Ink

OK, so I'm getting inked for the first time tomorrow, and I'm so totally freaking jazzed about it. Anybody looking for an amazing tattoo artist, check out Christopher G at Peackcock's Tattoo. I'll show you pics tomorrow. Promise.

Best Hurricane Tracking Map Online

The Orlando Sentinel has the best hurricane tracking map I've encountered online. Check it out.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/weather/hurricane/orl-hurricane-storms-map,0,814603.htmlpage

Our Father, Who Art In Heaven

Picture it:

A poor neighborhood where the people work so hard they get old young, just to eat. Just to live. One hot July night in this dusty small town, two men commit a home invasion. The father is beaten, bound and forced to watch his son killed and every female member of his family beaten and raped repeatedly...even his five-year-old daughter, who dies from her wounds before the men are finished with her.

Are you offended? Do you want them caught? Do you want them to stand trial? Do you want to see them jailed for their crimes, or face the death penalty? No matter your idea of punishment, we can all agree they should be stopped, yes? Before they pick another house...before they pick my house, or yours.

Well, it wasn't two men. It was two hundred. And it wasn't one family, it was two hundred women and girls and babies. And this wasn't the first time. This is rape as a weapon of war.

Are you scared now?

I am.

And I want someone to stop them. NOW.

They are my neighbors, my friends, these girls. These families. In this globally connected world, they are all my neighbors. It could've been my house. Dumb luck made me the daughter of my parents and not the daughter of her parents. There, but for the grace of God go I. It could've been me. They could've ALL been me. Or my little girl.

Did you see the headlines in the news? I know CNN reported it. Did you understand what's happening out there? They're praying for help. Those are somebody's babies. That is somebody's mother. Somebody's wife. It's me, and it's you. Why aren't there protests, and demands for answers...for solutions? Why aren't we screaming for blood, for help, for it to stop?

Some of us are. We need your voice too. THEY need your voice. The Congo, Rwanda, Darfur...it's happening right now. The whole world swore after Hitler that we'd never let such a thing happen again. Did we only mean we'll never let somebody kill using gas chambers again? That it's OK, as long as they don't use concentration camps? It's happening, Gentle Reader. Last night,

right now, this VERY minute. Do you get it? Somebody should have saved the Jews. Somebody should have STOPPED IT. Dontcha think?

www.savedarfur.org

www.one.org

www.theirc.org

Photo by Jack Corn, courtesy of The US National Archives; no known copyright restrictions.

It's a Plum

OK, so I'm halfway through my second glass of Takara Plum Wine, and I had to drop by and rave. If you haven't ever tasted this stuff, please, do. I haven't had it for a couple of years, and I'm surprised all over again by how good it is.

That's all.

Oh, and I'm baking brownies. Sucks to be you.

(Original photo by Tony2, some rights reserved.)

Crochet Posts Worth Noting

Planet June's Invisible Decrease Tutorial: http://www.planetjune.com/blog/amigurumi-help/invisible-decrease/

Planet June's Magic Ring Tutorial: http://www.planetjune.com/blog/tutorials/magic-ring-right-handed/

I don't know if any of you crochet, but I don't want to lose these links, so I'll post 'em here where I can find 'em. Assuming I can find my blog when I need it.

So...I'm Obviously Sucking at This

Would you believe I forgot I have a blog? No? Yeah, me either. You wouldn't be so surprised it's taken me this long to post if you'd seen the number of crochet UFOs in my closet. (UFO = unfinished object)

My current work-in-progress is the Cathedral Rose Window Afghan from Annie's Attic. I've wanted to make this thing for YEARS. Eighty-something dollahs later, there's a little voice in my head warning me not to let it go the way of my blog. LOL Is it possible to have OCD and ADD? I'm obsessed with things for as long as I can remember them.

So the two new granddaughters are about a year and a half old, and both are as lovely as can be. I previously posted a pic of Zoey with a headless Elizabeth in the background. I promise to post a pic of Liebe tonight, if for no other reason than she'll be howling at the inequality ten years from now. Anyway, since that post, I acquired another grand baby...the first grandson, William. I call him Chuck. He looks like Charlie Brown, big head and all. He's so handsome! One big dimple in his right cheek, and he shows it off all the time because he's always smiling. Good thing her third baby is a happy one, with all of them under the age of four. If he hadn't been, I'm sure she would've traded them all for whatever is behind door number four. I know I would've.

OK, so I'll update with pics later. Tonight. Really.

Edit: I promised pics. Here are all four gorgeous grands.

This is Zoey with Elizabeth's head.

This is Liebe.

This is Will.

Gesundheit!

Coughing, sneezing, sniffling. Ugh. Worst cold of the century. I brought it home from work and passed it around.

“Thanks for sharing,” my girl choked out yesterday in the middle of another coughing fit. I smiled in spite of my misery. I know how to share – I took Sharing Class.

I love all animals. I used to volunteer at the Jacksonville Zoo, was working to get my exotic pet license, and wanted at least one of every kind of animal on the planet. I eventually got over the need-to-own-them-all thing, but barely.

A couple of years ago we lived in a condo and had no pets. My then-eight-year-old-daughter REALLY wanted a kitten. And a puppy. My girl’s ex had kept her dog (named Coon) for her when she moved out, and was willing to give up custody, and we were all excited to be getting him “back”. Thrown into the deal was a little grey kitten named Max. I had met them both, and was in love. I jokingly insisted they were going to be MINE. My daughter took exception to this display of greed and sentenced me to Sharing Class. My laughing girl backed her up 100%. “Yeah, you need Sharing Class.” They laughed and laughed and laughed. Brats.

So Sharing Class commenced that evening on our patio, with my daughter as Teacher, my girl as Best Student and me as Bad Girl. As Bad Girl, I was required to sit quietly in Time Out and listen to the (rambling) lecture given by the Teacher, while Best Student was awarded Recess. That Time Out happened to be in my favorite chair and Recess happened to be in the tight corner between the upright freezer and the brick wall escaped neither student, although the teacher seemed unaware of the irony. Suffice it to say, I smiled a lot (gloating but hiding it…from Teacher, anyway) and passed the class with flying colors.

“Thanks for sharing” always makes my stingy self smile.

*GRIN* You’re welcome.

(Original photo by ghindo, some rights reserved.)