always made a point of at least meeting any adults my sons interacted with. Of course most students get my name through their English teachers, so it's possible those teachers describe me to the parents.
All of these young women are bright and determined, far more focused than I remember being at their age. I hope they maintain their spirit as they move on.
I do not just tutor young women. There have been nearly an equal number of young men who are either still in college (Bowdoin, Berkeley, etc.), or have gone on to careers. The difference is that the young women keep in touch more. I do see the guys occasionally, but the women come by every time they are in town.
Today I will finally meet Sarah's parents. In what always strikes me as odd and somehow dangerous, most of these kids (and they are kids when they first come to me) don't have parents who want to meet the tutor. Perhaps I was over protective but I always made a point of at least meeting any adults my sons interacted with. Of course most students get my name through their English teachers, so it's possible those teachers describe me to the parents.
All of these young women are bright and determined, far more focused than I remember being at their age. I hope they maintain their spirit as they move on.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Seriously?
"President Trump's 2018 budget request to Congress seeks massive cuts
in spending on health programs, including medical research, disease
prevention programs and health insurance for children of the working
poor.
The National Cancer Institute would be hit with a $1 billion cut compared to its 2017 budget."
Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director, released the White House plan for federal spending by saying that the Trump administration was determined to use the budget to rework the welfare system. That is clearly the prerogative of the Trump administration, but everyone gets sick, everyone benefits from research, all of us need the research dollars that are targeted, all of us benefit from the community health programs. If we don't have what boils down to a neutral observer in the dollars, what we end up getting is research funded by those who have a reason to game the system.
BTW, I always think of Mick Mulvaney as an angry leprechaun.
The National Cancer Institute would be hit with a $1 billion cut compared to its 2017 budget."
Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director, released the White House plan for federal spending by saying that the Trump administration was determined to use the budget to rework the welfare system. That is clearly the prerogative of the Trump administration, but everyone gets sick, everyone benefits from research, all of us need the research dollars that are targeted, all of us benefit from the community health programs. If we don't have what boils down to a neutral observer in the dollars, what we end up getting is research funded by those who have a reason to game the system.
BTW, I always think of Mick Mulvaney as an angry leprechaun.
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Spectacular
Unfortunately my husband and I rarely walk our dogs with our cell phones so I don't have pictures of what we saw this morning but...
There was an amazing, astounding double rainbow completely across the sky. It was the brightest rainbow I remember seeing and from our position on one side of our local canyon it seemed to bridge the canyon walls.
As I wrote previously, the weather has been odd to say the least with snow falling twice this week but weather today to be rainy but relatively warm. This is wreaking havoc with our vegetable plantings but doesn't seem to have affected any of the other plants.
There was an amazing, astounding double rainbow completely across the sky. It was the brightest rainbow I remember seeing and from our position on one side of our local canyon it seemed to bridge the canyon walls.
As I wrote previously, the weather has been odd to say the least with snow falling twice this week but weather today to be rainy but relatively warm. This is wreaking havoc with our vegetable plantings but doesn't seem to have affected any of the other plants.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Loose Lips Sink Ships
Donald Trump, in the now well-known meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak at the White House, said, "I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," according to the NYTimes. "I faced great pressure because of Russia.
That's taken off." So is he reassuring the Russians or what?
One of NSA chief H.R. McMasters' aides said of Donald Trump, "It can be difficult to advise the President effectively given his seemingly short attention span and propensity to be easily distracted," The aide went on to say, "You can't say what not to say," the source said of Trump, "because that will then be one of the first things he'll say." That obviously makes it very difficult to even give Trump intelligence briefings. Perhaps they are all staying on the job to protect all of us from the man who gave them the jobs. This man has the power to annihilate life. Is that a comforting thought?
So now that Trump is on his first foreign adventure, starting in Saudi Arabia where he is scheduled to give a speech about Islam (a speech written by Stephen Miller who wrote the Muslim travel ban), what could possible go wrong?
One of NSA chief H.R. McMasters' aides said of Donald Trump, "It can be difficult to advise the President effectively given his seemingly short attention span and propensity to be easily distracted," The aide went on to say, "You can't say what not to say," the source said of Trump, "because that will then be one of the first things he'll say." That obviously makes it very difficult to even give Trump intelligence briefings. Perhaps they are all staying on the job to protect all of us from the man who gave them the jobs. This man has the power to annihilate life. Is that a comforting thought?
So now that Trump is on his first foreign adventure, starting in Saudi Arabia where he is scheduled to give a speech about Islam (a speech written by Stephen Miller who wrote the Muslim travel ban), what could possible go wrong?
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Beyond Everything Else
Trump is a disaster happening in front of all of us, but beyond that, Trump's use of language appalls me. Today he declared that there was "...no collusion between certainly myself and my campaign." Well rational observers knew that already but I don't think that means what he thinks it means. He also tweeted that appointing a special "councel" was a witch hunt.
I have no doubt that Trump understands the meaning of "witch hunt". One of his earlier influences was Roy Cohn, Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel. I doubt that Trump understands that McCarthy and Cohn are not admired in any circles.
We know that Jared Kushner's father gave Harvard $3M just to gain entrance. How much did Trump's father pay Penn for the two years Trump spent there?
I have no doubt that Trump understands the meaning of "witch hunt". One of his earlier influences was Roy Cohn, Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel. I doubt that Trump understands that McCarthy and Cohn are not admired in any circles.
We know that Jared Kushner's father gave Harvard $3M just to gain entrance. How much did Trump's father pay Penn for the two years Trump spent there?
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Stand Up Guys
It was a curiosity that Rod Rosenstein had even taken a job with the Trump administration. His reputation throughout his career was that he was indisputably strict on his adherence to honesty and the law. After Trump tried to throw him under the bus by blaming him for firing Comey, Rosenstein fought back publicly, denying that he was the starting point of Trump's decision. Today he showed that his reputation was accurate. He appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate, and if need be prosecute, any legal irregularities within the Trump/Russia connections, including Trump's dismissal of Comey.
Robert Mueller is another stand up guy. Sure he went to Princeton, but then he went to Viet Nam as a Marine in 1966 where he won medals including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He has already been FBI director for the second longest term.
I doubt very much that Trump expected this. Now we can wait to see the reaction from the White House and from Trump. As late as 3pm EDT the White House didn't know that this was going to happen. Statements from Spicer indicated that within the administration the argument was still that a special counsel was unnecessary. We all know that Trump's tweets provide more information than any statement written by his handlers. Bated breath doesn't cover the expectation.
Robert Mueller is another stand up guy. Sure he went to Princeton, but then he went to Viet Nam as a Marine in 1966 where he won medals including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He has already been FBI director for the second longest term.
I doubt very much that Trump expected this. Now we can wait to see the reaction from the White House and from Trump. As late as 3pm EDT the White House didn't know that this was going to happen. Statements from Spicer indicated that within the administration the argument was still that a special counsel was unnecessary. We all know that Trump's tweets provide more information than any statement written by his handlers. Bated breath doesn't cover the expectation.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Yet Another Revelation
Apparently former FBI director Comey not only took notes on a meeting he had with Trump about Flynn, but he sent those notes to others. Trump asked Comey not to continue with any investigation of Flynn. Trump then may have obstructed justice by firing Comey. He admitted that "...this Russia thing" was his impetus on national television. Now that people are revealing information previously hidden, one wonders what will be next.
And for you diehard Trump supporters out there, I know you think this is just rats leaving a sinking ship but this is the country's reputation, its standing, and its future. This man has only been in office 100 plus days. More time in office is not going to improve a 70 year old man who has ego problems anyway.
What a guy.
And for you diehard Trump supporters out there, I know you think this is just rats leaving a sinking ship but this is the country's reputation, its standing, and its future. This man has only been in office 100 plus days. More time in office is not going to improve a 70 year old man who has ego problems anyway.
What a guy.
Another Day, Another Disaster
Last week I described Trump being punked by the Russians. Well the Washington Post reports that it was worse than that. Trump is so fixated about being the coolest kid on the block that he bragged about the great intel he gets every day. In that bragging he revealed a terrorist plot involving laptops and airplanes. Now newspapers have been describing a new ban on electronics coming on planes from overseas, but what Trump revealed was specific enough to allow identification of the "sources and methods" used to acquire the intel. Anyone who thinks the Russians won't follow up on the information is living in kumbaya land.
What a guy.
What a guy.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Chilly Mother's Day
We have had serious ups and downs in our temperatures this spring. Two weeks ago it snowed, a week ago it got up to 88F, and yesterday and today are around 50F. That makes it hard to plan the vegetable garden or even what to wear.
Despite the upheavals in the weather, my peonies are blooming, my German iris are blooming, the last of the tulips are blooming, so my yard looks decent. The thyme ground cover has greened up from its winter nap as well.
Edit 5/15: The newest weather report is predicting some snow fall on Thursday, the 18th of May.
Despite the upheavals in the weather, my peonies are blooming, my German iris are blooming, the last of the tulips are blooming, so my yard looks decent. The thyme ground cover has greened up from its winter nap as well.
Edit 5/15: The newest weather report is predicting some snow fall on Thursday, the 18th of May.
Friday, May 12, 2017
You Said What?
Trump asked rhetorically today why he needed to have spokespeople and press conferences. He says he is such an "...active president..." that there is no way any spokespeople can keep up with him. That was patently obvious this week when Trump fired his FBI director, threatened the same director with incriminating tapes, claimed he wanted to fire Comey from day one, ...and yada yada. Every time his spokespeople spoke, Trump made them look like liars about half an hour later. The attraction of raw power must keep them there since Spicer is the butt of all jokes and Sarah Huckabee Sanders is too dumb to know that she looks stupid.
Everyone knows why Trump went bankrupt. If they didn't know before this week, they certainly know after this week. Even the Russians got in on the joke, taking pictures of Trump in the Oval Office shaking hands with the Russians, after he had excluded national news photographers and journalists from the meeting. They punked him and he didn't even recognize what happened.
What a guy.
Everyone knows why Trump went bankrupt. If they didn't know before this week, they certainly know after this week. Even the Russians got in on the joke, taking pictures of Trump in the Oval Office shaking hands with the Russians, after he had excluded national news photographers and journalists from the meeting. They punked him and he didn't even recognize what happened.
What a guy.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
One Gament Done, One to Go
I finished my husband's pants today. He won't be able to put on any weight but they are very nice. A beautiful wool with a very silky hand. He says he's going to wear them to NYC but I doubt he will be doing anything remotely requiring dress slacks. Although the Harvard Club main dining room does not allow jeans, the various other dining options do.
The next two projects, depending on my attention span, are a silk dress and the two corner blocks to "finish" the first border. The word finish is in quotes since the border has a continuous line of applique so until I finish the two side borders the corner blocks can't really be finished. It will be a step toward completion though. The silk dress is very lightweight breezy fabric in a print of pink and yellow stylized pansies. I picked out the pattern but my husband picked out the fabric.
Trump came up with approximately three different stories today about firing Comey. Apparently Rosenstein didn't appreciate being pointed out as the instigator on television and denied the first account of the firing in no uncertain terms. All of the news outlets are reporting that Trump was furious that Comey stated that he felt slightly nauseous thinking that his actions had affected the election result which Trump took to mean that Comey wanted Clinton to win.
My question is how real is any of this or is it simply another shiny distraction to keep everyone from focusing on the investigation into Russian interference in the electoral process? My other question has to do with why Trump thinks he needs to provide excuses or explanations. Firing Comey, while it may be unethical or dubious, is completely legal. All he has to say is, "I wanted to." We are in real banana republic mode now anyway so finding a logical or sensible rationale for actions is useless.
The next two projects, depending on my attention span, are a silk dress and the two corner blocks to "finish" the first border. The word finish is in quotes since the border has a continuous line of applique so until I finish the two side borders the corner blocks can't really be finished. It will be a step toward completion though. The silk dress is very lightweight breezy fabric in a print of pink and yellow stylized pansies. I picked out the pattern but my husband picked out the fabric.
Trump came up with approximately three different stories today about firing Comey. Apparently Rosenstein didn't appreciate being pointed out as the instigator on television and denied the first account of the firing in no uncertain terms. All of the news outlets are reporting that Trump was furious that Comey stated that he felt slightly nauseous thinking that his actions had affected the election result which Trump took to mean that Comey wanted Clinton to win.
My question is how real is any of this or is it simply another shiny distraction to keep everyone from focusing on the investigation into Russian interference in the electoral process? My other question has to do with why Trump thinks he needs to provide excuses or explanations. Firing Comey, while it may be unethical or dubious, is completely legal. All he has to say is, "I wanted to." We are in real banana republic mode now anyway so finding a logical or sensible rationale for actions is useless.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Circular Stupidity
Trump was angry that Comey wouldn't commit to being a soldier for Trump and was also asking for more support, money and agents, to investigate the Trump/Russia connections, so he asked his toady, Jeff Sessions, to find a legally defensible reason to dump Comey. Sessions, despite the fact that he had supposedly recused himself from the Trump/Russia investigation, sat down with the newly appointed second in command, Rosenstein, to write a letter, at Trump's behest, that might support firing Comey. So between the two of them they wrote a letter that pointed out that Comey had violated norms when he publicly revealed details of investigations into Hillary Clinton's email activity.
That ended up being the first public reason for Trump firing Comey, without warning, without consultation. Naturally anyone who has paid even cursory attention during the past two years knows that Trump celebrated Comey's investigation and handling of Clinton's emails so there were immediately questions about the justification. It hasn't even been 24 hours since Comey found out that he was canned. Typically for Trump, Comey wasn't even in DC when he found out he was canned. But Trump's occasional spokesperson, Sarah Huckabee Sanders (who didn't fall far at all from that parental tree) declared, "I think also having a letter like the one that he (Trump) received, and having that conversation (with Rosenstein),..." showed that there was cause to fire Comey. Of course that line of bull pokey completely ignores the fact that Trump had asked them to write the letter fewer than 24 hours before that. It was not as if Sessions and Rosenstein had been deeply concerned prior to Trump's request.
This takes us very far through the looking glass in to an alternate reality. From all appearances, Trump still thinks he is on Celebrity Apprentice.
That ended up being the first public reason for Trump firing Comey, without warning, without consultation. Naturally anyone who has paid even cursory attention during the past two years knows that Trump celebrated Comey's investigation and handling of Clinton's emails so there were immediately questions about the justification. It hasn't even been 24 hours since Comey found out that he was canned. Typically for Trump, Comey wasn't even in DC when he found out he was canned. But Trump's occasional spokesperson, Sarah Huckabee Sanders (who didn't fall far at all from that parental tree) declared, "I think also having a letter like the one that he (Trump) received, and having that conversation (with Rosenstein),..." showed that there was cause to fire Comey. Of course that line of bull pokey completely ignores the fact that Trump had asked them to write the letter fewer than 24 hours before that. It was not as if Sessions and Rosenstein had been deeply concerned prior to Trump's request.
This takes us very far through the looking glass in to an alternate reality. From all appearances, Trump still thinks he is on Celebrity Apprentice.
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
O Frabjous Day!
All you Trump folks out there must be rolling over in delight, right? Your guy just ordered the dismissal of FBI director Comey, for very specious reasons. This is going to come back to bite you in the tuckus but in the meantime you can quaff a few brews and congratulate yourself on draining the swamp.
Of course this happens on the same day that Sean Spicer declared that they didn't pay attention to Sally Yates on January 26th when she warned them that information held by intelligence agencies showed that Michael Flynn was compromised for illegally offering sanction relief to Russia because she refused to defend Trump's unconstitutional travel ban for Muslims. But her refusal and firing didn't happen until several days after she warned the incoming administration about Flynn. If anyone out there still believes and supports this moron, you deserve Trump's appelation of you as "uneducated people" whom he declares he loves.
Pruitt fired 50% of the EPA advisory board because they were bona fide scientists rather than lobbyists for industry. Put that in your pipe and smoke it because that's what your air will look like. Your drinking water isn't far behind. Soon every home in America will have the same pollution as Flint, Michigan so it won't just be black children who suffer. And it will be a pre-existing condition for which you either won't get coverage or won't be able to afford it.
But Halleluja baby, you sure are showing those elite Ivy League guys. Even their kids will suffer this time.
Congratulations, stupidity reigns.
Of course this happens on the same day that Sean Spicer declared that they didn't pay attention to Sally Yates on January 26th when she warned them that information held by intelligence agencies showed that Michael Flynn was compromised for illegally offering sanction relief to Russia because she refused to defend Trump's unconstitutional travel ban for Muslims. But her refusal and firing didn't happen until several days after she warned the incoming administration about Flynn. If anyone out there still believes and supports this moron, you deserve Trump's appelation of you as "uneducated people" whom he declares he loves.
Pruitt fired 50% of the EPA advisory board because they were bona fide scientists rather than lobbyists for industry. Put that in your pipe and smoke it because that's what your air will look like. Your drinking water isn't far behind. Soon every home in America will have the same pollution as Flint, Michigan so it won't just be black children who suffer. And it will be a pre-existing condition for which you either won't get coverage or won't be able to afford it.
But Halleluja baby, you sure are showing those elite Ivy League guys. Even their kids will suffer this time.
Congratulations, stupidity reigns.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Another Aargh Day
I am approximately halfway done with my husband's trousers. This pattern is unnecessarily complicated but I might get them done tomorrow. I have to go to the dermatologist in the morning and return essays I scored today after that but then I can get back to the painstaking detail work the trousers entail. He is very excited so I hope I don't screw up.
Then I can get back to the Baltimore Album. I am officially one-quarter done with four blocks and one border and even with the baby quilt delay it is only just early May. I guess that's pretty good progress.
Then I can get back to the Baltimore Album. I am officially one-quarter done with four blocks and one border and even with the baby quilt delay it is only just early May. I guess that's pretty good progress.
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Good Luck With That
I finished the embroidery elements on the first applique border today. All that means is that I will begin my husband's new trousers tomorrow. I have made this pattern before and I remember that it had overly complicated instructions for sewing and completing so I am not looking forward to the next three days. The saving grace is that my husband has always said that the first pair of trousers from this pattern are his favorite. Of course he picked the fabric and I did the appropriate tailoring, checking the rise, etc., so these are the epitome of hand-tailored.
On the same topic of my husband (47 years and counting), the other day he got an email from the fellow who is and has been the Harvard tennis coach for several decades. We both knew this guy when he was still an undergraduate at Harvard and a member of the team that had elected my husband to be the captain, a position he held his senior year at the college. A tennis event was planned for former Harvard varsity players in NYC where they would play at the Arthur Ashe tennis center (Forest Hills). Anyway, my husband got the email and was reading it while I was making lunch. He looked at me and briefly explained the email at which point I told him, "You should go." He got very excited but then looked crestfallen because as he explained "I haven't played in ten years. My racket needs new strings. Blah, blah."
Of course I told him that none of that mattered. He could stay at the Harvard Club, ride the subway, probably see folks he hadn't seen in 45 years, and have a good time. He has been in a state of enchantment ever since. He ordered a tennis racket online that arrived today, he bought new tennis shorts, and wristbands. He is practically quivering with excitement. I used to be a swimming coach not a tennis coach but I told him in the brief time he has to prepare that he should run some, hit against a wall. His new racket arrived today and he has been swishing it around ever since.
I even made the supreme sacrifice--I told him I would run with him after dinner. I was a swimmer. I was never a runner. We live at about 4200 feet above sea level and it's all uphill from our house. So we don't run far and we certainly don't run fast but we have been running. So dear readers, I will either die with the effort or become a stronger person. What I do know for sure is that my 68 year old husband is acting like a teenager. That has to be a good thing.
I did also tell him that there is no doubt that a substantial donation would be expected. He is way less enthusiastic about that but I will give him a check before he leaves.
On the same topic of my husband (47 years and counting), the other day he got an email from the fellow who is and has been the Harvard tennis coach for several decades. We both knew this guy when he was still an undergraduate at Harvard and a member of the team that had elected my husband to be the captain, a position he held his senior year at the college. A tennis event was planned for former Harvard varsity players in NYC where they would play at the Arthur Ashe tennis center (Forest Hills). Anyway, my husband got the email and was reading it while I was making lunch. He looked at me and briefly explained the email at which point I told him, "You should go." He got very excited but then looked crestfallen because as he explained "I haven't played in ten years. My racket needs new strings. Blah, blah."
Of course I told him that none of that mattered. He could stay at the Harvard Club, ride the subway, probably see folks he hadn't seen in 45 years, and have a good time. He has been in a state of enchantment ever since. He ordered a tennis racket online that arrived today, he bought new tennis shorts, and wristbands. He is practically quivering with excitement. I used to be a swimming coach not a tennis coach but I told him in the brief time he has to prepare that he should run some, hit against a wall. His new racket arrived today and he has been swishing it around ever since.
I even made the supreme sacrifice--I told him I would run with him after dinner. I was a swimmer. I was never a runner. We live at about 4200 feet above sea level and it's all uphill from our house. So we don't run far and we certainly don't run fast but we have been running. So dear readers, I will either die with the effort or become a stronger person. What I do know for sure is that my 68 year old husband is acting like a teenager. That has to be a good thing.
I did also tell him that there is no doubt that a substantial donation would be expected. He is way less enthusiastic about that but I will give him a check before he leaves.
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Intense
I did finish the first applique border, allowing for the addition of the corner blocks. I embroidered most of the center vase of flowers earlier but left the twining right and left vines until I finished. Today I spent three hours just doing one half. Tomorrow I will do the other side. This is going to be a beautiful quilt but not practical.
Then there will be another brief delay to make my husband a new pair of pants. A few years ago I made a nice pair out of some beautiful wool from Britex on the remnant floor. Yes, they do have remnants that are big enough to make a pair of men's trousers. So when we went to SF the other day we had to go to Britex to look around. My husband found another large remnant of very lovely Italian wool. I used to do a whole lot more wardrobe sewing, both for myself and my husband. Now I don't do much but occasionally I make something. So for a few days I will be making welt pockets and belt loops instead of working on quilts.
Then there will be another brief delay to make my husband a new pair of pants. A few years ago I made a nice pair out of some beautiful wool from Britex on the remnant floor. Yes, they do have remnants that are big enough to make a pair of men's trousers. So when we went to SF the other day we had to go to Britex to look around. My husband found another large remnant of very lovely Italian wool. I used to do a whole lot more wardrobe sewing, both for myself and my husband. Now I don't do much but occasionally I make something. So for a few days I will be making welt pockets and belt loops instead of working on quilts.
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