Toodles...Back in a Bit

This one...



This one...


This one...


And this one too...


...are getting on a big ship and heading to some islands for several days.

Have a great week!

A Thank You Card for America

You were right, Sam


Some of you know that I'm not an American citizen, but I have lived here for more than half my life, and I'm proud to call this home. I know the importance of contributing all I can to be part of what makes this country a great place to live. I have my reasons for not yet pursuing citizenship, but that's potentially a topic for another day. I will say though, that my Permanent Resident status had me completely GLUED to the election proceedings last night. I was certainly as nervous/anxious/excited as many of you. Naturally I felt a significant (and maybe obvious) investment in the outcome, but there were many other factors that added to my feelings last night. Here are just a few of them -

I live in Florida, a battleground state with 27 electoral votes to contribute to the winning candidate. Yes, the state of hanging chads and cheating scandals. In my particular neighborhood there was a hate crime against a neighbor not 3 streets down from me who displayed an Obama/Biden lawn marker. My daughters are now old enough to understand so much more of what we tell them about the world around us; about it's history, it's progress and how the meaning of that story becomes more and more important to their own futures. I'll tell you - my heart was fit to burst with gratitude last night when I woke them with the news.

And lastly - I can appreciate the fact that Barak Obama is now our President-elect because of what it took to get him that title. It took MORE. More registered voters, more campaign time, more open-mindedness, more discussions, greater access, more organization, more funding, more hope, bigger issues, more crises, more interest, and a broader historical foundation on which to rest this victory.

I know that some of you may not have supported him, and some of you may not even have voted. We already have our common bonds, I know that through my messages and conversations with you, so I am not hear to judge any of that. If you voted in this election - THANK YOU. If you encouraged/reminded/took someone to vote - THANK YOU. If you had open and honest discussions with anyone - friend, family, or stranger - about the issues that surround us - THANK YOU. What I saw last night is that every bit of that counts.

This election was not just about what one man was willing to do to become leader of this country. To me, it was much more about what WE are willing to do for ourselves and for each other to make the changes we so desperately need.

From the Mouth of Babes*

*a recurring feature here at The BBC

Setting - At home...living room...the girls are watching a science video about the body...

Adachi: Mommy, what are kidneys?

Me: Kidneys? Hmmm...Well, they are organs inside your body that help you to eliminate waste. That's the stuff you don't need for nutrition.

Adachi: Oh. I'm glad you told me that.

Me: Why is that?

Adachi: Because I thought they were parts of our legs.

Get it?
Kid. Knees.

Yeah - I keep telling you guys - I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

...and she knits too!

To Everything There is a Season

...and at least one "thing" this season appears to be Knit Sweaters!

I've read a lot about what others will be doing this month - some will be focused on a month of daily blogging; others will tackle a novel; and still others will start and finish, or reclaim from the WIP pile a sweater of their choosing (NaKniSweMo on Ravelry).

I was chatting with my knit buddy lunabella today about my recent itch to join the masses and cast on a sweater as well. I love the idea of a hand knit sweater. Heck - last year I even finished one...

But the fact is, I've already got a pullover style top that's been haunting my WIP basket for months - no exaggeration. That's right - my Jaden is still unfinished.

In my rational mind - separating the fronts of a sweater and giving it a neckline should really not give me this much pause, but sadly I have found about 17, 000 excuses not to continue knitting on this project. I love the yarn and the color, and the style will suit me even better now that I've shed a few pounds (more on that in another post). So why the stalemate??? Believe me, it's not for lack of knitting mojo - I found plenty of stitching time over the last couple months to finish things for the Craft Show and to even begin and get most of way through these:

Boyfriend Socks pour moi

The shame of it is, I can't blame this UFO on a lack of time either. Since I last wrote here, I have taken 2 5-hour plane trips to the west coast and spent 9 days away from home mostly alone at a conference - including a 4 hour train ride each way. Uh huh. No excuse. Even a cumbersome project like a pullover could have been stuffed into my carry-on any number of times.

So maybe National Knit a Sweater Month will be my motivation. I can certainly use something long-sleeved and girly in my wardrobe over the next couple months, all that's left now is the knitting.

How about you? Are you taking on any of the November challenges?